Below are the 20 most recent journal entries recorded in vlynn's LiveJournal:

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Monday, July 13th, 2009
9:05 am	happy to be a loser Week 1 of Weight Watchers: down 2.6 pounds. So it really has been the jumpstart that I needed. We'd been trying to lose for a while but I was just stuck where I was. And I still had 5.5 weekly points and 17 activity points I didn't use for the week. This week my goal is to earn more activity points than last week. I'll earn 12 points from my 3 PT sessions, so it shouldn't be too hard to do. So far, so good. (4 Comments |Comment on this)
Monday, July 6th, 2009
12:53 pm	start Just signed up on Weight Watchers. Today is day #1. (9 Comments |Comment on this)
Sunday, June 14th, 2009
7:43 am	again Off on yet another there-and-back-same-day Maryland trip. These are wearing me down. (Comment on this)
Friday, June 12th, 2009
10:20 pm	back...yet again The last few entries have all been times coming home from MD. This is another one. We thought we were bringing mom home from the hospital yesterday, but no go. They wanted to keep monitoring to make sure she really is stable. She might go home tomorrow. We'll see. It's a busy weekend for that...my grandmother is also heading home from the nursing home Sunday. Wish she could have stayed there. I'm going to try to make a there-and-back-same-day trip on Sunday to visit them both. But tomorrow is a fun day...Meekay's graduation! :) His folks are in town. We had a nice dinner with them in Chestnut Hill tonight, then we'll head to graduation early and to White Dog for lunch. And lots of celebrating the awesome boy. (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Sunday, June 7th, 2009
11:14 pm	home home from md. was there since a thursday emergency run. mom is back in icu with still more complications. i has boy and kitteh. is good. no caps...kitteh is sleeping on my hand. (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Saturday, May 23rd, 2009
11:15 am	Photo credit Suh-weet! Check out the photo on the top right of this Schmap page. (Comment on this)
Friday, May 15th, 2009
2:38 pm	2-day week Only a 2-day week here, but it's seemed hella long and I can't really wait to get out of here. I also just had a roughly 30-second conference call--so much win I can't even believe it. Star Trek tonight, Maryland visit tomorrow, wedding Sunday and then hopefully only a 3-day week next week. I finished reading Michael J. Fox's new book while we were away and then started Midwives. I can't put my finger on why it seems so familiar to me. Also, I made sure to watch the season finale of Lost last night since I was already getting hit with spoilers. Darned FB comments. I promise not to give any. I hear a lot of folks weren't very happy with this season, but I really enjoyed it. I hate that it'll be 2010 before they come out with the next season. No fair! (Comment on this)
Thursday, May 14th, 2009
9:36 am	Thanks Thanks, everybody, for all the wonderful support. It helps. We're back at work. I feel like confetti. Not in a good way. (Comment on this)
Friday, April 24th, 2009
9:14 am	Friday in so many ways Fridays lately haven't had quite the feeling of expectant exhiliration that they should. It's just been so chaotic that they haven't been feeling as much of a relief or a sense of promise as they used to. But today, it *feels* Friday. Not just because it's the day of the week. It's also sunny, gorgeous and warm. Our tulips are finally coming up. It's omelet day at work (screw the oatmeal just for today). I have time to get out of the way some of the deadlines that have been hanging over me. I only have one meeting scheduled for the day. It's possible I might be able to leave a little bit early. And the best parts...tonight our home will be full of wonderful people, good food and games in honor of an awesome chica, and tomorrow we'll witness a wedding of one of my all-time favorite people. So, while there's still an awful lot of hard, sad, nervewracking and upsetting going on in our lives, today somehow still feels like a little piece of respite. Current Mood: peaceful (Comment on this)
Tuesday, March 31st, 2009
8:10 pm	update So, for those who aren't following over on facebook... No luck on getting any fingerprints from any of the items, so about nil chance we'll catch these guys. We did get my keys, so there's a little less freakout about them trying to break into the house or the car. We did change the house locks anyway. I'm so lucky that my credit union was able to set it up so that my direct deposit paycheck today didn't get rejected. PHEW. Now I just need to actually be able to access the new account sometime soon so I can get to my money somehow.  Luckily I at least have access to our joint account for the time being. I should have a phone again as of Thursday, with the same phone number as before. It really feels freaky to be without one. Also, it felt really creepy coming home alone tonight. I so don't like feeling uncomfortable in my own home and neighborhood. I hope that somehow eases up in time. Mom's mastectomy Sunday went smoothly. We spent the night in the hospital and then got her settled back home on Monday. She continues herceptin treatments tomorrow and Thursday they'll set her up for radiation, which begins next week. Her hair's starting to look like a buzz cut now...really coming in. (Comment on this)
Saturday, March 28th, 2009
5:46 pm	progress So we're back from our exploration of the crime scene with the same police officer who helped us last night. We found bunches of my stuff and one receipt from Mike's wallet. The best part...we have my keys!!! So we don't have to worry about security at the house or about them stealing Mike's car.  Huge relief. There were some things they might be able to get prints from, so they're running those in the lab now. We should hear tonight if they found any prints. Seriously, keep your fingers x'ed...it would feel so good to get these guys. (5 Comments |Comment on this)
2:14 am	First, we are ok... But meekay  and I were robbed at gunpoint tonight. Two blocks from our house, walking home from dinner. They got Mike's wallet. We got my purse back later tonight, but they took: treo (so I have no phone), house keys (so we're nervous and have to change locks in the morning...Mike's staying up tonight...my hero)  and my keys to Mike's car (including the remote entry so we're hosed there too), my checkbook, cash of course (dollars and euros), and worst of all...completed passport applications for both of us, with wild amounts of private information, that were in my purse to bring home and shred. Also...the dumbasses left my diamond necklace and credit cards, but took my $5 sunglasses and my tic tacs. WTF? (13 Comments |Comment on this)
Tuesday, March 3rd, 2009
9:13 am	live from Frankfurt Greetings from Frankfurt, where it is sunny and warm enough to go walking in just a light jacket. No piles of snow around...nice change of pace. Arrived this morning and promptly crashed for a couple of hours. Cleaned up and met a few coworkers for a walk and some lunch. Now I really should be getting some work done but am having a hard time getting my brain going to get started. (3 Comments |Comment on this)
Wednesday, February 25th, 2009
8:04 am	I'm off Off to Maryland for Mom's breast cancer surgery. She's been making such awesome progress. Fingers x'ed! (4 Comments |Comment on this)
Friday, February 20th, 2009
10:26 pm	relationship meme What are your middle names? Darlene and Joseph. You'll just have to figure out which is which. How long have you been together? Two years last October. How long did you know each other before you started dating? We didn't. We met on Match. Who asked whom out? I contacted him first. We chatted a while. The moment he heard I used to work at NASA, he asked what I was doing for dinner that night. So he asked first. How old are each of you? I'm 36 and he's 31. Though the wii fit somehow thinks I'm younger than he is much of the time. Whose siblings do you see the most? Mine because she lives closer. Which situation is the hardest on you as a couple? The crazy stressy lifestyle at the moment? The kitteh that won't let us sleep? Or the fact that I keep bugging him to answer memes?  Did you go to the same school? Nope. Mike went to college in Illinois and I did in Maryland and PA. Now he's working on his MBA at Drexel. My boy...he is the smart. Are you from the same home town? Nope...he was born in Nebraska and I was born in Maryland. Who is smarter? We divide and conquer by areas of expertise. He has a great head for figures. I'm the word girl. Together we can do some pretty good damage on a crossword puzzle. Who is the most sensitive? *snuffle* me *snuffle* ;) While I'm getting all teary at an emotional movie, he just wants to know if Nicole Kidman's getting naked. Where do you eat out most as a couple? Probably the Chestnut Grill at this point. Where is the furthest you two have traveled together as a couple? We had a pretty excellent trip to Switzerland and Germany two years ago. This weekend we're booking up our next vacation, to tag onto the end of his international course in September. Who has the craziest exes? We both have some stories, but his are clinical. Who has the worst temper? We both have pretty bad tempers, but his gets triggered more often than mine. I'm pretty good at figuring out when it's time to just give him some space. In particular if there's a software install going on, it's time for me to go run some errands or something rather than face the onslaught of curses hurled in Microsoft's or Oracle's direction. Who does the cooking? That's either me or the two of us together. He's learning. Who is the neat-freak? bwah! Alas, neither of us is. But my tolerance level is lower on the need for cleaning. We're thinking about getting someone to help out with the housecleaning while things are so crazy with our schedules. Who is more stubborn? *snerk* Could this two donkey household be the reason we need to bring in a housekeeper? Who hogs the bed? We're back and forth on that. Whoever gets to stay in bed longer turns in to a starfish, too. If there's enough room for that around the starfished kitteh, that is. Who wakes up earlier? Weekdays I do. On weekends often I'll linger in bed with a book while he gets up and going. Where was your first date? Dinner and drinks at Kildare's in West Chester, then short films at the West Chester film festival. Who is more jealous? Not really either of us. How long did it take to get serious? We were together most every day from the beginning. We moved in together after two years. Who eats more? At meals we usually eat about the same or I might eat a little more at lunch. He snacks more during the workday. Who does the laundry? He is fabulously the leader when it comes to laundry. I do some, but he does the vast majority of it. I take the lead in the kitchen. Who’s better with the computer? He's better with most everything on the computer, but I am the PowerPoint queen and take charge of our photos. Who drives when you are together? Usually he drives unless I'm picking him up from work on the way somewhere downtown. (Comment on this)
Wednesday, February 18th, 2009
1:14 pm	overdue Long overdue for a bit of an update. I made it back from my Florida business trip Friday, to be met on the train platform by the wonderful meekay , a bouquet of roses in hand. Aw, it was so good to be home I can't even begin to tell you. For Valentine's, we couldn't find a reservation at a time/place we wanted for dinner, so we ended up going for a delicious brunch at one of my favorite spots, FARMiCiA, instead. Then we made a nice dinner, trying out some new recipes that night. Mustard BBQ salmon stuffed with spinach, potatoes, etc. and topped with a tomato-green onion sauce. And made the awesome cabernet spiced chocolate molten cakes. Holy CRAP that recipe is now one of my all-time favorites. I did manage to make it to the gym on Monday and we did a bunch of errands, some work and some house stuff through the weekend. And lots of trying to figure out how to be a little calmer and happier somehow too. Still working on that one. I'm wildly behind on Oscar-nominated flicks, so Monday I watched Man on Wire and went to (finally!) see Slumdog Millionaire (wow!). Tonight going to the Bourse to see the live-action Osar-nominated shorts. I'd love to stay for the animated ones afterwards, but think I really should catch up on some sleep instead (see also calmer, happier above). (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Monday, February 9th, 2009
5:46 pm	Things have been a bit crazed to say the least. Work is so completely flat-out at the moment that my boss and I had a talk Friday and decided I'd drop the class I'm in. It's a short online course, but I just had so much stress, so much work and so little time to do it all, something had to give. After talking with the school, they've offered me the chance to just turn everything in late, at a time of my choosing, instead, so I will probably take them up on that and just delay the class that starts next week til July. Dropping the course and working late Friday night gave me the time to go be with the family at Hopkins for Grandma's surgery. She got fluid around her lungs and heart again, so they had to do a permanent solution. Was really good to be there for that and to see everybody. Have been feeling a bit isolated from the fam during all the stuff she's been going through. Right now I'm in Florida for meetings, typing this as I listen to the wind blowing through the palm trees outside my room. Here til Friday, then home for a long valentine's/president's day weekend with meekay. (4 Comments |Comment on this)
Sunday, February 1st, 2009
10:20 pm	Finally Our pics from Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon. (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Tuesday, January 27th, 2009
10:43 am	25 things 1. I'm approaching my 8-year anniversary of moving to Philly. 2. I'm also approaching my 8-year anniversary of having my apartment burn down. 3. My first job was running a Baskin-Robbins. 4. My second job was in mission planning for the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite at NASA 5. That was waaaay better than managing an ice cream shop. 6. My first major was computer science as tuition assistance required a job-related field. 7. The major I finally graduated with a BA in was business communications. 8. I graduated summa cum laude. 9. I once worked two full-time jobs in two different cities (not recommended). 10. I have one sister and no brothers. 11. I finally have something I always wanted...a punching bag! 12. This icon is a photo of a painting I made...my own version of Picasso's Le Reve. 13. She's nicknamed penis-head woman who's maybe masturbating. 14. I'm watching more TV now that we have a DVR and so many shows are available to stream for free. 15. When I was a kid, I wanted to be the first woman to win the Indy 500. I was so disappointed in Janet Guthrie for not finishing the race in 77 (though she did the next year). 16. I've had most of my teaching on feminism from men. 17. I like school, but I'm not really motivated to pursue any long-term educational goals after my bachelor's took so long to complete. Shorter term stuff is fine. 18. I had an honest-to-goodness sweet 16 party. 19. My first date was to see the (wretched) Sylvester Stallone movie, Over the Top. 20. I used to volunteer in the ER at Children's Hospital in DC. 21. I once witnessed a baby being born. Wow. 22. I did a tandem skydive once and, thanks to my knees, that's my one and only dive. 23. I still have three grandparents and one step-grandparent. 24. I have a serious case of the travel bug but there is a real difference between business travel and fun travel. 25. I'm now in my 4th job at the company I moved to PA for. (Comment on this)
Tuesday, January 20th, 2009
10:33 pm	wow So I was going to post about Vegas and the complete breathtakingness of seeing the Grand Canyon for the first time. But there's even more breathtakingness from today. I still feel a little like pinching myself that it really happened and that he really is in office. Amazing. What a speech. What a movement. Now it's up to the whole lot of us to find some ways to kick our own asses into gear and live up to what we really can do if we try. I hope to hell we're up to it. (Comment on this)