Dad Update: All the tests he had today came back with good results, so no serious issues to deal with – yay!!!!

Mind Grind: Man, I thought last week was tough. This week is even worse. Projects are just getting more complicated all the time… right now, we’re working on introducing an existing service on a wider scale, and the logo and branding is being redesigned. We’re having to build our pages around a black box, for the most part. It’s a little frustrating. Everything else is rush jobs and revisions up until the last minute. No time to take a breath. I still love my job, though. I work with the best people ever…

Mmmmm: Mini-pizza and sangiovese. Tasty end to my crazy day.

Dad: Dad’s having some heart issues and will be going into hospital Wednesday for testing and tinkering (he has a pacemaker). Trying to get more details out of Indiana – Dad’s being all mum about it, but stepmom has been in touch with one of my sisters.

Sick Again: Home from work today – achy, sore throat, etc. Hoping to get back to bed soon, but the Dept. of Public Works is outside in the street with jack hammers, chipping away at the pavement. Pain in the *$$…

RIP, Barbaro: Just heard the Kentucky Derby winner had to be euthanized. He fought for so long to recover from his leg-shattering stumble at the Preakness. This critter lover is sad to hear he didn’t make it.

Recent Readers: Waiting for the noise to stop outside, so I checked my stats. Recent visits from Minnesota, Tejas, a regular reader in Georgia, and a really long look today from someone in the Michigan State government (have we met?). Hope they don’t get fired for surfing so much at work…

Redirect: Lunarpages has so many options on their control panel that I haven’t explored yet. I just noticed that I can redirect people from one page to another on my site. So now, when Google serves up “…/newbashtography.html” (outdated page), it will automatically redirect to my site’s index page. It took 10 seconds to set up. Wish I had more time to play with Lunarpages all at once…but, I’m learning all the capabilities piece by piece.

Bakey Bakey: About to pop Gateau Breton into the oven (butter cake – 1st time to make it). While it’s baking, I’ll make creme anglaise to serve with the cake. Sounds rich and decadent – looking forward to a taste!

Sangio Stockup: Went back to Bevmo for 3 more bottles of the Gina sangiovese. Also got some truffles and extra sharp white cheddar. Also picked up a nice Oneida heavy-bottomed sauce pot (3.5 qt) that I’ve desperately needed as I do more varied types of dishes.

Wary: Kept pretty busy today, but I’m detecting that toxic ache you get when the flu kicks in. I’ve downed tons of water today and will be in bed early tonight to hopefully stave off the bug. A stomach virus is going around the office – two of my teammates had it last week.

All Skate: (Except me.) So, U.S. nationals has wrapped up in Spokane, and I’ve managed to capture it all on the DVR, but haven’t seen a single salchow. Hopefully I’ll have time later this week…

Bizzy Bee: Not really. Just took a few moments and dropped some links from my site, and added a guestbook with private messaging and email capabilities. My site is hosted at Lunarpages, and it’s SO easy to install blog, guestbook and other software with their interface. I’ve put a link to my guestbook in the right hand links if you want to check it out.

C’mon, Google: Peeked at my stats just now (I check ‘em just a couple of times a week – really not that much activity at my humble little place). Today, someone in the UK (near Blackburn in the Northwest) did a search for my site via “bash place” and got just the one frame like my Hants searcher, which is now gone because I ditched the frames setup for divs. I also put the appropriate keywords in the meta tags and title. Yahoo Search has caught up and properly returns the root directory of my site based on those keywords, but Google still offers up “…/bashtography.html”. I put that page back up with a link to redirect. Now, if Google would just catch up – usually it beats Yahoo hands down. But not this time. I’ve submitted the requisite sitemaps, etc., to both engines, so eventually they will crawl my site again. (I love optimization stuff – get to do a little of this at work.)

I wonder if it’s a different person in the UK who’s looking for my site, or if my “bashes place” searcher has gone walkabout. That area/IP hasn’t yet visited my site or blog since I moved my hosting to Lunarpages in October and got access to all these stats. Anyway, in case they DO stop by, ‘ello, UK!

A Proper Week’s Work: I am officially whooped. It’s nearing 7 pm as I write, and my first choice for the evening’s activitiy is to go to bed. I crammed so much work into this week…they can’t say I don’t earn it.

Lovin’ the Oven!: New, gleaming white Kenmore gas range awaited my arrival home this evening. It’s getting a test drive right now, but it has so many more racks and rack levels and controls than the last one that I already love it much better. I’m going to bake up a tasty weekend!

Gotta Go to Bevmo: Need more of that lovely sangiovese. It’s nice to have a red around that I can drink easily, with or without food. The benefits of drinking a little red wine most days is a pretty compelling thing for the girl who usually drinks alcohol only a few times a year.

Early to Bed: I hope. It’s just been an insane week. I’ve sat straight up in bed twice this week with ideas for work – great for the projects, bad for me. I get to sleep easily, but if awakened, tend to get back to sleep slowly. Waiting for a grocery delivery to arrive, and once that’s put away, I’m off for the bubble bath/bed routine.

Bon Terra, indeed: Sipping an organic chardonnay from up north. During our summer tour, the “convoy” passed by the Bonterra Winery on our way from Eureka to Brentwood. (Except for Janet and Gary, who decided to take the scenic route past Clear Lake, almost got caught in a wildfire and nearly missed the Corn Fest soundcheck!) This chardonnay has a very creamy texture. I don’t often stray from reds unless it’s champagne, but I like this one. Speaking of Gary – happy birthday, mate. *grin*

Lovin’ the Oven?: Perhaps! My stove was ancient when I moved in here 10 years ago. It’s finally died and a new one arrives tomorrow. Wonder if it will have bells and whistles? Wonder if my cookies will taste even better now? I’m itchin’ to do some baking, so the arrival time is just right!

Slammed: I’m here. Barely. Working another week of long hours. The head cold is still lingering, but much better than last week. Lovely sunny days beckon me out for lunchtime walks. Sadly, I barely have time for bites of lunch between emails and copy requests, let alone walking. I really hope they approve getting us another writer (we’ll know near the end of February). Would make things a bit easier for Larry and I.

Sangio: Having the last of that bottle of Gina tonight. Definitely need to hit Bevmo for a stockup on that one.

Bubbles: Off to soak the aching knees (I’ve been doing stairs instead of elevator at work) in some H2O+ Almond bubbles. I fell madly in love with the product during the holidays. Of course, they’re discontinuing it. Figgers. LOL!

Woah, part 2: Just finished watching the final Prime Suspect offering. Helen Mirren is commanding, as usual. The character of Jane Tennison is one of the most memorable for me – flawed, real and infinitely interesting. This installment was no different. Gripping, and it ended perfectly. It’s so rare that telelvision is this good, so I’m feeling quite sad that this one had ended.

Woo Hoo!!!!: The Colts are in the Superbowl! My whole family lives in central Indiana, and the next two weeks are going to be terrific for them. It’ll be fun to hear about all the goings on.

Woah…: Just caught up with the season premiere of 24. Breathless, as usual. Was TERRIFIC to see Alexander Siddig in a main role – I loved how he portrayed the puppy-like but genius Doctor Bashir on Deep Space Nine. This character is worlds away from that one, though. Will be interesting to watch it all unfold. That thing Jack had to do in the 4th hour was such a damn shame – it just broke my heart.

Mmmmm: Sipping a lovely 2004 Gina sangiovese. Under $10 with my Club Bev card, one of those great deals you just love to find. It’s as good as any sangio I’ve paid twice as much for. Picked up some yummy chocolate truffles at Bevmo as well – they go quite nicely with the wine.

Site Updated: Wow! That was easier than I expected! It still needs a general cleanup of code, etc., which will come when I learn cascading style sheets (maybe this weekend), but my web site (bashful7.com) is no longer frame-based. The div thing was a lot easier than I expected it to be. However, the left nav (the links section) does not remain fixed using Internet Explorer. (I hate IE!) Highly recommend using Firefox, Safari, Opera or Netscape – you know, the COOL browsers. *grin*

Cold Update: In both senses, better. It’s a lot warmer today; and, I can almost breathe at night without Nyquil. Still down on energy, though.

Chillout: Spending this evening with an affordable but tasty wine, Kendall-Jackson 2005 Vintner’s Reserve Zinfandel. It’s a casual one – good with pizza, or a nice sharp cheddar.

I’m Here: Never fear. Just working and trying to get a lot of rest, so nothing brilliantly exciting to add today. (Or most other days, truth be told. *grin*) Looking forward to some down time on the weekend so I can finally watch Prime Suspect 7 (all four hours) and the season premier of 24 (all four hours). Both are sitting on my DVR with a season’s worth of figure skating to keep them company. Just no time for anything like that lately.

Busy Busy: Same story, different day.

Dizzy Dizzy: The sniffles are lingering and I was very dizzy today. Since I don’t operate heavy machinery, it was kinda fun. *grin*

Goals: Well, half the month’s gone, and I still haven’t gotten as much of the month’s goals done as I’d like. Guess I’ll be “busy busy busy” for the next two weeks!

Bashes Place: Just had a look at my stats, and for the second time in as many months, someone in southeast Hampshire in the UK was trying to get to my web site via a search for “Bashes Place” (my site was called “Bash’s Place” until I changed it to “Bash*tography” a few months ago). The search turns up just one frame of my site, so the links don’t appear and that person can’t see the rest of my site. (This happens due to a few factors and comes up from time to time.) All this reminds me that I need to rebuild the site and dump the frames – they’re 1998 technology. Meantime, I guess I should put up a link to temporarily fix it until I get time to rebuild. “Busy busy busy busy!”

And I can’t help but wonder who my determined would-be viewer in southeast Hampshire could be. I do have an acquaintance in the area…

Cold: As in “baby, it’s cold outside.” But the clouds have moved in and it’s raining, which should raise the temperatures a little. Meanwhile, we’ve lost at least 75% of the citrus crop in much of California. I rely on the farmer’s market near my place for a lot of my citrus, and it looks like I’ll have to find another source. Farming is like show business – all the hard work in the world means not much when fate steps in (or doesn’t). Here today, gone tomorrow…

Quote: “Everyone seems normal…until you get to know them.” (Note to Janet – a quote for Le Freak Show? LOL!)

Crap: Worked from home Friday, feeling crapulent from this bug. Missed Joshie P.’s birthday dinner at Bucca di Beppo, and also didn’t make it out to shoot Jay’s gig last night. He was such a dear about it – we work together, and he knows how sick I’ve been. I was bummed, because it’s been over a year since I’ve seen him play. His band, Yardsale, lost their drummer last year (he moved to the east coast) and they broke up, so Jay had to figure out what format he wanted to start over in. Getting his trio together took a little while and this was their first big gig. Next time, for sure…

Deep Freeze: It’s dropped to freezing or below from the coast inland for the last three nights. There are major concerns about the citrus crops (loads of navel oranges and lemons up here and the bergamots down south). I’m wrapped in a blanket more often than not, and thinking it’s high time I made that first visit to Hawaii.

Cold: Still congested and feeling crappy, but dragged myself to work. Others in the office have succumbed, as well. Parts of the third floor sound more like Sick Bay than “The People Who Make the Web Site.” It was tough to get through without Nyquil…

Speaking of Cold: BRRRRRRRRR! The freeze continues in the bay area. San Francisco itself has a freeze warning for tomorrow night. That just doesn’t happen ’round here. I’ll need a couple more cats for warmth if this keeps up!

Work: Today I learned that my bonus got doubled, and that’s retroactive to the start of 2006. (Our bonuses are different at my company – based 50/50 on our division’s bottom line and the overall company performance.) Last time they were over 90% of the potential amount – this time, we’re tracking at about 85%. (Pay out is in March – parTAY!) Add this to the raise the boss got me last review, and I’m actually going to be paid WELL, instead of paid okay, compared to the market. Woo hoo!

Yum: Had some homemade yogurt tonight, blended with a touch of sugar and a fresh raspberry coulis. Nice to control the sweet level in the yogurt – I made it unsweetened, so I could rely more on fruits for the sugars. Waiting for the weekend: more Granny Smith apples for sauteeing, and some young red potatoes I’ll cook in a little e.v. olive oil with herbs de Provence. But for now, more Nyquil, a bubble bath, and my pillow await. Damned cold…

Still Sick: This cold is a doozy. The worst part is that my ears are really closed up, and that throws off my balance. That, and the aching all over. Stayed home again today and slept a good bit.

Speaking of COLD: It’s going to be even colder tonight than it was during last month’s cold snap. I kept the house closed up all day. Simmered some leeks I needed to use up, so it smells like leek stock in here. Now I’m simmering water with lavender oil on the stove to counter it and help keep the temperature up a bit. Smells pretty good in here right now.

Yum: Today, I made my first homemade yogurt. It’s still chilling, so I haven’t tasted it yet. It sure smelled yummy, though. And I took leftover mashed potatoes and watered them down a bit with leek stock, chicken broth and evaporated milk and made a smooth potato soup. Finished it off with a dash of white pepper, a small pat of butter and a grating of extra sharp white cheddar. The tang of the cheddar and the sweet of the leek were delicious together. Made enough for me to have again at lunch tomorrow. And I still have tons of leek stock – looks like some vichyssoise will be forthcoming (on a warmer day).

Sick again: This has been the crappiest winter for colds, etc. I missed work today due to congestion, sore throat, aches and clogged ears. Spent most of the day sleeping in a Nyquil-induced state. I thought I was just really tired yesterday, but obviously it was this thing coming on. Gotta get rid of it by the weekend – Friday night is Joshie P.’s second birthday dinner, and Saturday night, I’m shooting a co-worker’s gig. I edited the bio for his web site, too. See Jay Trainer’s page over in my links section to the right.

Grins: Got a belated wish for a “Happy New Thing” from my musical friend Todd. He lives on Kaua’i, poor thing, and they do everything on island time (which means late). That’s okay. It was nice to hear from him.

New Views: A reader in Virginia stopped by this week, as well as New York, Atlanta, TEJAS! and my usual gathering.

Deliverance: Pippi sent a text today. “I hear banjos…”

Now Reading: French Women for All Seasons, by Mireille Guliano. Charming.

Now Eating: Granny Smith apples, sauteed in butter, brown sugar and cinnamon. Mmmmmmm!

Stranger: The strange gets stranger at work. I’m now part of regular meetings to review all the writing that the team puts out. My particular responsibility will be to review the non-development work of the other writer in my vertical, but can share my opinion on other things if I want. My vertical has no Content Manager, whereas the other verticals do. And I’m doing more and more of that job all the time, while remaining three levels below it on the ladder/pay scale. It’s creating some awkward moments. Come spring, there’d better be some serious adjustments.

Pippi’s Caper, southern style: That crazy girl’s cracking jokes about needing to find a nail salon in her new town because she’s broken all her nails wrestling gators… from Hollywood to the back wood, she says. Good thing she loves him.

Bubbly: It’s been chilling for some weeks in the refrigerator, and tonight it called my name. A two-glass bottle of Billecart Salmon Brut Rose (Highly recommended! Half-bottles about $35 – full bottles $65-70). Delicately peach in color, dry with a hint of strawberries and a lovely fine bead. Funny about champagne – even if it’s good, I can’t manage to down more than half a glass. But when it’s wonderful like Billy Rose, all bets are off. (I restrained myself and saved half the bottle for tomorrow night.) Ignited tons of candles in the bathroom and lounged in almond bubbles while I consumed it. Bliss.

Simply the Best: That’s what I’m looking for this year. A step (or two) up. More pampering. Simplification. Less of the average to make room for an occasional bit of luxe. Refinement. Alignment. My bit of luxe started with yesterday’s purchase of Chanel No 5 Elixir Sensuel. I hate spray perfumes – always end up wasting too much of it spritzing it on cotton so I can better control the amount that goes on. (With fragrance, less is always more.) The elixir is perfect…

Simply Fun: Wings wished me a Happy Gnu Year. ET called me “darlin’” in his New Year greeting (he’s such a hunky boy – *sigh*). Gus’ greeting had a photo he took of the Mork and Mindy house in Boulder, all covered in snow from their recent storms. Ira sent a wry (or is that rye?) Happy New Year.

New Views: Washington DC and Indianapolis! Along with my regular readers, including Central City, KY. Happy 2007!

Currently Reading: French Women Don’t Get Fat by Mireille Guiliano. My Life by Bill Clinton. Yup, STILL reading this one. He writes such dense prose – SO full of details – that I have to proceed very slowly so I don’t miss anything. I’m halfway through.