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By kilax, October 26, 2017 6:28 am

• (I got a package from my mom’s mom in the mail this weekend. “Ooo, what is this surprise?!” I wondered. Ha, good one, Grandma!

• I keep seeing people use “ride or die” to reference their relationships with their partners, and didn’t get what it meant (I only know it from the Fast & Furious franchise, which I always took literally with the riding being driving). Urban dictionary to the rescue! It means you’ve got someone’s back no matter what, you’ll “ride” anything out with them, and “die” trying. You’re with them until the end. Huh. Anyone using this… in their relationships? Or just in every text you send/receive from your older brother, like me? Ha ha ha.

• Gah, I made the silliest mistake when I was making banana bread this weekend – I was doubling the recipe, but accidentally quadrupled the flour! And didn’t realize it until the end. D’oh. We actually fixed it by adding more stuff to it, including apples, which resulted in a banana/apple bread hybrid! It didn’t cook as evenly as it should have, but tasted great.

• I loathe looking for restaurants. Especially on my phone. I am not a foodie and don’t get joy out of looking for restaurants and reading menus (that are usually only in pdf in a pop-up window). And yeah, it doesn’t help that I am looking for vegan options! Wah wah wah.
• I love reading magazines in print, and prefer it over a screen. I’m sad that my favorite magazine (Running Times) is no longer in publication.  Runner’s World doesn’t do it for me anymore. Every issue seems thinner, and more scattered – like they are trying to duplicate the online experience in print (they actually said that is what they were going for, in an issue from this year). Sigh. I saw this add in Bicycling, encouraging people to stick with print media over online media, because it’s more “authoritative,” can be more “trusted,” and is less cluttered (I thought it was funny they had a hashtag at the bottom though, ha). I still enjoy Bicycling magazine, especially their human interest stories. And I actually learn from it – which is a reflection of me not knowing much about cycling, but rolling my eyes at most “informational” articles in Runner’s World. Anyway. I just wanted to complain. Ha. And say that I hope this industry doesn’t die out completely.

The text says, “The race to post, tweet and chat every minute has made it hard to know what’s real. And it’s making magazine brands matter more than ever. Truth is, their authoritative content is more trusted, inspiring and motivating than any other. Magazine media cuts through the clutter, in print, online, on mobile and video.”

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By kilax, October 25, 2017 6:39 am

On Monday afternoon, Khali snuck out the door when I was trying to close it. Snow was nearby, and immediately chased her into the woods, because he wanted to play. I was annoyed, but this has happened before and I figured she would be back for dinner.

But she wasn’t. We sat down to eat and left the flood lights on to watch for her, and she eventually showed up! But when we went to open the door for her to come in, Snow chased her off again.

Sigh.

She didn’t come in Monday night. 

It rained all night. I thought for sure she’d be waiting outside in the morning, ready for breakfast and a warm house, but nope, no sight of her.

So what was anger and annoyance the day before turned in to worry. I was busy at work all day, but had an underlying sick to my stomach feeling. It rained all day and we called for her and shook the food container but she didn’t show.

Why was I so worried?! Khali used to live outside, and yes, sometimes a day would go by where we wouldn’t see her. And people have told me they had indoor/outdoor cats that would leave for days/weeks/months then come back!

But that didn’t make me feel better (I can’t imagine waiting around for days, let alone weeks or months, wondering about her). I was thinking about the high speed road we live off of, the coyotes that frequent our street, and other horrible things.

Ugh.

It got dark last night and we still hadn’t seen her.* Steven and I were about to leave to run an errand when we saw Snow act alert then run in to the woods. Khali was back! Hiding in the woods though…

I knew we’d never get her to come inside if Snow was in the mood to play, so we brought Snow inside then waited an hour and a half for Khali to make her way to the door and come in (I tried giving her food and picking her up from the woods, but that was a no go.) And she finally did!

What’s all the fuss?

I was so relieved when she was inside. I wasn’t myself all day, feeling so worried about her. Data was upset too – he was looking for Khali and needed more attention since he wasn’t getting it from their playtime.

I’ve really gotta be more careful when I’m going outside – to make sure she’s not sneaking out. As much as she wants to be an indoor/outdoor cat, she isn’t. Sorry, Khali.

(Why don’t I worry like this about Snow, when he lives outside, nearly 24/7? Because at any moment, you can open a door to the house and he’ll come running – he’s always nearby. Always. Usually staring in the house! Snow never leaves anymore!)

Hey Guys, what’s up?!

*Based on intel from our neighbor, I think Khali spent the day in their dry barn.

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By kilax, October 20, 2017 8:16 am

If you know me in real life you’ve definitely heard this story. And I swear I’ve shared it here, but I can’t find it, so here it is again!

I saw What Lies Beneath – the ghost movie with Harrison Ford and Michelle Pfeiffer – with friends when it came out in the summer of 2000. We went to the late showing on a Saturday night.

The movie freaked me the hell out. I was worked up about it afterward, and glad that my friends had picked me up and I didn’t have to drive home alone.

But… I still had to walk in to the house after they dropped me off. Not a big deal, right? Well, my parent’s home (much like our home now) is surrounded by woods with a long driveway. Dark. Quiet. Peaceful during the day… terrifying at night when you’ve just seen a scary movie and your imagination is running wild.

So, even though I was a mature sixteen-year-old (ha), and it was late at night (close to midnight), I decided to call the house and see if my parents were still up, and one of them would meet me outside to walk me in. I was that freaked out!

My mom picks up the phone, and I tell her what’s going on. Sure, she’ll meet me outside to walk me in!

Also, she adds, “It’s a good thing you called, because I was actually about to head outside to wait for you in the dark and jump out and scare you.”

What. The. Eff. MOM!!!!!!

Thank heavens I called! I cannot imagine what would have happened, had she followed through with her original plan! It wasn’t unusual for any of us to hide and scare each other like that, but that really would have been the worst time for it to happen to me.

Ha ha ha.

So my mom walked me in, and I had her come in my bedroom and look outside and make sure there was nothing out there. Then tried to fall asleep.

Until this week, I hadn’t seen that movie since it first came out. I remember how scared I felt that night and never wanted to feel that way again.

But I saw it was on Amazon Prime this week and decided to watch it.

Um… it’s not even that scary. The scary parts are predictable. The effects are cheesy now. So what was my problem the first time I saw it?! Maybe since I was young? And saw it in the theater at night?

So it seems I can handle ghost movies better now. I still do NOT watch torture movies, or most horror though. My imagination is way too vivid and I have nightmares for days.

No related photo for this post… but here’s a photo of Data’s ghost from last October. He claims he sees her inside the house now. Oh, Data.

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By kilax, October 19, 2017 6:24 am

• Since Steven and I have been married, we switch whose family we spend Christmas day with each year (and always stay home for Thanksgiving). Steven’s family has odd years, so every odd year, we decide if we’ll celebrate with them in Kansas City, or Illinois. My family has even years, and we always spend it in Iowa. We typically see the other family in January (but not always – last year Steven’s family came here before Christmas because we knew we’d be in Kansas City in January to meet William). Anyway, all that’s just to say, now that we know what we are doing for the Christmas holiday, I am starting to get excited about it! Steven’s dad and brother will be coming here, so we’ll decorate again (we tend not to decorate if no one is coming!). I wonder if Steven will want to get a gigantor tree again (probably yes). I wonder what Khali will think of it! I wonder if my idea for a holiday card with the cats in front of it will work out (probably no).

• All of our holiday scents are ready, thanks to my Bath & Body Works obsession. I was definitely a bit too excited about this new candle scent (updated to add: I bought this myself):

• I have started ordering some holiday gifts. And thinking, will this be the year I finally make that scarf I bought the pattern and yarn (as a gift) for, what… two years ago now? Or is it three? I haven’t knit in a YEAR (this is the last thing I made)! I feel guilty about taking the time to do it, and nervous about complicated patterns. But most nights we watch a movie – I could totally be knitting during that time.

Happy gifts come in orange packages!

• I am doing a virtual streaking challenge from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day! It’s called the Holiday Mile, and the goal is to run, walk, or bike a mile each day in that time frame. I signed my mom up too, and created a group so people from my fitness studio can sign up. I like the idea of it being running, walking, or biking – running all those days in a row doesn’t work for me (my body can handle it, but it makes me no longer enjoy running when it feels like a chore).
• Oh, Khali. You do you.

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By kilax, October 17, 2017 6:07 pm

Ahh, pine cones.

They were littered over parts of the trail tonight and I laughed as I ran around them. I cannot see a pine cone without thinking about a silly incident from fifteen years ago.

I was at a gathering, and someone decided to bring pine cones for a craft. When they asked me and the group I was with if we wanted to do their craft and we said no thanks, they got p-i-s-s-e-d and argued with us. For quite some time. And wouldn’t drop it. It was such an odd thing.

One person in the group finally agreed to do the craft and we all went home with the pine cone creation, even though we didn’t all participate (I still have mine, ha).

To this day, I still don’t understand why people get so mad when others don’t want to do their activity. Is it a control thing? Are they mad we don’t appreciate their effort? Do they think we’re rude a-holes? What’s the dealio?!

In the pine cone incident, it wasn’t like we were saying no to a chore or our job. I just don’t like crafts, generally (then, or now). You can’t expect people to do what you want to do, and get super mad when they don’t. That’s a trait to grow out of, ideally, when you’re young. (But, hey, this is the same person who gets mad if they suggest a game and no one wants to play, so they leave the gathering. So there’s that.)

So yeah. Don’t be a stiff, prickly pine cone. Ha! And yes, know when to be polite and say yes to things from time to time too. Eyeroll. Ha ha ha.

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By kilax, October 12, 2017 6:34 am

• I forgot to mention, during Anne’s visit, Khali actually came out from under the bed and hung out with us in the living room! Anne is the first guest that she’s done this around. Khali normally hides the entire time we have guests over. It was a big deal for me and Steven – it gave us hope! Now, if only Anne would tell us her secret!

• In other Khali news, look at this handiwork she’s done on our new sliding door frames. Sigh.

• Muah ha ha, the MBP bracelet was not in my possession very long – I had a few things to send my snister, so I slipped it in the package. Ha!
• I met my coworker/friend Carolyn’s baby, Liam, last Friday! What a cutie! He’s so smiley and sweet! I’m so glad we got to meet!!!

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By kilax, October 10, 2017 6:24 am

When I switched from a private sector job to government job nine years ago, quite a few people were opinionated about whether or not I’d like it. I’d be getting “too far away from design work” (in my field of architecture) in the new position. I wouldn’t get to be creative anymore. And so on.

Funny – I’m not very creative and that isn’t the type of design work I enjoy, but did people care? No. They just cared about warning me.

Thankfully, only a couple people had similar reactions to the detail* I’m on at work now. But, I still got those comments (one in person and one behind my back).

At first I thought this kind of reaction was related to my degree in architecture – that people really couldn’t wrap their heads around someone with an architecture degree NOT getting licensed and NOT designing space. Even people with other design degrees sometimes didn’t get it.

But I finally realized –  major DUH moment – this is just a people thing. Sure, people have preconceived notions of what someone with an architecture degree does with their career, but people have preconceived notions about EVERYONE, no matter their career/whatever, based on the version of them they’ve built in their mind. Especially now, with social media.

It’s human nature – we take what we know about someone, from spending time with them in person (or worse, from their social media presence), then evaluate their decisions based on those “facts” and our morals/beliefs/ideals. We wonder why they’d do something we’d never choose to do. We create a version of them in our minds that’s partially them, but mostly us, and man, do we question that version.

It’s natural! The problem is when you’re a dick about this natural thing and bring it up in rude ways. Or often, bring it up at all. Or spend waaaaaay too much time pondering other people’s choices.

I don’t expect people to stop doing this! It would just be nice if they mostly kept their version of me to themselves. Or instead of saying “you’re really not going to like that,” asked “what do you think you’ll like about the new position?” Big wish, I know.

Like I said, very DUH. Not sure why it took me this long to make the connection. (Thank heavens I was up from 12:30 to 3:00 this morning and had this thought pop in my head, and wrote this. Gah, I am not going to be able to stay awake at Blade Runner 2049 tonight!).

*A detail is when you’re “on loan” to another team for a set amount of time. Four months, in my case.

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By kilax, October 5, 2017 6:04 am

• We had our first fire of the season on Sunday! We even used wood from our property (that tree that randomly fell down in April)!

• Anne was in town this week for a concert and stayed at our place a couple of nights. It felt so good to hang out and visit in person. I tend to isolate myself, and forget how good it feels to connect with a girlfriend.

• A coworker in my new branch lives about five miles from me – that’s the closest of anyone I know in my company (of ~300 people in our Chicago office). And she’s friends with the people who live in the property that butts up to the north side of ours. And we think she lives on the same street as someone who works for Steven. What a small world.
• Bath & Body Works is one of those stores you don’t shop at unless you have a coupon (or there’s a crazy sale). I like to shop there, and have been trying for a year or so to get on their email list, using multiple email addresses, but they wouldn’t send me ANYTHING! (Don’t even get me started about snail mail – they mail my mom and snis coupons all the time, but not me (it’s all good – mom and snis give them to me, ha)). Something finally clicked in September and I started getting emails. I’ve never been so happy to get so many ads and offers. Ha! And I’m not even annoyed they are being sent to my real email inbox, not my junk one!

• Are Steven and I the only ones who didn’t realize you are supposed to bake store-bought crunchy taco shells to make them crisp? Steven and I have been on a taco kick lately, so we bought crunchy shells and wondered why they (always!) tasted stale… it’s because it says right on the box to bake them. Duh town. It’s made such a difference. Following instructions… who knew?!

• NOT AN AD. Has anyone else tried an antiperspirant that you put on at night? Secret deodorant hasn’t been working for me lately, so I got the clinical strength antiperspirant/deodorant to try. I didn’t realize when I bought it (WITH MY OWN MONEY, NOT AN AD) that you put it on at night (and the changes in your body temperature are supposed to activate it), and technically don’t have to put anything else on in the morning. Hmm.

• See that blister on the heel of my foot? That is what I got for wearing my work flats for the walk to the train station after work yesterday. I can’t wait to see how that feels on my next run…

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By kilax, September 29, 2017 7:23 am

99% of the time it’s easy for me to make decisions*. I either go with my gut, or have lots of good research to go off of (thanks, Steven!).

So when I do have to stop and think about something, and actually make a pro/con list? Ugh.

*Now, whether they’re good or bad…

Oh, Khaleesi (Khali). Sometimes she’s a bit of an escape artist. We opened the door this morning to tell the chipmunks to STFU, and Khali ran right out. She does this from time to time, and always (so far) comes back, but it still makes me a bit nervous. (Also, Snow makes me BONKERS when she’s trying to come back, because he usually chases her off when she gets close to the house. What a dick.)

Edited to add: Khali returned home just before noon.

I had to provide my social security number to someone at work today and I asked if I could call to give it to them. They were like “sure, whatever makes you comfortable.” Ha. Maybe I am odd in that I didn’t want it in an email? I mean, email should be secure. Should…

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By kilax, September 28, 2017 12:32 pm

• I forgot to mention in the post about my family visit that Snow was being a complete lovebug around my dad, which made me so happy! Data hates my parents, and Khali hides under the bed when they (everyone) visit(s), so it’s nice to have one cat be social and sweet.

• Besides expecting to find the MBP bracelet when my mom visits, she always leaves little notes for us to find too. I love it!

• Since we moved a year and a half ago, we only had two of our nice knives out of storage (and a block of steak/random knives). Last week we got the rest of our knives out and hung the magnetic rack up. I am thrilled to have those two knives off the counter (where they lived while they waited for the magnetic rack to arrive), and the rest of them out to use! Hurrah!

• I started a new position at work this week and had to get a mega laptop to run all the programs I’m using. It’s so much bigger than my old one that I have to move my watch way down my arm so it stops hitting the keyboard. Ha ha! Data had to check it out right away (and wasn’t impressed):

• As a result of starting a new position, I am completely brain-dead and exhausted from learning so much this week!

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