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shannon_aTook a three-day weekend. Not that Columbus Day is a particularly notable holiday (especially not in Berkeley, where we're required by law to call it Indigenous People's Day), but things have been crazy and busy and stressful lately, and I'm going to be working through this coming Saturday, so it seemed like a good holiday to take.
I actually got to roleplay on Saturday, which hasn't been the case for something like 5 weeks. That always makes the weekends a little more busy, but it was good to see everyone (and finish up the current segment of Kingmaker, part 4 of 7).
Then that evening we tried out the newly renovated Safeway in North Berkeley. Short answer: very nice. Where before the store was dingy and ugly and crowded (even worse than the Safeway we usually go to in North Oakland) now it's beautiful. Our experience started off pulling into the underground parking lot, where we find bike locks. Yay! Even with a security guard nearby! Then we found the store attractive and full of nice new stuff like a desert area and displays of artisan bread and more. We will definitely be going to the new Northside Safeway when we have our Friday night dinner in that direction, I expect (unless there's a price increase following the opening or something, but Safeway generally seems pretty standardized).
I did a fair amount of work on the new edition of Designers & Dragons on Saturday, mainly working on the TSR article to clean up the period from 1984-1985 where Gygax very briefly took control back of the company. I'm really pleased with the results, which show how the Blumes and Gygax all contributed to a real period of creativity together, despite their differences.
Then today ... biking.
I went back up to Tilden Park. I found the ride tough but much easier than my first ride up there, perhaps in part because I walked the couple of hardest blocks rather than tiring myself out and surely in part because I've been working hard on my hill climbing muscles all summer. (Need to figure out how to maintain them through winter.) I enjoyed the ride along the top of the park once more, then ducked down to the northern area, where I read for a while (some relaxing reading and some research reading for Designers & Dragons).
I didn't stay as long as I would have liked because ... plumbing.
You see our new shower was theoretically done & ready to use on Sunday, but we discovered two problems: first, the tub didn't drain fast enough and second, the water didn't get (quite) hot enough. So our contractor offered to come by, and then didn't get our email that said today wasn't a good day, so I ended up heading back down the hill to meet him. (Well, first I went UP the hill to get out of Tilden Park, and found that the road leading out of the north end of the park is really steep; and then I went down the hill).
On the bright side: everything is fixed. We'd used the shower with some annoyance Sunday and today. I took a second shower to get all the hill biking sweat off after our contractor was gone, and found everything works right. Finally! Of course I only get to use the shower through Wednesday or so, then we have painters coming in on Friday and Monday.
In other news, Munchkin seems to have settled to a more middling state. She often hangs out in my office during the day, but usually retreats to the bathroom at night. Still, her new appetite stimulant seems to be working as she's eating a lot, and she really seems to enjoy her time in my office, often smelling the air from the window sill or sleeping atop my book cases. All nice to see.
Generally, feeling somewhat rested after a long weekend (even with RPG busy-ness and late grocering), so I'm ready to face another week.
I actually got to roleplay on Saturday, which hasn't been the case for something like 5 weeks. That always makes the weekends a little more busy, but it was good to see everyone (and finish up the current segment of Kingmaker, part 4 of 7).
Then that evening we tried out the newly renovated Safeway in North Berkeley. Short answer: very nice. Where before the store was dingy and ugly and crowded (even worse than the Safeway we usually go to in North Oakland) now it's beautiful. Our experience started off pulling into the underground parking lot, where we find bike locks. Yay! Even with a security guard nearby! Then we found the store attractive and full of nice new stuff like a desert area and displays of artisan bread and more. We will definitely be going to the new Northside Safeway when we have our Friday night dinner in that direction, I expect (unless there's a price increase following the opening or something, but Safeway generally seems pretty standardized).
I did a fair amount of work on the new edition of Designers & Dragons on Saturday, mainly working on the TSR article to clean up the period from 1984-1985 where Gygax very briefly took control back of the company. I'm really pleased with the results, which show how the Blumes and Gygax all contributed to a real period of creativity together, despite their differences.
Then today ... biking.
I went back up to Tilden Park. I found the ride tough but much easier than my first ride up there, perhaps in part because I walked the couple of hardest blocks rather than tiring myself out and surely in part because I've been working hard on my hill climbing muscles all summer. (Need to figure out how to maintain them through winter.) I enjoyed the ride along the top of the park once more, then ducked down to the northern area, where I read for a while (some relaxing reading and some research reading for Designers & Dragons).
I didn't stay as long as I would have liked because ... plumbing.
You see our new shower was theoretically done & ready to use on Sunday, but we discovered two problems: first, the tub didn't drain fast enough and second, the water didn't get (quite) hot enough. So our contractor offered to come by, and then didn't get our email that said today wasn't a good day, so I ended up heading back down the hill to meet him. (Well, first I went UP the hill to get out of Tilden Park, and found that the road leading out of the north end of the park is really steep; and then I went down the hill).
On the bright side: everything is fixed. We'd used the shower with some annoyance Sunday and today. I took a second shower to get all the hill biking sweat off after our contractor was gone, and found everything works right. Finally! Of course I only get to use the shower through Wednesday or so, then we have painters coming in on Friday and Monday.
In other news, Munchkin seems to have settled to a more middling state. She often hangs out in my office during the day, but usually retreats to the bathroom at night. Still, her new appetite stimulant seems to be working as she's eating a lot, and she really seems to enjoy her time in my office, often smelling the air from the window sill or sleeping atop my book cases. All nice to see.
Generally, feeling somewhat rested after a long weekend (even with RPG busy-ness and late grocering), so I'm ready to face another week.