Catching a Breath

Well, it has been a while, but it has been quite a hectic few weeks at work, though we've been very productive and gotten a lot of good stuff done.  In what free time I have I've been unwinding by reading books, which was also a nice way to stay occupied during travel on a recent business trip.  As some might have read via Facebook, we (two colleagues and I) traveled to Pittsburgh, PA to visit with some academic collaborators at Carnegie Mellon University.  The meeting was a good one, and the whole trip went very smoothly with no travel delays or lost bags.  We didn't have time to tour around, but we had a great dinner at Monterey Bay, which had this spectacular view (which many of you have also probably seen on FB by now):

The whole trip was also a nice break from the heat.  We haven't had it nearly as bad as some places (Arkansas, for example) but it hasn't exactly been pleasant.  The poor cats haven't had outside playtime in quite a while, and there were two very unpleasant episodes where the (it turns out) faulty wiring of my AC system caused it to temporarily cease functioning and necessitated an emergency, after-hours visit from a repairman.  Friday, we got the problem properly fixed (Leo-kitty helped, of course).  So, all is well now and we're even getting a bit of a break after a front came through.

Unfortunately, between travel and heat, it is too late for most of the stuff in the planter basket, but the portulaca and irises in the flower beds are fine, and the Figlet is still doing well.  The kitties actually got some outside-time today which they liked, and I am proud of myself for getting in a half-hour of cardio this morning and earlier in the week between workouts with Trainer Guy.  I still have some errands to run (got a late start today, and the grocery store was going to be too crowded, so I'm thinking this evening or even tomorrow would be a better bet).

As for the rest of today, I'm personally enjoying a generally quiet time, even though it is sort of a Big Day on two counts:  we finally heard about Romney's VP pic (I will not go on a political rant, I will not go on a political rant, I will not go on a political rant...) and, far more importantly, it is Mom and Dad's anniversary.

So, much, much love to Mom and Dad and I'm hoping they have a great day!