Midweek meanderings 10/19

Tired, stuffy nose, runny nose (simultaneously, no less) and generally achy. The cold isn't bad enough to stay home, but isn't making things any easier. So a meandering, no-real-sense-to-it post to at least clear out the brain lint.

It sucks, part one: During the week off to move, I made the special trip to the hardware store to get vacuum cleaner bags. Through no fault of my own (Dear Dirt Devil, why are there two "C" type bags?) I bought the wrong ones - didn't discover it for almost two weeks. Back to the hardware store tonight.

It sucks, part two: Thanks to the lovely Mir and her discount shopping site, Want Not, I scored a refurbished Dyson DC25 for just about half regular retail. And it is purple, which makes me happy. It will not, alas, be here in time to keep me from visiting the hardware store. The plan is to keep the old Dirt Devil upstairs, while using the other downstairs and on the steps.

We have to stop meeting like this: I met another neighbor down in the parking garage last night. This would be the fourth of the other seven condo owners I've met in the dark garage. Time to set a date for the dessert night I've promised all of them - a chance for us all to chat in comfort (and better light).

Let me entertain you: Things always seem simpler in my mind than they turn out to be in reality. Part of the joy of God providing this condo for me is the ability to open it up to others. In my head, the idea of having people over on a regular basis sounded great. At least until I realized last night that in the space of a month, I am having or have had one friend over for coffee, four card-playing buddies in for dinner and cards, seven strangers/neighbors for a dessert night and a bunch of strangers/university students to the place for a "dinner for twelve (or, in my case, seven) strangers" my work periodically puts on.

And did I mention I'll be out of town for work for four days in the middle of all that?

Eh. One of the myths of entertaining is that everything has to be "perfect" before you can have guests enjoy your home and company. The fastest way to get to know people on a deeper level is to be vulnerable, and being willing to invite them into your less-than-showroom-perfect home is a start.

Big Easy, redux: New Orleans is once again the location of my annual work conference. No vacation time this year, though, so my opportunities for sight seeing are limited. One goal for this year is to actually get to Cafe Du Monde, probably early in the morning (they are open 24 hours a day, a help when you have a strange conference/travel schedule). I'm still working on the tin of their coffee with chicory that prompted TSA to search my bag last year. A return to Snug Harbor is possible; Wednesday nights are Big Band nights. The Flea Market opens at 7 a.m. - another boon when you have to be at a conference that starts at noon.

Then again, I just might use what free time I have to sleep.