Between Situations

What a mad week. Last night I realized I hadn't felt this emotionally drained since my mother's funeral. At least then, all three pairs of my glasses weren't tear stained at the same time. The day was complicated by having my eyes dialated at the opthamologist's in the morning leaving me wearing my shades most of the day.

I truly did get the best farewell ever from the colleagues in Field Programs who rewrote the lyrics to So Long, Farewell from the Sound of Music, came to my desk and sang--in key, no less (some untapped talent there). Much better than an office leaving party. I went to out to lunch everyday last week--a first for me--sit down lunches no less. But it was so much fun.

What's not fun is how much I accumulated in seven years. A lot of it was gifts and other little memorabilia from field staff or staff who traveled. Only one box of shoes. I still need to return for my plant, which is in good hands until it can be retrieved.

We don't realize the habits we pick up until the moment comes when we don't need them. Woke up this morning and first thing went through the itineraries in my head of everyone who is traveling, where they should be today, etc., and then bam!: the sudden realization that its not my problem any more. Like everything else these last three weeks, it was bittersweet. The last seven years has given me a lot, and I am happy to be going on to a new challenge, but a part of me will always be Panda.

After meditation, I got up to face the bags and boxes of things I have toted from the office the last three weeks. Managed to empty one box and two bags. Lots of picture hanging to be done but when faced with that stack, I thought "oh lets take a nap", which I promptly did until a little after 12:30.

I have been craving/needing more coiless saftey pins for my knitting. A trip to Looped Yarn Works (always my undoing). I emerged with one of their tote bags (forgot to bring the shopping bag I set aside), Rowan 48 @40% off and a skein of Berroco Sox also at 40% off. I'm inching ever closer to getting my big discount there. I know the yarn I will buy; just not sure what I will make with it.

I bought a new laptop this week. It arrived on Friday night. It's huge. Well huge compared to what I'm used to. I had seen a mini laptop and was really interested but I've had the experience of having to tote an external cd/dvd drive and don't want to go there again. I was tired and unable to focus on the night I made the purchase, but I knew what I wanted in a machine and what I could spent. It took only six minutes in online chat to get the specs right and make the purchase. The laptop arrived two days later.

I didn't purchase a mouse, however, so Staples was my second shopping stop this afternoon. I thought about a digital mouse, but opted for one that connects through a USB port. I know me. I'd move the wireless mouse or stick in a pocket and then spend minutes to hours looking for it. Then off to Target to look at picture hanging paraphenalia.

Knitting
Still working on the shawl for the KAL. The Cumulus yarn got hopelessly tangled and I lost patience trying to untangle it, so I wound a hank of KP Soot, which I was going to use in the shawl anyway when he Cumulus ran out, and continued to knit. My KP order came for the skirt I'm going to knit. But all knitting is on hiatus, except at bedtime, until I get everything else sorted

I am happy the weather has stopped being damp; it took the wash days to dry this week. It also means I can do some photography tomorrow as a break from chores.

Didn't watch any films this week but did attend the 14th Annual Spirit of Democracy Awards of The National Coalition on Black Civic Participation. A lovely and inspiring evening.