Binkomonster!

You Should Take Some Pictures of the Veggies...

Uh. Ok.
This is my best modeling impression. With said fresh vegetable. Well, leafy thing anyway. And of course the glass of wine. The sweater? Courtesy of Marina Rinaldi. Shirt? Eileen Fisher. Skin? Water when I remember to hydrate. Creme Ancienne by Sugar, and the occasional facial. Wine? Binkomonster Syrah (2005). Bags under the eyes? Heh. Oh, that would be 'tha man', and well, life.
Need to go put that glass of wine away. In my digestive tract. And search for some food to go with it. The CEO is making some lovely Bolognese, so that should fit the bill. Another 24 and the weekend will be here. With promises of having some steak on the deck (and smores), and good company with debriefing on recent vacations. Another reprieve from the anxiety. Another block where I get to put the never-ending stream of overhead, and red-tape, and to do on the shelf. And just simmer in home life and friends.
Happy Thursday internets.

On the Deck. Really.

Yep. 3 day weekend, and finally, on the last day, Im on the deck in the morning, with a cup of tea, and the sun shining on my feet. Those them there plants? Yea they aren't dead yet. Hee. No in fact they are growing quite nicely. It's a little on the cool side this morning, but quite comfortable. Taking the opportunity to relax before what we know will be another killer week. Yesterday, finally able to get the castle SCRUBBED clean from top to bottom. Laundry is done. Veepee's quarters are organized. We are set until the new desk comes and we have more upheaval. And today? Cooking at home, going to checkout a new park, and then of course, doing some work later tonight. The castle cleaning was certainly theraputic on a number of levels. The OCD itch got scratched, but more importantly? It allowed a chance to think and reason through all of the anxiety being felt about the new gig for 'tha man'. The anxiety continued this morning of course. For some reason, just reading through email seems to set it off. Don't know why. The formula for success is still the same (boil it down to simplest parts, fix it, make everyone see). Yet for the first time in a long time... there is nervousness. There is the feeling of 'gosh, do I have to do this all myself'? There is the 'oh man, gotta get this done in the next 5 days, YIKES'. And really? These are all self-induced. No one is waiting with a checklist in hand to see it all done by Friday. Well, except maybe for the peer set (but that's another challenge). Maybe it's the fact that the new gig is going to eat away at Binkomonster time, which is more precious than gold, diamonds or platinum these days. The VeePee is picking up new skill sets faster than the blink of an eye, and the desire is strong to not want to miss one microsecond. Ahh the tug. Isn't this what the 'Mommy Wars' are all about? And yet, it is important to skirt the literature and not pay attention. Once you get sucked in, the opposing points of view do nothing more than to create more consternation and confusion, which is not something that is needed right now. Clarity. As much of it as possible. Funny, the thought was 'if we could bottle clarity and sell it, think of the riches!' Yet, in some sense, is that not what 'consultants' and CEOs do? Consultants, Life Coaches, Lifestyle Organizers... this is what they are all shilling no? Decluttering your life, getting down to simplest pieces, and getting to the 'answer'. All for $n dollars an hour. Hmmm.
Last night? Made 4 different (very small) martinis for the CEO.
1. Candy Apple Martini
2. The Can Can Martini
3. Regular Martini
4. Um... don't remember now, some kind of fruity martini..
Numbers 1 and 2 were a big hit. (and that's probably because actual other bottles of liquor were pulled off the shelf to make them... some St. Germain, a bit of Chambord...)
We'll have to do some more experimentation next week. Like say, with some rum (been craving Pina Colada's and Mai Tai's for some reason lately... probably so that we can use those awesome Shag Tiki mugs which are collecting dust).
But for tonight, a nice mellow Chardonnay should do the trick.
And a few chapters of Umberto Eco.
Happy Monday.

Little Man. Big Cute.

Oh Mr. Veepee. This week now marks your 10 month anniversary in office. Yippee! Just when we think  you can't get any cuter. You do. Those teeth. That laugh. Those edible toes and feet. That killer smile that could melt rocks. Sigh. Our collective hearts ache with love. You have been 'bizzy' this past month. You zoom around in your little spaceship practicing this thing called 'walking'. And when you are let off the tether, you crawl, and pull yourself up on anything you can. You like to bang on things. And the CTO is noticing you have a disturbing tendancy to gravitate towards toys that are more like tools (i.e. hammer). You like to take those toys and use them on household items. Like the B+B glass cabinet. Um. No. And the fascination with wires? Oh please, just let it go. Its just electricity in a copper and rubber conduit. Not tasty. Not interesting. You take as much joy in the little laser toy meant for the furry staff as they do. Funny how a play session turns into an attempt to nab the small point of light and avoid being run over by you at the same time. You keep it interesting. Spring is here, and summer is slowing approaching us. Soon it will be time for you to take to the skies and visit the corporate offices on the East Coast. Some very important meetings are all lined up for you. You know it's important that you check on how things are going, and offer encouragement to the enterprise in these crazy times. Hee. In the meantime, the CTO/CEO are digging in their heels and trying to keep it all on an even keel. We do better some days than others. Always trying to keep it all in perspective and, as they say, count and savor our blessings. The castle is quiet of late. No renovations or improvements (well, except of course if you count the Laundromat disaster, but that wasn't planned for so in our books, it doesn't count). We do have a new desk on the way for your room. One that is of course, modern, Italian, fits in with your decor, and most importantly, takes LESS space. But other than that, the digs seem to be holding up pretty darn well.
Happy Saturday little guy. Stay happy. Keep curious.

Those things on my feet

Well, sitting in the office, Im not wearing shoes. BUT when I do (after I make a choice from the number of shoe closets)... they say
'practical, but sparkly, but understated, but wow'. And if I put the 3 inch Manolo's with pearls and rhinestones on? They basically say 'BRING IT'.

Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch-Chaaangez.

Turn and face the strange chaaanges...eh. Yes, Mr. Bowie certainly got that one right. Funny how those lyrics seem to stand and persevere through time. Anyhoo. Changes of all kinds at the Binkomonster homestead. The short of it?
1. Our CTO is now off and searching actively for his next big adventure having been removed of his shackles to 'tha man'.
2. The Veepee passed the 10 month mark in office. And is marking the occasion by growing more teeth. Yes, up to 4 now. And he knows how to use them. 
3. We are updating the VeePees office with a new and more streamlined workspace. Which of course is going to take 16 weeks to get here because we've chosen something from (where else?) Italy. Sigh. As they say, good things come to those who wait. And as Inigo said (in the Princess Bride) "I hate waiting".
The long of it?
The LG washer and dryer FINALLY got replaced. And LG? Let us tell you something collectively. Your products STINK. Actually, they do worse than that. But we don't want to offend our more sensitive readers. From the dryer that left black 'skid marks' on our nice sheets, to the mold in the washer that would NEVER GO AWAY (yep, tried clorox, tilex, everything toxic you could possibly think of), your products just... ugh. Words fail us, and the heartburn takes over.  The plan was to replace the existing crud with a Miele set, but unfortunately, Miele still thinks the economy is going well and people have 3000sq ft mansions to be able to accomodate side-by-side appliances. Newsflash? Smaller is better, and it is becoming more the norm now. Stackables Miele, stackables. Hence, we were then faced with having to with the Electrolux Wavetouch. Which is now installed and setup correctly. For good. The bad news? The leak we had been living with got much worse. Causing small floods in the Binkomonster building (not good). So that had to be repaired (along with the not so good install job done by the delivery service). Well, after waaaaaay too much moolah. Its all fixed. Valves replaced. New box junction. New pipes. Floor cleaned. Wall taped up. And most importantly? No leak, and a washer that functions with no mold, and a dryer that doesnt leave mysterious stains on our clothing or bedding. That part feels very good. The other part (what it took to get there), does not. One weekend of strong cocktails should help us get over it. In the meantime, the flurry of activity for 'tha other man' (the one holding the shackles to the CTO's wrists) is starting to subside, but another roller coaster push is coming. So time to grab a nap, get the busy paperwork stuff done, and prepare for that next wave. All we want this weekend? (Which will mark the first Mother's Day for our CTO) Sleep. Sleep and a good breakfast. And maybe some time on the beach.