The Space Suitcase

After 11 days off, I’m back at work today. I didn’t get as much accomplished during my break as I had hoped, but I can’t say I’m disappointed. Proof that the restful week off was exactly what I needed came when a co-worker saw me today and said, “You look well-rested!” Since I don’t think I’ve been well-rested since the move, it was nice to hear. Needless to say, I really, really needed this time off.

You’d think that spending a week hanging out on the couch, with brief sojourns out for recreation (mostly window-shopping, although I did buy 2 pairs of much needed shoes) would leave me brain-fuzzed and drooling. Not true! I have learned a few nuggets of wisdom in my time off.

1. Since it’s New Year’s Resolution Time, I saw not one, not two, but three different ab workout DVD sets available to sculpt your tummy with barely any effort. I’m thinking that if you did the ab exercises they show in the commercials, every time they appear on your screen, you’d probably lose at least an inch around your middle. I also learned that all of the women (it’s always women) in these ads look like they need a sandwich.

2. I learned that one should not just use a free sample of a “shine” product on one’s hair without reading the ingredient list, else one may find oneself having to scrub excess amount of olive oil out of one’s hair several days in a row. In case it wasn’t clear - “one” = me.

3. After over seven years together, my beloved watch stopped working this weekend. I don’t usually wear jewelry (no earrings, no necklaces, and until recently, no rings on a daily basis) but I always, always wear my pretty watch. I’m distraught that it’s not working, and has probably outlived it’s lifespan.

I had the battery replaced at Fossil last week, and then made a pest of myself when they put the back of the watch on crooked (the face is round, and the back has writing on it, and when they put the back on it was skewed about 45 degrees, which drove me NUTS). Then they “fixed” it by putting the back on upside down. They finally got it right on the third try.

Despite the fact that they probably have my picture up on a wall somewhere with “Weird Watch Freak” sharpied across my forehead, I’m going to go back there and see if they can send it out to be repaired.

In the meantime, I’m shopping online for a new watch, but I’m having trouble finding something I really like. From this I learned that I have a very specific taste in watches that is not easy to satisfy.

4. I learned that while I do miss aspects of life in Chicago (and I do, sometimes), that being able to open the patio door on a January afternoon eases the pang quite a bit. QUITE a bit.

“They don’t get much of that white stuff on the ground here, do they?”

It’s that time of year - time for the annual year in recap meme. I did one of these way back in 2005, but I don’t think I did one in 2006 or 2007. Check out Linda’s site for a huge list of blogs who wrote their own recaps - it’s fun reading!

1. What did you do in 2008 that you’d never done before?

I wish I could say something that sounds exciting, like skydive or bungee jump. But I did get married, which is just as exciting to me.

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

I didn’t really make any specific resolutions, except that I knew that 2008 would be “The Year of Change.” Which it was - new job, new home, new marriage. I have a lot of goals for 2009, and fully expect it to be “The Year of Sacrifice (for a Better Tomorrow).” This sounds very 1950’s atomic-age, doesn’t it?

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

We had a few new babies at Chicago workplace and online, but no close friends or relatives had new bundles of joy.

4. Did anyone close to you die?

Thankfully, no.

5. What countries did you visit?

We stuck it out here in the good ole USA for 2008.

6. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008?

More peace of mind, which I can achieve not only through actions I can take, but through how I choose to see and react to things. Plus more cash.

7. What dates from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?

October 17th (our anniversary!)

September 5th (moving day)

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

Finding a new job in a new city, and getting moved down here without any major breakdowns or problems.

9. What was your biggest failure?

The amount of debt accrued to achieve #8.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

My asthma kicked it up a notch this year, but I think I finally found a solution to that I can live with.

11. What was the best thing you bought?

The car! And my antique sewing machine.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?

Everyone who voted in the (seemingly never ending) U.S. Presidential election.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?

Anyone who had anything to do with effing up the economy. You’re all on my list.

14. Where did most of your money go?

To the credit card companies, for the move (including movers, hotel bills and rental cars). Totally worth it though!

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?

The prospect of a winter with less snow. So far, so good!

16. What song will always remind you of 2008?

“Secret” by The Pierces

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? Happier
b) thinner or fatter? Fatter
c) richer or poorer? Poorer

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?

Kept in touch with people. I always assume people forget about me the minute I’m out of sight, but it just might be because I assume that and don’t make an effort to keep in touch that I become more forgettable.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?

Exercise avoidance.

20. How did you spend Christmas?

Mr. Martini took me out to dinner on Christmas Eve, then we did exchanged presents on Christmas day. Nothing too extreme.

21. Did you fall in love in 2008?

Already was!

22. What was your favorite TV program?

I watch too much TV to have a favorite. Mad Men, Battlestar Gallactica, Pushing Daisies, Amazing Race, So You Think You Can Dance, Life and a reknindled love of House are right up there.

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?

While I can hold a grudge like nobody’s business, I can’t really say I “hate” anyone, now or then.

24. What was the best book you read?

I read a bunch of good books this year, mostly memoirs. Right up there are Jen Lancaster’s books, Kitchen Confidential, and the sappy pet-owner in me loved Marley & Me.

25. What was your greatest musical discovery?

The Pierces. I’m wearing out those bits on my iPod memory, playing their album over and over at work.

26. What did you want and get?

A new home in a new city.

27. What did you want and not get?

One thing that I can’t say online, but I’m going to work on it next year (I fear the Dooce-effect).

28. What was your favorite film of this year?

The Dark Knight. Mr. Martini and I saw it on our last great outing in Chicago, and it was super fun to watch and recognize all of the Chicago locations.

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?

My birthday this year was not the most memorable. I had to go to a work event, so I had dinner with co-workers and reps. The next day was the Chicago workplace yearly event, which is always stressful. Then that weekend we traveled to Louisville for my face-to-face job interview for my new job. So my 37th birthday got lost in the shuffle.

30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

I’ve said it in 2005, and I’ll say it again - a cleaning service.

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008?

Comfortable to the point of looking a bit tired. I need to ramp it up in 2009. (Heh, I re-read this and saw “tramp it up.” Maybe that, too.)

32. What kept you sane?

Mr. Martini has an incredible knack for snapping me out of my near-panic over unnecessary things.

33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?

First, I love the word “fancy.” Second, I gotta say that Robert Downey Jr.’s comeback was fabulous.

34. What political issue stirred you the most?

Something happened in early November that had a lot of people talking.

35. Who did you miss?

Co-Emp. I’m bummed I didn’t get a chance to visit her this year.

36. Who was the best new person you met?

I’m such a hermit that the only new people I’ve met this year were my new co-workers. They’re very nice, though!

37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008.

You can change your surroundings without changing who you are.

As I mentioned, I’ve had this week off from work. I can’t believe how much I needed this week to recuperate from the stress of this past month. When I heard I’d be home for the entire week, I came up with all sorts of Things To Do. I have instead been letting myself slack off and relax, and it has been just what I needed. I’m still tied to my work e-mail (we may have the week off, but our clients don’t) but so far, no major crises.

Here’s what’s happened so far:

Mr. Martini took me out for our annual Christmas Eve dinner. He found an excellent restaurant right around the corner from us, and I definitely want to go back. The best part? The sweetbreads appetizer.

Christmas was pretty low-key. We exchanged gifts in the morning, then spent the day chilling out and playing games (I got 3 DS games - awesome!). We hit the mall on the day after Christmas (nuts!) and ran a few errands on the weekend, but for the most part we’ve just been chilling out.

Today we’re making a trek to the Highlands to hit the yarn store (me) and get dinner. Tomorrow is New Year’s Eve, and while we received a very nice invitation from some friends to attend a party in WV, I don’t think we’re going to be able to make the drive over for the night. Instead, I think there will be a movie marathon at home, with board games and a few beers.

I have some plans in the works for the New Year, with new goals and plans and ideas and whatnot. But first - the 2008 recap, which I’ll post tomorrow.  But right now, the yarn store is calling.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all!

Happy Monday! While Mondays are not normally a cause for celebration, knowing that I’ll only be working a couple of days this week certainly takes the sting out of the start of the workweek.

I was going to recap my weekend, but there really was nothing of interest. I will say that I am now sporting 5 long gashes on my right arm, received from one very pissed-off cat who got herself trapped inside of a living room chair.

Yup. You read that right.

Sunday morning, I was up early. As I normally take the early morning weekend hours to catch up on my shows on the TiFaux, I had just curled up under an afghan and was about to turn on Pushing Daisies when I heard a cat scratching at what sounded like fabric.

Usually, our cats don’t scratch at the furniture. I figured Zelda was playing with the fringe of the other afghan that was laying over the back of the chair. So I got up, walked around to the back of the chair, but… there was no kitty. I walked the full lap around the chair - I could still hear the scrabbling of kitty paws on fabric, but didn’t see a cat.

My next thought was that the cat had somehow gotten behind the cushion on the chair. Sometimes it slips forward a bit when we’re sitting on it, and doesn’t get pushed all the way back - she might have nosed her way behind it.

I pulled the cushion of the couch, but still - no cat. I still heard the scrabbling, so I stuck my hand under the chair, thinking she might be trapped underneath the chair somehow. Our old furniture had enough clearance for a cat to get underneath it, but this new furniture doesn’t have enough height to allow more than my hand to reach under it, let alone a cat.

However, when I stuck my hand underneath, I felt the cat. Or should I say, I felt the cat above my hand, but inside the lining of the chair bottom.

Somehow, Zelda had managed to not only burrow behind the chair cushion, but actually got herself inside the lining of the chair, and now couldn’t figure out how to get out.

At this point, I was hollering for Mr. Martini to wake up and help me extract a cat from the inside of a chair, before she got herself so freaked out she ended up hurting herself on the springs and whatever else was in there (including some exposed nails, which I discovered the hard way - I think 2 of my gashes are from the chair, not the cat. This was not the most well-made piece of furniture you ever saw).

Mr. Martini and I tipped the chair, hoping to force Zelda to make her way back to the tiny hole she had found that got her in this mess. Nothing doing. We tried pushing at her from underneath, but she just freaked out and tried to go further away from the hole to get away from the invisible hands pushing on her from underneath.

We finally had to resort to drastic measures. That’s right: scissors.

Mr. Martini cut across the lining, and I was finally able to reach in and pull out a very frustrated and ultimately resentful cat, who could have cared less about the ordeal she had put us (and the chair) through at 7 a.m. on a Sunday morning.

As it turns out, our chair had been broken almost ever since we bought it. It was because it had a broken support beam that Zelda was able to find room to squeeze inside the chair. Once we cut the lining, we were able to reach in and fix the support beam, so despite the emergency surgery the chair is actually better off than before the cat burrowing incident. And hopefully cat-proofed from further escapades.

Meanwhile, Ruby has been super-affectionate, as if to say, “I’m your favorite now, right? Since I don’t make you slice up your own furniture, right? ” I prefer to think that’s what she’s trying to say, instead of “How come Zelda gets to have all of the fun?”