Links!

This dynamic template is the best ever. BUT I don't know how to customize it. It seems that I can't add my favorite blogs list which is a real shame. Let me work on that but I guess adding lists is not even an option.

Ok, I'm getting frustrated.
I'll change it.

This makes me cry

Great song, indeed. And nice video.

Nè vincitori né vinti
si esce sconfitti a metà

A Virtual Pinboard

Nice, I love it!

March-April and May

Lots of plans. I'm really looking forward to go to a spa with my best friend for at least 2-3 hours so that she can "forget" her lovely but demanding baby. I'm also looking forward going to the UK for an important event which will give me the chance to reconnect with colleagues & friends I really get along with. Last but not least, my Canadian friend J. will probably come to visit for 3-4 days with his family. It will be funny as my partner doesn't speak almost any English (or, he is too shy to articulate a sentence in English). My closest friends speak something that can be called "Italian English" with a weird accent: I'm sure J. won't understand them. I will have to speak & translate all the time. And oh yes, we're going to Barcelona in May. It's my favorite city and G. has never been there so I'm quite thrilled.

Done!

One paper is almost done. It's a big relief. I think we've done a good job but it's not for me to judge. It's been a productive week so far as I've worked at home where I do focus much more than at my work place  (sharing the office space is both good and bad). So I guess I can take one day off from writing :-) 

Working at home allows me to:

- have flexibility in terms of working hours. I work more BUT I start "late" (first thing I do in the morning when I'm at home is walking the dog) around 9:30-45 and finish when I am done with my job. If I am done at 1 p.m. I have lunch at 2 and then work again until I have finished (4? 5? 6? Doesn't matter). Which makes sense, right? I don't get why some people don't understand the importance of flexibility as far working hours are concerned. Some days I can write for 8 hours while others I have to stop after 3 hours because I have to do some research etc. I only have to meet the deadline, I can even work in the evenings or on Sundays. It doesn't make any difference as long as I meet all the deadlines. I know, though, that this doesn't apply to all jobs.

- spend more time with big boy ... I wish I spent more time with my partner too but he's been quite busy lately.

- cook more & eat what I really love instead of eating sandwiches and salads for 5 days in a row.

- workout when I want instead of when I can.

- spend quality time with my family.

- be more productive and relaxed.

So, it's all good!

Blog Prolific and Other Short Random/Stupid Thoughts

* Too bad I delated all my old posts. I want them back! 

* There are far too many titles in my kindle but I keep adding books. I haven't read this one yet and I haven't finished 1Q84. The latter is too long and complex, I need time & relax (read = not now!).

* Do you know Filippa Lagerback? I really like her style. Moreover, the template of her blog is the coolest ever. 

* Sometimes my contradictions are overwhelming but now that I'm getting familiar with them, life it's better. 

This is how it's meant to be

I'm back to my fitness regime and I feel incredibly well. I don't even put on weight anymore, even when I do Pilates only once a week (instead of 3 times) and change my diet for a couple of days. I guess it's because I am fit and I can miss one or two Pilates lessons now. My body has changed a lot lately. And so has my "mind", my overall attitude towards life. I may be sound boring but I guess I have found, after a whole life without knowing it, what makes me happy and balanced: movement! So, yes, I do like my job, especially now that I'm involved in very interesting projects, but spending hours in front of a computer writing, thinking and writing and thinking it's just not for me anymore. I can do it IF I train regularly. In the following months I have to plan this carefully, otherwise I'll end up doing more Pilates than writing and I simply can't given the amount of work I have to deal with. I'm also glad the weather is lovely again, so that I can go out with big boy.... if he doesn't eat the snow which apparently has become his favorite food. Both yesterday and this morning he threw up because of his favorite food. And he did, guess where? On the carpet! Lucky me, isn't it? 

Perhaps this is how it's meant to be: too fit to get pregnant? I know, this is bullshit but sometimes it crosses my mind. Am I pushing my body too much? 

 I wish you a nice weekend. We don't have plans, other than going for long walks with the snow-eater (this is me, G. looks exhausted. I guess he will sleep through the morning while we will be out) and maybe going to movie theatre. By the way, speaking of movies and books, I'm reading The Dirty Life and it's definitely worth it. 

Arcigay

I like it! I think it's a good idea:

What do you think?

Exhausted

Hi there,
I hope you are well.

I am exhausted, to be honest. Work, work & work.
I'll be away next week for 3 days. Perhaps I'll find time to write from Austria.

Ok, back to work now.

Have a nice weekend

Sardinian Food

We celebrated our anniversary at  (in or at?!) a GREAT Sardinian restaurant. It's more what we call an "osteria" than a restaurant to be honest. We had fregola sarda, pasta alla bottarga, and a delicious maialino allo spiedo (I don't know how to translate it). The wine, Cannonau, was also very good. Wow, we did eat a lot and are now considering two options:

- sleeping ;)

- going to movies to watch this.

Well, I guess we'll go this evening as G. sleeps already (!). He is on the couch with big boy at the moment while I'm writing this and checking emails. 

Buona Domenica

A huge amount of work needed

Oh my God!

I've just realized that in order to meet ALL the deadlines a huge amount of work is needed. This means that I shall be working all weekends except for THIS coming weekend as it's our anniversary (we would have liked to go somewhere but the weather forecast is dreadful so we'd rather stay and home and celebrate with big boy).

I don't even know where to start as I definitely don't have time for the amount of work which is due by March. In any case, I won't cut Pilates ;) 

Ok, there's no need to panic. But still... am I going to make it?!

I hate working on Saturday as G. is at home. Perhaps I could work only in the morning while he sleeps. This might be good idea.

Before I go back to work, let me just say something that has nothing to do with work, deadlines etc. 

Conceiving is not as "easy" as we excepted and, believe or not, I am fine with it. I'm not stressed out anymore. That said, I have taken my doctor advice and I am now checking my ovulation & taking folic acid (it helps fertility and prevents spina bifida). I hope this is going to work. If not, I'm not sure we want to undergo fertility tests. Anyway, it's too early now. We need monitor ovulation, try a bit more, then we'll take a decision.  

My doctor told me that "getting pregnant is never easy" and that I shouldn't be stressed. Well, I am not and I trust her. She is 41 and just had a baby so she knows exactly how challenging is conceiving when one is not in her mid twenties anymore.