Uh, 30....

It came and went and I'm happy to report it was pretty low-key. Thanks to everyone for the birthday wishes!

I had a 4-day weekend off before the big day and I took it as more of an R&R weekend to catch up and watch movies and just relax. Things have been chaotic to say the least these past few months (or it feels like years)... Accepting the job at the News Tribune, trying to find a place to live, moving halfway across the country again from Dallas (2 years after the move from Detroit), living in a hotel for 30 days while I try to get settled into the new job, getting access to my future townhouse (and living here rent-free until I can close), going to Spain, unpacking, and then turning 30 (yikes, I'm 30 - shhesseh!) ....

(Long siggggghhhhh)... I'm exhausted just thinking about it all.

Work was surprisingly easy that first night back (on my birthday) and I got into a baking mood the night before so I made my own (chuckle!) birthday treats -- lemon bars, banana bread and dinner (lasagna-style ziti) for the entire desk and well, newsroom -- you all know how I cook....

I went out with a few co-workers for drinks later.

Saturday I even got my flirt on at this cool bar a few of us went to -- with a younger guy (whohoo! and a cutie to boot!) He's a friend of a friend and it was fun being the cougar... and I even got the requisite, "So want to come to my place?" offer, which I demurely declined.

While it was fun to flirt, I'm just not into booty calls or even looking for the 'next' person right now... I still need time to heal from this last relationship I keep realizing. Just when I think I am over him, BAM! something comes up to put Mr. Big back in the spotlight....I found out I was not vested in the Belo 401k match as I thought I was. I was 11 months short of being able to walk away with the company match. So a chunk o' free money just flushed down the toilet....I could take my shoe and beat first Mr. Big -- and then myself -- with it for convincing me to leave there this fall...sigh....

The getting-better news is that I may FINALLY close on my townhouse in January (Jan. 15 to be exact.) It looks like the delay may work in my favor (better mortgage rates) and the builder has agreed to chip in an extra $1,500 in closing costs to offset the delay and the fact that I can't get the tax break for 2007 and have been delayed already three times in the closing.

And someone moved into the large unit across from me and someone is moving in next door to me this week -- so I feel lots better about staying now that there are other tenants.

The so-so news is that the weather does really suck this time of year. The rain has not stopped (although it was delayed a bit longer in starting the rainy season this year so I will count that as a blessing....) and I'll take rain over snow any day. But the snow up in the mountains is really coming down, so I'm getting back on the skies after a small hiatus and may even take up snowshoeing and snowboarding.

Snowshoeing sounds fun and something I've never done -- and a local friend who is outdoorsy want me to go with him to try it. Did you hear about the missing guys near Rainier who got swept up in an avalanche while snowshoeing in the past couple of days? Yikes! We'll make sure we have the necessary equipment if we do go.

Some more things are unpacked. The bathroom that had a water leak is almost put back together. The drywaller came and made a mess but that's done. I did get to meet one of the builders' head honchos. He came to inspect the work the drywaller did and to see what kind of damage he created in the meantime. He was happy to see it was a lot less than what he thought -- and he was the one who suggested the cleaning after noticing all the sloppiness the drywaller left behind including a large handprint on the top of the door (since he was oh, 6-4 and could see that high!) Painters come (gulp!) early Friday morning, plumber comes Saturday morning. I SHOULD have a working bathroom for the holidays -- although it doesn't really matter since I'm working the next 7 days straight (yuck! newbie with no family in the area gets the stinky shifts! and she agrees to take one for the team to get on the good side of the desk!)

And I have more blinds installed -- so I don't feel as exposed walking around the place -- LOL! (I have a bad habit of forgetting to wear clothes as I get ready and then walking by the open windows...)

I now have the garbage and recycling being picked up (hopefully again this week! fingers crossed!) and the access to my garage has returned from the street side after two weeks of construction. That was comedy hi-jinks for two weeks as I either had to physically remove barricades -- or tell the construction guys to move them -- as I repeatedly had to tell them someone DOES live here!

And did I mention, I FINALLY have a garage door opener???

The cats are finally adjusting and I think they like having all this space to run around in after two years of a 615 sq. ft loft in Dallas. Gray even 'discovered' this ledge he can run back and forth on near the windows on the second floor. Basil just likes when I'm home and she can 'share' this small black chair with me while I watch TV.