Dominated

So I’m sitting at home after a trip to rural PA. I banged my foot up during the trip, so I am neither at the game nor at my usual Steelers bar.

Bah. Bah bah bah. Props to the Ravens, who are beating the snot out of my team. They are playing text book smash mouth football and just dominating my Steelers. The Defense is outsmarting the Pittsburgh offensive line; the Ravens offense (which for years was an oxymoron) has been going through our defense way too easily. It’s midway through the 3rd quarter and Ben R has been sacked 5 times already.

So it’s a great day for Ravens fans. A very bad day for Steelers fans. But that is how it goes. Sooner or later the Steelers will have another string of excellent football days, but it sure looks like it might be a while. The loss today pretty definitively shows that the Steelers aren’t doing anything this play-off season. It’s pretty scary to think of what the Ravens will be doing this play-off season, but if today is any indication, they will be doing something big. Congrats to the long-suffering Ravens fans, who have a hell of lot to cheer about!

Ouch

So, I was hanging out with the Tattoo Artist, his finance Ms V, and Dr Foot and his wife the night of Thanksgiving. Ms V had just put her 3 year old (who is soooo soooo super adorable) to bed. The hallway lights were out, to facilitate the youngin’ falling asleep. I was walking to the bathroom after a few drinks, and didn’t notice that the bathroom has a small step up. At least, I didn’t notice at first. I sure noticed it after I’d smashed my right foot into it- o u c h!!! I was hopping around on my left foot, trying not to make a sound in order to avoid waking up the 3 year old. The wee one slept on, and I spent the rest of the night hob-nobbing and hobbling around with an ice pack. Now I am sporting a fashionable surgery shoe and my right foot is a lovely mottled blue/grey/green, but it’s improving a lot and I should be fine in another few days, I think.

It was enormous fun to spend time with my PA friends. One of my old Pittsburgh housemates, Jake, just moved back into our hometown area. He borrowed a car and joined us later on in the evening- it was so good to see him! I hadn’t seen him in nearly a decade, and he’s hardly changed at all. He came in sporting cowboy boots and his hair is a little longer- otherwise perhaps he’s sold his soul in order to remain looking 25 perpetually? He and I talked long into early morning hours, just catching up after so much time. Our hosts had long gone to bed when Jake left. We couldn’t get the door lock to open, doh!

Jake got to the house via a borrowed car and left via the living room window. Good times! A little like the old days, ha.

OK, the game is just about over. This has been a Ravens wet-dream come true, I don’t think there is team that the Ravens hate more than the Steelers (the old time fans might hate Indy more, but overall I’m pretty sure the Steelers are the #1 enemy). Well, they certainly earned this game. Time to hop off and get outside for a while.

Bend

I think I'm in love with central Oregon. I am in the "city" (all of 70,000 people) of Bend for work. It's among the most beautiful places I've ever visited. The air here has the most amazing scent; the people are friendly; the scenery is breath-taking. Seriously. I've been in Baltimore for eight years...I could so easily be persuaded to make a big move...

Boo!

October, I barely knew ya.

For my one and only post this whole entire month, here’s a run-down.

Early Oct: Beach. Heaven. Lovely restful brilliant time.

Early-Mid Oct: Brutal work schedule. Out of the pan into the fire, etc. Ick.

Mid-Late Oct: Out of commission due to wicked viral bug. Little work and a lot of sleep.

Late Oct: Starting to get back on track. Derailed by break-up with Maz. For the love of god!

I think the best recourse to all this drama is to meet up with friends at a blogger Happy Hour! What do you think? Dizzy Izzie’s tomorrow night! Come on and join in! Cheers to a brilliant and beautiful November.

Outta Here!!!

It is done. Our grant is on its way to NIH. The contract for the new job gets to Pittsburgh by noon tomorrow. My major responsibilities are wrapped up for the time being.



Me? My ass will be here for the next three days. Thankfully it's the Steelers bye week, so I won't even have football to fret over. Yay for three day weekends!!!

Please Wait While I Shut Down

I am losing it. My brain is going into Standby mode. Yesterday I couldn't remember my cell phone number- the same number I've had for six years. Friday I mispronounced my own last name on a conference call. There were 40 other people on the other end of the line, as I stoically kept on and gave a presentation over the phone (they had my slides at the other end.) I slept for 12 straight hours on Sunday, without the aid of pills or alcohol. I am ready to do it again tonight, but obviously can't, not until the weekend after next. I am traveling again this weekend.

I'm sad, too. A key person is leaving her job at Hopkins. We are screwed without her, and she is a wonderful person, genuinely fun to work with. I just got home from a dinner for our admin woman at the small consulting job. She is leaving after 15 years. This one hurts even worse, because our company is so small we are all like a family. I am really going to miss her. And of course, my job is now much more difficult, because her position is not going to be filled. Our small company is getting really, really small. There are only six full-time people working there now.
The Best Friend is the only one there with less than five years in.

The NP is just as exhausted as I am. She fell asleep today as I was reviewing the text of the grant for about the 2000th time. At least the grant is coming together nicely- or maybe it just seems that way because we are hallucinating from weariness, who knows.

We send it out on Thursday, if all goes well. Otherwise it goes out on Friday, and the NP will have to put the finishing touches on it herself. I will be on a plane heading towards sunny Florida as of 6 am on Friday morning. And thank god, too. I always sleep well on planes. Cannot wait for it.