anchors away

Oh my gosh - another week has gone by. I have been working a lot this week - T-F in Boston, so between working a full day and the commute both ways, I am not interested in the computer when I get home. So let's see, this past week...

I GOT MY WEDDING DRESS!! Bought it on Monday. Got the contract for the reception site - the place I wanted so much! Set up appointments with the photographer and found a DJ and florist to interview. Also found 3 cakes places to sample :-) Met with my friend Adrianne who plans weddings. She is going to be a huge help and stress reliever for me. She is fantastic at organizing and planning events. I am so blessed to have her help!

Also heard from my accountant today. Had to write a couple of hefty checks for quarterly tax payments. Better a little (or a lot) at a time than a huge bill in April. I think that'd push me over the edge right before the wedding!

I will have to try to be better about writing here. Yeah, I said that last week!

ut oh, who's a slacker?

I am, I am.

Lots has happened over the past week. On Saturday, IJ and I got engaged! Yes folks, I am getting married! Next May. We went on a lovely picnic, and my ring was tied to a big red ribbon attached to my champagne glass. It was very nice, very romantic. There was poetry and feeding of grapes. You had to be there...

So the past week has been about getting pricing for things for the wedding. And stressing about availability and cost. So I took a couple of days off to chill. Tomorrow I am looking at dresses and the reception site that I really want. Just have to convince my parents that it is THE PLACE! Dress shopping should be fun though.

I will try not to be such a slacker. This wedding has already stolen my brain.

The week in review

It has been a whole week since I have posted anything so I should have a lot to say... hmm, where to begin....

traffic/morning commute - SUCKS! People drive like absolute morons in the morning. There should be tests to see if people should be allowed to drive during commuting hours.

Patriots - looking like crap so far this season. I am really hoping that Bellichek is just telling them to look bad so they can surprise everyone this season. Probs unlikely!

Pedicures - men shouldn't work in nail salons. They just don't give a good pedi. I mean, the polish on my toes right now is an inch think. It will all chip off within 10 days I bet. They usually last 4 weeks. We shall see. Anyway, this salon is now on our black list - never to be visited again.

Boats - nice to ride on, calming, but from what my friends with boats tell me - MONEY PITS! too bad really. But a lot of nice things eat up your cash.

Macaroni & Cheese - looks good, tastes good, sits in your stomach for hours!

Taking what they're giving cause I'm working for a living...

The freelance biz has been busy lately. I am really excited about it. I have 6 clients and 2 are active, possibly 3 soon. I hope it lasts. It scares the BLEEP out of me to be honest. But, having been laid off 3 times, I guess it is as safe as any "permanent" job. HA! Whatever that means!

On another note, IJ and I went out to dinner on Monday night. We went to Smith and Wollensky's as part o the Restaurant Week event in Boston. Got a phenominal meal for what some would say was a bargain. $145 for salads, entree, 1 side, dessert and 3 drinks - 2 for IJ, 1 for me. And for a place like that, we did get a great deal. But, I am cheap. $145 buys me 2-3 weeks of groceries, not 1 meal. But it was a special ocassion so I guess once in a while it is ok. I have to say, it was darn tasty!!

ah, the joy of being missed

It is a nice feeling when you find out you are missed - by a friend, significant other, past business contacts.... And to find out that you really did make a difference. And that you might be appreciated more after you are gone – by force or by choice.

Pick your own fruit...

So to add to my obsession with farms and farmer's markets that has heightened this summer, today, we went blueberry picking with IJ's sister and brother-in-law. It was a fantastic day - perfect weather. We took home 12.75 lbs of blueberries, C & B took home almost 20 lbs. Tomorrow we will rinse and freeze most of them. They should last a really long time. IJ is going to make blueberry and peach cobblers tomorrow night for dessert. I plan to have fresh blueberries in my yogurt all week. IJ too. We love our fruit and yogurt for breakfast. IJ's with granola, mine with almonds. of course, they'd taste fantastic in muffins or cake, but no sweets for me during the week. Going into week 5 with this new eating method - still liking it. Not losing weight, but eating healthier for sure.

On a side note, tomorrow is my sister Ja's 21st birthday. UNBELIEVABLE! Happy 21st Birthday Ja!!! Love you!

Go Local

Today, IJ and I went to a great farmers' market in Lexington. There were about 15 tables with veggies and fruits, herbs, cookies, breads, flowers, jewelery, organic meats, fresh fish and gelato. It was a great spread. The prices were somewhat reasonable, a few things seemed high to me, but I am a bit frugal. We got home with a big bag of fruits and veggies, some tasty fresh cod and a loaf of delicious bread. We had a fantastic dinner prepared by IJ. Thanks Hun!

We had a nice day. I did some work this morning and IJ is still settling back in here at home. Great weather, the house is back to 70º - my favorite temperature. Yes, it really is. 68º is a close second fave.

Leaving on a jet plane...

So IJ comes back tomorrow from a 6 week work trip in Israel. He was a busy guy! He worked between 65-85 hours every week. Unfortunately, he didn't get to see many sites except for parts of Tel Aviv and The Dead Sea. He will probably be sent there again in the fall. For now, I am VERY HAPPY to have him home!

Never burn a bridge!

One lesson that I have learned in life is never to burn a bridge. You never know when people's paths will cross again or if you might one day need a favor. Or if they might hire you for a freelance gig :-)

At least I got to walk around Boston...

So yeah, today's interview. WASTE OF TIME! I had a bad feeling about it. And I should have canceled, but hindsight is 20/20. These people were not looking for a designer. It was a cool space and the people seemed nice, but not the place for me. I was in the office for 15 minutes. So I spent some time walking around Boston and enjoying the weather. Went to a few of my fave stores on Newbury Street - i.e. 1154 Lill, LUSH, and of course Starbucks. Did a lot of walking so that was good. So a bit of a waste, but not entirely. Overall, thumbs up day.

Job Hunting

Oh how I do not enjoy the whole process. I have an interview tomorrow in Boston. A very small company. The job sounds interesting but not sure it is ideal or if I am even fully qualified. But, I could learn a lot I think. We'll see how it goes. I don't like interviews. I don't think many people do really. It is a bit of a show. I try to be as "me" as possible, but often find myself slipping into buzz word lingo or body language poses. Ugh. Oh well.

The market is very slow. Anyone who says this is not a recession is full of crap!

You gotta start somewhere

So I decided to jump on the blogging bandwagon and create a blog. I can't promise words of wisdom, or even a lot of interesting info. But, it's mine and I can write whatever I want to.

Things I am into right now: Building a freelance business/Job searching. Learning web design. The No "S" Diet.

Now if I could only be into exercise......