October 19 , 2003

The biggest news is that Val proposed to me on October 8, and of course I accepted. We're going to have some kind of a ceremony, but we're going to wait until after construction on the house is done, to make sure we can get through that major stressor! Right now we're very happy, and eager to live together.

Life is now filled with house stuff. We're moving on November 8, so we're packing, planning, buying, etc. Well, Mom is doing most of the packing, and I'm doing the planning for the move and we're all doing planning for the new house. We're working closely with our architects. It looks like the project won't be done for almost a year. If we don't kill each other first, it'll be great! We're telling the architect that this is our "15-year house" because we plan on living there at least until the girls finish high school. We moved to Millbrae for the school district, and Mills High School is one of the best in the area.

So the plan is for Mom and the kids and I to move, and Val to move sometime late December/early January. She has to finish having some work done on her house to get it ready to rent.

Meanwhile Val is currently in Sydney, Australia on business until the 30th, but which time we will be co-owners of our new house.

Val and I had a fun time at the Folsom Street Fair, followed by some lingerie shopping, followed by the Revels of Venus, a wonderful evening of adult fun for Folsom weekend. The next day I had a mellow evening out for my birthday, just dinner with some friends.

I went to the Out and Equal Workplace Summit the first weekend in October, in Minneapolis. Oracle paid for me to go. It was great... an entire weekend of talking about lesbian & gay issues in the workplace. I came back energized, and immediately asked for some changes in Oracle policy in that area.

While I was away, Mom watched the kids one night, and Val watched them for a couple of days. I understand everyone had a lot of fun.

Mom and the kids and I headed up to Susan and Joel's October 10-12 to check out their new pool and backyard landscaping. We didn't get to swim much do to a snafu with the electrical system in the heater, but the kids had fun in the not-quite-icy jacuzzi and the wonderful backyard. We also went to the kids' Shabbat service at their temple on the 10th, where they had a special service for Sukkot. We had to come back early on Sunday so I could judge the Italian Heritage Parade (aka Columbus Day). I've been doing that for something like 16 years!

Yesterday Pam and Samantha and the kids and I went up to the letters on Sign Hill. It was Pam's first time there even though she's lived in this area all her life, and it was probably my last time up there before I move.