Fall is on it's way

So the launch went "eh". We're out there, we're live - to about 10% of the people coming to the site. We have 1 thing we need to fix before we roll any further - and luckily it's not something that's our fault, but it's still something that's impeding us. It's been a stressful week, waiting each day to see what our numbers are, seeing how people are responding to this. To end my week an up note, the president of the company sent each of us that worked on the project an individual hand-written letter thanking us for all we did for the project (yes, it's really that big of a deal).

My friend from SF was also in town this week - making it go by really fast. We shared my office together, and as much as I love having my own space, and a door that shuts, and a window with a view of NYC (that okay yes, sometimes I stare out of when I need a brain break), I love having him around when he does come to town.

On Monday, Blondie and I headed out to our bar to celebrate the start of the turn on of the project. We watched the MNF game, ate some apps, and had celebratory shots with my friends. Then on Tuesday, Blondie started texting me early asking when I was going to be home. I found it weird because he never checks in on me - I could come home at 9 pm and I wouldn't have a text asking where I was. So the fact that he started checking around 4:30 pm on Tuesday made me suspicious.

Anyway, I got home on Tuesday night and Blondie came strolling in with a huge bunch of red roses and TACO BELL! I've been craving the TB for like 3 months (and talking about it for 3 months too - omg, how annoying to live with me!), but the closest one to us in Penn Station. Blondie caught the train there, bought me the Taco Bell, and brought it home to surprise me. I had a great evening with Blondie, it was such a nice surprise!

Wednesday, another former coworker of mine was in town so a group of us headed out for lunch. I love taking a lunch because it feels like the day goes so much faster that way. There were 5 of us, just chatting and relaxing, and doing the office gossip thing.

Thursday was the heartbreaking day because that's when we got the news that before we could dial up anymore, we needed to fix the problem. It felt like a punch in the gut - I want this thing out to everyone so bad I can taste it, and it feels like just road-block after road-block are tossed at us. I was in a real bad head space that day, so when some friends come by to ask about going for drinks, I was in.

We headed out of the office, right on time, and were hit by a gust of COLD wind. Here comes fall. The temps had dropped about 20 degrees from 1 pm to 6 pm. I don't like fall because I know what comes next - which is winter. And I LOATHE winter. Good on me for moving us to NYC. Anyway, we were out really late on Thurs, again doing the office gossip thing and just catching up (they work in a different bldg than me). I had a blast and my head cleared on up.

And Friday was just Friday - I just wanted it over. I got stuck on an emergency call for most of the day, and when it ended, I just counted minutes until 6 pm. I did work some yesterday, but it was covering for someone who has been helping me out on my new project. I owed her and her team the covering for them on Saturday so I wasn't upset about it.

So I worked out on Monday and did an Insanity disc. Then my body just shut down. Trying to get motivated is just NOT happening. I was so worried but then on Wed Mr Pooh texted about his Tough Mudder he is running in a couple of months. I'm so proud of him for doing this - that course looks cuh-razy! So I pulled my head out of my ass yesterday and went on my first 5 mile run since May. It hurt, but I only had to walk for 4 minutes total (2 x 2 min). So I was pretty proud of myself. Then today I went down and did speed work - 2 minutes walking at 4.1 mph then 2 minutes of running at 6.5-7.0 mph - all the way to 3.1 miles. And sadly, it was faster than if I just had run a full 3.1 miles at my current pace.

I'm going to register for another half - I'm eyeballing the NYC half marathon (Mar 2012) - which starts in Central Park and winds you through the city (and straight through Times Square). But I'm also thinking about trying to find one in November. I just need something to keep me going through this "I don't want to workout" time right now.

Packers won today which makes me happy, it's cool weather - but we have a pot of chili cooking up on the stove right now (I managed to light a hot pad on fire while starting the chili). But this week is going to blow - I have a shit ton of work that I'm dreading. Happily once this week is over, we catch our flight to SF to see our friends get married. So just got to get through this week.

--K

Proud to be a NY-er

10 years ago today, I sat in a cafeteria at work in TX watching as 9/11 unfolded. I remember thinking vividly that day about the one time I had visited NYC - I had visited a friend who lived in NJ, and we had taken a ferry over to NYC, toured the Statue of Liberty, and then due to the short amount of time we were there, just decided to go to the top of one of the WTC buildings. And that building, the building that gave a view of NYC and NJ and Queens and Brooklyn and what honestly felt like the world, was gone in an instant.

A lot of stuff has happened to me in the past 10 years - a marriage, moving cross country to the west and then cross country to the east, job changes, becoming an aunt. I'm lucky because my life has gone on, for better and for worst, and today of all days, I'm beyond grateful for that.

For those who lives were taken 10 years ago today, those in NYC, those in D.C., those in a field in Pennsylvania; for those from NYPD and FDNY who responded; for those who lost family, friends, and loved ones - we will always remember. RIP to those who are gone, and nothing but comfort and love to all who's lives were altered dramatically by the events of that day.

--K

And here we go....

T-minus 11 hours, 12 minutes and counting... And my project starts taking traffic. I'm excited and nervous at once. I'm eager to get to work tomorrow to celebrate when it goes okay, and I'm also wanting to call in sick b/c I don't want to know if something goes wrong.

Last week was a bit of a shit show. I have a love/hate relationship with short weeks. I love them of course, but then they always feel like they go so slow when you do get back to the office. Most of the week was spent dealing with one last critical issue for my project that was found last minute. Getting approved to get it fixed as soon as possible, getting the developers to get it fixed, getting it tested and signed off... But it all happened. And because of that last final push, we get to see what happens tomorrow.

This past Thurs, I met Blondie and our friends at the bar to the watch the Packers whoop it up on the Saints. I was late due to the above mess with the project, and was in an awful mood by the time I made it to the bar from work (9:15 pm ish). However, I came walking in, and Blondie had me a double scotch waiting, and my friends were there and they had set their wedding date so were in excellent moods, and it was all I needed to get my head out of my ass. I got caught up with my friends, and we cheered the Packers onto victory!

I was a wreck on Friday. I'm pretty sure I woke up still drunk. I staggered around the apartment for a bit, had a long chat with the cat (and I'm pretty sure he talked back), before dragging my ass into work. Because for as bad as Thurs night was, we didn't get the problem resolved then. Friday was a LONG day trying to get everything cemented in place. But finally, at 7:45 pm on Friday night, we signed off.

Saturday, I had to work a little in the morning to check on the fix we had done - make sure everything had gone ok. But then it was a free day! The delightful Ms HK had flown in from SF for her bachelorette party, so me and Blondie went and met her and a ton of friends for lunch at Ippudo (there was another guy there besides Blondie). We ate a ton of food, before heading home because I had to work again - but lo and behold, the work I was supposed to do was not needed for Saturday so I got to crash and take a nap.

After my nap, Blondie and I got into the 4 Loko - we had found the new version of it and since we had never tried it before it got banned, decided to give it a whirl. That shit totally screwed me up. I had about 3 sips, and was like "Oh holy hell, I'm drunk". We had ourselves a little party in the afternoon - just hanging out and chatting and watching TV with the Blonde One.

Saturday night, I headed back out to meet up with the b-ette party for dinner and drinks. We tried out Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill - and it was SOOOOO good. A couple of us split a corn and shrimp tamale, rabbit, and a rib eye. We also had a ton of sides that we shared with the whole table. And of course, margaritas. I couldn't find a cab after, so I just took the subway home. It was after midnight, but I got to appreciate living a city with a good public transportation system.

*** I loved SF like crazy, but the public transportation system there sucked balls. There was no overnight service on anything, so if you were out late and wanted to get home, you had to call a cab. In NYC, the trains run overnight (albeit on a limited schedule).

Today was time for football! Blondie and I headed out for little tacos and slices of pizza, before heading back home to watch the teams play. I took a nap on the floor for an hour or so, and then Blondie took a nap on the floor. It's a overcast, cool day in the city - fall is definitely on it's way.

This week, I got back into a good workout schedule. I ran last Saturday and Sunday, did Precor on Monday, took Tues off, and ran Wed and Thurs. I also lifted weights everyday. I'll go running again tomorrow, and am looking forward to it.

We've got some exciting things coming up. The launch of my project tomorrow, SF for the wedding of the K's, our anniversary, the civil ceremony of our friends from the bar, a cabaret show that my friend from the bar is starring in, and Barbados. On top of that, my friend and coworker from SF is in town tomorrow for the week because of our launch - so the week will hopefully go super fast because of that.

--K

No hurricanes, a launched project (squee!), and a celebrity sighting

The Friday before Irene hit the city was literally the calm before the storm. Blondie and I did all of our shopping (along with 200000 other people stocking up) before heading home to have some drinks on our patio. We decided dinner would be at our bar, so after drinks on our patio, we hit up the Winchester. It seems everyone but me know that Irene would be really nothing, so the night was spent making fun of me and my worries about Irene.

Saturday the clouds started rolling in. It was eerie. NYC shut down all public transportation at noon on Saturday, and as the day went on, the traffic got less and less. Saturday night around 6 pm we took some beers to the patio and watched *absolutely nothing*. A few people were out walking, but there were no cars, no traffic, no honking, no nothing.

And by the time we woke up on Sunday it was all over - it had definitely rained, but whatever had happened overnight wasn't even enough to wake us up. Around noon, Blondie and I headed out to check out the city - headed up into Times Square and were shocked by how many people were out. We decided lunch had to be KFC, and it was open! We got a huge bucket of chicken and sides and took it back to our place to eat on our floor.

By Monday morning, the sun was back and transportation was back on, which meant back to the grind for me. So worth it though - because Wednesday morning, my alarm went off at 4:45 am and it was with eager feet that I leapt out of bed, showered, and basically ran to the subway. At my desk by 6 am, along with about 5 other people in the office, and I got to watch my projects go out. It was a beautiful day - I almost cried at my desk. 1 project went live, and the other went in dark and we start dialing up traffic a week from today to it - it's been a solid YEAR at this point of working on it, and the relief was intense on Wednesday.

Blondie took me to dinner on Wednesday to celebrate - we went for mexican and beers, but it was an early night as the early start had done me in. But then on Thursday, my boss took us all out to celebrate - I had eaten a salad for lunch, and then skipped dinner - by the time I rolled into the apartment on Thurs night, I was a wreck. I somehow had managed to stop for a subway which I ate in like 3 secs flat, but it didn't help. Friday I had to call in sick. Go me - and for the last summer Friday too.

On Friday, after I felt better, Blondie and I headed out for lunch and then we went down to Hudson River Park to laze about in the afternoon. Saturday we decided to bar hop around NYU area as the kids (yes, kids, omg - I'm so old) are back for the fall - we hit up our favorite bar down there, and then we went on a mission to find a bar that Blondie had discovered in 2009 when we were here for interviews. Unbelievably, we found it. And it was awesome. After many drinks throughout the afternoon, we ran into a street festival to end our day.

Yesterday I hit up my pedi place to get my toes done - I had literally the worst looking feet you've ever seen - my big toenail had split halfway down my toe, and the rest of the toes had paint 1/2-3/4 way chipped off. Blondie came out to meet me for lunch after, and he picked one of the bars around us for food.

Now, we've known about this bar from the day we moved into the hood, but for the most part, it's always jammed. It's also the last bar / restaurant we have within a 2 block radius that we haven't tried, so we decided to go for it yday. We walked in about 15 mins after they opened, and took a seat at the bar. There was a really nice couple sitting beside us, and we chatted beers for a bit, before Blondie's eyes got big and said "I know this woman from somewhere!" It was back and forth between us, but then he realized - she had a part in both Louie CK and You've Got Mail! (Veanne Cox) We debated saying something to her, but then decided to keep quiet.

While we were all chatting (and we swapped beers and tried tastes too) her friend happened to mention he had taken a look at her official website, and mentioned that she's a well-known enough actress to make sure to take care of her website. And then big-mouth me blurted out, "we know who you are! You've Got Mail!" which seemed to shock her. She said that she usually does not get that, but she gets recognized from other parts instead.

Anyway, she was awesome and we made plans to meet her and her friend again next Sunday (we'll see if we all show up). Her friend and Blondie exchanged contact info and he seemed really eager about Blondie's website skills. We got a picture of us together before she left. Just a really great day all around!

Today is lazy day. Blondie is poking around, taking his time getting going. I'm debating what I want for lunch.

I started working out again on Saturday - it had been about 2 weeks, between the cold that took me down for 5 days, and then the hurricane (they shut down the gym for 3 days), and then getting my launch ready and then celebrating my launch - it's been non-stop excuses. However, on Saturday I got down to the gym and did 3.1 miles, lifted some weights, and then did a disc of Insanity. On Sunday, I did 3.1 miles on the treadmill again before lifting a LOT of weights. And today I did 45 minutes on the precor (and no weights were done). I feel so much better just getting back into the groove.

--K