w10.10.2002
		two weeks gone since my last post, and what can i say. i've been home since the 28th, and enjoying that immensely--thus the not posting. we've been making small steps with the apartment, and that's good. the air has been changing, and i find myself being very domestic in these cooler months--mostly cooking, which i love. to me, there is something perfect to being over a stove making marinara sauce. on monday i turned 30, which wasn't nearly as bad as i'd thought. my husband treated me like a princess, which was wonderful. and then, monday night my doorbell rang and i answered it to find my mom, who'd driven 6 hours to celebrate with me! that was such a treat. tuesday night we continued the theme of enjoyment, dining at brandt's and staying to hear the erin bode group. it was such fun--i say, if you can listen to a jazz trio and have martinis with your mom and partner anytime soon, you should try it. the very best part of everything right now is that i am home until november 2. this means a month of home! and it is the best birthday present i could've gotten. i am also hoping to give this thing a face lift, and may actually have time to do that this month. stay tuned? posted by rachel b at 6:34:50 PM

		w9.24.2002
		it's been a beautiful couple of days here in the southern tier. the sky's been blue, and there are twinges of color on the leaves. however, it's only tuesday, and i'm already homesick. funny how much quicker this happens nowadays. posted by rachel b at 8:28:01 PM

		w9.22.2002
		ok, i'm going to rant a tiny bit, and then i will say something positive, so there will be point to continuing to read this post. i am a business traveller. this means i am one of the thousands of people who have stayed on the road past the terrorist attacks last year. i have continued flying on planes--many, many planes--since last fall. i have continued to stay in hotels, and rent cars in cities other than my home. i have been thanked for this by banners hanging in airports "thank you for travelling", by notes in hotel rooms "thank you for staying with us", and by being screened meticulously every time i go though security. i have gotten used to this--in fact, because i was always asked to take off my shoes, i started wearing clogs. i also stopped wearing barrettes in my hair, and i stopped wearing earrings or bracelets when i was traveling. and even though i did all this, i was still given mucho attitude by the security folks. case in point, and the one which continues to bother me: i am being searched, and i can no longer see my purse on the security conveyor. i say, "i can't see my purse, could we check to make sure it is there? i am travelling alone." she says "don't get hysterical, nothing will happen to your bags." i bite my tongue not to say " i can SHOW you hysterical if you want, and that was not it.", but remain calm long enough to get through the next minute, and then confirm that my stuff was there. that spoiled me for months, and i had a very bad attitude about going through the checkpoints--and avoided certain workers, the ones with the most attitude. BUT, the reason i am telling you all this, is to say that this morning i witnessed what the federal control of security screeners has done. i was searched, but this time, the screener told me we'd wait until all my belongings were through the belt. she gathered my things for me, and said "we'll need to keep an eye on these, so we'll put them right here." she was not rough when wanding my legs, she was not impatient while i untied my sneakers, and she explained with a smile that it must have been my barrette that set the beeper off. and then i smiled because even though i'd forgotten two things that i usually made sure to remember, it was not a horrible experience. she acted human and gracious towards me, and i did not think about saying rude things to her. that was a great thank you for traveling. posted by rachel b at 9:00:51 AM

		w9.21.2002
		it's been awhile since i was around. i've been working, visiting my family, back home, working some more, and tonight i'm getting ready to leave again-- hating that, actually. tomorrow i am off to new york, and won't be back until the 28th. but then, and this is the best part, i will be home for four weeks! ! ! i was once asked what my idea of a perfect saturday night is. (when we were all getting to know each other at work, we had questionnaires) well, my answer was cooking, making puttanesca sauce, and a bottle of red wine. and tonight k and i are having a perfect saturday night. i love my husband. posted by rachel b at 7:30:19 PM

		w9.13.2002
		TGIF is all i have to say today. posted by rachel b at 1:19:36 PM

		w9.9.2002
		ok, enough whining. so i was sick, but have visited the GP and the chiropractor and am back on track for now. i did have a decent respite at home. lots of staying in--watching movies, cooking with my husband, puttering around the house. i'm good at doing that stuff. tomorrow it's back on the plane, but i will get to see my family, which is great, and i will be back on sunday, also good. i have too many friends who do not live where i live. this frustrates me, and makes me dream of getaways. isn't that silly? me, who is always complaining about not being home enough? grass, you are always greener. i've been listening to good things lately; we've been blessed with good releases in the last few months. beth orton's new cd has kept me company, and bryan ferry never lets me down. do you floss? you should if you don't. i have flossed, now i've posted, and now it's time for bed. guten nacht. posted by rachel b at 11:16:47 PM

		w9.8.2002
		i was so optimistic. but i did not have a healthy and productive week, rather a sick and still sick week. blech. posted by rachel b at 5:03:37 PM