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!
Monday, December 29, 2008
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
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
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
Sunday, November 2, 2008
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.
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.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
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!
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!
Sunday, October 5, 2008
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 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
Monday, September 22, 2008
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.
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.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
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!
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!
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