Looks like Judgment Day, Rapture, whatever you want to call it didn’t happen after all.  Everything’s still on, everyone!  Hope you didn’t cancel your Sunday plans.

Ha.  Well, I knew if our time was up yesterday, at least I got to sneak in one more birthday and celebrations to go out with a bang. 

Yep, May 19 is a special day, hence this Blog’s name.  And when it comes to celebrating my birthday, the window between the actual day and Memorial Day is fair game.  This year it was a typical day at work, but as I was driving to the office Thursday I remembered that it was also my start date anniversary in this engagement!  After that long, dry spell with no work plus delays pinning down the start date, it finally happened.  While I try to keep looking forward and not dwell on past negatives, I’ll admit that whole episode still is a little scabbed over and not healed.  OK, that sounds gross.  Let’s go with that there’s a scar.  And this engagement – a year and change so far – has been my longest since I pulled the plug on more steady type work and went into contracting/consulting.  I’ll be around at least until the end of June and after that it’s a question mark whether I’ll be extended out further.  Time will tell.  Meanwhile I continue to tweak the ol’ resume. 

So it was a special day – the weather warmed up and I even got a couple of lingering tasks I had been struggling to get off my plate completed.  My co-worker L took me to lunch and we had a nice outdoor table…finally, some warmth!  And the consulting firm I’m currently with does a social event every month called Third Thursday, which is a fabulous way to network with others on our other engagements and just unwind and relax with the team.  Usually we gather at the office itself, but our CEO had a great last minute idea for us to meet up at a restaurant right on Lake Washington.  Nothing better than great drinks and munchies and laughing with a gorgeous view of the lake and the sunset as your backdrop.

T took me to dinner on Friday at Brix, a wine bar not far from my house which has a wonderful menu and atmosphere.  They’ve been around a few years now and it’s fun seeing how they’ve worked out the startup glitches.  We toasted with Lemon Drops (ahhh, hadn’t had one of those in awhile) and enjoyed a 3-cheese plate with flatbread crackers before our entrees arrived – I chose the pesto and chicken flatbread pizza (which means leftovers – YUM) and T the roasted chicken breast, beautifully plated with sauteed spinach, potato puree and mushrooms.

After a great Silpada training event yesterday afternoon – always so much fun seeing the girls and meeting new people – I met my folks for dinner at Wild Ginger.  This is a wonderful Asian Fusion restaurant and they’ve now got a suburban location in the Bravern.  Verah nice!  We picked a few satays (small plates) to get us started (sea scallops, a slice of flank steak with peanut sauce and chicken with green curry) and then we enjoyed a wonderful dinner – family style entrees to pass around – of seared ahi tuna, beef curry and a side dish of pea pods with shiitake and portobello mushrooms in a fabulous oyster sauce.  How can I be hungry again just writing about this?  The flavors are truly spectacular.  

Today starts and ends with hockey.  What better way to cap off a birthday weekend!  I’m watching the Canucks/Sharks playoff series with fingers and toes crossed.  The Canucks have not made it to the western conference finals in over 15 years but they’re here now and hungry.  Maybe, just maybe this is their time.  But I’ll keep it at that.  Don’t want to piss off the Hockey Gods.

And later today I’m running to the mall to exchange a couple of birthday gifts (cute stuff but sized a little too optimistically, ha) and then to the rink tonight for my own team’s game.  Love love love summer hockey!

So I’m trying to come to grips that I’m now – gasp – 44…and what the hell is it all about anyway?  I’m feeling inner tugs and pulls that while I’m very happy to be employed and all, I’m not fulfilled.  Not that a job should be one’s life fulfillment anyway, but I want to spend my time and energy on things that fuel my inner sparkle and passion.  Technology.  Writing.  Jewelry.  Hockey.  Fashion. How can I combine my eclectic interests and make a good living?

Ah, now that’s more fodder for future posts.  Stay tuned!