grim world, small pleasures
Sep. 5th, 2005 06:07 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jaeclecticIt is such a hard week in the world. The scale of the disaster in the gulf states is still slowly sinking into my brain, with repeated shocks of realization and bouts of tears. Meanwhile, some close friends are going through a rough time, which I hesitate to characterize as a personal tragedy given their brave front, but it certainly feels that way to me.
Meanwhile, my life is fine. Really. The contrast is notable.
The week felt overwhelmingly busy, and going into the weekend I was daunted by the number of things I needed or wanted to do, and the unlikelyhood of fitting them all in, even to a 3-day weekend. But I did get done what was necessary, and much of what I wanted to do.
Highlights of the week: Lunch with Nalini, who I really hadn't spoken to in ages, such that I barely remembered how charming she is. At work, first review of reporting wireframes went fine.
Friday evening was dinner and Cal Shakes with Jen -- Part 2 of Nickolas Nickleby was long and (naturally) Dickensian, and neither Jen nor I had enough layers of clothing to ward off the Orinda evening chill, but it was entertaining for all that. The ending was particularly odd, however, seeming to imply that while all the main characters happily married their unexpectedly wealthy beloveds, the abused boys from the nasty school all ended up freezing to death in the Yorkshire winter after Nickolas and his crony "set them free". I mean, I guess that contrast is Dickensian, but having both things happening on stage simultaneously was rather jarring. I suppose I could read the book and see if the adaptation is accurate. But I'm not that much of a Dickens fan, so don't hold your breath.
Saturday was chores, chores, chores. Some hours were spent going through the August budget (which hadn't been updated since the first week of the month) and setting up September (including thinking about what extra I can donate to charity, although I am holding my funds in the hope that my company will announce matching this week). I did the vacuuming, weee! And I did make it to REI to purchase a few trekking essentials.
I can't even remember what I did in the evening, probably just continued reading The Meaning of Everything (which I keep thinking sounds like a cult religious tract, but probably only a few of us actually worship the OED!) Oh wait, I remember! I called Karen from REI and stopped over to see progress on the house, and had chili with her & Jeff.
Yesterday, the major hike of the weekend: I decided against going anywhere "interesting", because I didn't want to spend the time driving. So I went to Redwood, as usual, and combined the out-and-back to Sibley with a loop inside Redwood itself. I initially planned a route of 13-1/2 miles, but after 7 miles I was feeling pretty good and had plenty of time, so I varied it to add a couple of miles, thus meeting my original goal (from March) of being able to do 15 miles by the end of the summer.
Then had dinner at Walzwerk with J & E. Such a lovely place, excellent food & extremely charming servers & easy parking even. (And you know, when there isn't traffic, it really doesn't take very long to get from Oakland to SF.) After which I stopped briefly at the Cat Club, long enough to say hello to B & W, and be introduced to T.
This AM had breakfast at Venus and went for a short hike with Kris (after a bit of communication snafu about the timing, but never mind).
Then stopped at the Any Mountain clearance sale, where I still did not find any quick-dry T-shirts in my size, but did buy a fuzzy fleesy overshirt thing. And then did the rest of the grocery shopping, well, at least most of it. And now I'm home, and I don't have to go anywhere or do anything. I can't tell you how nice that feels.
In short: a busy, productive, and unexpectedly social weekend. And I count my blessings, truly.
Meanwhile, my life is fine. Really. The contrast is notable.
The week felt overwhelmingly busy, and going into the weekend I was daunted by the number of things I needed or wanted to do, and the unlikelyhood of fitting them all in, even to a 3-day weekend. But I did get done what was necessary, and much of what I wanted to do.
Highlights of the week: Lunch with Nalini, who I really hadn't spoken to in ages, such that I barely remembered how charming she is. At work, first review of reporting wireframes went fine.
Friday evening was dinner and Cal Shakes with Jen -- Part 2 of Nickolas Nickleby was long and (naturally) Dickensian, and neither Jen nor I had enough layers of clothing to ward off the Orinda evening chill, but it was entertaining for all that. The ending was particularly odd, however, seeming to imply that while all the main characters happily married their unexpectedly wealthy beloveds, the abused boys from the nasty school all ended up freezing to death in the Yorkshire winter after Nickolas and his crony "set them free". I mean, I guess that contrast is Dickensian, but having both things happening on stage simultaneously was rather jarring. I suppose I could read the book and see if the adaptation is accurate. But I'm not that much of a Dickens fan, so don't hold your breath.
Saturday was chores, chores, chores. Some hours were spent going through the August budget (which hadn't been updated since the first week of the month) and setting up September (including thinking about what extra I can donate to charity, although I am holding my funds in the hope that my company will announce matching this week). I did the vacuuming, weee! And I did make it to REI to purchase a few trekking essentials.
I can't even remember what I did in the evening, probably just continued reading The Meaning of Everything (which I keep thinking sounds like a cult religious tract, but probably only a few of us actually worship the OED!) Oh wait, I remember! I called Karen from REI and stopped over to see progress on the house, and had chili with her & Jeff.
Yesterday, the major hike of the weekend: I decided against going anywhere "interesting", because I didn't want to spend the time driving. So I went to Redwood, as usual, and combined the out-and-back to Sibley with a loop inside Redwood itself. I initially planned a route of 13-1/2 miles, but after 7 miles I was feeling pretty good and had plenty of time, so I varied it to add a couple of miles, thus meeting my original goal (from March) of being able to do 15 miles by the end of the summer.
Then had dinner at Walzwerk with J & E. Such a lovely place, excellent food & extremely charming servers & easy parking even. (And you know, when there isn't traffic, it really doesn't take very long to get from Oakland to SF.) After which I stopped briefly at the Cat Club, long enough to say hello to B & W, and be introduced to T.
This AM had breakfast at Venus and went for a short hike with Kris (after a bit of communication snafu about the timing, but never mind).
Then stopped at the Any Mountain clearance sale, where I still did not find any quick-dry T-shirts in my size, but did buy a fuzzy fleesy overshirt thing. And then did the rest of the grocery shopping, well, at least most of it. And now I'm home, and I don't have to go anywhere or do anything. I can't tell you how nice that feels.
In short: a busy, productive, and unexpectedly social weekend. And I count my blessings, truly.