battlefield

I left my umbrella on the bus this morning - the big, green umbrella that Aunt Pattie got me a year ago - and I was so mad that I swore out loud up and down the street after the bus drove away and I realized my mistake. I would think about trying to find it at the Muni Lost and Found, but I can't say I have high hopes...

On the brighter side, it didn't rain today after I lost my umbrella. That would have been a real bummer. I also had a great weekend:
- Finished Anna Karenina. Finally!
- Went to Palo Alto to stay with Becca and go on a long run on Sunday morning. We went to the farmer's market and Izzy's Brooklyn Bagels (lox, yum) after the run, and it's so great to see her on a regular basis now that we have the running excuse.
- BOUGHT A ROAD BIKE!!! I already told my parents - they weren't too pleased, but I really think it's going to be a great investment and I PROMISE not to get squashed. I look forward to going on long bike rides on the weekends (to Marin? Sausalito? elsewhere?) and maybe someday biking to work when I feel more comfortable. I actually biked to work on Monday and it was one of the more terrifying experiences of my life - not because of the traffic, but because of the steep down hill! I had to get off and walk... not my proudest moment.

My bike is a really nice used bike, 1993-ish, made by a bike company called Marin back in the days when their bikes were made in the US. Steel composite frame, woman-specific seat, with shifters on the handlebars. It's honestly too nice of a bike for me right now, but one I'm hoping I can grow into - and if all else fails, I think I could sell it right now for a profit.

This week has felt really weird - I can't believe it's already Wednesday. Work has been super busy, and apparently next week is when things get REALLY crazy with line adoption (when we align on the designs we're going to invest in for next summer). I'm still really enjoying work, though, so no complaints.

On a work related note, check out my most recent project! When I was shopping the competition, I noticed that Macy's has a "Customer Top-Rated" subcategory in their plus site, and thought that our site should do something similar. So, I picked out a bunch of styles that are rated 4 stars and above, and worked with our site coordinator to get it all set up. And here it is!

http://oldnavy.gap.com/browse/category.do?cid=49471

It's the little things.

Let's see - what have I made lately that's been good? I've been eating a great pasta salad all week - cooked a box of basic rotini pasta, steamed asparagus, and chopped up some heirloom tomatoes I got from the farmer's market, added balsamic, EVOO, and lemon juice, and served over mixed greens with feta cheese on top. Easy! Delish!

This chicken recipe is also to-die-for, and SO easy: Chicken Thighs with Creole-Orange Mustard Sauce. I substituted chicken breast for chicken thigh because that's what i had on hand, but this sauce is so zesty and tasty. Reminds me a little bit of Chicken Diable (see Mom's cookbook).

Reading: Girl with a Dragon Tattoo, already 200 pages in. It's awesome.
Listening: sound of the dishwasher. But Jordin Sparks' "Battlefield" is stuck in my head...