I’m registered for two classes during the summer session at Hopkins:

• Research & Writing Methods (required)
• Communication.org: Not-for-Profits in the Digital Age (elective)

They start the first week of June, as, I imagine, will my DC-driving complaints. At least there’s a garage with a special student rate. All I have to do is breathe deeply while driving into Dupont at rush hour twice a week.

(I don’t mean to complain about starting school again. I am just notoriously bad at driving in DC.)

***

I spent yesterday in a training class that was inappropriate for my skill level, but still fun and a good chance to practice away from the day-to-day tasks of my job. I was there with two colleagues at the right level for the classes — my hope is that I can help them put what they’ve learned into the context of our…temperamental…CMS.

I was asked the question, “So, do you want us to let you know when we see X so you can fix it?”

“No. I want you to fix it. Then tell me it’s done.” Why would we train someone to do something they wouldn’t be expected to do?

***

This Reese’s Cake may be the most decadent thing I’ve seen in years. I was going to make some WW chocolate muffins to cope with The Hormones, but this looks far more delicious.

***

Oh. Memorial Day is this weekend. Enclosed rooftop pool opens Saturday. Hmmm. I don’t do the tanning thing anymore, but I do need to even out the color I’ve gotten from various spring outings before I appear in formal wear this summer…

***

The strawberry plants continue to flower. They love living in an old bookcase, I guess.

Did I tell you I built a trellis for my zucchini? They are no longer out of control, but they also didn’t grow for a week, for which I blame the cold winds that hit my balcony even when the rest of the neighborhood was warming up.

My own tomato plant seedlings also couldn’t handle the wind. I replaced their carcasses with stronger plants from the farmers market, which already have some fruit starting.

One cucumber plant remains. I will add a couple more — maybe this weekend. I planted some lemon cucumber seeds, but none are poking through yet.

My pepper plants were protected from the winds by virtue of not yet being taller than the rim of the pot they’re in. Most of them are showing some new growth, now that the sun is out.

I have one bean plant sprouting. Out of four. I will be dealing with that as well.

All of the herbs are fine, most likely because they’re just extremely tasty weeds.

***

I’m going out to California fr four days in about five weeks. I haven’t mentioned it much — we’re going to a wedding and are looking forward to the wedding itself, but the timing, location, and logistics are such that there’s little time left for much else. I’m flying into San Francisco and out of Reno, if that gives you any idea.

***

The estate management continues. I am not at all impressed with our realtor and have gotten responses (abrupt ones) and results only by threatening to use someone else. Her idea of a selling point in the MLS listing is apparently “May need to cut some trees to enhance view in summer.”

Right. Solid but dated house on great land in awesome location, but bring a chainsaw. Super sales strategy. Show me data that proves that’s effective.

I’ve become a pain in her butt and will continue to be so. I have demanded weekly reports of activity and feedback (if buyers don’t like it, why?) I’ve pushed her to list the property everywhere available and I’ve posted it on a bunch of syndicated sites myself — by the time this is over, assuming she manages to sell the property, I know I will resent paying her commission. I’ve seen what realtors can do when they’re committed to selling a property, and this woman is doing virtually nothing. Someone told me recently that it’s not the first time they’ve heard these complaints about her work, lovely woman though she may be.

Meanwhile, of course, she’s not the one paying the mortgage.

***

Thanks to facebook, I’m catching up with an old and very dear friend, and it has made the last day or so much more interesting. We lost touch after high school, reconnected in college, then lost touch again, and now we’re back.

She is, unequivocally, the most sarcastic person I’ve ever known. Which is saying something.