Mysterious envelope

This morning I was the first to arrive at the office suite.  All was dark and the door was closed.  It has a glass panel and I could see something on the floor.  This is what I found:

Our department is the home to the Willed Body Donation Program and we get some odd ducks through the main office.  Generally all of the donation business is done by mail but once in a while someone will feel the need to come directly to the office to get questions answered.  The program office itself is WAY down in the basement and the public cannot find their way down there, so they show up at the main office.  I remember a man coming around a couple of times with a very strange story - not completely believable - and my best guess is that this is from him.  And as much as I would love to tear into that envelope, I'm going to leave it to the administrator.

My run was decent yesterday.  Not stellar but good and solid.  I will be happier when the work is done on the trail and I don't have to run detours into the street and, more importantly, up hills.  The foot is a little sore but just fine for running.  And now that's it until next week. 

Sunday night I finished the last episode of "Moone Boy" on Hulu+.  Only six episodes a season.  And what a cute show.  Last night it was early to bed to read and that didn't last very long either.  But I slept great so hopefully I can stay up a little later tonight!  Tomorrow is going to be a decidedly NOT fun day.  The afternoon has a bit more promise but proctoring students for an exam in a computer lab from 8:30 to 10:40 and again from noon to 2:40 is going to be awful.  Boring.  And what in the world am I supposed to be looking for exactly?  How are they going to cheat?  Oh they surely have ways.  Maybe I'll Google it.  J

Welcome to Tuesday

And a short week!  Yippee!  But oh no!  I left my iPad at home!  I hate that!!!  Ah well, I don't need to goof off any more than I usually do.

My toe and foot were not feeling up to running on Friday so I skipped it and I'm glad I did.  This morning it is finally feeling better and I will only have today to run.  I've got noon knitting tomorrow, on Thursday I am proctoring two exams and don't have enough time between them.  And Friday I'm leaving early for Birch Bay so .... it's today or not for another week.  At least the weather is fine.  Not warm, but not raining.  We had plenty of that this weekend.  Thankfully we got enough good hours during the long weekend to get plenty of work done.  I helped with putting in a small raised vegetable garden, planted some hanging baskets and other small pots.  Tink got some great walks.  On Saturday she got groomed at a new grooming place because I couldn't get her to Kristi's.  This is the first time she's been groomed somewhere else in her entire life and wouldn't you know it, the guy did not know how to clip a Westie!  He got her face right but her body is not right.  She looks WAY too fat and more like a Shi Tzu or something.  But she's clean and her nails are clipped and I can see her eyes, so that's fine.

I was thinking I would like to make a peach cobbler this weekend while we're up in Birch Bay but I don't like to use canned peaches.  And then what did I find?  Fresh peaches!  But they are hard as a rock, so I bought six of them and put them into a paper bag.  I am figuring they should be perfectly ripe by the weekend.

One of my goals for the weekend was to get the Iwi long right panel finished and cast on for the left side and back and get going in the round.  I did just that on Sunday and it was slow going.  And tough!  Perhaps that's why the designer didn't even suggest it.  I think if I wasn't as experienced I would have thrown in the towel.  I kept at it though and now I am so glad I did.  The rest of the project is going to be much faster.  I'm still only a few rows into it so I can't say for sure that the lace panel is going to look exactly the same but I figure it'll be close enough.  It's working anyway.

And that's what I should be doing .... working.

TypIcal

Oh how I have been looking forward to a nice, long weekend.  And oh how I've been hoping against hope that it would not be raining.  Alas, this is Seattle and there are times when it is more likely than not to be raining.  The Fourth of July is one of those times and Memorial Day weekend is another of those times.  So as soon as I stepped out the door I had to put my umbrella up, even though the forecast was for 30% chance of rain.  Who are they trying to kid?

On the other hand, it was quite beautiful yesterday and warm to boot.  Despite the drifting cottonwood fluff, I had another great run yesterday, knocking more than a minute and a half off of my best time -- the best time being since I've been rehabbing my foot.  I was quite pleased.  I ran a little earlier than usual because I had to catch a bus at 1:15 to get to my dental appointment.  I wasn't hungry and I didn't want to just bolt something down to stave off hunger.  I just figured I'd have a late lunch after my appointment.  How out of touch is that?  I was having a chipped tooth repaired!  There was, of course, Novocaine, but not just a little bit.  She filled me up with it as if she were filling a cavity.  I wasn't back to normal until nearly 6 pm, at which point I was beyond hungry.  That was pretty stupid.

I didn't knit last night.  Instead I went to bed to read and ended up falling asleep absurdly early.  Ah well, I guess I needed it.  I woke up at 6 am feeling all refreshed and ready to go.  I do for sure want to carve out some good quiet time to finish up the first four inches and cast on for the rest of the body and start in the round.  My new needles should arrive today.

I am a little concerned that my foot is a bit sore today.  I might have to forgo my run.  I feel my toe and my ankle, both areas that were injured.  Perhaps I have over done it a bit this week.  I'll play it by ear, but if it's still achy by 11 I'm going to have to switch to straight walking.

Happy long weekend everyone!

I pulled it off

Despite not preparing for the meeting until the last minute, it went quite well - if I do say so myself.  It's not easy keeping people on track when working on a web site.  I just needed two things from the committee and with some gentle nagging got all the questions answered and everyone is happy.  At least for now.  The new web site will be rolled out at the June faculty meeting and in the meantime I need to solicit labs and faculty for pictures to feature on the front page.  Never a dull moment?  Don't you believe it.

I got four more rows done on the Iwi at noon knitting and I've got at least 10 more to go before I can cast on for doing it in the round.  I ordered a new lace circular needle from Amazon.  One of the knitting girls told me about a less expensive - less than Addi - lace circular that had gotten raves from a friend of hers, so I thought I'd give it a try.  My Denise circulars are not great for using with the size 5 tips because they are the same size as the cables and the join is not smooth and the tips are rather dull.  So with yarn like this Folio, which is loosely plied, there is a lot of snagging and I am SO scared the tip is going to come off.  It happens all too easily, especially with a heavy or large project.  So these new needles should help a lot.  It'll go much faster in the round, I am sure.

It's another short day for me today.  I've got to get that little bit of broken tooth taken care of.  I hope they don't have to use too much Novocaine.  I wouldn't dare do it without, but it seems such a superficial repair.  It would be nice if I wasn't numb for hours and hours.  Every time my dentist uses Novocaine I am scared it's not going to go away.  I know that's silly but hey - we all have our phobias.

I am ready for the long weekend.  I'm hoping we get let loose early tomorrow.  Although as professional staff I could leave anyway, I don't like doing it unless everyone gets to go. 

Not a fluke

Hoorah!  I had another great run yesterday so it looks like I'm back on track with my running finally!  I don't even want to think about how long it's been.  Not just since the toe fracture in January, but I had been slacking off for six or eight weeks before that.  I am feeling pretty darned good about myself.  Now today I take the afternoon off because it's noon knitting.  But tomorrow, it's back at it.  And now that I'm doing 3 miles rather than 30 minutes as my noon workout I think I will be able to quicken my 5K pace as a bonus.  Although I don't plan on doing any races for a few more months.

The weather has been pretty nice but now the clouds are starting to move in.  Why you ask?  Because it's Memorial Day Weekend holiday coming up.  The beginning of the summer season and it's always cloudy and sometimes even raining on this weekend.  Oh people love to plan parties and barbecues, but we are more times than not disappointed by the weather.  No matter.  I am not going to worry about it.  If it's nice, great.  If it's not nice - fine too.  I'll knit or go shopping or something.  At least I get a 3 day weekend and that's all I care about.  I feel just smothered by work.  I am unmotivated and crabby.  AND I have a meeting this afternoon that I haven't even prepared for.  *sigh*  I think I'll have another cup of tea and think about it.  yeah ...

It was all about the asthma

I had a super fantastic run yesterday.  If it hadn't been for the detour on the trail where there were doing some construction it would have been epic.  As it is, I ran two miles straight without stopping - and remember?  Before I was just trying to get to one mile without a break.  After the two miles I gave myself a little walk break because my toe was feeling a bit sore, then back to the run.  I guess I will be using Symbecort daily for a while and then I can get back to using the rescue inhaler just for when I run.  Well, that's the plan anyway.  I am quite anxious to get out there again today!  Now that I know where the work is being done on the trail I can plan a better route.

I had so much to do when I got home last night that by the time I was finished with all the chores and my dinner and two dog walks I wasn't in the mood for lace knitting, so I watched a few programs on my iPad (my new favorite, on Hulu Plus, "Moone Boy".  And an episode of "Louie" - I started it anyway but it was getting too crazy and I needed something just plain stupid funny.  I am pretty sleepy this morning though.  I didn't sleep well.  It was noisy outside.

Finals are starting up.  I have been asked to proctor two exams next week.  They're in the computer lab, which is small so that we have to run the students through in two groups.  It is going to be torture.  Dead boring.  It's really over kill to have THREE proctors for 50 students, don't you think?  In the computer lab?  Ridiculous.  They can't get onto the internet to look things up.  How are they going to cheat?  *sigh*  Don't get me started.

Weekends are too short!

Where does the weekend go?  And why so quickly?  Thank goodness I have two whole weeks to look forward to in July.  A weekend is just not cutting it.

Friday I came in late because I had my dentist visit in the morning.  I had the fastest cleaning ever, which I attribute entirely to the wonderful little brushes I have found to use instead of floss.  I am hooked and the hygienist couldn't get over it.  However, we did find a little chip that needs to be fixed, so I've got to go back again this Thursday for a little repair work.  That's not so bad.

Since I didn't get to work until noon there was no running, but I am all set to start up again today.  The asthma is under control (although I will be carrying my rescue inhaler for the foreseeable future) and the cotton wood fluff was not drifting around this morning, so we should be good to go today.

As for the weekend ..... I seriously don't know where it went.  I watched a movie Friday night, did a little knitting, did a little shopping (got some nice new jeans), had friends over for dinner and games Saturday, then met friends for breakfast Sunday, and there you go.  I wanted to knit more yesterday but I couldn't fit it in.  I have finished the first 12 row repeat of the lace and I'll have to do another 12 at least to get to four inches.  Then I'll be casting on for the left front and back.  Yes I am sure I can do this in the round now.  It will get tricky at the arm holes, but I've done this before.  Put the back on holders and do the front and then finish up the back and 3 needle bind off the shoulders.  Then this sweater does the sleeves by picking them up from the arm holes.  That is going to be the tricky part but, again, I've also done this before -- two sleeves at the same time on two circular needles.  But it is very fiddly to get it going.

On Friday I got a good news/bad news text message from one of my friends in Paris.  It's a case of the husband not knowing what the wife has planned.  I won't be able to visit with one of my favorite couples when I visit in July because they are leaving Paris the very day I am leaving Seattle for two weeks in Burgundy.  However, the GOOD news is that I get their flat while they are gone!  Awesome news.  It's right on the street where I lived, just two or three blocks towards the Hotel de Ville from there.  Perfect.  No waiting to check in, I can go straight to the flat on Sunday when I arrive.  And it's walking distance to most of my favorite places.  Well, it's good news although I am going to miss seeing them. 

Here we go.

The disturbance

Last night I had to have the fan on all night.  Yes, it's that time of year again.  Tink is definitely not used to it yet.  We walked over to the mall when I got home because I had to pick up something from Macy's.  It was a longer than usual walk and she seemed just fine with it, albeit a bit slow in the heat.  When we get home we usually have a rousing game of fetch, but she wanted none of it and settled into a cool spot.  She was ready to go out again at around 7, all normal.  I had cast on for the Iwi at noon knitting so, since I had the fan going and it wasn't prohibitively hot, I worked a few rows, but by 8:30 or so she was bugging me so I decided to go into the "bedroom" to shut her up.  I had a book to finish.  She couldn't decided, unfortunately, if she wanted to be on the bed or off the bed and kept getting comfy, then whining to get off and then whining to be back on.   Very annoying.  I checked and she had food and water, so I just ignored her for a while. 

I finished my book - an odd one by Kate Atkinson called "Human Croquet" - and by then it was nearly 11 o'clock.  I was not tired at all.  Not a bit!  How annoying.  And to add to that Tinkerbell was still acting weird, so I asked her if she wanted to go out and *bang* she was right there, tail wagging.  Yes indeed, out was what she wanted.  What the heck?  I was wide awake anyway and it was nice outside, so I pulled on some yoga pants and put a hoody on over my nightgown and out we went, strolling.  It was lovely actually, still warm, people out in the square talking quietly.  We strolled and strolled and then when we got in she was ready for her game of fetch.  I guess it was just too hot for her earlier.  I am sorry I can't get her in for a grooming this weekend.  I have an appointment for the following weekend, but I suspect she's quite warm in her big fluffy coat.

I did realize after doing a couple of rows of the lace pattern that I was not getting it right in my in the round trial.  The markers I put in on the first row do NOT stay the same on the return purl row, which means they won't be static in the round either.  Ah well.  It's only 35 stitches, twice.  I will figure it out or not do this project.  There is no way in hell I'm going to do an over sized stockinette pullover on size 5 needles flat. 

Considering how little sleep I got last night I feel okay.  I will not run today either but start fresh next Monday.  The cottonwood is still too thick and it's heading into the 80s as I type.  It will be cooler next week.

And now nothing to do but wait

Yesterday I got the last piece in place for my trip in July - my train reservations from Paris to Luxembourg.  This time I'm going to print my ticket out before I go.  When I went to Normandy a couple of years ago I bought my ticket for ... oh I can't remember the little town ... but instead of printing them out here I elected to get them at the machine in the train station.  Unfortunately the machines were not accepting my password so I had to go to a ticket booth to retrieve the ticket.  I had plenty of time, but it would have been a disaster if I hadn't gotten to the train station early.  I am taking no chances.  Plus it's going to be summer time and a lot more crowded and full of tourists.  I have been thinking back and I seriously cannot remember being in Paris, or anywhere in Europe for that matter, in the summer since I lived there.  What a difference this is going to be.  I am SO excited.  It should make my travel-less autumn easier to take.  (At least I'd feel very guilty about complaining).

The temperature has stayed comfortable.  I did not run yesterday - not because of the temperature but because of the drifts of cotton wood fluff along the trail.  I can't be good for me to be sucking in lungs full of the stuff.  I took a nice brisk walk instead.  We'll see how it looks tomorrow.  I am ready to get out there again, that's for sure!

Noon knitting today and I've got my Hitofude to show off.  Also I brought the Folio to start casting on my Iwi.  I did a few more rows last night of the lace pattern and I can't tell yet if I've got it right just changing the purls to knits.  I will have to do the first few inches back and forth anyway so I'll be getting a feel for the pattern before I start in the round. 

Today I had another annual exam - this one the painful one.  Now it's done for another year.  Hoorah.  Friday is my semi-annual dental appointment.  I am very UN-busy right now at work so this is the perfect time to be getting all these things taken care of.   It's a little more challenging on the bus but I've got a great book to listen to - "The Crimson Petal and the White" - so I don't mind so much.  Except I did happen to be sitting in a crowded bus in a VERY stinky seat.  Not nice. 

Not a shawl

Well finally I finished a project that is not a shawl, nor a pair of mitts.  My Hitofude blocked out beautifully.  I only wish I could have moved the dummy down the hall towards the light source.  But there's not enough room to get a decent picture so these will have to do.  Oh gosh, and now seeing them on the page, they really don't do justice to the beautiful yarn.  I tried to fiddle with them in Photoshop but I didn't want to take a lot of time over it.  This one upper left is the nicest.  The Malabrigo yarn was great to work with and blocked out like a dream.  There's a good amount of swing and drape to this little cardigan.  I almost regret not putting a button up there, but I can always use a pin if need be. 

That being done, last night I started fussing with the lace pattern on the Iwi, trying to turn it into an in-the-round pattern.  I don't know if it's dumb luck or what, but I think I've got it first go and it's not rocket science.  I'm just doing the purl rows as written but changing purls to knits.  I am five rows into a 12 row repeat and so far it looks like it's right.  I'll have to finish the greater part of the 12 rows before I know for sure.  This will make the project do-able.  I cannot imagine making an over sized sweater with that much plain stockinette in pieces!  What a waste of time.  Plus I get sore doing all that purling.

The weather has turned and it is absolutely gorgeous again today.  Although I can see the cotton wood pods floating all about and they are laying thick as snow on the trail.  I am starting to have second thoughts about running in the fluff even now that my asthma seems to be well managed.  I think it might be smarter to walk this week until the fluff subsides.  I seriously do NOT want to have another asthma attack on the trail.  Twice was once too much.  Once was once too much, actually.

Okay, so I'm a bitch

When I saw my GP last Wednesday we spent a bit of time getting the electronic record up to date.  I am a great believer in electronic medical records.  I think they've been a long time coming and so I didn't mind spending a bit of time getting everything squared away.  The doctor gave me a referral to another doctor who I saw this morning.  This doctor is in the same system.  I get to the reception desk and am shown a paper listing my current medications, which I say is correct.  Then, while I'm waiting I'm asked to fill out another four page form.  I sit down and start going through it and it's the SAME INFORMATION.  Previous aliments, surgeries, current medications ... same same same!  I went up to the desk and asked why in the world I have to fill this out when I just affirmed the medications and my doctor had only last Wednesday entered my history into the computer record that they have in front of them.  The receptionist said something to the effect that they just want to double check, but the look on my face must have told her that she was going to get nowhere with me.  She took the clipboard back with a snarky, "Well, I'll just tell the nurse you don't want to fill it out".  Seriously?  I think she's the bitch but oh well.  Then I had a lovely visit with a perfectly awesome lady doctor and all is well and I'm happy.

The day is absolutely stunning and it's going to be beautiful and hot all week long.  The weekend?  As with this past one, mostly rainy.  How's that for luck?  I would gladly work in Ben's yard for a few hours if that would mean we'd have some nice weekend weather.  This Sunday wasn't bad and we did get out and walk in the park.  Tink likes that.  I had to bathe her Sunday morning since she found something incredibly nasty to roll in. 

And the Hitofude?  Finished!!!  It's on my floor drying as I type.  I'll take pictures tonight.  I ended up doing extra repeats for the first three sections and by the time I was at the last I realized I didn't need the extra repeat.  It is the prefect length and I didn't have to block the dickens out of it.  I should now be able to figure out how to do the Iwi's lace pattern in the round before the yarn comes.

Oh glory - it's after noon already and I've only gotten in.  A really really short day. 

Powerless in the face of yarn

I am now on the last section of pattern repeats for my Hitofude.  I slipped it on yesterday evening and I am very glad that I decided to add the extra length.  If I hadn't done the extra repeats I could have done the entire thing with just two skeins of yarn.  I don't want it to be short though so I am glad I got the extra.  I am for some reason entirely captivated by Iwi (I know I know ... this pairing of the sweater and those hideous pants, but I do like the sweater) and I have been searching for just the right yarn to substitute for the Folio.  Then I read on the YarnBox Ravelry group that Alpaca, the prime fiber in Folio, is supposedly hypoallergenic, and if one has had itchy reactions to the fiber in the past it is most likely due to inferior or cheap yarn.  So I just purchased the Folio called for in this pattern and I'll hope for the best.   I do know that I knit a stole with an alpaca/silk blend yarn and it doesn't bother me so perhaps the Folio won't either.  Fingers crossed.  I don't want to have to send it back!

Wednesday morning I had my annual exam and I had to say goodbye to my GP, who has been my doctor for 25 years!  Because I had to also pick up a Symbecort inhaler before I headed in to work I didn't get here until noon knitting time.  So it was a short day.

I had my annual review on Tuesday and got a glowing one.  Not that I expected anything less.  The good news is that we, the professional staff at least, are getting raises again this year!  Two years in a row after going five years without a penny.  That is pretty nice.

Yesterday I had a hair appointment at 4 and I couldn't figure out what to do - go home early and walk Tink and then go to the appointment or take her with me .... I can't leave her for more than 10 or 11 hours.  So I worked from home.  I did leave her there when I went though because it was lashing rain.  It's not bad today - a bit windy.  Next week should be nice.

I have one last thing to handle for my trip.  I've got to get my train ticket from Paris to Luxembourg.  Otherwise I got the hotel squared away for the last leg of the trip and for my first two days, Sunday and Monday when I arrive, I found a perfect room on Airbnb.  Not only is it cheaper than any hotel I could find, but it's right on the street where I used to live, just a couple of blocks closer to Republique and, since it's a room in a woman's apartment, I don't have to cool my heels Sunday morning waiting for the room to be ready.  My hairdresser turned me on to Airbnb.  She and her boyfriend are going to Italy on Monday for 3 weeks and they are using it.  It's a great idea.

No big plans for the weekend.  I would like to finish up Hitofude.  I would like the sun to shine.  Modest requests.

So annoying!

As we all know, my little office with a door is located inside another room.   This room, usually called the Maiin Office, has the copier, the mailboxes, supplies, etc.  The woman who sits in the reception area doesn't get in until close to 9.  This morning the occupant of the office next to me had an errand to run downstairs and so left me alone right after I got in.  I got my tea and got settled in and then went to visit the ladies room.  When I returned the door to the main office was locked!  I didn't have my keys.  *sigh*  How helpful.  Luck was with and someone with a key came by soon.  But still. 

Yesterday was not a good running day.  Not at all.  I didn't get much past 6/10ths of a mile when my asthma was so bad that I had to stop.  Either I forgot to take my puffs, although I distinctly remember going into my purse to get the inhaler, or (more likely) the pollen count and my allergies are combining in a way that means I need to add Symbecort for a while.  I have an appointment for my annual exam tomorrow so I'll be able to get whatever I need.  In the meantime my asthma was so bad last night that I had to get up and use my inhaler a couple of times during the night.  Not fun.  I did some reading about people who run and have asthma - in fact I read a letter to a columnist that could have been written by me.  Same age at onset, same set of circumstances (after a bout of particularly bad bronchitis).  It can be controlled.  One just needs the correct combination of meds.  I'll get there.  I was strong anyway so I'm that close to being back on track.   Today I'll just take a nice walk and call it good.

Monday night slob around is what I had yesterday evening.  I have another great new book so I read much too late.  I'll sleep well tonight.

Wet wet and more wet

Crazy business.  Last week it was 80 and a few days later in the 50s and pouring rain.  We had a 30% chance of rain in the forecast but in reality it was 100%.  So guess what - no yard work.  That didn't break my heart.  It was replaced by shopping.  I didn't buy anything but it was fun nonetheless. 

So yes, a low profile weekend.  Since I'm counting calories nothing very exotic was on the menu.  I did cook some lovely Rockfish Saturday night.  It was simple, baked in the oven while I was baking some butternut squash.

Saturday was the wettest day and night and the poor Sounders had a home game in the worst of it.  Soccer is like football in that the games only get called on account of lightening.  Rain?  Play on boys!  And they are really on a roll these days, our star player is earning his keep and has been scoring multiple goals now four or five games in a row.  The Mariners are on the road and even they won Saturday and Sunday.  So there was that at least to bring a little sunshine to an otherwise gloomy and wet wet wet weekend.

We are expecting more of the same this week.  I was able to get quite a few rows done yesterday evening and I have brought my Hitofude with me to work today in case the rains show up at noon.  I'm not running in the rain - well, I'll run in the sprinkles but I swear, the ways it's been blasting down I'm ready to skip it and find a quiet corner to knit.  I'm covered both ways.  I think, after my run last week with the bad app, I might consider going back to my walking app for another week and then next week I should be 100% and ready to go back to the Nike app. By that I mean I think I'll be able to run 100% of the 3 miles by then.  Am I being overly optimistic?  We shall see.

I finally heard from Eoghan, my friend in Paris, with the name of the hotel his wife had recommended to me before.  So I'll check that out today.  I want to get my hotels nailed down this week and then I can just daydream and wait.  And wait.  And wait.

I tried a new running app

We all know how I love my iPhone.  I use it when I run, of course, to keep track of my pace and distance.  Usually I use the Nike app, but since I've been going the rehab I've been using MapMyWalk for obvious reasons.  But I'm running way more than walking and I read about a new app - a couple of them actually - that take your music and categorize it by beats per minute.  Then you can dial up whatever pace you want.  Genius!  I got the app and gave it test drive yesterday.  NOT genius.  Oh it works well enough with the beats per minute, but it doesn't use GPS for pace and distance like the other apps do.  I don't know how exactly it does figure distance but since it suggests using it in an armband I suspect it is stride.  Well, I'm short and I certainly don't have an average stride.   My goal yesterday was to run 1 mile without stopping.  Asthma was under control and I was ready, but that darned thing was not working at all.  I run basically the same route so I know pretty much where 1 mile is, but it depends on where I start, of course. All I know is when I got to where I thought should be a little over 1/2 a mile the app said 0.35!  So - it's off my phone.  I love love love the paced music.  Perhaps I should look for another app that uses GPS AND does the pace.

It did get pretty hot yesterday but I got my run over before it really was blazing.  That being said, it would have been more comfortable in my running skirt.  I have a meeting today so I doubt I'll be able to get out anyway.  It's cooler and it'll be cooler all next week.  I'll look forward to that.

I have yet to make my hotel reservations for my summer trip.  I've been waiting for my friends in Paris to get back to me with the name of the hotel near the pub where I stayed before.  I was right, they were on holidays but I know Eoghan is back at least.  I did find Airbnb, which my hairdresser had been telling me about.  I think I'll just do that for myself for Sunday and Monday and see what Emma wants to do for the weekend.  The thing about the hotel near the pub is that it's ... near the pub.  Yes, but it's also not a shabby place.  They were renovating it last time I was there, or repairing water damage.  Anyway even with the mess it was okay.  But I've got to get that handled sooner rather than later.  Tick tock.

Nothing much going on this weekend.  A little knitting.  Helping a little in Ben's garden.  I could use a quiet weekend.

Happy May Day!

Hooray hooray, the first of May.  It's always been one of my favorite months.  And it's a beautiful day today - well, morning anyway.  It's predicted to get into the 80s later.  Mid-80s.  I don't suppose it'll be too hot at lunchtime but I'll be sure to get out there by 11:30 anyway.

We were only three at noon knitting yesterday.  My Hitofute is getting larger and I was only able to complete two rows.  I did another last night but the lap full of wool was too hot for me to do another.  This heat won't last. 

Because it was rather warm last night and I hadn't gone up to get a fan from my storage closet, I had the window open wide.  And oh was it ever noisy out in the square!  There was a gang of kids yelling and laughing and singing.  Yes, of course we're supposed to have security on the premises but they never seem to be around when this type of thing is happening.  I nearly called after being awakened for a second time, but they finally disappeared and I was able to sleep.  I am tired this morning.

The administrator came into the suite yesterday and commented that she was surprised nobody had called in sick, it was such a beautiful day.  Then she suggested that the staff might want to leave early yesterday and today to enjoy the weather and to decide amongst themselves.  I have been keeping my door closed both Tuesday and yesterday.  The noise ... the sneezing and sniffling of allergies and colds ... I can't take it.  So I was hearing this all through my closed door.  It doesn't really have anything to do with me, as professional staff.  I can come and go as I see fit.  But today  - so far neither of the women in my suite have shown up.  Crazy.

Things are rather slow around here and it's hard to self start when it's so gorgeous outside.  I too would rather not be here but here I sit.  On days like this it would be nice to be able to bring Tink to work so I'd have some reason to go on more walks outside.  [I'm only half joking]