I've been reading everything I can by Susan Vreeland, a novelist who focuses on historic stories about artists and their art. They're awesome. I really feel like I want to own them and re-read and re-read. Her characters are so very real, so true to life, and there are beautifully-expressed bits of wisdom sprinkled through the books as her characters think about the challenges in their lives and how they face them.
See Susan Vreeland's website.
I've read Luncheon of the Boating Party, about a painting by Renoir, Girl in Hyacinth Blue, about a newly-discovered Vermeer (fictional painting), The Passion of Artemisia, my favorite so far, about the now-famous woman painter who was a contemporary of Caravaggio and taught by her father, Orazio Gentileschi.
Highly recommended!
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Friday, May 13, 2011
Thursday, May 12, 2011
Traveling to Sacramento
Benji and I had our first trip for the new job, to Sacramento the week of the 24th. We go again Sunday through Friday and again the week of the 31st and then the week of June 20. We're loving it!
Pics from the trip.
Benji did extremely well. He actually really enjoyed every bit of it except for being in the crate on the plane, when he whined about three little whimpers, then accepted it, begrudgingly. He loved the Phoenix airport - they're very pet friendly there. Dogs can be on leash anywhere on the premises, in the terminal, etc, so it made a big difference to him not having to be in the crate so long. On the trip back he completely remembered the place and the excitement and energy of it and he jumped on and off the escalator, through the automatic doors, on and off the shuttle bus with no problems. Sis Chris reminded me that he could get caught or injured on the escalator so I'll have to teach him to pause and jump into my arms for that.
He loved the hotel, loved visiting people in the main areas, loved walking with me in the office park which was full of huge trees and green grass. He never had an accident, never chewed anything he shouldn't chew! I am so proud of him! He was a little uneasy when I left the hotel at first, but I always promised I'd come back, and I'd come in and find him on the desk chair that I'd most recently vacated, or once even on top of my suitcase that was on the stand. He's a honey and he made me so much less lonely. This time we'll be at a Residence Inn, which I think will be even better: full kitchen, indoor pool for my aqua aerobics routine, lockers to leave things in until next visit so I don't have to carry as much.
I've also arranged for Sutter to have a laptop on site that I can VPN to, so I don't have to carry one back and forth. I now have a Symphony laptop that I'm using at home for work, so I'll VPN from that one to the Sutter one, and use the Sutter one only when in Sacramento at Sutter or the hotel. Nice.
So far the work has been light and I'm missing the bigger challenges a little bit. For now, it's great though, while I get acclimated and set up.
There are so many details about flight arrangements, acceptable size of crate for Benji, frequent flier programs, frequent stayer (hotel) programs, car rentals, etc! Also new benefits programs, rolling over funds from old 401k plan, etc etc etc.
Work on the house has stalled, which is really miserable because it's a wreck since we tore up the carpet in the main room. Looks like hell. But...that will come. Symphony pays monthly, so I've not even seen the first paycheck yet to know what I'm working with. And there's a bit of debt to catch up on before starting house work. Can't wait to get new floors, though!
Benji did extremely well. He actually really enjoyed every bit of it except for being in the crate on the plane, when he whined about three little whimpers, then accepted it, begrudgingly. He loved the Phoenix airport - they're very pet friendly there. Dogs can be on leash anywhere on the premises, in the terminal, etc, so it made a big difference to him not having to be in the crate so long. On the trip back he completely remembered the place and the excitement and energy of it and he jumped on and off the escalator, through the automatic doors, on and off the shuttle bus with no problems. Sis Chris reminded me that he could get caught or injured on the escalator so I'll have to teach him to pause and jump into my arms for that.
He loved the hotel, loved visiting people in the main areas, loved walking with me in the office park which was full of huge trees and green grass. He never had an accident, never chewed anything he shouldn't chew! I am so proud of him! He was a little uneasy when I left the hotel at first, but I always promised I'd come back, and I'd come in and find him on the desk chair that I'd most recently vacated, or once even on top of my suitcase that was on the stand. He's a honey and he made me so much less lonely. This time we'll be at a Residence Inn, which I think will be even better: full kitchen, indoor pool for my aqua aerobics routine, lockers to leave things in until next visit so I don't have to carry as much.
I've also arranged for Sutter to have a laptop on site that I can VPN to, so I don't have to carry one back and forth. I now have a Symphony laptop that I'm using at home for work, so I'll VPN from that one to the Sutter one, and use the Sutter one only when in Sacramento at Sutter or the hotel. Nice.
So far the work has been light and I'm missing the bigger challenges a little bit. For now, it's great though, while I get acclimated and set up.
There are so many details about flight arrangements, acceptable size of crate for Benji, frequent flier programs, frequent stayer (hotel) programs, car rentals, etc! Also new benefits programs, rolling over funds from old 401k plan, etc etc etc.
Work on the house has stalled, which is really miserable because it's a wreck since we tore up the carpet in the main room. Looks like hell. But...that will come. Symphony pays monthly, so I've not even seen the first paycheck yet to know what I'm working with. And there's a bit of debt to catch up on before starting house work. Can't wait to get new floors, though!
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