Rissy in Action

Advice to the coffee shop employees everywhere: If someone (say, me) is unable to verbalize their order while standing before you at 8:58am holding a thermos and looking at you beseechingly, offering caffeinated coffee is always a good bet.

In other news, my trip back east was mostly good (I'll probably post over the weekend on that when I have more rumination time), though frantic as all get out, and now work promises much of the same over the next two-three weeks.

I was in Sacramento earlier this week for the state's annual affordable housing geek conference. It was a good opportunity to see folks, reflect on issues and trends, and learn more from my peers. Some of the workshops were mainly rehashing stuff I already know, but others were full of new/differently framed stuff.

( stories )

( more geekery )

In closing, Sac'to is apparently one of the worst areas in the nation for allergy sufferers right now, and after a relatively light allergy season (I've been incredibly lucky for me so far this spring), I've basically been miserable with allergies since Tuesday evening. I'm taking suggestions for ridding myself of the leaking nose, pounding sinus headache, and general logginess.

I have tried, in no particular order: benadryl, nasal spray, clarinex, showers, hot liquids (showers, tea, soup), nyquil, vapo-rub, and spicy foods. At this point, I'm willing to try anything short of Nickykaa's scorched earth cayenne-to-the-nostrils treatment to the ends of not feeling like I've recently been punched in the nose, and leaking my brains out of the same orifice. Suggestions?

Overheard at the Downtown Oakland YMCA: "Y'know, the key to longevity... is not to die." Maybe it was just something about the delivery, but spontaneous chuckling broke out all around.

So I was sick again last week, belying my best intentions from my last post, but this week is pretty good, except for the minor panic attacks I've been having about my upcoming third kyu test. The sickness has not done wonders for my ability to train in the last month or so, and as the excellent 3rd kyu testers from this weekend's testing binge observed, there's a heck of a bunch of stuff on this here test. Having Bobsquatch around helps though; I can do stuff like panickedly ask him "What's going on with 16-17 again?," and after first wondering why I want to know about the early 17th century at 9:30pm on a Monday, he helps me get through those moves on the weapons (excuse me: wooden training sticks) kata.

Work is also pretty good, but I think that's the stuff of a flocked post. Suffice to say: affordable housing is getting built, and we are inches away from officially selling a shopping center we've been trying to sell since 1997 (I've only been involved since mid-2003, so I'm feeling good about taking some of the credit for helping move this along at what is relatively breakneck speed).

And, we get a visit from our dear friend Hell next weekend (for those of you who are local, this means you get to ask her embarrassing questions about our high school days)! Friday and Saturday are thus likely to be chock full of fun, and I think we might be able to talk her punky self into getting on the (aikido) mat for the beginner class on Sunday.