• The end of the work week was brutal, and the upcoming one will also be swamped. On her way out Friday evening, my boss told me “DON’T work this weekend.” So, I obeyed. My new guy starts tomorrow, but I’ll barely have any time to get him up and running due to catching up the leftovers from last week. Probably won’t be posting much here for another week or so…

• Heard from my UK pal yesterday – said he was coping with his back injury with lots of reclining. Poor thing. Hope he heals quickly. One of his bandmates sent a text today with regrets that we couldn’t meet up this time. I’ve been so busy that I couldn’t have gotten away for the festivities even if they’d have had a guest list. In just the time it takes to drive down there, I can get so much done here, let alone the time spent there and the drive back. Took a 2-mile+ power walk on my way to the grocery and took care of several errands along the way. Got that all done in less time than the drive to Santa Cruz would have taken. I’m hoping by the end of May I can get back to a closer-to-normal schedule and actually use my weekends for fun and relaxation.

• On the sports front, the Giants swept the Dodgers in LA and then went to Arizona, where they promptly forgot how to win against the “BabyBacks.” And Dominant Dan Wheldon whipped the field at the Kansas Lottery Indy 300, setting himself up as the favorite going into the Month of May at Indianapolis. I’d be tickled pink if I could see him win his second 500 in person. He has such deep respect for everything the race stands for.

Secret Project is Back: My boss gave me back the secret project I covered for her while she was on vacation. I’m trying to figure out where it will fit on my plate. Today, all the producers met to push out deadlines for as many of my projects as possible, which means I just may not have to spend my whole weekend working. I am definitely putting in the hours during the week, though. I don’t think I’ve ever been this tired…

UK Pal: My beloved UK pal called today to tell me he won’t be near enough San Francisco on this trip to get together – he’s flying back east on Sunday morning to see his lady. He apologized for the band not having a guest list for their private gig, which is a small personal function and not the usual private corporate or organization gig. It’s hardly something he can control and even if he could, I’d feel really strange showing up at a total stranger’s personal celebration! Poor dear has injured his back and is really dreading his trans-Atlantic flight later this week. That won’t be a fun 10 hours, nor will having to play a couple of gigs straight off it help matters much.

(Try to) Beat LA: The Giants have been on a roll lately, with their stellar pitching finally being paired with enough offense and defense to get the wins. Tonight, we’re at LA, where we’ll give it another go against our worst rival. The game starts in 40 minutes and I’m just hoping to keep my eyes open long enough to catch some of it.

Even More Work: I’ve lost my beloved contractor for at least a month – he’s gone on vacation, and I’ve inherited his projects, one of which isn’t as done as it was supposed to be due to engineering complications. Next week is going to be the worst yet. Everything else is due, one of the projects is escalated (yet again due to engineering issues), and I have to get everything ready to onboard my new employee on the 30th. That will have to be done on the weekend because I need to get all the projects cranked out during the work week.

Visitor: On top of that, a friend has written that she’s coming to SF the first weekend of May, and she’ll want to come see my baby kitties, so I have to find a way to finish the spring cleaning I started before the other writer left us in February. This isn’t a couple of hours worth of work – I’ve got loads of stuff torn out of closets and cabinets for a major purge, and I get a little done here and there, but the amount of time I have to work at home right now is really delaying the completion.

SoNOma: I have to cancel my trip to Sonoma next weekend, also. I’ll need the weekend to finish the cleaning and get the onboarding work done for my new employee. My musical pals will be down the coast playing at a private show Saturday, and I’ve invited my UK pal to dine in San Francisco the next day if his schedule will allow. Otherwise, I’ll be at home all weekend next weekend. Working. *sigh*

So…: If I forget to post an update here for the next few days, it’s just because I’m too swamped. I’ll eventually catch things up here, when that light appears at the end of the tunnel. *grin*

IRL Addict: So it’s Friday night, and instead of being out drinking, I’m at home drinking. All because the IRL is racing in Japan, where it’s tomorrow and a perfectly normal time to hold a race. *grin* Ah, well – since I’m not big on sushi, I’ve cracked open a bottle of Asahi to enjoy while I’m watching. The one good thing is that it will be pretty easy to get to bed at a decent hour. After the week I’ve had, that’s something to be thankful for.

Home Sick: Been texting tonight with my bestest Pippi, who’s happy to be back with the love of her life, but really homesick for SoCal and her family there. I was wondering what would cheer her up best when the thought of extra dark chocolate (FRENCH extra dark chocolate) popped into my head. Chocolate fixxes everything. Now, how to get her some of that French extra dark chocolate…

Aloha?: I’m thinking about joining some friends for a trip to Hawaii in July. Yeah, off season, but what the heck. It’ll be more affordable, which will help. I’ve never been and have started collecting people’s thoughts about where to visit and what we shouldn’t bother with. Leave me a comment if you have any tips – thanks!

Home, Sick: Running a fever and battling a sore throat, so I skipped “school” today and slept most of the morning. I’m so exhausted. Really need a break.

Supreme Wort: The top court chipped a chunk out of Roe v Wade today, by upholding a federal ban on late stage abortions. A sound byte from a right-winger struck me as terribly ironic. She celebrated the court’s decision by pointing out that the shootings at Virginia Tech highlighted how precious life is and that we should protect it. (Probably uttered while clutching her NRA membership card.) We can’t get these right wingers to support gun control laws – it seems they find life precious enough to protect only when it means interfering with a woman’s reproductive rights.

Visitors: “Oh, Canada, our home and native land…” Welcome, eh? Cayman Islands. Man, I’m jealous. Would love a break there. France. Bonjour! My reader in Ashburn VA isn’t around as much lately. Probably got bored.

Got ‘im!: We had a terrific candidate for the open UI Writer position and today he accepted an offer to take the job. He’ll start April 30th. I’m overjoyed not only because I’ll finally have some help, but because this guy’s gonna be great. He’s very experienced and an excellent writer and just the sort of person I want to start building my team with.

On Time, In Style: Got my Tissot watch today, and I love it! No more digging out my phone to see what time it is. The watch came in a huge box with a 136-page catalog, a 280-page history of the company and several other booklets. The jeweler says to change the battery every two years…it’ll take me that long to read all this!

Exhausted: Worked both days this weekend, and today was mind-numbing. There may be light at the end of the tunnel, though, but I can’t write much more about that right now.

Bummed: One of the most adorable and dynamic people I’ve ever worked with is leaving our team. Caroline did a terrific job in her management role and gave it several months to see if she got comfortable, but she confided in me that she wasn’t convinced it was the right thing for her. Really bummed that we’re losing her, but I know she’ll be more happy this way.

Baseball!: After being rained/snowed out in Pittsburgh, the Giants are back at it against the Rockies tonight, and have just wrapped up an 8-0 shutout. Just want we needed!

Change o’ Plans: Had a couple of photo gigs (non-paying, but portfolio-building) scheduled for the last weekend of the month, but the artist had to cancel. So, I’ll likely be getting away to Sonoma with a couple of pals, instead. Was really looking forward to breaking in my new Nikon D80 with the 85mm f1.4 lens, but I think I can shoot some landscapes up north, so all is not lost, photo-wise. And it’ll be good to hang with my buds – I’ve been turning down invites right and left lately due to my workload.

…to Indiana: Booked flights to see my family today. Going back at the end of May, and will likely attend the Indy 500 for the first time in 17 years. Hope the weather’s decent!

Tissot: Found a dealer who had the Bellflhour (yup, that’s how they spell it) watch in stock, but with a mesh band instead of black leather. I wanted to see the watch in person to judge its dimensions – it looked like it might be too big on the Tissot site. It’s perfect. I had Mr. Baume of Baume Swiss Jewelers order the black leather version for me. Should arrive next week.

Light at the End of the Tunnel?: We’re talking to some great people and are about to make some decisions about who will fill my open spot on the UI Writer team. I’ll be so happy to have a teammate…crossing my fingers there are no delays in the decision-making process.

Global Viewers: Various folks across the US (including paradise – er, Hawaii) stopped by, as well as a couple of folks from the U.K. Howdy!

Beat (by) L.A.: With a 10-4 decision Sunday afternoon, we were swept by the Dodgers. We’re strugging against the Padres in San Diego as I type. Being a Giants fan will take some patience this season, it seems.

SLAPped (Again): Our illustrious SLAP project is starting back up again. Looks like “working on the weekend” will be back in play for a while. It was so nice to have a weekend off this last go around…

Out of Words: I told someone today that I really needed to get my employee hired, because I’m about to run out of words. Guess if that happens, I’ll have to make this a photo blog. *grin*

Lost (Again): So, we still can’t seem to Beat L.A. Giants lost 4-1 this afternoon. One more game in the series tomorrow at 1pm. Pitching’s decent, but hitting and fielding isn’t going so well. The Dodgers are playing the game well. Tomorrow, Barry “Babe” Zito takes the mound. He looks much better in Orange and Black than Athletics Green…

The L’Occitane Incident: Needed a stockup at my favorite purveyor of lavender items. Came away with over $300 in merchandise – new Almond Apple treatments caught my eye. I can use the new stuff during the day, and the Immortelle Very Precious line at night. Ultra Rich Shea Butter eye balm is a 24 hour thing, and Lavender candle, hand cream, shea butter and lotion topped off the haul. It’s all waiting the purge of “lesser” products I haven’t found to my liking. It’s all about the pampering. *grin*

Beat L.A.!: Well, we tried. The Giants began a three-game series at home, hosting the Dodgers. Ended up losing 2-1. Off to a slow start this season, but that didn’t stop people from turning up on a freezing cold night. Over 43,000 paid to get in – it was the largest regular season crowd in the park’s history. Was happy to be at home, nestled under my new quilt with two felines and a book, listening on the radio.

Busy Friday: Cranked out everything I could to avoid having to work for the umpteenth weekend in a row. Yesterday was fun, though – lots of little kids visted for the annual Easter Egg Hunt. And someone brought in two Maltese dogs – one was a 12-week-old pup. ADORABLE!

Crankin It Out: I got so much work done today…then came home and worked some more. Can’t wait for my boss to come back from vacation next week and take back some of the stuff she handed me. If I’m not careful, I’m gonna work myself to the bone…like Huey did. He’s got nothing left, just hangs around my desk.

Howdy, Hayward: Someone across the bay in Hayward googled my whole photo credit name (Lisa Bash Beard) and spent a good bit of time looking over my site and blog. Wonder if it’s someone I know…

Drivin’…: Rented a car today, got out of the office at lunch and ran some errands. It was a stunning day. I love to drive SO much, but the hassle of parking in my neighborhood is so huge that I’ll never have a car, at least not while I live on this street. (And I’m not planning to move – I love my place!) Usually, I get around on foot or by some form of transit. Took some shots recently of my favorite “wheels.”

F-Line – Castro to Fisherman’s Wharf: These street cars are from Italy and the original signage is still in place inside the cars.

The World-Famous Cable Car: Nope, they aren’t “trolleys” – we don’t have trolleys in San Francisco. These beauties are the only national monuments that move, and they are my most favorite way to get around. They only cover parts of northeastern San Francisco, but that works for me. One line passes right by my apartment. The other two lines run just a half-block away.

Two Kitties: Sabrina gets most of the “face time” on my blog because of that cute moustache, but my Sebastian is a gorgeous boy. Here’s some face time for him:

Didn’t I Just Do This?: Another day of meetings and turning copy requests around in a blink. I’m caught in a time warp! Today ended differently, though. I worked later than usual and rode the shuttle, BART and cable car home with PDC (Particulary Delicious Coworker). Nice.

My Favorite Droidbox: Here’s where I drop the rare letter or bill that I actually send via snail mail:

T.G.I.Over: Wall-to-wall meetings today. Same story tomorrow. Fortunately, I got most of the writing done yesterday, so I’m not working tonight. Will go in a little early tomorrow and knock it out before the rest of the crew gets in. I need a break! Chianti, bubble bath, book, then bed. Ahhhh….

There He Goes!: Helio, that is. Two years in a row, he’s dominated the IRL race at St. Pete, and when Helio Castroneves wins he climbs a catch fence and hangs on it, celebrating with his fans. That trademark move has earned him the nickname “Spiderman.” (Somehow, Spiderman morphed into “Pideymang” in my childhood household…) Anyway, Pidey made his assent again yesterday, to the delight of the camera crews and my old college mate Vince Welch, who works for ESPN and interviewed Helio after he got off the fence. Helio is effusive, emotive and excitable and always an amusing interview – his sunny nature, Brazilian accent and “almost” command of the English language combine to create some funny moments. And his quotes are fun even when he isn’t fighting the language – after last year’s win at this race, he said “I drove it like I stole it!” He’s such a popular “brand” in the Indy Car Series that his upcoming wedding is being referred to as “Castronuptials” in the press. Helio, Dan Wheldon, Danica Patrick and Dario Franchitti are all personalities that make the racing even more interesting for me. It’s fun watching them do their thing.