P.S. - Birthday wishes

Oops, meant to give a big shout out to my friend Kevin, whose birthday was yesterday! Had I been able to send an email or blog, my birthday wishes would have been more timely!

Hope you had a great day, Kev!

Please Be Patient With Me

When I was a little kid my mom would frequently intone the dreaded saying, "Patience is a virtue." I had no idea what that sentence was supposed to mean, but I was smart enough to know that it was invoked when I wanted something, and wanted it now. Finally, when I was about four years old, after hearing this phrase yet again, I replied, "If patience is a virtue, I don't want any virtues!" Needless to say, my mother was rather shocked at that idea. Of course, had I known what a virtue was, maybe I wouldn't have been quite so emphatic.

I tell this story of myself because we don't have power at the house these days and it's looking like it could be a long while before we get any power back. Yesterday the remnants of Hurricane Ike literally swept through the 'Ville with up to 75 mph winds. My neighborhood looks like a tornado touched down in it. There's actually more people without power than when the infamous 1974 tornado did take down lots of Louisville. They are predicting 10 to 14 days without electricity. I'll try to find a coffee shop with WiFi to post some pictures, soon, but even most businesses are closed right now.

And while I'm excited to get back to the posting, first on my list is finding someone who has power where I can dry my hair. My curly hair without a diffuser is a scary, scary site. Then comes begging for a go at their washing machine and dryer. Then, and only then, will I get back to the pics and the blog!

So, I ask for patience. Remember, it's a virtue.

Fall Forward

Um. Hi. Sorry for the almost two-month absence. I didn't mean to be gone this long. I really didn't start out being gone at all. But here we all are, on the cusp of fall - which I am ready to wholeheartedly embrace, not being a summer person - and I guess I'll just chalk it up to a nice summer vacation!

So, what I did on my summer blogcation -

• Went to New Orleans for a work conference. Drank a hurricane (among other things). Ate a few beignets. Grooved in the French Quarter. Didn't gamble at Harrahs, across the street from my hotel. Ate wonderful, yummy Creole and Cajun food. Sweated and sweated and sweated some more. There's a reason Mardi Gras and the Jazz Fest aren't held during the summer. It's hot, folks!
• Went to Sacramento for a 9 day training seminar. Met fabulous folks who work in legislatures across the country and learned tons of good stuff about leadership and management. Practical stuff. Went to San Fran for one day and did a short boat ride around the bay, bought cheap purses of questionable origin, and ate good sourdough bread. Yum!
• Almost finished an Elizabeth Zimmerman Baby Surprise Jacket for a friend who had her little girl last month. I'm one row, a bind off, sew-up, and attaching buttons away from finishing my first sweater. And I've been at this point since July 20. Oops. Apparently the blog wasn't the only thing I let slip.
• Am working on a big knitting project that must remain a secret because it is for someone who actually reads this blog regularly. It's going to take awhile, but I'm enjoying it so far.
• Celebrated with Mom that her two big projects for the year are finally, finally finished - her dental work and her new hardwood floors. Helped her paint her living room, dining room, and hallway before the new floors went in. Now she's talking about painting the sunroom and her bedroom! She's on a roll!

Okay, enough for now. Pictures to follow on my flickr page about all of the goodies listed here. Thanks for patiently waiting for me to come back to the fold!