I’m behind

By kate on May 24th, 2004

So much has happened lately, and I’ve been remiss in updating.

On Mother’s Day weekend, Steve and I had a little trouble with Canadian Customs at the border. We were bringing up some antique dishes and cups his mother had bought on eBay, and they turned out to be worth more than we thought. We brought them through the Nexus lane – big mistake. They gave us the pink slip and sent us inside, where we spent about an hour and a half. Result: our Nexus cards were taken away, and the dishes were “seized” (meaning we had to pay a fine to get them back).

Just this week, we each got a letter from the Nexus people. Steve’s said that his Nexus card was revoked (as we expected). To our surprise, though, my letter said that since I was not a principal agent in the incident, that I could get my card back by picking it up at the border. Hooray! This means, essentially, that we can still use the Nexus lane. I’ll drive through, and can drop off Steve to walk through the pedestrian lane.

Also that same weekend, I found out that I’m going to be an aunt – my brother and his wife are expecting in December. That was quite a surprise, too.

Skipping ahead to last weekend, I got another inkless tattoo. (Read about my previous ones here if you don’t know about them.) This one is in the shape of a hammer on the inside of my left wrist. I got it in honor of Jim Clowes, a professor and mentor of mine who died of cancer recently.

We had gotten back in touch in the year before his diagnosis, and the last thing we did together, alone, was to work on building a shed in his backyard. He was a knowledgeable carpenter, and was teaching me how to frame a building. The hammer refers to that, but more symbolically, is also to remind me to approach people the way he always did – with openness to what they have to offer and an eye for their potential. To look to build, rather than dismiss or tear down.

Filed under: body, life, relationships | 1 Comment »

Things just keep getting better…

By kate on May 6th, 2004

No, I haven’t been visited by the Fab Five, but I’ve spent the week with a perma-grin on my face. Working in Seattle has improved not only my work day, but my commute and also my gym visits. The branch of my gym in downtown is much nicer than the one I went to in Bellevue. So far, I have only been out to lunch twice so far, and have yet to take advantage of the after-work happy hour possibilities.

First, my cube as seen looking toward the window:

These next two are actually looking out the window, so you can see what I get to look out upon (which is far superior to not having a window):

I should also announce that I am no longer working the late phone shift at work! My phone shift is now 11am-3pm, which means I can either come in late, leave early, or work a “normal” day. It’s great to be so flexible. The one thing that is tricky is going out to lunch. If I want to do that, I’ll have to arrange for someone to cover for me. But leaving early is great – I’m leaving for home right now!

Filed under: work | 2 Comments »

It’s a beautiful morning…

By kate on May 3rd, 2004

I’m so happy right now.

Today is my first day working in our new office in downtown Seattle. I just love being in the city, and my new window cube with a view into the International District. Now I’m going to take my time to organize my cube into a nice place to be. Hopefully later I can post some photos of my view.

Filed under: work | 1 Comment »

Duh

By kate on April 29th, 2004

It took me longer than it should have to learn that pressing on the top of the yogurt when trying to peel back the foil lid makes it explode.

I think I’ve learned it now, though.

Filed under: life | Comment now »

Odds and Ends

By kate on April 23rd, 2004

First, I finally updated my website! There isn’t very much exciting, especially if you read this journal and generally know what’s going on with me. But, just in case you’re interested, you can start at my What’s New page.

Also, here’s a little something to light up your day: http://www.ibiblio.org/jmaynard/TRONcostume/

Filed under: Links, meta, pop culture | 6 Comments »

What I’m Up To

By kate on April 22nd, 2004

I’m still enjoying my job, which has a core of tech support, but since I have a number of different skills, I’m always getting to do projects for various people in the company, so I have lots of variety. I’m also in charge of the company’s CRM system, so I get to sink my teeth into database work, too. And throw in some webmaster work and technical writing. Small companies are great.

I’m ostensibly working on a number of mundane projects around the house, such as a new filing system and building a shed. I am also creating a four-foot-diameter mosaic to be the centerpiece of our garden.

I continue to play soccer once a week, which I really enjoy. I also run and lift weights. I’m enjoying getting some muscle definition in my arms for the first time in my life. Just being in shape is reward enough for the hard work of getting there.

I read a lot these days because I take the bus to work. I really cherish the time I have on the bus to read – it’s time I wouldn’t otherwise take out of my life. One notable book that I have read recently is The Brothers K, by David James Duncan. At the moment, I’m working my way through The Ends of the Earth: A Journey to the Frontiers of Anarchy, by Robert Kaplan, which has a lot of interesting ideas but can be quite slow at parts as he tries to cram centuries of history into a couple pages.