Fact: the first day back to work after a vacation is the worst

Waking up early.  Ironing.  Commuting.  Tackling that inbox.  It can best be described like this:

We just got back from a great long weekend in Philadelphia visiting friends for the 4th of July.  Such a fun weekend, and while it's nice to sleep in my own bed... I was sad returning to work.

Nostalgia/Pretty Things: Carole King's Tapestry

"You've got to get up every morning with a smile on your face and show the world all the love in your heart."


Don't you love re-discovering an old record or CD that you haven't listened to in years, and then falling in love with it all over again?  I did it a few months ago with No Doubt's Tragic Kingdom and this week had a similar experience with Carole King's Tapestry.

At work this week I'm helping with a project that involves a lot of mindless data entry, so I've been catching up on podcasts and listening to a lot of music.  And after seeing that scene at the Tony's from the new musical about Carole King I decided to dip back into Tapestry.  My neighbor gave it to me in high school -- in record form, to boot! -- and I don't think I've heard it in about ten years in its entirety, so it was nice to dip back into it.

Ever since, I've been replaying Beautiful nonstop.  Have you rediscovered an album recently?

Pretty things: the neighbor's garden

On my walk to work, I passed this pretty flower.  I would love a garden of them.

Also, did not know this, but apparently it's in the onion family?  A friend of mine told me that when she saw this picture.

Facts: Making a summer list

When we were little, we always had to write a list of fun summer things to do on our summer vacations, and more often than not, we'd successfully do most if not all of them.

The lists were realistic -- no one wrote "Disney World and Space Camp!", for example -- and filled our three months with day trips of ice cream, Maine, mini golf, and fun.  Then we got older and summer jobs got in the way of lists.

This summer, my husband Ricky and I decided to make a summer list.  We made a Christmas season list as well, but the summer list seemed more fun.  Our lists are small, since we both have full time jobs, but still filled with fun weekends and excursions.  They are:

Ricky's List:
1.  Go to Newport, RI
2.  Go to the bird sanctuary
3.  Host a housewarming
4.  Introduce people to the Salem Willows

My list:
1.  Make ice cream
2.  Ride bikes to Marblehead
3.  Go the Kimball's and play mini golf
4.  See Shakespeare in the Common

They may grow but for now these are good starts.  I've already made a lot of ice cream, but my goal is to make a fun summer flavor.  Kimball's is a childhood memory and treat, since my family grew up in Westford, but I want to go back again and enjoy it.

When we check anything off of our list, I'll report back.

Pretty things: Life's like a movie, write your own ending

24 years ago today we lost Jim Henson.  I read his biography over the winter, and at the end of it grew to appreciate him more as a person and and artist by the end of it.  He was a workaholic, but because he loved what he did and wanted to further create and inspire others.  I highly recommend the biography.

I also recommend watching something Jim Henson created today.  And reading his biography.

Pretty things: flowers on my way to work

On my walk to work in the morning last week, I spotted these beautiful tulips.  It was a nice thing to see before heading inside for a long day of work.

Nostalgia: commencement

My job is nearing the end of 9 months of commencement planning.  It's been a very hectic and stressful few weeks of little sleep, lots of work, and even more running around.  It'll go well and be memorable, but right now we're in the crazy phase.

I've been speaking with graduates, and their emotions are all over the map.  Stressed.  Overwhelmed.  Mentally checked out.  Happy.  Relieved.  Joyous.  Blessed.  Accomplished.  Everything.  I've been checking into the hashtag we've set up to share commencement memories, and it's quite happy and moving to see the photos and memories students are sharing.

Eight years ago I was getting ready to commence with the rest of my life.  The whole week leading up to that Friday morning was filled with events for the graduates, from mimosa brunches, to harbor cruises.  Convocations I signed for.  Golf tournaments I avoided.  It was very fun and filled with memories and events.

The night before my commencement, my mom and aunt came out to be at my senior banquet.  I hung out with my roommates afterwards and we cleaned up our living room wall display of food boxes we had collected over the year, ceremoniously posing with our favorite boxes and taking the first box off last.  I remember we had to pay to get the wall repainted and spackled, but it was worth it.

Afterwards, I headed down the hall to hang out with our neighbors.  One friend was infamously trying to hook up with a girl who we later found out had never kissed a guy before, while another was scheming what to do an Admissions sign he had stolen earlier in the year and proudly displayed in his room all year.  It was determined that home plate of the baseball field was the best place to put this sign.  We all hung out and chatted long into the night, the last time we'd be able to do this for awhile since we had to be out of our dorms by 6pm the following day.

The following morning my roommates and I got dressed in our academic robes together.  I remember it felt very surreal and final, that this was the last time we'd be doing this.  We had spent many mornings getting ready for classes, our schedules different, but today we were all together.  One roommate's (thankfully) now ex-boyfriend stopped by at one point as well.  Another one went on a Dunks run with other friends (this was New England, after all).  Then we all headed down the hill to the track house to line up.

I knew a surprising amount of people in my area of lining up, but it was a small school, so this shouldn't be a surprise.  I barely remember the ceremony.  I do remember seeing my academic advisors as I got off the stage.  And then I met up with various family members for the reception and trying to fill all of our cars with my things.

And that's it.

Commencement, for me, is up there with key dates in my life, like my wedding, the first day of my first job, adopting my cat.  It's a surreal week for sure, and I tell all the students I see to soak it up and try to enjoy as much of it as possible.  It's a big day in their lives for sure.