Estoy Aqui!

I am in eSpain (as one particularly charming spaniard used to call it.)

Day four of my Madrid adventure is in the bag, and so am I partially, as 2 AM arrives.  I've actually been quite demure for the Madrid lifestyle, and have totally wrapped my must see list of Prado, Thyssen-Bornemisza, Reina Sofia and Santiago Bernabeu.  Have done my share of bar hopping as well, but no clubbing.  I don't think I'm a clubber.  Did get an invite, but I still don't think I'm club material.  Sure, I'll get dressed up and flirt with people of all nationalities, as much as language allows, but I'm pretty sure my dancing days are behind me.  

On the way plus side, wine is crazy cheap here and usually comes accompanied by cheese or olives. I could totally live off this diet, but I don't know what that might do to my health regime.  (assuming of course what I do counts as a regime.  I don't think I've had anything fried for a day or two now.  Does that count?)

More details to follow at more sober and reasonable hours.  Such as, they totally expanded la Reina, and it is beyond awesome!  Also of note, Americans can be irritating and the English are quite snarky.  Who knew?  Plus, it is not nearly warm enough, but with enough effort, I've managed to get a sunburn.  Pretty sure I could accomplish that anywhere in the world.  My pallor knows no bounds. 

So simple a couple of highly educated tech professionals can do it

The trusty iBook has been cranky for a couple of months now, and it became apparent I had reached the limits on the hard drive. Since this impeded my ability to purchase new music, steal music and copy music for others, it had to be remedied. Also, since I am taking a work/pseudo vacation, I should probably have a more or less functioning laptop should my services actually be required.

Naturally, I turned to SuperJoe for advice on my next steps. Certainly I couldn't leave something as critical as laptop maintenance to the professionals at Apple. He clearly intimated that he knew how to replace the drive if I just went about purchasing the correct one. I did the research, bought the drive and ventured out for my first visit to the MS campus.

Well, SuperJoe slightly mislead me in that he has not taken apart a laptop before, and we're both coming at this with little more than directions online and some tools we had to run out and buy. Apple really does not want you opening those puppies yourself. There are a million tiny screws of varying size holding it together and they have to be taken out and put back in a specific order. It totally required removing two layers from the bottom before forcing off the inside layer around the keyboard. Force was the operative word at many points in the process. To be fair, it might not have required all the layers be removed, but invoked a bit of trial and error.

Considering the amount of very physical prying, bending and outright brute force, I was sure it was the end of my iBook. After a few hours, some calming drinks and a fair amount of cursing we came out with only three extra screws and an host of dings and digs on the chassy.

I basically held my breath until it came to life at home. She's ALIVE! We are apparently geniuses! I don't have to buy a new computer!

The next challenge will be migrating the old data from the backup, but I've got over 100 GB of untarnished space at my disposal. Success!

Sutíl y Sola

I may not have mentioned that I am the last of my college girlfriends to remain unmarried. It seems like this should bother me, and yet, I'm rather enjoying the single life of late. I have even been dating, like actually going on dates. Sure, this shouldn't be significant, and yet, it's new to me. Maybe I'm maturing.

Heh.

Some of the guys have been incredibly nice. Maybe too nice. While I've been having a delightful time splashing about in the dating pool, I have not met anyone who inspires me to hop out of it. Not sure if it's a lack of chemistry (despite the fact that I might be a biochemist magnet) or if I'm just not ready to settle down. Either way, I occasionally feel a bit guilty. There is nothing wrong with these guys, and yet, I compulsively eschew commitment.

Sure, it's more fun to suggest it's them, but the problem undoubtedly lies with me. Don't think I'll quit trying though. It's fun, and someone else is buying the drinks.

Recent developments

In the spirit of providing updates with some measure of timeliness, I will be, in the near future, going to Spain! With a brief stop in London! And most of this trip will be on the companies dime, so I am stretching it out to milk that expensed airfare for all it is worth!

(Note - I am so excited about this you can actually hear the exclamation marks at the ends of my sentances. Sometimes I even speak in all caps.)

It so happens that our European sales teams will be having some kind of partner wooing conference in Marbella, and it was determined they would let me attend if I did all the planning. This is fantastic, since usually I have to do all the planning anyway and don't get to go to the fun locations and posh hotels. Whether this is their view of a little bonus for me or if this event is actually going to be a way bigger pain in the ass than I've assumed, it matters not. I am going to Spain where I shall dust off my atrociously neglected Spanish skills try touring as an adult and not a hostel staying student!

Actually, I will be travelling first class for most of the trip. The folks have set me up in a 4 star hotel in downtown Madrid for my 5 days of holiday time before I get down to "working". Five days in Madrid! At least one whole day of my time in Madrid is promised to seeing Real Madrid play on their home turf, Bernabeu Stadium, as well as touring the stadium and possibly stalking most of the defensive line (Iker, Fabio, etc). The rest of the week will be spent more on the cultural side with museums and tapas bars. Lots of tapas bars.

I'll polish off my two weeks abroad with a few days in London for no real reason whatsoever. Sure it's one of the most exciting cities in the world with a host of museums I haven't seen yet and new tourist attractions since I last passed through in the late '90s. That is totally why I'm going. There is no way I planned this stop in my trip just for the vague hope of crossing paths with my latest work crush. Sure developing a work crush on the charming sales guy from the UK does impede flirtation options, but it also takes some of the sting out of the fact that evidence suggests this is not a reciprocal relationship. Anyway, I'm guessing every bar in London has cider on tap, so I just might be able to keep myself entertained regardless.

Viva Clúb Sutíl!

Regardless of the motivations for my route, this will be a most excellent holiday. It embraces my recent bout of Anglophilia and relatively new found passion for fúbol, and all I really have to pay for is the hotel in London and my entertainment costs outside of Marbella. Fantastico! Sadly, Ani was unable to join me on the Euro romp, so hopefully I won't get into to much trouble unchaperoned. Ha!

Old News

A dear friend recently pointed out that I am a terrible blogger. This is of course completely true. Posts are few, and infrequent and I tend to write about nonsense.

Well, here is an update fresh from last December. I finished my sweater! It was a huge success, with the exception of it turned out at least a size or two too small. No matter! My resourceful and opportunistic nature kicked in, and the much toiled over sweater (vest to be more specific) was repurposed as Mom's Christmas gift. It fits her perfectly and is made of some rather impressive heavy wool yarn to keep her from forever being chilled.

Here is the fantastic and tiny garment with me squeezed into it. On me it seems to give a decidedly beer wench affect. Ultimately, I had to either give it to Mom or take up yodeling.

Monstrous Inconvenience

I walked home from my knitting class last night as usual. I have nearly completed my first sweater, and it looks AWESOME. (To be modeled here in the near future) Since the class takes place at Hill Top Yarn, aptly named for its location atop Queen Anne, it’s usually an easy walk down the hill, over the bridge, quick stop in the bar so Alyona can make fun of me for knitting, and then safely home. However, upon reaching the Nickerson Saloon (not bar destination previously mentioned), I’m met by the spectacle of the Fremont bridge raised for repairs, for the night. This would leave my only routes home as routing all the way to the Ballard Bridge, back up the imposing north side of Queen Anne to trudge over Aurora or just swimming the canal. I chose the hill as the shortest in distance that kept me dry, and was rather impressed I made it up Fulton Street without passing out winded.

And thus my usual 20 minute walk turned more of an hour hike. Not the most fortuitous start to the week, but probably good on the exercise front.

Fremont Bridge holds a certain prehistoric monster aura when raised on a clear night. Perhaps raising it disturbs the dragons or trolls that call it home. Certainly smaller trolls than live under Aurora, but certainly something creepy has to slink away during the nocturnal maintenance that messes with my trip home.

A lot of very little

It would seem I quit blogging in the spring. I’m fairly certain this has gone entirely unnoticed by the public at large, but here goes one more shot before abandoning the Club for good. Since I have an excessive number of leisure hours with which I do nothing productive, perhaps I should busy myself with something that at least engages the brain cells, rather than frittering them away. There is also a distant chance someone might pay me to write something, and I should probably make sure I remember how to put together words in something more complicated than a corporate speak email or travel itinerary.

How to start? I’m opting for the random wrap up of what I’ve been doing in the last six months or so.

Since last March I…

Went to Mexico. Turned 30. Since it happened in Mexico, I’m uncertain as to whether I’ll count this birthday; though the trip totally rocked. Got a tan. Well, first a severe sunburn followed by a tan, which I still have to some degree because my skin is quite delicate and holds on to any kind of impression for a crazy long time; see also scars and bruises. Went blond again. Some really sassy highlights that I might get done again because I think I make a decent icy blond. Or at least frosty blond. Was in yet another wedding. Survived reading a poem, and thank goodness they aren’t the type to go in for videography. Possibly developed a drinking problem. Ok, more likely just continued to indulge a possible drinking problem. Not the day drinking and endangering others type problem. I’m sure I’m the only one at risk from my ill advised consumption. Just a pattern of over indulgence on the weekends that should probably be alarming. Am sure my mother would be appalled. I try not to worry her about my self destructive streak to often. Made questionable decisions regarding men. Frequently aided by previously mentioned overindulgence. Survived, despite what the Christian school upbringing and horror films always suggested. Had an oddly high number of house guests which I’m sure encouraged me to be better about my housekeeping. Houseguests included my oft estranged sister. Her impact on my housekeeping was negligible. Got a Roomba. Love him! Much better than cat or dog in the pet department. Took another stab at fish ownership. Fabio is still alive four months later, and has shown no signs of ill health. Might not actually be cursed. Took a positive career step in taking over company intranet design and updating. No one noticed. Got all new bosses at work. Mixed bag as far as personalities, but that’s the nature of the EA gig. Still thinking I should get out of the EA gig. Have no idea what else I’m truly qualified to do. Will continue to make the company intranet, which no one gives a damn about, my own little kingdom of work stuff I don’t despise. Am working on the mental preparedness necessary to buy a house. Still edgy about the commitment. Still playing soccer. No noticeable skill increase. Have gotten back into knitting. Might actually complete a sweater this week. Gained back weight shed before Mexico trip.

Now back to my regularly scheduled progress into boozy spinsterhood.

Ladies night and phallic entertainment

It was a girl’s night out in Belltown for Abby’s birthday. Since I will soon be the last unattached gal in my crowd, this centered more on chick bonding then boy hunting. So be it, I shall man wrangle solo.

The quality girl time evolved copious amounts of delicious food and wine, embarrassing our waiter with unabashedly frank relationship experiences and finishing up the evening with rooftop cigars.

I’ve never taken to smoking, which is just as well since I have enough vices. The cigars were fun though; perhaps because inhaling is discouraged. The mental image of me hanging out with stogy is particularly hilarious, so I don’t see this becoming a habit even without the prohibitions of cost and poor health. I could however attempt a badass demeanor at my next poker game. It might distract from the incredibly uneven play and nonexistent poker face.

Abby's shot of us prepped to hit the town turned out far better than my fuzzy, cam phone rooftop attempt at the end of the night.

Night out in Belltown

Cigars on they roof for Ab's birthday