Girl's Just Wanna Have Fun (Cyndi Lauper)

I was planning on having a stamp camp using all retiring stamp sets on July 26th, but for various reasons, not very many people could attend & so for the few that were attending, I decided to take my stamp camp to them. But first, we were going to do a Girl's Day Out.

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Aimee, Nicole, Tracy, Debbie & I went to breakfast at Chanterelles. I'm not a huge fan of coffee, but I drink the ocassional cup o' joe & I know what tastes good & what doesn't. Chanterelle's has the BEST vanilla latte ever AND it's the size of your head. All for under $3. You can't beat that!

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Next stop: Edmonds Museum Summer Market. Lots of booths selling lots of cherries & flowers & hand-crafted jewelry & such. I bought a pair of pretty earrings to go with any of the pink shirts I own. I also bought a couple forks for camping (Jeff will be able to roast his hot dogs over the fire with these bad boys). Seriously, some people are so innovative (I like thinking inside the proverbial box, I suppose) - these forks have golf club handles & actual silverware fork tips attached to the end. I haven't used them yet, but I'm guessing the only downside to these is that because it's an actual fork, you can probably only roast one hot dog at a time. Good thing I bought two.

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Can't have a girl's day out with out getting pedicures so Kara Nails is where Tracy & I headed to next (while Aimee & Nicole went to the pet store & Debbie went home to install her new garbage disposal). Tracy & I just had regular ol' pedis, but the gal who was already in the chair before us was having a honey pedicure. I had never heard of this before, but the gal said it was Heavenly. Tracy & I agreed we WILL be back for it. You can count on that!

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Last stop was to Tracy's house where we did end up doing the Adios Amigos Stamp Camp afterall. Just a few girls, but it was A-OK. It went by rather quickly (quick enough to get Nicole to the pool for her swim meet.

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Aside from girl's day out, I have been mighty busy making card fronts (they're not complete cards - it's just the front & looks quite like a postcard) to swap with other demonstrators when I go to my Stampin' Up Convention next week in Utah. I am making approximately 140 card fronts. Most of the time, I get my ideas from other demonstrators who've posted pictures of their cards on a website I frequent. But, since I was swapping this card, I didn't want to accidentally swap with someone whose card idea I stole. So, this one is all on my own. What a mistake. I think it's a lovely card, but there's over 1200 pieces (of various sized cardstock) that needed to be punched out. I have punches, but now, I also have a very cramped hand.

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Last weekend, Kathy, Jeff & I went to the Mariner's game at Safeco Field with my company as part of our Summer Event. The M's lost, of course, but I had a good day. Took lots of pictures, of course. Check 'em out & tell me what you think (esp. of my artsy-fartsy purse picture).

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Today, I am thankful for:

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1. Friends

2. Flickr

3. MyPublisher

4. Free Games

5. Mono-Adhesive

Don't Wait Too Long (Tony Bennett)

Cripes. Where do I begin. When I started this blog, I didn't think I would go this far in between postings. Well, things happen & look. It's been a month and a half. Big deal. At least I'm posting now, right?

Back at the end of May, Jeff & I went to our first M's game of the season. It was the train car giveaway. If I go to no other game, I MUST go to the train giveaway game. I have all the trains since they started giving them out. This year was the JJ Putz Flamethrower Express train.
Jeff & I didn't stay too long, though. The M's had given up something like 4 runs in the first inning. We left The Safe & went to Greenlake Bar & Grill for some real dinner.

Thanks to Facebook, I was able to find a friend that I had gone to college with over 10 years ago. Kat & I met up with Alicia for some tasty Happy Hour goodness at Newport Bay Restaurant down in the Southcenter area. Funny thing - As it turns out, Alicia is my Aunt Jane's neighbor.

Kat & I met up with Trina at good ol Chutneys for some tasty Indian grub. Mmmm... We love Chutneys!!

Steve celebrated his birthday with the Groovy Franken Friends. He wanted to try some place other than Famous Dave's. So, we all met up at The Outback in the Southcenter for some ok steak-y type foods. I think Jeff's prime rib was still moo-ing.

This past weekend, the GFF's (minus the Lee clan) got together for some camping action at Hause Creek. Jeff, Randy & I drove up Friday afternoon (first stopping at the liquor store for Randy, FedEx for Jeff & then The Lee for all of us to get our lunch on). Trina joined us late Friday night, er, shall I say EARLY Saturday morning (after 1am). David & Katherine joined in on day two for one night only. While there, we checked out Rimrock Lake, which is absolutely beautiful! We didn't go in, though. Too many frogs on the shore. It was a long drive to & fro, but overall, I think everyone had a good time. Next time, we'll find a place that's just a tad bit closer.

Kinda sad about one of my pictures that didn't turn out when I uploaded it on Blogger. The other day on the way to work, there was a motorcycle that pulled out in front of me in our community. I could tell there was someone on the back. When I got up closer, I could see this someone was a rather large ogre. It was Shrek! This guy had a huge Shrek doll on the back of his bike. I only took a couple of pictures (I was driving afterall).

Today, I am thankful for:

1. Warm camping temperatures
2. Spaghetti w/taco meat, carne asada, Caesar salad & garlic bread
3. Easy camp set up
4. Easy camp tear down
5. Not needing jumper cables afterall

Time After Time (Cyndi Lauper)

Cripes! It's been nearly a month since I blogged last. I think this is the longest I've gone in between posts (whereas Katt is going for the record & hasn't blogged in over 1 year [hint, hint] yet still has her blog up for us to look at & wonder if she's ever going to do anything with it. You never know...). Anyways, I promise I'll try better at keeping it up-to-date. Bah, who am I kidding... You'll get your updates when I'm good & ready to post 'em.

So, what's new?

Last I posted, we let Shiggy out on the kitty leash. We attempted to let Tubbs out recently & he squirmed out of the harness & tried running away. Bad kitty.

One of my friends had her baby at the beginning of the month. I met Derik for the first time last Friday & he's so stinkin' cute!! A big boy, too! In the first 12 days he'd been out of his momma's womb, he's grown a whopping 1 - 3/4"!!

My parents-in-law + Jeff & I met up with Steve & Airi for a Steve-prepared BBQ lunch a couple weeks ago consisting of halibut, steaks, shrimps, caesar salad, asparagus, mushrooms & probably something else I'm forgetting. I say it everytime Steve cooks for us - YUMM-O!! Steve is the Grill Master & I long to be just like him.

Speaking of Grill Masters... Last weekend, Jeff & I picked up a new CharBroil Dual Fuel BBQ. It's Dual Fuel because it can either be hooked up to a propane tank or to the natural gasline attached to the house. Finding this grill was a bit of a challenge & I don't know how many miles were wasted going back & forth trying to find a grill that would support both propane & natural gas. Much of Saturday & part of Sunday were spent assembling the new grill. Next on the to-do list is finding out if our grill model is compatible with the conversion kit we bought to go with it.

While doing all this driving to find the *perfect* bbq grill, I had seriously contemplated getting rid of my Xterra for a more fuel efficient vehicle & then thought better of it. While the X is still a "gas guzzler", it's very close to being paid off. I decided having no car payments for awhile would benefit me far more than having car payments for the next 5 years. Perhaps I'll sock away a little stash of moolah & use that for my next vehicle rather than finance 100% of it.

I'm all set to go to Salt Lake City for a Stampin' Up convention at the end of July. This will be my first time going to convention & the primary reason I'm going this year is because it's SU's 20th anniversary & I just feel they are going to do some extra special things for the demonstrators in attendance. I could be wrong, of course, but I just have this gut feeling that I shouldn't miss out on this one particular convention. Besides, I don't foresee myself being a demonstrator during the next big anniversary celebration (5 years from now).

I'm really proud of my old buddy, Scott, who trained for & ran his first (full) marathon in Memphis a few weeks back. He raised money through Team in Training for leukemia (I believe). He's really taken to this running thing & has signed up to do another marathon, this time in San Fran. If you've got a spare dime & wish to donate to yet another wonderful cause, feel free to click his link above. I'm sure he would appreciate your support.

I too have taken up a (small) liking to running. It all started over a year ago when I said I think I might want to try this running thing. Trina & I ran a VERY short distance at the March of Dimes walk in 2007 (because I was carrying a camera, a medal I had won, keys, etc. - not very conducive for running). This year at the March of Dimes walk, we ran quite a bit further (I left the camera in the car this year, therefore very few pictures were taken). Since then, I've actually gone on my own a few times around the neighborhood.


Today, I am thankful for:

1. So You Think You Can Dance
2. Stimulus packages
3. Aspiring to be the next Grill Master
4. Becoming friends with other people's friends
5. Summer is virtually here


What irks me today:

It's been quite sometime since I've posted "what irks me today". Today, I was totally annoyed with people who were just unaware (unaware = rude) while walking outside today. One man was so enthralled with his conversation with his pal that he nearly ran me over in the crosswalk. Another guy wasn't paying any attention to his surroundings that he just about walked in front of me (I ended up going around him the other way, otherwise, I would have ended up walking into a tree). Grrr...

Chains of Love (Erasure)

Last Saturday was a special day for one of our kitties: Shiggy got to go outside. In the 4 or so years that we've had him, the only time he had been outside was when we took him to the vet.

It was a pretty nice day outside. Jeff, Randy, Trina & I were sitting outside, enjoying cool beverages along with some chips & dip when Trina asked about letting the cats outside.

We had a leash, but the last time we tried putting the harness around Shiggy, he was so squirmy that we never tried again. This time, Trina helped & Shiggy squirmed, but we were able to get it on him. He was a little wary at first, but was mostly just curious about what was going on outside (smelling EVERYTHING!!). I don't think he'll try to escape the indoors like Tubbs does, but we won't let Shiggy out every day either.

And no, we didn't tell Tubbs that Shiggy went outside, nor did we let Tubbs see Shiggy out there either. Don't wanna have jealous kitties.


Today, I am thankful for:

1. Que Pasta Mexican Mac & Cheese
2. Blooming shrubs & trees
3. Not having allergies
4. Receiving SU goodies
5. Kitty leashes

Fever (Peggy Lee)

I'm blaming it on the exercise.

Last week, Jeff & I had a conversation about how we need to be more active (actually, he was doing most of the conversing while I listened, nodded my head a few times & threw in a couple of "uh-huh's"). I agree & admit, though, that I especially have been on the lazy side as of lately. I wake up early, work all day & the last thing I want to do at night is make sweat pour out of my pores.

But, I mustered up the strength last Wednesday & spent 20 minutes on the elliptical, though, if I'm being perfectly honest like Simon Cowell always is, I was pretty much ready to be done after 2 minutes. I kept going though. Jeff would have been proud of how I persisted through.

After my 20 minute stint, I happily got off & unplugged that so-called fat burning machine, said good night to John Tesh & went back inside the house. And it all went downhill from there.

Here I am, 5 days later, still feeling like poo. I've done nothing but lay on the sofas downstairs, watching television, sweating & complaining about how hot I am in between slightly restful bouts of sleep.

The NyQuil isn't doing much to make me sleep any harder & the Riccola isn't making my sore throat any less sore. I'm just a funky mess!

Yeah, I'm blaming the elliptical.

In spite of feeling like death warmed over, I can still find things to be thankful for:


Today, I am thankful for:

1. Having 130 hours of Personal Leave for moments just like this
2. Lots of recorded shows to catch up on
3. OJ (The juice, not the accused murderer)
4. Cool showers that helps to ease my aching hair
5. My spouse who is graciously putting up with my bitching, coughing, sneezing, nose blowing, feverish, lethargic self

Baby, Baby (Amy Grant)

My cousin, Deborah, had her twin girls tonight (about a month early). Sarah Faith weighed in at 5lbs at 8:47pm & Naomi Hope was born 4 minutes later & weighed a whopping 4 lbs 10 oz. It sounds like the labor went REALLY fast (less than 30 minutes of pushing).

My cousin, Molly, had her first born about 2 weeks ago. Owen Cosmos (my cousin-in-law is a huge Carl Sagan fan I'm told) was also born a few weeks early. I haven't talked to Molly, but according to her mom, Molly & baby are doing okay. It's taking a little bit to get used to motherhood, but they're doing fine.

And I can't forget to mention baby Mia, quite possibly one of the cutest babies I've seen in a really long time. She looks an awful lot like Steve. I hope she doesn't start snoring like Steve does, though.

Next Tuesday, I've got a baby shower for baby boy Buscarino (a co-worker who hasn't named her son yet). Next Saturday is Amy's baby shower for her soon-to-be born son, Derik Braden.

What is with all these babies lately? I'm glad I didn't drink the water last summer! Perhaps next summer, I'll take that big gulp, though.

Today, I am thankful for:

1. Healthy babies
2. Happy new parents
3. Speedy deliveries
4. Raising money for those premature babies
5. Those sponsoring me in my March of Dimes walk

I have been in such a blah blogging mood as of lately... So blah that I haven't even wanted to update my blog. Maybe there's just not much to write about that my (few) readers would care to read about.

Steve & Airi had their baby girl 3 weeks ago. Baby Mia is so adorable & looks just like Steve.

Kim & Henry got married this past weekend. I've been thinking about her (& London) a lot lately & hoping they're having a marvy time on their honeymoon. I'm counting down the months before we'll get to travel across the Atlantic to visit with the Romero's.

I've recently tried a new home product called Two Sisters Gourmet. It's quite similar to Tastefully Simple (as far as products & prices), but there are a few differences. I tried 4 different dips this past weekend & I'm hooked! I'll be having a party at the end of April to help spread the word... Let me know if you're interested in coming or sampling some of the goodies.

Tomorrow, I celebrate my 7th anniversary at my job. It's the longest commitment I've ever had & it's passed in a blink. Crazy! Even moreso, my co-worker Faith (a.k.a. Hellboy) celebrated her 30th year today. We ordered a German Chocolate cake from Borracchini's Bakery (talk about delish!!) & had a mini party, complete with balloons & champagne poppers.


Today, I am thankful for:

1. Greek starting up again in 2 weeks
2. Flickr
3. Corporate credit cards
4. LOW insurance rates
5. Baked chicken

Hey Baby (No Doubt)

Last night was the couple's baby shower for Steve & Airi & their soon-to-be child, that I planned for them. I've never put together a baby shower before. I've never put together any kind of shower before. I think it turned out pretty okay, though, if I do say so myself.

I wanted it to be pretty low-key, yet fun & still kinda 'shower-y' so that the guys wouldn't feel totally out of place in what is typically a "girl's event". As it turned out, the guys were almost more into it than the girls were, especially with the games.

We played 4 games, of which the guys won 3 of them:

1. Guess how many 'poopies' were in the diaper - Steve came closest & won movie passes for two, plus some candy.

2. Guess the baby animal - Jeff had the most correct & won a nice big tub of animal cookies.

3. Guess how big Airi's belly is (with a piece of yarn) - Ann won a Famous Dave's gift card for coming closest.

4. Identify the jars of baby food - David & Katherine tied at this one, both guessing 5 of the 7 jars correctly & won a certificate to The Met.

Woo! Good job & thanks for playing.

Next, presents were opened by Steve. A few of the items received were receiving blankets, swaddlers, onesies, bibs, socks & the well needed diapers (direct from Randy's personal stash - thanks, Randy!).

Finally, what's a night with the GFF's without poker? For those who stayed & played, $5 was the buy-in. I was down to $1.85, but two wins back-to-back got me back up & on my feet again. My high point was $9-something, but I lost a few to Randy in the end. When I cashed out, I was still above my original $5. Good times, my friends. Good times.

Today, I am thankful for:

1. Get togethers with friends
2. New poker "felt"
3. Punch
4. Leftover party foods
5. Poker

Jingle Bombs (Achmed, the dead terrorist)

Dashing through the sand

with a bomb strapped to my back

I have a nasty plan

For Christms in Iraq

I can't believe how much time has passed since I last posted, yet not a whole heckuva lot has happened. Same ol', same ol' really. Let's see if I can remember the highlights...

I cooked a turkey dinner last Saturday for my dad & Helyn, who came over for the first time in 4 1/2 years specifically for dinner. I've been to his house for BBQs, but he's never come here for dinner. Until now. Maybe that will change now that he knows I "can" cook. Probably not, though.

I'm done kitty sitting Nutmeg. I enjoyed Nutmeg's company, but she's not exactly a next door neighbor either.

Superbowl Sunday was spent at David & Katherine's home. There was a ton of tasty foods (including my contribution - enchilada ring). We met Tialen & Ann's 2 month old daughter, Lauren. We played a little bit of Texas Hold'em on Steve's new felt. And, Airi & I were the big winners of the mini-superbowl pool that we made up that afternoon.

I had my annual review last week & it was confirmed that I'm just like Mary Poppins - practically perfect in every way. Just kidding. I know areas in which I can improve, but I'm not going to complain about my 2nd raise of the year. Ch-Ching!

Joanna, Kat & I went to see ventriloquist Jeff Dunham tonight. I've seen him before on some tv special, I'm sure. What a funny guy! If you haven't seen him before, check him out on some YouTube videos. My cheeks were definitely hurting from laughter.

Jeff let me know this morning that he saved me from something really awful last night. While laying in bed, he told me to look on the floor on my side of the bed. There was puke down there, no biggie. He said Tubbs was standing above my head when he started doing the "I'm going to puke any minute" gag & so Jeff pushed him onto the floor. I'm so thankful that Jeff was 'awake' enough to get Tubbs away from my head! I slept through all of this & had NO idea it was happening.

Today, I am thankful for:

1. Hybrid cars

2. Recycling

3. Rechargeable batteries

4. Energy saving light bulbs

5. Reusable grocery bags

What Do You Say (Reba McIntyre)

Her every breath is weaker than the last.
And lately when she sleeps she talks about the past.
Her husband knows she's tired of holdin' on.
She looks at him and says I want to go home.

Sadly, Erin went 'home' on Friday evening.

From my previous post, here's what's been going on:

* I got my Market Salary Adjustment. Not 15% like I thought it was going to be, but 8% isn't bad either. I'll take it!

* I went to Kim's bridal shower & had a hoot. She got some cute & crazy gifts. My personal favorite was the red flower shoes & the worlds ugliest light fixture.

* I'm in the midst of planning Steve & Airi's baby shower. I think I've got it just about all figured out. Now all you folks need to RSVP back to me.

* Jenny had her baby about 2 1/2 weeks early because of her size. Little Fiona wasn't so little; she came into this world at 9 1/2 lbs!

* Cousin Deb found out that her twins are going to be girls. Yay!!

Last Sunday, it was absolutely gorgeous outside. Cold, but beautiful. Jeff had a hard time staying home & so we drove up to Snoqualmie Falls for all of about 10 minutes. Like I said, it was cold! So, on the way back home, we stopped at Jamba Juice because we weren't cold enough.

While I don't fully get it, SMCU is starting some new marketing thing about the 7 Principles. There are a couple YouTube videos out there. They took video & still photo shots of some employees & you never know... I may be on a video someday talking about what makes me feel good.

Today, I am thankful for:

1. The time I did get to spend with Erin
2. Honey Nut Cheerios
3. My camera
4. Recorded shows to watch later on
5. A clean house

Unbelievable (Diamond Rio)

It's crazy to think that another year has just begun. There are a few things I'm looking forward to in 2008:

• Market Salary adjustment of 15% (if my calculations are correct)
• Kim's bridal shower/bachelorette party
• Meeting Steve & Airi's baby
• Meeting Amy & Jeff's baby
• Meeting Jenny & Todd's baby
• Hearing about the birth of Deb's twins (boys? girls? one of each?)
• Going to Mike & Amanda's wedding
• Possibly seeing Gina's play in NYC
• Paying off all debts (my car & credit card)
• Finally making Suze Orman proud & establishing a real savings account
• Buying (& using!) a Food Saver

And one unavoidable thing:

• Erin's passing
  

Many of my readers remember my friend Erin. She was my dancing buddy (many weekends, we could be found at Polly Esthers, dancing the night away. She was also the "cheapskate" who came to Las Vegas & refused to pay for the buffet & got caught eating food she didn't buy). Erin was diagnosed a few years back with a cancerous tumor in her brain & over the past couple months, hasn't been doing too well. Now, it's just a matter of time before she passes & obviously, it makes me sad to know that this once active gal has deteriorated to nothing (both physically & mentally). I just hope when she goes, she goes quickly & that I'm not at work when I find out.

In more happy news, recently, I became in touch with my old friend Scott, who I hadn't seen in I don't know how long. It was long enough that he didn't know I had gotten married. Wow! As much as I really don't care for myspace, it did help us get in touch again. Yay for that!

I also just signed up for facebook because another friend had it. I really don't 'get' it. Perhaps someone can tell me the difference between myspace & facebook and help me navigate my way through it. As it is, I'm pretty much clicking on stuff & I have NO idea what I'm doing, exactly.

Today, I am thankful for:

1. The health I do have
2. The Lee
3. Waterfall cards
4. Digital cameras
5. Rechargeable batteries

What irks me today:

Today, I'm not really annoyed or frustrated by this, but I think it's not quite appropriate to wear your pajamas &/or slippers in public. More & more, I see these (not always) young girls wearing their PJ's & slippers out and about. Sure it may be comfy & warm, but those are the clothes you wear to bed - not out to lunch.

When It's Over (Sugar Ray)

The holidays are, for the most part, over. Okay, I suppose we still have New Year's Eve to look forward to, but for all intents & purposes, it's over.

Christmas Eve, I worked til 3p & then came home, cooked a little stuffing (no, it wasn't Stovetop, though it was cooked on the stove top) & then headed over to Steve & Airi's for a Christmas Eve potluck. It was just a small crowd as David & Katherine couldn't make it out due to other family obligations & I guess Popeye made Trina sicky-poo. Boo! Here's a few pics from Xmas Eve.

Christmas Day was supposed to be very low key this year. In fact, I posted about the rules that Jeff & his father came up with & shared with me. Unfortunately, someone failed to include the other McCarthy Women in the rules. These were the rules as set forth by the McCarthy Men:

• Limit spending to $50 on each of the other two couples (his folks, his sister & boyfriend) so that only $100 total gets spent on each other
• Go out to dinner on Christmas Day somewhere (I'm a bit skeptical if this really happens)
• Each couple volunteers in some way (either by donating money, time or gifts) & lets everyone know what they did at Christmas dinner.

The key tab there is the first one. We wanted to tone down Christmas this year to 1 - save some money & 2 - to not go overboard buying things that nobody needs/wants. The first gift we open was from Erin & Aaron & it's a $100 gift card for Travelocity. I am in NO way nonthankful for this gift, but what about the rules? So, I ask Jeff, "Uh, Jeff.... why didn't they follow the rules?" He looks at the card & the questions go flying. They (mom & Erin) say they never heard about the "rules". Faster than you can say Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious, Jeff was on the laptop buying a gift certificate for Hawaiian Airlines for E & A.

Merry Christmas everyone... and next year, how about a bit more communication, eh?

Today, I am thankful for:

1. No more Christmas music on the radio
2. Leftovers (thanks to everyone who donated to our fridge)
3. Returning 2 gifts (so far) with ease
4. Grey's Anatomy, season 2
5. Pat being back at work

What irks me today:

Today, I was annoyed with the girl behind the "fine jewelry" counter at Macy's. I had a pair of earrings to return & had approached one of the counters & after interrupting the employee from her conversation with the other girl to ask if I could "return these here", snottily, she replied, "No, you have to go over there" and pointed to another counter. Man, she was so 'tudey.

P.S. We had a wonderful ham dinner at home (with spinach salad, cheesy potatoes) and TONS of cookies, bars, jalepeno pepperoni sticks, chex mix, cheese & wheat thins, artichoke dip & another kind of cracker, hummus & yet another kind of cracker, Maureen's famous garlic dip & chips). What a spread of food to munch on all day long!

Against All Odds (Phil Collins)

As Christmas quickly approaches, we've received several cards from our friends & family members. I had to laugh when we received virtually the same card from two different people. What are the odds of that happening? Well, I guess technically, one in 4 as this is one of four card designs that these two people made at my stamp-a-stack last month.

Today, I finished up my Christmas shopping. I wasn't going to go out & buy something for everyone I know, but still ended up buying a gift (card) for people I wasn't going to buy for in the first place. In fact, I told folks not to buy us anything as we weren't going to do a gift exchange. Well, it's not about the getting, but the giving, right? I'm okay with the not getting part.

Monday is going to mark the first year we changed our Christmas Eve tradition. I enjoyed the tradition that Joel started with us many years ago (gathering together with your friends, late at night on Xmas Eve at whatever restaurant that was open - usually a Denny's or Shari's, for some not-always tasty & sometimes crappy service & leaving a very large tip for our server). Steve suggested still getting together with friends, but doing a potluck instead, much earlier in the evening.

Yesterday, our TV, Comcast Cable, Receiver or some component thereof decided to crap out on us. Jeff called Comcast & they said it could be the box & so we exchanged it today, hooked up the new box & the picture is still not cool. Basically, the hi-def channels work just fine, but every other channel is highly distorted (the picture is super-enlarged & shifted to the right 2/3 of the screen). What really sucks is that we had some shows saved on our DVR & 1. if they were recorded on the regular channels (most were), they played distorted and 2. all shows saved were lost when we brought the old box back to the Comcast store. Boo!

On Thursday morning, the Sounder train had some technical difficulties. I've been taking the last train into work because I've found some decent parking that works for me (I used to take the earlier train just so I could have a parking spot in the garage; that no longer works for me). Anyhow, we pull into Kent Station & we sit there. A few minutes go by & the conductor announces that the engine is having issues & that they're working on fixing it. After sitting there in Kent for 50 minutes, I ended up getting on a bus to Seattle. This is the 2nd time I've been kicked off in Kent & told to find my own way to my destination. I'm thankful there's buses in Kent to take me to where I need to go.

I'm finding myself really enjoying the new show that's been on ABC this week, Duel. I like trivia, especially when it comes to stuff I *should* know. And, this show also has a gambling component to it. Here's one question from the show:

As of October 2007, which state had the least # of Starbucks (Scroll down for the answer)?

• Utah
• Washington
• Vermont
• Alaska

'

Today, I am thankful for:

1. Our newest remote control - to the fireplace!
2. Employment
3. Taylor Swift
4. restaurant.com
5. Nearby friends to help out in a pinch

'

What irks me today:

Today, I am obviously not happy with the tv situation, but I'm not going to dwell on it. Yeah, it's annoying & frustrating, but perhaps it's a sign of me watching too much television. Maybe I'll play a game or something more 'interactive' tonight instead. ....wishing I had a wii....

'

Duel answer: Vermont with 5 Starbucks. WA had 640, UT had 60, AK had 30

O Tannenbaum (Various)

I was wrong. We DID get a Christmas tree this year afterall. Mind you, it's only about 8" tall, but by golly, we got one! It sits upon our mantle & is the perfect size for our village. I tried tying some ribbon on it to make it a little more decorative, but the ribbon just kept falling off & so I just tied a bow around the base there. It's cute. And, once the holidays are over, we'll plant the tree outside & hopefully it will thrive.

Kat & I did our 4th annual volunteer work this past weekend, stuffing stockings for over 2,400 homeless children. It just amazes me how quickly it goes: all the stockings stuffed in just over an hour. Wow! As chaotic as it is, it truly is organized. I don't think I could do it any better if I had to organize it.

After volunteering on Friday, Kat & I went to Happy Hour for a little bit at the Pyramid Brewery so that we wouldn't be smack dab in the middle of Friday night rush hour traffic. We got 2 appetizers (nachos & fries with a curry dipping sauce) & a BBQ Pork sammy that we split. The BBQ Pork was mighty tasty! The nachos weren't bad either. The fries/curry sauce could have been better, though I don't know how. I wouldn't order it again to give it a second chance. Neither of us drank beer, but I did buy a 12 pack of Hefe for my husband.

Saturday, we finished our volunteer work & Kat was so thoughtful & nice to offer to buy me some birthday lunch. I chose to go to Qdoba for two reasons: I got a BOGO coupon for my birthday & they're mighty tasty! I love me some nekkid burritos & 3 cheese queso.

Later that night, Jeff suggested we go out to get some dessert of sorts for my birthday. We ended up going to Trotters, a local family restaurant, here in Auburn because they have a giant menu of sundaes. However, we didn't have any dessert because we were full after having dinner. Trotters used to be my favorite local restaurant, but once they changed owners, the menu changed & they weren't all that great anymore. This time, they were a bit better than just okay. We'll probably go back, but they're still not my favorite.

On Sunday, Jeff's parents, sister & boyfriend came over to celebrate all the Sagittarius birthdays by watching the Seahawk game, dinner & a movie in the theater room. I also baked cookies for a cookie exchange at work. I wish I had a KitchenAid mixer. I'm also convinced I need to get a FoodSaver as well. I do see this in my not too distant future. Yee!

Today, I am thankful for:

1. Department lunch
2. A warm bed
3. 2 weeks until Christmas
4. Being done with my Christmas shopping
5. Goose down vest


What irks me today:

Once again, my procrastination is getting me down. Tomorrow, we're doing a gift exchange at work & I've got my gift(s) for my person, but now I have to wrap them. I usually enjoy wrapping presents, but right now, I'm feeling absolutely no motivation to do it. And, I kinda want to go to bed early tonight, but I must get this wrapping done first.

O Christmas Tree (Various)

See those two little trees over there? That's about the extent of our Christmas tree set up this year (And the past 2 years as well). While we have a decently sized home, we don't exactly have room for a full-on Christmas tree at this point & so we get to decorate in other ways, such as with my little winter village. Jeff did say the other day that once the holidays are over, we should go all out & buy a ton more decoratives. I agree. Watch out after Christmas sales, here I come!

I don't think I wrote too much about it in earlier posts, but Jeff & I decided not to "do" Christmas this year. Instead, the intent was to save as much money as possible so as to pay off the debts we accumlated from the past year (including Christmas, where we went overboard). My mother-in-law was quite adamant about doing some sort of "Christmas" & here's what was decided by Jeff & his dad:

• Limit spending to $50 on each of the other two couples (his folks, his sister & boyfriend) so that only $100 total gets spent on each other
• Go out to dinner on Christmas Day somewhere (I'm a bit skeptical if this really happens)
• Each couple volunteers in some way (either by donating money, time or gifts) & lets everyone know what they did at Christmas dinner.

*Last weekend, Jeff & I each spent about $25 at Walmart (my favorite store!) on toys to be donated to the Salvation Army for the kiddos. I thought I would dread the day when I had kids of my own because I thought buying birthday/christmas presents would be way expensive. We actually bought quite a bit of stuff for the $50 we spent. And, I can't speak for Jeff, but I really enjoyed the shopping.

*Last week, I anonymously donated 16 hours of my Personal Leave to a co-worker who had none left & needed to take some time off so that her black eye (caused by her abusive husband) would heal without too many people knowing about it. My department & her department are also "adopting" her two boys so they can have some fun gifts from Santa.

*Tomorrow marks day one of two of my annual volunteer work in conjunction with the Coast Guard, stuffing stockings for homeless children. Tomorrow, Kat and I will arrive near 1pm to help sort all the donated goodies. On Saturday, we'll spend a couple hours helping to stuff over 2,000 stockings. It's chaos & I usually dislike it when I'm there, but I always feel good afterwards. And, well, now it's like a tradition that Kat & I do together. I don't want to quit this.

Today, I am thankful for:

1. Cooking my first pot roast
2. Having my last stamp camp of the year
3. No more rain for the next couple days
4. Dreaming about my next vacation
5. Going nearly a week without being "sick"

What irks me today:

The fact that the squeaky wheel gets the oil... We have a member where I work & she is really not a nice person. Just mention the name & people cringe. Seriously. I honestly do not understand why this person is still allowed to be a member. Anyways, in an effort to make something look better & it not working, things are more "messed up" than before I touched it. At least I didn't have to talk to her to explain what happened.

Torn (Natalie Imbruglia)

So, as the title suggests, I've got a little bit of conflict going on right now. I'm torn. I don't know what to do. We've known all along that Kim was going to be getting married in a few short months & I've said all along that we would go no matter where it was as our airline miles would cover the air part of the trip. Who knew there were other things to pay for when going on a vacation abroad (accomodations, food, activities, traveling about once at said destination)? Apparently, I didn't think about this too much when saying we would go "no matter what". And now, after talking about the other expenses, we don't think it's best for us to go to London at this time. But, we said numerous times in the past that we would.

So, do we ditch our budget to witness a one of a kind event for our good friend? Or, do we ditch our promises & commitments to save a buck or two? I don't know the answer. Those who know me know I'm BIG on commitment & I feel like an ass even suggesting not going. But, then again, I didn't think it was going to cost $2k either.

I'm torn. What would YOU do if you were in my shoes?

In other news... last Saturday I went to Brazilian food at Ipanema's in Seattle with Jeff, Kat, Steve, Airi, David, Katt. The food was decent, in my opinion. I kinda compared it to the Melting Pot. Something that might be a fun experience every now & again, but not something you wanna do all the time.

As seen in the picture to the right, our server, Apolo Ohno is carving some meat off the large skewer. Jeff eagerly awaits!


Today, I am thankful for:

1. Christmas plans have been decided by someone other than me
2. WW points posted on Lean Cuisine's & Lean Pockets
3. Black Eye Pea special for $3.99
4. Understanding, patience & forgiveness
5. Receiving my passport in less than 3 weeks - WOW!

What irks me today:

I'm not super savvy when it comes to computer stuff. Sometimes I have Jeff "fix" whatever is bothering me. Sometimes I "make do" with whatever is bothering me. I am really frustrated at the fact that sometimes when I post something & especially when I add pictures, it deletes my paragraphs (or makes my post one giant paragraph). If you ever see the little apostrophe's in my post, the reason is because I can't 'fix' this problem on my own.

If You Don't Know Me By Now (Simply Red)

If you don't know me by now (If you don't know me)

You will never never never know me (No you won't)

If you don't know me by now

You will never never never know me

'

My birthday is coming up in about 3 weeks. I'm not saying this because I want everyone to go out and buy me something. Gifts are nice and all, but what I really dislike about giving is the fact that so many people don't know what to buy others. And so they ask, "what do you want for your ___?" You can fill in the blank with Birthday, Christmas, Shower, etc. Any gift giving reason, really. I know I talked about this once before (last Christmas, perhaps), but I despise "the list". Jeff's family is always big on Christmas lists. I hate them. I feel like if you wanna get me a gift, then you should at least know me enough to know what I like & dislike. I don't want to have to write a list so you know what to buy me. Sweater, check. Perfume, check. DVD, check. There's no joy for me to know what to expect as I'm unwrapping the gifts.

'

My company dinner was last night. Originally, it was to be a murder mystery on the dinner train, but about 3 weeks ago, the dinner train closed their doors for good. So, acting quickly, our social committee booked the Argosy cruise as the venue for the murder mystery. It was just okay. Not a huge amount of people went, but I think more went on the cruise than had signed up for the dinner train (due to the more centralized location). And, the murder mystery bit was kinda lame, but it beat the improv comedy troupe they had booked 4 years earlier on the Argosy cruise. And, the hilight of the evening was winning a gift, even though I didn't take it: a year's membership at LA Fitness gym. They called my ticket number & I told them to draw another number because I know I wouldn't have used the gym membership, especially considering the closest one is in Fed. Way.

'

Today, Kat came over & we went to lunch in Federal Way at Azteca thanks to some free dinners I received for replacing my windshield several months ago. After lunch, we went to a few stores: the Orowheat discount store, WalMart, Top Foods. After our running around, we came back here & made cookies. They, too, were just alright. I dunno why... they just didn't taste all that great to me. I see some cookies in my co-workers near future. Heh.

'

Today, I am thankful for:

'

1. Winning raffle tickets

2. Purchasing our London airline tickets already

3. My new MP3 player (that I didn't ask for- thanks Jeff!)

4. Jeff going to Randy's to watch football & Family Guy

5. Brown

'

What irks me today:

'

Today, I am irked by the fact that I didn't really have anything "nice" to say in my post. Each of the things I wrote about (excluding what I'm thankful for) was all kinda negative. Boo! I'll try harder next time to be nice.

Don't Dream It's Over (Crowded House)

Hey now, hey now

Don't dream it's over

Hey now, hey now

'

My 5 day vacation from work is just about over. It was a nice 5 days off. That is, as nice as 5 days off with nothing planned can be. Usually, I like to have things planned to do. Otherwise, I'd rather just save my time off for something better (going somewhere or cashing out my hours - cash is always good, if you ask me). But, I got 5 days off with only using 16 of my hours & Friday was, in fact, a busy day. So, really, I only took one day off with nothing planned. Justified? Well, it's my hours so yes.

'

Last night, one of my SU customers asked me to do an Ornament Camp & so today, I ran a few errands, finding stuff to make such ornaments. I think it will be a lot of fun for a few reasons:

'

1. I'll get to meet new people

2. I'll get to make something new (some of these I haven't made before)

3. I just love Christmas themed stuffs (snowmens & snowflakes & reindeers & santas & apple ciders & trees & ornaments & JOY & NOEL & PEACE & LOVE & you get the idea. I love it all).

'

Yesterday, I went to the grocery store & bought a few things I've never bought before. We had porkchops for dinner last night (that was a first for me) along with wild rice, veggies & caesar salad. In the near future, I see a beef stew (something Jeff has been asking for) & beef stroganoff on the menu. Tomorrow, however, I'm going to have Jeff throw a few items into the crock pot when he wakes up for a BBQ pulled pork recipe I have. Tasty!!

'

Can you believe it? Thanksgiving is just next week? And Christmas is like 42 days away? I've seen a pretty cute christmas countdown sidebar on a few blogs I frequent, but don't know how to add it to my own. Instead, I'll just tell you. 42 days.

'

Have you even thought about your Christmas shopping yet? I haven't. In fact, I'm doing VERY LITTLE holiday shopping this year. Instead, I'm donating to some sort of charity. Perhaps, adopt a family in need. Perhaps, give to a local food bank. Perhaps, give to the Salvation Army bell ringers. Perhaps, all of the above. Perhaps, more.

'

Today, I am thankful for:

1. The option of taking time off work

2. The option of cashing out my hours

3. The option of donating my hours

4. New recipes

5. New friends

'

What irks me today:

Yesterday, I was flipping through the channels & came across what seemed to be a pretty cool 'reality' tv show on the FOX Reality station called Boot Camp. It's channel 159 or something like that. Anyways, it looks like this show was on back in 2001 & I missed it. That's okay. But I can't tell from the comcast description what episodes are new. And with all the episodes lasting an hour or more, I don't want to record all of them. And, I really don't need to be sucked into another show, but I'm curious... who wins? By the way, I don't want to read the spoilers online. I wanna watch the show in order, no repeats, all the way to the end. Too much to ask? Oooh, a Boot Camp marathon is what NEEDS to happen.

The Entertainer (Billy Joel)

I am the entertainer, and I know just where I stand,

Another serenader and another long-haired band

Today I am your champion, I may have won your hearts

But I know the game, you'll forget my name

And I won't be here in another year

If I don't stay on the charts

'

It's no wonder that Billy Joel is one of my Must See's as far as musicians go. He is an amazing entertainer. Even after all these years, he still sounds incredible & he really engages the audience (unlike other concerts I've been to where they get up on stage, do their thing, then leave). If I ever get an opportunity to see Billy Joel in concert again, I'm SO there. He was worth every penny, in my opinion.

'

Today, I am thankful for:

'

1. Qdoba

2. Leftovers

3. SNL

4. My in-laws

5. Naps after a long day

'

Today, I am irked by:

'

Usually I am awake long before Jeff ever gets up. Today, however, I was waken by his alarm clock going off at 9a. Now, this normally wouldn't have bothered me, but it was really, really loud & I don't know that I was really ready to wake up just yet. But, I did & Jeff is still in bed (an hour later).

Piano Man (Billy Joel)

Sing us a song, you're the piano man

Sing us a song tonight

Well, we're all in the mood for a melody

And you've got us feelin' alright

'

Hearing Billy Joel sing always makes me feel alright and I'll be feelin' alright tomorrow night when Jeff & I go see Billy Joel in concert at Key Arena.

'

I enjoy going to concerts. There's a few I've gone to with others (Rod Stewart, Michael W. Smith, Neil Diamond).There's a few I've been to by myself (Bon Jovi, Matchbox 20). There's a few on my "must see" list (Elton John, Billy Joel, Kenny Loggins), that is I'd pay almost anything to go see them perform once last time before they stop performing altogether.

'

I had the opportunity to see Elton John earlier this year in Las Vegas with Kat. Interesting show. He's still a great singer, in my opinion. I was excited when I found out Billy Joel was coming & even more thrilled when Jeff bought us tickets for our one year anniversary, last month. I was sad, however, when I heard Kenny Loggins was coming, to the Emerald Queen no less (sorry to hear your career is over, Kenny) on a day when I absolutely couldn't go. Darn it!

'

I'm looking forward to this weekend for a few reasons:

'

- Friday- I took the day off work so that Jeff & I could go get passports (watch out London, we'll be there in no time). I'm also going to the dentist, which, for the most part doesn't bother me. I like my dentist; I've been seeing her religiously every 6 months for at least the past 8 years. I may also be the new owner of a Kitchen Aid mixer that I found on Craigslist (if she doesn't sell it before then - I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it's mine, all mine).

'

-Saturday- I'm selling some things in a craft fair at a local church. I'll be taking some lunch tins (for cards, recipes, anything small enough to fit), name frames, cards & some of my latest CD creations. Check out my other flickr account for pictures.

'

-Sunday- No plans, but to hang out with my husband (maybe go on this drive his dad keeps talking about)

-Monday- No plans

-Tuesday- No plans

'

That's right, I've got a 5 day weekend! Yeeee!!

'

Today, I am thankful for:

'

1. Baby Showers - past & present

2. Being able to see my "Must See" music groups

3. Five Day Weekends

4. Chili Mac with added veggies

5. Having a bad day

'

What irks me today:

'

Did she really just write that she was thankful for having a bad day? Yes, actually, I did. Yesterday, I had a pretty bad day at work. I was so frustrated with my boss that I literally was ready to throw in the towel. So, why am I thankful for it? Having a bad day every now and again gives me perspective on just how challenging my job can be at times & it makes me thankful that I don't have my boss' job. So, what irks me about having that bad day? Pretty much just the way my boss was harping me for answers I didn't have. But, it's giving me learning opportunities for the future.