Where I Am, Where I Was.

Long*, stupid day at work. I hit a low point this morning when I knocked something off the side desk/knitting area in my office and made a big mess (fortunately not a broken-tech situation, at least). However, it forced me to assess what belongs on the desk and what in the knitting area, and why, and to see that switching around the desk organizer and the thrown-together-but-functional sock-needle-organizer would work much better. So doth the phoenix rise from the ashes.
*Not technically longer than a normal day, but so full of stupid that it felt longer.

Though there are still things on the floor to pick up and sort through. It's a process.

As is getting over this cold, by the way. I am so mostly better, but not fully there. I was able to go and swim last night, but for parts of the class I had to slow down or stop and rest. I didn't even feel totally dead after, which is good, but tonight I went out for a few simple errands, and right now I am keel-over tired.

It's a process.

~~~~~
Now, what have I been up to?

On Sunday, I joined friends for a holiday event, the house tour in Salem, which we did three years ago. We all agreed that the houses were closer together this time, which made for an easier tour. Some were private houses or condos, one was owned by the historical society, one was a church, another was I think assisted living; it's a mix. I liked some more than others, naturally, as they were very different styles. My favorite, hands down, was 25 Washington Square North, aka the Joseph Parsons House. Details:

I grew up in a Queen Anne Victorian and clearly I imprinted on it. This was the spot where it really killed me that the tour did not allow photographs in the houses, a policy I can reluctantly understand, but that I just hate. I'm not casing the joint to see what would be most valuable to come back and steal! I just want a picture of that window seat in the turret! Sigh.

So the photos that I took that day were limited to outside (and I should have taken some of the outside of that house, so obvious in hindsight).

Paths:

Pillars:

A porch tree:

And, naturally, popcorn:

I just liked that they brag on the marquis about the real butter.

Which leads, indirectly, to what I was doing last night: there was a limited theatrical re-release of the movie Spirited Away, and I went with a friend. It was amazing to see on the big screen! It's a thoroughly weird but also very beautiful movie, and the detail is fabulous, so the bigger, the better. We very much enjoyed it, and also the short film, Ghiblies: Episode 2, that played after it.

The showing we went to was the Japanese-and-subtitled version (they had done the English version on Sunday, when I was busy), whereas I had previously seen the dubbed-into-English version, so that was an interesting change. Overall, a good night.

Oh, and almost forgot that in Salem, we ate an early dinner at Trattoria Orsini, and it was wonderful; I highly recommend it, should you be in the area.

Now, off to scrabble for dinner before keeling over--in front of the Bruins game. Go Bruins!