sure you people bitch about not being able to get your booze on sundays instead of planning for the charming and antiquated blue laws (even tho you can get booze on holidays!) - but sometimes, Massachusetts gets it right :P

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/08/AR2009070801974.html?hpid=moreheadlines

(sorry i'm just getting to the news today)

its been a week

*I'm finally starting to feel a little more settled here. I still don't love it - but i'm getting into the groove
*Last night one of my coworkers had three of us over to his place to have dinner with him, his boyfriend and his cousin. It was FANTASTIC. We sat out on the deck and had cocktails and conversation - and it was SO amazing to have someone else make a home cooked meal. There was ceasar salad with real bacon (and they made one without for the vegetenarian amoungst us, meat and chicken on the grill, scalloped potatoe pie, a veggie casserole - it was all just SO yum. And I had to do no work, nor clean up, nor pay. It was FANTASTIC. But it was so nice just to be there hanging out.
*When I got home, I pulled my jeans off. Without unbuttoning them. That was pretty hot.

*I did not, however, make it to the gym this morning so i'll have to get on that tonight.
*Tonight when I land I get to have dinner with kaylaraine which I am very much looking forward to
*Tomorrow I get to see even MORE fabulous people
*I finally confirmed my reservation for T&C's wedding
*I did some expenses
*I'm feeling semi-accomplished but struggling to stay awake
*Its DEAD here because most people took the rest of the week off so i'm going to the airport early
*there may be more random updating from there :)

what is everyone doing this weekend?

hey nyc people - do any of you have a favorite, quality, camera equipment store?

thanks!

sometimes when I go back into my lj archives to look for specific events/time/place/conversations/memories etc - I find its the things i HAVEN'T said that speak to me louder than what is there

I'm feeling disconnected today
Everyone's on facebook, which I can't read at work.
I'm doing horribly at having actual IM conversations as I keep getting interrupted
And calling doesn't work for a multitude of reasons
ugh
Luckily I'm going to see some people this weekend and that should help.
I still feel extremely disconnected tho
I don't like it

ok peeps - does anyone have a suggestion of a hairperson in the DC/Md or even metro accessible VA area? I desperately need my hair trimmed as i'm starting to look like a mental patient

at the airport

I'm not sure why or how traveling makes me a different person - but it is glorious.

I had an amazingly good weekend. There was plenty of gym time, and friends, and a party and sex. Good conversations, errands and feeling accomplished, and everything finally being right in the world.

I got the rest of the sookie stackhouse books and am so looking forward to reading time. I'm looking forward to unpacking and feeling settled tonight. I'm looking forward to watching some more of "he's just not that into you" on the plane. I have a little bit of work to do. I have a little bit of prep work to do for the week. I have some gym planning to do. I have some *gasp* social planning to do. And then an extremely brief visit with the mother. What else is going on next weekend?

I'm a happy princesskaite :)

somedays one is just content :)

Toronto has street cars!!! its so totally adorable and romantic. Of course, once you get on, its just like any other form of public transportation - but I find the idea just lovely.

I was weirdly exhausted this week so I didn't see much of the city. I did walk about a mile and a half from my hotel to where one of my coworkers lives, so that at least got me seeing a little bit of things. (Like Roy Thomson Hall which I feel looks like it was pulled straight out of Epcot Center!) I also have noticed that several street names/parks/etc are the same as Vancouver. I should really learn more Canadian History.
Except for when I was at the SEC - I've never really gotten to work "downtown" - where all the hustle and bustle and action is - and being able to walk from home to work is the BEST. My office building is right near the baseball stadium and CN Tower and the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. Apparently there are sometimes Canadian TV star spottings, but we determined that for now, I wouldn't recognize most of them.

I find that the Torontonians (if that's even a word) are also really proud of how far you can walk underground. And while I'm SURE I will appreciate that in 90degrees or 0degrees, I find it exceedingly odd that on a lovely, cool spring day, I'm also encouraged to walk underground. I must say tho - the lack of having to stop at intersections is nice.

My commute home, while an agonizing 6.5 hours yesterday, really was pretty easy. There was a bitchy lady at Air Canada (expected) when I went to the wrong check in desk - but the checkin/bag drop process was fairly easy (tho the line had gotten backed up by the time I was done). Customs was SURPRISINGLY fast, tho my customs agent asked me to explain where I had been working (only not completely crazy because he's american, but still weird), and clearing security was also breezy. No one had informed me that my post-clearance food choices would suck, but now that I know that I can totally get myself something before leaving work and bring with. There is a cute duty free shop and a fairly good magazine stand. The gate area kind of sucks but now that I know I'll work on getting there closer to that time. They do the weird Logan-esque pre-flight thing where they cordon off the gate area and someone goes through and inspects it - and then only right before boarding do they let you pen in there.
The plane itself is enjoyable tho! Beth had told me it was a pretty great plane, but I was a little skeptical - but it REALLY is. They're Embraer 175's - which is a decent sized small plane. Air Canada has revamped them and they have comfy seats, good leg room - and seat back tv's! which you're allowed to use practically gate to gate as the announcements interrupt the programming. But really surprisingly probably the most comfortable coach seat I've ever sat in. So its going to be some enjoyable flying!
I watched part of "he's just not that into you" which I will hopefully catch the rest of on Sunday!

The one downside was my overly cologned, overly caffeinated seat partner who drove me MORE than a little nuts. (and the subsequent drive home that took longer than the flight. Next week, we metro :)

And I think that's it for now. There's more to be said but I have friday appointmenting to do!

kisses
~K

it scares me that Evite knows I'm in Canada

my hotel room is a suite...and a bachelor's wet dream (minus the stripper pole)
Travel Karma continued to ROCK. Got through customs and then immigration in record time. My immigration officer hates the Sox, but they actually have a baseball team here so I can't hold that against him :)
My taxi driver didn't chat which was great - tho its a hella expensive taxi ride downtown
There IS no special room right now because the hotel is being renovated - so I get to have breakfast down in the restaurant. I don't yet know if this is a plus or a minus.
And now I should go unpack so all my work clothes aren't a wrinkled mess

Happy Sunday kiddies!

I don't want to jinxxxxx today's thus far AMAZING travel karma but so far:
*the avis guy didn't charge me for gas even tho technically it was a little below full
*I got the air canada lady in Tampa to give me a boarding pass for my DCA-YYZ flight (technically this is well within bounds but she was WAY confused)
*I sweet talked the USAir guy into checking my bags all the way through to Toronto even tho I'm on two different PNR's.
*The little bookstore in the Tampa airport had the next two Charlaine Harris books for me!
*I'm having a Chili's chicken sandwhich for lunch which I've wanted for like weeks since being taunted by their commercials

I have a first class ride from Tampa to DCA coming up - and then NICELY now have two hours to lope around National, hopefully get some dinner and some other things I need, instead of PRAYING my baggage came out in baggage claim in enough time to recheck it to an "international" destination. Wheeeeeeeeeeeeee. And my flight to Toronto has individual seat back TVs - but little planes tend to make me sleepy so perhaps a nap before my hours in line to get my work permit!

Welcome to the return of boring weekly Sunday and Thursday travel posts :)

so i'm kind of managing to fuck up vacation. Except for in the 'doing whatever the fuck I want' aspect. That I've got down.

I had a bunch of missioning to do here. Very little of it got accomplished. I have ordered a new bathing suit online (due to complete FAIL at finding one appropriate for my purposes in person). I have to go on a very big bra shopping mission upon returning to polite society. Every time I think my boobs have shrunk I am somehow proved wrong. (I mean, the numbers don't lie, but the in person dealing with it is still completely daunting). I'd also like to stop being a crazy bipolar chick, mkay? thanx.

As stated, two adorable needing to be altered dresses, one adorable can be worn immediately skirt. And new extremely cheap, favorite brand, gym socks.

Tomorrow it seems I'm getting a visit from a very awesome friend. This fact buoys my spirits. I'm sure the visit will be wonderful.

I also got an AWESOME call from Beth today. I'm hoping she posts about the hilllllarity of it - not to mention the fact that she's seemingly a magnet for this sort of CRAZY.

Tonight I took myself to dinner. I really really wanted a cocktail but told myself I wasn't allowed to drink at home. And who can resist favorite american chain food when going to the great white north and returning to a carless society. I sat at the bar at Outback which is apparently THE place to be on a friday night. It was quite a cross-section let me tell you. I took the only open stool when I got there which placed me between a couple who was also talking to another couple/the man was occasionally talking with me, and two men out for the night, the one closest to me who kept looking at me but could NOT figure out what to say. Amusing. I participated some, made lists some, and finally read some. I also had fancy cocktails and appies. Oh how I miss my people. And at the end when I gave the efficient, attentive, if not overly friendly bartender my credit card (he was busy holding court with his regulars), I was suddenly quite the person of interest as my Amex has the word "software" on it and he is an aspiring CIO/Network Admin...
Anyways - due to the attentiveness and efficiency, and imaswte's stories, coupled with everyone else I've known, vacation, etc - I left a stupidly big cash tip. (percentage wise, not like 'being a baller' wise). For some reason it makes me feel bubbly inside.

There's nothing else I really think needs saying. hanging out at the pool is much more fun with friends. Sure a quiet night alone is great once in a while, but right now i'd prefer some company. Tho i've also forgotten how AWESOME, a huge, well appointed, comfy bed is. I am so going to have to get on that in a few months.

and for now, I'm out. Kisses

Does anyone have a good tailor/seamstress? I found two SUPER cute dresses for super cheap but they both need various forms of help

Also - in the way that I sometimes forget florida is ridiculous: in google maps I put "bookstore" in as a search near my parents address - I got SIX christian bookstores and a books-a-million(by far my least favorite big chain bookstore). But ok. I went and they had a totally limited selection - and a "living christian" section. They did seem to have a huge kids section tho and a weirdly big periodicals section - its too bad I wasn't looking for something awesome there.

thanks to the televised spelling bee - I just learned that omphaloskepsis is the term for navel gazing

please continue about your business

safely in florida
pluses and minuses
i feel totally bipolar this week

postsecret came early tonight - that made me happy
I got a text today that I cannot for the life of me reconcile
What is the point when you're not excited by a first kiss?

oh and on a more fun note - skitabug totally prompted me to check out think geek today where I found superfun jewelry

and my day has gotten suckier. That rocks.