Where the hell have I been? Part 1.

Good question. What can I say? I've been busy. First and foremost, there has been lots of drama at work. I can't really give you all the juicy detail but it involved a team member who narrowly escaped getting fired by quitting, said team member's tragically neglected territories that need to be brought back to some level of normal functioning (guess who's been given that task), and interviewing for a replacement (who, sadly, hasn't started yet), all within a framework of a company hit harder by the economic crisis than we'd like to admit and now officially undergoing restructuring. Ouch. Need I say that I'm spending untold evenings at work plodding away?

Then there was a lot of fun stuff, too, that kept me from blogging. First was Ritesh's 20th High School Reunion, which I was happy to attend since I missed my own back in Germany earlier this year. Here he is happily reunited with some old friends from way back when:

Then there was a weekend trip out to Redlands in the desert to visit my old friend Andrea, who recently moved back to California after years out east in Virginia. Went on a lovely little hike along the shore of picturesque Lake Arrowhead. I can't believe it's been almost two months since then. Where does time go?

Then my old college friend Roger came to visit - well, really, he came for the Visible Evidence conference at USC, where was presenting and on a panel, newly tenured film professor that he is (congrats, Rogie!) but he spent a few days with us before the conference which led to some very late nights catching up and a general sense of happy exhaustion, which made blogging feel somehow less than vitally important. Here we are at the rooftop bar at the Standard Hotel in downtown LA.

enjoying the view

my mojito

we also did some cooking at home: This is Rogie's classy signature daube d'aubergine in the front, a black pepper crusted steak after my Dad's recipe, and a roasted sweet corn and orzo salad - a real feast. Sorry the picture is lame.and here is Ritesh's fantastic signature chutney sandwich, made in Rogie's honor

To be continued - am off for dinner...