Colored White

Why Afghanistan matters to me

2010-08-01T04:47:00.000-07:00

This is my brother. His name is David. He's my "not that little, little brother" and he is awesome. He is my hero.

Afghanistan matters to me because today (August 1, 2010), he ships out.

Afghanistan matters to me because I live in Seattle. Recently, two sailors went missing in Afghanistan - one was from here. I secretly prayed for God to spare him pain and feel guilty that he was found dead. I just didn't want him to be tortured.

Afghanistan matters to me because I'm military. My grandfather, my dad, my stepdad, my uncles, my brother. I never lived on post, but for all intents and purposes, I grew up on Ft. Bliss.

Afghanistan matters to me because I don't understand how you fight an insurgent, philosophical, non-governmental entity with conventional resources that expect/predict/plan for conventional results.

Afghanistan matters to me because, in some ways, I feel like if I had just done my job and cared back at NMSU, he wouldn't be in the military. He would be an engineering college graduate with a decent, but probably not superstar athletic history to his name.

Afghanistan matters to me because I'm scared that this economy will take my life. Because we're severely underemployed in my household (I have my job, thank goodness, but I wasn't the main breadwinner here), I couldn't afford to go see my brother (and his son, whom I've never met) back home in El Paso before he left. If anything happens to him...I won't be able to live with myself. Mostly because I know my husband won't be able to live with himself. And if I lost both my brother and my husband...

Afghanistan matters to me because I voted for a guy who said we were in the wrong war. And I wholeheartedly agreed. And I constantly told all the peaceniks that he wasn't anti-war and promoted as a good thing that Afghanistan was going to be the focus. It has been a tough year. And my Hope Beacon has been flickering off and on like a Wii controller with mismatched batteries. Or a candle in the wind. Or that last flickering ember by the campfire. I don't want this war to squelch that Beacon.

Afghanistan matters to me because he's my little brother.
I'll be counting down the days until he comes back.

And then wrapping everything I have around him to make sure that "normal life" is tolerable. This Pentagon report on what is happening to our soldiers when they return (and why it is happening) is sobering. The NYT article on soldier suicides breaks it down.

My little brother is not a statistic. I won't let him be. Not this time.

Two Months and some change

2010-07-23T15:24:00.000-07:00

Two months ago, I was not a dog person. At all.
Then Ashley came into our lives.

Here are some things I don't want to forget about these past two months:

She used to fit in the rock basket. With room to spare.
She loves to hang out (and sleep) under the computer desk.
She is totally daddy's little girl.
Although she still gets super excited when mommy comes home from work.
But she will actually wait by the front door for him to come home...even if he just goes into the yard.
She loves that bright green frisbee. Enough to lay in front of the slider longing for it.
She is SUPER smart - just ask the "Ashley gate" that she manages to get around all. the. time.
She used to be afraid of going onto the carpet.
But she skids across the hardwoods.
Even though she has finally learned how to sit on the floor without her hind end sliding out from under her.
My fave parts of Ashley - her puppy tummy, puppy tongue and puppy tail
In two months, she has grown about 3 inches in height and a whopping 18 pounds in weight.
She LOVES being sick and on meds...or maybe it is the hotdogs we feed her pills in that she loves.
Red is her color - especially her little red blanky
She crate trained in all of two nights. Day crate training is another story.
She usually has the run of the living level when we're out.
She hates being apart from us...or just being alone in general.
She is a water puppy - she swims all the time at Rattlesnake Lake.
She has a cute pink bone name tag. And I broke it trying to hook her leash to it instead of to her collar.
She is a garden puppy. She loves to eat grass and chew sticks.
She loves sticks more than balls. The bigger the stick, the more she wants it.
She is super obedient. Clicker training does a puppy good. Positive reinforcement and all.
This Pacific Northwest puppy LOVES sunbathing on the deck.
She knows how to sit, lay, shake hands and be the cutest puppy ever.
She has the longest whiskers and eyelashes ever
When she wakes up (in the morning or from a nap) she s-t-r-e-t-c-h-e-s out...like a cat.
She is a THIRSTY puppy. In the morning, we leave her downstairs to fill her camel hump up.
She gets a morning and an evening frisker where she is just all out crazy and uncontrollable. It is the cutest.
Her tail is super waggy and awesome.

She is a super, wonder pup and I think her middle name will forever be Awesome. Ashley Awesome Merikle.

Bad Daughter

2010-07-02T23:47:00.000-07:00

Didn't call the most awesome woman ever today. And it is her birthday. So totally bummed and sad since I woke up and said to myself "self, charge your phone so that you can call mommy today".

That worked out great.

She's awesome and then some. I wish we were not half passed broke and that I could go and see her (and my baby brother) later this month. And that I could make it out to my HS BFF's wedding in NY. All that stuff is so contingent on so much that is out of our control - ie, Senate passing unemployment extension...job offer coming through...

Alas. All to say the only piece of the master plan that makes me sad that has not happened was having completed the plot to move my mother up north by about now. Or have her well on her way up here with some solid plans. Would have loved to celebrate her birthday in person this year.

Things will get better. It will happen. Not the memory thing because that is long shot. but the whole getting back on track to world domination piece.

Love you mom. Love you Dee. Wish I could do so much more to make both of your lives better.

Much longer delayed happy Bday to Q who I miss like my favorite shoe (because...well...that rhymes, I'm delirious from sniffing on the glue project I've been working on and I really really REALLY should just go to bed now. Says the puppy.

Peace out.

Life Catchup

2010-06-12T15:55:00.000-07:00

Don't you love how I blog like once a year and then dump a whole long post on you? I know huh? Awesome.

So what is there to catch up on?

Let's see:

Congrats to Rachel for finally walking that long aisle. Looking forward to July 30
Uhhmmm...how long have I been married again? Pitiful
I love our house. Especially now that we are in full project mode.
I love my job. Especially because there is LOTS to do, lots of great exposure and so much...PROMISE.
I miss Liisa. Not enough to call her back obviously. But enough to blog about her.
Finally made the jump to Photoshop cs4. Can't believe how long I kicked and screamed and avoided...
DIY home crafty blogs are a huge time suck
But not as huge a timesuck as Age of Empires II (War Chiefs was way too easy until the end and now I'm on Asian Empires...way too tedious)
My flowers are blooming and I LOVE container gardening
Those paintings...still coming along. yeah, maybe I should just finish something already
house is pretty much puppy proofed
brother is going to Afghanistan for his last tour. Please pray for him, cross fingers, whatever you do
this sister should get to El Paso this summer to see those folks I've always loved
and as usual, I should promise to detail this list more, but never get around to it.

of course.

World, meet Ashley Merikle

2010-05-28T20:36:00.000-07:00

Wow. I just can't believe it has only been 9 days.
The world got to meet Ashley on Facebook about 4 days ago. Seeing as I now function on all of like 4 hours of sleep a day, I've not fogotten how to use a camera but having the time to upload photos is a whole other story. There's one of her on Facebook though and thank ya'll for the comments.

Here are ten things I don't want to forget about her in this first week of life together:

Ashley is perfect. Almost too perfect. So perfect that we think this is a phase.
I could set a clock by her rhythms...eat/release/play/eat/sleep/repeat
I LOVE waking up in the morning (yes, at 5:30 now) and bringing her to bed to sleep another hour
She smells so sweet and feels so soft. I can't get enough of holding her
I adore watching him with her
She has the biggest, brownest most gorgeous eyes
I love rubbing her cute little tummy
She is so photogenic - you'll have to take my word on that one I suppose
Everyone thinks she is the most precious little girl. I happen to agree of course (smile).
She doesn't cry when we put her down at night. Remarkable!

I'll come back and edit with a photo.

Creative Day

2010-05-16T14:47:00.000-07:00

Got a bit creative with it today. Been a while and felt really good.

Clink on the links to go to the online gallery and comment as you wish.

Good Life

Life is good. As always was and always will be.

Perspective.

Merry & Bright

Missing a special Christmas guest.

The Happiest Place on Earth

Fun at Disney.

Thanks for looking and enjoy.

Happy Birthday!

2010-05-13T13:51:00.000-07:00

To on eof the greatest, sweetest, most awesome people I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. Something cheezy for the "don't make a big deal about this please" birthday boy:

R: Rooted. You are strong, know what you want and just sway in the breeze. Stay grounded.
O: Outgoing. No wallflower, you make and keep friends easily and for life.
B: Beautiful. You tend to not think it, but you are all around beautiful. Especially your soul.
E: Enigmatic. [i AM a Cornellian...big words = good]. everyday. still a mystery that I love puzzling through.
R: Real. Never fake and showy...totally down home "what you see is what you get". But also real sensitive.
T: Taken. (smile) All mine. Nothing makes me happier in this world

You are my world as I am your's. If we live our lives by milestones, often, we fixate on what didn't happen and/or only remember the days of the big events. So much of life happens between the milestones. Don't forget to live that too.

Love you with all my heart. Happy 40th!

I miss...

2010-05-10T22:26:00.000-07:00

Lots. But mostly:

Working only "one job"
Having Wednesdays where I could work from home
Long walks on Alki Beach
Laughing out Loud with him
Going on photography jaunts with him
swimming laps
planning bodacious trips with him
scrapbooking with gluesticks
having an organized scrap room
my mom
my brother
my sister
my nephew
but especially her
shopping at thrift stores
buying purses and shoes
shopping for groceries
snow
kissing the pig every morning
itunes
Sushi Fridays
Movie Fridays
Having my own desktop computer
gardening
swimming laps
sleep
washing dishes by hand
El Paso
jumping in a lake
riding a bike
the Oregon Coast
trips to Mt. Rainier
river rafting
Shorewood Dr.
playing with my pirates
Liisa
my birth certificate (I know, I know)
traveling
Rachel and Alex
PHS
Cornell in the springtime
my old boss Sharon
a bazillion JLS meetings a week
my Sunfire
upstate NY
that summer of intense fun and severe heartache (or heartburn??)
black lab puppies that were never mine to miss
wood blinds
baby ducks
Southern California (cannot believe we almost moved there this week)

life
I miss life.

Yeah, I've got a great one and plenty of responsibility to go with it. But there are bits large and small of life before today that I miss.

Balance would be great again.

You would think...

2010-05-08T18:18:00.001-07:00

...that I would have a ton to say with all that is going on in our lives right now eh?

Meh.

Gets to a point where one thing means you need to say the other means the other needs to come out and then I get back to looking at the bookshelves and thinking that reading a book would be better than writing a blog entry and...cycles.

No, not those girly cycles.

My general cycles. Sometimes I have to share with the world. Sometimes I have to journal to myself. Most times, it just depends on the mood. And since I'm hungry and will likely need to cook dinner tonight because I didn't clean and I didn't go to work (though I put in my 60+ this week), I sigh deeply and go rummage for something to cook.

I need to start doing grocery shopping again.
Still alive. Barely.

Throw Back Thursday (1/21) - White House Invite

2010-01-28T06:00:00.000-08:00

Back in July, I went to DC.

Next Thursday (since blogger and scheduled posts are going to cause me to do damage tonight), I will talk a bit about how I got all party crasher on Frank. This week, let's start here.

So in DC, Robert being the finance and government geek that he is arranged quite a few awesome events for us. One of those events which required all sorts of background checks which I seriously thought I was NOT going to pass (not that I have history, but I am a member of my family so...) was a tour of the Capitol.

Believe it or not, Robert was actually NOT our tour guide. And though David proved to be super knowledgable, he wasn't our guide either (though he did fill in quite a few of the gaps/details for me). We actually had a staffer and an intern from Congressman McDermott's office give us a fantastic tour of...the tunnel. That we couldn't enter. Because there was a vote in process? And then there wasn't? So we turned all the way around and went back in the tunnel to check out the children's artwork from schools across the country and I thought to myself, "I so would rather be in the Senate or the House chamber watching that right now." Well, because of course we had tickets. To both. And time (before the next gig) to really only do one. I got to choose and chose the Senate since the House was blabbering about God only knows what. Wait. That was the Senate too. All to say I was fascinated and I want that job someday.

We were a bit rushed for time because we had a tour of the White House. Now. I am the world's biggest West Wing junky. As a matter of fact, I think I just may go watch an episode now. Why yes I have it on standby. Perhaps it is on tivo. Perhaps.

In any event, I'd never been to/inside the White House before. And though there were places I would have rather seen ('chelle, invite me upstairs girl!), the places I did see moved me. Not to tears (it was just a little something in my eye - maybe some pollen from all those gorgeous fresh flowers). But that I could say "I've been there" when I see certain places on tv (okay, on West Wing) and dream about a day when I will officially be invited to an event of some sort there (heck - invite me to clean toilets...I'll pay my own way AND bring my toothbrush).

Speaking of toilets and toothbrushes, I think IJTU. memories of the flares going off and the punishment for not manning your post from the movie Jarhead just flashed through my mind and I'm going to have to really go puke now.

Bleh. Toilets.

Throw Back Thursday (1/28) - Congressman! Over Here!

2010-01-28T05:00:00.000-08:00

To make sure I'm a better blogger this year (and to ensure that I don't have to type things over and over and over again and put my computer screen in danger when Blogger does the Blogger thing and continues to make my life miserable), I'm going to schedule posts this year.

Most will NOT be breaking news (I'll be sure to try and blog those as they happen) but all will be deeper dives into posts like this one which, I've really used as a crutch in the past to mind dump, and then completely forget what I was talking about.

If you have a request for a post from one of those lists, just shoot me a line at henderson.bernadette@gmail.com and I'll throw the order of the universe off if I have a moment and satisfy your stalkerish needs.

So let's go.

Barney Frank, July 2009

Health Care is all the rage

This past July, Robert's good friends S & C were getting married. In DC. We had a day before and after the wedding to explore. Because I'm married to the 2nd biggest government geek of them all (love you honey! But S has you beat there) we didn't just "go to DC". Oh no. We WENT to DC.

On this day, we had a tour with Representative McDermott's office. In the midst of taking pictures while we waited patiently for our "not really a tour guide, tour guide" to figure out how to get us back where we needed to go, I looked up on the Cap steps. At the top was a group of important looking men that had just come out of some session. I started snapping photos from afar and Robert turned to look and said, "Give me your camera". He snatched my hand and we bolted off in a mad sprint (I thought we were going to be shot by the dudes with rifles standing around guarding the building) over to this one dude. Robert says "Is that...?" and I say "Oh crap. That's Barney Frank!"

I'm still all about "I've got great zoom, stop so I can take a picture". Robert, Mr. I-Used-To-Be-A-Security-Guard sprints right up to Representative _____ (R- I assume) TX and shoves my camera in his hands and says "Mr. Frank, would you mind taking a picture with me and my wife?" Poor Rep No-One from TX is like "dude! I'm a CONGRESSMAN! I don't snap pictures" but he graciously took the shot above.

Then I had to oblige him with a shot of he and I because Representative Frank was all "Too bad neither of you is from TX because Rep ____[I forget his name] here is from TX".

I don't recall if Robert threw me under the bus or if I stepped under it but it was revealed that as a matter of fact, I AM from TX and so...the shot that isn't posted commenced.

Add this one to my wall of political bliss.

Going back to ATL...no not Cali

2010-01-24T19:03:00.000-08:00

So I'm watching a ridiculous game wondering why my 'Boys couldn't confuse Fauvre into the concussed performance he's putting on tonight. But hey. I ain't bitter.

Shortly here, I'm going to be heading out to ATL. Back in '96, I wasn't there for the Olympics, but I got to run a few steps at Olympic Stadium on the track when I was in town for the Coca-Cola Scholars Finalist weekend.

We can skip right on by the time I was in ATL back in, what...2001 or so for that disasta in hotlanta.

This time, I'll be there for more noble purposes. My main man up above blessed me with the opportunity to be on the Coca-Cola Scholars National Program Review Committee. That's what I'm talking about. Just gotta get my ride to the airport on.

In the meantime, I don't think I'll be blogging from the road. More like wishing my better half would surprise me and just show up. Being responsible and employed, that's not in the cards. But every now and again, responsible can take a hiatus right?

Throwback Thursdays are preset so those will still be here so you'll get more of the DC trip.

Until later...this too shall pass. What a weekend.

Why Democrats deserved a whuppin'

2010-01-20T06:00:00.000-08:00

What. The. F...

Floored. Not that Coakley lost in Massachusets. Because the same thing Obama haters accuse "us" (Kool Aid drinkers) of happened tonight - tell folks some of something they desparately want to believe and holy high water they will take it all hook, line and sinker.

I will never, ever, EVER understand why some folks in this country are Republican. That is NOT a knock on titles and stereotypes and all the rest of the mess (remember, I've been accused of being a closet one of them when I start to talking from time to time). It IS a knock on how you could be a down with anyone who was just so violently against your own self-interests.

Back when George ran his own Sunday show and didn't sell out to ride the early morning couch, he would have great folks on his show. I don't remember which of the Roundtables it was or who said it, but the only time I came close to understanding how certain folks could be Republican (you know who you are...bare with me) was when he noted that folks tend to vote what they want to be. Democrats vote this idealistic "everyone come together" enlightened ticket because that's what they want to be. Right before they say something crazy like "well, you know those women can just be so emotional and those blacks on the internets are nothing like you, so I mean no offense". Seriously. Someone said that to me back in my black power, Barack the Vote days. Seriously.

Republicans vote all "government hands off my money" (that I don't really have because I'm unemployed and totally relying on the government to pay me unemployment, get me WIC and Food Stamps and provide a bailout so I can stay in the house I never should have "bought" in the first place) because one day they want to be rich.

Never mind that as long as you live in dreamy lala land and as long as you vote for folks who will cut off that helping hand you so deservedly need in your time of crisis, we'll get this.

More gridlock.

What I AM surprised about is how Martha, also campaigning to be a "first" (she would have been the first woman senator from Massachusets) would so stupidly rely on the very same playbook that didn't work out so hot for that other infamous she-pol not so long ago. Martha, meet Hillary. Hillary, Martha. Mucho gusto.

I actually think it is a GOOD thing Dem's lost this seat. Yeah, it will delay health care. But if we actually show up to play the game (hint, Democrats should NOT hire any Cowboys to coach that game because, evidently, there have been a lot of folks missing the bus lately), this is such a sweet victory. Republicans can't help but to get punch drunk with these "oh this is a referendum on Obama" and go balls to the wall blocking everything. The smart Dem strategist (or hell, the dumb blogger chick) can mine that for days.

I mean really, the economy is starting to tick up and then it comes back to really - who's the demon for blocking your access to health care? I wonder.

Granted, unemployed, disgruntled folks have a lot more time to sit in line and wait to vote. BUT, if Repubs are going to block everything for the next year or three anyhow, that will get Obama back to doing what he does best - speeches and campaigning and getting people fired up. I like people fired up and engaged. And those Republicans who tell you they don't are lying. How the hell else do you win a seat like they won in Massachusets if you don't like folks fired up and engaged. Perhaps even enranged. Guess sick people don't have the energy to get enraged.

What we wanted - What we Got (That Special Something)

2010-01-19T06:00:00.000-08:00

So the journey comes to an end.

You can catch the rest of the tour here (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12).
The last item on this list:

Was my hurridly scribbled (see...I don't always have neat handwriting), notion that I wanted our house to have something special. Something we couldn't quite name, but that I would know when I saw it. Certainly, soon as we walked into this house, the mere fact that it had (or will have) just about everything on our list in due time was testimony enough to that "something special". But really, when I wrote that, I was talking about things like this:

A great view. Now. We have a great view. For days. But before I ever thought we'd luck up into a house on the course, my focus was on getting lucky with a house with a view of the Mt. Our second choice was this place which didn't have a bonus room but DID have this gorgeous perfect picture window that perfectly framed the view of the Mt...and a gorgeous yard too...complete with birdfeeder.

Another house I really liked was this one. It had almost no dining room so that knocked it out for us, but the hammock ALMOST made up for the lack of a dining room. Almost. And then there was also this (same house as above):

Yes people. That is a window into the shower. Say what?! This window was not on a wall in the bathroom, or even a wall looking to the outside. This window was on a hallway outside of the bathroom looking into the shower. Though Robert was a bit excited by this concept, it was just one of those many "there's unique and then there is just plain wtf" that this house seemed to be full of.

Needless to say, we passed.

All in all, I love our place. Don't love cleaning it, but that's cause I don't love cleaning period. Now I hvae a lot of space to clean. And to heat. Which is REALLY another story for another time.

So the journey comes to an end. The last item on the list:

What we wanted - What we Got (High Ceilings)

2010-01-18T18:00:00.000-08:00

Coming to the end of our list, #31 was high ceilings. See, I can read that one:

I don't have a bunch of main level photos yet, but those ceilings are the tallest in our place. They are huge. The video that better not make "the internets" demonstrates the house of giants. But we're tall folks...vertically challenged folks might be a bit intimidated in there. What I love about most of our big walls is that they come with big windows.

This is the main set of windows in my Master before blinds and drapes.

This next photo shows the ledge at the high water mark in the bedroom. I had a great photo of the vault in the room, but I've been fighting blogger all night so we'll have to revist that in the before/after decor shots in the next series. For now, the ledge below is above the oversized doors. It's kinda cool to see my husband not have to duck through any doors (he's 6'6" and he didn't have to duck through standard doors, but now he kind of looks "short" relative to entryways).

Outside of our bedroom on the top floor, they are pretty standard size ceilings (with oversize doors), same in the "Mom Please Move in" level. I'll have to measure the main floor. I know we had a 9 foot tree and room to spare.

What we wanted - What we Got (Granite Countertops)

2010-01-18T06:00:00.000-08:00

Number 29 on our list was granite countertops.

I think I'm to blame for that one.

Granted, when we were looking at most of the places we stopped in on, granite was pretty standard. Even in the older, remodeled homes. So of course we figured we'd go with the flow there.

You can't really tell that much in the photo above, but we have shiny, BLACK, granite countertops. They looked awesome when we previewed the house. And now, I think they purposefully were crafted to only shine up with my tears. Or my sweat. Or really, a bit of both.

They are awesome to look at. Until someone drops a crumb on them (quite a frequent occurence if you like toasted "everything" bagels) or leaves anything with a bead of water on my countertops. Thankfully, I'm not as OCD as some folks have accused me of being (ahem) so I just go with it. But if I had my way, they would actually be something other than shiny black granite because 99% of my time spent cleaning in this house (yes, I know...but go with me here) is spent on wiping, drying, glossing and glazing those counters. Sure, they look gorgeous, but if I have to deal with someone NOT doing all 90 of those steps above on my counters again...

Don't even get me started on the glass cooktop.

What we wanted - What we Got (Fireplaces)

2010-01-17T18:00:00.000-08:00

Skipping quickly passed those we did not get (more on that in another post shortly), we landed on "well, sure no one builds new with real fire anymore but can't you make an exception??"

#28 on our list was a real fireplace.

In our last place, we had a gas fireplace. It stunk to high heaven because we never used it because it stunk so bad. Not like gas, but like "hey, I can tell the fireplace is on because I can smell it when I walk into the house."

While we didn't get real fireplaces in our new house, we did get two fireplaces. There were a few places with fireplaces in the master bedroom and even the master bathroom that I was coveting, but I actually really like the two we have.

This fireplace is our main fireplace on the main level. Robert took the photo and had it printed on metalic paper. It is awesome and goes so well with colors already in place.

And then down in the "Mom Please Move in With Us" space, is the other fireplace. The color is growing on me.

At least in the dark it is.

What we wanted - What we Got (Kitchen Pantry)

2010-01-17T06:00:00.000-08:00

#23 must have been a consideration in the moments before I made the decision to just go ahead and purchase (some of the best shrimp I ever had) lunch from a beach vendor. I was starving. And as such, #23 surfaced. I'm pretty certain I can take credit for this one.

Essentially, we wanted a pantry in our kitchen. It wasn't that we didn't have enough storage at our old place. Okay, really it was. We just didn't really realize that we only had two cabinets (upper at that) for food storage because we ate out so dang much. In crunching the numbers for the next place, we had committed to cooking a lot more from home. Hence why I won with the refrigerator wars and made sure that our pantry was our first improvement project.

Now. We moved into a new home. No one has ever lived here, it was built in 2006, there were not a whole bunch of projects to do here beyond the personalization we wanted to do for our selves.

What we love about our builder is that there is a lot of attention to detail. There are higher end finishes. It is easy to just move on in. With our pantry, there was an awesome pantry door already in place and there were great wood shelves in place too. Only "problem" with our place is that it is semi-custom. Moreso in places like the bathrooms and the kitchens. To the extent that 6 times out of 10, you can go to Home Depot and pick up a matching something. Those other 4 times, you drive "all the way into town" and come back bitter and angry about what you couldn't find and will have to create yourself. So was the case with our pantry shelves.

We spent a lot of time drilling little holes and recreating shelves so that we could reclaim the middle corner that was just not working out with the current shelves. All so that we could stuff it full like this:

Which is actually not a great picture because you can't see the third set of shelves (to the left of the door). All to say, I used to work retail, in a grocery store. So you can see that I totally stocked and faced my shelves like any good retailer would do. You might also notice that in that middle shelf (the small one to the left visible in the photo), the third shelf from the top, that is the designated Graham Cracker shelf.

Yeah. I know.

What we wanted - What we Got (Upstairs Laundry)

2010-01-16T19:18:00.000-08:00

Honestly, #22 on this list was not added by me.

So for a while, I've been going through the What we Wanted, What we Got series here.

You can find the other entries (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6) at those links.

I go as long as possible before doing laundry. I'm the girl who will go shop a lingerie sale before doing laundry. That and I've learned long ago that the best way to preserve my relationship is for him to do his laundry and me to do mine. I mean, I get the sorting colors and whites thing. It's the rest of the label reading that I just don't make much time for. And understanding what all those assorted laundry liquids are for. All I know is that 120 count box of Bounce dryer sheets has lasted like half a year. No. Joke.

All said, once he mentioned that we should have an upstairs laundry, I fully agreed. Generally, we knew we'd be moving into a multilevel house. Maybe that was subconscious, but I'd say it wasn't on purpose. All things said, with the multi levels, we then said we wanted a place with an upstairs master. With an upstairs master, we wanted a laundry upstairs because it is hard enough to get me to fold and put away my laundry when I DON'T have to haul it up and down 40 stairs.

He knows me well.

I love our side by side. We could stack them on top of each other but we think we'll probably build pedestals for these two (more because we're tall than because we want to store stuff), create a counter across the top of them (for folding clothes) and then have some rod work across the wall above these for hanging clothes as we do laundry. Across from these, in the same laundry room, is a huge soaker sink. I think I want to do some shelving above it. To store what, I dont' know...we don't have much going on in our laundry room because the only thing I hate worse than washing clothes is ironing them. To that, I'd like to keep the ironing board tucked behind the door (out of sight, out of mind) and do some framed art on the walls. We shall see.

What we wanted - What we Got (Paint and Steel)

2010-01-15T18:00:00.000-08:00

We were certainly people that don't need to be taught a lesson twice. After a long weekend of painting and 4 years of a "never really white" Craigslist side by side fridge, #19.5 was paint on the walls, #20 was stainless appliances and #26 was a side by side fridge only because I knew I would get my way for an upgrade here if I just mentioned "4 years!"

In our old house, in about one long weekend and a few hours, we transformed the place. We have some pretty mellow ideas when it comes to color and had a nice neutral but noticable bit going in the bedroom. It was awesome.

We had a minty fresh green (which he hated) in the living room. Worked well with wood tones, our green furniture and the orange accents.

We converted the yellow mancave to a girly green family entertainment room. I cried when we picked out the color thinking it was hideous and I wanted a pale blue. He talked me out of it definitely not knowing this is the color that would result. I love this color and would love it in my new house. Love it enough to even commit to painting something in my house this color. Keep this next photo in mind. Mellow...smooth...green.

In our new house, you will notice that there are lots of gray tones. Some look a little more tan in my photos, but they are all shades of beautiful gray.

And then there is this:

W.T.F. That is the downstairs level. I call it "chili pepper red". Who does this to a perfectly good wall? The shocker? It totally grew on me as you'll see when I get around to the Christmas photos. And that green furniture? It actually goes remarkably well in here. Who knew. All said, there is just absolutely NO EXCUSE for this though:

Oh. My. God. This is my friggin' scrap room. I would say they wanted it to be a nursery but what child could ever sleep in a room this hideously bright? It's obnoxious. I've not scrapped in here yet. It sucks my creativity because I get so distracted with all the other colors I could paint my room with my little bottles of craft paint. Ick.

Then I get the munchies. And all is well when I go downstairs and open my hard fought and hard won french door fridge. I LOVE this fridge. Almost as much as my husband.

Just saying.

What we wanted - What we Got (Great Room Concept)

2010-01-15T05:00:00.000-08:00

So then. Blogger is going to be fun tonight. I can already tell.

Skipping along down the wish list because 1) some of these items are covered by default in another post because we got a bit repetitive with creative use of similar words and 2) I just don't have photos of some of this stuff and I'm already getting bored with the wish list:

We are now here. At #15. We wanted a great room concept that was really open with few walls. Clearly, we don't have kids that we want to hide stuff from. Yet.

In the old place, we had sort of a great room concept. Mostly because we just had really big and open and airy rooms (we lived in a 2200 SF condo...the rooms were pretty big). Best photo of the great room concept is below - this was the view from our living room towards the staircase and powder room with the "yellow" room in the background which is the dining room on the other side of the kitchen. So it was "great" to entertain there because you could see clear across the house with few obstructing walls.

In our new place, we (okay I went) a bit nutso when we walked in cause this is the hallway:

Surely, number 27 on the list is "hallway". For some reason, he was opposed to any hallways. I like hallways because they are truly non-functional walls with lots of space for photos. I got that in spades on this house. But this entry hallway is actually awesome because on the right side of this photo, there are actually art cubbies on the wall. In the house video tour that better the hell NOT end up on the internets (namely, because it actually starts out with "Welcome to [our address]! Come on in" and love ya'll much but...let's hold off on the uninvited guests for a while.

I was saying. On the video, you actually see the canvas we made for someone (who me?!) to paint and put on said walls. The canvas making was a DIY project for the ages in itself. I'll take photos...promise.

On another tangent, you will also notice number 19 (wood floors - REAL wood floors...requested by the girl who never had to deal with shiny new wood floors and keeping them that way) in the photo above.

Moving on.

#15. The Great Room Concept. Once you come down the hallway in the previous photo, you land at those columns. One one side of said colums is number 30 - a dining room. Great room concept and all, it is not a separate walled off space, but it is where our 10 seater rests it's weary, well-traveled, table legs. The view is from the kitchen (#14 - check, we have a kitchen). On the right closer to the bottom edge, you can see the wine bar. Farther back, you can see my fave staircase in the house. There's more than one. The downstairs one is growing on me.

On the other side of the columns is this:

The living room. That cubby is the soon to be custom built entertainment center built in that my better half is working on. Well, right now, he is muttering about the difficulty in buidling his own speakers. Come Saturday, maybe that will be done. Maybe more like Sunday.

More photos of what we've done with this space to come. It is huge, and it was an awesome entertaining space for watching the Cowboys whip the Eagles - for the second week in a row. Bring it Minnesota. Bring. It.

What we wanted - What we Got (Big Back Yard/View)

2010-01-13T18:00:00.000-08:00

Number 10 on our wish list was a big backyard closely followed by a view.

In our old place, we lived in a condo where the common areas were less than fun. That whole lawsuit thing and cutting our losses before the work was complete so that we could move from a backyard which showcased views like this when looking towards our house:

To a house that showcased views like this from across the way:

Kind of dreamy huh? Well, from our backyard, we now look out onto the "lake" and the course. Ultimately, our yard will be an extension of all that gorgeousness.

I say ultimately because when you have a large yard, that means you get to do actual yard work.

This is my better half sweating bullets on the first run of his first ever lawn mower. You should have seen him buying that gig in Sears. It was such a cute and tender moment. I'll have to unearth those photos. He was sweating bullets not only of the "am I doing this right" nature, but also because well, our yard was a crazy weed patch when we moved in. There was some sort of maintenance when we came and saw it the first time. By the time we actually moved in a month and some change later, those weeds were THICK. We pulled up about a quarter of them by hand before he was convinced by a very kind neighbor that if he just set that bad boy to mulch, he could just run it over the weeds and take his chances with seeding. We did.

Don't know if he expected Jack and the Beanstalk results in the two or three weeks we had before the first official frost, but I saw tiny shoots of green this past fall and still do to this day. He's of course panicked that he shall not have a perfectly manicured lawn in time for summer. Thankfully, we just got an awesome patio set off Craig's List so we can sit on the deck upstairs and completely bypass views of our own yard for a hot minute.

Soon as the rain and driving winds stop.

What we wanted - What we Got (Add'l Full Bath)

2010-01-13T05:00:00.000-08:00

Number 8 on our list was an additional full bath. Essentially, the girl with no kids wanted a place outside of her master suite sanctuary where kids could be scrubbed and rid of their filth in a tub.

Unfortunately, for many reasons, I do not have a photo of our additional full bath or our powder room from the old place. Unfortunate because the powder room color, though lovely for a powder room, would have been a nice transition into my photos of the shocking color on our walls in the Mom Please Move in With Us Suite. Unfortunate also because the shower curtain in our staged additional full bath would have transitioned nicely to the shower curtain I purchased for our new additional full bath.

Above is our main living additonal full bath. This is on the upper floor (with most bedrooms) and has an awesome waffle weave white shower curtain. It's white because I don't have kids. And there is an awesome tealight candle holder deal on the dual vanity countertop - also because I don't have kids. But actually, since I paid 4.99 for that shower curtain at goodwill (and another $1 for the liner at Big Lots) I think I WOULD rock it with kids. It's almost disposable at that price. Almost.

Speaking of powder rooms and additional baths, this is the new powder room on the main level (remember, it is lower, main and upper level in our house - this one is on the main level where we entertain those who dare make the treck out here). The walls here are this really deep awesome gray. With the hardwood floors and pedestal sink, I totally love this small piece of heaven.

Not photographed yet, we also have another full additional bath (be careful what you wish for) all the way down on the lower level in the Mom Please Move in With Us Suite.

Just saying.

What we wanted - What we Got (5 Piece Master Bath)

2010-01-12T18:00:00.000-08:00

So #7 on our list of forever was a five piece master bath.

In our old house, our five piece master was awesome. I loved having a tub separate from my shower although I used it, oh, maybe twice. No, I think I used it exactly twice.

In our new place, my favorite feature of our five piece master is actually what I consider the 6th (or 7th) piece. The 6th piece being these wonderful corner windows with a view from the tub out onto the lake. Well, and into our neighbor's daughter's bedroom if the angle is just right.

As I am a prude, we did get some blinds up. But I love these top down, bottom up blinds because I can bring the top down for daylight (and privacy) as I climb down into the tub and I can bring the bottom back up to view the course and the lake once I'm in and covered by sudsy bubbles. Just saying.

You'll also notice a slice of my least favorite feature of our five piece above. The glass enclosure shower was a very "Bernadette feature" - totally decorative, entirely non-functional. Thing being that we don't have a roll in shower (it's an actual stall, not just a tiled floor that is meant to get wet and dries on it's own). So that means we actually need to find some sort of stripping to close that tiny little gap between the stall and the door. Good luck on that one. So much so we almost pried the one off the shower at the Marriott in Palm Desert. I'm just saying. But I digress. It is my least favorite feature because I HATE cleaning bathrooms. And with a glass stall shower, if you don't clean it often, you won't want to use it that often.

Luckily, when I am on my hands and knees scrubbing that joint, I can glance at my awesome Pottery Barn birch candles and reminisce about how gift cards are good because I would never in my live long days pay $60 for two candles. Just saying.

What we wanted - What we Got (Walk In Closet)

2010-01-12T05:00:00.000-08:00

In the continued journey through our wish list, #3 on our list was walk in closets.

In our last place, though the photo below doesn't show it, we didn't have any dressers or "functional" storage (I'm all about the useless, fru fru, decorative stuff) in our bedroom because we had an awesome walk in closet that is just to the left in the picture below:

In our new place, this is the crazy state of our master closet right now:

Now. I love that I am married to a super handy dude. Who is also remarkably artistic in ways I never knew (beyond the photography skills at that). He has sketched out an awesome draft of what our closet will one day look like. Since he guards all his important papers from me by throwing them into a heaping pile of God knows What that I would never go near to save my life, I can't scan a photo of that for you. well that and his printer doesn't have a scanner and my printer...well...back to this post on why I really need more of a Bernadette office than I need a bonus room.

The closet after I'm certain will look slightly less a hot mess than it does above.

All that to say that, I get a bit anxious walking into my closet no because the white wire racks are a pet peeve of mine. Sure, they are nice end, quality stuff, BUT, for the rest of the attention to detail in this place, would it have killed folks to use wood or something? This is almost up there with wire hangers for me. But then again, if you look closely, you'll notice that someone is infamouse for using wire hangers too. I deal with it. Marriage. All about compromise. And ridding my closets of wire (hangers, shelving, etc) one small step at a time.

What we wanted - What we Got (Bonus Room)

2010-01-11T18:00:00.000-08:00

So on our infamous list of what we wanted in our new house, you'll notice that #1 was "dog".

Just for the record, we were not expecting any owners to leave us their dog, we just wanted to make sure what ever place we purchased was or could be doggified up. Needless to say, a few things have since gotten in the way of the immediate doggy move in, but we are still very much on track for a spring dog show visit which I am certain will be followed by a visit to the pound and a new friend in our house. I've been trying to avoid this. Like the plague. Cause I like to travel, I like my floors and I just know that I'm a hot mess right now and taking care of one more living, breathing being would just be asking for a world of trouble right now. Give me a month.

Moving on.

#2 on our list says Bonus Room.

In our last house, this is what our bonus room looked like:

In our new house, we have two (well, sort of three) bonus options:

This is the upstairs landing. In most of the houses on our block with a similar floorplan, they went ahead and made this into another bedroom. Guess they figured we had plenty of bedrooms at 5 so they left this open. It is directly across from our master suite entry.

This is also our upstairs landing. The short wall on the left frames the stairs. If you walk straight off the stairs you land in the first room above. If you turn left, you end up here. Originally, I thought I would turn this into a scrap cove and the other part of the landing would be more "kid friendly" (says the girl with no kids).

This is currently an "unofficial" 6th bedroom on the lower level (it goes lower, main and upper level with this place). This room is downstairs in what we've dubbed the Mom Please Move in With Us Suite. There is an official bedroom down there (complete with awesome walk in closet) and then there is this extra room. Technically, I believe this is our media room (as advertised) but it's sort of smallish (relatively speaking) for the kind of set up we want (how far back you need to be for optimal screen viewing and surround sound set up) and we're well on our way to building out the main living room entertainment center so...this was quickly pieced together as a guest bedroom for holiday guests.

I suppose what I really need to do is rethink what "bonus room" means to us. Right now, we are sharing an office space. A space that originally, back in my less pay, more service days, I thought I would turn into a work from home/consulting space. He quickly took it over. Which I've obliged because it gives me more say in NOT turning the "unofficial 6th bedroom" into an in-home wood workshop. I'm just saying. Not for ripping up carpet and transitioning spaces that flow into spaces that just really only meet our own very niche needs. Like, say, a scrap room.

All to say, the upper landing is the bonus room space that I think I'm going to go with. Now I just need to figure on what I'm going to do with it.

Currently (photos should probably come here, but they won't cause this post will be long forgotten), the main landing is Christmas tree #3 central and the secondary landing is a reading nook. I think I want to transition the reading nook back over to the main landing (great light over there, might get something really cool going on there) and then the secondary landing I'd love to back a desk up to that short wall and make it into my own office space separate from the shared office.

We'll see what ideas I come across there for transformation.

The best way to buy a house - Listed

2010-01-11T05:00:00.000-08:00

Back in the day, when we were selling the other house, we also spent a lot of time dreaming about what our next place would be.

Okay. Check that. *I* spent a lot of time dreaming about what our next place would be.

So in July of 2009, when we were off cavorting in DC and sun bathing in Mexico, there was one particular lazy afternoon in Mexico. Not that they were not all long days filled with nothing but sun bathing, but on this particular day, we missed the boat (literally) and had hours of time to kill between checking out of one hotel and catching the next boat out to our next hotel.

While Robert was waiting on the side of the road in this little hut sipping on adult beverages and scowling at the children who would come by trying to sell various trinkets while slyly trying to make off with our luggage that is "(conveniently) on the side of the fence that would be hard to defend…

We managed to have a long conversation or two about what it was we wanted in a house. Now. If you had clicked on the links above, you would have seen some of my ideas of "must haves" and would be nice to haves. Yes I know. Those were old links and real estate isn't moving THAT slow so some of those posts have come down but the general gist of why I loved those particular homes is still there.

All said, we were so bored that we flipped over a piece of important paper (probably return itineraries) and did this:

This here is a list of all the very important things we thought that we would need in a house in order to be happy. If you look close you will see a few things. Of particular note:

Yes. That is a list of 35 "must haves".

Yes. #14 says "kitchen" because, evidently, we were looking at quite a few places that didn't have that option.

Yes. #5 says "pool in backyard". This is what happens when you have a California boy and a desert girl hanging out on the beach day dreaming of what they want their next house to be. In Seattle. Where it rains almost every day and pools are more liability than luxury.

I think #20 (or maybe it is 19.5) says something to the effect of "paint on the walls". This is also a desire born out of an intense desire to save our marriage should anyone get the bright idea that painting 2200 square feet in one long weekend is a great DIY project.

Certainly, that was before we even fathomed moving into 4300 square feet.

All that to say that the very best way to buy a house is to write a list. And save said list. For those moments when you're fretting at your perfect life and how horrible it is that you have 4 toilets to clean, you just return to your list and remember that it was YOU that added #8 to the list and it was YOU that jumped for joy when you realized everything was a 50 percent off sale resulting in TWICE of everything you wanted for the same price. Oh the curse of having way too much. Talk about karma.

Coming next...how that list became reality for us.

Oy this blogging thing is ROUGH

2010-01-08T01:23:00.001-08:00

Cause I know I should like be in bed right now because I’m going to fall asleep on my long commute to work otherwise.
Instead, I feel a pressing need to update my blog. Now that I have LiveWriter installed again and all.
How about a couple of pictures tonight. I know most of the country is cold so a few warm shots should hold you over:

This is from the warm resort days of our Mexico vacation last summer (July 2009). I loved this trip because we stayed at three very different hotels and they were all my favorites. It was awesome. This shot is of the resort pool experience.

Though the sun certainly set on this evening (well, I guess it would be yesterday evening now) a long time ago, this photo reminds me of sunnier times. This was also from the amazing Mexico trip. I think (though I can’t be certain once you read this) that I might have been at a certain establishment sipping a certain beverage expected to be sipped on a trip to Mexico. And that for the whole night, I was teased by someone that I imagined that little ship out there. And that even when I showed photographic evidence of it throughout the trip, I was still told I was seeing things. Go figure.
I can’t believe the first full week of 2010 is in the books just about. It feels like I JUST got back from the land of sunshine and oranges. Of course I have photos of the great OC Swap Meet (pullease…El Paso does it right…I was not impressed), random trips to casinos, almost free hotel nights and just general lazy lounging with the coolest dude on the planet. Who knew that T-Mobile employees (at least in Cali) could be fired for trying to help you figure out what in tarnation is wrong with your friggin’ phone. And also, who knew that you could go from “Wife needs a new phone…let’s get her a Cliq” to, well, how about you just take my Blackberry because I ordered, had shipped and just received my new Google phone.” I’m just saying.
I might need to get me a NexusOne. That thing is so flip flappin’ awesome. I’d be afraid to mangle and drop it of course (cause that kind of thing happens to me all the time) but my hubby is the more responsible one among us anyhow so I’ll just admire his from afar.

One more pool shot. This was the first hotel we stayed at. With the most awesome pool top deck ever. I’ll have to tell you the story of how I lost all innocence staying at this hotel. Or at least how I managed to be all big and bold American “who you talking to” for the most awesome midnight swim of my life.
So many great memories from that trip. I tell ya.

You Know it's Been a While...

2009-12-02T18:00:00.000-08:00

...you know it's been a while since you've blogged when:

1. a whole THIRD of a year has passed since your last dated entry.
2. you've bought a house on the course and switched jobs since the last time you blogged
3. you can't remember your password to sign in.
4. you freak out that you don't remember changing your login to what it now is.
5. people randomly post your posts as comments to be moderated because they want you back
6. your best friend's BEG for the work distraction you once provided
7. you sign in to blogger and find blogs on your profile you didn't know you owned
8. you've seen love plant, blossom, grow, get blown away and come back again strong
9. facebook has constantly told you that you're over limit and should probably get a blog already
10. you have so much to say and know that if you write it all in one post, no one will come back

I'm just saying.

A LOT happens in my life in 4 months. Most folks wouldn't care, but you're here on my blog so, I presume you're not most people.

There have been 113 days since I last blogged. Pre and post stalker, I was a normal blogger about every three days. Even that means that I would have had something like almost 40 blog posts since then.

My Christmas gifts to you folks who love to know everyone else's business? A faux preview of what I WOULD have written about in those 40 blog posts. Numbered, but really in no order of any kind of importance:

40. Pulled a Salahi photo op on Barney Frank - photo to prove it!
39. I WAS invited to the White House and all I had to endure was an "awesome" Capitol tour
38. Why procrastination is good: aka how I missed Sotomayor's Senate confirmation hearings
37. I'm scared to go there alone: Part I of my trip to a Health Care Townhall (Everett)
36. Sometimes, being "that black girl" is awesome...especially when you're in Everett
35. The best Mongolian BBQ ever with the worst service ever
34. I didn't MEAN to take that Solstice parade picture
33. I'm going to miss West Seattle so much...
32. ...that I will take a job an hour from home to be close to West Seattle
31. What do you mean YOU quit?! I was going to quit today!
30. They are non-alcoholic of course...this is the Girl Scout office you know?
29. Yes, but can Pam's hold a candle up to KingFish? I'll purge a little to do that test
28. There's a REASON why everything should be slower in Mexico...remember Wal-Mart
27. Is this appropriate behavior?
26. Yelapa, Mexico is where I want to retire
25. I don't care about the runs, just fill me up with more Chunky Monkey please
24. Are you sure we're on the right bus?
23. Down with Washington Management Company!
22. Up with good credit
21. Wait. I KNEW that cop-killer!
20. Wait...that other guy was a "nice guy" too who just did really terrible things?
19. Why sometimes, this colored white thing leads neighbors to dial 9-1...oh...it's just a discussion.
18. I always call it cause I "get visions" like that. "Minor" accident my hiney...
17. Where the angry people at? Part II of my trip to a Health Care Townhall: (Seattle)
16. Uhhmmm...where DID I park my car? Maybe *I* should be a million dollar realtor
15. Not like our thousand dollar realtor did all that much work, but the place looks GREAT!
14. What?! Our neighbor's sister was foreclosed on? That explains why they won't talk to us.
13. Our other neighbors sure are friendly. Did he just ask what we use to clean up the stains?
12. Tether ball WAS awesome. I can't wait to have kids that are easy to entertain
11. Why yes, there are three levels. Uhmmm...two of us. Yes, just two.
10. Because I want her to move into the bottom level. Or heck she can have the top. Just move.
9. It was funny but then I cried. Cujo was a scary movie mom.
8. Colorado isn't that far away, but then neither was Las Cruces either.
7. You can't have Thanksgiving without Turkey just cause your wife is odd. Turkey tacos?
6. And yeah we shopped at Mike's on Thanksgiving day...and what?
5. Someone is trying to tell us something - flat, cards, trash, anything else you want to say?!?
4. Half a clue would be nice, but then again, so would a watch battery
3. Penguins. I know. Just stop waiting (aka procrastinating) already
2. I NEED to get my house in order. And find bulk push pins on the cheap
1. Three trees. I've got one, just need Ikea to call a sister back already.

today was the day i knew

2009-08-11T21:51:00.000-07:00

I am not sure WHAT I knew. But he gave me this look. And I don't proclaim to be psychic or to have visions but that look (and my response) flashed me back to october 2008 when he proposed. More specifically the look he gave me when he picked me up from SF0. I didn't know then that he would propose that night, but I had the same "I know something feeling I have today.

Just saying.

We are nomads. Up in Bothell which is actually NOT as bad a commute as I thought it would be.

Waiting on the close of our old place so that we can move on our new place. Didn't happen Monday. Our agent bet on today which means not only did it not happen today, but it won't happen tomorrow either. Uhg.

Otherwise, getting reaquainted with my nintendo dsi. Still brainy in brainage but about to polish off all the suduko puzzles so might have to get a new game or two. Still eyeing the walking one since I'll have miles of trails to walk to here shortly.

Health care townhall tomorrow.if you support reform get there! I know you are probably gainfully employed and want to stay that way so 5 will be hard. But do it. The rest of all stay home. Or at least promise to use our indoor voices.

My fave person in the world is home now.

I'm out.

Life Catchup

2009-07-22T12:35:00.000-07:00

Oh where to even begin?

Jump right in right?

Just got back from Mexico. Go. To. Mexico. Puerto Vallarta is a good start. Once off the plane, hop a blue bus to downtown (preferably one rolling on spinners - no joke!) or the Romantica District. Same thing. Stroll the boardwalk and go to PiPis when you get thirsty. Take a friend who will share your tub of margarita. Order the best chicken fajitas you will ever have. Do this the first night so you can enjoy them BEFORE the humidity melts your brain. Once you are done, go back to the boardwalk, watch the guys spin down the poll and then walk down the beach to the water taxi. Don't pay the dudes trying to sell you tickets. Pay the driver directly. It is 50 pesos cheaper that way. Ride the taxi to Yelapa. With the 50 pesos you saved, check into Hotel Lagunita. Pay a little extra for the beachfront room and take extra bug spray so that you can befriend Charlie. Take a nap until 3:30 and then come back outside. I PROMISE you will not be dissapointed. By the private beach or the amazing pool like no other pool you've seen before. Definitely use the mosquito net. Oh and make sure you order the tortilla soup for dinner.

DC was amazing! I really like Anne. I just got to meet David and I like him too. Small world? When we checked into Yelapa, there was a couple from Louisiana who was making their third trip to the fishing village. The wife was from your little piece of heaven. Hang in there. All things in due time. Besides getting lost a lot with GPS, David driving and Robert backseat driving, I got to see one of my fave cities in the world with the one person in the world I've wanted to see it with. And he (and the city) lived up to expectations. Congress was in session so we got to sit in on the House. On the never ending "Sorry, I mean this way" treck to the House, we made lemonade out of lemons. Robert and I got a very coordinated photo with Barney Frank - he in his purple tie, me in my purple tank top, Robert balancing out the whole lot of shortness going on (smile). One of the most awesome photos I've ever been apart of. ALMOST makes up for not getting to have lunch with Michelle. She was out of town and all. Speaking of which - on the awesome boat wedding with amazing fireworks to cap off the evening, we saw Marine 1 and escorts flying over. Talk about a day late and a dollar short. I DID get to go to Michelle's house though...and Sunjay's mom's cooking (and yes, I followed AW's ghetto fabu lead and packed leftovers...AND WHAT??)...all told DC was just as awesome as Mexico. Almost.

Don't Jinx it. There are things I don't speak about. Because I am of the crazy inclination that if I talk about things I am excited about, then they won't happen or they will fall apart. All I have to say is that it has been an interesting week. And I need to call Ryder back. And do you have a couch I can sleep on? Because neither of us really wants to become work a holics for these next 3 or so weeks, but we can make that happen I think. Fingers crossed really hard on the most amazing piece of amazing you'll ever see if it goes through.

I cried my heart out. My sister called me just before work on Monday to tell me my mom was in the hospital. After spontaneously busting into uncontrollable tears for a good 40 minutes, I finally got it under control to figure out what the heck is wrong. We still don't know. We should know more tonight and surgeries are being scheduled and as my sister told her 12 year old son (I quote) "Grandma is going to the hospital and all you can do is pray for her". Now. some folks would call that crash and cold and callous. it's just my sister and her son knows her well. He's okay, she's okay we're all okay. No use worrying over what my uber religious sister has more than got covered. I'm just saying is all.

I miss you terribly. And you know who you are. Hope your sister is well. I need a good laugh and I've got more than a few to share. You know you miss me too. Just admit it. Don't make me fly to Fairbanks...

My husband is better than your's. mine saved all the emails we've ever sent to each other. Including the original missive I sent to him that started this all. Something about wondering if he was REALLY all that atypical of a white boy. To which he responded with a request for a list of crimes I had in progress that I might need assistance with as he perfected his plot for world domination. I'm just saying...at least it wasn't in our vows (smile...that was cute S&C). But I digress. With those emails, he created a book for me with all our correspondence leading up to our wedding. He's amazing with the cute little thoughtful gifts he gives me. Cause Lord knows I can go and just buy the expensive stuff (smile). All said, I need to take him to dinner and get our cake. With the finger crossing gig above...we're holding off on that a little bit.

In a nutshell.

A week in a life - 2008 via 2009

2009-07-20T07:56:00.000-07:00

A year ago. Yesterday. But on a Sunday.

I'm still trying to figure out why a guy like you loves a girl like me, but it makes me think of that Beyonce song and I start to tear up and then I cry uncontrollably at how incredibly lucky I am to be on this ride with you and you think I'm hyperventalating or at least that something is wrong and really, I'm just crying because it is so right and I just don't know what I did to deserve this. To deserve you. You are my favorite person in the world. well...tied. With Quantae. And probably my mom too. And my sister and I have this weird kinda thing going on. And we don't want David to feel left out while he's fighting for our freedoms. And Liisa, well she's a special different kinda love.

Okay. You're the most favorite person to commit unconditionally to. How's that one? And a few other non-bloggable reasons most having to do with that "are you crazy" look you give me about 3 or 4 times a day when I say things like "I think it would be fun to have a tail to wag." I'm just saying. I kinda miss Charlie. Probably not as much as you do though (smile).

This year that same week - Yelapa trip of a lifetime (well, the whole Puerto Vallarta thing...and DC too with a picture some of you will love to hate *smile* I know who I hang with). House hunting (SMILE!!). House moving. HELP! More later...I should get back to that work thing that makes things like our awesome wedding photography (and cake - I need to call Jen...where did my to-do list go??), our awesome Jamaica honeymoon, our even more awesome (is that even POSSIBLE??) anniversary honeymoon, our house sell and our house potential purchase of the most amazing house ever...

All that is possible only if I get up and go to work. Right. Now. Just like he did.

* Amazing amazing AMAZING wedding photo by Airika and Gerald Pope of Gerald Pope Photography. Who also share an amazing day with us as our wedding anniversary is their anniversary as well. Happy anniversary to some amazing role models of fantastic love. *

Nintendo Rocks the House (aka, the party you missed)

2009-07-01T15:42:00.000-07:00

So perhaps I should just commit to blogging only once a month. Or maybe if I switched to a better platform it would be half as frustrating as having to type the same post over and over (and over) again.

Remember back (like one post ago, but in real time, forever ago) when I hinted at the awesomeness that is Nintendo? Well, get out the kleenex to dry your eyes and wipe your drippy nose (or the drool from your mouth) because here comes the recap.

Look at those chics get their game on!

flickr set

Four score and seven years ago...or about 2 blog posts ago, I had a birthday. Okay...it was longer than that, but less than a year ago when my hubby threw me an awesome Wii-themed birthday party. Everyone who came had to bring a gift that was wii related (not to imply that they all had to bring a gift, but if they did...and who am I kidding...they all had to bring a gift or they were run off the front porch. not). Even Liisa - the love of my life keeper of my frying pan secrets - who couldn't make the party got in the grove and made me an awesome mini-album, fold up card, all scrappalicious holder for my AWESOME Gamestop giftcard to get my wii game on.

Fast forward 17 or so days and the novelty wore off. Aka, Bernadette kicked in and I lost interest.

A little over a month ago (or was that really like two months now - my how time flies), Justine contacted me out of the blue. So out of the blue that I was like "Is this my stalker posing as a new girl in my life or does this woman really have something to say to me?"

What I say next should in no way reflect badly on the strong independent woman that I am. I read other women type stuff like this and I cringe. But the truth of the matter is that I turned to my Microsoft X box game testing hubby and said "Hmmm...check this out. What do you think?"

To which he said "You know...that Nielsen thing didn't work out so well."

Quick digression - Neilsen sucked the LIFE out of me. It made grocery shopping unfun and most folks know I LOVE to shop...even for groceries. But when most of your goods are from the produce or bulk section (or, worse yet, from Costco and in bulk - oh the horrors!), Nielsen doesn't like you so much. I stuck with it for MONTHS of agony. And finally just couldn't take it anymore. Though I did get a healthy appreciation for what it must be like to check me out at the grocery market. I'm so sorry.

Back on track. I replied that Nielsen was work and this would be fun. To which he asked me if I even knew what a Nintendo DS was. Which of course I replied "Yes, it is that little game thing that my nephew threw around the living room in his fits of rage when he visited."

Uh huh. But Justine ALSO forwarded me a link to another chica who was working out the Nintendo Enthusiast BlogHer deal and I thought to myself "Hmmm...this would net me a free electronic device (which I, evidently collect lots of), a great party that I don't have to do a thing for (that part is what you're waiting for me to get to) and, it just might get me to blog more often."

I did get the niftiest little DS in the mail a few weeks ago. And it sat in my box. Well. Actually, I opened the shipping package and this cute little DS box was in it. I opened it and it was the coolest packaging ever. I'll have to upload a photo. The packaging was so cool (little mirror on the box lids, flashing lights, applause audio when you open the lid...the lining is red velvety stuff - very red carpet awesome) I just couldn't bring myself to actually use the friggin' thing. I know pitiful. But then...came the party.

I have to tell you, I was sweating bullets. My people (yes, I'm talking about you) are skitish like that. We live in an alternate reality where last minute invites lead to last minute yes/no/maybe/can-i-bring-my-entourage rsvps and because Nintendo is local, I wanted to show the place up. Then I was notified that awesomeness would be coming not only from Nintendo -Seattle, but also from NYC and I was about ready to fly in my girl Rachel from the city to make it happen too. But then I calmed down and thought 6 degrees of coolness. Which ended up rocking out my party because I met folks who were related/bffs with folks I personally know and it was good to see people out of my normal context of knowing them.

So the party.

Off. the. chain.

Full disclosure here - Nintendo paid for every last thing. From the awesome loft that I actually ALMOST rented for my wedding reception (no kidding!) to the complimentary valet parking that made travels to Pioneer Square for a bunch of young women at night safe to the fantastic spread of snacky foods and beverages that filled our tummies (including the wine cause, it was like happy hour...and hour...and hour...you know). And yes, to the awesome Nintendo DSi's that everyone got to keep (yes KEEP) and the awesome game with their DS as well.

Grown women were jumping up and down screaming and I want to say I also saw a tear drop fall, but I wouldn't hold me to that last. It was definitely a blurry eye...that was for sure.

The service was great for the party part but the awesomeness was honest to goodness in the DS's themselves. I mean really. I'm the queen of gadgets and multitasking but even I was a bit dubious about how you might have a "party" with a bunch of folks sitting around playing individual games. Well, Nintendo can show ya how.

The loft was broken down into 4 zones. Each zone had a different game that you could play (Brain Age 2, Mario Kart, CrossworDS, and Rhythm Heaven). Earlier today, I spent a good hour researching the cool wiki and official sites for each of those games. Now you get to do it because blogger is a hot mess tonight and I'm not trying to break another laptop.

Throughout the night, different areas had different levels of popularity but I'd rank them as such:

Quietest Least Party Interactive - Rhythm Heaven. You had to wear headphones to hear the beat so there wasn't any superflous convo to mess up your game.

Most Studious - CrossworDS. I hang with a bunch of bright women. They were working out the word finds and crosswords like their next raises depended on it.

Most Boistorous Party Central - Hands down Mario Kart DS. Especially when gamers were tagged into each other and racing against each other. Of course this could have been because two of my co-workers in particular were particularly keen to this game - one who specifically mentioned "I would have NEVER bought a DS and I'm so not a gamer but this is so FUN!". Admittedly, I almost didn't invite her because I didn't think she'd want to come. Love ya Kate!

Biggest Line Ego Buster - Brain Age. Awesome game and most folks have heard of it before. Everyone wanted to check their Brain Age. On the system they had set up there, I was like 71. Really now? When I got home after the party and finally set up my DS (I also got Brain Age), I was 36. Awesome. Seeing as I'm thirtysomeodd anyhow. This one had a line I think because beyond testing your age, it has suduko. Had some law folks/financial analyst types present so you knew that was going to be popular with an average finish time of about 15 - 20 minutes for the digression to play Suduko.

The party was really hopping. There was a 5th station where you could start or end up at where you got hipped to all the neatness of the DS and specifically the "i" part. The DS has built in digital cameras (which, I might add, are better than the ones on my flippin' crackberry) and so everyone was spending time customizing their DSs. Everyone cept I cause I left mine at home. Alas.

As each lady went around to the different stations, there were Gamer Chicks (all dressed in black, all gorgeous) helping us get set up and settled in. They were also keepers of the gold coins.

Most guests didn't know WHAT gift they were getting at the end of the night. I had told them (cause they're my people and sometimes they need a bit of a bribe) that they would get an awesome gift. Originally, I thought it would be a charm bracelet with charms they collected at each station. That gift was their very own DS and a DS game (BrainAge for the most of what I could tell). The Nintendo hosts did an excellent job of reminding folks to collect their coins and towards the end of the night, when the cat was out of the bag that the coins were for systems, people stopped camping at their fave games to get up and collect coins.

At the end of the night...with the place cleaned, the music stopped (awesome music with attentive hosts who would skip songs, adjust volume as necessary), and the Gamer Chicks ready to leave, I had to walk up to two last stragglers and tell them I'd never invite them to another event if they didn't get out now.

I think I made about 4 or 5 new best friends that night.

All in all, it was the most awesome party I've ever had my name so prominently attached to. To this day, I still get tons of emails and most of them are no longer "I can't believe you got us free DS's" so much as "What's your brain age now?"

And so you're wondering. I didn't actually open up my DS until after the party. And it was actually my hubby who opened it, took a picture of me napping on the couch for my profile picture and recorded a "song" (if you will) that I get to listen to every time I open up my DS and laugh my butt off to.

I would say that last weekend, with great weather and a moment in the park to wait on him doing his bike ride was the first "real bonding moment" I had with it.

I am ADDICTED to Suduko. That's all I do on my DS and I admit it.

I'm not a fan of Rhythm Heaven (one of the games I got with my DSi) just because I have no rhythm and I don't like to be reminded of it each day. Interestingly enough, it's like Wario Ware Smooth Moves on my Wii (which I LOVE!), but I just can't get into it. Yet. Maybe on a plane with my ear buds in, but at the party I couldn't grove with it.

I'm also not a fan of Mario Kart (another of the games I got with it) because I LOVE Mario Kart on the Wii. I like to race people, not computers and the Wii is designed to be played in community. With the DSi, if I know someone else with a DS (which, now I do) we can get together and play, but alone...it's not as fun to me as Mario Kart on Wii by myself is. That and I've kinda convinced myself that playing Wii is more than just a workout for my thumbs so...

To that, games I'm looking forward to getting at some point:

I totally want to get Mario vs. Donkey Kong March of the Minis for fun and I could totally see using the Personal Trainer: Walking And anything Sims related you know I'm game...My Sims at lunch anyone? Goodness that's a whole other addiction to address. Both My Sims Kingdome on Wii and Sims 3 on the comp.

Perhaps it isn't blogger I should be hating on. Ever since installing Delicious and Windows Live (particularly the latter) my comp has been a hot mess. Totally need to uninstall WL. Used to love WL Blogging. Now it is just too much hassle when Facebook is so easy.

Holy goodness

2009-06-05T10:37:00.000-07:00

So...

Evidently, all I have to do is a giveaway on my other blog to get ya'll to come out of lurkdome and even sign up to follow me through the gates of...well...I'm not so sure that hoarding is really a sin. Okay. Justifying ridiculousness IS so...we'll move on.

Since the giveaway fun worked so well on the other blog, I figured I should use this whole "social liberal media" thing (giggle...I'll stop, I promise) to promote an even MORE AMAZING opportunity than The Great Thicker Hunt of 2009. Yes. I am done with the scrap references. Now let's move on to technology. Fun technology at that.

I admit it. I loved a Wii. Like no other. Heck, I had a Wii themed birthday party for my thirtysomethingcoughcoughahem last year. Cause my hubby is a huge gamer (xbox in his case...he wouldn't be caught dead playing Wii which is why we have to play DDR2 in the friggin dark with all the windows shuttered), and he wanted to share the love. But get that I said loved. As in past tense. Because aside from blogging and scrapbooking (and we know how regularly I blog) I don't really stick with much of anything for more than about 24 days. I know.

However, Nintendo is determined to change that for me. And for you too.

If you're a local gal, hit me up with your email address if you want in. There will be an amazing shindig in Seattle (including valet parking, tasty adult beverages and fun like you never knew you could have - again...) on June 18. I know, short notice for you busy busy people, but because I do nothing but melt silently away most nights, I figure it should work out.

Trust.

Because I'm a tease, I leave you with this. You have to send me your email addy to get on the list and space is a tiny bit limited, but hey...for you...I'll make an exception (smile).

Exactly a month ago...

2009-05-22T17:15:00.000-07:00

...I blogged. And that is attrocious. Really attrocious since it took me still more days to actually update this blog from that realization. I realize this. And you know it is either my will or my wont to do a list or a really (really) long post to get caught up. I'm fighting it. But don't say you were not warned.

First things first: I ROCK! Level 14, 100+ club (that's 100K+ point...I stand corrected). yes. In one sitting. yes. That is an hour of my life I will never get back. But it felt so dang GOOD! Not that I've ever been a crack dealer (or an enabler for those that prefer gentler terminology) but

Bejeweled 2 is really addicting. I'm doing very scientific research to determine if I make it farther when the sound is turned down (aka, I'm trying to hide from my hubby the fact that I'm waisting my life away on java script games when, yes, he sits downstairs playing xbox. whatevs). I'm also trying to determine if earlier morning play helps. Or if early morning play paused while I go to work and resumed when I get home has an impact. I don't think I've played nearly enough to figure that out yet. All in the name of science though.

In the name of COOL however, stay tuned. Potentially really exciting, cool, girl, games, tagalicious post coming. Not that I EVER tag posts. Well I did during the election. but then it got boring. And too bloggy. and I got bored. And moved on. Kind of like now. But in the long time it has taken me to write this post I have confirmed that exciting coolness will be going down June 18 and you will NOT want to miss out. Promise. This is HUGE! Well, for local gals that is.

So you're curious just what in the heck I do with my life when I can't bother to check in for a month? Well, aside from the Bejeweled addiction. Oh and the blackberry tampering trying to figure out why in the heck I don't get work emails anymore (answer = crappy server, imagine that). Oh yeah and tagging Pandora goodness. There. I do play tag. Just not on my blog.

For the longest time, I've wanted to update my blog. but I'm a creature of habit (and apparently, of lower case letters). That and start a couple more. Yes. I know that is crazy because I never update the Photo Blog (surprise surprise! Bet you weren't expecting THAT! lol) and if you're savvy or internet gallery addicted like I am, you don't necessarily get much special from the Scrap Blog (well, another surprise...I'm FULL of them today!). And never mind that I had an election blog, a wedding blog and one other blog that no one shall speak about. All said, I think it is time. I cannot believe how long I've actually stayed committed to this blogging thing. I think I keep doing it because it is an easy enough way to remember how long I've known my better half who refuses to live his life on the internet. I started this here blog right before my toilet exploded at Capitol House (this will be relevant below) that one fine Thanksgiving weekend.

My how far we have come.

Anyhow. That list. 30 or so things I've done in the Month of Sundays since I last blogged:

* Created a TON of pages from those gorgeous wedding photos by Gerald and Airika.

* Managed to get a NON wedding photo page picked up for publication by Scrapbooks, Etc (okay, but it was an engagement layout full of photos taken by your’s truly).

* Debated the merits of progressive/regressive tax structures with Miranda and Erick

* Attended an amazingly inspirational breakfast (900 folks!!) and dreamed of consulting again.

* Got a text (or two) from a crazy woman on her way home who ain't fraid of no hands free law.

* Got a call from a crazier woman (aka my sister) wanting directions to the Las Cruces Wal Mart (just in case she needs those again...I got her back and yes, that is Las Cruces...New Mexico...and no I have not lived there for…oh…5 years??)

* Won a bet about how long it would take to walk approx 4 miles (over 45 minutes)

* Realized that you CAN teach this old dog new tricks because my Sushiland is so much better than YOUR Sushiland. Kirkland has promise.

* Turned my Swag On and realized that My President is Black (parental advisory) before putting my Halo back on and realizing I need to keep it clean (and that maybe she needs to remember she is married...just saying).

* Missed Fred and his cousin and started to wonder why we were naming certain visitors to our pad.

* Realized that I'm too old to attend Summer Jam because all the teeny boppers will be out to impress yet, somehow, I am not too old to attend a Green Day concert. GA. In the pit. With my ex-security 6'6 hubby. That should be the last concert like that we do. But then again, we said that before with Sean Paul, JT and Modest Mouse. I'm just saying...

* Started a twitter account. Which I have a (relatively) lot of followers wondering why they've never heard a peep (or is that a tweet) out of me.

* Managed to STILL not call my mom (I love you mom, miss you too...and Q too...I wish I lived in El Paso. Okay. Well. Not really. I wish you guys lived here. But it rains a lot here. Especially lately). And in the months since I started this post, I’ve REALLY missed them even more. And I’ve wished for the rain to come back. No such thing as global warming though. Nope.

* Found a million dream homes on zip/redfin and realized why I never want to live in El Paso again (try to find homes on either of those sites. Yeah...I need a city...and Seattle is barely a city by these standards).

* I prayed really hard for Robert's sister's hubby. And that is saying a lot since some folks believe I'm the anti-Christ and...

* I got called out in church because it had literally been a month of Sundays (might have been a month in a half) since I had been to church. Specifically, Father Paul looked me dead in the eye and told me I was NOT to dip my cracker into the wine. Something about swine flu. Whatevs.

* Went on the great hunt for thickers. Found said thickers. Had to contain my habit over said thickers. Now the hunt is over and I’m being altruistic with those thickers.

* Almost melted off the face of this earth. Jury is still out on that one. We have a genuine heat advisory in effect. We’re shattering records. But remember, there is no global warming.

* Watched half of Earth 2100. If I could stay awake in the heat on my couch, I’d watch the whole thing.

* I of course watched all of Inside the Obama White House. Come on. That was a given. I still watch West Wing (much better than the official site) reruns.

*Rescue Me is still my fave boy soap opera. I still cannot stomach cops and everytime I hear Operation Repo on in the other room, I swear I can taste just a little bit of throw up in the back of my mouth. And you know what THAT means (taste it, hear it, see it, smell it = do it…or think really hard about strawberry cheesecake and smell a handful of baby powder to calm my stomach down). I do LOVE Southland though. To pieces. Which means it will be cancelled. Alas.

* I need new shoes. Apparently, not as bad as I needed those thickers.

* I’m so totally nesting (but totally NOT expecting). I bought a book on 99 ways to not lose it when teaching your kids manners. While I do want to have kids, I’m about 99 percent convinced that there was subliminal messages channeling from that screaming kid’s mouth who was running through the store when I picked that up. And I got the book on 99 ways to not lose it when dealing with your kids’ food issues because, well, I was hungry.

* My favorite snack lately? Well, since perfect margaritas don’t really count as a snack. Especially when you’re NOT having them on a Tuesday night. What was I saying? Oh yeah…perfect snack. I cup light French vanilla yogurt, two jumbo Costco strawberries sliced thin and two tablespoons of Cascadian Farms granola. Heaven. Oh dear sweet Lord thank you.

* Speaking of Costco. Aside from it being ridiculous to shop for a family of two there, you know what else it is ridiculous to do at Costco? No, I’m not talking about the fitness pass thing again. I’m done and over that one. I was going to say that it is really ridiculous to buy a tub of humus from Costco. No matter how much you love humus and have co-workers who do as well, there are just not enough wheat thins in the WORLD to eat a whole Costco sized tub of hummus. Not that I am speaking from experience or anything like that.

* Oh the toilet. Finally just have to act on that. which means I should follow up with my lawyer. Yeah...I'm big time now. "My lawyer". That's a trip.

And on that note, this post has reached ridiculous proportions and really, you should just hit me up on facebook where they limit the characters I can type. Yeah Twitter does too, but I don’t have a cool twitter ap for my crackberry so Facebook wins. For now. Until someone so politely hooks me up.

Flowers, Firearms, Funny Boys...and no...not Guns N Roses

2009-04-22T22:55:00.000-07:00

So do you remember this cutie reporter?

You know where he's from? He's from the land of firearms evidently. Tivo and all...watched a 20/20 special tonight "If I only had a gun" and vowed to never have firearms in my house and when I learnted that 1 in 3 folks have firearms in the home, I vowed to have sleepovers galore. I'm not a fan of statistics like that.

20/20 special clip - check it here

My hubby is the best. And no, not just because he brings me beautiful flowers.
But partly because of that (smile).

Funny boys...have you ever watched Rescue Me? I stand my ground. That show is totally Novella for the boys. I used to say it was a boy soap opera. But it has surpassed even my expectations into the realm of Novellas.

hot. mess.

Like Jamaica...but with no AC

2009-04-22T08:33:00.000-07:00

Let me tell you. My honeymoon was the bomb.

Some of my fave memories?

** 27 minutes on site and the welcoming "refreshment" was a Bob Marley.
** Air conditioning
** the smell of Jerk chicken
**Alfreds
** ATI/RTI
** Air conditioning
** late night beach walks
** Hobie cats
** Did I mention air conditioning?

I'm married to a wanderer. He likes to wander off places. Like Tibet. And Everest.

While yes, Jamaica is VERY much on the beaten path...especially since you have places in Negril that very much advertise that they are the party capital of the world for the just passed teeny bopper spring break set (ahem), it is definitely on the beaten path.

But here's the thing.

When we think about "where next" a lot of folks are on the "You'll never top Everest" tip. Duely noted. Competitive as we are, we don't feel a need to one up every trip we take.

So for the honeymoon, it became what is the best deal we can get for a long time away from crazyville (preferably right next door to Margaritaville - check) but with the option to see/experience some "real life". Remember...I got to experience rural Chinese toilets on our last big trip before the honeymoon and all.

All said, I loved my honeymoon so much that the ONLY (and I do mean ONLY) issue I had was really a non-issue rendered moot because, as I mentioned, one of my fave things about Jamaica was the air conditioning. Mostly, because that place was hot as a MUG. I mean come on.

I lived in Ujamaa at Cornell and I attended my first and last sweatbox only to get a cool glimpse of what visiting any of the island nations my pan-African people had come from. No joke that the university was really good about making sure the habitat was kept hospitable for us. I'm not saying...just cause, you know...I'm from Texas and we got heat too. Just not like island heat.

So.

Earlier this week, when my better half in all of probably 7 minutes (cause he's fast like that) forwards me an email to a place that shall not be named, I'm game. I mean really. Any place that I need to sleep with a net and be mindful of the lack of reliable electricity sounds like the trip of a lifetime to me. (And it was honey...it was).

This morning, he wakes up (well not really since he doesn't sleep anymore) and asks me:

"So...you do know that this place is like Jamaica right?"

Of course I do...that is why I want to go.

"But it is like Jamaica with no air conditioning"

[silence]

[more silence]

"Oh...and did I mention that they say you need a flashlight to go to the bathroom at night so that you don't step on the crabs in your room...I mean we're THAT CLOSE to the beach."

[really silent and then]

"Well, it's cool that it is on the beach."

"Oh yeah about that. We should also watch out for scorpions."

I'm from the desert. El Paso to be exact. I quit Girl Scouts the week after my troop leader came screaming out of her garage because she had been stung by a scorpion. I've never seen a real live one (well, because the one I saw that day was squished dead) and I'd like to keep it that way.

For the record, my troop split right after that because the leaders didn't get along. But I like to tell it as I do above because that makes it a bit more dramatic and special.

Oh Jamaica.

but have you REALLY been to Seattle?

2009-04-21T07:57:00.000-07:00

Ahh...spring in the PNW. What's that mean? We're not the land of the midnight sun, but we DID have sun pretty darn late last night. So it meant:

Trip to the best people watching place in the city for the best fish and chips in the city.

No. I'm not talking the piers. Unless you're a tourist. And you're scared.

I'm talking Alki Beach...on the first sunny day of the season. With all the hoopties out. And some of the...well...I should behave myself. But it is fascinating. There are the slow rollers. The guy in the ski mask (shout out! please don't shoot out). The gorgeous cars raised and lowered. The rims that cost more than my Ivy League college education (I got off cheap remember...all of $6000 because of that other thing I'll mention a bit later). The girls stopping traffic. The old folks honking at the girls stopping traffic. The endless search for parking. The two trucks pulling folks left and right. The dreaming of "I want that house right there". The realization that a quick summer sale could very well end us in temporary housing on this very strip. But best of all?

You guessed it. Spuds.

Though...I have to say...last night they needed to fire up the grease a bit hotter.

So many folks swear by Ivars little tiny strips of things that are supposed to be fish and stringy fries. And I'll bite (literally).

But if you want the best fish and chips in town, fight the crowds (well, DON'T take me literally on that front) and hit Spuds. The handcut fries (skin on) are to die for. The REAL pieces of fish are worth the price. And the garlic vinegar...oh my sweet saviour.

Of course no trip to Alki is not complete without a stop "on the way home" at the ice cream shop. You'll be proud to know we stuck to the sherbert. Which is good because now that every place in the world wants to let you know how many calories you are sucking down, it's probably pretty important to note it has half the calories of my old standby Reeses Peanut Butter Cup Swirl. Oh the sacrifices we make.

In other news:

Looking like May will be rather litigious
Looking like May will also be rather muddy
Finally figured on a plan B and I totally like it. Totally!
Mexico anyone?
Okay how about DC then?
Scrapping is good - join the 50/50 challenge with me
Pandora still rocks even though I now have not one, but two iPods
Powder Puff Pine Wood Derby rocks my world
Burst pipes don't float my world
Busted brakes do try to stop my world

Drama. Hope the Portland drive is going well for you. I think it's time for another lunch date since it's been like...what...half a year or something?

Drama 2 (or maybe you're 1 since I knew you first and all) can I be your wedding planner? I love planning weddings.

Drama 3 (or maybe one because you are just off the HAM meeter). I'll save it.

House hasn't sold yet (the HORROR! Not.) so you still have time to take a guess on this post.

Happy sunny day.

Who? What? When? Where? oh and Why?

2009-04-17T10:26:00.000-07:00

lots of questions and emails to this last post. So let's see what we can get to.

I know it is a bad habit to not respond to the direct comments and only take to responding to emails here, but hey...if you take the time to comment, I figure you're kind enough to take the time to read and I try to really be all "interactive" so...theoretically, I answer comments in subsequent posts (or edits).

If you comment, and it goes unchecked, unanswered, just let me know. Imperfect and all. I'm thinking of doing the comments gone wild version of the blog again (aka, unmoderated) because we do live in an instant gratification world and all.

Only problem is I'm pretty anti censorship and I feel all like "the man" when I have to delete obnoxious, non-sense that really, has nothing whatsoever to do with the price of tea in China. Or anything else I remotely care to have my rare and few blog readers read about. But I've reconciled that inner-conflict with these small nuggets of widespread knowledge:

Blogger blogs are free. You can start your own and have your own soapbox.

Even my frail, wannabe tech savvy father in law can figure out how to google me and find my email address. And that is where he sends me spam. If he can figure out my email addy, so can you. Some things are better addressed (or ignored/deleted) via email.

That said...let's play "did you notice".

Did you notice that in the above photo, there is a gorgeous shade of green on the wall? Gorgeous because it used to be this "interesting" shade of texturized golden/yellowish/orange (see dining photo, think darker). Gorgeous because I cried tears in trying to figure out what color to paint the man cave (aka bonus room). Gorgeous because I "settled" on this ugly color at Lowes (or Home Depot...I get them confused) using the handy little "pretend this is your room" computer monitor and thought it would come out more gray/brown than it did. Was DELIGHTED when it came out this color.

Did you notice in the photo above that there is a bowl of something on the table? That "something" is popcorn. Being that it is a bonus room with a gigantor screen (we watch the SuperBowl on it for the annual party because the tv itself is just not big enough...evidently), the smell of popcorn really helps to solidify that you want to curl up on the couch previously known as "The Make Out Couch" to watch a movie like...oh...The Reader.

Did you notice in the photo above that there are three bottles (on the windowsill) of oils with various goodness in them? If you thought not eating the popcorn in the photo before this was hard, you have no idea the will power it takes for me not to pop open that red chili seed oil with some baguettes. Yes. I said/typed baguettes. Behave...my name IS Bernadette you know.

Did you notice in the photo above that the walls are red and yellow. Well, really they are this really great color of red and yellow. But remember the bonus room/man cave photo? Where I referenced the dining room yellow? Well, picture it darker...and textured. It made it a pretty dark man cave. All said, that mirror on the wall? Costco. By my better half. It makes me look thinner and I love it every day when I'm looking tired and getting read to go to bed and loading up the dishwasher. Oh yeah. I don't load the dishwasher. There's a reason for that.

Did you notice that there is so much to love and notice in this room? But we NEVER (as in EVER) use this room? Kinda obvious, I know. So my three fave things to notice about this room: the photo above the fireplace was taken by my better half; the chess set was a craig's list alley deal; you really should not come down the stairs in just your towel because those curtains stay open ALL. THE. TIME. Just saying She Who Shall Remain Unnamed Who I Love For Putting up With My Wedding Obsession (and yes, I will skype with ya).

Did you notice that this room is also green? But it is actually a MUCH lighter shade of green than downstairs. And I actually used to hate it (we called it the Thin Mint room. Okay. *I* called it the Thin Mint room). But then accessories made all the difference. Especially those REAL wood logs for our FAKE gas fireplace (well not fake, but it doesn't burn real wood...bummer).

Did you notice that the big blue star and the bowl of starfish are holdovers from another time. Another day specifically. July 19, 2008. They couldn't make me get rid of ALL my wedding decor.

Did you notice, barely, that piece in the front, right corner? Our TV lives in there. The tv I kinda scraped up in the move. But more importantly, that cool piece was my first indicator that my man was more than handy AND frugal. The piece is a Craigslist find (sensing a pattern here) left on the side of the road. He stripped it and stained it. I love it to pieces.

Did you notice that this room used to be my scrap room? And that the transformation is awesome?

Did you notice that there is a bunch of orange throughout our place? Could you tell that orange was my favorite color?

How fun! Okay really though:

Why move now, why not wait?

Because, as I mentioned, we can. We could wait until the market starts to go back up but guess what? The market will start to go back up on the other end too (the end where we're looking to buy another place). And since we're buying up as all good, responsible Americans chasing the dream are want to do, it makes more sense to sell now while the market is down so that we can buy while the market is down. It would make MOST sense to have sold while the market was up, waiting with our crystal ball for the crash to come and then capitalized on both ends. Alas, there is now bigger pay off for us to sell now and at the least, capitalize on the end which will be a better bang for our buck - the buy side.

Where you going to girl and why you gotta leave like that?

First the second part. We don't "have to" go like that. We like where we're at and like the peoples. We do, however, both work on the other side now. And by the other side, I mean we float to work (cause the 405 would make me homocidal). When we first started here, he worked downtown and I worked on Cap Hill at SU. Now we both work in Bellevue. On the East Side. So it makes more sense to live on that side closer to work because we're both slaves to our jobs and our jobs predicate how we will live our lives. To that, there's the answer to the first part. Where we're going is closer to work. Likely NOT Bellevue (cause I'm married to a banker at his core and I work in the non-profit sector and that's working out swimingly financially right now but not Bellevue style swimmingly). But east of the lake definitely.

It is so pretty! Why would you want to leave?

Again, not so much want or have to. It just is what it is.

Townhouse again? Or a real people's home this time?

I DO declare! But funny enough to make the cut because I've heard my hubby refer to moving to a "grown up house" too. I don't get it. Mostly because it is a pretty UNIQUE townhome I guess. As I was educated last night, it isn't a zero lot line so there's an HOA. Which is actually GOOD because there is uniformity to what very similar looking units look like. Not that you have to all be the same (don't go there...I was the Director of Diversity & Equity and a Diversity Columnist so I appreciate difference well enough - just not when you want to drape your place in purple gauze and my other neighbor wants to keep the multicolored Christmas lights flashing year round), but I do like coming home and not worrying about the yard. But now I DO want a yard to worry about. And grow a pea patch in (smile...sorry...it was called for).

I'm a visual learner. Show me.

Me too. Some links for your vicarious pleasure.

This backyard

These windows/walls of light

This whole house

beach park location

That shower is to die for

Hardwoods and built ins - a girl's best friend

Windows, windows, did I mention I love windows?

And no. We have not found where to next. We're not officially looking (the links above would make me a liar to say "we're not looking") until after we sell. One time per marriage of signing on the dotted line only to say "but wait" is enough for us (smile).

Happy house peeping.

Home for sell (Guess the Offer/Sell Date)

2009-04-10T19:36:00.000-07:00

Need a new place?

Holy crap. I just typed a long post and lost it. So that's a sign.

The gist?

We put the house on the market this Monday.

5 days. Guess.

Guess on what day (ie, day 92,978) we will get our first offer. After that, we'll play guess the day we'll actually close the sell (ie, on day 938,298 you will close) and we'll make it a good contest.

The prize? You get to say you won!

Actually, you get to brag that you know when the Seattle area real estate market turned and we were able to sell. And I'll throw in a $25 GC for the poor folks who can't afford to shop for groceries anymore. Grocery Outlet anyone?

Okay...really...it will be to like Target or Barnes and Noble or a charitable gift in your honor to your choice of screwed by the economy charity/non-profit. Whichever one you prefer that hasn't gone out of business by the time this place sells and you win.

"Winner" will be the person (or first person) who guesses the right day. If you guess something more optimistically close to today, you can guess again (on this post only so I can find it please) after your day passes.

This should tide us over for 5 months eh?

*** ETA: Man ya'll are researchers. It's really just a guessing game. No need to research TOMs and market trends (smile). We're selling because we want to (and can afford to) not because we have to. I'm a bit partial, but I'll do another post about this all. Soon as I figure out how to link up some of my faves without inadvertently telling the free world exactly where to mail their pipe bombs when we move. ***

But isn't it April?

2009-03-28T22:03:00.000-07:00

Today we went driving. To prove a point, draw some tears, talk and get back to the heart of it.

I love that dude like nothing else (and no one else) i've loved in all my life.

But isn't it April?

We went to the ridge today. Well, a couple of ridges. But the one where I was pouting half the way is what I'm talking about. And yes. It was snowing. In April.

Okay...so it isn't yet April. But it IS Spring. And snow is ridiculous!!

For the record mom, Snoqualamie =/= Seattle. As in no it was not snowing in Seattle, yes it was snowing in Snoqualamie.

Also (for the record since we're being honest), that IS where I would like you to move to.

Please. And thank you.

Peace out.

Day n' night

2009-03-26T18:05:00.000-07:00

No lonely stoners but I can for sure say that when I drove into the car wash, I was squintin through my windshield like I was tunnel driving (and for the record, I hit TWO tunnels each way to work e'ryday so and what??). On the way OUT of that carwash, I was like "since when did the sun hit Seattle?"

Day n' night

And since I've clearly forgotten how to blog (lack of stalkers will do that to you...just not inspired anymore), I'm going back to my repeat button (maybe I'll hit Pandora...probably not) and going to snap some pics of that other stuff I do.

(hint - yes, that is not one, not two, but THREE links in one two paragraph post. WHAT is this world coming to??)

8:30 and 8

2009-03-03T20:30:00.000-08:00

If I were a good blogger, this is what I would have blogged about in the 8 or so months since I last blogged:

* I miss iTunes. Like sugar misses kool aid. I'm just saying.
* While we are on the subject of kool aid, let's talk about all the OTHER ghetto fabulous things I no longer do since marrying up:
no more law and order marathons
I now have to hide my mid afternoon afterwork naptimes
white bread is so out
* That pizza joint in Oly...by the cap, now THAT is the bomb. Of course because Liisa was there, but in general too.
* I've adopted a girl. And I'm selling cookies to support her
* someodd years ago (2004? '05?) I was a case study queen
* Scrapbooking is cutthroat, but friendships are forever
* settle settle settle...SCORE!
* since when am I so gosh dang OLD?!
* I think it has been about 800 plus days. So what? Wash the dang thing yourself if that concerns you. Priorities.
* I HATE Fidelity. My husband thinks I'm nuts but he's never had a 403b which is the bane of my existence. Great that you don't have to put funds into your accounts, sad that you have to up and die and revert the funds and let your heirs duke it out to get to actually take CARE of the money you've stashed away. Bogus. I have a stronger B word, but I'm an active girl scout again so I'll refrain.
* VAN conference for Volunteer Managers was off the hook. Fun times had by all.
* Liisa totally rocks my world--she's so thoughtful and great and puts up with my utter thoughtlessness and really dimming greatness...love her for not taking it personal.

Oh...I totally forgot...let me look it up. Oh yes...this gem because Liisa is my shining, guiding light:

"Are you sure it ain't my air freshener?"
"Not unless your air freshener smells like wet hound and hash"

Oh my goodness. I couldn't stop laughing to type that. And I get it. Ya'll will be all "what in the HECK is she talking about?" But you know what...that's okay. Liisa will be pissed I wrote it, but she'll laugh too and at this moment, it's the Liisa show.

And...moment over. Now I need to watch Rob's Fantasy Factory. I'm thinking it will never match Rob and Big, but you know what...it sure beats Nitro Circus. Uhg. Craziness with a capital "c".

On Marriage: Good Reading

2009-02-24T00:17:00.000-08:00

So I was over at Black Girl In Maine's blog. Aside from getting me to thinking about how I still have not been to Maine (Vermont and New Hampshire...gorgeous...Maine is still on the list) and how I would almost certainly be odd woman out up there...and the fact that her post got me cause she (like me) is also hitched to the oppressor (oh sweetie...I love you, those was my Cornell black power roots coming back out)...I was of course compelled to not lurk but to post. Mostly because her hubby chimed in on her post and I know that my hubby, the one that won't join Facebook because he might have to eternally be friends with me, also checks in on my posts, though, he never comments. Maybe because I would block his comments anyhow. All said.

Her post (link above) was about the work of marriage.

I posted a comment. The full unedited version was this:

***

Thanks for keeping this real enough to be cross posted on big man's blog which got me to here. And really got me to thinking.

I just passed the half year mark. On my second marriage. we took our sweet slow time to get to "here" not out of fear of failing again, but out of an understanding that life isn't all fairytales and princess dresses. That said, I very much know that I'm STILL well in the "he can do no wrong" phase (just check out my blog to read all the gag me sweet posts that one of his ex's was quick to hit with the "wake up stick") but in a very different way than before.

During my starter marriage, it was all about the fact that he was my first everything just about. First real love, first boyfriend, first long relationship and neither of us had really had ANY opportunity to explore who we were as individuals, let alone who we were together. That was a magnificent crash and burn with a summer of party like a border girl to test out just what it meant to be fun. I didn't like it. So I settled (keyword being settled) for another long relationship and almost married a guy the complete opposite. I went from the guy that was all I wanted but nothing I needed (adoring, younger, carefree, free spirit) to a guy that was all I needed but nothing I wanted (responsible, way older, eternally dedicated, stay the course).

One morning, I just couldn't work anymore.

All the heart ache and giving and doing and just not being anywhere at all came to a head. Honestly, the hardest work I've ever had to do in a relationship was the end. Putting the period on it. Mostly, I think looking back on it, because I really wasn't relating.

I've never been in real relationship until now. Yes, I impacted and was impacted. But in a real committed relationship, be it via marriage or not, I wasn't there. I was always placing semicolons in between people and times and moving in between and among and always waiting for something better.

Like I said, only 6 months or so into marriage, but almost 5 years into this relationship. No kids (I'm sure it will ALL change then), no struggling to pay the bills, only one night on a couch but it is just so different. What scares me most is not the day I'll want to think about exploring something else, that happens, we giggle, we talk about it and there is no threat.

It is awesome.

What scares me is the day when he or even I feels uncomfortable bringing that up.
When the conversation stops.

I believe with all my heart that as long as you can talk through it, be heard, be felt, anything can be worked out.

Anything.

But like I said...I'm only 6 months into it this time around.

***

I know a lot of folks close to me are struggling. Struggling with the economy, with kids, with relationships. Talk about it. Not just a surface "counseling" session, but a real heart to heart talk about it. Talk about you, how you feel, what you need. I promise, when you're honest with yourself you start getting what you need.

In my case, that would be sleep. Half passed midnight and all.

Keep it real. Unless you're stalking me because really...life is just too short. Well...unless you comment before 11:02 am. Because well, I've got a meeting with Liisa for lunch and not that we're ever short on stuff to talk about, but stalker stories tend to be the most entertaining types.

Oh yeah, that is code for "incoherent post coming soon" when I say "I have a meeting with Liisa". Don't say I didn't warn you.

The Best 2009 Grammy Commentary Post ever

2009-02-08T21:42:00.000-08:00

***DISCLAIMER*** I have since learned lots of new info since creating this last night. I was going to fine tune spelling and research people I had no clue about, but I DO have a life so I'm just going to post this as is.

Dive in, have fun.

Okay. I'm on the west coast. And I have tivo. So to be able to skip commercials, here I sit at 9:45 pm starting to watch this hot mess of a show.

So we start off with U2. honestly. I'm not a fan. Have never been. Not a hata, but I actually had to say to the paler member of this twosome "You know...I'm just not a fan of u2" to which he replied "well, yeah, not this crap."

Performance one: u2. Crap. Visually interesting and I knew the words and so did Bono because they were on a gigantor screen for us all to sing along. but they've done better. And we all know I'm all about the dance, not the special effects. unless you mix special effects with dance like Usher did that one year at the BET Music Awards. I'm just saying.

Then out of the blue, Whitney "I don't do crack, that's lowclass" (or something vaguely similar to that) came out and proved to the world that she really was on something to marry who she did. And that something was good enough to toke, I mean, tote along to the Grammys tonight.

Now. You know you have a damn good chance of winning your category Ms. - I Stopped By the Restaurant and Forgot I Was Supposed to be at the Grammys Tonight But Since I Had That Role of Duct Tape in the Car and This Handy Napkin From the Table, We're Good to Go - Hudson when everyone in the audience is like "What? I didn't know they had an album out this year...". And as usual. I was right.

Then they brought out the Rock. Who goes by like his mama's birth name now. And is still really not funny. But not as painfully unfunny as JT. Well, unless you're talking about the suit he had on. It is the Grammy's I guess. Who had to prove to everyone how not black he was yet again in a collabo with Al Green...and Boyz II Men. Except no one knew Boyz II Men was part of this collabo (including one of the dudes...I'll have to research that...there were only 3 of them...where the 4th dude go?)

Performance 2: Justin Timberlake, Shake a hip but don't break it Al Green and Boyz II Men minus one of the Boyz. It was okay. Not whoa. Not a hot mess. I might have sold my JT tickets if I had seen that performance before going to his concert. Luckily, he was worth the drive to Tacoma.

Simon Baker beer goggles don't make YOU look better. And I thought you were kinda cute in the Mentalist.

Coldplay. Who I actually like. Ever since I thought I saw an Obama patch during a Saturday Night Live performance last fall. And tonight, Jay Z did a cameo collabo...so now I LOVE Coldplay. Even though they are British. Not that I have a thing against Brits. But I did just watch a back episode of wifeswap and there was a BASTARD of an angry european on. Yes, lowercase. Because he was that much of a meanie. No matter...still loving Coldplay.

Performance 3: SCORE! Coldplay and JayZ, good vibes, people loving what they do. I love it too.

Performance 4: Carrie Underwood. WHAT is she wearing? How do you take such a cute girl and make her look so...well...uncute? Her mic is blinged up and is about the cutest thing on that stage right now. Unless Whitney is nearby...she had some cute earrings on. And, aside from the boob piercing top half, was rocking that little thigh slit in her dress. She did leave a bit more to the imagination than boyshort and flesh colored sheers (duct tape must be the theme tonight), taped up Underwood. Anyhow.

Sheryl Crow--I miss her...LeAnne Rhymes too. Country music award. And it is going to be sad that I know more of these songs than I did the R&B folks. I actually dig Rascal Flats. Sugarland a bit too. No clue who the rest of them folks were. Which is good that Sugarland won. For Stay. And they look pretty excited and shocked which is just too cute. And mom was her date. So country...I love it...think she digs Paul McCartney.

Estelle and Kanye are coming up. Lil Wayne and TI too. And JT is coming back again. Imagine that.

Really...performance video My Grammy Moment to KP's I kissed a Girl? Really. Okay...this show is more than a hot mess.

Coldplay is coming to the Gorge! July 11...I totally need to do that. Except the Gorge is out there. And I don't drive back (sleep is good). So we'll have to see.

Duffy and Al G are presenting together. I'm a symetry girl. So Duffy's one shoulder, half boobie hanging out dress is distracting me. There seem to be a lot of British people at this awards show.

Song of the Year--lots of good songs in there. Lots of Brits. Coldplay won for Viva la Vida. I really like this song. As I mentioned...enough to drive to the Gorge to see it. I'm thinking they're going to win Album of the Year. That's 2 for 2 so far tonight.

Kid Rock is nominated tonight? Clearly I don't like music nearly as much as I proclaim to.

Performance 5: Kid Rock. I miss the little guy. Everyone has a message tonight don't they? Interesting message from KR though...white guilt and Iraq flags in the background. Full of Amens. Long as the elbows are not flying, I suppose we're all safe. Folks seem entertained. Another okay performance. Still looking for whoa. I'd probably put it up there top 3...of 5. Not bad. Not good, but not bad.

Performance 6: Taylor Swift and Miley Cyrus together. Taylor is pretty...fresh, innocent...great voice for it too. All I can think of Miley is Fly on the Wall and my feet are killing me. Standing in line for one last ride at Disney on New Year's Eve, she was blaring out of the loud speakers. Not in person (it was a DJ) but still, I'm so not feeling her voice. Not for this soft performance. I give her the kid rocker title of the year. But Taylor should have done this one on her own. Song in and of itself rescued the performance. Miley lovers, I'm sorry, but she was about the only neg to this performance.

Pop Collabo Award: WTF?!

Robert Plant Alison Krauss?? WTF?? Really...the ONLY set that I was like "who are they" and they win it? Over: Alicia Keys and John Mayer; Madonna, JT, Timbaland; Rihanna, Maroon 5;

Jordin Sparks & Chris Brown (so old, my FAVE song in the world though). Really. That induced some silence.

Performance 7: Jennifer Hudson, hope she took off the napkin. She's a pretty girl. Not a size 2, with some tatas so she is a fave of mine. But those earrings...girl...those earrings. Gorgeous voice, no need to blind us with her entrance. She still needs to work the stage presence bit...unless she wants to be Miss America someday. Problems with her earpiece? she was fiddlin' with it some and still belted the HELL out of this song. I can't even imagine...I think of her nephew...I'm getting tear eyed so I'ma stop. And she just started crying on stage too and got a standing ovation. I just got tears. My fave moment of the evening so far.

Performance 8: Jonas Brothers and Stevie Wonder on the boards (the latter with the record for the most performances at the Grammys--that is cool). Nice 5 piece brass band on stage. And Stevie belted it too. Nice energy. Admittedly, I don't know the words. Psyche. Who doesn't know the words to Very Superstitious? Bit less energy for this song, but I was jammin'.

Is it just me or are these sets just going a tad too long? When I WANT them to be longer collabo sets, they never are. I ended up fast forwarding the end of the Kid Rock set. Almost did the same for Al Green and had an itch to do so for Jonas Brothers.

Blink 182 going to do it again eh?

Rock Album:

Coldplay going to go 3 for 3? Yep.

I like them, BUT...is it necessary to give the same album/record five billion awards at the same show? who knows...they're going to run out of stuff to say before the night is over. Who wouldn't though?

Got bored with all the Brits so they threw in a Scott to announce Katy Perry.

Performance 9: okay. Cocacabana phalic banana Katy Perry wearing the ice skating outfit with crappy choreography. She is totally NOT a dancer. Or a singer really for that matter. We can finally stop making fun of Britney I guess. Talk about marking your steps and stage stare. Oh my goodness. Is this a joke? The audience shot AFTER the performance summed it ALL UP. WTF?

Performance 10: Kanye will bring it back. With Estelle. She lipsyncing that? HE lypsyncing? Again?? really come on. And I liked that song. Nothing special performance wise.

Best new artist. To Adele. Is this the friggin' British Grammys? I missed that memo. My fave was Jazmine Sullivan (Lauryn Hill reincarnated).

Tempted to fastforward to the hip hop collabo. But wait...is this Morgan Freeman I spy? Talk about swagga like us. And he's tight with Kenny Chesney. Who knew. But then who knew that MF had a little something on the side. Stranger things have happened.

Performance 11: Kenny Chesney. I'm Texan. I get a free pass. I fastforwarded. I've got a bedtime to get to. Sorry.

Sean P. Combs walked out chained up Natalie Cole. She's still alive? I guess if you stay locked in the basement, you might also still be alive. She's still gorgeous...even in that hideous outfit.

Record of the Year:

Adele, Coldplay, Leona Lewis (Beyonce rehash), MIA, Robert Plant and Alison Krause

Coldplay did NOT win all 7 this year because Robert and Alison pulled out yet another WTF award. They don't even know who is going to talk. "Good things happen out of nowhere." says TBone. No kidding. Sean in fly purple is standing back there thinking "You think??"

Queen Latifah looking cute. Sexy fine. Cute earrings in their own crazy way. Looking royal in purple.

Performance 12: Swagga Like Us - MIA (preggers and all...how cute is THAT?!) Black and white and what is she wearing? The black and white is actually kinda cool. Kanye, TI, Jay Z, Lil Wayne. Honestly, I love this song. And play it way too much probably for my neighbors. Love the beat. The message, probably not the best. And Hova gets better with age. His woman with that Diva song...I thought she was beyond those crazy kinds of songs. But I digress. First time I saw Lil Wayne, I was like "really?" That's what he looks like? Now that I don't watch BET (or MTV since really, the latter doesn't play music videos anymore), I don't know what any of these people look like. Now we have color. The black and white was getting a bit annoying. Is this the first obviously pregnant Grammy performance? She was due to pop today. Holy crazy. Sometimes I wish I lived in LA.

Performance 13: another Brit. imagine that. I want to say that they have like the Caribbean Grammys and I KNOW they have the Latin Grammys. Maybe. Just an idea. Maybe. We need an American Grammys. Oh come on I'm kidding. Relax. Paul McCartney. Sir. Everyone loves him. I admire longevity. And that was good. He's popular for a reason and standing ovation...deserved. I could leap for that bandwagon.

Male Pop Vocal: John Mayer. I love that song! Say. Beautiful. Gotta feel good in that company to win that. The first (that I recall) real "thank you" speech. Someone who actually expected he had a real chance to win.

LL Cool J and some dude I don't know and couldn't/was too tired to properly google introduced the next performance. NOT funny when your co-presenter has to clarify for the confused folks that when you scream out "Farmer's Boulevard" (not Cool James, the other dude) that that is a reference to Queens. I mean...half the folks watching are from the heartland (aka, NOT NYC) and the other half are from somewhere in England. Nice to have a clear understanding of who your audience is.

Performance 14: Sugarland and Adele together. Tempted, but because I'm multitasking and the song is pretty (Stay), I'll leave it. She has a great voice. Fluffy flyaway hair, but still. And now Adele. More lack of stage presence Adele - to the point that she's almost like "who the hell are these other people on stage with me?" But an onstage string section. Reminds me of my string bass playing nephew. And brings a tear to my eye because of the song so...she's forgiven for the lackluster performance. Sugarland takes this one. Even on Adele's song.

Gwenyth is way too skinny. And too pale for off black pantyhose. And a discoball dress. I don't get it. I DID love Perfect Murder though.

Performance 15: USC Trojan Marching Band (at least the percussion section and some brass) and Radio Head. Okay. I'm not cool. we know this. And I was a band geek. Yes, head drum major in Texas band geek. And it is different. And probably fun for them. But I'm so not feeling it. Like I said, I'm not cool like that. Which means they will win album of the year. Automatic.

Sam Jackson...to Shaft intro really? Collabo award. "Am I right people? Damn right I'm right". I love him. Watch Lakeview Terrace. That was quite a movie. He didn't have any man love for his neighbor in that movie.

Performance 16: JT and TI. I admittedly love this song. And JT. And TI. And this song is powerful. Love this unplugged version with JT at the piano, strings in the back. Mics of course are not unplugged, but you get my point. And yes. The Justin Timberlake concert was one of the best I've been too. Musicians, dancers and all. This performance, they have street drummers on the stairs. Love that touch. This is my fave performance of the night. Cut to Hova...what's he thinking? Yeah right punk. Just saying...

Yes we can political speeching on the academy and copyright protection (traditional radio...uhhmm...who listens to "traditional radio" anymore?) and Music Cares foundation and a Secretary of the arts cabinet position proposition. Really? Okay...change, yes we can, Grammy winner in the White House...sure that wasn't planned.

Performance 17: Four Tops Grammy Lifetime achievement award (there have been others, but, this one is obviously significant). Jaime Fox, Ne Yo, last remaining survivor and presenter do Reach Out/I can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch). Bernadette! Yes. I've heard the song. No. I seriously doubt that a song out when my mom was 9 inspired the name of her first child. Just saying. Another good performance. Everyone kept up with each other...it was totally cute.

Performance 18: Neil Diamond performing Swwet Caroline. Sorry. This is what tivo is for. This is where Robert rails against the financial woes of the music industry. The comment was "Are we really so hard up for new stuff that we're digging up every dead song now?" This is always a fun conversation about how Clear Channel is going down without a government bailout and the music industry business model being dead. And then there is the merger coming between TicketMaster and LiveNation. lovely. $290 concert tickets for everyone. Here's to Apple and 79 cent downloads. Totally holding on to my gift cards. I can wait. I download mostly dead songs anyhow. Mostly.

Performance 19: Collabo in keeping with the theme of the night. Jam session really. In memoriam of the folks who have passed so a Bo Diddly song. Tech issues? No intro of who was who. Dead tired to look it up.

Performance 20: Tribute to New Orleans (Lil Wayne), Alan Toussant (on piano) and Robin Thicke. First heard this song on NPR. Yes. NPR. Some strong images of New Orleans/Katrina. Like the collaboration. The words are touching. Like this one too...because I LOVE this song. The images are crazy powerful. Great New Orleans flair with Toussant.

Best Rap Album: Lil Wayne. Another of those where it's like "must feel good in the context of all those names". and he brought his whole family up (including mama and kids).

Hova...and that wasn't Beyonce next to him. And Nas is back? One Mic. All I gotta say.

Performance 21: Robert and Alison. Tivo is handy. I'm sorry. I'm a horrible reviewer. Or non-reviewer. Which is too bad because you know...

Green day looking kinda uhm. Final Grammy presenter for Album of the year.

They've won every other award tonight with a WTF so why not this one too?

Robert and Alison with everyone basically muttering in the audience WTF? I think I might actually hear some boos. Or maybe that is just everyone clearing out. The murmer won't die down. I saw a special on this collaboration. On like Frontline or something. Robert is like "In the old days, they would have called this selling out."

Today too. And the music industry wonders why they're dead on arrival.

Or is that too harsh?

Performance 22: Stevie Wonder takes it out.

We discuss why new, innovative wonders who sell songs (not albums) don't go all out because of the music industries garage sale of late. When is the last time you saw the Grammys go to anyone who hasn't redone something they first did 20 years ago? I'm just saying.

Sorry Auntie...

2009-02-08T15:47:00.000-08:00

...so.

The best thing about packing? You find shit that has been missing for, oh...6 months.

Like my ipod. No...not the ipod I won from Junebug weddings (a fantastic, LOCAL, bridal blog that was eye candy to my soul...even months after my i dos).

The ipod I won from KI's Color Theory Album contest.

Now I'ma be honest. I come from that kind of family. The kind who will visit, eat your food, do things in your bed you don't want to imagine and accidently pack your stuff up with them on the way out the door.

I'm not saying anything. But I do owe someone an apology for all the bad karma vibes I was shooting your way. You have no idea how much I love that ipod. Mostly because I won it. But also because I love iTunes...not nearly as much as Pandora now. But still.

Listen to some music...have some fun.

Scrap room almost entirely dismantled. Sniff.

No...where's the space needle

2009-01-31T11:01:00.000-08:00

No. I did not feel it. I sleep through EVERYTHING. And 5:30 am I am DEFINITELY sleeping so no I did not feel the earthquake. But I must say, from what folks are describing, if I WOULD have felt it, I would have just assumed my neighbors were washing clothes and it was getting windy again. Which, for the record, it was really windy last night.

It's rare that I hear anything laugh out loudable on the TMan show lately. But on my way in to work Friday morning, a girl called in. Now. There are times when people with serious issues call in. And I have to say that the morning crew is REALLY GOOD at picking up on that and not causing too much trauma to the little ones who wander in helplessly unaware of what they are getting into. Like the time the screenplay writer called in to talk about her missing daughter. Of 20 someodd years.

I digress.

Yesterday (Friday), this lady called in to say she didn't know what she was doing for her 30th birthday and no one planned anything and isn't that sad. We're sensing some dysfunction so they set her up to go clubbing with the VIPs. At Twilight. In Belltown.

Now.

There are times when I cannot remember how to spell the word "the". Because come on...the whole thee versus tha... pronounciation and sometimes, I get confused. Not seriously confused like spell it wrong confused, but just a bit concerned that "the" doesn't look right. Yes. Why yes I am an Ivy League graduate...genetics/science communication/special focus and all. And no I did NOT climb Everest...I rode a cart to base camp because I am THAT PITIFUL.

Back to Belltown. Now. I work in Bellevue. It has been a while since I've been back to downtown Seattle and I actually now have to ask people "do you mean Downtown Seattle or Downtown Bellevue?" when they ask me how long it takes to get downtown since our main office is also located "downtown" (not really...more like Queen Anne which is the edge of downtown, different from the other edge of downtown that is Belltown, but you get where this is going).

Belltown, depending on the hoods you frequent, could EASILY be a way for the hipper among us to be describing Bellevue. You know...Bellevue...Belltown? Okay right. But. And this is a big but. There is actually a neighborhood (northwardly end of downtown, waterfront, but not the stadium hood end of downtown...Seattle that is) where they hang signs from the lightposts that say "Belltown".

So for the record, Twilight is in Downtown Seattle Belltown. Not Bellevue.

But I was thrown for a loop because when they were teasing said VIP DJ about moving up from the southend (that would be Ttown or Tacoma...or whatever the heck those people call smelly city nowadays and its many many little neighborhoods that I also don't totally get), they said wow, you're moving on up to the eastside. And Bellevue is the eastside. I mean HECK. The Seattle Magazine (yes, there is such a thing and we actually have a subscription) just did a whole issue on how the Eastside is growing up and taking over. Of course...this was likely done BEFORE Microsoft fired half their staff (okay...5000 out of 100000 is not half, but I never proclaimed to be good at math).

But you can see how I was slightly confused right? They mentioned east side, I heard Twilight, it sounds trendy, that's so east side (the trendy part) so I made that connection to Belltown must now be what we are calling Bellevue.

But it isn't. And the 30 year old who called in, right before hanging up, she says (and I quote):

"But hold up. I've lived in Seattle all my life. Where Belltown at?"

To which we all chuckle and it easily becomes, what do you mean where's Belltown...that's like saying "I've lived in Seattle all my life...where's the space needle at again?"

I think that is a bit of a stretch. But then again. Probably not as big a stretch as being married to a New Yorker who was the biggest Yankee fan I'd ever seen but he had NEVER been to "the city" and couldn't tell you where the stadium was at. Limber. But also tragic.

Remember that "promise"

2009-01-30T07:51:00.000-08:00

You know...the one to blog more? Well...live with it.

How many of ya'll are on facebook? How come you have not befriended me? Don't be intimidated by the massive lists...I promise I'll even share my flair with you. And THAT is saying a lot.

All said, Alex, the dude I "talk" to like one a blue moon (aka, almost never), tagged me. Here's to a long blog post to share that tag:

1. I work with an AWESOME set of colleagues who put up with my randomness and still manage to be more than amazing at what they do. And since they do it for the Girl Scouts, that just makes them super special. Case in point, Maria.

2. I got married in July to the smartest, most brillant, sexiest, funnest, most adventurous guy I've ever known who is not (GASP!) on Facebook. However, the amazing photographer who captured that magical day is on facebook (hi Airika!) and so is his sister (hi KJ) and his sister's bestest friend in the world (Hey Lynn!).

3. I not so recently graduated from a fantastic graduate program at Seattle University. Aside from the educational aspects, I had taken to calling myself B. Henderson at that point only to find that there was another B. Henderson in my program. (Hey there Brittany). We look nothing alike and don't have much of the same background but rumor has it our applications were mixed up a bit. Lucky me, I got the henderso Seattle U email addy.

4. I think I just heard a gun shot in my backyard. This is not unusual.

5. I love to scrapbook like you wouldn't believe. Even better than scrapbooking are the other people you meet who do it. Folks like JJ (the amazing founder of www.scrapinstyletv.com), and Kayla(the cutest bit of photographic memory and funny stories of "underage" shopping at Victoria's Secret you will ever meet).

6. I am, indeed I should say, I WAS totally a band geek. All the way until my senior year of college when I just fell off the earth and became a total slacker. I mean, I was privileged to attend a real Ivy League school with a REAL Marching Band (not real by Alex's standards...we'll tag him later...but real by Ivy League standards). I got to hang out with the likes of Matthew (hey Matt!) when we were both Co-Alumni Something or another Chairs and I went home with Kyle (hey Kyle!) and his brood of women and remember falling totally in love with bagels and Kyle telling me that it figures that I got the white gumball out of the gumball machine cause I was totally going to end up with a white guy. This before I dated the starter husband and married the current paler shade of pale dude. And I had a really good time usually hanging out with Cathy - especially the time I slept in a room of like 19 girls on the floor of some Harvard dude's place (I think it was Harvard) and forgot my dang boots at his place all in the name of traveling with the band. Ahh...Big Red Clarinets. Those were the days. Okay...not really. But band was kinda (definitely) a good way to avoid doing any bio homework. Which would explain why I graduated Ivy and work for the Girl Scouts. I'm just saying is all.

7. Speaking of Cornell folks, it would NOT be a trip down memory lane if I didn't tag Charline who never writes back on Facebook or Linked In (she's a busy woman) but who better stop trying to ignore a sister before I post some "beautiful to me" pictures of her from back in the day. She was my suite mate at Ujamaa.

8. Oh and yes...that summer at Cornell after Freshman year when Alex came to save my sanity. I owe my college graduation to that dude. Otherwise, I would have gone home to El Paso and probably stayed there after trying my darndest to flunk out of my bio major. Alas...that summer was not my best Alex memory. See Alex and I go way back. There was this one night...in high school...no not high school marching band when the shoe wouldn't get up and march. I can't quite remember if this was before or after that but I do know that one night, my mom came into the living room at like 3 and the morning and demanded to know who I was talking to. It was Alex of course. To which she replied "Really? I mean you had band practice until like 9 tonight and you're going to see him again in like 2 hours...can't you just go to sleep?" Instead, we proceeded to watch the sunrise on the phone and I told him my cheerios story. I shudder just thinking about that.

9. These need to be way shorter. I talk a lot.

10. Back in high school, when Alex and I just couldn't let go but were totally poor college students, we went back to do this celebration, grad dinner for a handful of juniors (then seniors) who were really important to us. Sad thing? I can't remember the full on group of folks. But I am pretty certain (not positive, I'm getting old and could never remember anything in my younger days either) that Michelle and Tihara were both there. Perhaps Marida was there too...

11. At the very least Marida and Rachel had the distinct pleasure of freezing their butts off in Ithaca one fine October evening. I've got the pictures to prove that from my starter marriage.

12. I worked my butt off for the Obama campaign last year. And met lots of amazing people like Brita and Majid and Wyatt while doing so.

13. I don't go home to Texas nearly enough. But one of the best times of my life was helping Cindy to plan our 10 year reunion (yep, it has been that long--here's to 20!).

14. When I worked at Seattle University (law), I told Miranda all my secrets and I totally miss working with her even though she only lives a few block away from me and I should call her more often.

15. I always like hanging out with Nitin and Anjli because, aside from being good people, they have the cutest most adorable daughter who is probably my fave local little person right about now.

16. I want to move to the suburbs and get a little lap dog that I can walk with my hubby and his great dane.

17. I kind of sort of wish I still traveled a lot so that I could see and meet up with all the people I knew in real life, now only see online and really should have taken more time to see in person.

18. I love Seattle. Of all the places I've lived, this is hands down my fave place and I would have NEVER been that kid growing up who thought I would ever make it this far, on this side of the country, out of Texas.

19. Speaking of Texans...one of my fave memories of Texas people is Jennette C who actually lives in AZ now. One Christmas, Rachel drug myself and Jennette, Anti-Christ One and Two, to a Christmas pageant. She was trying to be a good Catholic. It was a rather long pageant and at one point, just when we thought it would be over, Act 427billion started. To which Jennette proclaimed (very loudly) "Oh JESUS!" in a very exasperated tone. I could NOT, STOP, LAUGHING.

20. Much like that time, my senior year in high school, when I played the part of the Stage Manager in Our Town. You know...the grave scene in the end. It really wasn't no where near that funny Rachel. But when that arbor was drug by that wedding dress and no one on stage could stop laughing, I think that did in our drama instructor. That was the best play ever.

21. Going WAY back. When I lived in the projects, Veronica and I would go door to door with my sister selling cupcakes for a quarter. I just baked some cookie monster cupcakes (best quote of the weekend...Me: "What are you whining about?" him "I really want a cookie monster, but I don't have any milk.") and I guarantee you I could get at least a buck each for them.

22. Napa Valley and Monterey are my fave places in the world. So long as we don't eat at Pebble Beach and we save enough funds to ship home.

23. My husband calls me death. Mostly because I'm ALWAYS deathly cold...no warmth to my extremeties. I tell him not to call me that in public because most people don't get it. But then you touch me and you get it. Doesn't help that I work in a office where we have to coordinate who gets to turn on which space heater first and we look forward to days when we're the only one in the office because that means we get to crank the heat.

24. I really, REALLY miss my grandmother.

25. I LOVE Wii...it is so good to be addicted to something not so totally bad for you. Of course I can't golf in real life (but I CAN bowl and have enough rhythm still to cut a rug every now and again), but it is fun to think that I can translate all those mad skills to the non-virtual world.

Officially

2009-01-26T22:41:00.000-08:00

Going for it.

Lots of work to prep amd get ready. Including packing up the computer and the scrappy scraps. But I'm so ready to do this. So I think I need to go and scrap some more.

Need to start packing but I just can't believe that I won't have access to all these little bits and pieces to play with for months on end. Potentially even 9 months. He'll play civilization on xbox...I'll play Wii Sims (or civilization when he's done) and the time will fly.

In the meantime, my hot shower to warm up and bed call me.

Here's to good credit, patience, not overextending yourself, lots of luck and loving on the greatest guy I've ever known. And really appreciating that he professes to love me just as much if not more. Thankfully, I love him most.

Hope you scrappers enjoyed the pub class. Hope you picture takers are getting your fill. Blog stalkers, I'm sorry. Stacey, call me so we can chat about your easter visit. Liisa call me back cause I've got scrap to give (and drama to fill you in on). Little brother...Seattle is like 40 minutes from Ft. Lewis...if you leave up out of Washington and don't tell me, there will be hell to pay. My nephew never reads my blog, but I think about him all the time (the oldest one...I actually have what...like 5 nephews not that you would know it from my scrapping or writing). All said that I love you, think it rocks that you're an orchestra geek and love Mozart's Medley and I still have your nose that I borrowed from Thanksgiving. You'll have to come to Seattle to retrieve it.

Which reminds me...on our not Valentine's day...we should go to Purple or King Fish. Yes...that is for the benefit of he who occassionally notes that he needs to check this place out to make sure I'm not posting naughty pictures (aka, any picture with him in it). Almost time for Lion King!

Thank goodness I'm not addicted to Facebook

2009-01-25T14:43:00.000-08:00

because I don't know what I would do while the site was down for maintainance.

So.

It is snowing here. Well, flrry fluffified nonsense. Which he proclaims to love. I say get back to me when it sticks.

We just finished totally cleaning the house. And had a nostalgic moment of what this place has meant to us. Gulp.

I got a ton of pages done. But I need to photograph them. And finish them out. It felt really fun to just get pictures to paper again.

Tonight, steak, baked potato and salad...like being a kid all over again. I think I'll even get that dressing mix mom used to always get when we had steak night growing up. I've even agreed to watch what has been termed "My community college version of Breakfast Club" with my better half. He claims this movie (which I have never heard of) is right up there with Colors. Which, at one point, when I told him I had not see the whole movie (Colors) and had never seen I'm Gonna Get You Sucker...we had to have a movie night of course. Right after he asked me just how black I really am. Yes. I agree. It is probably a sad day when my whiter than white husband is more hood than me. And Liisa tried to to play all scared. Girl...I printed off that email summation of just how hood we are. I am going to put it on the fridge too.

So.

There is a ton going on in life right now that I don't blog about. I get conflicted. Because I know I don't remember anything (least of all to brush my teeth if my toothbrush didn't wink at me each time I go to the bathroom as a reminder that "Oh yeah...that little doodad is to brush my teeth with"). Okay. It isn't THAT bad, but I have all these systems set up for remembering stuff. One said system is my blog. For the kids I don't have that may want to come back and have an intimate (as intimate as something shared worldwide can be) look at who I was on January 25, 2009. All said. Lately. I have been relying on other's memories of the drama that is my life because some things are too sacred to blog. Which I know is saying a whole lot given some of the randomness I've typed and let fly here (who remembers the toilet...guess what...it came back). All said...it is starting to stick outside. It's 3 pm and I think I'll hit the shower now (hey now...I worked up a sweat with the whole cleaning thing), eat my leftover Mongolian grill and then, finally, get to moving.

For real.

Girl Where You Be?

2009-01-19T08:13:00.000-08:00

You know.

There was a time when I felt compelled to write daily. Sometimes many times a day. A stalker or two will do that for you (Alex...I know you're watching you lurker).

But then when your peeps check in daily even when you DON'T blog, that becomes a game in itself...to see just how long people will hold out hope that you might get your shtuff together and write some dang thing already.

Okay. I get it.

So what have I done with my super busy life in that span of time?

I'll start with what I have not done:

I have not cleaned any toilets. That is beneath me.
I have not cooked daily wholesome meals for my still fresh and newly minted husband.
I have not forgotten that as of today, I've been a Mrs. for 6 months.
I have not taken many pictures outside of say, Disneyland
I have not mouthed off
I have not scrapped all that much
I have not yet downloaded more itunes

I HAVE:

Started a cool puzzle
started to eat hummus again
been to Disneyland
been told more times than I think appropriate that I'm a closet Republican
(I guess the trip to the Regan Library didn't help that)
I was also told I'm an upperclass snob...because I don't like Applebees anymore
I vacuumed (finally) my scrap room
I started a book
I stated to plan out thenext 3-5 years of my/our work life at the jobby job

So see. Not much to blog about. Even though MANY times lately I have been caught saying "that is so bloggable."

I think I need more hummus.

At this very moment...

2008-12-27T11:43:00.000-08:00

...I am watching him iron shirts
...I am thinking about getting a piece of coffee cake
...I'm trying to determine just how I want to finish off the wedding scrapbook
...I need to get up and go get m license/debit card pin
...almost as much as I need to go shop for Christmas ornaments for the 3 trees we'll have next year
...I really want to scrap
...he is watching an Oxygen channel movie
...he just turned it to some home improvement something
...we had to turn off the space heater so as not to short out the bedroom
...I think we should go downstairs and watch more West Wing episodes
...or get our 30 minutes in of Dance Dance revolution (thank you cutie!)
...but not drink anymore Silver Oak...sigh
...I could try to convince him to crack open another bottle of wine
...but I have some concerns over my need to drink $60 worth of wine per day. My share that is
...snow is going away
...he is denying me pizza...but I can have enchiladas instead
...we are debating who has the crazier past/family/life...
...right before realizing that now we get to share everything.

Ahhh.

Liisa and her ghetto fab self did the nicest little recap of crazyville for us the other day. I want to print it out and frame it. As a mere fleeting memory of "where we came from" cause really...really.

And no...I'm not checking the weather at Disneyland again.

January 20 is less than a month away

2008-12-22T16:15:00.000-08:00

Because January 20 can't get here fast enough and I clearly am a sucker for this kinda stuff:

Michael Franti and Spearhead Barack Obama song.

You can download it for free there too.

As we come to the end...

2008-12-22T10:52:00.000-08:00

...of yet another year, you would think that nothing is going on how often I blog and all. I'm the first to admit I'm a bad blogger. So to attone for my sins (I mean, aside from being one of 10 people that made it to church yesterday...yeah...and what??), a rich interactive post is in order. Which means I need to switch to live writer so as to not get frustrated and want to toss this machine.

BRB

Fun with iTunes and Pandora

2008-12-17T09:08:00.000-08:00

So we all know how ticked I got with iTunes not too long ago. I'm over it. And to make up to the iTunes Gods, while I'm still not allowed to set foot in the Apple Store (all well and good enough), I think I can still do these little diddies so long as I mix a bit of Pandora goodness in there too. And we're off. Play along:

1. Put your iPod or other music player (iTunes) on shuffle.
2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
The Name of the song is your answer!
3. YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER HOW SILLY IT SOUNDS!
4. Tag 15 friends who might enjoy doing this as well as the person you got this from.
*edit* so sorry but I forgot which of the 167 bloglines I got this from and all chains die with me because, well, like I said, I like the few friends I have and want to keep them. So blog lurkers, have fun, keep the flame alive. if you hipped me to this on your blog, chime in and I'll link you up.

1.IF SOMEONE SAYS "IS THIS OKAY" YOU SAY? Big Things Poppin
2.WHAT WOULD BEST DESCRIBE YOUR PERSONALITY? Whoa!
3.WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A GUY/GIRL? Make me Better
4.WHAT IS YOUR LIFE'S PURPOSE? Stuntin' Like My Daddy
5.WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO? A milli
6.WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU? Awnaw
7.WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN? Daydreamin'
8.WHAT IS 2+2? Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik
9.WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND? Moment of Clarity
10.WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE PERSON YOU LIKE? Upgrade U
11.WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY? Live Your Life
12.WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP? Miss Independent
(fyi...this game is EERIE!)
13.WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THE PERSON YOU LIKE? Love Lockdown
14.WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU? This is Why I'm hot
15.WHAT WILL YOU DANCE TO AT YOUR WEDDING? Let's Ride
16.WHAT WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL? Get Silly
17.WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST? Rehab
18.WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET? Hey Lover
19.WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS? Player's Ball
20.WHAT'S THE WORST THING THAT COULD HAPPEN? Lookin' Boy
21.HOW WILL YOU DIE? Wipe Me Down
22.WHAT IS THE ONE THING YOU REGRET? Call on Me
23.WHAT MAKES YOU LAUGH? Breathe
24.WHAT MAKES YOU CRY? Beautiful
25.WILL YOU EVER GET MARRIED? Yahhh!
26.WHAT SCARES YOU THE MOST? Flashing Lights
27.DOES ANYONE LIKE YOU? Swagga Like Us
28.IF YOU COULD GO BACK IN TIME, WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE? Go
29.WHAT HURTS RIGHT NOW? Throw Some Ds
(oh. my. dear. sweet. Jesus. lol)
30.WHAT WILL YOU POST THIS AS? Hit 'em up style (oops!)

That took me like a week in draft to post. Enjoy!

Life catch up

2008-12-12T06:54:00.000-08:00

Oy. Razzle Dazzle...you make my world so special.

Snickers Cheesecake hipped to me by Becca. Think I might have to try that when I get back Sunday.

From where? Well from the Leavenworth Lighting Festival.

Snow is coming SNOW IS COMING! Hunker down. I love sweaters (smile).

I get to spend a whole weekend with him.

Nuff said (smile)

Playing with Wedding photos

2008-12-09T18:20:00.000-08:00

7 lucky photos. Trying to get the never to be completed scrapbook of wedding photos done.

Gorgeous photography by Gerald Pope and his stunningly talented wife Airika. Crop happy scrapper photoshop tinkering by moi. Enjoy the sneak peeks I posted at Scrapinstyle and here.

Other life updates:

I'm in the scrap room so iTunes is my friend again. Briefly.

Wii is addictive like you wouldn't believe.

Go big or go home. Let go, be free.

Done with iTunes

2008-12-06T11:35:00.000-08:00

And with that, I'm done with iTunes. if it is that difficult, it is quickly becoming not worth it to me. not lazy, not stupid, just not going to waste hours of my life trying to sync and authorize computers that no longer exist and not being able to play music I've purchased where I want to play it. I tried artists. Now it's time to pilage the high music seas. I'm kidding. but these things call CDs cost about as much as them stupid iTunes that I can only (evidently) play on my computer in my home upstairs. not on my laptop (which resides in a different room upstairs) or on the computer downstairs (there is a whole level in between "upstairs" and "downstairs" so, maybe that makes a huge difference)...

done.

That playlist yesterday was fun while it lasted.

The $80 birthday cake from heaven...

2008-12-05T17:45:00.000-08:00

I've officially hit middle age and the coordinating mid-life crisis is probably about to hit. Probably.

Some brief(ish) observations:

Those who say you can't have "real" friends online that you've never met in real life know not the power of Facebook, Blogger and LinkedIn. Happy Birthday wishes from those folks I knew = 128. You all rocked my world for being a girl who doesn't really make much of a deal out of birthdays.

Life is way too short to play games. And just too short in general.

I need to see my family way more often. Especially since the Seattle move is looking far less likely for them and that makes me really, really, really sad.

El Paso isn't THAT bad. Okay...it's not that great either for a girl who grew up there and cannot get into "tourist" mode to save her life.

I miss her tons. So much. And I love how missing her with me were my mom and my nephew. Four generations (counting the cricket). Until November 1999, we actually had five generations going strong. I miss that second oldest so much. Love that she left such a legacy behind. Others may have, but I will never forget a single detail...how she smelled, how she smiled, how she sounded, how I loved her. Man I miss her.

Going. Thanks for all the well wishes and "thoughtful" emails. Yes, I have a blackberry now. Yes it is because I can't have a WAMU account anymore. Transitions are good. Generally. Because now this means I won't be getting an iPhone for Christmas. Friggin' AT&T.

Speaking of that cake. I LOVE how detail oriented he is. He actually called my fave place in town to order me a birthday cake. That is until he found out that said cake he was considering was going to (per slice) cost just as much as we paid for our wedding cake. Sometimes I love living with a finance geek. This is one of those times. Somehow, it doesn't seem as obnoxious when it is the two of us (or the five of us as often is the case there) shoveling through that wedge of red velvet goodness. But to feed a whole gang of folks, I agree...it's not our wedding part 2.

Speaking of the wedding...playing with photos and trying to get this book scrapped for a mommy Christmas gift. Cause though she loved my purse, I really don't want to have to regift that to her because I love my purse too. I should stop blogging.

That said:

Finally got the oil changed.
Might one day clean this scrap room.
Ikea Christmas tree tonight
sushi run is way overdue
I love scrapbooking and photography (still, keep trying)
I love music

To the last:
Groove On playlist in iTunes
Swagga Like Us - Jay-Z & T.I.
Wipe Me Down - Lil Boosie
Damn! (Club Mix) - YoungBloodz
Big Things Poppin (Do it) [clean] - T.I.
Awnaw - Nappy Roots
Yahhh! - Souljah Boy Tell 'Em
Lookin Boy - Hotstylz
My 64 - Mike Jones featuring Bun B & Snoop
Get Silly (Radio Edit) - V.I.C.
Stuntin' Like My Daddy (Street Version) - Birdman & Lil Wayne
A Bay Bay - Hurricane Chris
Throw Some D's - Rich Boy
A Milli [clean] - Lil Wayne
Whoa! - Black Rob
Presidential tha Remix - YoungBloodz
Player's Ball - OutKast
Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik - Outkast
85 - YoungBloodz
Let's Ride - Montell Jordan
What's It Gonna Be - Busta Rhymes & Janet Jackson
This Is Why I'm Hot - Mims
Upgrade U - Beyonce
Live Your Life (featuring Rihanna)- T.I.
Beautiful - Snoop Dogg
Breathe - Blu Cantrell & Sean Paul
Hit 'Em Up Style (Oops!) - Blu Cantrell
Love Lockdown - Kanye West
Rehab - Rihanna
Hey Lover - LL Cool J & Boyz II Men
Make Me Better - Fabolous featuring
Miss Independent - Ne-Yo
Call on Me - Janet Jackson & Nelly

Have a fantastic weekend if I don't get ya on the rebound!

Closer

2008-11-19T19:26:00.000-08:00

Closer to a blogiversary and closer to a birthday and closer to some folks I didn't really get to meet all that much but had significant pull in bringing to this crazy town called Seattle.

Closer to figuring out what I want to do in life.

Closer to him (not Him...I need to get back to that house, but to him, the one over in the bedroom napping).

Closer to Friday.

Closer to closure.

Closer to getting the mojo back to scrap a thing or two.

Closer to letting it go and having fun with the important stuff again.

Closer to making it official.

Closer to going back to El Paso.

Closer to getting a shipment that should have done been here by now.

Closer to being scared to death over this economy and the tsunami to come (yes, I'm married to a finance geek if you didn't know that by now).

Lesson for the day courtesy of my often smarter half (or continued learning):

A recession is when your neighbor loses his job (WAMU is laying off close to 2000 folks in Seattle so lots of folks will understand that).

A depression is when you lose your job (technically, it would have been had it not been for the fact that I'm married to an analytical finance geek who is a networking dynamo and got to getting when he freaked that he wouldn't be able to provide for the little woman. Moreso when he realized yeah it would be fun to have a sugar mama, but it is usually more fun when said mama has sugar to give. I do work for a non-profit after all).

Back when the feds were all everything is rosey, I was a "sky is falling" crazy chic trying to convince everyone we were in a recession. I'm not going to break out the d word yet. Not until next week at least. I'll keep you posted on the status of our employment.

Ten Most Important Things to Know Before you die

2008-11-16T17:23:00.001-08:00

In an effort to be clever with the titles, but to also share with you the earth shattering tidbits I learned this weekend:

(In no particular order)

Nothing is done (or should be considered done) without measurement. Ie, don't tell me you tried, prove it to me.

Everyone should shop at least once with a personal shopper. At Nordstroms if you're West Coast. At some other crazy expensive secret hideway level of any other department store you never knew had said secret level in any other town beyond the west.

Life is not about assumptions made on a weekend drive. Case in point, we assumed that the place we want to live (off i90) would be closer to work (both of us, off of i90 now) than where we both used to live and now no longer work. Fact of the matter is that the new place is actually farther away (barely) from our current work than our current place. Go figure. It is closer to the new "gaming establishment" though...see the next point.

It is NOT a fact that Blackjack is the best odds (for the player in the house). However, since most folks understand the rules (contrary to that complicated dicey craps table), it is a sure bet that if you're smart and not emotional about it, you can find a good table and walk away up for the night.

There is a difference between crazy and broken-hearted. Most of that difference is in perception, but on rare occassions (like this weekend) we were able to scientifically categorize quite a bit of crazy and half a grip of broken-heartedness. That one is compliments of the super-analytical one during said longer than expected drive out to the new place.

It is crucial to always make time...for drinks, dinner and casual conversation with the un (or under, guess it all depends) employed. You will learn a lot about that thing called perspective mentioned above.

If you have never been in a relationship (any kind of relationship, best friend, lover, parent, child...whatever) where your uncontrollable laughter can cause the other in that relationship to uncontrollably laugh as well, then you have not lived. Bonus points if when you finally spit out the totally not funny thing you were laughing about, you just fall back into uncontrollable fits of laughter.

We're not called "colored" anymore. And I think he prefers that I not call him "whitey" either. We're all just working on it. I know.

Brickbreaker is to Blackberry what Solitaire is to your new (back in 1990) computer. I think I probably drained my life playing way too much solitaire on my computer back in college. And now, with my shiny new blackberry, who needs any of that other crap when I'm big time in Brickbreaker. All that is to say that there is PLENTY in life to suck your time away from doing important things and being in the moment. Try not to cross that fine line between increased productivity and diminishing returns.

Small tokesn of gratitude go so so SO very far. Do it more. Say thank you. say please. Let someone else go first. Do it just because. Feel better about life and yourself when you let go of the bitter places and just move on already. That one is courtesy of the 4 extra minutes gained at the Costco carwash this afternoon. Thanks Ms. Eddie B. Expedition.

Hope your weekend was just as fun!

From 52 to 48

2008-11-12T19:28:00.000-08:00

I totally LOVE THIS SITE (in case you skip titles, it is a link to From 52 to 48).

When I was looking it up, I came across another site (that I won't link) from a 48er who is a bit...well...yeah.

That particular other place reminds me of that ex. You know...Liisa...the ones who mourn that they don't have a plumber around anymore? No, not Joe (the Plumber), but the ones that lay pipe?

Anyhow...it is November. Which means the floods have come to Seattle. And now that I work over there, it is a whole lot more real. And sad. Even though I personally didn't see any blocked roads.

I didn't wake up sore, but I'm told he woke up to me clinging to the side of the bed for dear life. Small price to pay for answers that come in your sleep.

Anyhow...I was scrapping tonight and just wanted to remember to send an email and post that link so that I could come back to it years from now.

Planning a special surprise for this weekend (because he's a bit busy right now and doesn't check in here I can hint at half birthdays and all), trying to get addresses down right (I'm working on it) and need to send a fruit bouquet to an old lady and...oh yeah...drama! Of the baby mama sort. Sometimes, I wake up, and I think to myself "really? Is this really my life?" It really is kinda cool to be with someone who can laugh about craziness like this with me.

More to come in a scrapbook page near you sometime soon I'm sure.

July 10, 2009. I want to go see 2012. Mostly because of the Everest images I just saw (I so want to go back there and yes, yes I did finally look up the pod casts from heck...think I'll play some of those now). But also because I love end of the world kind of movies and think it is interesting that now that we are actually in 2008 (only 4 years before said 2012) it still just seems so surreal and sci-fi that we're all 20 anything.

A little closer in time, I'm going to go see Bolt this weekend (I have a crush on the hamster though I just saw a trailer with the pigeons so maybe they are my new faves). In 3D dude! After Sushi. Okay. Maybe no sushi so that we can hit the casino. Honestly, I'm not a big animated flick fan but I LOVE how into them he gets. I can't wait to have kids with him (smi.le).

Withdrawal

2008-11-10T20:33:00.001-08:00

Withdrawal. Both of us. Just trying to figure out what in the heck there is to do now that there isn't really anything much interesting going on with Talk Right radio for him, depressed that there isn't a new and exciting development to read. Taking every fiber of my being to not crack open my three mags with photos and "how he did it" stories. I'm saving them. Four years from now, I'll open them with the white glove treatment. I like to look back on things after the fact and see who was precient and who was just off target.

Precient. My better half is such a friggin' analyst. He called just about every state for which way it would swing (and didn't get emotional and give away AZ and GA like I did), called the pop vote margin, calling (still waiting) the senate pick ups...I love watching his brain work.

Then he went to watch football this weekend. With some folks that are just...well...yeah. I ask him all the time how in the world he does it. He is such a study in contrasts--from hanging out on the couch with me watching movies to pub crawls he just is so very much his own set of split personalitites. I LOVE that about him.

Anyhow. I'm a bum. So much so that I've got money to spend on clothes (way too much of it) and I promptly (well, with some urging) called up a personal shopper and said "here are my measurements, Michele Obama me".

Seriously, where she get her hair did cause this girl here is LONG overdue for a half a straightcomb. Or something.

But really. I need to step it up a kick. I got it in my closet, but instead of buying seasonally and not taking care of stuff, I've gotta start dressing like I have a real job and am married to a dude with a real job. so. Weekend shopping trip. Paid for. But then go win some more at the Casino after looking at houses (gotta keep our eyes on the goal or I might buy a whole LOT more clothes that I'll never wear) and maybe steppin' toe into the CK Convention. Maybe.

He's home. Time to go pour him a glass of milk (smile).

Night

I woke up this morning video - Will.I.Am

2008-11-07T16:55:00.000-08:00

...and I was fine. I found a great land of photoshop fun that I had somehow missed. I went to work with great people. My better half figured out how to sync us together on our blackberry/crackberry tether so like Pam and Jim, we could hear everything we didn't maybe want to hear (smile).

I was fine when I woke up this morning.

I went to Staples and SCORED on some page protectors I sorely needed and finally got more ink. Not that stupid "combo pack" for printing 150 photos on photo paper I NEVER use. But real filled cartridges that will print for more than 3 days. Only took me like a year to figure that one out. I was still okay.

I was fine when I woke up this morning--even giggled as my better half took a nibble on my ear to catch the back of my earring down his throat (sorry love, it too shall pass...smile).

I was fine when I woke up this morning knowing I'd get to meet Alexandra (small world where she is working and who I knew was trying for it).

I was fine when I bought three mags at Barnes and Noble commemorating what broke me down.

I was fine when I bought my hair stuff so that I wouldn't look a hot mess the next time (yes, there will be a next time) someone accosts me to be the face of whatever they'd next like me to be the face of.

I was fine when I was watching Oprah and she brought out Will.I.Am.

I was even fine watching his phenomenal "I woke up this morning" performance (certainly, I'll keep it real, not because of his voice, but because of the power of the message...flashed with pictures to set a pacemaker off).

But then I made a mistake. I went and watched this again:

And I was no longer fine.

I couldn't stop crying. I couldn't stop bawling. I couldn't stop wishing that I could wrap my arms around her one. more. time. Today in particular. To tell her yes we did. To hear her tell me about how it was (she grew up in the south...Mississippi south at that). To watch the salty tears roll down her face as she got that I always got that she was my living history. To melt into her just wrapped up in her warmth as she told me I could do and be anything I wanted to do and be and this time feel her hold me so tight and really believe it...not because she didn't believe in me, but because she could believe in "it" again too.

This is really stupid to say and I don't mean it to sound drastic so please don't call the suicide hotlines or anything like that but I would literally do just about anything including catch a charge or two to have just that one last moment with her right now. Again. Once more.

And I know this sounds even sillier. But I'm making her a DVD. And those three mags I bought today. They don't have maintanance as part of her burial agreement and no one really goes out there often enough and I have not been out there since maybe a year after she was burried. Or so. But those mags, those are for her too.

Yes we did. You too. Yes you did. And finally, in a way it didn't hit me on Tuesday...or even Wednesday...and definitely not yesterday. It hits today. Probably because about this time, 9 years ago, she was taking her last breaths. I was on a plane headed back to Ithaca to prep for an LSAT I should have cancelled, and finals I would end up not having to take. I had kissed her hand and begged her to hold on for a few more months because I was almost there. I had almost made it. We had almost made it.

I miss her so much. I wish she was here. I wish she had seen this. To the young folks without old folks in their lives who say "this is so much bigger than Tiger and the Williams' sisters" I say, oh, man, do I ever know. I wish she was here. If even just for a moment longer.

I love you granny. Yes we did. You too. Without your sacrifices, your struggles and your history--OUR history. This moment would be no where near as significant as it is. I promise to do my part to never forget. The same way I never forgot nor will I ever forget you.

I'ma go finish bawling my eyes out now.

Peace out folks and thanks Will.I.Am for bringing it all home for me. Soon as I find the bootleg YouTube clip of you on Oprah, you know I'm totally going to post it here.

B

O. Yes. We. Did!

2008-11-04T22:35:00.000-08:00

Robert keeps asking me if I'm okay. I still just can't believe it. Absolutely can't believe that we seriously just elected our first black President. Not when I was 80. Not when I was in my mid life. But when I was young enough to still be hopeful, but guarded because you know...I've hoped that hope before.

Wow. Wow!

We did it! You did it. I wish my grandmother were here to do it too. I love you mom. Love you Crystal and David too. And Quantae. And so many folks not wanting to be named. Thanks for putting up with me when I forgot birthdays, took forever to get thank you notes out and didn't return calls for months on end. Thank you for indulging my "your people and my people" hour long educational sermons. Thank you for letting me dream about doing the unthinkable and then doing it - I quit my job and took the time to immerse myself in this before moving on to the next pasture.

Wow. Did I say wow already?

The only other things I wish?

I wish that one of those southern states had gone blue. So that all those folks (you know who I'm talking about) who finally felt safe enough to care and get up and go out and vote...would have felt the full force impact that when they participate, the results are real and tangible. For the record, it still counts - you're part of that mandate.

I wish that we would remember that the demise of "publicly financed campaigns" was NOT a bad thing. That if it takes non-public financing for ordinary everyday people to give $5 or $20 at a time and to be so involved that they'll actually turn out to vote? I'm okay with that kind of Public Financing of Presidential Campaigns.

And I wish that voting was as easy as possible. Meaning, don't try to trick and intimidate and discourage people from feeling like I do tonight. Win it fair and square. And I don't mean quibble over who isn't eligible to vote because of some arcane rules you set up way back when you were still trying to keep certain folks from voting. I mean win it FAIR and SQUARE.

I love that the world was watching. And I know she was too. She stepped right back down here tonight for one brief hug--well two. I wish I would have gotten her name. But when she grabbed me and held on tight. And then I had to ask her for one more hug for granny. I about lost it. And because I'm blurring up here...I'ma leave it at that.

Thank you America. Thank you America.

Yes we did!

Obama's Aunt: The Visitor

2008-11-01T09:33:00.001-07:00

October surprise? Thanks goodness for early voting because I can see the spin already on this.

So Obama has an aunt living illegally in the US of A (in a Boston housing project at that). You can peep that story here.

And right after you read that story, go...no...RUN to your local Blockbuster and rent this movie:

You can also buy your very own copy here.

I love the irony that is this country of immigrants. Save. it. You don't have to tell me about the right and wrong way to get here and the rules and the laws. I get that. But remember. My point is about the irony of the situation. That lots of folks making/professing those laws are folks who have just as little right to be here as the next.

And all that.
Really folks. Drama.

Let's not forget the rules/laws violated by loose lips but hey...

Get out and vote!

Labels

2008-10-31T23:25:00.000-07:00

Republican. crazy. ham. scrapbooker. reader. boss.

Just free flowing ya'll. And sometimes the label doesn't fit, is unnecessary or whatever. like dude. But really?

I'm reading (way too much lately, clearly) and came across a lis tof potential staffers for an Obama White House. Course I didn't go anywhere near a list for potential McCain White House, but that would be interesting reading after this:

"Dems in the know" are seriously letting leak that Obama is considering Republicans for Education and Environment posts? Now. I know. Labels. But really. Commerce...defense...commerce...and did I mention defense? Would not have batted an eye. But I've just been conditioned to believe - despite the fact that I live in WA where labels are RARELY what they seem - that if you like the environment/public lands and you want to do something meaningful about education (and health care and...) that you don't put Republicans in charge of that kind of stuff. They like (and are good at) things like commerce and defense. Oh and commerce. Comfy with Republican staffers there. But education and environmental issues? I have not dropped my ballot yet. Maybe that is a good thing.

But what is truly a good thing is how small this world is. I went to the state Dem convention this year and got to meet lots of "everyday, ordinary people". Some of them I even saw on said list of potential White House staffers. Maybe I'm the only geek that thinks that is cool. Probably.

Walking tomorrow. Flying on Tuesday. Fired up and ready to go.

back to scrapbooking while my own homemade HAM watches Saw Bazillionandseven. Right after War, Inc which, by the way, was the stupidest movie I have ever watched. Even worse than dude wandering through the woods to the big white house. whatever the heck that was.

Crazy is out in full force lately though. Rebecca--did you take all the candy off my porch??

I'll stop.

Damon Weaver, 390, Subprime stick people

2008-10-30T11:03:00.000-07:00

So I was over at PostBourgie and they had the cutest little journalist linked up from You Tube:

I particularly busted out laughing (with you Damon, with you) when Biden launched into a pretty long "What does the VP do" answer. Only because you see Damon's elbow slowly but surely drop from "oh, a few more words" to "seriously, this is not a 30 second soundbite" to "Dear sweet Jesus Joe...you're my homie but dang!"

lol. Loved. That

They also hipped me to 270towin.com. Where of course I had to dream a little dream.

DO NOT email me about what I'm smoking. At least I left Texas red.

And just to reload this powerpoint that Robert sent me a while back (fixed the linky since I don't have Windows Live to upload the ppt direct to blog anymore):

CDO Powerpoint SubPrime Primer

Publish at Scribd or explore others: Academic Work Reports mortgage SubPrime

In case you need a peek before you enter Power Point presentations like the one above: If you can't read the tiny font, click on the title CDO Subprime Primer and it will take you to the site where you can blow it up big as day. It's worth it.

That was funny.

Obama Hate Crimes Part II

2008-10-29T19:54:00.000-07:00

...or maybe a crime against the not as obvious target as suggested by THIS effigy story out of my neighboring state of Oregon.

Sigh.

I think I'm going to be a flier on November 4. Gotta drop my ballot off tomorrow after I get a picture of it of course.

Obama Hate Crimes: A History Lesson?

2008-10-28T22:42:00.001-07:00

Quote of all quotes at a ridiculous hour of the night reading what has all of a sudden become very scant election coverage:

"Had this stupid act been done to Senator (Barack) Obama, there would appropriately have been a national outcry," he said in a statement."

This from this Newsweek Article of a Palin effigy left swinging from a porch.

Now. I'll be the first to admit that while I rocked straight As in school, History would probably be in my bottom 3 subjects. And yeah. I probably have a bit more "understanding" of mine one over say, Mr. Antonovich's.

But surely you jest right? Is political affiliation really a protected class for a hate crime? I know race/ethnicity sure is. And to that, I kinda see why if it were Obama, it might be considered a hate crime (or at least, perhaps, premeditation of some such since it was a crime against an effigy, not against the actual person).

In any event, the police are scanning the field with their search lights in my backyard and it is only a matter of time before the helicopters show up so I should probably head for the bunker.

But not before I link you to a couple of good NPR pieces.

Yesterday's interview with Toni Morrison about her new book A Mercy.

Today, Hate Groups go gaga for Obama well, sort of.

Night.

If I would have been a journalist...

2008-10-28T18:48:00.001-07:00

...I wonder. Would I gloss over the following clip out of "respect" that an aged man might slip up from time to time and I might be seen as making fun of/taking advantage of those slips by noting them:

And I tried to find cleaner video before realizing life is so much more than YouTube surfing of what I watched from bed on Sunday and physically WINCED at:

As a journalist, would I be more inclined to include some of the annoying verbal space saving uhms and ers and pregnant pauses in Obama's transcripts? Annoying because I got to TA Oral Comm at Cornell and yes, verbal space savers annoy the HECK out of me ever since I got dinged out of an A+ because of them. And yes, I also TA'd Human Sexuality and have a few pet peeves in that realm too. Another story for another time.

I don't know. I just know I'm going to be in a world of hurt once the election is over. whatever will I do with my time?

Quick. i90 or 520?

2008-10-27T18:44:00.000-07:00

No brainer right? Unless you overthink it. And sometimes, I overthink it. Like this afternoon. Probably would have been faster to get over the 520 to where I was going but hot dang it if 520 didn't prove me right AGAIN this afternoon.

No matter though.

Guess what I got today? Well, besides cookies to give out as gifts. And yeah, besides a new great staff person to complete my team. Okay...besides the giggles looking at R's shopping receipt for groceries last night. Yeah, besides a crazy Jones for great Thai food around the corner.

Okay. Give up already. Seriously.

Remember this? In my hot little hands are the best pictures I will ever in my life scrap. Just in time too (smile).

Happy sunny crisp fall day!

A Red Bull Morning

2008-10-26T13:39:00.001-07:00

And that's about all I have to say about last night. H.A.M.

Nichole, we totally have to scope out the Thai place in Bothell. I owe you at least that. Really now.

So three quarters of agonizingly tedious college football. Now. I didn't go to any kind of football school. That is a given. My better half did. Well, for grad school.

So we donned our white and headed to Sport to join the Penn State crowd to watch the most boring football game I have ever witnessed. That is until the boys got up for a smoke break and all hell (literally!) broke loose. He was right though--the team with the mistake was going to be the loser. Who just knew it would take until the end of the game for that to play out.

All in all, we didn't leave any nice girls in the hood, it's a beautiful blue sky afternoon and I'll just have to atone for it all next week.

Tomorrow he starts a new gig right up the street from where I work. I actually am looking forward to working pretty close to each other and maybe (more definitely if we're smart about it...and I can drag myself out of bed that early) carpooling together.

More to come. In the midst of some great pages, need to grocery shop and should maybe find some time (it is almost 2 after all) to wash my hair this weekend. Uhg.

Skiing Metalhead

2008-10-25T14:44:00.001-07:00

So last night I'm out for the last hurrah and I have to school Rob on a little something something:

"Rob. You've known me for three years. Does it LOOK like I'm the type of person who will strap on some skis?"

To which, (one of the things I love about the dude) he asks if I've ever in my life skied before. No. But that isn't the point.

Later in the same night, Robert and his wife (three Roberts in one night is quite an evening, let me tell you) shock my never observant but no where near "colorblind" arse with a pronouncement of Robert's wife's mad Bones skills (aka Dominos). Really? Really? Not the bones part...I get that. But how in the heckfire have I seen this woman at least a handful of times and talked to her at least as many times and NEVER picked up on the fact that she's Puerto Rican? My sistah. Oh my word.

And if that didn't cap it all off. We get home, I go my way, he goes his. Except when I meet back up with him, he's watching MtV2 Icon...Metallica.

Now.

I am no metalhead. I had come downstairs to cry on hubby's shoulder because I'd read Ben Smith's BLOG POST at Politico and couldn't help but to think how I so wish my grandmother could be here right now.

Sure, she would probably take issue with my choice of mate. But only (and I seriously mean ONLY) for the fact that my music choices all went downhill once I hooked up with that other lighter shade of vanilla dude for the starter marriage.

Couldn't help thinking of that last night because just when I had finally come back to the dark side with my music choices, here I was staying up to all unGodly hours of the night saying things like "hey, that song isn't that bad."

Now to only move out to Snoqualamie so we can hit the casino and ski all night.

Right.

Go Penn State! Got my white on, ready to roll.

Right after I remember to download The Rest of Everest.

What the? Oh no. Slow. it. down.

2008-10-21T20:40:00.001-07:00

I missed reading Time magazine. There was a really great piece by:

Ta-Nehisi Coates who wrote The Beautiful Struggle and has an amazing blog that somehow managed to stay off my bloglines list for way too long. He writes for the Atlantic and if I was a good blog linker, I'd have my brothers and sisters all linked up and I wouldn't have to tell you nothing about Mr. Coates. But that is not the point.

Here's the Time Viewpoint that I ripped out and posted on my wall.

On an absolutely unrelated note:

And are you kidding me? Have you SEEN THIS? Oh that is just disgusting. Showy, pitiful and disgusting. I remember watching Omarosa on Celebrity Apprentice (and. what.) and wondering if she ever looks back on those episodes and winces with embarrassment and what she sees. Surely. She does. Right? These women, that's a whole new kind of H.A.M. And this is coming from a girl with admittedly almost skewed ideas of what going to a certain school and working in a certain part of town would be like. This is a girl who won't never role with a baller (too smart for that, not knocking, just givin' the real on why that didn't work out) but who knows her fair share of girls who give to get.

I've never thought I'd marry rich. I didn't go to Cornell to get my W. Ed on and I didn't date the guys I dated because they were the big fish in the pond. Honestly, (smile) most of the guys I dated were just sheer dumb naivete. Oh that ain't fair. I know. Whatever. It is what it is. All that is to say when I got to a point where I thought all that was left in a relationship was the paycheck, I bounced. I got my own. Not a lot of it, but I get by. I can buy my own car, get my own place, buy my own clothes and do my thing. I get by. Now I'm married so I don't have to get my own, but that is also not the point.

That hot mess I linked to up there? Some of those folks need serious help. Seriously.

I think for a week, I'm going to pretend like I'm all that matters in the world. Okay. I couldn't do that. I think my better half's comment was "Imagine all the good you could do in the world with that kind of money."

Okay. Moving on.

Rachel--don't make me talk about you. And if you tell Crystal my middle name, I will cut you. Or tell Liisa all my business first. Your pick. And watch me.

I've gotta knock out some pages. I stay up all night and I have maybe 4 pages done (hybrid will be the death of me). He stays home one day and not only knocks out a lightbox for me (get to play with that tomorrow) but ALSO customizes my friggin' closet. That boy is such a keeper. And he don't even know it. But he does know my name (smile). Liisa...stop it. You too Rachel.

I interrupt the madness

2008-10-18T11:51:00.001-07:00

Because it is just too funny NOT to post:

And because I'm all about equal time (well, not really), I was going to link McCain. But really...it's just not that funny. Or I just don't get it. Probably because I didn't listen to much of it. So You Tube that joint if you want it.

Enjoy Obama being funny at Alfred Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner.

March? How about November...and May

2008-10-16T23:48:00.001-07:00

Gotcha on the calendar for March T. I should look up NASPA, but shoot me some dates...I should be golden.

November child (you, Ms. NYC) it is what it is. Alas. 30 though eh? Are we REALLY that old? Come on now...

I should totally blog more often. Whatever. Yes. I'm on the whatever kick because Alex is back in my life. For the fleeting glimpse of a moment. I think the ball is back in my court and I was supposed to email him back about my life or something. It is great enough that he's on facebook. Dare I require him to catch up via these ramblings? I'm totally not that self-important. Not. at. all.

So, where were we? Since I don't give you much by way of photos anymore. Or words for that. So I think you deserve some blog clips eh? I get in the habit of clipping lots of other blogs so let me give ya a few categories of stuff I loved of late and have. at. it.

Quick life update:
Liisa is going to be breaking up terrorist cells (smile)
I love watching him network and be a caregiver.
We are okay. Better than okay. Staying in Seattle. Sorry mom.
Sorry mom x2. Cause your sister's baby daddy is a h.a.m.
h.a.m.
My prayers and thoughts are with you - especially after watching the Office and thinking of you.
I love the folks I work with. Pure and simple. It feels so good.
Of course I need a Benz. Uh huh.
I like stacks of paper that are organized
I LOVE scrapbooking. Still. Unconditionally.

Categorically speaking:

Great, timely, quote
Techy stuff (not an iPhone, promise)
Scrap love
more scrap loving
and even more scrap loving
blackwhite 10,000 men of Harvard (smile)
fun time waster
another quote that really got me through
I totally get to be part of this...wow!
why I still want a sewing machine
fun with others' photos
just in case you thought black folks didn't get married (LOOK! It is gorgeous!)
camera + games = fun!
why politics doesn't have me cycnical anymoreyet
one of the best movies I saw this year
why life is so easy as a supervisor (embrace it)
one day...I will make them (the cupcakes...the cupcakes...cute kid though)
coolest wedding theme ever!
I love you mom...I miss you granny
I love my finance geek for ensuring that I understood every word of this

Way too much information

2008-10-14T08:06:00.000-07:00

Hanging out on Chris J's blog again (well, if 42 seconds can be "hanging out" anywhere...speed reading is probably contributing to my splitting headaches as of late). Check out her answers here and get to know way too much about me here:

1. What time did you get up this morning? actually out of bed? 8:17
2. Diamonds or pearls? Diamonds from him
3. Last movie you saw at a cinema? Beverly Hills Chihuahua
4. What is your favorite TV show? Amazing Race
5. What do you usually have for breakfast? Breakfast? What is that?
6. What is your middle name? Super top secret. I don't even think my hubby really knows
7. What food do you dislike? Most meat. Texture issues.
8. What is your favorite CD at the moment? CDs...not the $$$ kind?
9. What kind of car do you drive? Don't hate on me playas...I get around.
10. Favorite sandwich? Fried bologna with lots of mayo. Psyche! I grew up on those joints though...it's been a while. Really though...BLTs...I know I know.
11. What characteristic do you despise? Despise is kinda harsh. I don't cotton much to victims who bring it on themselves. And psychopaths. But they can't really help that they're crazy so that's not really fair.
12. Favorite item of clothing? his Penn State sweatpants
13. If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation, where would you go? Africa
14. Are you an organized person? I've got a lot of you fooled that's for sure.
15. Where would you retire to? with him? Jamaica of course (smile)
16. What was your most recent memorable birthday? I don't remember (smile).
17. What are you going to do when you finish this? scrap and keep reading
18. Farthest place you are sending this? You tell me. Folks from all over check in here.
19. Person you expect to send it back first? not a soul. I don't do that chain mail gig
20. When is your birthday? December 4
21 . Morning person or a night person? neither. just struggling to be an awake person lately.
22. What is your shoe size? 10 (9 if they are REALLY cute and worth it)
23. Pets? I should check the garage...Robert's been home alone lately.
24. Any new and exciting news you'd like to share? ***GRIN*** I plead the fifth.
25. What did you want to be when you were little? an astronaught. Then Challenger blew up. A geneticist. Then I went to Cornell. a Public Health Officer then I got tired of school. a crusader for higher education access then I got a clue. I'm still little and still trying to be big. I'll let you know when I grow up how it all turned out.
26. How are you today? exhausted but so much better in this moment
27. What is your favorite flower? anything he brings me home. He knows me so much better than I know myself there
28. What is a day on the calendar you are looking forward to? May 13, 2009
29. What are you listening to right now? the hum of my computer
30. What was the last thing you ate? chips and salsa (I needed salt like no one's business)
32. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? figuratively or literally? Orange
33. How is the weather right now? Perfect fall day
34. Last person you spoke to on the phone? Publishers' Clearing House
35. Favorite soft drink? Sprite
36. Favorite restaurant? Sushiland
37. Hair color? Almost black again (winter time and all)
38. What was your favorite toy as a child? Barbies
39. Summer or Winter? Both - love Seattle Summers, but am a winter baby at heart
41. Chocolate or Vanilla? Duh (smile) Vanilla
42. Coffee or tea? Chai lattes
43. Do you want your friends to email you back? Uh. Yeah. Alex!
44. When was the last time you cried? almost yesterday afternoon. headache and all
45. What is under your bed? uhmmm...mom...turn away (smile)
46. What did you do last night? Fall asleep on the pre-married make out couch
47. What are you afraid of? him being unhappy
48. Salty or sweet? both, but not at the same time. It cycles like everything in my life
49. How many keys on your key ring? SIX I think. And two keyless fobs. And a Texas charm. Of course.
50. How many years at your current job? none. 82 days and counting. Wow. Almost 100 days. Wow.
51. Favorite day of the week? Sushi Friday of course.
52. Do you make friends easily? Nope
53. How many people will you send this to? I like the friends I have so no one.
54. How many people will reply? A few blog readers will keep it alive *RIGHT**?
55. Do you like finding out all this stuff about your friends? Not really since we all share the same brain and don't need a bazillion questions to know that hood Liisa probably loves fried bologna sandwiches just as much as I do. And. What.

I Missed This

2008-09-23T16:01:00.000-07:00

So I started up again (smile). Want to see?

7 years ago

2008-09-11T07:51:00.000-07:00

I was married. I was worried about the overdue rent payment. I was walking across campus to work. The air was absolutely silent--except for that radio the groundskeepers were gathered around. He said "yeah, something about a helicopter and the pentagon".

I was living in Las Cruces, NM. The morning was crisp--it was going to be a hot day. But it was fall and football was on and I remembered thinking "These are my favorite kinds of days." The gist of my other thoughts were "Hmmm...how many groundkeepers does it take to mow two blades of grass?"

In the Educational Services building, there was no one outside. Before I entered the building, I could see everyone gathered around the tvs. That's odd. It wasn't registration season and I couldn't imagine why anyone would want to stand around watching streaming class lists cross over a blue screen in unreadable white text. The gist of my other thoughts were "What in the world?? I didn't know we had cable in this building!"

It was just so quiet. Even the birds were silent. Which was saying a lot by that building where I always ducked for fear of being splashed on the way in.

She turned away bleary eyed. I saw a hole in a tower and smoke pouring out. They were talking about a plane. "Huh. That's interesting. I wonder what is going on there?" I thought I'd have to call someone later that day and ask them about the craziness going down in their city. I graduated from Cornell--land of "I'm from New York" smart kids. I was President for two years of my business frat. I knew people in NY. I knew people.

I sat at my desk. Silence for maybe a couple of minutes, then the phones started ringing off the hook. It was recruiting season so almost everyone was out of the office. I was on my way out at the end of the week. The Assistant Director called to say she was stuck in Dallas. Except with her accent, it sounded like she was saying she was stuck in Dulles. My heart dropped.

I could hear the TV in the hall. I wasn't watching it. I looked up to look at something else just in time to see the second plane crash into the tower. I fell back into my seat like a ton of bricks. I thought "What the [really really bad curse word] is going on here?!" And everyone in my office came straight back to me.

"Do you know anyone there?" "Do you have any family?" "Shouldn't you call someone?" "Can you get through?" "Try email instead!"

No one was answering of course. Phones or email. My mind was numb and I couldn't think to know if I knew anyone. My boss made me go home. I started to walk but about halfway home, I saw a familiar car. It was my husband coming to get me. He's from Upstate NY. His dad drives truck, sometimes in the city.

We went home and watched the tv all day long. It was one of the only days ever that I didn't wake up and turn on the Today show as I got ready. I couldn't move from that couch. For like two days.

I remember walking outside tonight 7 years ago, looking up at the sky and asking why.
I remember my first recruitment where the teacher asked me if it was okay if she watched the tv in the back of the room while I talked.
I remember going to the football stadium and feeling so safe among my fellow Americans--not just US Americans (I was in Cruces) but my fellow Americans of every stroke and color.
I remember not having the courage to look at any of the lists of names, then or now. I don't want to know, I cannot know.
I remember years later finding a picture from my first trip to NYC a few years earlier and of course they were part of the skyline--I took an upshot trying to see the top.

Now, I remember last year, and maybe the year before, riding by that hole. Being grotesquely fascinated with it like I can be with scars that take a long time to heal. Completely blocking out any memories of how or why, but instead focusing on what. That hole in the ground.

Now, I remember riding the train from Jersey into that hole.

Now, I remember how I felt connected to the globe back then and I want that feeling back--for good reasons, not for fear.

Now I remember just how important it is for me to get off my [lot less nice word for behind] and do something.

Now I remember. Now I remember.

Now that Crazy has left the building

2008-09-09T22:01:00.000-07:00

And entered the political arena instead...

Like you knew I wouldn't. So much going on in life. And really not much at all. So pictures are in order (yeahhh...pictures!!)
So just like in your life, lots gone on in my life since 10 years ago when I last visited this here blog.

The Olympics hit Beijing. I've been to Beijing. I can't believe we didn't boycott Beijing. I gotta give China props for running the table and knowing where the house is weak though. Strategy will win every time.

I got to talk to my little brother again. Word on the street is he'll be out of country again soon. Word on the street street is that he might do the unthinkable in November. Have not had the courage to ask him that cause I don't want to have to beat him. They sure do brainwash em good in the military. I'm just saying. And yeah...like I can talk about my bruthas cause of tone, I can also talk about the Generation Kill kids cause they're my own too. Not those specific kids, but almost everyone in my family. So yeah. November matters to me.

I STILL get calls with them trying to figure out fault. Really already. I didn't run him down. The dent is/was on the BACK of my car. On the right. Where he was coming into my lane. And tried to run me into the wall. Why does everything have to be so shades of gray all the time?

I like Palm Dessert. Not nearly as much as the OC. Okay...more than. But I think it might be time for another So Cali fix. Craziness of the past weekend all considered.

Kinda thankful I didn't get to go to Denver for the DNC after all. I woulda passed out amongst all those bodies. Yeah I would have.

I miss my pho. And now that we're on the Sushi Friday kick, I can't even "leave early" and go to lunch there before dinner. Sushi friday rocks though because I get to go with him (smile).

Speaking of him. That was him almost two months ago to the day. And to think he was breathless then.

I loved our reception. Mostly because I love candles and all that fun stuff. If you still have not seen the slide show, you totally have to hit that up.

I just really like the innocence of this picture. Makes me feel pure. New beginnings of a bird nest and all. I kinda feel like doing some nesting lately. Just purged my scrap room. That totally felt good.

Never thought I would see (and pay for) $4 gas.

Talk about feel good, it has been blazing in Seattle lately (high 70s, 80 in my work spot). I know, no self respecting El Pasoan should say "blazing" and "80" in the same sentence but we ain't got no central air. I wish I could splash through the water like them boys. How fun!

My fave time of year is upon us. Can't wait to go get more pumpkins!

Question and Answer time

2008-08-21T17:34:00.001-07:00

Let's see if I can even remember all of them. Nope. So I get to ramble through what I remember.

My cutie pie nephew. (Who is the cutie little man in the limo)
Cause they're professionals. (How did your photographers capture all that emotion)
I threatened them. (How did you keep the girls on lockdown)
I plead the fifth (What was so funny in that one picture)
I'm going to go with "I don't know" (What was the little dude drinking?)
$15 - Pike Place Market (Amazing bouquet. Bet you had to pay a grip for that)
Co-Maids of Honor (You only had two chics with you. Who was MOH?)
My life. My joy (Who is the cutie in the wedding party--your pick as to which one *smile*)
I've got connex like that. Well he does. (Where in the heck did you find a wheat field in Downtown Seattle?)
Ivory w/champagne trim (So did you tell the white lie after all?)

Those are your ten for right now. More to come. Some day.

Totally excited that I get to go and hang with Liisa this Saturday. I can't wait. Wish money grew on trees so that I could help those who really need it. Mom, you always come through. I love you to pieces. Wish I had your new phone number (hint, hint). I FINALLY have some sense of calm at understanding just what it is that I do for a living right now. Thursday night...I'm going to miss the Olympics when they are over. Watched Generation Kill last night. Maybe he will have another episode for me tonight. Sick. Man. And speaking of sick men doing stuff for me, I love him so friggin' much. So much. Thanks for taking it to the bookcase. I promise I'll exchange the other one. Sometime. Soon.

If I could...

2008-08-20T08:17:00.001-07:00

...I would. Do it all over again. Yes. Even the planning. Link is in the previous post. You don't REALLY have to search for it...towards the bottom.

Three hours I will never get back

2008-08-19T21:28:00.000-07:00

That's about what I feel about tonight. From waiting for 17 minutes (I kid you not) for the obnoxious woman to pull the frig out of her parking spot that I was going to wait and be patient and slow down no matter what to wait for. To waiting (and reading a whole story on how Mrs. Edwards could live through what this newly married woman just feels is the most unlivable humiliation in the world--thank you People. Or Us. Or whatever rag was on the aisle) for another 9 minutes while the checker with the woman in front of me slowly (very) checked through multiples (many of them) in this woman's basket by scanning each one. Separately. Some of them twice. All to get her 9 bazillion items scanned in. All so that I could get my one item scanned in (that will come back. Wait for it). To being checked at the door of Wal Mart of all places (because yeah, the only people stealing stuff out of the Renton Wal Mart are the sisters with a big old bookcase in the cart--receipt in hand). To not being able to call into the conference call and freaking out. To the point of making it home from said Renton Wal Mart in 11 minutes. And not speeding (well, not that much) the whole way. To getting home, calling into the new conference call number to find myself the second person online and the meeting cancelled because no one could call in. To finally sitting down to put together said bookcase from tonight's purchase (and Sunday's purchase with him in tow). Which meant I had to drag it UP three flights of stairs to my scrap room hallway.

Sat down. Ready with the directions. Had to go back down three flights of stairs to get screwdrivers and forget the hammer. Was humming along. Then for whatever reason, stuff stopped working right. Lack of Hammer I think. But since I used a much gentler tennis shoe with a much softer swing no problem right? Wrong. Flip shelves over. Crack. Loud crack. As in broken bolt thingy crack. As in "are you friggin' KIDDING ME?!" roared crack. As in Lost. My. Mind. crack.

As in "I just spent three hours that I will never get back". On nothing but crap tonight.

Happy productivity. At least I got my ballot in. Supposedly. It's in a drop box. I don't trust ballot drop boxes.

So to make myself happy, I went back to this link:

Happiness pill {aka wedding photos slideshow}

Enjoy (smile).

And on this day...

2008-08-19T07:20:00.000-07:00

...I got a link. And in that link was something I cannot share. Not just yet. Well not with the masses. And it is killing me. So I shared it with anyone I knew for half a hot second.

Now I need to check all my bazzillion social networking sites and update them but my whole life was made sweeter for a lifetime in all of about 4 minutes this morning. wow.

So.

I need a new camera. I guess the one I bounced off of the garage floor day before my wedding is no longer acceptable. But I think it takes neat pictures now so of course I'll keep it.

I want to scrapbook again. So I have it in my grand master plan to get off of work at 5 pm (which means I'll leave there at 7), stop by wal mart for one more set of shelves (it is called repurposing honey--not hoarding) and get home just in time to see him get home. And maybe have a page done. But definitely have my hard drive dumped onto this backup drive so that we can get my laptop set back up and I can begin the fun prospect of digital scrapping again.

It is good to have goals right?

Reminds me, I need to email those other two couples about a dinner. This weekend or next. And we need to go to Purple cafe. And I need to go get a massage at Habitude. And I still have a boatload (literally) of stuff to return (I tend to overbuy just to make sure I have enough...I need to break that habit) and upon those returns I think I will barely (just barely) have enough to buy my Dyson Animal. Which I go back and forth on. I'm about 99% positive if I ever bought something for "home" that I didn't find at Marshalls, Ross, Big Lots or some similarly cheap but looks good enough today type store, it would be all out straight to the wall top line vacuum cleaner that I personally will use...maybe...once. I don't clean. That we've established. But after talking about monthly cash flows here and later, I think I'll make a strong case for having a happy housekeeper some day. And if you think I'm serious with that last line, I have a great candidate for...okay. I can't go there. Keep it professional.

Speaking of professional. I want her. Really REALLY bad. Problem is that statement could apply to oh...SEVEN of the candidates we are looking at right now. Of course I have my faves but that is what it is.

Social networking sites. I'm off.

She lives

2008-08-15T07:40:00.000-07:00

Barely. So you know what that means...

102 feeds 700+ nibbles to read. I have a love/hate relationship with Bloglines right now.
Diamonds are a girls' best friend--be that in a wedding band or top tier status. Thanks ATL.
I hate flying. In airplanes. Through Philly.
It is indeed a Miracle. Or a Merikle (smile).
I don't like feeling stupid/incompetent/overwhelemd/like a quitter.
Facilitating big meetings and asking the right questions is my forte. Stop fighting it.
Phone interviews rock. Just not back to back to back to back to back to...
Weddings in dry cities are comical. Or profitable depending on how you look at it.
Where has all the customer service gone?
Jamaica. Oh Jamaica. Oh sweet sailing, snorkeling, being with him all the time Jamaica.
I hate conflict. Almost as much as I hate being manipulated.
I love seeing people in their element. Especially people I have responsibility for.
My new job rocks the salt. Challenges are good--especially when you're pushed to excel.
Excel, exodus? I need my Liisa fix.
Ms. Co Maid of Honor--your photos had me bawling!
Auntie girl, your videos are the shizz!
Cousin wed, I saw you videotaping on the downlow so when you going to share? My photos. uh.
Way to pull off the lustful reading Mr. M, screech into the parking lot 2 minutes before go.
I liked mine better too just for the record.
I paid really great photographers good money to do their magic of making ugly pretty. wow!
And I should get to work.

I do still like blogging. And scrapping. And reading. Ther eare only 24 hours in a day and when most of those days are spent stuck in a real life version of Tom Hank's airport movie (seriously, dude, I know every nook and cranny of all terminals of the Philly airport), then those 24 hours go by excruciatingly slow. With no internet access or scrap materials on hand. Sigh.

Love you all that showed up in person, via phone calls or via cards to the shin dig. Really great getting to see some others of ya'll tossing away all your money on the Boardwalk. Definitely praying for others of you--most for legit "it isn't fair" reasons, but some of ya'll I'm praying for your soul cause you know you ain't right.

Now that the blog silence has effectively scared off the stalkers, let's get back to being real.

Goodness gracious

2008-08-03T23:41:00.000-07:00

So much happened. Got married, got traveled, got stuck, got photos courtesy of Rachel.

Laughed my but off, now going to sleep. After I down a whole pack of chiclets.

Night.

Relax mom...it is just embossing powder

2008-07-12T23:38:00.001-07:00

Those are the not so random comments I anticipate being heard throughout my place when my mom gets here. Which is in like t-minus 4 days (sunday, monday, tuesday, she's here barely on wednesday--with my cutie nephew and my lovely auntie).

I can't BELIEVE how much I got done on wedding stuff today. I know where everyone is sitting, flowers are stressing me out, so not so much, spray paint high is in full effect and tomorrow is all about beautifying. Uhg. Straighten hair. All day ordeal. Now if only my friggin "foundation garments would get it straight already.

Remember how the first dress that I wasn't even supposed to try on turned out to be THE DRESS? Same thing happened today looking for the earrings. Sigh. And I thought I had found the bracelet but dear sweet Jesus and his papa were trying to tell me something real quick when I went to do online checkout. I think the message was something like "are you out of your flippin' mind?!" because though I entered my credit card number and was twitchin' at the cost but justifying it by saying if it was not absolutely perfect, I would return it immediately, the next screen popped up to tell me I needed to call in to customer service to process my request. Took too long so the last two in stock probably sold out before I hit them last few digits. And I wasn't crying and a hot mess over it. remarkably.

Favor boxes and programs. Really not looking forward to either--especially the programs, but I just need to get it done already and stop procrastinating. That and dig up my ipod for R. Jazz selections on the mind.

Oh oh yeah! Almost forgot. When you get to my casa Ms. I know all your secrets, we can talk about said muffin pan. You'll see it is perfectly intact. And ALSO that I have brand new frying pans. Which is perfect for the obligatory photo at my place. You think I'm joking.

It was 91 here today with no air conditioning. Over under on how long it will take me to pass out next Saturday? Note to self, have chairs handy and lots of water. Hot. mess.

Lastly. In the switcharoo of emails and blogger not wanting to realize that yes, yes I have REALLY moved on, I didn't get like the bazillion comments that needed to be moderated in all of the last like 2 weeks I think. I just thought no one was reading cause, well, I wasn't posting. Never mind that I have years of stuff on here to tide any sane person over for a while of radio silence. Anywho...(that is for you punk--if you already had a ticket out here, you best find some time to visit us when it starts raining again...I will be home this year). Admittedly not my top priority, but I'm working through the comments. Most of ya'll I know you so I'll just respond direct as usual, but for the FAQ type stuff, I'll tackle that here. Here's the first round:

Nope. Not at Seattle University anymore. Love them to pieces. Not so much the crazy travel. Though do miss the frequent flier miles.

As ready as I think I will ever be (smile).

Nope, no CHA this summer (or last winter). But hopefully, maybe this winter. Just gotta see where we are in life at that point. Off the top of my head, probably not then either.

New hobby? More like obsession and not at all new. I started playing (Sim City) way back when it was just "simcity". As in back when I was in grade school. Spend way too much time crafting terrain rather than really playing. But it makes for a great analogy when your finance geek fiance is trying to explain what in the heck craziness just happened this past Friday.

No. I don't like Thin Mint blizzards and Thin Mints are usually really gross to me. But the Ice Cream cake was actually yummy. And no I didn't have any before the "extra 50 pounds appearance." Uhg. That was just gross.

I knew I would know them when I saw them. It is more commitment issues than it is not knowing what the heck I'm looking for. Case in point, the mall trip today.

Be back with photos to this post probably months from now when I've forgotten that I promised to come back. Midnight. hungry. sleepy time.

What...you want another engagement photo?

2008-06-26T07:46:00.001-07:00

How about my fave one from the session?

Fave cause you can't really totally make me out (I like that. Trust me.) and he's in the background doing his usual thing--looking on, with this look on his face like he is up to no good. Which is appropriate cause the whole time he was gaming on being behind the camera instead of in front of it. Right.

Photo by Gerald Pope Photography. Mix fun by your's truly in Picasa 2.

Off to traffic. I mean work.

Lots to say, 3 minutes to say it

2008-06-25T20:27:00.001-07:00

So I should do a list instead. I know I know.

Was at work today. And the commute is fun. Let. Me. Tell. You. I might have to get road rage awareness classes. or a bus pass. And the links to all the Flex Cars on the East Side.

So at work, here's what I was loving today:

That and the fact that I found a memory card. From the Tibet trip. With so many great photos on it, I can hardly stand myself.

Three minutes are up. Time for fish and chips and So you think you can dance. I love Wednesdays. Two more days until weekend fun in Ocean Shores!

Muffins or Photoshop

2008-06-22T20:38:00.000-07:00

Now.

I can EITHER bake cornbread muffins OR reload all my actions and filters to Photoshop CS3 after finally getting my computer back.

Clearly, I can't multitask and do both. Not at the same time.

I was SO looking forward to cornbread muffins too.

Sigh.

At least it wasn't shrimp and grits. That would have ended up being another frying pan incident.

So close to the wedding. Probably not appropriate. But yeah, he should probably be very scared.

Twas my last day of domestic house playing freedom. Start work for reals and I'm super duper excited. Next month is going to go by so fast.

Strap in. Hold on tight.

Fave person. Fave site. Fave love

2008-06-20T09:16:00.000-07:00

Love our photographers. Photo by Gerald Pope Photography.

I applied the Mix session courtesy of Picasa 2.

Poppies In the Park
Enjoy the weather! Happy Solstice!

For a political weekend...papaless and all

2008-06-16T02:06:00.000-07:00

For such a political weekend, so VERY much has happened that I didn't even get to blog about. And my single mama, I called her today to say I love you and happy father's day (well, yesterday...on the way home from Spokane) and she put it all in perspective for me.

When you ask most folks what they think about Tim Russert's death, the answer is always an agreeable "I will so miss him and Election Night won't be the same without him."

Except for my mom. Not only did she bring it up to me first in conversation, but she said "It is so sad that he's going to miss election season this year." As in, it was sad for him to miss out on something he was so passionate about. It wasn't about what he did for her; it was about his passion and the timining of dreams lost. ESPECIALLY during this season she noted--for any political junkie and especially one like him, it IS sad that he won't get to be a part of that night in November.

I've never met a more selfless person than my mama. God I love her and everday I just wish that I could be 1/5th the woman she is. And since I can't see through the tears to type much more, I should go to bed (smile).

I'm an emotional wreck lol It was a draining weekend. Wanted something really REALLY bad and didn't get it. So that stung. Missing Robert more than I ever imagined possible. So can't sleep. Wish I could have my whole family under one roof. Wishing I could have gone to Irvine this past weekend (although that would have meant no Spokane, so just clone me so I could be two places at once). Really wish I could have had some scrap fun in TN this past weekend.

But above all else. Really wish I could hug my granny right now. And now I'm REALLY a hot mess so I'm going to go watch the ScalpMed infomercial. Those joints are educational! Act like you don't know.

Congrats to all the WA state Obama National Delegates! Special shout outs to Wyatt (you bring tears to my eyes with your PASSION!), Jay (I can't wait to work with you for years to come) and Robert (photographer extraordinaire) for representing the 11th in the finalist round! The delegates from WA all make my heart sing. And the folks who didn't even get to be delegates--wow. WOW. One of the other finalists said it best when she noted damn you all for making my ordinary and boring life absolutely unacceptable anymore. Damn you and thank you from the bottom of my heart!

And just FYI...ScalpMed has Miss Black Nevada testifying about her bald head and wigs. Can I get an amen?

Bring it Barack. Bring it. Responsible fathering (smile).

Goodness of Life

2008-06-11T17:04:00.001-07:00

Last night, I acted a fool. So I had to apologize. But I got to meet some really cool people like Carolyn who reminds me of my aunt Terri, Rich who pulled some pretty funny wigged stunts in NJ with crab apples as a boy, and Devon (I'ma call you out Devon...cause that's how I roll) with the super fro and eyes that demand that you say "Yes, of course I'll work tirelessly to get Gregoire elected."

So. You know how farmers farming for ethanol is contributing to the food shortage across the globe? That's what I thought about when I thought about how fired up Obamaholics are contributing to the shortage of volunteers for the governor and senate races locally. I tell ya.

Today. Got to chat with Ms. Liisa which ALWAYS makes my heart sing. Got all ready for the trip to Spokane--with no laptop, doing it old school. Which is probably the best thing yet because that will force me out of my room and onto the floor to interact. And that's what this is about right?

I hold no illusions. I think I've done it, walked it, talked it and had a good time. At this point, it probably is more about connecting with people who will talk to me when they get back from Denver. And that's good to it too. But as I was being told by Ms. Jourdan of a certain someone's new gig--so much of life is talking the talk. Mean game. Which I have never been about. Always Ms. Worker Bee. But something about this process has really made it so very easy to do the thing.

So tonight I get to meet with a really great guy. And this is why I'm blogging (although now I remember a comment from last night too).

In the hubbub of elbow rubbing, I cornered a dude into eating. Yeah, you might not get to sleep much, but you gotta eat even in the midst of a campaign right? Right. So we're meeting up at 7ish for coffee. He gave me the two roads and a sortof attempted spelling of the name of the place. And his number. So I googled it. The crossroads and the words "Seattle, coffee". And I'll be darned if the 2nd entry to pop up didn't bring up the name of the place (spelled very wrong, but hey...I knew what you were getting at Majid *smile*).

So that's what on for tonight. While my better half is trying to be dark like me, I'll sip tea and chat and probably eat my whole box of fruit leather if I don't move on already.

So much for scrapping this weekend. One more week of freedom to get that done.

Oh yes...the other bloggable moment? Yesterday I finally got my mini pots painted and transfered the plants I'd been hording. Put them up on the sills in the kitchen. To which the other one asked "What's up with the weedpatch?"

That weedpatch is part of our centerpieces. Hush your mouth.

Ahhh...but it is going to Southern California

2008-06-09T12:22:00.001-07:00

No. I don't refer to my future husband as it. Though he is also going to Southern California. And Vegas. But we don't talk about that.

I'm referring to that little gadget that this weekend, after driving about aimlessly on one-way streets of hellish downtown Seattle for 45 minutes looking for a place that really was right under my nose, I actually called it (well, the future husband and asked him to put IT on the phone) to find out where in the heck Yahoo Maps was trying to take me.

Now. I've traveled this country over. And over. And over again. Probably about times 3. And each time I printed pages of maps from Yahoo maps on how to get there. And they have NEVER let me down. Not even that one time I took the wrong turn and ended up on the other end of the Peninsula driving to a retreat for EDAN (I could NOT for the life of me remember the name of that student group the other day when reading the Stranger...which also reminds me that I have not had Veggie Pho in...oh...a week now. And. I. Am. Dying. SLOWLY.). I was saying. Driving. Yahoo maps. EDAN--4 hour backtrack. It was gorgeous once I got there. Let me tell you.

All this to say that I plopped down in front of my computer that really isn't backed up with all the stuff I evidently could live with out after all to Google (and by "Google" I mean type in www.yahoo.com and go to yahoo maps) how in the heck I get to Best Buds in Madison Park. Because yes, they may be my wedding flower savior. And I just want flowers anyhow and I saw some gorgeous hydrangeas in their photo in the paper and...I digress.

I sat down to Google/Yahoo it and low and behold, I remembered that I had Robert's car. The one with the gadget in it. That I called this weekend. To tell me how in the heck I get from point a to point b. So I'm going to go to Mike's and get the river rocks I originally wanted instead of the ugly mini seashells I settled for. Then I'm going to Jo's to get the friggin' burlap or something already. Then I'm going to convince myself that yes, yet is is worth it to time it just right to head over to Madison Park on the way to picking up Robert who so graciously let me use his car after I dropped off my car at the body shop for work. Yeah. He does love me. But not enough to leave me the GPS when he goes to So. Cali. Because well, Spokane ain't big enough for me to get lost in. 10 minutes. I'll take under on that one at that. Watch me.

One Week down, two to go

2008-06-09T12:10:00.001-07:00

Robert asked me what in the world I was going to do with myself with three weeks of freedom. After Day 1, I was a bit worried. I've managed to build a better to-do list in the meantime and so all is well in "Pretend Stay at Home Mommy to No kiddies World." The biggest problem? I don't like to clean. So much for playing that one off.

In the meantime.

Tons of life going on. Next month, I get married. This month I've had the great fortune of meeting wonderful, regular people moving on to Denver for the National Convention (and yes, that would be the Democrat National Convention for those that had any doubts). This week did bring a lot of come to Jesus talks about finalizing the invite list for said event next month (and the budget, ahem). And I even had half a moment to scrap a bit. And more to come.

So as time goes on, I've had the time to get caught up is the short of it all. And to re-evaluate what it is I love about life and could do without. I love that nothing fell on the "do without" list. Love. That. But also love feeling a lot more balanced.

In my last job with the Law School, I loved that I had so many opportunities to do great things personally per the perks--I traveled a lot and could tack on campaigning asides for Obama and meet ups with scrap folks and it was just so darn fun! It wasn't AS fun having to be apolitical though. Sure. There were lots of folks at the school who could proudly wear their affiliation where ever they went. And trust me, anyone who knew anything about me knew who I was for and why they should be for him too (smile). But I couldn't wear an Obama button while standing behind the table. I couldn't email my extensive prospect e-lists and invite them to my events because I would come off as pushing the "ultra liberal/ultra-Seattle" image that we were not so much trying to get away from, but that we very much didn't try to promote 24/7. I respected the need for that, but it was a an interesting balancing act that has been the biggest change I've noticed since joining the ranks of those without health insurance. Albeit, by "choice".

Choice being that since you can't start and stop Cobra at will, I can't sign up to pay for insurance for this month because then I would be double covered when I start the new job. And Robert can't add me to his for a month because we don't have a qualifying event until next month. At which point we get to decide all that married people stuff like how much life insurance to take out on each other. Uh huh.

Not really too much information

2008-06-03T09:31:00.001-07:00

So I saw a fun (long) post at Heather's blog and at the invite to copy and jump in, figured why the heck not. In your entire life, have you ever...

gone on a blind date? Nope

skipped school? I slept until 2:11 pm one day in high school and freaked out that I had missed class. In college, well, there was a lot of snow and sometimes, well, it was difficult to get motivated to go to a class that I was going to get an automatic A in for my awesomeness anyhow. And then...I woke up.

watched someone die? Miss her everyday.

been to Canada? Eh? Many times.

been to Mexico? Technically...a time or two. I like living in border states evidently.

been to Florida? Yes. Few times when I was on the board for The Box Project. Really great organization.

been on a plane? For a living pretty much. And no, I was never a pilot or a flight attendant.

been lost? Perpetually.

been on the opposite side of the country? Both horizontally and vertically and not just been there, but lived there too (born in TX, lived some in Michigan. Undergrad in NY, Grad school in WA).

gone to Washington, DC? Once. Cannot WAIT to go back.

swam in the ocean? Just the Atlantic and the Pacific. Not a big salty body of water fan.

had your booze taken away by the cops? What is booze?

lettered in a high school sport? I'm so great I lettered without even playing (lettered in Men's Basketball 4 years, Men's Track 1 year, as manager of the team). I did letter for 4 years in Marching Band (smile) and I lettered for 4 years each in Drill Team (as in Dance...I'm from TX people) and for 4 years in Dance itself. Never had a letter jacket or got to wear that dreamy guy's jacket either. Sigh.

cried yourself to sleep? Two times come vividly to mind. Once when for the first time ever, my grandmother left home for a week to visit her daughter/my aunt in NY. I couldn't believe she'd ever go anywhere without me. Then, again, when I returned to NY that late November night in 1999 after being home in El Paso to say goodbye to her as she was moving on. I remember being really stoic most of the time but then falling into bed, looking at the clock and just uncontrollably crying. Come to find out, that was the moment recorded on her death certificate as her time of death. Didn't cry myself to sleep the next day, but did cry all day that I couldn't be there holding her had in the exact moment that she really moved on. Did a whole lot of crying at the end of 1999.

played cops and robbers? I can't remember the exact take, but there was this really neat version of cops and something or another (knowing the nerdy group I hung with, probably like cops and CSI agents) that we played growing up. It was so friggin' FUN!

played dolls? I finally got a Barbie dream house when I was like 10. I would hang out in the garage for hours decorating her house with all sorts of stuff I found around the house...like my mom's mini vases. Shhhh...don't tell anyone.

recently colored with crayons? Nope.

sang Karaoke? I plead the fifth.

paid for a meal with coins only? God I miss Chicos tacos.

done something you told yourself you wouldn't? I'm online am I not?

cheated on an exam? Taken someone else's answers? Please. Do you know where I went to high school? In college, one of my study partners cheated off of me. I was smitten with the fact that anyone would even think I was smart enough to study with (it was a math class, I have SERIOUS math anxiety issues...and yes...yes I DID want to be a geneticist...what. of. it.), let alone copy off of. Anyhow, got JA'd for that and cleared of all wrong doing. The Princeton Mascot incident is an entirely different story. And not an exam. So I'll plead the fifth there too.

made prank phone calls? Nope. But did do the "you call him, no you call him, okay I'll call him, OH GOD HE ANSWERED HANG UP THE PHONE!!" bit. Sorry Eddie and Jeremy (smile). It was all Beverly's fault.

laughed until some kind of beverage came out of your nose? Nope. Laughed till I about choked myself, but no liquid nostril fun.

caught a snowflake on your tongue? Yes. And I know you snowbound folks think this is so not a big deal but honestly. Honestly. This is one of the most absolutely amazing firsts of my life. Remember, I'm from the desert where we don't get snow. Okay. That and I've always been a late bloomer. I know this.

danced in the rain? Yep--floods more like it. Out on Atlas. In El Paso. It is a warm rain day here in Seattle and it reminds me of being home in El Paso.

written a letter to Santa Claus? Yes

been kissed under the mistletoe? Yes!

watched the sunrise with someone you care about? Yes. Virtually at that (smile). Was never a "stay on the phone all hours" type, but one night in high school I recall staying up all night on the phone with a certain "Chef" in Austin (who was in El Paso at the time) and having my mom be all "Are you serious? You stayed up all night? You're going to see him in like 3 minutes for band practice." Tsk, tsk, tsk...like you get to talk at band practice.

been arrested? Not that I recall. Which is kind of scary that I had to give half a thought to that.

blown bubbles? Gum and soapy ones.

gone ice-skating. Almost. But then pitched a fit or had to work or something and so missed out. Can't believe I lived in NY for 5-6 years and never once made it to the rink. Uhg.

been skinny dipping outdoors? No.

had a nickname? Yes. And to be quite frank, I can't recall how the hell Divine came about. Some not so flattering and downright derogatory, others just innocent and obvious.

been to Africa? Almost. Times 2. Before I die. I promise.

eaten cookies for dinner? lol...I know a certain someone who has cupcakes for dinner. me, I tend to either need something full out or nothing at all.

been on TV? Yep. Local TV in high school for being one of those "good high school kids doing amazing things" (all because I was leaving town for college...okay okay...I was a nerd so I was like a National Coca-Cola Scholar--which actually got me on CNN as well...for my first time), in college, I hit CNN again for a pageant (I know I know...remember, I'm Texan).

stolen any traffic signs? Never. Do you know how big those things are?

been in a car accident? A few. I know. But when we were really young, we had this red car (Vero remembers that one) and we were on our way home on a rainy day. We spun out. I freaked out. No one was hurt. Once I was finally driving, I came around a corner in Ithaca one snowy night and spun out. My bumper rested right up against the bumper of another car. So lightly that it didn't even tap off the snow. Which was a good thing because I did this right in front of a cop. Then my ex backed his car out of the garage into my car and most recently, a Seattle Waste Management truck sideswiped me coming into my lane. No weather on that last one. Go figure.

What is your....

mother's name? Gerri (smile).

favorite drink? Water with lots of lemon. Or if I'm in one of my infamous food cycles, Jones Creme Soda.

favorite alcohol? like rubbing? I'm kidding. I love great, thick, heady red wine. Syrahs and Cab Sauvs mostly...just depends on the mood.

birthplace? Texan

favorite vacation spot? Anywhere I've not been before that has something to take a picture of.

favorite salad dressing? Balsamic vinegar

favorite pie? Apple of course

favorite number? 3

favorite movie? This one is hard. I LOVE movies. Couldn't even begin to pick just one. Off the top of my head, the first ones that come to mind: Shawshank Redemption, Babel, Kite Runner, Imitation of Life, Schindler's List, Color Purple, Minority Report, Closer, Cast Away, I am Legend, Office Space, Fargo, A Perfect Murder, A Civil Action, Gone in 60 Seconds, Apollo 13

favorite holiday? Uhhhg...hate not getting to be with family so holidays are a chore now. Trying to make everyone happy and pleasing no one in the process. Can't wait to have kids and start another family unit and get to do all sorts of traditions and stuff. At that point, I think Thanksgiving will be my fave holiday again.

favorite food? Chicos Tacos

favorite day of the week? Probably Wednesday...psychological halfway point.

favorite brand of body wash? Olay Body Creme Ribbons with Almond Oil. Dear sweet Lord.

favorite toothpaste? Anything non-whitening. Yeah...good luck on that in the toothpaste aisle.

favorite smell? Vanilla or rain in the desert.

Do you have any...tattoos? Nope

body piercings? Ears

Do you drive a 2-door or 4-door vehicle? 4 door.

What do you do to relax? Read hang out watching trash tv with R.

How do you see yourself in 10 years? With babies, living in the burbs, active in my community, balanced, peaceful.

Happy 50th Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater! These are the times I wish I lived in NYC. As it is, I'll just have to crash on in to visit Rachel or something (smile).

And Freedom Came

2008-06-01T17:25:00.001-07:00

Day 2...or almost Day 1. All depends on how you look at it.

Lots of life going on around these parts lately. Lots of photos, lots of life and nametags and roles and thoughts and links to think about and...just lots.

So some interactive lists are in order here:

Selectively Unemployed.

I am BLESSED to be in a position to willingly be selectively unemployed.

Friday, May 30 was my last official day with Seattle University. I will go back for a few follow up items, and I have some work at my new position to do this week. But I am so absolutely amazed how everything always works out. Absolutely amazed. So what will I do?

Well there are lots of tiny things like taking the time to slow down and document life. All the tiny details like the Spring that may never come to SEA and JDRF's Beat the Bridge.

I will probably take a lot of time to work on all things political. Those who know me know that I'm pretty passionate about politics. Sure, by nature that means I support a particular candidate (smile), but beyond even that, I just LOVE getting people involved in the process again. Love that people have found their voices.

Speaking of Politics.

Yes. I am running for National Delegate for Obama. You can read more about that and why at my Profile Blog. But beyond that, you know that I've been glued to CNN--yesterday the DNC Rules Committee met to figure out a compromise on Michigan. Pretty much Florida is as it is. Michigan well. We just get to a point where I have my own struggles absolutely knowing, from a bigger picture stance, that it isn't always worth winning the battle at the expense of the war. Those are my thoughts on that.

Reading

I love to read. The latest batch to arrive--something inspirational/how to. Something step by step (wedding makeup and all). And something thought provoking. Which, of course, makes me now want more. Lots more. Great place to go for lots more? Hamilton Books of course. Why? Because there are tons of bargain books on stuff you'd never think to buy. I became hip to this discount offering in my last job (well, my last LAST job) when I was at SPSCC and had to be able to stock a whole Diversity Center on like $200 worth of funding. Craziness. I know. But I did it. Through Hamilton of course. And so now some of the other titles I think I might pick up this week from them? Hmmm...

Cuttin' Up: Wit and Wisdom From Black Barber Shops
by Craig Marberry

Read more about this book...

Rising from the Rails: Pullman Porters and the Making of the Black Middle Class
by Larry Tye

Read more about this book...

Andrew Carnegie
by David Nasaw

Read more about this book...

Oskar Schindler: The Untold Account of His Life, Wartime Activites, and the True Story Behind the List
by David Crowe

Read more about this book...

When the Astors Owned New York: Blue Bloods and Grand Hotels in a Gilded Age
by Justin Kaplan

Read more about this book...

Good in a Room: How to Sell Yourself (and Your Ideas) and Win Over Any Audience
by Stephanie Palmer

Read more about this book...

And so you have it for now. Have a friend coming over for a movie shortly. Should probably order some groceries tonight for delivery tomorrow (LOVE that I'll be home to be able to pick a cheaper/free/bigger window of delivery time). Play more with blog updates (I have a hundred and two of them so...)

Till next time.