Sorry about the silence

To those loved ones out there who have sent me emails and such, sorry I've been silent. Not on purpose - this last week has been a doozy. For starters I had an ear infection I had to deal with. We're talking swelling that made me look like a lopsided Ferengi. Kidding, but I couldn't hear out of that ear. Then I had my final exam. Then another doctor's appointment (regular maintenance type). Then my job has exploded with work. Fortunately, I got antibiotics for the ear and it's recovering; I aced the exam & the class (yeah!) & the abundance of work means I'll be employed for at least the next few months.

So all's well that ends well - and I'm going to start returning emails. Last night Jeff & I got together with a gym friend and her new beau for dinner. We've been trying to be social with her for a while & I'm so glad we finally got things together. Also, tried a recent addition to the Clarendon restaurant scene - Sette Bello - and the consensus of four is that it was way overpriced for the food quality and service. They ran out of olives & glasses (no kidding) for our martinis.* I mean, come on. We're not going to give the restaurant a second chance. But - good to try new things anyway.

Coming up: Mom's part 3 of Ten Days in Israel. Right now, though, I must go work out.

Update: Oh, forgot to mention, I decided to pay off my current school loans in one fell-swoop. It's a large commitment of cash, but with my job ending possibly before the end of the year, better to be completely solvent than having that hanging over my head. Of course this is a temporary condition as I'm planning (tentatively) to start back at school full-time Fall '07. I feel good about getting rid of any debt, but I dread having to be back in the market for a job. Might go the consulting route since that's more flexible & "clients" don't generally want a long term commitment, so I don't have to lie. Never easy, is it?

* Clarification: it's not out of the question to expect a restaurant that charges $20 an entree to stock more than two glasses of a certain variety. Our favorite tiny & modestly priced Thai restaurant has no problem with this concept.