That's What Friends Are For (Dionne Warwick & Friends)

I cooked my first ever "thanksgiving" feast yesterday. I've always wanted to cook a turkey dinner, but Thanksgiving was always "taken" by one relative or another. So I suggested doing one last hurrah for Kim before she leaves the good ol' U.S. of A. for good. The Groovy Franken Friends offered to bring anything we may need/want for dinner, but the point of me doing it was so that I could cook the entire meal. I don't want to toot my own horn (toot, toot), but I think I did pretty darn good. Unless people were just being polite, I didn't hear any complaints & most of the food was eaten (see post below about what was made).

Last night, Jeff took the leftover turkey carcass & put it into the crock pot for some turkey soup. I finished it off this evening by adding some cut up onions & celery (thanks, Kat!!), pasta & added a few seasonings. Oh man, that was some good stuff right there.

Friday, Jeff & I went to the Puyallup Fair. We kinda had debated about going since we had just gone the year before & the fair really doesn't change all that much. We were there for *maybe* 3 1/2 hours. We mostly just walked around, checked out what the vendors had to sell, watched a few rides & ate just a couple things: Peroshkies & Earthquake burger & fries. Mighty tasty, if you ask me. My hilight of the afternoon: We walked into the horse barn & I said I wanted to see a horse poop. Well, sure enough, the first horse to our left lifted it's tail & well, it didn't poo, but farted instead. Even better in my book.

Friday evening, we trekked back to P-Town (along with Steve & Airi, David & Katt) so Jeff could get his rib on at Famous Daves BBQ. Me? I just had a salad & Dave's famous chili. I was so stuffed afterwards. I would definitely get that combo meal again.

Saturday, while mowing the lawn, Jeff broke window #2. The first time, a small hole went through the first pane. This time, however, the entire pane shattered. It's a little hard to tell from this picture, but believe me, it's broken! Next up on the home improvement list: buy bullet proof glass. Ha!


Today, I am thankful for:

1. My Groovy Franken Friends
2. http://www.allrecipes.com/
3. Theraflu
4. FroYo
5. Double pane windows

What irks me today:

Today, I am irritated at procrastination. It seems as of lately, my schedule is quite busy & there are so many things I want to accomplish, yet there's never enough hours in the day. I have a stamp-a-stack in two weeks & I know I need to order supplies for it, but I don't know exactly how many supplies until I make up all my stamp packs, but I can't make up my stamp packs until I organize my stamp room, but I can't organize my stamp room until I put together the table up there & instead of putting together the table, I'm blogging about my procrastination & how much it annoys me.

Another Year Has Gone By (Celine Dion)

I was just peeking at my past blogs & hard to believe, I've been doing this for over a year now. Crazy how time has gone by!

Even though I think I mentioned it a few posts back, it feels like summer is really officially over. Friday night, I wanted to turn the fireplace on for the first time. Jeff wore jeans for the first time in a long time today. I closed the windows in the house today. I'm itchin' for some homemade soups! It's time to dust off the ol' crockpot.

Trina finished moving her stuff out last week. Her new residence is with her new man, Jon Stewart, in Renton. It's nice having our house "back", but it almost seems a little empty. Now, we have two rooms to spread out in once again. It's kinda nice not having stuff in those rooms, though.

Turkey dinner (for 13!!) is quicky approaching (just one week away!!). Here's tentatively what the menu may consist of:

• Turkey (of course!)
• Stuffing
• Mashed potatoes & gravy
• Corn
• Sweet potatoes
• Green bean casserole
• Dinner rolls of sorts
• Cranberries
• Pumpkin Pie
• Apple Pie (maybe)
• B. Y. O. Beverage

Am I missing anything? The kitchen sink, you say? Got it. Be sure to bring your appetite!

Today, I am thankful for:

1. Taking the Sounder to the M's game
2. The Mayan
3. Entertainment Books
4. Hooded Sweatshirts
5. Cheese

What irks me today:

Today, I am really peeved by the fact that we "have to buy" tickets to ride the Sounder Train (either for commuting to work or to a 'special' event), but the Conductor doesn't check for tickets on a regular basis. This morning, I told Kathy to buy only a one way train ticket because last time we rode the train to a M's game, they didn't check tickets. I suspected it would be the same today. I was right. However, the security gal was there to help her get her ticket & she ended up purchasing a round trip ticket. Kathy was following the rules, which is the right thing to do, but I just feel it was a waste of money since nobody even checks the tickets anyways.

Oooh Oooh Child (Five Stairsteps)

The Groovy Franken Friends found out last night that there will be an addition to the group. A GFF, jr perhaps? Or maybe it's a 2nd generation of GFF's? Either way, we're all very happy & excited for Steve & Airi who are expecting their 1st born on March 9th.

What's really funny about this pregnancy was that Kat & I had gone to the liquor store & I said to her, "I don't know if it's true or not because I haven't heard anything, but I think Airi's pregnant." She was going to do some investigations when we got back to find out. Was that wine that Airi was drinking? Nope. It was apple cider. Uh huh... Could it be...? Yes! Steve made the announcement & it's confirmed. Wow! & Yay!!

I also found out last week that two of my cousins are expecting babies & they're due around the same time Airi is. For my cousin Molly & her husband Greg, this is their first baby. This is wonderful for them because they had been trying for quite some time to get pregnant & now it's finally happening. For my other cousin Deborah & her husband Abe, well, this is #5. While having babies, I suppose, is fun and exciting and some people are just "good at it", I can't help but wonder at what point do you let the "social responsibilities" take over what the "lord" has in store for you.

I told Katt I would blog about the sideways poo tonight. So here it is. Poo is just funny because everyone does it & has experienced most (if not all) poo's. I looked up the poopy list to find the definition of the sideways poo & I think this is the closest I found:

The Caesarian Dump - Pain, that's what this dump and childbirth have in common. Its simply a case of too much dump trying to go through too small a hole, and there's no obstetrician to help.

In other "gross" news.... I learned last night that even though my cats were neutered, they still have penises. Yes, I probably should have realized this long, long ago, but I've never seen it & really, I don't watch them pee because they're in a "sheltered" litter box. And, even when our cat growing up had an "open" litter box, they just squat; you can't really tell where their urine is coming from. So, after we got home last night, I got an anatomy lesson. Thanks Jeff for pointing out the general area where the penis lives & thanks to Tubbs for letting us check out your underside.

Tonight, the girls went to the Melting Pot for dinner. This was in lieu of Girls Camping that most bailed on back in August. Good food & even better company. I'm for sure going to miss Kim when she leaves in less than a month to live across the Atlantic. I have to say, though, it was really nice to spend more time with Katt. We really don't spend a whole lot of time with her & she's a super cool person. I'm glad she's become a Groovy Franken Friend.

'

Today, I am thankful for:

'

1. Melted cheese

2. Melted chocolate

3. Girlfriends

4. Pregnancies

5. 3 pronged forks

'

What irks me today:

Today, I am annoyed by people who bail out on plans that were made long ago. I feel that if you've made a commitment for whatever, then you should stick to it. If something "better" comes along, then you should say, "I'm sorry I can't go; I already have plans."

Signs (Five Man Electrical Band)

Over the past two days, I've made two name frames. One for Jeff to place above his theater (or is that "theatre"?) room. I couldn't get a very clear picture on this because 1. it's hanging up above the door already; 2. there's a hallway light directly in front of it so there was some "lighting issues"; 3. it's behind glass creating other reflective/lighting issues. You all will just have to take notice of it as you enter the McCarthy Monoplex. Speaking of the McCarthy Monoplex... I FINALLY saw Pirates of the Caribbean - Curse of the Black Pearl. Yes, it's the first Pirates movie. Yes, it's been like 3 years since it's been out on video. Yes, I'm a little slow. Yes, I loved it & can't wait to watch the two sequels.

The second frame I made was for my Tastefully Simple consultant, Shayna. This is her family name & I'm told it will reside in her Hawaiian themed room, hence the "bolder" colors. At first I wasn't quite sure what I was going to do with this designer paper. I also *thought* her name may have been too long because the other name frames I made had only 6 & 7 letters. Bridgman is 8. As it turned out, I made the letters a little bit smaller than my other frames, but bigger than I thought I needed & it totally turned out A-OK. I also at last minute, added some ribbon to give it a little more color or "life". I REALLY like the way it turned out. I hope she does too & will recommend my frames to other friends &/or family members.

Summer, in my mind is officially over as of September 1st. Sure, we'll have a few more warm days ahead of us, but for all intents and purposes, it's done. Labor Day weekend has come & gone. The kiddos have gone back to school. Last night there was a rain & lightning storm like there's no tomorrow.

Things to look forward to in the upcoming months: Veterans Day (our next 3 day wknd & the start of many holidays right after one another). Rain & lots of it accompanied by umbrellas broken in the wind. Dark mornings & lots of medium extra hot, non-fat beverages courtesy of Seattle's Best Coffee. A scaled back Christmas.

Today, I am thankful for:

1. My SMCU umbrella I received 4 years ago

2. Having enough time in the morning to eat breakfast AND pack a lunch

3. Birth control pills

4. Greek

5. Water

What irks me today:

Today, I am irked by people who are blindly unkind towards others. I'm especially talking about those who talk about others behind their back regarding things they may not have control over. There is a man who rides my train & he is not the most pleasant looking or smelling man. I'll admit that much. But, I've never actually spoken with him. I've seen him roaming around the Value Village area of Auburn & my guess is that's where he shops for clothing & household items because that's either all he can afford or all he chooses to afford. At any rate, I can't make judgments about him because I don't know his situation. But, it really makes me mad that there are others on the train who have made comments & gestures amongst themselves regarding the smelly man. Perhaps he can't help his situation & he's doing the best he can with what he's been given.

I Think It's Going to Rain Today (Bette Midler)

Last night was supposed to be Girl's Camping, but for one reason or another, most of the girls couldn't make it. Kat & I weren't going to bail on each other so we made plans to go to dinner somewhere. As it turned out Trina & Jeff were available as well & so the 4 of us went to an Italian restaurant in Auburn called Auguri.


The food was decent, but the service, in my opinion, was terrible. The waitress didn't offer any fresh ground pepper for my caesar salad, she put a lime wedge into Jeff's beer & she didn't ask if we wanted extra bread or cheese. I was really unimpressed. Would I go back? Yeah, I'd probably give them a second chance with the expectation that the service would/could be lacking.


After dinner, we went to see Superbad at the Supermall theater. I have NEVER been carded at the theater & the teeny-bopper tried to card me. "Are you kidding me?" I said to her, "I'm 32 years old!" Okay, I lied. I'm only 31, but in less than 4 short months, I'll be 32 & besides, I don't even LOOK like I'm under 18, nor does anyone I'm with look under 18. Not to mention, when we bought the tickets, we weren't carded yet you're going to try & card me as I enter the theater. Please. Don't give me the "this-movie-is-rated-R-and-so-we-are-checking-everyone's-ID" B.S. spiel because I don't buy it.


After watching the movie, I did understand why it was rated R. Definitely not suitable for the youngsters. Funny as all get-out, but not appropriate for the youths.

This morning, while looking for something in or near the built-in bookshelf in the living room, Jeff noticed the floor was wet. My first thought was it was Shiggy peeing on the carpet, but he said, "No, it's REALLY wet." Then I felt it & saw what he meant. It really was wet. After realizing it was the hot water heater, on the other side of the wall, my next thought was, "Oh crap! This is going to be expensive to fix" followed by, "How am I supposed to shower?" Priorities, you know.


I called my dad & he came over about 45 minutes later with his two wrenches & 'fixed' the leak in the pipes. Seriously? Yeah, seriously. Just a loose fitting in the pipe. I was/am SO thrilled it was that easy to repair. He also took out his handy dandy moisture meter & was able to tell how far out in the carpet & up the wall the water had seeped. Fortunately, the water won't cause much in the way of damage; it'll dry up in several days with the help of the vornado & a dehumidifer my dad has graciously let us borrow.


Today, I am thankful for:
1. Dad's owning all kinds of neat tools.
2. Discount movie tickets.
3. Dehumidifiers
4. Dead Ants
5. Division signs


What irks me today:
Today, I am irked by people who try to take advantage of or use others for their own benefit. Well, really, why would you take advantage of someone else, except for your own benefit? Anyways, this irks me because I feel like if someone offers you something, it's not necessarily because they want you to have it all, but rather, perhaps they are just being polite. In return, you should graciously accept what is being offered to you, but don't ask for & expect more.

Fly Like an Eagle (Steve Miller Band)

As the song lyrics go, time keeps on slippin' into the future... Seriously. Where has the year gone? I was at Rite Aid the other day (no surprise, I'm at the one across the street from my work all the time for one thing or another) & they ALREADY had Halloween candy in the "seasonal" aisle. This was BEFORE July had even ended. If I need a cheap chocolate fix, I know where to go for some "fun sized" treats.

Just an update on the train/I-5 situation: I've been taking train #2 to Seattle. It departs out of Puyallup so there is a seat on the way to work; don't have to worry about the additional passengers that would be getting on in Tacoma on this one. Coming home, I've been lucky to find a seat everyday I've taken the 1st train home. Getting out of the parking garage has been a different story. It seems there's a mass exodus in the evenings in Auburn & so it takes a few minutes. I've learned to just chill out in my car & wait for the bulk of the cars to leave before I even start my car.

Today, I bought a travel guide (things to do & see, where to stay, eat, shop, etc) for London. I've never been to Europe & I'm excited to get my travel on. I'm hoping once Kim moves over there in 7-ish weeks, that she & Henry will be able to gives us some ideas of fun things to do (not just museums & galleries, because the book says we should go). For sure, on my list of stuff to do is the London Eye.

Today, I am thankful for:

1. Shiggy telling us in his own way we need to change the litterbox
2. Bryan finally selling a house
3. Speedy deliveries
4. Peas in my salad
5. Barnes & Noble discount cards

What irks me today:

Today, I am irked by adults, especially women, who still wear digital watches. I learned how to tell time (by non-digital means) when I was in 2nd grade or so. You must have learned about the same time I did. Why must you insist on wearing that ugly plastic thing on your wrist? Are you trying to make a statement of sorts? It couldn't be a fashion statement. Maybe that's the one part of your childhood that you can hold onto forever.

My Baby Takes the Morning Train (Sheena Easton)

Boy was it CROWDED tonight on the train, coming home. With all the I-5 construction going on, many commuters decided to give up their usual routes (via bus or car) & opted to try out the Sounder Train instead. I think it's great that people want to find a better way to work (& then home again), but when the train is this crowded, it's not fun for me. Yes, this is my blog & therefore, it's ALL ABOUT ME!

With all kidding aside, thankfully, I was able to change my shift from a 8:30 - 5 to a 7:30 to 4 shift. I wasn't worried about the train itself being so crowded (I can stand for the 30 minute ride from Auburn to Seattle); I was moreso worried about not being able to find a parking spot at the Auburn Station Garage.

On a normal day of commuting, I take the 3rd of 4 trains, though in reality, I could easily get by with taking the 4th train to Seattle; it will get me to work by my regular start time. The problem lies in the parking situation in Auburn. The 6 story garage fills up mighty quickly & so I take the earlier train just so I could have a parking spot inside (on top of) the garage.

This morning, I took the 3rd of 5 trains & the garage was filling up FAST by the time I got there. The streets surrounding the parking garage would normally have been my back up had the garage been full. By the time I got to the garage, the street parking was already gone. A co-worker took the 4th (of 5) train this morning & couldn't find parking in the garage or nearby streets & ended up parking in a nearby Safeway parking lot. I hope he wasn't towed or ticketed today.

My predictions for tomorrow? Everyone who got to the garage "late" (after 6:40am), will arrive earlier tomorrow so as to get a parking spot. For me, I'll be doing the same thing: instead of taking the 3rd train, I'll be taking the 2nd train. Starbucks better have my cup of Joe waiting for me.

For my sister's birthday, she wanted to go shopping so my dad gave me some money to take her shopping. The stipulation of this shopping trip was that she couldn't purchase anything that I didn't approve of. I knew how much money there was & what I wanted to do with it (shopping, hair cut, lunch) & so I tried to get the most bang out of my dad's buck by suggesting Walmart. Okay, so I know it's not the best place to go shopping, but it was worth a shot. We went to JCPenney's instead where my sister got some killer deals. She got $231 worth of clothes for only $88 or so. Next stop: haircut. If I had known there was going to be so much money leftover, I would have skipped lunch & made an appt to get her hair hilighted or something. Last stop: lunch at Azteca (I wanted Qdoba, but alas, it was her birthday afterall). It's okay though. My lunch lasted me 3 meals, actually. Sweet!

Today, I am thankful for:
1. working an earlier shift
2. having a seat on the train
3. not falling asleep & missing my stop
4. finding a parking spot at the train station
5. knowing the chaos of everyone else riding the train will soon be over


What irks me today:
Comcast. That should be enough said, but I'll elaborate. I really don't hate Comcast as much as I hate only being able to record 2 shows at a time & that's it. Tonight, there are a couple shows I want to watch & won't be able to watch/record because we can only record the 2 shows & one of those shows is the M's game for Jeff. The other two shows I'll be missing is Hell's Kitchen & Fat March. Tonight is the season finale of HK & I figure I'll read some forum that announces the winner. FM is a new show that I started watching last week, but will miss because I don't want to miss Greek for the 2nd week in a row.

Movies (Alien Ant Farm)

Jeff & I just got back from seeing Live Free or Die Hard. I've been wanting to see this movie & I'm glad we did. It got great reviews on Rotten Tomatoes. I usually don't care much for action flicks, but I like the Die Hard trilogy, so I figured I'd like #4 too. I have to admit, it had it's fair share of cheesy moments where I thought to myself, "yeah, right" but overall, I liked it.

In other not so new news, Trina & David have called it quits & she is now staying with us for awhile. I really enjoy having her here, though, she isn't really here all that much it seems. Right now, she's in CA to see a concert with her bud. Don't fret. She'll be back soon.

Tomorrow, Jeff & I are going to watch the Tacoma Rainiers play some ball. I've been wanting to go to a Rainier's game & here's my chance. Though, really, I know nothing about them as far as how well they're doing. It'll be fun to get out there in the sun & just hang out & have a good time if nothing else.

My company had their summer event last Sunday: a picnic at the Woodland Park Zoo. Jeff & I went, but didn't stay long. We were at the actual picnic for about an hour - enough time to eat the catered Longhorn BBQ lunch that was provided & then leave to go wander the zoo with Aimee & her daughter, Nicole.

On Wednesday, I'm taking the day off to visit my favorite doctor: the FUN doctor. I'm also going to give my toes a nice pedi. It's been a month since my last one, so they're due for another. And, perhaps I'll meander on over to Jaime's house to visit with her & Kaveen. I'm sure she'll love having the company.

Anything else? Ummm... Happy Birthday, Joel. Okay, that's all folks.

Today, I am thankful for:

1. Movie passes
2. Movie popcorn
3. Bathrooms close to the theater
4. McCarthy Mono-Plex REALLY near completion
5. The theater being close to my home

What irks me today:

I hate it when I get an email (or anything in writing) from someone and they use the wrong spelling of a word (i.e. too/two/to, their/they're/there, etc). The other day, our AVP of HR sent an email & asked if our interest was peaked yet. Last I checked, my interest can not come to a point nor can it be sickly. So no, my interest was not peaked. Piqued, perhaps. But, definitely not peaked. I hate this because it shows either stupidity or laziness & that's not cool, especially when it comes from a Sr. Manager.

When Can I See You Again (Babyface)

Here is a picture of Jaime's youngest son, Kaveen Austin KC. Just two days old, he's such a cutie pie! It seems that often times you can tell at birth (okay, after they've been cleaned up a bit) which parent the baby will look more like. Kaveen has the mixed coloring (his mom is white, his dad is from Nepal), but at this point, I really can't say who he looks more like as he doesn't really look like his mom or his dad.

By the way, Kaveen means poet in the Nepalese language. I guess it was the best name they could come up with that pleased both parents.


Today, I am thankful for:

1. Alarm clocks
2. Umbrellas
3. Quick fix meals
4. Double dipping
5. Water

What irks me today:
I hate it when I say the word, "gyp" or "gypped". I had learned several years ago that it was derived from the gypsies & that is how the negative connotation that is associated with it came about. I really hate it because of the negative connotation & there are SO many other words I (& others) can use in it's place to say what is really meant without offending a whole population of people, such as cheated or betrayed.

Eat It (Weird Al)

I kept thinking I was going to post *something* on here, but then thought to myself, "I'll wait til after X happens." And then, next thing you know, it's been 3 weeks & so much has happened.

In my last post, I mentioned possibly not going to camping due to weather. Well, we did go camping & had a fabulous time. The temps were perfect, there was running (cold!) water & even better, fire was allowed. Good thing, cuz otherwise, what would we have done with that tree that the boys cut down?

Kim had made reservations at a campground nobody had been to before: Hause Creek. It wasn't *too* far past Bumping River, but far enough to where I think next time, I'd want to go for more than one night. Our site was pretty secluded & quite large. We had 6 tents set up there. There were two picnic tables for all of our food stuffs. Also, an actual bathroom not too far away made it very nice for those who aren't used to peeing in the woods.

We got to spend some time with Kim's fiancee, Henry. I hope he had a good time camping. We got to experience some tasty goodness from London, courtesy of Henry. He brought a variety of chips over to share with us. I think my favorite by far was the roasted chicken chips. The beef chili chips were pretty good too. My least favorite was no surprise: Tiger Prawn (I think that's what they were called). Nasty!

Last night, we helped break in David & Katt's new bbq with a bbq with a few Groovy Franken Friends & some other honorary Groovy Franken Friends. We had a magnificent feast of ribs, buffalo burgers, apple-chicken sausage, salmon, shrimp kebobs, corn on the cob, pasta salad, puppy chow, chips & dips, asparagus & lots of beers to go around. Too bad I didn't get any pictures of the feast & friends; I didn't bring my camera.

Yesterday, I went to Jaime's house to help her put together a dresser for their new baby, due in 2 weeks. I was going to come back today to help finish up putting the baby's clothes away, etc. but as it turns out, I got a call from her mom saying Jaime went to the hospital last night. I can't wait to meet Kaveen Austin KC. Surely, he's going to be much smaller than I had dreamed he was several weeks ago. In my dream, he was like 3 feet tall, probably 65 lbs & already walking. I know this isn't the case in real life because Jaime is having a human baby & not an elephant. Not to mention, in her 8 1/2 months of pregnancy, she's only gained about 20 lbs. I hope I only gain as much as she did when I am pregnant.

Some of us Groovy Franken Girlfriends are trying to plan a Girl's Only Camping trip or Girl's Night somewhere in a month. I am really looking forward to this as I love my girls!


I think I know what I want my next tattoo to be: a sun. I think I could get some brilliant shades of yellow & orange & it would just look very cool. I would get it on my lower back.


Today, I am thankful for:
1. New babies
2. Forever friends
3. The Secret
4. Strength
5. Mono Adhesive

What irks me today:
I hate it when you invite someone to something later on down the road and they say something like, "Maybe, I'll come" or "I'm free right now, but I'll have to see what happens closer to the date". I hate this because it always makes me feel like whatever I'm inviting you to is fine for now, but something more fun might come along & you're not worth committing to.

Take Me Out to the Ballgame (Various)

Today, I went to Safeco Field with Jeff, Bob & Penny and Erin & Aaron to see one of the greats, Ken Griffey Jr, return to the Pacific Northwest. It's just amazing to me how Griffey, our opponent, still gets the cheers, the screams & of course, the standing ovation when he's at bat, hitting home runs & catching fly balls from the Mariners. Even with his 2 solo home runs today, the M's still managed to win. Go M's!

This upcoming weekend, I'm going camping with almost all of my Groovy Franken Friends. Kim's soon-to-be-fiancee is flying in to Seattle on Friday & we're going to rough it at Bumping River. I LOVE camping at Bumping & so I offered to go up on Friday (along with Trina & David) to try & secure the best camp site ever up there (everyone else is coming up Saturday). Unfortunately, according to www.weather.com, it's supposed to be a wee bit chilly (mid 50s is all) & wet. I have a sneaking suspicion that we may not go camping afterall.

Today, I am thankful for:

1. Processed cheese food
2. Kaveen Austin
3. Internet
4. Birthdays
5. Winning

Kitty (Presidents of the United States of America)

Tonight, we were supposed to meet up with a few of our Groovy Franken Friends & catch the new movie, Ocean's Thirteen. At the very last minute, Shiggy decides he's not feeling well & so we took him to the vet instead.

He was "normal" this morning & then this afternoon, when he jumped off the couch, he kinda stumbled a little bit. I thought maybe one of his paws was, perhaps, asleep. Maybe he was feeling little pins &/or needles in his paw & so he couldn't walk right. I dunno. That was the first thought. But, then he was just acting kinda weird. He was walking really slow. He wouldn't lay down for very long at all. He appeared very uncomfy when he was walking. Just unusual behavior.

So, I tell Jeff that something's not right with Shiggy. He says he's probably spooked by all the noise in the house (Jeff was pounding something while working on the theater room). After Jeff was done working in the HT room, he saw for himself that Shiggy wasn't right: he got up & then kinda fell over again. He says, "we can't go to the movie; we gotta take Shiggy to the vet."

Where are you going to find a vet at 4pm on a Sunday? Well, right here in Auburn of course. Fortunately, there's an emergency vet in town. I was worried it was going to cost an arm & a leg to take him in, but it was only $60 for the visit (+ whatever meds). The doc couldn't really find anything "wrong" with him, though. He thought maybe he had sprained or twisted his arm when he jumped off the couch. He gave him a shot of pain reliever in the neck & sent us on our way.

I kinda don't think that's what's wrong with Shiggy, but I'm not a veterinarian. A year or so ago, we took him to the vet & he was dehydrated & was given some fluid, subcutaneously. He's kinda acting the same as that time (real lethargic). We're watching him & hoping he'll be up & about, but if not, I suspect we'll be visiting the (regular) vet again.

Today, I am thankful for:

1. Emergency vets
2. Pets
3. Clean desks
4. Quick moves
5. Papa Murphy's

Eat It (Weird Al)

Tonight, Jeff & I met up with our Groovy Franken Friends for part 2 of trying something new: International Cuisine. Tonight, we had Greek food at Costas Opa's in Fremont.

The service was terrible, but the food was delicious!

We started out with some tasty appetizers that consisted of lots of pitas & some dips for them. I think most of us were pretty full after the appetizers, but that was only the first "course".

Next came the soup. I had the Fasolada (bean & veggies), while most of the others had avgolemono (a lemony soup). Yummy.

Above, is a picture of my dinner plate after I had already had several bites from my Happy Greek platter. There's a beef slouvaki, dolmades, mousaka & spanakopita, along with rice & veggies.

At Costas Opa, they have belly dancers for entertainment on Friday & Saturday nights. Here's a picture of the dancer tonight. She performed for about 35 minutes & was pretty good for what she did.

Next cuisine? Someone threw out Chinese Harbor as a suggestion, though I don't know if we'll really go there next.

Today, I am thankful for:

1. Not too warm weather

2. My Groovy Franken Friends

3. Dolmades (am I the only one who likes these??)

4. On the Lot

5. Band Aids

Finally (CeCe Peniston)

Somewhere between 5 & 8 weeks ago, I started putting together this 1000 piece puzzle. Yesterday, it was finally completed. Thanks to Erin, Penny, Katt & Jeff for your help on it. It took about a month & a half to put it together & about 5 minutes to take it apart. I've got two other puzzles, but those will have to wait. Jeff says I can't use the dining room table for the next puzzle (while the puzzle was out, the table was out of commission for use). Since I have a stamp camp in 3 weeks, I can't use my card table for my puzzle... So, I'll have to wait on starting the next puzzle when the stamp camp is over.

I bought a book on Friday on tent camping in Washington. It looked pretty good (when I bought it), but now I am considering returning it. There's a map in the front with a bunch of "tent sites" marked with numbers. Throughout the book, there's several campsite details, but I don't see where the detailed pages match the map locations in the front.

With summer quickly approaching, I'm looking forward to camping with my groovy franken friends & floating down the Yakima a few times each, at least.

I'm also looking forward to going to a few more M's games. My next game is Friday - it's the collectable train car giveaway night (I have all the collectable train cars so far). Anyone interested in getting a group together & eating some overpriced garlic fries & hotdogs this summer? Mmmmmm....

Finally, this comes from Kim's brother's blog:

Please take a moment to remember those who gave their lives and why they fought. Regardless if you think this war is worth their lives, the point is that they thought it was worth it. Thank God that my day is in November, the day for those who served and did come back. Monday is their day because they didn't come back.


Today, I am thankful for:

1. Camping
2. Rafting
3. Cooking
4. Walking
5. Shopping

Dancing Queen (Abba)

I think most people who really know me know that dancing is a passion of mine. I've always said if I could do anything & be successful at it, dancing is what I would choose. Needless to say, I love almost all things dance. I love watching dancing movies (Dirty Dancing is at the top of my list of all time favorite movies, with Center Stage & Footloose also in my top 10 fave movies). I used to love dancing at the clubs in my single days (you could always find me at Polly's on a Friday or Saturday night). Even to this day if a good catchy song comes on the radio or tv, I can be found bopping around to the beat. In fact, just a short while ago, I was dancing to Jump (Pointer Sisters) in the living room.

So what about this dancing bit? Well, one of my favorite shows has just started up again tonight: So You Think You Can Dance. Yay!!

Today, I am thankful for:

1. Ballet
2. Jazz
3. Hip Hop
4. Swing
5. Breakdancing

What a Feeling (Irene Cara)

Last night, Steve & Airi hosted a potluck & poker night for the Groovy Franken Friends. This was the first time in quite some time (at least it seems...) that we've all gotten together and played Texas Hold'em poker. If I were a gamblin' woman, I would have bet money on Steve to win the most monies for the evening. As it turns out, that would have been a losing wager because I was the one who won the most. I turned my $10 into $61-something. Not too shabby considering Steve is the pro poker player of this circle of friends.

Today, I am thankful for:

1. Chili & baked potatoes
2. Nickel-Dime-Quarter poker
3. Steve's culinary skills
4. Generosity among strangers
5. E True Hollywood Story

Again (Janet Jackson)

Once again, some of us groovy franken friends got together for a health conscious potluck at Trina & David's house. We brought a WW caesar salad & asparagus, Kim brought a yummy nacho appetizer of baked blue corn tortilla chips & lowfat cheese, beaners & tomatoes. Kat brought a whole wheat pasta salad. David & Katt brought a shrimp salad (not sure how this one was as I didn't have any. Shrimps = grody). The Warkinator showed us his mad BBQ skills on the grill with the ribs & steaks. Yumm-O! Last, but certainly not least, Trina made a delicious dessert using some No Pudge brownies, chocolate pudding, cool whip, strawberries & bananas. MMMMMMM....

I'm looking forward to the next potluck. I like to eat.

I went to Vancouver, BC for a Stampin' Up regional conference Thursday night & came home Friday evening. I wasn't sure what to expect at the border. Going in to Canada, it wasn't all that bad. The gal grilled us as to why we were there, but the wait itself was nothing. Coming home was another story. We left the Convention Center at 5:30 & it took 2 hours to get to the border from the Gastown region. Much of that was driving through the rush hour traffic & the other part of it was the line to get back into The States.

The conference itself was pretty okay. I was really super excited to be there in the morning & then after lunch, I just wanted to go home. I was tired (I had very little sleep the night before) & was just having troubles staying alert. I did get some great ideas & samples of projects. And let's not forget the best part: a free stamp set that will appear in the 2007-2008 catalog. Yay!

What's on the agenda next? Get myself (& Jeff) a passport. I think it's much easier to travel with a passport than having to get out the birth certificate/drivers license



Speaking of drivers licenses... sorta... I went to renew my tabs last week & saw in the licensing agency place a poster with a bunch of special license plates. I contemplated getting one & then decided against it thinking that's $40 I don't need to spend. Well, then I kept thinking about it & changed my mind. So, this is going to be my new license plate... Except it won't say, "SMPLE"; it'll have numbers on it.

Work is going okay. We're still in the middle of our merger. Our overtime has been eliminated until the wknd of the merger when we will be having mandatory overtime. Our department is at maximum occupancy for our space & we are getting one of the other CU employees & so what does this mean? We are moving to another area of the same floor & I will have a window as part of my cubicle. Yay! Not a terrific view or anything, but a window is a window

Funny story... I went to Jeff's cousin's bridal shower at Emerald Downs last weekend where one of the friends of the bride (I think she's also a bridesmaid) looked SO familiar to me. We didn't really get a chance to talk to figure it out, but as it turns out, we were in 3rd grade together. Yes, I looked through my old class photos until I found her

My March of Dimes walk is next Saturday. I hope the weather holds up. The last 3 years I've done it, the weather has been gorgeous (for that early in the a.m.). I'm really pleased with the amount of money I've raised so far this year. Thanks to everyone who has helped to support me in this very worthwhile cause.

Today, I am thankful for:
1. Lasting friendships
2. Sunshine
3. Sunglasses
4. Aspirin
5. Waking up at the butt-crack-o-dawn

The Gambler (Kenny Rogers)

I'm back & finally blogging about my trip to Las Vegas. Overall, I had a good time & would love to go back before the end of the year to go check out Celine Dion. This is her last year performing, afterall.

So, in case anyone reading is interested, here's the trip in a nutshell:

Sunday - we arrive at the airport & have lunch at Qdoba while waiting for our take-off time. Not a bad wait. Not a bad lunch. I was even able to buy a new shower sponge thingy & shower gel as I had forgotten to pack my own. After landing, we picked up our checked luggage (we had to check luggage due to those darn fluid restrictions) & headed off to our hotel, The Excalibur. Kat & I unpacked & then it was off to the Rio for our 7pm showing of Tony & Tina's Wedding. T&TW was just okay. I'm glad I saw it because I had heard of it before & wanted to see it, but I wouldn't see it again. It was just... weird. Different. A bit too chaotic for me. It's an interactive dinner/theater where you're a guest at Tony & Tina's wedding. After T&TW, we caught a (free!!) shuttle back to Caesar's Palace, walked over to the Bellagio & took a few pictures & walked back to The Excalibur.

Two things I didn't know about prior to this trip: The Aladdin is now (or is becoming) Planet Hollywood. The sign currently says, "Planet Hol". The Barbary Coast is now Bill's Gamblin' Hall & Saloon. And, while we didn't stop for greasy late night breakfast "goodness", I did read the sign on the side of the building that read it's now $4.95. So much for cheap eats. Heh.

Monday began with breakfast at the Sherwood Cafe, the 24 hour diner at The Excalibur where I had a philly cheesesteak & fries. Yumm! Not the most conventional breakfast, but it was mighty tasty nonetheless. We then went over to The Luxor, Mandalay Bay & MGM Grand to check out the lion exhibit. After that, it was off to the M&M Factory & Coca-Cola Store. Yeah.... I just can't get excited about candy & coke like Joanna can. Man... Well, she didn't buy anything, but still... I could have gotten by on this trip without going to these two stores.

On the way back to our hotel room, we stopped and picked up 3 Yards of Margaritas. Mine was peachy & mighty tasty. It was right about this time that my head started pounding. I don't think I can blame the 'alcohol' because I really don't think there was much in it. But I was in pain pretty much the rest of the day from this point forward & we still had lots to do. We went to see Tournament of Kings at The Excalibur & afterwards, we caught the hour long $2 busride up to Fremont Street so Kat & Joanna could check out the Fremont Street Experience. I did muster enough energy to play some $5 craps.

Tuesday wasn't so bad. We started out with breakfast at America in the NYNY Hotel & Casino. I did have eggs, hashbrowns & toast here. I was, afterall, still not 100% from the day before. Well, that & all they had to offer was "breakfast" foods at the time we were there. From here, we walked to (& through) the Desert Passage at the Aladdin/Planet Hol where we each bought some aloe lotion stuffs. Next stop, Paris where Joanna had to have her pastries. By the time Kat sat down with her Creme Broule, Joanna had already downed her 4 pastries. This is a pic of Kat's creme broule. Very tasty, Kat. Thanks for sharing even if others didn't want to. Next, we were off to Caesar's Palace where we picked up our Elton John tickets. And, you can't go to Caesar's Palace without doing a little shopping in the Forum Shoppes. Joanna bought some opal earrings there. Ch-Ching! Let's just say, opals aren't cheap & leave it at that.

When Trina went to Vegas a couple weeks earlier, she mentioned eating at Emeril's restaurant at the MGM Grand. I couldn't imagine spending that much money on a meal & said we probably wouldn't do that. But then there was this seed planted in my head... it *would* be fun to eat at a fancy schmancy restaurant. So, that's what we did. We ate at Emeril's other restaurant, Delmonico, in The Venetian. It was remarkable! The service was extraordinary & the food was outstanding. Two thumbs up from me.

After Delmonico's, Joanna rushed off to the MGM Grand for her show, Cirque du Soleil's Ka while Kat & I headed back over to the Coliseum at Caesar's Palace for the Elton John concert. I'm glad we went albeit weird. He sounded fine, but he had random film playing in the background that made no sense to me. But what really made no sense was the inflatable fruit & other stuff on stage... like the banana with 2 cherries at it's base. The hotdog. The lipstick. The ice cream cone. The boobs hanging on the wall. It was just so random. Afterwards, Kat & I walked back to the hotel. It was a relatively early night for everyone since we were waking up at 6am the next morning.

And here we are... home again.

Today, I am thankful for:

1. Past & future vacations

2. Friends who don't drive me crazy after a day together

3. Ranch

4. Digital Cameras

5. Using my own bed & towels.

Fun Fun Fun (Beach Boys)

Two posts, back to back. Whoa!

We got home about an hour ago from Kim's place in Ballard. Lots of good eats shared among friends. My favorite was, by far, the artichoke dip. Yumm-O!

Next time we play Scene It, I want The Warkinator on my team!


Today, I'm thankful for:

1. Overtime
2. Roast beef
3. Edamame
4. Laughter
5. My husband (I love you!!)

What's Going On? (Four Non Blondes)

It's been a long while since I've posted anything. So, what's going on?

Jeff & I went to see Rod Stewart at Key Arena a few weeks back. Good show, but the (old) man can't dance & should stop trying; he just looks silly.


Jeff went to AZ with Randy to catch a few M's Spring Training games & hang out with Ryan.

I am leaving in a week to Las Vegas with Joanna & Kat.



Joanna wants to get rid of her cat because it's now "high maintenance" (it poo's on her carpet & she doesn't like it (!!)

I am putting in a day of overtime tomorrow to work on merger stuff. Ch-Ching!

Had some mighty tasty ribbies at Famous Dave's for David's birthday on Wednesday.

I'm still trying to collect monies for my March of Dimes walk on 05May07. Please, feel free to donate at the above link. You can use credit, cash, check, paypal.

My jury duty is over. I had a really good time doing it. It was fascinating; I wasn't bored at all. I imagine if I wasn't selected for a jury, I might have a different opinion of it. In a nutshell, my case was a civil lawsuit between two neighbors where one had cut down 147 trees on the other's property, claiming they had permission. We found in favor of the plaintiff, claiming the defendants didn't have enough 'proof'. The plaintiffs will win upwards of $260,000!

Today, I am thankful for:

1. Leftovers

2. Bleu Cheese

3. Google Images

4. Vacations

5. Puzzles.