Month: December 2022

I cooked today

5:57pm, pacific standard time, apartment in Aliso Viejo, California, USA, Sunday evening, December 11, 2022. A rare occurrence happened this morning; I cooked. Normally, I avoid anything other than frozen dinners and take-out but, my daughters mom had some meal prep packages in the fridge and I was bored. So I made lentil soup, butternut-sage lasagna and a pear/walnut salad. Afterwards, I took a shower and drove to Laguna Niguel for a haircut. This evening it is just me and my daughter in the apartment. Her mom left for Los Angeles. She has an early morning court hearing regarding a work issue. Tomorrow, I plan to take my daughter to school and work remotely but, I suspect she has plans to stay home as well. She spent a lot of time with friends this weekend and is feeling rundown.

Saturday in Southern California

6:27pm, pacific standard time, apartment in Aliso Viejo, California, USA, Saturday night, December 10, 2022. Hanging with the family, watching anime together. We don’t always spend time as an entire group, watching one program. It is nice. The day has been good; went for the full walk in Dana Point this morning, drank coffee, did laundry and grocery shopping. All in all, today has been a good early December day in Southern California.

An extra day at home coming up

6:11pm, pacific standard time, hotel in Palm Desert, California, USA, Thursday night, December 8, 2022. The last day of meetings galore. Finally. This week felt incredibly long and I need a break from work. My daughter’s mom needs to go to Los Angeles on Monday so I am going to stay in Orange County until Tuesday morning. Normally I would feel bad about missing a day in the office but, the timing feels really fortuitous. I am just going to appreciate the circumstance and enjoy an extra day at home.

Worse than I anticipated

6:04pm, pacific standard time, hotel in Palm Desert, California, USA, Wednesday night, December 7, 2022. Today was even longer than yesterday. After a full day of meetings, our branch office was inundated with various problems including staff behavior issues and billing mistakes. We tried to address all the concerns in a timely manner but, there were just too many. Therefore they have to wait and be tackled first thing tomorrow morning. Unfortunately, the meetings also continue tomorrow. And they will be longer and more intense than today. I am beyond tired and grouchy. I knew this would be a tough week but, it is worse than I anticipated.

First day of regional meetings

8:14pm, pacific standard time, hotel in Palm Desert, California, USA, Tuesday night, December 6, 2022. Long day today. I just got back to the room from dinner. Meetings started at 8am and lasted until 4:30pm, followed by a group get together. I am not complaining, it was a nice change in routine. Time to wash up and get ready for bed. The next two days are going to be equally as busy.

Preparing for regional team visit

6:45pm, pacific standard time, hotel in Palm Desert, California, USA, Monday night, December 5, 2022. Drove to Palm Desert from Arizona this afternoon. After briefly checking in at the office I left to shop for snacks. The regional team is visiting the next couple of days and they need food for breaks. I am glad they are coming but, it adds another layer of stress. We still haven’t fully recovered from the rebranding events of last week. Oh well, it is only two days. I am sure we will find a way manage.

Made me a little sad

3:16pm, mountain standard time, apartment in Chandler, Arizona, USA, Sunday afternoon, December 4, 2022. It was still raining this morning when I woke up so I walked on a treadmill at the gym instead of exercising outside. Later, when it stopped raining, I went for a walk through the neighborhood. The skies have been grey this weekend, which is unusual for Arizona. The gloom makes me introspective. There are only a handful of weekends I will be here before permanently moving back to California. Yesterday, I stopped by the office to let them know I won’t be renewing my lease. I am glad I took care of that detail but, to tell you the truth, it made me a little sad.

Raining in Chandler, Arizona

12:03pm, mountain standard time, apartment in Chandler, Arizona, USA, Saturday afternoon, December 3, 2022. It is raining in Chandler, which is nice for a change. Usually it is glaringly sunny with barely a cloud to be seen. Of course, my plan was to run errands this morning, so it is a slight hindrance. But, I can wash clothes and get ready for next week while waiting for the storm to pass. I won’t be in Arizona again until after the new year. I need to make the best use of my time while I am here.

Good to be with a friend

10:32pm, mountain standard time, apartment in Chandler, Arizona, USA, Friday night, December 2, 2022. Got to Chandler at 4:30pm. Had some things to complete for work then sat down and watched the football game with my houseguest/friend. We both lived in Utah for some time so we had similar rooting interests. I am glad she is here. At first I was worried about having someone in the apartment but, it is nice to be with a friend rather than alone.