Rude Awakening

At six o’clock this morning (aka stupid o’clock), a car alarm in the hotel parking lot starts blaring. Apparently, the owner of said car is sleeping right through the noise because the car didn’t stop wailing for a full fifteen minutes. I assume it finally gave up since no one was paying any attention to it – except me.

My next door neighbors were quite obviously awakened, too. But they thought of a way to distract themselves from the noise. A very loud way.

It’s surprisingly easy to be mortified with sleep in your eyes.

Skulking Around The Bookstore

After I finished all my customer visits today, on my way back to the hotel, I dropped into the national chain bookstore here in Yakima. Not because I wanted to pick up the latest bestseller, but because I wanted to take a look at the paperback release of a book I recently enjoyed in hardcover.

Here’s the fun part: the paperback version has a bonus short story AND an excerpt of the next novel in the series. But, I’m just not into spending money for a book I’ve already read when I really just want the bonuses. So, I sat in a comfy leather chair in the back of the store and read the extra 20-something pages, carefully NOT bending the spine or curving the pages. That would have been rude.

Blame It On Technology

“Scientists have found intriguing evidence that one major reason so many people are overweight these days may be as close as the seat of their pants. Literally. According to the researchers, most of us sit too much. . . . It turns out that sitting for hours at a time, as so many of us do in these days of ubiquitous computers and electronic games and 24-hour television, attacks the body in ways that have not been well understood.”

Thank God that mystery is finally solved.

Love At First Sight

A couple months ago, I went shopping for boots. But then I spotted this beauty:

The Kenneth Cole Reaction “Front and Center” Mary Jane is officially my favorite pair of shoes, and I wear them every chance I get – with jeans and trousers, for play and for work. I’m wearing them right now with a chocolate brown chenille sweater and taupe trousers. Last weekend, I wore them with dark blue jeans, a burnt orange cashmere t-shirt, and a red suede jacket.

Love, love, love these shoes.

Update: Tonight, I’m in Yakima, WA, where it is snowing! I walked a couple blocks to a restaurant for dinner in the slush and snow. And guess what?!? These shoes have boot tread! Walking in the snow was a breeze! Yay me!

Exhaustion

I was planning to follow-up yesterday’s very short posting with some of my adventures. But (you knew there was a “but” coming) I’m just too tired to think of anything interesting to write.

You ever reach that point to sleep deprivation where you hallucinate just a little and your skin feels like it’s going to crawl right off your body in search of the nearest horizontal surface. Yeah, that kind of exhaustion. It’s really early and I’m going to head off to bed.

The rest of the week is filled with lots more travel and customer visits. So, I’ll make plans to write more, and better, for the next three entries – to finish off NaBloPoMo a little better than this.

Cutting It Close

Last week of NaBloPoMo, and this post almost didn’t make it today. No excuses, and not much more to tell – just a very busy, very long day. More tomorrow.

Being Away From It All

Today is part two of “Getting Away From It All.” I’ve finally lost track of time – which usually takes me at least a week to do. But, I’m sure it has something to do with that massage I had today. Much more fun (for me) than what Handsome was doing. Although, he was grinning from ear to ear when he finished. I think he had a good time, although I cannot imagine much that’s more enjoyable than 90 minutes of pampering.

Too bad tomorrow is Monday. Back to work, or perhaps I should think of it as a way to prepare for my next massage.

Getting Away From It All

Handsome and I are hiding out at an undisclosed location. While it’s cooler and drizzlier (is that a word?) than we would like, we’re far away from our work and obligations. So we’re doing a lot of relaxing, which is probably what we need more than anything else. Rest . . . finally.

Thanksgiving Redux

The smoked turkey from Woody’s in Centerville is much better than the smoked turkey from Rudy’s Smokehouse (numerous locations). The gravy base and peppermint bark from Williams & Sonoma rock the planet. Aunt Kim’s mac & cheese is out-of-this-world, but she still won’t share the recipe. Mom’s corn bread dressing is the best dressing ever created, and I did not get enough of it.

But most importantly, there is never enough time with family.

Fireworks

Tonight, we watched the Uptown Lighting on Post Oak Boulevard in Houston. And this is always one of my favorite fireworks shows because it’s long and beautiful and has a bright, loud finale. It’s always choreographed to a Mannheim Steamroller medley, but a fireworks show in the middle of skyscrapers is breathtaking regardless of what music you play with it.

Although, waiting 45 minutes in a pushy crowd while a local pops band plays Christmas Carols is a bit of a stretch, it was definitely worth the wait. Next year, you should go – you’ll love it!