a peek inside the fishbowl

Here’s my unpacking technique: I grab a box, any box.

Many of you suggested I start in the kitchen, but the fact is that pretty much EVERYTHING needs to be unpacked at the same time. Oh sure, there are priorities, but there is something urgent needed in every single room whether it’s the kitchen, the bathroom, or a bedroom. There was a guy installing a shelf in my closet this morning and I couldn’t find the dustpan. I am still looking for hangers and dishtowels and hand soap, and a thousand other items that we need RIGHT NOW.

Every once in awhile I come across a surprise. For example, yesterday I tore into a box labelled LR-MISC and my hand wrapped around something large and awkward. It was heavier than I had expected too. As I unsheathed it from many layers of packing paper I wondered, what on earth is THIS THING. LO and behold it was my…

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Mark and I are spending the day packing, and generally freaking out about all the things we need to do before we move back into our house TOMORROW.

Tomorrow, just for kicks (and much to Mark’s dismay I’m sure), I will be liveblogging the big day uploading pics to my Flickr set every hour on the hour (but not adding to the blog because I have my doubts that we’ll have an Internet connection)…  so do check it tomorrow, or follow #FishbowlReno on Twitter. Here we gooooo!

Ah, Toronto. It’s been too long.

I’m writing this in my hotel room, overlooking a jumble of condos stabbing the sky and slashes of train tracks lain on the ground.

Yesterday I left the house with a suitcase full of clothing and a knot of frazzled nerves. My destination: Toronto. I drove away with nothing but the hum of the car and the occasional reminder emanating from my trusty GPS (“Stay on the current road for 234 kilometres.”) to keep me company. And as I drove, the knot loosened.

There is something incredibly restorative about Alone Time, isn’t there? And even though I work from home all day long (technically, I am alone while I’m doing it too), it isn’t quite the same thing as A Very Long Drive.

It started to rain as I got closer to the city, and it got dark quicker than I had expected. The lines that seemingly divide the DVP into a Mario-style race track were blurred and nearly invisible. I was glad to arrive when I did. But sadly, and most pathetically, I got lost in a parking garage. It’s kinda funny now that I think about it, but all kidding aside, parking garages are one of my least favourite places to be AT THE BEST OF TIMES. Ahem. Perhaps I will share this story some day. :)

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I had a good night’s sleep here at the Renaissance last night – first one in weeks – and woke up ready to take on the day which I spent mingling, chatting, learning, drinking too much coffee and just BEING at the She’s Connected Conference. This is a big blogging conference (for those of you who aren’t in the know), one of two going on in the city at the same time. I am sad about this division, because I have friends on both sides and I feel like I am in the middle. Regardless, I had some amazing conversations today and I look forward to more of them tomorrow.

I’m hosting a session in the morning, and, as always, I am looking forward to sharing my knowledge with a keen group of women. But for now, I am happy that I opted for a quiet evening of take-out sushi (consumed smack dab in the middle of my heavenly king-sized bed) instead of conference parties and dinners out. I know I’m missing out, but sometimes you need to create your own personal recharge station, you know?