Trek to Austin

Austin was pretty good - mostly work and very busy, but beautiful weather and improving relationships with the Austin office folks. I'm going back again Nov 5 - 7 and Nov 11 - 16, so am planning to do a bit more than just hotel to office to hotel next time. I've started using Priceline and am getting some great hotels for tiny prices, too. Oakville Grocery opened a satelite store in the fancy new mall just across the street from the Austin office, so I walked over there for lunch several times and had broccolini salad and chipotle chicken and such.
I'm again giving serious thought to moving there. I'd abandoned the idea when I was feeling uncertain about work, but things have improved quite a bit. Boss keeps backing me up and increasing my role and visibility, he walks his talk, and my one-on-one with our CEO also gave me a positive read. It's also exciting to be on the brink of going public. When I'm out there, I get so much more done - amazing the difference it makes to be at HQ in person. I am in my lease at my current place through January, so wouldn't probably make a move until after then. Austin truly is a fun, creative, dog-friendly, artist-friendly, affordable place to be, so why fight it? I do loathe the packing and hauling part of the whole moving thing though, ugh.
Right now, I'm house and dogsitting for P, sitting on her humungous couch with a dog snuggled up to me on either side (and snoring!) - very cozy and lovely. My painting class starts at 9 am at College of Marin, but it's so cold that I'm not sure I want to stick the dogs in the backyard to go paint. Argh. I wish I could leave Lulu inside, but she still chews things up when she gets bored, which is pretty quickly.
Laura's mom is still hanging on, but barely. She's been moved to a nursing home but is not expected to live more than a few days - although that's been the prognosis for weeks. Luckily, Laura was able to get her on Medical (or Medicaid or something) so some of the financial burden is relieved.

What chimp are you?

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one of those days

OY

Here is how it goes sometimes. Came in to my office at 8 am for a meeting to discover I should have been here at 7 am instead, but failed to note properly.

Then, at our 8 am meeting, I discovered that the project file I worked on for 5 hours yesterday got corrupted somehow when I sent to my boss last night. So when he opened it, it looked like I'd done no work. To his credit, he tactfully said,

"I don't quite understand this file."

And then it turned out that about 1/2 of the assumptions I needed to make in creating the project file last night were overturned or invalidated in that 7 am meeting. Which it turned out I myself had scheduled in the first place, telling the Austin team cheerfully, "Oh I have no problem with early morning meetings."

How do I de-doofus my day?

Where is the "re-do" button?

silliness from P

I removed ones that were just boring results or too much personal info:

1. YOUR ROCK STAR NAME: (first pet & current car)
Charlie CRV (hmmm, not very catchy)

2.YOUR GANGSTA NAME: (favorite ice cream flavor, favorite cookie)
Cherry Garcia Ginger Snap

3. YOUR DETECTIVE NAME: (favorite color, favorite animal),
Pink Dog (I don't think I'd hire a detective named Pink Dog, personally.)

4. SUPERHERO NAME: (”The” + 2nd favorite color, favorite drink),
The Green Americano (bleah! gross!)

5. NASCAR NAME: (the first names of your grandfathers),
Dwight Warren (or Warren Dwight) Funny how that matchs P's, eh?

6. STRIPPER NAME: ( the name of your favorite perfume/cologne/scent, favorite candy),
Burberry Brit Hot Tamales (wee hoo - I may have to legally change my name now)

7. WITNESS PROTECTION NAME: (mother’s & father’s middle names ),
Wait, I can't tell you or else you'll find me when I enter the program!

8. TV WEATHER ANCHOR NAME: (Your 5th grade teacher’s last name, a major city that starts with the same letter),
Houston Hartford (I can't remember who my fifth grade teacher was, isn't that sad? So I went with my fourth grade teacher, who I adored.)

9. SPY NAME: (your favorite season/holiday, flower).
Winter Agapantha (Not sure how incognito I'd be with that moniker...)

10. CARTOON NAME: (favorite fruit, article of clothing you’re wearing right now + “ie” or “y”)
Tangerine Blousey

11. HIPPY NAME: (What you ate for breakfast, your favorite tree)
Banana Shake Coastal Oak (grooooovy)

12. YOUR ROCKSTAR TOUR NAME: (”The” + Your fave hobby/craft, fave weather + “Tour”),
The Painting Thunderstorm Tour

Well, I'm sure the time I spent on this forwards world peace, so I can rest easy that I'm not just putzing about.