Synchronicity

Back HomeWest. Phone rang this morning, private number. Twas my lawyer calling to tell me that as of this morning I am a divorced woman.

Tomorrow, I'm embarking on a trip that's been planned for a month. At 1 p.m. I get on a plane to Vegas for New Years.

God works in mysterious ways indeed!

Moving, one suitcase at a time

The past month has absolutely zoomed by. I've been condo shopping on the weekends, crazy busy at work doing the day to day plus 2009 planning. I sorta ignored Christmas this year. Turns out to have been a good year for that.

I squeezed in 5 days at "home" - maybe I need to come up with a unique designation for that - HomeEast? Anyhow, Rochester. I am so blessed - in the teeth of the nutso weather and hugely disrupted travel, I flew on Dec 24th, both flights on time - connected through Chicago, no less!! Upgraded, I *love* that! Had a very fun seatmate Chicago to Rochester, he'd grown up in the area too. The stewardess asked how long we'd known each other, he said I was his next ex-wife. Talking and laughing the whole flight is the best way to travel, as far as I'm concerned. Doesn't happen often enough.

Got to Rochester a bit early, suitcase was there (empty, and that felt weird setting out that way) and taxis were waiting. Driving past Greg's house I noticed both vehicles there, which was odd, as they were supposed to be at Andrea's brothers place for the festive family pandemonium Christmas Eveapalooza. (I was invited and declined.) Turns out, Bro and family were down with a bad stomach bug, eeech.

I missed that, yay. But it resulted in me spending a few hours in Dad's apt on Christmas day, cleaning, instead of us all having dinner at their house. And then getting my Christmas dinner from 7-11; as it was the only thing open in the area. I worked hard that day to Let Everything That Happens Be OK. I think I only thought once that I should have stayed HomeWest with friends in abundance. (K, I tried to only think that once. But I didn't have a pity party over it, I'm proud to say.)

I have packed a couple big boxes of clothes, shipped west by UPS, and started throwing out things I don't need. Most of my clothes are now HomeWest, extra magazines I will never read are gone. Love how clean and tidy HouseEast looks. Hmmm, do I only love a place as I'm moving out? I plan to work to keep HouseWest, when I have it, organized and put away.

Peri is planning that she'll come out, help me pack & drive my stuff across the country in the spring. That will be such fun! I've decided to leave most of the furniture; take kitchen and personal things and of course all the rocks. We Amoses must have our rocks! My rocks must be rather amused, some of them are quite the world travellers now. The Brazillian Amethyst will be going back to California, the tiny Florite from arizona ? back to Cal via way of Germany ...

The weather HomeEast has been absolutely delightful - warm! 50+ degrees a couple days in a row. Snow has melted, grass is green and I am scramming out of town before winter comes roaring back. I do not know when I will be here next, I currently have no planned return. Yes, that does feel a little weird.

I spent quiet time yesterday thinking about my goals for 2009. In 2008, my theme was Love. 09, it is Adventure. Hah! And this includes the possibility of things going pear-shaped in California and me ending up in a different place entirely, renting and not buying. I am open to change. All I think for sure is that I will spend even less time in Rochester in 09. Counted the days, spent 110 days HomeEast in 08; 33 days on planes; about 7 weeks around the world.

Well dear readers, time for me to turn to work for an hour or so before I get on todays plane. See most of you soon - HomeWest! Call me!

Random updates

Who was I kidding? I am SO moving to CA. Talking with a realtor, mortgage broker and others. Looking at condos - soon! Great time to buy, it seems.

Was in CA Oct 30 - Nov 13. Flew to Roch on Nov 14, to DC on the 16th to work a trade show. Back to Roch on the 19th. Of November. It was 24 degrees. I am moving to a place that has more degrees.

Images from recent Halloween parties. Had so much fun at work - someone said "Well, at least you didn't go over the top." Hah! I bought the dress at Spirit in Rochester (A national chain Halloween store) and the mask I had - it was really easy to put together.

The evenings costume, well, my roomate furnished that - she'd worn it the year before. Was so fun!



The costume for work





The costume for play



Fun dancing with Dan


And, had another first - rode on the back of Theo's Harley over highway 17 to Santa Cruz. LOVED it!! Rode back in the rain - that was not so much fun until we crested the summit and saw the double rainbow in front of us. Amazing!



Gearing up



Heading out - dig the Purple DynaGlide!!



At breakfast



Across the table

surf and seagulls redux

Sitting on a bench at Capitola Beach. Had been stormy yesterday, lots of rain.Today its breezy with the sun out through high clouds. Kids playing on the beach, newbie surfers playing in the waves. When I left Rochester on Thursday it was snowing a bit.

Time to work towards living most of the time out here, I am a California girl at heart.I don't know how, but what my new place will look like is starting to take shape. Been manifesting prety well, lately.

The European trip, to work woth our resellers and distys, was a great success. And hard travel. To London on the 10th, met with people in the UK until Thurs afternnon, then Friday the 17th flew to Belfast (!hic!) Sat 18th to Paris, planned to depart Sun afternoon by train but got caught in a taxi strike. Missed the train to Lyon. Biggest travel disaster in the company of an exec. I prefer to never repeat that experience. Monday train to Lyon, met with the disty.

Then flew to Munich that night for the final 3 days of the trip. Tuesday I worked the trade fair with our German disty, and met with friends for dinner.

I had called Joyce to get directions on how to meet her. "Get to Ostbahnhof and take the 54 to Lorettoplatz, get off a Tucherpark." Did thatand it slowly dawned on me that this wasn't right. Looked on the route map and - should have been on the 54 other direction. OK, I got off and retraced, got to the meeting spot about 30 mins later than planned. And had been on the same bus as Mary Lynne and didn't even see her. We started walking to the main street, and were soon in my former neighborhood. The weather was unseasonably warm, so I pursuaded them to walk a bit farther and headed down to the grocery market in the basement of Karstadt, where I snagged their last bottle of my favorite liquor - Honeywine from Andechs monastary. Then across the subway station to the pharmacist, then back above ground. Joyce suggested a place for dinner and we walked towards it, but decided it wasn't what we wanted. Turned around to head back into the subway and there, coming towards us on his bike, was THE one person I had wanted to run into in Munich - Mike, my beloved personal trainer. Amazement had both our jaws dropping. We chatted for a few minutes and he had to go off to work.

When I think about what it took to bring me to the right place at the right time to see Mike I am almost speechless - so astounded and delighted. It was one of the high points of my trip.

Road Warrior Lessons from Fri Oct 17

Both a lesson, and a first time: Do NOT go on a pub crawl with your Irish reseller.We were to see the oldest pub in Belfast. Turns out there are about 15 making that claim. Thank god we only went to 5 and I was permitted (because of being a girl) to have only half pints at each pub.

Then we went to dinner. Wine with dinner - I barely wet my lips. And, when asked about after dinner drink, I said "No I cannot drink anymore." Turns out that phrase is Irish for "I'll have a large whiskey, straight up!" .holy crap!

What a life!

As I sit in the setting sun to write this, the splashing sounds of kids playing in the pool below ricochet off the balcony. Seagulls cry in the background, and summertime radio is playing.

The last time I wrote, I was in Jerusalem. My trip was amazing and I am still absorbing where I've been and what I've seen. Sept 17, I arrived. Hooked up with the group of 27 ladies, most of whom I knew when I lived in Munich. So grand to see everyone!

The 18th and 19th we toured Jerusalem. The 20th we drove to see Qumram, Masada, and then had an afternoon floating in the Dead Sea. 21st was one more day in Jerusalem. On the 22nd we drove up the Med. coast, saw Caesarea, Akko, and then on to the city of Tiberius, on the Sea of Galilee. Spent the 23rd touring in that area. 24th I cried enough! and stayed in the lovely hotel, catching up with work and floating in their pool. 25th we drove to Jordan. 26th saw Jerash. 27th we spent in Petra. Then home on the 28th.

Sun poisoning. No stomach upsets. Some dehydration. Brain boggled at the sites - our guide in Israel is an archeologist. More write up later, I promise.

And my plan had been, to stay in Rochester until Oct 10th, when I get on a plane to London for a work trip to visit our VARs and distributors in that part of the world.

Hmmm, you say, pool/sun/seagulls - doeasn't sound like Rochester. (At least in October.) And you would be right!

So, on the 19th, in Jerusalem, I get a text. From my boss. "Call me as soon as you can." Rut-ro. I did. He'd quit.

Later, I think in the Jordanian desert, I discovered that a coworker had been promoted to take over marketing. Yay! I really like this guy & his management style quite a bit. Except, he said "come to CA - soonest". So, I returned from Tel Aviv on Sept 28th, Sunday, got home about 8 p.m. That Wednesday morning, I got on a plane to CA. Was going to return to Rochester overnight, on Friday. Except when I got to CA, I got persuaded to work a trade show in San Diego Mon/Tuesday.

So here I am, on the 5th floor of the Hyatt Mission Bay in San Diego, patio door open to the setting sun, overlooking the pools. Brain a little scrambled. And still going to London on Friday. Am hoping to the heavens that I have all the right clothing in Rochester for that trip - no time to shop, if I don't.

But ... what a life!!! I am having a blast.

OF COURSE I have pictures. Too many for Blogger. Look at my hundreds of pics, here:

http://www.cea-photos.smugmug.com

The Holy Land

Been in Jerusalem for 4 days; yesterday departed drove up the coaset to Ceasarea, then Akko, in Tiberius on the Sea of Gallilee right now. 7 a.m., up early to do a couple work things. Yeah, yeah, bit I am here and able to a a bit of work, and that is too cool for words, for me.

Fun is being had!



That's the Dome of the Rock and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in the background - the gold and black domes, respectively. I was sitting on a Roman wall in the garden of the high priest Ciaphases house.



Mud fun at the Dead Sea.

A new adventure unfolding

In less than 24 hours I will be standing in Jerusalem. ! I am flying out today to join a tour put together by Jackie, who was the president of LIA my last year in Munich. She & her husband repatriated to Israel over a year ago, and the ladies of the club entreated her to set up a tour. I decided that, when else would I ever go to Israel but in the company of friends? So here I go.

Of course when I booked the trip, I had not started working at my current job. And it's a very busy time at work, of course.So I am taking my laptop. Downside is that I'll be working some of the time. Upside, I should be able to post pictures.

... more later!

Celebrate A Life

I zoomed back to Roch on 7/27, as on 7/28 there was a party for Dad. Crimson Ridge, where he lives, picks a resident each month to celebrate, and July was his turn. Pics, below. And a word about Crimson Ridge - it's a great place. I can highly recommend it to anyone. The staff is caring, and kind. Dad's got friends there now, which helps.



Gotta have cake!



Dad & Linda, another resident



Greg & Gavin



Andrea & her Mom, Barb



Dad and Bea and Al. Bea worked for Dad for years.


John & Bess, our neighbors at the Amos family house



Marge and Bess. Marge was our next door neighbor.



The motley crew, out to view - what else the GINKO TREE!

Fantastic!

Just stepped out of the Rochester airport into the warm embrace of a summer night. I so enjoyed walking into my little house; I'd cleaned just before I left and it stayed that way. A big plus of living with me and no one else.

CA is wonderful and compelling but it cannot compete with these warm summer nights.
A bit humid, gentle breeze, feels tropical. Great night to sit out on the deck and stay awake for hours as the wind caresses me.

But first, an update. Great 2 weeks in CA. I think I've - finally - finished a big project for work. It's at the end, now depends on engineering to push to production. Should happen this week and our VAR portal will go live. About time!!

Had a great deal of fun, squeezed into a few grand evenings. Out with friends on Thursday, sequed into bar hopping and dancing on tables. My favorite thing ever. (Except for my other favorite things.)

Repeat dates with an interesting young man. Loving that.

I was staying at Nancy's place in Mountain View, which she so kindly offered as she was away herself. Ideal location - last Sunday, I walked into downtown. Stopped for coffee, phone Andrea in Rochester. Then Tanya called from Rochester. After that, I shopped the farmers market, walked back. Drove to visit Kristen, lunched and shopped, had champagne in town. Eventually drove back talking with Renee. It was such a girlfriend day I was charged up for a week!

Early in the trip, I met with Barb and the mastermind group she's put together for launching her new business. Great group of women, new to me. I am looking forward to her product very much and will share when she says I can. That day I was showing off a new dress and she took a couple good pics.



K, maybe a bit too much. But fun. And I've since found capri tights that match the purple. Don't even try to tell me the rules say no short skirts after 35.



Cute, eh? It's about time, for me, to feel that way again. I have come into my own. And am delighted. I radiate delight everywhere I go and people warm to me like never before. Shame it took so long for me to figure out. But, here I am. Delighted to be me.

Must be time to get on a plane

My fingernails need filed. That can take me from Roch to Chicago. And, besides, the house is clean, I knocked a couple of items off the to-do list (got an iPod, and player; cleaned a couple closets out; got my external hard drive loaded with all my pictures) and I had lunch with Dad a couple times, the pool is now clean and beautiful. So, why stay here? Time to head back to HQ to get the next projects started.

It is much less fun to leave Rochester in the summer. This area is so pretty - and everyone gets outside and enjoys it, as the next day may rain. Very different pace of life than in Silicon Valley. And I know I will love being there, too, as soon as I get off the plane!

Best summer ever, so far

Oh such fun interesting times. I have been in Rochester for over a week now. And that’s the first that has happened in over 4 months. So I feel like I have a few moments to catch you up.

I’m getting on top of the house thing in Rochester, having hired a lawn service and found some handy help. Thinking about what to do for living in CA when I’m out there. I have started looking through the classifieds to see what’s available. A condo perhaps?

I had a great time last visit to California. Went out with Renee, who took a look at what I was wearing and said “Oh no, you’ve gotta try this!”





I would have never even seen this dress in the store. But it was a good look for me. And, it was great fun. Who knew? Of course, the cosmos may have helped. All of a sudden I started feeling the cougar thing. This is getting interesting. I think I’ll let that play out . . .

A couple days after that, I visited Kristen and told her the story. She thought I should go shopping in her closet to see what look we could pull out of there. None of the dresses were any good for me, but then she pulled out this scarf. A couple of knots and it looked elegant.







I swanned around her place, having her take pics. And then we went shopping in Santa Cruz. It was really interesting to stroll around town dressed only in a scarf. Well, I had shoes too.

We ended up in one store where I fell victim to several more dresses. Most of which are now hanging in my storage space in Saratoga. It’s still got stuff in it from when I started preparing the house to rent out, in March 05, before I moved to Germany. The plan was to rent the house out furnished, and I started clearing out the bits I wouldn’t want a renter to have. A couple weeks into that, got advice from a property manager to rent the place out empty. The movers then came and packed & stored all the other stuff, about a third of which is now in my house. But all the sentimental bits stayed in California. Hmmm, do we think there’s a metaphor in that?

Leaving California the last time, I looked at all the clothing I had, and the very very small likelihood of wearing the great dresses in Rochester. Ran to WalMart and bought a free standing clothing rack which I assembled in the storage space. Glad I bought two racks, between them I got one unit put together. What is it with cheap stuff? I guess the warning is that there’s always an insert in the package that says “If there’s a problem with this product do not return it to the retailer. Call this 800 number.” They were missing pieces and the instructions only vaguely resembled what was in the box. But there were enough supports to create one finished rack – with dust cover – so my booty is safely hanging there.

My addiction for little black dresses is getting worse. I think I now have 4 in each state. And they have friends – a beautiful coral dress (in which, I’m told, I look like a princess!) and a gold trench/safari thing. They’re all insisting I take them out. I need to remedy this soon. And Kristen pointed out that I should start buying dresses that I can wear to work. Gee, ya think? Duh!! I can wear most of them to work. … Some of them.

Months ago I had planned to go to a seminar in NYC, June 28 – 30th. Since I “live” so close, it was going to be just a quick hop down & back. Of course, I ended up flying in from CA instead. It was at the Plaza. My god, it was good to be back in NYC. I think it’s been a decade since I’d been. I must plan a touristy weekend there soon.

I got back to Rochester very early July 1. Was supposed to be home 6 hours before I actually arrived, thunderstorms had the eastern seaboard shut down for a few hours. Has anyone else noticed the weather-related travel disruption this summer? Is it worse than it’s ever been?

Rochester was a good place to be, for the Fourth. Low-key evening for me, us, we ended up across the street from my brother’s house, at Jamie’s on Long Pond. They had lots of food and a bonfire set to go. As the day ended – before it was even dark - the fireworks started. There were 2 barges in the pond, 5 or 6 big displays straight across, and several to either side of us. And we could see displays going off at the shore of Lake Ontario too. The show went on for 2 hours. All put on by the local homeowners and one of the better displays I’ve ever seen – reflecting in the pond; with the fire going; several of my favorite things on this planet all in one place!

It’s been hot & humid here. The pool was slightly green. I’ve chemicaled it into submission, and had the family over a couple times. It was so good to have the pool to cool off in. This being upstate New York, the weather changed abruptly – it poured rained yesterday and the temperature dropped from 90 to 60, last night.
I’ve been working so much that I have hardly gotten out to do anything since I’ve been here.

This morning I rolled out of bed around 6:30, headed, down to the computer. Took a break at 11 to go pick up Gavin from Youth Adventure Camp (YAC, such an unfortunate acronym) as his mom had a doctor appointment this morning. We got back to his house, I pulled out my computer, plugged in my phone and fired it up. Through the VPN, into the dev servers where I’m finishing our VAR portal. Worked on that into the afternoon, got back home, continued. Stopped at 7 p.m. Flung myself onto my bike and got out for a ride. That’s been a typical day. 12 hours and still I’m up 300 emails in my inbox this week. Still love the job and the people I work with.

This project has been going on for weeks, but I think it’s finally going to be finished. I look forward to the next phase – which includes a couple weeks of vacation in September. But first, back to CA for the last couple weeks in July. In August, who knows?

all sorts of 'firsts' to report

Wowie! I've spent the last 18 days in CA working working working. Hardly saw anyone. Been doing the 12 hour days 6+ days a week to get a big project done for work. Which I still love. How did this much fun and yummy validation escape me in my earlier years? Sure glad I'm tuned in, now!

So i was also cat sitting while I was there. For Mougie - a personality-ful and sadly flat faced persian. No kidding, the poor dear's face is flat. He burbles when he breathes because he's got no sinuses! I know he was bred that way, cannot figure out for the life of me why. His human, Renee, was just on the first of a series of trips to Europe to ride a BMW mororcycle through the Alps - German to Italy and all around. She had a blast and if I can find her pics I'll throw in a link. She got back home on Thursday.

Saturday she threw leathers at me & said come on, let's got for a ride. Sure, what the heck, I can be a passenger. We got dressed, pretty heavily, and I'm thinkin hmmm - and we walked out front to her Honda 600 sport bike. Lane split our way up to highway 9 and f2kin zoomed up that hill. She stormed it! I especially liked the bit where the a** in the vette tried to race us around a curve. Hah! We won hands down!

So I'm perched up on the back, on what feels like a bandaid on a piece of metal, knees level with my chest, clinging on to her like a baby monkey hangs on to its momma. We hit Skyline and then she opened it up. At one point I glimpsed the speedo - she asked me later if I did cause she could feel me see that it said 84. I was rather wishing I hadn't known that! Man, is she a superb rider. I loved it - especially the return trip, when she took it a bit easier on me.

It was load of fun rolling up to Alices & getting off the bike. Not too many 2 hetero chicks on sport bike combos up there. All in all, I will do that again. Hopefully soon! I noticed today that the insides of my legs feel like I had a serious workout at the ad/ab machine - I was really hanging on with everything I had.

So my other new thing is that I am stuck in Chicago for 24 hours due to weather related flight delays. No clothes. No one to answer too. Blogging from the Red Carpet Club in the airport, I stopped in here to get online and get a room. There are about 500 people in line outside to get a voucher. Heck with that. Gonna close up now, get to the hotel and perhaps find some trouble.

Lilacs in Rochester

I got back to Rochester Friday morning. Had been in CA for a week of work. Left a 100-degree day, Thursday. Friday in Rochester, it was 55. Yuck! The compensation is that the spring blooms are lasting a long time. The Lilac Festival ran through this weekend, I got out early in Saturday sunshine and took these pics at Highland Park.









And Tanya was with me, enjoying the beautiful day.



This isn't a lilac, but what a beautiful backdrop!



The rain clouds came in. It was showering on & off all afternoon, but in a sunny moment I got out in my neighborhood to capture the current beauty. Looking out my back door:



This is across the street:



And three doors down:



And my tulips held their petals for me:

Much Silliness Ensues

Give a ten year old a Fresnel lens and a Lucha Libre mask, and much silliness ensues. On my last trip to Rochester ... uh, visit home, uh... whatever it was, we gathered at Greg & Andrea's for dinner. Gavin kept us all entertained.

Lesson learned

Do NOT lock your car keys inside the trunk of a new car!

I was leaving work yesterday. Was all set to go when I saw I had left a bag in the office, so I grabbed 2 sets of keys - my car keys with the building key on it; and the rental car keys. (I had my backpack & purse already in the trunk, as I was going to go to an outdoor concert next.) Ran back inside, grabbed the bag I'd forgotten, back out where I opened the car trunk, tossed in the bag, dropped the car keys in my purse, shut the trunk and oh my god - it was the rental car keys I'd tossed. in. I had my New York set in my hand.

I'm now locked out of the office, with my phone & computer in the trunk. Thankfully I had my wallet, and a co-worker was still inside. He let me back in where I first called Hertz, then AAA. An hour later, I flagged down the AAA truck as it was passing by, turns out somehow they had gotten past me on their first swing through - and since I didn't have my cell phone, it being locked in the trunk & all, they couldn't reach me. So he opened the door with a wire through the crack in the window, setting off the alarm. And, of course, disabling the electronic trunk release. Perfectly logical from an anti-theft point. So, he called a locksmith out. After he finally arrived, it took him a couple hours to get the trunk open. By then I was cold, tired, and emotionally on the edge. I was observing myself trying to go to the "oh poor pitiful me, no one to call, no one to care, I'm all alooooone" place. I would then think how wonderful it was that AAA and the locksmith were available to be called upon. And both people were great, and helpful.

So Saturday in CA started out great - worked out, did work on the computer in the hotel room, then got a pedicure, lunch, got great work done at the office. But instead of seeing the Robert Cray band perform, I hung out in a parking lot as the sun went down, watching guys working on the lock. I finished the evening with some badly needed bathrobe therapy at the hotel.

Well, I'm back

Back in California again, drinking in the beauty. I am now working fulltime at IronKey, loving it even as it takes just about all of my time. Great company, great people to work with.

April was a whirlwind month. The first week, FOSE show in DC went very well:



The next week, RSA in San Francisco, went even better; IronKey won Best Mobile Security Device. As the CEO said "this definitely doesn't suck!" (Degrees of not sucking are his compliments.)

I was in Rochester for a week, then off to London for the Information Security Europe show. That one was easier - we just showed up to work it; one of our partners did all the logistics.

I was "home" for 8 days in April! Who needs a house?

It has been such a wonderful year for Spring. It started in California, in February, where spring explodes like a sneeze - everything in bloom at once. But it sweeps through in colors. First, it's white. Then yellow, then purple & blue. It was so familiar.

Then, I was in DC for peak cherry blossom season. Incredibly beautiful and subtle at the same time:










Rochester was just starting to thaw when I returned. London was at mid-spring, with lots of tulips and daffodils in bloom.

Finally, late April, back in Rochester, spring had finally arrived. It was breathtaking. I had forgotten how many blooming trees are there - cherry, crabapple, magnolias, and 2 as-yet unidentified white blooming trees. These pictures are on a walk through my neighborhood, a couple weeks ago.





This is my brother's backyard, on Cranberry Pond.


And, 3 blocks from me, Lake Ontario:


Kuan Yin, at the local Buddhist Temple. I greet her every time I drive to my house.








And this is my next door neighbor's spring show: