BBQ

That's right!  It's staying light later and later and the last week or so there have been several days (weekends included!) with no rain.  That's right folks, spring may finally have come to Seattle!  I have tested out several  recipes including:

grilled salad - stack slices of grilled eggplant and tomatoes (drizzled in olive oil, salt and pepper before grilling), throw in some fresh basil, perhaps your favorite cheese (mozzarella slices, feta, chevre) et voila!

chicken wings - too much lemon juice and not enough hot sauce but the recipe is totally tweakable so I'm not worried - awesome!

grilled dessert - I have learned that you can't go wrong with grilling half a peach and then while the rounded side is grilling (grill the cut side first then flip) add a dollop of goat cheese to the hole where the pit resided until nice and melty.  Fabulous with a sprinkling of pepper - yes, pepper - or granulated sugar.  Or get crazy and try a flambé with your favorite liquor.  There are a million variations for grilled fruit with some sort of topping and they are all amazing.

I'm making myself hungry, or at least salivate.

Started playing with drinks too.  Tried an interesting recipe for mojitos but I don't think the prosecco was for me.  Or the darker rum.  Will make again with silver rum and club soda.  The infused simple syrup was to die for though - could drink that straight up (almost).

Have become mildly obsessed with ginger beer.  Want to make dark & stormy drinks with it but I might like it outright.  I'm a big fan of ginger ale and think this might be fabulous like root beer.  Want to go the unfermented route so I'm not sure if it will still qualify as beer when I'm done.  Considering a juicer purchase and seltzer thingy to aid in the process.  Will update later.

Am obsessed with sold shampoo/conditioner/cleanser bars.  Initially was interested for the trip so I could minimize liquids and allow for copious sunscreen carry-on.  Have, in addition, opened the floodgates to super fun and fabulous smells for less chemically products.  Playing with Lush samples at the moment and awaiting eagerly some Arcadia Aromatics coconut shampoo and conditioner.  What I love so far about Lush:

Trichomania solid shampoo - smells fabulous (coconut) and actually works.  Super lather.
Aromarant solid and Coconut powder deodorants - work almost as good as Secret and Degree and all that but smell way better and don't stain clothes or leave white marks everywhere.
Aqua Marina face cleanser - a paste so it still counts as a travel liquid but it cleans up my face and leaves it silky smooth.
Catastrophe Cosmetic (UK site, can't find it on the US one) face mask.  Again with the silky fabulousness.  Not going to use for travel as it is a paste and needs to be stored in the fridge.  Both this and the face cleanser are nice to my sensitive skin.  I get beet red with the slightest rub on my face but these just don't cause that to happen.  Fabulous.
Buffy - shower bar that exfoliates.  The scent is strong for me (sensitive nose) but it isn't enough to stop me from using it.  The exfoliation feels like a nice back scratch and the oils moisturize so well that I don't have to put on lotion when I get out of the shower.  This is a big deal for me.  Awesome.
Alkmaar soap.  It's soap.  Works well and has a nice, mild smell.  Will get more of that.

I could take or leave their one solid conditioner.  It doesn't lather well; I end up rubbing it straight onto my hair. It does work though when you get around to applying it all over.  The smell is not my favorite but it isn't bad.  Smells more like a guys's shampoo to me.  I want the fruity/flowery stuff!

Have decided to steer clear of their liquid products for the time being.  I'm happy with my moisturizers and toner (homemade by moi).

Jazz.
Always thought I hated it.  Never knew I liked it until I saw Ken Burn's Jazz on tv years ago.  I totally had a light bulb moment where I said to myself, "Oh, that's why people like jazz."  Decided to revisit and did so via itunes.  Listening to it now and love love love it!  Perfect Sunday morning music too.  Sunny day, me doing laundry.  Can't really say why but it made the morning!  And now the evening too...

Have laid out almost all of my trip clothes and accessories.  Should fit in the bag so that is good.  Trying to find a second travel shoe in case the weather makes a turn for the worst.  I love the shoes I found but they do, afterall, have holes in the sides.  And I need some shower shoes/flip flops.  Mine are dead dead dead.  All in all, if I had to leave tomorrow I could.  :)

Was very disappointed to find that my kindle cover does NOT fit the book light that was co-advertised with it on Amazon.  In discussions with the company to get a different jacket but I doubt I'll be able to receive anything by the time I leave.  Not really keen on taking the kindle on a trip unprotected.  Will have to see what happens.

Ye olde brain is taxed so I'll call it a day.  On-wards to work tomorrow.  Blech.

Something's missing.  And I'm not sure what it is.  Other than regular blog posts, I mean.  :)  I just have this nagging feeling, all the time lately, that I'm forgetting something.

Perhaps if I make a list my brain will figure it out or at least stop thinking about it for a while.

Things I have neglected:
1. Work. Not ready for deadlines coming up due to general as well as unforeseen, rush, business.  As my boss has complete and total disregard for deadlines I'm hoping this won't be a problem.  But work is never really all tidied up and put away so...
2. Trip. I'm a little panicky over trip arrangements but can't place what it is that I don't have lined up and ready to go.  Maybe because I have not studied up on Italian or French.  But charades should get me through, right?
3. Exercise.  No make ups this session for pilates so I'm probably beating myself up for going to the Sounders game.  Holding your scarf up for the whole length of the march counts as exercise, maybe...
4. Sleep. I can't wait for the day that this is fulfilled.  I often wonder what it feels like for people that have quality, restful sleep for one whole week.  How much more productive could I be?
5. Blog.  Sorry.  But I'm working on this one right now!
6. Kite.  Still haven't flown it yet.  :(  Before March goes out like a lamb I'll have to think of something.

Things I have down:
1. Baby presents.  So far all parties have received gender appropriate gifts while the new babies are still in the helpless, immobile stage.  Check.  But now I've run out of this one ribbon and can't find it at the fabric store.  Grrr.  More babies are on the horizon so will have to copy this to my to do list.
2. Reading.  At least for book club!  I rallied and made it through all of "The Help" last week for tonight's meeting and am almost done with next month's selection "City of Falling Angels". Double check.
3. Family.  I believe I am caught up with this via blogs, fb and the occasional phone call or face to face.
4. Friends.  Successful game night achieved last night.  Agricola is no longer a big, black box of crazy pieces! Theater sports the evening before for a nice tickling of the funny bone with some people I haven't seen in a bit.  Feel like I'm doing pretty well here.
5. Lunches.  I may not have mastered the art of menu planning but thanks to Trader Joes I have inexpensive, delish lunch options that are ready in a snap and make me want to buy this book even more.  Gotta love curries.  Also want this one for some Spanish f(l)are.
6. Cleaning.  Somehow (vacuuming excluded) I have kept up with the general clutter and dirt in my apt.  I no longer have a cleaning day but scatter it throughout the week.

Ok, I have an equal list of items to berate and praise myself for.  I actually feel a little better.  Nagging feeling is still there but I don't think I'll lose any sleep over it tonight.

In other news, my weatherproof wind chimes are looking decidedly weathered.  Can't decide if I should try to polish the metal and do something to the wood or let it "go naturally".  What I'd really like is to find a non-tacky way of securing the dumb shepherd's hook it hangs on so that it doesn't bang around against the house in a wind storm.  The whole thing swings side to side and is anything but melodious when it finds the porch railing.

Lavender blooms are peaking and lily of the valley pips are are making a showing as well.  Things aren't looking as good for the dwarf lilac but I won't judge 'til June.  Can't decide if I should try (again) for a porch edible garden.  The sludge in the air that comes up from the roads outside my apt makes me want to say no.  Wish I had some nice space. {soon my pet, soon}

I have had a sore throat for about three weeks now.  Not bad enough to warrant a doc visit but annoying enough to make the day less pleasant and my cough drop/soup/tea consumption to skyrocket.  Would really like to figure out if my work place is a causative agent or if my immune system sucks this bad.  I'm ALWAYS sick.  I might as well be a toddler.  Except I get to take care of myself and not stay home every time I feel icky.  There could never be enough sick hours for that.

Going to attempt to try the inst-netflix using my wii this week.  The special disc came in the mail and I hope it works!  Fingers aren't crossed too much as I'm sure the internet connection will be as spotty for the wii as it is for the taplop.

FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS GREAT AND WONDERFUL why did I not know about the wonders of electrolysis before this weekend?  Had a free consultation where I basically got the first treatment free in addition to lots of info.  She must be a crack dealer on the side...  But yeah, so, it is 100x less painful than waxing and will eventually be permanent.  Wahoo!  Now I need to figure out how to use up my sugaring groupons.  By the way - if you aren't considering permanent removal - sugaring kicks ass.  Try it.  Water soluble and less painful.  Done and done.

I'm about to go ape #*&$ on the "genius bar" re my ipod schizophrenia.  If it malfunctions again there may be loss of limb for the first "genius" that tells me that it is a software issue and not a hardware issue because they can't duplicate the problem at their store.

That said I still want an iphone.  Come on 4G!  Come to Holly on another carrier - a good carrier!

All thoughts have left my brain so I think I will try to track down some Yo-Yo Ma tunes that have been eluding me on itunes.  Ciaocito y buona notte.

Birthday extravaganza!

Spent most of last weekend making momma feel special.  :)  The weather was gorgeous so we took a quick trip downtown on the bus and had a little walk.  Then we went out to lunch with some friends of mine before attending the RCRG derby.  Too much fun!  Mom remarked that it was much less violent than she remembered.  There are rules and everything - even a penalty box. She took pics and swears that she'll send some to Oma via her sis as Oma used to watch back in the day. So that was fun and we were out pretty late.  Slept in a bit the next day and then we ran off to Discovery Park for a cold, early morning picnic.  We caught the best weather of the day which soured a bit later so that was nice.  Then we ran off to REI to get her Senior Parks pass.  Lucky devil.  Lifetime pass for super cheap!  Will have to have her tag along on more trips... who says getting older isn't fabulous?

Speaking of which, my lovely little niecey-poo, Lauren, had her second birthday!  The phone call was brief and I think she wished me a happy birthday before I could even offer the greeting myself.  Too cute.  :)  Hopefully she liked the messy glittery card I sent.

Stumped.  I hate it when I wait too long to post and can't remember anything.  Let's see.  Work is really annoying.  Instruments going down left, right and center and no one has any idea what is wrong or how to fix them.  They do enjoy asking us to perform meaningless, unrelated tests and then refusing to do checks or analyses that we request of them.  Gah!  Dating again which is always amusing.  But in case there are proficient cyber stalkers out there I'll leave it at that.

Caught a head cold that has been chasing me for weeks so I've spent a lot of time at home doing nothing.  Feeling better today though so hopefully all is not lost for the weekend.  Could do with a bit less restlessness though.  I hate being sick.

Cruise planning has entered wardrobe mode.  The goal is still to fit everything I could possibly want into one carry-on bag that will see me through two weeks of European cities and a cruise ship.  Was quite successful last week (yes!  now I remember what I did on my day off) and found a bunch of cute tops and some bottoms that all go with my color scheme.  To make packing easier I have selected a palette of brown, white, purple and green.  If I can't wear it with everything else it doesn't get to go.  Ordered some travel laundry items to make wash & wear a possibility.  Found the neatest clothes line (thank you Rick Steves) that you don't need clothespins for.  And just for fun I bought a pac safe purse in a khaki color (working the browns).  They are so cool!  I keep thinking about Kate's S.Am. trip where her bag was ripped or cut to get her monies.  Granted the Med isn't S.Am. and I'm going to avoid sleeping on buses but having a purse you can't cut into makes me feel better.  Also, I can't find my money belt.  Any ideas?  Last seen in 2000...

Tried tooth powder as opposed to paste.  Incredibly salty.  Wondering if they are all like that and if it is worth it to have one tiny toothpaste tube less in my liquid bag.  So far my liquid bag is going to be sunscreen, lotion, shampoo/cond. and maybe a face wash.

I'm a-hunting the perfect pair of shoes now with a vengeance - and may have found them in a merrell.  Mesh sides are good, mostly cute and they come in purple.  Yes, I realize I'm addicted and have a problem with purple but they don't make them in brown!  I want to find a better insole for them.  My superfeet feel not scushy enough.  Yup, that's a word.  Scushiness is important.  Then I will find some of those little socks for the moisture wicking idea relayed in a previous post.  THEN I will be done with clothes and I can panic anew with how little language prep I have done.  It's only a few weeks away!!!!

Reni kisses!

Forgot to post this earlier and blogger makes me angry with formatting issues so it is easier to post separately than try to organize in the earlier post. Ignore the sound. Dad asking his daughter what she's scared of with Tia out in the paddock. Not related to sweet Reni kisses! So cute! Way better than sloppy dog kisses. :)

Busy busy weekend!

Talked to a different loan officer about possibilities for making home ownership a reality. The result was that my fears are confirmed - an apartment dwelling lass with fabulous credit, a decent wage but just a teensy bit of money for the myriad of costs required for home purchase can't even afford to live in squalor, in Everett. Now, to be truthful, I'm making it a bit more difficult for myself. I live in a 1bdrm 1bath currently but want a 2x2. Resale is better and let's face it, I have a lot of crap at mom's still. And I want a w/d and a dw and a place to hide my car a little from the elements. This equals unaffordable in the land of western Washington real estate. Blech. I haven't given up hope entirely but I'm basically to the point where I'll just have to wait a few years before this can happen. Second mortgages just don't exist anymore. Goodbye fabulous tax break. But as the loan dude said, it doesn't make sense to have a couple hundred thousand dollar mistake for $8000 break in taxes.

So then I made the mistake of trying to find a decent bathing suit to go swimming in for health. Went to a store self-billed as the best selection of suits in the state and was very disappointed by the service. Nothing like the fabulous woman and suits at Stunning Sunning in Quincy. Definitely going back there! I did find a nice suit that didn't cut in like a crazy Brazilian carnival costume and it even has tummy flattening powers. Awesome! Not that I have a big tummy or anything but I'll take whatever help I can get. The sales lady would have been a great help if she had kept her stupid comments to herself. My favorite when asking her opinion of one over another (because I should have brought a friend but didn't), "I like this one better. The other one made you look too old lady-ish". Bottom line, I walked out with a black and white, slimming, slightly conservative leg cut suit with ROSES & BOWS on it! I'm keeping the tags on and will revisit the suit in a week or so to see if it really looked that good or if I will just want to burn it. I did find two cute cover-ups though that I will definitely be keeping.

After the super sore horseback riding adventure I tortured my knees further with a night of dancing. They are quite a bit swollen and angry with me over my escapades but I like to remind myself that if I don't use them, I lose them. They are going to hurt whatever I do so I might as well not have the muscles atrophy as well. Ladies Dance Night was interesting. I met some cool people and learned some new allergies. Apparently you can be allergic to sequins. Vintage sequins don't affect her but all the new ones do. Breaks out into hives and everything. But the girl is addicted to sequins and keeps trying to come up with different layers to outfits so that sequins can still be involved! Such dedication! I do not have that. If some type of clothing article made me break into hives every time I got near it I would just steer clear. This same colorful character is also terrified of dwarfs. Seriously sends her into panic mode. This is made all the more (sadly) amusing by the fact that she is easily 5'11". Luckily there were none to be had at the bar we chose and so the evening passed without a near-dwarf-experience.

It was lesbian night and I have to say it was a lot more fun dancing with no guys. No pressure and the gaydar of gay people is pretty good so when you are a hetero you just get left alone. And then you are free to dance the night away with your friends! I am amused that the stamp you get at admission (I still don't know why they require it on one specific location of your body - for instance the inside of your right wrist only) was "queer". I was curious if it was going to be a lasting ink and maybe make things interesting at the opera today but it has all but washed off so no curious looks from that crowd later this afternoon.

The sun is blindingly bright and makes me wonder if our false spring is back for a day or so. Gotta love it! Sorry about the east coast having the exact opposite. They seem to be buried in snow every week. They will savor the summer for sure if it ever makes an appearance.

- Signing off -

A horse is a horse, of course of course!

My boss boss boss (that's three levels of bossdom) needed a body to ride her calm horse Reni while she tried to figure out her crazy horse Tia. Enter yours truly. So with much glee and camera in tow I went to meet my horse for the day, Reni.

Meet Tia

And Reni.

My ride pimped out in a synthetic endurance saddle.

I was assured this was the most comfortable saddle ever but I still wore my cycling padded butt shorts and boy am I glad! I'm still super sore and we were only out for a few hours. Stupid bony butt. Thanks mom!

There are some super trails in their neighborhood. Dedicated to horses though joggers and walkers like them too. Reni is listening to me fumble for my camera.

Coolest crosswalk, ever! Note the button up nice and high for the horse trail users:

Such a good idea! Though I still think it is a bit weird to have a horse trail that connects residential neighborhoods. There were many gawking neighbors and I kind of felt like we were on parade with the loud clip-clopping of the hooves on pavement. Reni freaked out a bit when we walked by a storm drain. Apparently he's not a fan of water, still or moving, and he did the jump and land with legs splayed thing that horses do. Luckily he just stood there for a moment listening instead of running off like a berserker. Yeah for inexperienced me!

Reni was a good "babysitter" and I arrived back in one piece though my knees, ankles, thighs, butt and back were all complaining. And for the safety conscious I was wearing a helmet for about half the trip. But it was too small and was giving me a migraine. Reni was so calm that I opted to take it off for the ride back. Next time I will have to try and find one that fits so I can be noggin proofed the whole way.

The experiment was a success. Turns out Tia is just kinda crazy. She canters in place whether she's leading, following, on a trail or off. Will require some work.

The horses needed a bit of cooling off so Emma stepped in to help out.

You can't really tell here but there is steam rising from the back of Tia like a pot that is about to boil over. So hot that she's got to have help to cool down.

First a nice, freezing shower. She wasn't a huge fan...

Next, a nice little walk around the paddock.

Momma knows what is going to happen next so a quick towel dry before...

The mud bath!

And the after picture. Dirty, but much cooler, horse.

Wonderful time! I offered my services, such as they are, any time they might be needed!

RCRG pics

Finally downloaded the pics onto my computer for your viewing enjoyment. The lighting was terrible so not too many turned out well. Here goes! First and foremost roller derby ladies (and refs) have super fabulous names, as I've already mentioned. Here is the blurry behind of one of the refs:

What you probably can't read is the butt stamp of her name, Mae Kim Beg. haha!

And here is one of the mascots, Skeletora! Her make-up looked a whole lot creepier in real life. The camera makes it look less fabulous for some reason.

Here is how they start a bout. The two in back are the jammers, the ones that can score points. Everybody else is at the other starting line, just ahead. Two whistle starts for the different start lines and they're off!

At the equivalent of half-time in the derby they did some neato stunts, like this one. He's one of the coaches I believe:

Tons of fun! There are derby leagues all over the country so check out the one nearest you!

All moved. Will see for how long.

My happiness quotient has increased significantly since the move. My mom even commented on how relaxed I looked. Love this apartment. I did forget just how crazy hot it gets though on a sunny day. Easily twenty degrees hotter than whatever the temp is outside. Nice for winter, not so nice for summer. I collected the fans from the Storage Unit o'Mom and the portable air conditioner will be close behind I'm sure.

The housing hunt, on the other hand, is sad. Getting a second opinion from a lender to see if there are any creative loan options for a wonderful girl with fabulous credit. FHA loans don't get you a whole lot. Can't even afford to look at living in squalor. Anyone want to donate to the cause? I'd pay you back! In a timely fashion even. Especially if I can nab the tax credit.

Finally got to eat seafood where they throw it all on the table and you bash it in with a wooden mallet. Brilliant!

Will have to get one of Evan's "splat mats" and try this at home. Too much fun even if the food was mediocre. I kinda look like a malicious pirate in that terrible photo. Armed and ready to plunder with a squinty eye.

I attempted to make lemon strawberry cupcakes the other day and managed to turn out a fabulous tasting lemon sponge cake with a strawberry yogurt like substance. Not even close to the mark but tasty nonetheless. Will have to attempt again, maybe this week.

Addiction to Molly Moon's ice cream is complete. I can honestly say I'm not an ice cream fan. The problem started when my friends introduced me to magic shell. Oh dear lord, how wonderful is that stuff! And ice cream is really the perfect conveyance for magic shell. So I started eating ice cream. I can now appreciate it a bit more than I have in the past but until Molly I never actually craved it. Balsamic strawberry is my undoing. I HATE strawberry flavored things. Tastes wrong because fresh strawberries are so wonderful. Imitation is common and not hard to pick out. But this is an all natural foofy place and goodness gracious it is amazing. It is to the point that I don't even use the magic shell on this ice cream because I don't want to alter the flavor at all. This is significant.

I get excited on cold, rainy days because that means the line will be shorter.

They make the waffle cones right in front of you too. That really needed to stop so in my infinite wisdom I decided a pint of ice cream would be better. Just slightly more than the waffle cone version and I can eat it in my underwear while watching a British mystery. I'm actually quite pleased with my self-restraint. I don't allow myself to use a bowl when eating said balsamic strawberry manna from heaven. The trick is to only have a spoonful at a time. Then it isn't really an addiction - like my Doritos problem where 1/2 to a full bag in a sitting is typical. So far so good. Check back in a week or so. ;)

Feb is flying by so quickly it makes my head spin. Or maybe that is just the sugar coma from my cupcake/ice cream issues. Either way it means the cruise is that much closer! All hotels have been booked and the only thing left is to plan what to do. And find appropriate, comfortable, close-toed, ventilated, supportive, cute travel shoes. It's going to happen dang it!

Favorite shoe store lady (next to favorite travel store and across from favorite cupcake shop and down the street from favorite ice cream shop - this neighborhood gets a lot of my wallet) had a brilliant idea the other day. I was whining about how all the cute, ventilated, close-toed, cute shoes that would be good for traveling have little to no arch support. And if I was going barefoot ventilation is necessary and would only stave off the foot stinkies for so long. Here was her solution: get those itty bitty socks that ladies wear with pumps that just hide beneath the surface but you put the sock on the shoe insert. Then all the nasty foot grubs and sweat get on the sock which you change out daily. And there are these little arch support bumps that you can slide in to any shoe without altering room in the toe box or heel like a lot of full inserts do. Brilliant! So I need to re-order the shoes that I just returned to Zappos (best site ever) that were oh so cute in every way but non-supportive and try this idea out!

Makes me happy when there's a light at the end of the tunnel. :)

Thinking this much about shoes for a vacation takes my mind off of all the stupid stuff going on at work. Mainly it is our temperamental equipment but there's always some office drama playing out, especially as the official last day of those "effected" by the last lay-off looms closer. Not cool. So distractions are welcome.

I am happy to report that after six months of trying, Sugs has finally accepted the new, robot litter box. Can I get a hallelujah? HALLELUJAH. Bam! Nothing better than having a happy cat and only having to change the litter box once a week.

My language skill practice is woefully behind. I got a phrase book in Italian and I think it will come in handy but I haven't tried the sure-to-be-wonderful link my travel buddy sent me. She's completed over ten lessons now. We tweeted back & forth the other day and I was scrambling for words with my limited phrase book knowledge. Reminded me of college with my worn out Spanish dictionary! By the time I have looked at Italian to my satisfaction (btw, that is an unrealistic goal) it will be too late to get the French in. Ah well. Even if I had eight years under my belt I'm sure the Parisians would still frown upon the tall, pasty white American butchering their language. So I kinda don't feel bad about not practicing beforehand.

I have pics and even one cool video from the RCRG derby a while back. Was intending to post but I'm getting sleepy and well, let's face it; I like being lazy, especially when sleep is an option.

'Night.

Soooooouper Bowl!

That would be better if I was having or making soup today. Instead it is Dorito filled fun and a buffalo steak. 'Twas on sale. Think I like the buffalo burgers more. Especially if bleu cheese is involved. And of course, moscato grapes are making another appearance as well. It's like heroin! Anyhoo, the super bowl is actually entertaining. Close game - 1 point so far. I'm voting for the underdogs, as usual, the Saints! Also because I was in their stadium once upon a time performing and I feel like that counts as only one degree of separation.

Got a fun, new toy for the kitchen - a mezzaluna. Basically a curved knife with a concave cutting board that makes mincing fresh herbs fun! It is my least favorite thing to chop and now it is fast, even and fabulous. I was especially pleased to find it with the same handle type as my knife set. Speaking of knives, I have discovered that I am wretched at sharpening them. After much crappy cutting after crappier sharpening I decided to get it done professionally. Am supposed to get it back tomorrow. I gave them just my santoku in case they aren't all they are cracked up to be. Fingers crossed!

Have changed plans. There were actually no manual Foresters to buy last weekend from my dealer and it seems like that was for a good reason. I got to thinking and decided that I should wait for a vehicle purchase and stick with what I've got for now. So the new car purchase has been delayed to make room for a possible condo purchase. Mortgage broker is running the numbers and real estate agent is on standby for loan qualification results. If I can get mutual agreement on an offer in April and close by June I can still qualify for the fabu tax credit. I'm not going to let that rule my decision. I'm not super picky so long as the resale possibilities are good. I can live anywhere with enough natural light for a few years. Here's hoping I see my 'wow' condo in the next month!

Cruise plans are still on and all flights have been booked. Wahoo! Just looking at hostels and trying to learn Italian. Bought a phrase book today and had waaaaay too much fun pretending to be Italian inside my head. Makes me want to live there so I can speak so expressively all the time. :)

Went to see a Rat City Roller Girls derby last weekend. AWESOME! Will be going back for mom's birthday (with mom in tow). So much fun and everyone is supportive of the ladies and having a great time. It was immediately clear to me that this would be a Halloween costume and that the clock is ticking for the perfect name. If I were going to be an unoriginal copycat I would be Jalapeño Business. Ha! Fabulous I tell you, fabulous.

This weekend I am waiting for the new apt to open up. I've got to find some way to prop up my bed (frame has wheels) so that the hardwoods are protected. Was thinking a rug but maybe those plastic bed lifter things would work short term.

Tried out a new breakfast place, a pancake corral. Was pretty good for diner food and is ridiculously popular. Followed that with a nice movie, Up in the Air, and then some cruise ship shopping. Trying to follow the packing for one bag theory. Decided to go with brown, white, purple and maybe magenta as colors to stick with. Actually finding some long sleeved light-weight things at Exofficio. The most fabulous travel store if you have never heard of it.

YES! The Saints won! Woo hoo!!!

Ahem, shopping. And then the mezzaluna came to me (been searching for almost a year) on sale! 40% off baby. Yeah. Good times. Followed by pho and Molly Moon's buy one get one. Goodness gracious, what is better than handmade ice cream and sorbet? By the way, order a split scoop if you get two flavors - double scoop is gi-huge-ic. And did you know they sell their divine, creamy fabulousness by the pint?!?!?! Fi dolla and heaven is yours.

And then came the purging. Of my closet anyway. Decided that if I am going to be moving twice in the near future I will be moving less stuff than last time. If I haven't worn it in over a year then it is gone! I have three bags of clothes and one trash bag + recycling of food stuffs that haven't been seen in years. Managed to hold on to a muffin mix that expired in 2002. That is just sad. And some butter flavored crisco that expired in 2007 so you can only imagine when I bought it. Eek! Followed that with some carpet cleaning (thanks for the machine, mom!) and some laziness to watch the Saints. Sugar is now inspecting the carpet cleaner's handywork after maintaining a crouched-in-the-shadows, wide-eyed stare for the entire cleaning procedure.

Didn't get to anymore sewing (those babies won't need burp cloths forever) or figure out how to come up with closing costs on any potential home purchase. In my head I get to have a crappy house instead of a slightly less crappy condo with home owner's dues. We'll see what happens.

Getting sucked into Undercover Boss so I'll have to continue this next week. Probably given you enough to read over anyway. Seems boring but random enough to make me happy. That's my life!

Busy busy busy as a bee.

Except I am my own queen to report to and I don't have attendants. Which is probably a good thing as I would like to do a bit more with my life than act as a brood mare. But I digress.

Planning a cruise to the Mediterranean this spring t

o celebrate my friend's birthday as well as my own. Going out of my twenties in style! Plane tickets are a bit of a bother but I guess it would be too good to be true to get everything we wanted at a fabulous price. Geocaches here we come!

Also attempting to buy a new car. Financing is good this month and I've had my eye on a Forester for a while now. Waiting to hear back from the internet dealer now. Hopefully because it is the end of the month they will be willing to make me a deal that I can live with happily. The whole idea just makes me want to vomit though. I feel greasy just being in the same room as a car salesman. Gah!

The other big ticket item on my agenda is moving apartments - again. My old, fabulous view, hardwood floor, dear to my heart apartment is up for lease and my manager is willing to give it to me for pretty cheap. So I'm taking her up on the deal and in two weeks should be able to run naked from my bathroom to bedroom without fear of being seen, even if I have all the blinds open. Yippee! Right now I'm on street level and it creeps me out a LOT. I don't like it when people can just glance as they are walking a long and see into your living room. But I would wither like a plant deprived of sunlight if I kept the windows/blinds closed all the time.

Went snowshoeing last weekend and it felt great! It felt great until I woke up two days later and couldn't move. Actually took Monday off because everything hurt too much. Couldn't really bend or lean over. That's the last time I try to keep up with the pace of a marathoner. Tuesday actually got worse because my hip flexor decided to flare up. I honestly couldn't pick up my own leg. Made putting pants on in the morning very interesting. My co-worker literally laughed at me all day whenever she saw me walking or trying to move in a way that previously was not an issue. NOT FUNNY! Okay, maybe a little. But your own pain isn't that hilarious. Now I'm going to have to do pilates twice a week to make up for the ones I missed and that could be my

undoing. Brutal class I tell you, brutal. But I keep going back for more - what does that say about me?

Found my "Cullen Vampire Baseball League" t-shirt and busted it out to feel geeky and giggle a little every time I thought of the fabulous, real (book version) Edward. The movies really are rubbish. So sad that it has given the books such bad press.

The teeny boppers are still buying so at least the author is doing well for herself.

I took on a sewing project for my friend's puppy. To test out the alterations I tried it out on Sugs. She kept trying to run away from me when I was putting it on her which was hilarious because the little hood it has was blinding her. Eventually I was able to fold that back and snap this pic:

After she could see again and felt resigned at being caught in the costume she lay down and just stared at me. Typical cat reaction for having something tied around their middle. Funny though!

Excited to test out my new cookbook "America's Test Kitchen Baking Book". There is a recipe in there for quick cinnamon rolls that looks delicious. On the table in less than an hour. Can't beat that! So I'm off to find powdered buttermilk. Easier to store and scored just below real buttermilk and way above soured milk. Breakfast tomorrow is going to be awesome!

Breathing bliss.

That's right, my nose and sinuses are my own again AND I can taste food. Totally awesome. Missed a week due to busy-ness but as my life isn't too terribly exciting I doubt anyone noticed.

Highlights from over a week ago... geocache galore for last weekend. Got really dirty scrambling up sandy, wet slopes but success! Found a travel coin one day and the next I helped to send it on its way to another park (its mission). More caches in new areas so I deemed the weekend a success. Am looking to get myself involved with more official geocache events so I can get coins without having to pay for them outright. There's one coming up in summer but that's a ways away yet.

Shaun of the Dead. Best zombie flick ever. In case you were wondering. :) There's a theater around here that shows older movies for cheap on the big screen with a full service menu. Too neat! You can actually order piggies in a blanket. For some reason that cracks me up!

Got tupperware back from mom. Seems when I dropped off some stuff while ill I neglected to see the nice, clean pile of borrowed dishes waiting for me on the kitchen table. So I've been scrambling since new year's to put away food without any dishes. Lots of saran wrap was involved.

Overdue work party was held. Whiny department didn't show despite my planning and RSVP efforts so that was annoying. Plus side was that I got to play Rockband at work. Always a nice way to end the week.

Every time I brag about Sugs using the new litter box she reverts to leaving the solids just outside of it. Since I'm not willing to poo on anything of hers to counter attack I think she might win this battle. But so long as I can borrow mom's carpet cleaner and the mild discolorations continue to wash out I'm not finished yet!

Xmas porch goose does not have any weights yet. The only place I have found to place it where it doesn't fall over (it really does need something to weigh the bottom down) is on top of a filing cabinet that is dented a bit on top. Which causes my mackintosh-clad tchotchke to hold a prominent place in my big picture window. The yellow slicker is visible from at least a hundred yards. Makes me giggle every time I see it when I'm walking up.

The opera strikes again! It seems I am determined to foil my evil plot to enjoy opera. The first of the season I thought it would be a good idea to eat dessert with a glass of champagne before the show. BAD idea. Was so sleepy I actually did the head bob. Music to La Traviata was amazing though. I do remember that. This time it was Il Trovatore and I was struck with food poisoning. I had hoped to have a nice, relaxing sleep in (maybe some laundry thrown in for good measure) before heading off to the show. But no. My day started at 2:30 am with some serious GI distress. I had to give myself a pep talk just to go to the show. Almost walked out before intermission but decided to stick it out and ignore the discomfort. And wouldn't you know, I wanted to die a little for approximately two hours fifty-five minutes. Literally the last five minutes my stomach takes a sigh of relief and decides to feel better. Grrr.

I am happy to report that I get to have my sleep in tomorrow thanks to the holiday. Will try to make the most of it. Maybe I'll get to some of the baby present projects finished. Finally got a hold of pinking shears to help prevent fabric disarray in the washing machine.

Ooh yes, I got a hold of a friend's copy of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. Can't wait to finish up the original before starting in on the spoof. Supposed to be pretty good too!

Gotta love that book cover! Totally after my heart!

Almost forgot!

I love this picture - feeding yourself is so hard!

Fun with Lauren

First up, mom:



Lauren knows some signs from a super video series called My Baby Can Talk. Totally awesome.



Next up, dad:



So much fun! Again! Again!

Trampolines are fun no matter the season!

Christmas in Colorado!
I had a very pleasant trip down to CO, flight delayed only slightly. Came inside and immediately started wrapping presents for my operation Shock & Awe the next morning. As I was wrapping Nathan's light saber Lauren woke up (she was sick and not sleeping very well) and came to the living room for a short visit. She sees the light saber and immediately says, "Pchew, pchew". That's my girl. No complete sentences yet but I know my Star Wars noises. Awesome.

Look at all those presents!

Ashlyn looking very pleased with her kid's digital camera (princess edition!). Unfortunately it did not work and had to be returned. Instead of getting something else for Xmas from me she opted for a real camera that would count as this Xmas and her next birthday present from me. It's in the mail and it's purple! Thank you Costco!

BEHOLD the light saber! Sheer joy. This is why I love giving presents.

Me rockin' the polka dot cupcake pajama pants with Lauren and her polka dot art smock. She didn't seem too interested in the color wonder markers that were also her present but I think they will grow on her. She likes to color anything and everything. Permanent markers are her favorite which is why the color wonder markers were requested as a gift by mom. They only show up on color wonder paper! For several days she was sporting some ink on her midriff leftover from some past, unsupervised coloring.
Megan investigates the light up maracas. Thorough taste inspection is mandatory for all objects.

Upon emptying her stocking, Ashlyn encounters pop rocks for the first time. Really entertaining to watch this discovery.

Nathan shows off knitted presents from Oma.

Lauren takes a break from presents to take a ride on mom's legs. Wee! So much fun.

Megan enjoys the flavor of her fingers.

Christmas is also Nathan's birthday and he always gets to pick his birthday dinner. For Christmas day dinner we had....

... mac & cheese with lil smokies! Broiled a bit too long but we'll just call it blackened and pretend we're Cajun. Very tasty! Excellent choice Nathan.

Onwards to dessert!
Decorating the birthday cupcakes.

After dessert comes the birthday presents for Nathan!

The ensemble is now complete and Nathan shows off his Jedi face.

And Erika is off and running with the thank you cards, made herself! The kids were very good about signing themselves (Ashlyn & Nathan for now) and drawing pictures on each thank you note.

It was then decided that we should play in the snow. Due to Lauren being sick the destination was the backyard. And there I found bunny tracks in the snow! Though most likely a boy the kids named the bunny Alicia. I saw Alicia a few times crisscrossing the backyard during my stay.

Uh-oh! Look out! Luckily the zoom on my camera was more powerful than Nathan's throwing arm.
Wee! Swing sets are fun any time of year!

And here the pictures end. This is about the time that everyone in the house took turns getting and then staying sick. The highlight was when Nathan was trying to figure out how to best utilize a barf bucket. He was told that if he felt sick while in bed that he should hold the bucket to his face and puke into it as opposed to on himself or the blankets. He took this very literally and while still laying down held the bucket above his face and vomited. Gravity was not kind.

While I was napping in the guest bedroom in the basement, trying to stave off my own illness unsuccessfully, I heard a weird sploosh noise. I was a bit out of it and assumed it was one of the kids upstairs using the bathroom. Soon after Ashlyn comes down to tell me that Lauren is awake and that there is a water spill that she stepped in. I thought it was a juice cup spill or something. Nope. That sploosh was the sewer backing up in to the basement. Yuck. Thank goodness for plumbers! One came out within the hour to chew up some tree roots that apparently had clogged up the line. Then the clean-up began. Luckily the carpet on the floor was all remnant and could be disposed of quickly and the spill wasn't too bad. Still not a nice post-Christmas gift.

On the up side, sissy and I had some craft craziness. I am now stocked up for baby presents. I made some really sweet burp cloths and a play thing called a taggy. Basically, a taggy is a piece of fleece with ribbon loops sticking out of it on all sides. Babies like to grab onto it for full oral inspection of all brightly colored ribbon-type things. There's also a taggy ball that you can put bells in the middle. Haven't made the ball yet but, due to pregnancies lasting as long as they do, I have some time yet.

The day I left CO was the worst day of the cold so far. I went to an urgent care doctor, called my insurance nurse call line, and despite it all suffered greatly. I have never before cried because of a cold. So much pain. Sore throat doesn't even being to explain it. I was very close to going to the ER because I couldn't even swallow for a few hours. Had to spit out saliva which doesn't really help the "push fluids" advice of the doctor. I was amused calling the nurse because she was most concerned with the appearance of hives and asked me (trying to determine if I was going through anaphylaxis) if I was having trouble breathing or swallowing. Well yes, of course I am. I have an upper respiratory tract infection.

The doctor even gave me a note stating that I was not to travel that day due to illness in case it would have some sway with the airlines if I chose not to fly. I flew anyway, assuming that I hadn't been through the worst of it yet. And it is better to be sick at home than anywhere else. Luckily, no burst ear drums during the descent! And the weather gods were with me as I relied on public transportation to get home. Wet ground but nothing falling from the sky. First time on the light rail! Worked like a charm and no scary people despite the holiday and the late hour.

I purchased a humidifier yesterday and was disappointed that you have to soak this one filter thing for 24 hours before use. Here's hoping that tonight is more restful when I can actually use it! Today my goal is to buy some good lotion tissues for my poor nose. And to rest. And eat spicy soup.

Hopefully by tomorrow I will be well enough to trek down south to get Sugar. She's happy playing with Cleo at Ray's. With luck I will be well enough to go to work Monday but I'm doubtful at the moment. Thank goodness for sick time!

All told it was still a good trip. The kids are too cute and I was able to bring lots of smiles so I consider it successful. I helped out mom & dad with some basement organization and got to play with some power tools under the guise of assisting Rick with some shelf construction for the backyard shed. I can't wait to have a bit more space for things like tools and food storage. Oh to have a pantry and back-up freezer!

For now I will revel in my ability to nap and shower for as long as I want and hope it does more than for me than ring up the utility bills.

Christmas!

I hosted dinner last weekend to celebrate a bit early as mom and I will both be celebrating the holiday elsewhere. Made a nice leg of lamb, roast potatoes and brussels sprouts using recipes from a guy at the local farmer's market. I reduced my wine-cream sauce a bit too much and had to chuck it but everything tasted great. Brussels sprouts still taste like brussels sprouts though they were the best ones I have tasted. Just not a fan.

Got an early Christmas present in the mail today that cracked me up! Went to the manager's office after receiving notice that a package was there, which was very confusing as I was not expecting one having completed my online shopping last week. I see a number of small packages on the floor, and one large one marked "30 dozen eggs". I giggle at the eccentricity of one of my neighbors and start to sort through the pile. No package with my name on it. Hmm. Maybe the manager had it wrong? I check one last time and then decide to look at the egg package just to see which nutty neighbor it is. Yup, my name on it. Very curious, I run the package upstairs and what should my wondering eyes should appear?

My very own Christmas goose decked out in rain gear! Craziness! I had actually commented once to my step-sister Michelle how I thought my friend's porch goose was cute and funny and she liked to dress it up for each season. (My personal favorite is the witch costume for Halloween that she can actually put on her weiner dog!) Rain gear is appropriate for the northwest! I guess I need to join the mobs and buy a house this year so I can have an appropriate place to show off my very own porch goose. What a riot!

Looking forward to the upcoming week off of work. It will be so nice to have some real time off and totally forget about the place. Sugs is going to a "kennel" at Ray's place where he'll be taking care of my mom's cat too. Can't wait to hear what happens while we're gone.

I think I have OD'd on xmas music. You may recognize the problem seeing as how xmas is still a few days away. Maybe if I stop listening to it now I will want to hear more on xmas eve. Here's hoping!

I totally managed to fit everything into my carry-on for my flight - xmas presents and clothes! Fingers crossed that the light saber for my nephew doesn't look like a weapon to the amazing TSA screeners.

Ooh! I was able to get the next book from the library - Into the Wild. I was having a minor panic attack that I wouldn't be able to get it in time and would have to flake out of the book club meeting or go and not be able to contribute. Neither were acceptable options. Then I had to laugh when I actually looked at the book picking it up this evening. I've already seen the movie! Yes, yes, that isn't the point of a book club but at least if I don't finish I will know how things turn out in the end. Not so for next month's A Girl Named Zippy. In case I don't have enough to do already I downloaded something like eleven books for free onto my new, free kindle. Classics mostly that I've sworn to read but haven't ever managed to: Treasure Island, Dracula, Pride & Prejudice. Very exciting!

Tip of the week - read owner's manuals for new electronic toys. I purchased an ipod nano a while back and only discovered recently from my co-worker that it is also a pedometer! How neat is that? And if you shake it, it changes the song! Coolness!

I can't stop looking at the goose. I think its beady little eyes are watching me. I bet it is going to freak the heck out of me tomorrow morning when I wake up and it is at eye level on the kitchen bar counter. hehe!

Emotional week.

Things have been kind of up and down at work since the lay-offs. All of the people in my group that were "affected" have a six month transition period. I hate how they call them "affected". Makes it sound more negative I think. Attitudes could be better and apathy is on the rise. Yeah for lay-offs before the holidays.

Also, things have ended between me and my man. Normally, I try not to mention much about my dating life on here but for whatever reason I'm announcing it. So that sucks too. Dating in winter when it seems like there is only 4 hours of sunlight is difficult and not much fun. I think I may postpone until spring fever hits me and I want to be super active. Putting yourself out there is tiring and takes a toll. We'll see how things go. The first major obstacle in dealing with this change is that now I have no one to pick me up at the airport late New Year's Eve when I come back from visiting family over Xmas. I can't find a bus that has a reasonable delivery to where my car will be stashed and taxis will be crazy expensive. Even the shuttles are kinda pricey. If I could use public transport it would be free due to an Orca card from work but I'm not really seeing that happening. At least I've got some time to figure it out.

I've decided to start my first sewing project. It will be a Jedi cloak for my nephew and it is supposed to be a simple robe. Should be a no-brainer, right? Well I've been through elated, frustrated, confused and hateful so far and I'm not even done cutting the fabric! S'pose it's because I thought I could do it without a pattern. Turns out I'm challenged spatially and really need something written down - with pictures - to have it make sense to my brain. I've got the weekend on my own before I call in reinforcements i.e. taking it to the sewing store where I bought my machine and they will help you through stuff. Fingers crossed!

Allergies have hit me really hard this week. I'm pretty sure it is the cat's fault. It's so cold outside I never open the windows and I think all the dander just hangs in the air like my own personal thundercloud. I'm fine in the car and at work but as soon as I'm home the eyes start itching and the nose starts running. So of course I've run out of medicine and keep forgetting to buy some when I go to the shops. Gah! Wondering if an air purifier would be good for me. I've already put the allergy bedding on all my stuff and my normal vacuum is super hepa craziness but Pong (my Roomba) is bagless and probably adds to my suffering. I think I will add no carpet to my next apartment list. I think they are more trouble than they are worth.


Enough with the tough week here are some moments of happy:

FINALLY made it to the cobbler in my neighborhood and asked if they could sell me a shoe polish cloth. I have looked EVERYWHERE for one and no one sells them anymore. He said he could give me one for free. Guess what it is - a cloth baby diaper! He gets them by the hundred (used but cleaned) and says they last forever. When it is used up he uses it for an oil rag. Brilliant!

Though crazy cold the sun has been shining and the view is gorgeous and has been for a week or so! Yeah!

Being single and not dating is cheap! My dining out budget will be significantly less and I won't have to fret as much over food costs. This is actually a huge weight lifted when you are no longer dating someone that doesn't watch their spending but still likes to split checks.

My apartment is quite small so I have nixed most decorating in favor of being able to walk around my living room. My friend Kara got a real tree and we meet up on Mondays for tv so I can get my tree fix in addition to cable!

My new all weather tires are still awesome and I feel much safer on the road.

All in all the outlook is good and I'm looking forward to taking pics of the nieces and nephew running around with the super fabulous presents they are getting from the best aunt ever, me.

Brrrr!

Winter has definitely arrived. And just in time I swapped out my crappy tires that I have hated since the moment I purchased them for some super fabulous rubber-treaded awesomeness. Now to order chains and the recipe for preparedness will be complete.

For a treat on Sat, headed to the Portage Bay Café. Delish. I've said it before and I'll say it again, delish. I snagged this pic off of yelp to give you an idea:

The pancakes are post berry bar trip. They let you load up on lots of fresh treats including berries and whipped cream. Their only policy is that you eat whatever you dish. I went against my better judgement and opted for the crab cake eggs benedict instead of the french toast. Never again. ALWAYS get the french toast, especially if the special looks halfway decent. Divine experience I tell you! Next time...

This great meal was followed by a lazy drive in the sun and then off to family dinner and pics. Was great to see out of towners and in towners alike. Kids get so big so fast it is scary. Wined and dined and made it home for a good long sleep.

Brrrr! The high tomorrow is supposed to be around the freezing point and it is times like these that I'm glad that I don't work outside. Sunday was frigid but sunny. I'm sure the people on the other side of the stadium appreciated its rays immensly. All I know is that despite my many precautions after the MLS final game I was still dancing around trying to get luke warm blood to travel to my feet. I had on two base layers, a jersey, an ultra warm soft shell jacket and a ski jacket all on the top half. For the bottom I had long johns, wool socks, snow pants and a blanket from mid chest to the ground wrapped around me. Finish it off with a scarf, hat and mittens and you really only saw my eyes and the start of my nose. I can't imagine what people in other cities do that have more severe cold weather and open stadiums. At least we won! Sad but funny was that the coat Jason grabbed was his red one and not the blue one. We were playing the 49ers. So he left it in the car and froze to the stadium seating so as to not root for the wrong team. We have different priorities I guess. So far every game I have attended we have won. They should set aside a heated seat for me so I come to them more often!

Work will be interesting moving forward. We had more lay-offs last week that took a lot of us off guard. They were expected but not so soon. I am ok for now but who knows. Should really find an industry that is more stable but I'm not sure what that is or if I would be happy in it.

On the plus side I have Xmas break vacation plans and someone to take me and pick me up at the airport. Yeah! Sis & babies, here I come! Let's see if I can finish my crafty present in time...

For now I am thankful for thin base layers and my purring portable heater. And Top Gear. That show is the best! I literally could watch it all day. This does not help my book club goals though. So far I have been on time but the Xmas crunch will put an extra helping of panic onto my plate even though we've agreed to meet in January. Here's hoping.

Oh, and speaking of reading, I got the cover for my free kindle and am now reading a free digital copy of Pride and Prejudice. Love it! Having memorized lots of movie versions it is interesting to see which one is most accurate. Sorry to say it is not the one with Keira Knightley but I do love it anyway.

Goodness me!

Did not realize I never got around to posting last week. Oops. Work was blech. Had an unending string of failed assays continue from previous weeks which pushes back project time lines further and further, making my goal of being finished by Q4 largely unattainable. Which didn't exactly put me in a good mood for writing my performance review. It's hard to say, "Everything I touched in the last month has failed - please give me a promotion/raise". To be sure, it was not my fault that all these assays failed. But fail they did and all I can say is that I busted my butt and with the help of a few key people (or really, person) the problems have been solved. Yippee! So next week should be busy playing catch-up. Yeah.

Last weekend, however, was AWESOME. I get a lovely little email from my friend Kelly saying, "Do you want to go to the MLS final for free?" Um. Yes, yes I do. And so we did. We started things off with a book signing at a local pub by Grant Wahl for The Beckham Experiment. I think it is hilarious, by the way, that when I googled just now for his name, because I forgot, one of the first results was this:

LONDON - Former Spice girl Victoria Beckham needs surgery to remove her bunions, a painful toe problem, and has been advised not to wear high heels.

Back to soccer. While at the pub waiting for halftime of an English match to commence so the book signing/reading could also commence I mused over the sponsorship of soccer teams in general. I was flummoxed over how to tell just who was playing whom. For the longest time all I could tell you was that Motorola was gaining over Fly Emirates. Turns out it was Sunderland vs Arsenal, respectively. Most of the pub patrons were wearing red Arsenal gear but were cheering for the guys in blue (Motorola) and not red (Fly Emirates). Very confusing. Took me almost ten minutes of non-stop playing with intermittent cheering/booing to work it all out in my head.

Unfortunately Seattle's best green players and fans suffer from this as well and appear to love XBox Live more than anything else and you can't buy an official jersey that says otherwise. Phhhht to that.

Next we attended the MLS Cup Final Party downtown. The panel discussion was a lot more interesting than I thought it would be and the food was tasty, especially the frozen custard from Peaks.

Sunday was the big day and while my beloved guys in green weren't playing it was spectacular. Kelly and I met up for the march to the stadium a couple of hours before the match. Lo and behold! When, what my wondering eyes should appear? But all of the Sounders players, signing autographs in good cheer. Eek! Penless, we begged and borrowed our way to five signatures total for our scarves plus one fabulous pic of Kelly and Kasey Keller (my fantasy sports husband). I have discovered two things: 1. the Sounders players are very nice and friendly to their adoring fans. 2. Every soccer player I saw lied about their height. Do they really think people won't find out? Or is it standard practice to add 2+ inches onto their stats? They all look so little in person. Guess I should stick to basketball players but they are decidedly less cute and don't have as nice legs. I never thought I would admire a man's legs but soccer players have the best. I guess you don't know what's out there until you see it/start paying attention.

March, march, march. Concert. Yup, there was a concert. Third Eye Blind was there and it was fun to have such an intimate affair in the parking lot. I was maybe ten rows back from the stage with a clear view - times like these it was fabulous to be at a greater altitude than the general population. I haven't followed them at all so their new songs didn't do much for me but the oldies but goodies took me back to high school for sure. Very fun. Even the weather held out and didn't rain!

Into the stadium, pick up free schwag (by that I mean the second accepted definition for this on urbandictionary.com) and to the seats! But then NO! Shock and horror! I have forgotten my glasses! While myopic tendancies have not required a special notation on my license as yet, corrective lenses are ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY for checking out certain famous British soccer stars that Grant Wahl includes in the title of his aforementioned book. What to do?!? I plead for my friend to point out the object of my secret obsession since viewing "Bend it Like Beckham" which I watched because it was supposed to be a fun Bollywood type film and not because I had ever heard of anyone in fútbol other than Pelé. She pointed him out and then informed me that I was free to walk down to the very front of the stadium and gawk at him there along with everyone else as he warmed up with his teammates.

Bless you Kelly.

So I got my fix. Sigh. Which was actually a little disappointing. He's itty bitty. As my friend Kara would say, "He's so little and cute I just wanna put him on a shelf and dust him". Totally ruins the fantasy. Even if he is oh-so-pretty and talented. But the game was fun and it was nice to see the Cinderella team triumph. The only downside besides the crushing of my pretty-boy fantasy was how bloody cold it was in the stadium. When you aren't really moving a whole lot and there is a steady, chill wind blowing over you it is hard to maintain your core temperature. But Kelly was fine so I guess it was just me, the royal we and no one else, that was slowly descending into a state of hypothermia. I tried to tough it out but when it became obvious that there would be at least 30 minutes of regulation over time play (i.e. closer to an hour in real time) I broke down and headed to the team store in the stadium. I am now the proud owner of an ultra-soft, Seahawks fleece blanket (because there weren't any Sounders ones). Wrapped up in my cocoon that was bound around me tighter than a straight jacket I hooted and hollared with the best of them - only with much less gesticulating.

'Twas a grand time.

Which brings us to Thanksgiving. It was supposed to be a short work week but I put in many more hours than required trying to resolve the failing assay issues. I was relieved to finally get home and start baking some pie when I realized that, sadly, I had neglected to pass along the emergency pager to the next co-worker for their week of fridge/freezer alarm babysitting. Poo. So far it hasn't gone off and I hope it stays that way. My pie turned out very well indeed. No, I did not slave over the perfect crust from scratch nor did I eviscerate a sugar pumpkin but I did use tiny cookie cutters to make a leaf border for the pie as well as some cute decorations in the middle. So there was some above and beyond effort involved. :P

Went to momma's for the feast and stuffed myself stupid which is my assessment of a succesful get together. This was preceeded and followed by a Top Gear dvd marathon, if you can call one dvd a marathon. Most excellent indeed. But why oh why, Netflix, do you only have season ten available? This does not include the best episode ever (three parts, three links) but - enter youtube.com stage left. And so that is why there is a red beat-to-hell Toyota pick-up in the background for all their stage broadcasts. :)

Speaking of red, my mind has turned to the Christmas season. I'm up for feast preparations and hosting. Let's hope I can have it as organized and low stress as momma managed for turkey day. I really don't think I will try to cram a tree in my apt so I will have to get my fix for tree smell like I do for my puppy fix - go where they hang out en masse. I will do my best to be a hanger on at a friend's tree purchase so I don't feel too guilty snooping around tree lots breathing deeply and purchasing nothing. Ooh, maybe I could get a live wreath instead!

I did manage to finish my book club book Julie & Julia. It was an interesting read but I don't think it will go down in my Hall of Fame list. Will be fun to chat about it tomorrow since I missed October's Secret Life of Bees meeting. Can't remember what is up for December other than I have never heard of the book before reading the title on the list of books to read. Let's hope it doesn't suck.

Via a work purchase/vendor promotion I received a FREE Kindle. Yippee! I am being extra patient and not using it until the protective cover I ordered from amazon comes next week. It is purple. Yeah! Super excited about reading something on it but am decidedly not super excited about the price of book downloads (only slightly cheaper than a current paperback). Will have to see how other users are dealing with this issue.

I think I'm tapped for news that is mildly interesting. Hasta luego mes amis.