these are the days of our lives...

Today is the greatest...

2012-02-04T16:38:00.001-08:00

I wish Seattle looked like this every day! It really is a great day for a ferry ride!

Sunny Day

2012-02-04T03:34:00.001-08:00

Oh what a difference a little sunshine makes! The days are slowly but surely starting to get longer and on a clear day, like today, it makes the world a happier place.

Blarg

2012-01-24T21:06:00.001-08:00

Turns out leaving town is way more fun than coming home.

Pookie #12

2012-01-23T18:56:00.001-08:00

Pookie #12 is here. :)

Happy New Year!

2012-01-23T13:19:00.001-08:00

Happy Chinese New Year! :)

Challenge Update

2012-01-21T22:52:00.000-08:00

So happy tomorrow is Sunday and my Challenge "free day". I might have a cookie for breakfast...

Successful Escape

2012-01-21T00:41:00.000-08:00

Two pieces of good news in my world today.

1. My flight was finally able to leave Seattle.

2. The sun was shining in HB today.

A Request for Rain

2012-01-19T10:36:00.000-08:00

I never thought I'd say this but I really hope it starts raining soon! I need the snow and ice to melt so the roads and runways are clear. I have a flight to catch!! I'm not sure what the difference is between "late" and "very late" but I'm still hoping my flight will somehow be in the sliver of green and be "on time"! Here's to hoping....

Snow Day Update

2012-01-18T17:39:00.001-08:00

It's pretty today. If its still around tomorrow it will just be annoying.

Snow Day

2012-01-17T22:51:00.001-08:00

The last time I had a snow day, I was in high school. Much to my surprise my boss called a snow day for tomorrow. The fact that I won't be slipping and sliding down the hill is great but honestly I'm not even sure what to do with myself for the day.
You know other than turn off my alarm clock and sleep in. :)

The Challenge

2012-01-13T09:32:00.000-08:00

I'm not one for New Year's Resolutions. They tend to make January, which is already kind of a downer month, even more of a challenge. However this year my to do list has taken on a different kind of twist involving a larger group of people. Here's how it works: each participant puts $20 in the pot, then for each day you accomplish each item on the list, you get a point. All the points are tallied weekly and after 12 weeks, the people with the most points split the pot. Knowing we're all working on it is kind of fun (this week anyway, hope that lasts) and the potential monetary prize at the end is also a huge motivator. The list:
1. Exercise for 30 minutes
2. Drink 48oz of water
3. 2 servings of vegetables, 2 servings of fruits
4. No unhealthy food or drink (soda, coffee, "bad" fast food or snacks, etc.)
5. No sweets, candies, chocolates, etc.
6. No eating after dinner, or 8pm (whichever is later)
7. Read 15 minutes of scripture or other spiritual text
8. Devote 15 minutes to accomplishing a written personal goal
9. Go out of your way to help someone else
10. Write a journal entry (of any length)
For the most part, everything on the list are things I am/want to be/should be doing anyway. So far my biggest challenge is the afternoon munchies (I just want a cookie!) and writing in a journal is something I've never been good at. Sundays are a "free" day and you'd better believe I'm already trying to decide what kind of delicious dessert I'm going to indulge in!

Called to Serve

2012-01-11T11:34:00.000-08:00

When I grow up, I hope I can be as fearless as my parents.
:)

http://famleecalledtoserve.blogspot.com/

Cinderella

2011-12-02T19:40:00.001-08:00

Tonight I got to take my six year old niece to see Cinderella. And here she is just before the ball! :)

Turkey Trot

2011-11-25T01:59:00.001-08:00

I didn't get pictures of anyone else but these two gorgeous girls were my running buddies for most of the turkey trot. We had such a fun time and I'm so happy so much of the FamLee could join in. Happy Turkey Day!

Half Marathon

2011-10-30T15:11:00.001-07:00

Here's a before and after of Ker and me at the race. It was a very early and very chilly morning but when the sun came up it was such a gorgeous day! The run through the vineyards was incredibly pretty which provided a wonderful distraction when tired muscles seemed to have the upper hand. My goal going into the race was to just finish which I did. Whoever would have thought it?

Here goes nothin

2011-10-29T12:46:00.001-07:00

5 minutes to the start. Beautiful.

Part two

2011-10-28T11:00:00.001-07:00

Best view of the bridge seems to be from the prison.

Alcatraz

2011-10-28T09:42:00.001-07:00

And here I am today. :)

Carmel, CA

2011-10-27T15:59:00.001-07:00

Can anyone remind me why I left CA?

Pumpkins

2011-10-25T19:22:00.001-07:00

This is what greeted me when I got home this evening and it made me smile. Happy Halloween from la casa de las Mindies!

Life altering device

2011-10-15T19:57:00.000-07:00

Call me a sheep but I followed the masses and bought an iPhone yesterday. It took me roughly one hour and 41 minutes to fall in love with it. Now I just need to figure out the cloud.

can we build it...?

2011-09-19T20:44:00.000-07:00

It wasn't so long ago that I shamelessly called a friend EVERY time I needed something of substantial size mounted on my wall. No more. A couple of weeks ago I braved the isles of Lowes and purchased my very own cordless drill. My first drilling adventure - mounting a new curtain rod. Next up - hooks in the entry way. So now there are finally curtains in the living room and my umbrella has a new home. HURRAY!!!

BTW - My favorite part about my new drill - it comes in a cute little case. :)

August

2011-09-08T18:02:00.000-07:00

August flew by in somewhat of a blur. But here are a couple of the highlights.

My baby bro tied the knot. There was laughing and crying and of course lots of pictures and catching up with family and friends.

And I spent a few days in Alberta. Blue skies or clouds, it was so pretty.

Two days here was NOT enough. I thouroughly enjoyed the scenery, the fresh air and the lack of cell phone reception.

Throw in some friends from out of town, Les Miserables...oh and some work and stuff and it was one fun-filled month. I can't believe September is already well underway.

Tickets

2011-08-31T21:04:00.000-07:00

I purchased a plane ticket today. Suddenly I feel like myself again.
An August update is coming.

Downtime

2011-08-14T21:23:00.000-07:00

More days should be spent with cell phones turned off, email unchecked and me in lounge-wear. That's the plan for tomorrow and I'm really looking forward to it. :)

Congratulations Richie!!!

2011-07-31T21:37:00.000-07:00

Last weekend all of the FamLee who were able, traveled down to Rexburg, ID to celebrate my brother's graduation from BYU-Idaho. It's been 13 yeas since I left the campus so it was a lot of fun to wander around campus and the town and to see how much it has changed (A LOT) and mostly to see and spend some time with Richie and Linda and celebrate his big graduation.

This is where most of his classes were and where he spent most of his time at school.

And here's Richie and Linda. She'll be the next to graduate so they'll be in the Burg for another year or so.

Congratulations Richie!!!

Womancation - Day 5

2011-07-31T20:55:00.000-07:00

Day 5 - Martha's Vineyard, MA Boston, MA then Seattle, WA

This last leg of the trip was kind of a last minute decision that we made while en route. But since we all had later flights, we had a little flexibility and decided to make a quick trip to Martha's Vineyard. We certainly didn't get to see everything there is to see but we did get to see two of the towns on the island. The first being Vineyard Haven.

Vineyard haven is home to The Black Dog store. And obviously we stopped in and purchased a few souvenirs. We didn't see Bill or Monica while we were there. Luckily.

The other town we visited is Oak bluffs.

Oak Bluffs is a cute town on the seaside with beaches...

and it's also where the cute gingerbread houses reside.

And this is just what I thought Martha's Vineyard would look like. Can't you just imagine the Kennedy's sunning themselves on their boats in this harbor? I didn't see any of them...but I'm sure they've been there.

After just a few hours on the island, we had to catch a boat back to the mainland so we could drive back to Boston so we could make our flights. And that's it for Womancation 2011.

Thanks for another great trip, ladies!!! Until next year!

(Well until October...but that trip is yet unnamed and will involve way too much running to be called a vacation. More on that one later.)

Womancation - Day 4

2011-07-31T19:35:00.000-07:00

Day 4 - Bar Harbor, ME Plymouth, MA Falmouth, MA

The sunrise...it's not something I've seen a whole lot of in my day. I'm more of a sunset kind of girl. In part because I'm not much of a morning person. But not even I could pass up an opportunity to see the sun's first rays in the US. So at 4 AM, I dragged myself out of bed to see the magic happen at 4:52 AM from Cadillac Mountain. (I know, who knew such an hour existed...?)

After our very early morning adventures, we were back on the road. First stop, Freeport, ME to see the Flagship LL Bean store and some other outlet stores, then it was off to Kennebunkport, ME. Kennebunkport turned out to be a favorite stop on the trip. It is a cute New England waterfront town that also happens to be home to the Bush family's summer home and St Anne's Church. St. Anne's Church is a gorgeous seaside chapel the the Bush family still attends.

And the home out on the peninsula belongs to George H.W. and Barbara Bush. You might think a home belonging to a former president that has been out of office for 18 wouldn't draw a huge crowd. That's what I thought anyway...but I was wrong. If you didn't know better, you might think William and Catherine were there. They weren't.

Back into Massachusetts, we stopped off in Plymouth. This is a replica of the Mayflower.

Plymouth is also the home of the famed Plymouth Rock which is allegedly where the pilgrims first arrived in what is now the U.S. The validity of such a claim is pretty unlikely but they went to the trouble of carving "1620" in it and putting a monument around it so we dutifully went and took pictures. :)

Plymouth Plantation hosts reenactment "first Thanksgiving" dinners. We didn't get there in time for the show but we wandered around was was still open on the grounds.

Next stop, Falmouth, MA.

Womancation - Day 3

2011-07-14T21:38:00.001-07:00

Day 3 - Bar Harbor, ME, Acadia National Park

When we first decided to go to New England for Womancation this year, Acadia National Park was always our #1 destination. As the summer home to some of the most wealthy U.S. families in the early 1900's, we knew the views would be gorgeous. (John D. Rockefeller financed and designed the network of carriage roads that still exist throughout the park.) So after a few grey skies and showers in the morning, we were happy when the sun came out and gave us such a beautiful day in the park.

When I think of Maine, this is what I think of. The deep blue Atlantic Ocean crashing up against the rocks. So. Pretty.

And here's another postcard shot, with Sand Beach in the distance.

There are numerous hikes throughout the park of varying degrees of difficulty. We ventured up a couple (of the short/easy ones) and were rewarded with views such as this at the top of Gorham Trail.

Thunder Hole. Who named this? I won't even venture a comment on the humor of the name... but the reason behind the name is when the tide comes in and crashes against the rocks in this little cave, it sounds like thunder. It's hard to see the cave behind me but I promise, it's there.

And what trip to Maine is complete without a lighthouse or two? This is Bass Harbor Lighthouse.

This is the view of Jordan Pond from Jordan Pond House, the only restaurant in the park. We had dinner there that evening and watched the sun set from our table. The poppers were delish, as was the rest of the meal. I think it was unanimously our favorite meal of the trip. (Yes, better than the lobster.)

Womancation - Day 2

2011-07-14T20:52:00.000-07:00

Day 3 - Ludlow, VT Wolfeboro, NH Rockland, ME Bar Harbor, ME

From Ludlow, we headed to Wolfeboro, NH in the lakes region. I'm not sure if it was simply decorated from the holiday earlier in the week or if the town is really always that cute, quaint and patriotic. Either way it was a great town.

We took a boat tour of the GORGEOUS houses on Lake Winnipesaukee.

Including Mitt Romney's summer home. Not too shabby.

Then we said so long to NH and drove up to Rockland, ME for some lobster. Turns out lobster is not my fave but at least I have a photo of myself in the lobster bib. Classic.

Rockland was a great, cute little town but after dinner and some yummy homemade ice cream we moved on down the road to Bar Harbor, ME.

Womancation - Day 1

2011-07-14T15:33:00.000-07:00

Day 1 - Boston, MA Concord, MA Sharon, VT Woodstock, VT Ludlow, VT

We started out the day in Boston and had to get donut at Dunkin' Donuts (right?) then headed back to hit another couple of Freedom Trail stops.

This is Copp's Hill Burying Ground. Founded in 1659, it is the second oldest cemetery in Boston and is the final resting place of numerous colonial Bostonians.

And just down the street is the Old North Church. This church's steeple was home to Paul Revere's "one if by land, two if by sea" sign.

That's all we had time for in Boston so we swung by the airport and picked up the final Womancation gal. And with our group complete, we headed to Concord, MA where we saw the home of Ralph Waldo Emerson.

And just a few miles away is Walden Pond.

Henry David Thorough's original cabin is long gone but this is a replica of the one he built, with a statue of him outside. Let's just say my shoes could never live there...

Then it was off to Sharon, VT to see the Joseph Smith birthplace memorial. This isn't a site a person could ever just stumble upon. It is way out of the way and as a result it is delightfully peaceful and beautiful.

Down the road a bit is Woodstock, VT. Woodstock was dubbed "the prettiest little town in America".

And come on, a covered bridge absolutely clinches the title.

That night we headed down the road and stayed the night in Ludlow, VT.

Next up, day 2.

Womancation - Day 0

2011-07-14T14:26:00.000-07:00

Another Womancation has come and gone. I'm back to the grind of life and work and wondering how it all went by so fast. (deep sigh) But if the next best thing to being on a trip is planning one...then the next best thing after that is reliving it. So here's a look back.

Day 0 - Boston, MA

I flew into Boston before the other event participants and I got to do some wandering around Boston. This was my first (but surely not last) trip to Boston and I loved it!

Not far from my hotel, I met up with the Freedom Trail. I didn't get a chance to do the whole thing start to finish but enjoyed what I did have time to see. After a beautiful walk to the Navy yard, I got to wander around the deck of the USS Constitution. The ship is the world's oldest floating commissioned naval vessel and was built in 1794. Sure she's experienced some upkeeping over the years but still.

And here I am at the helm of 'Old Ironside'.

Here is the Bunker Hill Monument which actually stands on Breed's Hill which is where most of the fighting in the battle took place. Sadly I arrived just after 5 PM when the monument closed so I wasn't able to go inside. Next time.

And here I am at Boston Harbor. (No, there was no tea.) After one of my friends arrived, we spent the evening wandering around the harbor and the surrounding area.

Stay tuned for a Day 1 recap...

It's the most wonderful time of the year

2011-07-05T20:56:00.001-07:00

Womancation 2011, here I come!!!
Photos and details to come next week.

Fresh Paint

2011-06-21T16:04:00.000-07:00

When I moved into my current residence almost five months ago, there were several things I loved about it. The location, the red door, available storage, the fact that it would provide me with not only my own room again but a separate living room, kitchen, etc. One thing I did not love was the color of the walls. In the light of day, I was tricked into believing they were a neutral tan color but as the sun set, the moss green mysteriously began to show through. (And this is a phenomenon recognized by multiple people, it wasn't just me.) Different light bulbs did nothing to ease the vomit-inducing hue from showing through. Very quickly I decided I just couldn't live with it. Because of this decision, I didn't bother hanging anything on the walls in my room since I knew it would just result in an extra step when painting commenced. My first color choice was gray but after trying multiple shades, hues and tints of the gray (that all looked blue, purple or white in my room) I gave up on it and went for a ridiculously sensible and neutral color. In fact I think the color is called "natural". Exotic, right? But it's not white...and it's not blue, so I'm happy with it. More than that, I'm delighted to open my door when I get home as I'm now greeted with the pleasant, soothing color that helps brighten my room. PLUS now that it's painted, I finally started hanging stuff on my walls. Now it actually feels like MY room!
Now if I can just keep myself away from buying new bedding.......

Fifteen Years Later

2011-06-13T20:12:00.000-07:00

This summer marks fifteen years since six wide-eyed college freshman rolled into their very first apartment at Ricks College to meet their very first roommates. We were some of the lucky ones. We all walked away from that first year without any roommate battle scars (those would come from later experiences for some of us) and walked away with five new friends. In the years that followed, some of us were better about keeping in touch than others. But this past weekend one of my former roommies had a the brilliant idea to plan a get together and was gracious enough to host the event. We had a great time catching up, reminiscing and making new memories.

Here we are just before we moved out in the Spring of 1997. (We look like babies...)

and here we are in June 2011 (plus a baby, minus a couple of people who couldn't make it)

These two have been friends since they were kids. They're adorable, right. :)

So there's a story with the moose. Back in our college days, we all took turns posing for a picture while kissing Bullwinkle (the deer head mounted on the wall of my friend's parent's cabin that we periodically visited). We thought it only appropriate that we recapture some of the magic with this unsuspecting moose.

Thanks for all the fun memories ladies - this weekend and 15 years ago!

A beautiful day...

2011-06-07T11:51:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday was a rare and delightful day in Seattle. It was warm, clear and sunny AND I got to see U2 play at Qwest Field. A friend called me about eight months ago to tell me tickets were on sale and asked if I wanted one. Of course I said yes! So the wait for this day was long but well worth it! And the fact that Mother Nature cooperated - icing on the cake!

Lenny Kravitz opened. That man is easy on the eyes...

Here we are waiting for the main event with the crazy 360 degree stage and mass of people behind us.

And as we sat there, waiting for U2 to take the stage, we soaked in the last rays of sun from the day and enjoyed the GORGEOUS view of the city, Puget Sound and the crowds. Heaven.

And then it was showtime!

Hi Bono!

Bono and the boys

This was my first, but hopefully not my last time seeing U2 live!

Audiobooks

2011-06-02T12:02:00.000-07:00

English teachers beware. The following will read like blasphemy.
I enjoy reading well enough but I am not good about making the time to do it, in part because it tends to lull me to sleep. As a kid, my parents would read me stories before I went to sleep. And evidently the pattern stuck and I became more and more efficient with the process. Read...then sleep. Which means I will read two or three pages before my eyelids get heavy. And it takes me forever to read a book. Recently I've found a fabulous alternative - audiobooks. The only downside is a book on iTunes is full price...unlike the discounted books I can get at Half Price Books. But the good news is I've been listening to them on my way to and from work. Which is entertaining AND productive. And since I walk home, I am getting three things done at once. It's so efficient and convenient it's awesome.
The key is finding books that I want to read that have a good reader's voice. I'm not going to say I'm all caught up on the classics...but I sure do enjoy the commutes more these days. :)

Oh Canada-ah!!!!

2011-05-17T07:41:00.000-07:00

(The spacing is crazy on this post and I can't get it to cooperate. However I've attempted to post this info for roughly two weeks now...but blogstpot was having technical difficulties and at this point, I'm over it.)

A couple of weekends ago, my roommate and I took a random and quick trip to the land northward. The adventure began Friday morning with a train ride from Seattle to Vancouver. After checking into the hotel, we toured the city and in spite of the rain, had a great time seeing the sites. Here are some highlights.

This is the cauldron that was lit during the Olympic games last winter

Granville Island - fun shopping and a cute market

And a fun view in downtown

After a brief but fun stint in exotic Canada, we headed back to Seattle via a cruise ship for the shortest cruise EVER. But because it was so short, we could actually splurge on a nice state room with a private veranda. Too bad we only got to enjoy it for one night.

The rain did give us a brief break.

A cheesy photo on the ship.

And in the morning we woke up back in Seattle.

It was a quick trip but it was nice to see my luggage again after a season of neglect.

Cursive

2011-05-13T14:13:00.000-07:00

Recently I was listening to a podcast that was talking about memory and how some activities are so seamless that we don’t think about the specifics involved (like riding a bike – you get on and ride, you don’t think ‘my right foot goes on the rid pedal, my left foot goes on the left pedal and this is how I move forward’) while other activities require a little more work and focus on each step. One such activity that they brought up was writing in cursive. I thought that was pretty odd. Certainly I could still write in cursive. I remember what all of the letter look like (don’t I?) and my 3rd grade teacher, Miss Myers (loved her!) was always very impressed with my mad cursive writing skills, or at least she always told me so, although perhaps not in those words. So today I’ve been making an effort to write in cursive. It’s a much slower process than I thought it might be. My every day writing is a script/cursive combo and I assumed I would be able to easily replace my script with all cursive. I was wrong. Although on a plus side, I have realized my cursive hand writing today looks alarmingly just as messy as it was when I was 9. Wait, is that a plus…?

Hurray!

2011-05-04T11:18:00.001-07:00

So there I am, lying in bed, blearily attempting to distinguish between reality and the oddities of my most recent dreaming ramblings. It’s too early (for me anyway) to be waking up. My alarm isn’t ringing. But something is pulling me to consciousness. What is that!? It’s warm…but not the artificial warmth I’ve become accustomed to from my vent. What could possibly be the source of that heat!? And what is on my face? Did I leave a light on all night? No, this is different. Finally my curiosity wins out over my sleepiness and I open my eyes. There is an odd presence filling my room. I look at the wall and can see tiny dust particles floating in a beam of light. The site is so unfamiliar; I pinch myself to make sure I’m truly awake. Turns out, I am indeed awake. What is that? Then from the depths of my mind, a familiar notion creeps to the forefront of my thoughts. S U N S H I N E? Is that what it looks like!? It is indeed.
Aaaahhhhhhh!
Wait, the story gets even better. Not only is the sun shining but it’s also supposed to be warm (which is a relative term) today too! 65 degrees. NOT bad for these parts. It’s very exciting. Any bets on how many people wear inappropriate warm weather attire today? It’s OK; it’s all part of the charm of a freakishly nice day such as this.

Spring - my top 5

2011-04-26T12:59:00.000-07:00

It's spring. Historically my favorite season. I'm having a hard time appreciating it this year so in an effort to focus on the things I do love about it, here's a list of my top 5 favorite things about spring:

1. Warming temperatures. It feels so nice to put away the coats and pull out the jackets. Put away the boots, get a pedicure and enjoy sandals...it's a beautiful thing.

2. Periodic rain showers (key word being periodic). When temperatures are starting to warm and the air is getting dry and we get a sprinkling - the air smells different and I love it.

3. Spring means that summer is almost here...and summer means LOTS going on. So spring is when I bust out my spreadsheets, compile my notebooks and get ready for upcoming trips. I love visiting old friends and new places and sometimes planning the trips is almost as much fun as going on them. (I said ALMOST.)

4. Trees and bushes that have looked near dead and barren for so many months finally start looking like potential backdrops for carefully posed pictures. Walking or driving down the blossom-filled tree-lined street always makes me think of Anne of Green Gables. "The Avenue? There's no meaning in a name like that. White Wave of Delight - that's it rightful name."

5. Fresh fruits and veggies are in season. Hello strawberries, asparagus and pineapple! YUM-O!

Those are my personal faves. Now if someone could simply remind mother nature of the date and the expectations for spring....

Floppy hats and fruity drinks

2011-04-20T12:56:00.000-07:00

It's getting to be that time of year again. Yesterday I saw my first ship of the season in the harbor, in all of its cruising glory. (Sigh) I love hearing the horns sound and seeing those floating luxury hotels, almost close enough to touch...but not quite. Sure it brings with it mobs and mobs of tourist that make navigating downtown and the market somewhat laborious but who cares? Just a glimpse of a ship stirs up memories of moonlit strolls on the deck, the smell of the warm salty air and a promise of vacations to come. (Too much...? Too cheesy...? I don't care.)

Entertainment in the Emerald City

2011-04-11T23:14:00.000-07:00

This afternoon I met a friend for lunch downtown, not far from my office building. Little did I know the free entertainment the colorful folk of the Emerald City would provide on my short excursion. First, on my way into the restaurant, there was a man who once again reaffirmed my belief that public urination is an art form. Think about it, everyone needs to relieve themselves, whether you have a home with a private facility or you spend your days and nights in more diverse locales. And since downtown businesses are pretty stingy about who can and who can't use their water closets, those who look a certain way (no judgements, it's just the way it is) find creative ways to relieve themselves as discretely as possible. You know, sometimes. Next I was sitting in a food court, enjoying my lunch when I witnessed a very odd exchange/interaction between two men. I can't say for sure what was happening but a fistful of cash was produced by one of the men and then they both left the building and walked out of sight together. I have no idea what was said or if anything, other than money was exchanged however the bills I saw, appeared to be $50's. My guess is he wasn't paying for directions to the Space Needle. As my friend and I were discussing how weird the whole thing was, two police vehicles pulled up outside. At first I thought perhaps someone else had witnessed what I had and called law enforcement. Turns out the person who was cuffed and put in the back of the car was someone entirely different. I have no idea what his (alleged) crime may have been...but by that point, I would have been surprised at nothing. At the end of the day, I have to wonder what people who live in the suburbs do for free lunchtime entertainment. It must be so boring... :)

Meet Dano

2011-04-05T23:38:00.000-07:00

The latest addition to La Casa de las Mindies is my new piano, Dano. (Yes, Dano the Piano.) Some of you may be thinking, 'hey, I didn't know you played the piano'. It's because I don't. I took lessons as a kid and all I have to show for that hard work is the one and only song which I am proficient in playing. It's from one of those kids piano books and it's called "The Indian Song". If you're ever lucky enough to witness the magic, I know the lyrics too. It's moving. Anyway since Dano has graced my home, I've spent a little time each day trying to add another song to my skills list. I can ALMOST play a song out of the songs made easy book I stole from my mom. As it turns out taking 20 years off, you're bound to lose a little something. Oh well, here's to learning again and here's to Dano! :)

My love-hate relationship...with Travelzoo

2011-03-30T13:18:00.000-07:00

It’s Wednesday. You know, hump day, trash day, pink Wednesday and most notably Travelzoo update day! I typically spend most of the morning refreshing my email in anticipation of its arrival. And just as soon as that email graces the stage of my inbox, I promptly open it and start scanning all of the trips I’ll never take. I shouldn't say never - how about trips I have yet to take. :) It’s a thrill and a delight and just a little bit of self-inflicted torture. One day I’ll spend five days in Ireland staying at castles and driving my rental car (that is included in the price of my trip) and one day I’ll take a 12 night transatlantic cruise and spend that $100 credit. You know, just because I want to. And someday I’ll go to Ecuador and tour the Amazon. Today is not that day. But in the meantime, I’m making my list…

NEWS FLASH

2011-03-24T21:03:00.000-07:00

Sun. No rain (not when I was outside anyway). No wind. And it was pleasant outside. In Seattle. TWO DAYS IN A ROW!!!!!
The rain will be back tomorrow but a brief glimpse of spring was so nice!

The evolution of a living room

2011-03-19T23:08:00.000-07:00

From my beloved studio apartment...

to La Casa de Las Mindies (ghetto style - yes, that's camping furniture)

After living here for six weeks, we finally have a couch. Woohoo!!

More improvements to come. Hopefully soon. :)

Billy Day

2011-03-17T15:27:00.000-07:00

A very Happy Billy Day, to one and all!

Pi

2011-03-16T13:46:00.000-07:00

This post is a couple of days late in being posted but better late than never. Right?

My roommate pointed out to me that March 14 is Pi day because the date is, indeed 3.14. So in honor of that fun coincidence, we celebrated by eating pie! For dinner - veggie pot pie. And for dessert - chocolate pie (from scratch!). I took pictures of both works of art before we dove in but sadly my phone is revolting and refuses to send the pics. So...you'll just have to take my word for it. Both dishes were delish and I think a new tradition has begun.

Lent

2011-03-09T10:58:00.000-08:00

While I do not belong to a religion that recognizes Lent, several years ago I decided there was something emotional/spiritual to be gained from a 40 day period of some kind of self-restraint or discipline. I don't do new years resolutions. They feel too daunting to me and (in my humble opinion) set a person up for a truly depressing start to a new year because let's be honest, by Jan 8th many resolutions are abandoned. Lent - a shorter period of dedication to resolutions feels so much more manageable and provides the opportunity to actually feel like you've accomplished something. Plus it occurs at a much more convenient time of year for me (and isn't that what devotion and self-improvement is all about - my convenience?). You won't find me in church today and I won't have a cross (or any other ash shape) on my head but to those of you who do recognize/celebrate/commemorate Lent and to those who think I'm just nuts...Happy Ash Wednesday!
:)

The Captain

2011-02-28T21:11:00.000-08:00

In general the Oscars are a painful industry indulgent self-congratulatory spectacle. However I watched last night's bru-ha-ha primarily to watch my favorite British dude win a well-deserved award. I first fell in love with him the very first time I saw him in Pride and Prejudice as Mr. Darcy in 1996 (and have watched the movie no less than 300 times since). A few years later I was talking to a friend of mine about how much we love Colin AND Mr. Darcy. It was then that he was nicknamed Captain Yummy Pants. And so he has been known since in my circle of friends and most recently by my mom - which I love! Take a gander at the photos below...you'll agree...he just IS 'The Captain'.

Love him so much and I'm so glad he was finally recognized for his brilliant work. :)

Congratulations Captain!!!!!!!

(Dreamy, right?)

In his award-winning role.

A little scruff works for him.

Hurray!

Stuff and Stuff

2011-02-24T16:22:00.000-08:00

Top 5 random thoughts from yours truly.
1. Love stories about gnomes just don't do it for me. Evidently.
2. We are in the midst of yet another episode of overreaction to a weather forecast here in the Emerald City. (Please note said weather has not actually materialized. Yet.) From what I've seen today, it snowed for about 15 minutes downtown...just long enough for most of my co-workers to clear out. Don't worry, buses have had chains on since yesterday. (Insert rant here about what all those chains are doing to the roads...and my tax dollars at work to fix them.) To be fair it did snow last night...and left a light sprinkling of white on the grass.
3. Last weekend I had the opportunity to see most of my family in the Motherland. We spent quite a bit of time playing with the Xbox Kinect. So. Much. Fun. The only games where random spastic movement makes you an excellent athlete.
4. Turns out my baby brother can now beat me at soccer, at least when it's full contact soccer on the Xbox. You should see my arm. Solid bruise.
5. What's funnier than a dancing baby? A dancing baby that takes breaks to give you kisses then starts dancing again. It's true. My one year old nephew had me cracking up!!

The Other Mindy Day

2011-02-18T10:49:00.000-08:00

We have turned a corner - Mindy Day is now officially less than a year away. :) Should we start planning this year's celebration already? Is it too early? Is it ever too early?

Thanks for all of the phone calls, emails, texts and flowers yesterday. It really did make the day happy. :)

Rock of Ages

2011-02-13T16:49:00.000-08:00

If I had my way we would all randomly break into song in our real lives. Don't you think the world would be a better place if we did? Anger would become lyrical. Heartbreak would be more like a brief number and less like a drawn out act. And comedy would be given a tune we could sing over and over again. Some day when I rule the world, this will be common practice but for now I satisfy my love for cheesy tunes by attending musical theater. This weekend I got to see Rock of Ages which combined two things I love - musical theater and big hair band 80's rock. It's like this show was made for me and I loved every minute of it! Heaven has been stuck in my head ever since. :)

There was a bit of a concert vibe to the show, women with big hair and leather pants, fist pumping and some arms-in-the-air swaying. Since I was a little too young to attend any (insert big hair band) concerts back in the day, this somehow helped ease the pain of the missed life experience.

Toasted Toes

2011-02-11T09:43:00.000-08:00

A new living situation always comes with challenges. Coordinating movers, organizing all of your stuff in a new space, getting your address changed in 800 different places so your mail can find you (Netflix still hasn’t figured this out and it makes me sad) meeting new neighbors, new bus routes and new appliances. The last of which has caused some strife the past several days in la casa de las Mindies.
We have a gas powered furnace that is relatively new to the house, complete with a programmable thermostat that allows us to preset times we are home/away/asleep so the temperature will automatically update based on that schedule. It’s a pretty standard setup. My roommate and I thought we’d figured it out but last night we got home to cool-ish air blowing from all the vents, no matter how high we set the temperature. Not what you want to find when the temperature is still dropping on a February evening. We pushed all the buttons, tried to reset the programming, tried to override the programming…nothing. I tried to find an owner’s manual online but came up empty handed. So in defeat we each bundled up and headed to bed. I was wearing a thermal, a sweatshirt, socks and flannel PJs…and turned my heating pad up and put it by my feet. The whole ensemble, while probably pretty unattractive was incredibly effective. About an hour later there was some activity outside by the meter. Luckily our neighbor had called the gas company and they were there to reset…something. Whatever it was, we soon had warm air coming out the vents. Oh the joy! So I went back to bed, took the heating pad out of my bed and took off the sweatshirt. In my newly toasted room, I fell asleep rather quickly and woke up to find I’d kicked off all of my blankets and sheets during the night. We didn’t reset the settings after the heat was back on and evidently we left it a little higher than it needed to be. Woops! Oh well. The lesson learned – I’m really grateful for not only a place to live but a place to live that has heat!

Dumb and Dumber

2011-02-06T20:46:00.000-08:00

After a week of moving at home and at work my body decided it was going to demand some down time by succumbing to a flemmy and achy cold. The good news is I am now equipped with more TV stations and viewing options than I could ever dream of enjoying. It's ridiculous. And the awesome/sad thing is I spent most of the weekend watching mind-numbing trashy TV. You know, doing my best to undo any of the intellectual strength I gained in my years of higher education. I think I made some real progress.

Scrambles Eggs

2011-01-30T17:25:00.000-08:00

Dear Blogesphere,
I would like to sincerely apologize for my gross neglect of this communication medium and hereby resolve to change my ways. As my first effort in this new resolve, I have compiled a list of random thoughts/comments for your enjoyment (an obviously debatable term).
1. While it has been pointed out to me that my preoccupation with wallet organization is somewhat abnormal (although I would like to point out, it JUST makes sense!!) I am wondering if grocery/store clerks have ever stood on the other side of the counter. What is one supposed to do with a fist-full of bills, change and a receipt...plus bags to carry, etc. Please either give me more time to get my stuff put away and organized or hand me one thing at a time, with the bills facing the same way. Seriously.
2. Why do all people who choose to purchase/drive Lexus have such similar driving habits? And why...oh why...must they always drive in front of me?
3. Before the internet, did the American people actually dedicate several hours of their evening to watching/listening to the State of the Union address? Man, that must have been rough. Perhaps Al Gore has some statistics on this.
4. While the actual act of moving is truly horrible, realizing how much crap I own is actually a healthy exercise. Getting rid of crap and finally getting around to deep cleaning is great. (Photos of the new place will hopefully be posted soon.)
5. Rainy days and Mondays always get me down.

It's the most wonderful time of the year....

2010-08-17T16:10:00.000-07:00

HAPPY MINDY DAY!!! :)

Summer Review

2010-08-11T19:08:00.000-07:00

It's been a busy summer! It's been so busy and so much fun. I've gotten to see so many places that I've never been before. Lots of stuff to cross off in my 1000 Places book. :) I haven't posted much so here's a quick summary of some of the highlights.

June

A weekend with some friends on Orcas Island. I'd never been to the San Juan Islands before and loved the gorgeous scenery! Here we are on Mount Constitution, Canada in the distance.

And another gorgeous view from Orcas.

Then I got to spend some time in Utah with my dad and some family. We spent such a wonderful day in the Logan Temple with lots of family I don't get to see very often. Words just don't do that day justice.

Then my dad and I headed south in this beauty. That's not exactly a barge...it's a Grand Marquis!

We went to Arches National Park . So beautiful! And so crazy! It felt like one giant movie set. This earth we live on is pretty amazing.

And my dad discovered this great new look. :)

Then it was off to the east cost for a drive from DC back to Seattle.

My very first burger from White Castle in Ohio (I think). Harold and Kumar were no where to be found. Sadly.

And here we are in the car on what is, I believe, the very first hip-hop day. Obviously it's a new scene for both of us. Love me some Jay-Z! :)

The worlds only Corn Palace in Mitchell, SD.

Wall Drug in Wall, SD. I'd first heard about this several years ago and wasn't really sure what to expect. I really didn't expect it to be so big! Very entertaining.

Mount Rushmore! We got there kind of late in the day but we got to see the evening show and the lighting of the monument. Definitely a must see, if you're ever in the neighborhood.

July

For the 4th of July I traveled to the exotic Tri-Cities to celebrate with this fun crowd.

Here are some of the fireworks from our show, brought to you by my brothers.

Some of the kids like the fireworks more than others.

And while I didn't have to travel for this one, it's definitely a touristy thing! We rode the duck tour! Dorky? Yes. Fun? Totally! :) It's a land and sea tour around the Seattle waterfront, down town and Lake Union in this beauty.

And on Lake Union we got to see the Sleepless in Seattle lake house. It's the greenish one just to the left of the center of the photo.

August

Womancation 2010: Tennessee
We spent some time in Nashville then drove to Memphis and spent a couple of days there before driving back to Nashville to fly home.
Here I am outside Tootsies. Verdict - the honkey tonks in Nashville are great fun! Where else can you wander in and out of all the clubs you want without paying a cover charge? The music was great too!

And in Memphis we saw Beale Street and the famous Blues clubs that line it. We were there on Saturday night and got to see street performers as we wandered up and down the blocked off street.

Then of course we stayed a night at the Heartbreak Hotel across from Graceland.

We couldn't use a flash so the picture is dark. But here's me in the Jungle Room! It was awesome, in the tackiest kind of way.

And here I am at the Meditation Garden at Elvis's grave site.

I wasn't going to put this video on here...but it just makes me laugh too hard NOT to. Here is Kerry rocking some karaoke with the King. Look out, this mamma's got some moves!!! :)

We didn't go through the museum but this is the Lorraine Motel in Memphis where Martin Luther King Jr. was killed. The front of the motel has been preserved and is the front of the Civil Rights Museum.

And the trip was rounded out with a paddle boat tour of the Mississippi River.

It's not a comprehensive review but this hits some of the summer's highlights so far.
This weekend's agenda...get some stuff done at home! Finally. :)

Happy Elvis Week!!

2010-08-11T13:02:00.000-07:00

You really do learn something new every day. This past weekend I learned that there is such a thing as "Elvis Week". This is a week long celebration that happens every year in the week leading up to the anniversary of Elvis Presley's death. The celebration includes various activities such as tours, cruises, special performances, dinners, etc.

Just in case you were wondering how you can participate in the festivities...

http://www.elvisweek.com/

Warning: It takes a special kind of crazy to enjoy this kind of thing. If you're not willing to tattoo Elvis images on your body or invest in Elvis loving license plates or actually alter your appearance to look like Elvis, Lisa Marie or Priscilla or if you don't lean toward a tendency to actually cry at his grave site, you might consider this celebration a little over the top.

P.S. Womancation pictures and details are coming.

bad blogger, no posts

2010-07-13T09:32:00.000-07:00

So much to blog, so little time. Since I have a little time to come up for air this week, I'm hoping to catch up on some much over-do posts. Not today though. Maybe tomorrow. ;)

Girls Spa-worth Weekend

2010-07-11T21:24:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I got to spend some time away with some girlfriends for some fun and relaxation. Sitting by the pool, getting massages, yummy organic food buffets, a rolling river, Sound of Music in an outdoor mountain theater, some silliness and some lovely fashion statements. Thanks for such a fun weekend girls!! Here are some pictures from the weekend.

Hello, Mother Nature

Ready for fun!

The trail up to the theater

Here's the stage during intermission, when it's getting dark. You can kind of see the mountains behind the set. So pretty! "High on a hill with a lonely goat yo-da-lay yo-da-lay yo-da-lay he-hoo..."

Do we look hopped up on sugar and oily from our massages? 'Cuz we all are. :)

Enjoying some late night star gazing in our jammies.

Matching monogrammed spa slippers and matching jungle love jammies!!! Because we're awesome.

Pretty tree with cute momma-to-be. :)

The resort grounds are gorgeous. Here are the girls on a bridge.

And here is a random piece of art work along the trail.

The organic garden on the grounds where our yummy meals were grown.

A delightful gazebo in the garden.

And here we are - already planning or next girls weekend, after Roxy and Foxy have arrived. :)

I'm a jerk, I'm a creep, I'm so shallow I seem deep

2010-06-20T21:01:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year. Summer is here and it's time to throw some stuff in the car and enjoy the world from the front seat of your favorite vehicle. As I'm preparing for some of the road trips in my future, I'm dedicating some time to one of the most important elements of such an experience - the music. Since some of my adventures will be with people I shared some adolescent adventures, I've allowed myself to venture into the deep caverns of my musical past in my playlist creating activities.
Ah the euphoric delight of traveling to past times and places on the music express. Might I suggest finding an old song, an MP-3, an old album, 8-track, record, whatever floats your boat. The best part about such mental trips is they are free from the poor fashion choices of your more youthful days. :) Enjoy!!

raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens (in bonnets)

2010-05-05T23:50:00.000-07:00

It's a quiet evening...almost midnight. I'm emailing, looking at vacation pictures of friends, plotting trips of my own that I may or may not ever take. The only sounds are my keyboard clicking, buses going by outside and a lawnmower. Wait a lawnmower!? In downtown Seattle. I can't explain it.

Easter Traditions

2010-04-04T12:57:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter! Celebrate in whatever way works for you. Me? I'm about to hop up on the counter, put a basket on my head and eat some eggs. Don't knock it 'till you try it. :)
(There ya go Ry, did you laugh?)

Wakeup Call

2010-03-24T08:37:00.000-07:00

Where were you this morning at 2:30? Hopefully not jumping out of bed to the sound of the building's fire alarm like me. Since this has happened a time or two (although never woken me up quite so brutally) I put on a sweatshirt and some shoes and socks, grabbed my phone and my keys and just stood outside my door for a few minutes. My neighbors seemed to have a similar approach to the situation so I chatted with them for a few minutes before the alarm finally subsided. Once my ears stopped ringing and my heart beat slowed from the piercing screech of the alarm, I finally fell back asleep. For fear it wouldn't be the only disturbance of the night, I left my socks and sweatshirt on...just in case. Luckily the next sound I heard was my alarm.

It's funny, I always thought my own alarm clock was the worst way in the world to wake up. Turns out I was wrong. The good news is it was another false alarm (my assumption is someone in the building was smoking...something and set off the alarms) and the building didn't burn down.

St. Patty's Day

2010-03-17T10:09:00.000-07:00

Happy Billy Day to one and all.

Girls' Weekend

2010-02-16T21:56:00.000-08:00

My sister-in-law brought my niece over for her birthday weekend. We had so much fun and had some great girl-bonding time!

Here are the girls with their pretty flowers.

And here we are, ready to watch Annie.

The birthday girl's first make-up lesson.

A weekend in Seattle is never complete without this photo.

It's getting to be that time of year again - The Market is full of these beautiful tulips!

Thanks for coming and for such a fun weekend girls! :)

Pookie #11

2010-02-07T21:14:00.000-08:00

When I was at school, a friend and I came up with a nickname for all the little ones in our lives - they are our "pookies". When the phrase was coined, I had just one pookie and on Feb 2 Pookie #11 made his grand entrance into this world and I got to spend a few hours with him this weekend.

At just four days old, he seems to be very mild mannered. I only heard him cry once while I was there. He has really long graceful fingers and is already working on an excellent coping mechanism. When there is a lot going on around him or when his aunt was trying to take a picture, he would simply close his eyes. It's a gift I think we'd all like to master.

He certainly isn't hurting for people who are willing to hold him. He's got four older siblings who are so excited to see him, hold him and coo at him and will undoubtedly teach him all sorts of great things.

We gave him a little sponge bath. He was not a fan of going nature-boy. This one prefers his clothes on. And here he is, all clean and happy.

And this is my favorite picture of all...rock on my friend, rock on! :)

The Bahamas January 2010

2010-02-07T20:25:00.001-08:00

Last weekend I had the last-minute pleasure of escaping from real life for a weekend in The Bahamas. In spite of a cold I came down with while I was gone, the warm weather, warm water, the pool deck and the time away was fantastic! Here are a few pictures from the adventure.

Goodbye Miami,

hello great blue ocean...and a beautiful full moon at sea!

Here's a little creature we saw on Coco Cay

And what weekend trip review would be complete without a photo of my feet...with the ship in the background!

This, my friend, is a look only a few of us can pull off.

And there was something yummy going on here because all the little fishies were spending some quality time here.

Here we are just before we begrudgingly left this island paradise

And on to Nassau. Here's my Halloween costume for next year. It was a little difficult fitting this into my carry on bag.

Look closely at the sign...a little public service announcement Bahamian style. "Protect Ya Tings!" (I assure you this photo has not been doctored.)

And that's it for this trip. Thanks Myn for twisting my arm and forcing me to go! :) What a great start to the new year!!!

2010-01-27T21:56:00.000-08:00

And the weekend was rounded out with a wonderful day with my sister and her family to celebrate my nephew's birthday and baptism. Congratulations honey!!

US Figure Skating Championships

2010-01-27T21:22:00.000-08:00

Last weekend a friend invited me to go to the US Women's Figure Skating Championship in Spokane. We had a wonderful time watching the Olympic hopefuls and listening to the people in the audience...I had no idea there was such an odd subculture of skating people. They were very entertaining. Anyway...

Here we are at the arena

And the winner is Rachel Flatt!! (Love the cute little kids skating around and picking up the flowers and gifts thrown on the ice!)

And here are the top four finishers. Nice skating, ladies!!

And of course there are a couple of skating celebs.
The blond is Tara Lipinski...I couldn't quite get a good shot so you'll just have to take my word for it.

And Kristi Yamaguchi!

Now it's on to the Olympics! :)

Some improvement.

2010-01-05T21:53:00.000-08:00

Here's a sample of his Spanish the last time I saw him.

I'm no expert but I think his Spanish has improved, even though I'm not entirely sure what it is he's saying. A few comments about his family...and the meat sweats... :)

Happy New Year!

2010-01-05T19:09:00.000-08:00

This year some out of town friends joined the New Years festivities. :)

We ventured up to the deck and miraculously had the whole thing to ourselves and enjoyed a great view of the fireworks.

Welcome 2010!! :)

Buenos Aires

2010-01-01T18:38:00.000-08:00

A recap of the long-awaited trip to Argentina:

First and most importantly we found this familiar stranger standing on the sidewalk outside the (closed) temple grounds, suitcases in hand.

It was so wonderful to have some time with him and hear some of his stories in Buenos Aires. Not to mention how great it was to have a wonderfully fluent translator!

Then we were off to see some of the sites of Buenos Aires.

La Casa Rosada where Eva Paron (and many other of the nation's leaders...and Madonna) addressed the people of Argentina.

La Boca. The river smelled horrible but the beautifully colored buildings were delightful and the tango dancers were entertaining.

And these two really tore it up.

Floralis Generica - or as I like to call it the metal flower. :)

This is where the rich and the powerful of Argentina are laid to rest. They have these huge crypts with the remains of family members and shrines, stained glass and statues.

And the most popular spot - the Duarte Family crypt.

Obelisco

And the food...oh the yummy food! This was a really fun place we ate - siga la vaca (follow the cow). It is a salad/meat buffet. Any cut, any animal part, all you can eat. Can you say meat sweats...

Here are some of the people Robbie introduced us to at church

And a couple of random pictures of the city:

By far my favorite character on calle florida. Can you see the naughty Santa? It takes all types.

And a Very Merry Christmas from Galerias Pacifico!

Such a wonderful trip and I'm so happy I got to go! Thanks Mom and Dad for being willing to go and thanks to my little brother for being such a patient translator and tour guide!!!

Oh and no recap of the trip would be complete without a sample of the song and accompanying dance of the week.

Back to it

2009-12-29T16:40:00.000-08:00

Not sure how it happened...but here I am...back to "real life". I think I prefer the surreal life of holidays and vacation.
Pictures and trip details will follow. Just as soon as my head returns to planet earth.

And we're off...

2009-12-14T15:41:00.000-08:00

to Argentina! Tomorrow morning the adventure begins. It's hard to believe we're actually doing this and that the trip is finally here!

Things I'm excited about:

1. Sunshine - forecast calls for 80 degrees this week. :)

2. Seeing my brother after two years. Any bets on how his looks will have changed? I have a couple of brothers who have had much less need for hair products by the time they were 21...

3. Exploring and experiencing a new city/country - and at Christmas time no less.

4. Time away from work and life. I know it will all still be here when I get back but some time away is much needed and very welcomed.

5. Returning for some holiday festivities with family and friends. While I can't imagine our holiday scene will resemble "peace on earth" the chaos will be blissful and merry!

Where ever you are, have a Merry Christmas!!!

Thanksgiving...Belated

2009-12-01T12:40:00.000-08:00

Yesterday as I was catching up on all of my favorite bloggers I realized I had neglected to recognize turkey day in the bloggesphere. My bad. But to make up for my omission, here are a few things I'm thankful for.

1. Sunshine. Quick take a picture the sun is shining in Seattle! Thank you for visiting us Mr. Sun. We miss you!

2. A great Thanksgiving weekend filled with family and some of the sweet little faces that I love. And a big thanks to you, Mr. Turkey. You were delicious.

3. An upcoming trip/vacation to look forward to. While I'm generally appeased with weekend get-aways, this trip will be a great adventure!

4. A body on the mend. Being sick sucks.

5. Christmas music. And now that it's past Thanksgiving I no longer feel ashamed that I'm listening to it. I have a hard time fighting the urge to bust out all those holiday CDs around Halloween. It's true.

Happy Halloween!

2009-10-30T16:13:00.000-07:00

There is exactly one joke that I ever remember/know. With that in mind, I thought this was an appropriate picture to post for Halloween.

Happy Halloween everyone!

Fall Fun, Festvities, Friends and Food! :)

2009-10-25T21:54:00.000-07:00

It's been a busy weekend filled with all things fall! We got a break in the rain on Saturday which was perfect timing for the Pumpkin Push 5K and our annual trip to a pumpkin patch and corn maze. The weekend closed out with some friends over for some tummy-warming comfort food. Thanks for a fun weekend guys!! :)

Happy Birthday Richie!!

2009-10-25T21:38:00.000-07:00

I'm a few days late in getting the post up but I didn't want to let the "season" go by without telling my little brother Happy Birthday!! :)
Here's hoping you had a wonderful time celebrating this weekend!! Love you!!

Chili and cinnamon rolls

2009-10-11T22:12:00.000-07:00

Domestic diva I am not. However for the first time ever, this weekend I made a old favorite - chili and cinnamon rolls. For those of you not from Richland or Spokane, this combination may seem odd. Don't knock it 'till you try it, it is DELISH! And if I do say so myself, they turned out really well!! Such a great fall dinner. :)

I heart...

2009-10-05T11:24:00.000-07:00

HB. What's not to love!? :)

I guess it's fall

2009-09-29T20:59:00.000-07:00

Have you ever gotten dressed for the day, including shoes, socks and jacket then decided to jump in the shower? Neither have I but walking home from work in Seattle today had the same affect. Those who know me know that rain doesn't bother me and I'm not afraid of getting my hair wet but this was ridiculous. I was soaked from head to toe. The good news is the backpack I was carrying my laptop in is fantastic and my computer is still working just fine.

Welcome to another PNW fall!

Birthday Bunkin Part 2

2009-09-23T22:10:00.000-07:00

Here are some more current pictures of the birthday boy. :)

Evidently he played a little birthday futbol...in the dirt.

And some kind people made him a cake.

They made him wear a funny hat, laughed at him and took his pictures. They love him in Argentina just like we love him at home. :)

What a great way to spend a birthday week!

Happy 21st B-day!

2009-09-16T21:58:00.000-07:00

Today is once again my favorite elder's birthday. Man I can't wait to see his cute little face again...in just three months! :)

Until then, Happy Birthday Robbie!!

Wedding Season 2009

2009-09-14T21:07:00.000-07:00

Another weekend in Southern California for a wedding. Congratulations Lucy and Chris!! :)

It's hard to beat this view from the reception.

And here's something most brides don't do in their wedding dress...

Then again most brides aren't Lucy!

Oh the shame

2009-09-01T12:11:00.000-07:00

Growing up my dear mother had the daunting task of feeding eight people - all with different tastes, preferences and schedules. Inevitably there were evenings when we all could not sit down and eat dinner as a family. For such occasions my mom would make dinner and leave it on the stove/in the oven and we all ate when we were home and hungry. One of the favorite entrees of such evenings is something we call skit.

Skit...it's a simple concept. Cook whatever past you have on hand. Add spaghetti sauce, a can of corn, and maybe some olives. Stir it all up and enjoy. Seems ideal for a person without a lot of time to prepare an elaborate meal. At some point in my adolescent years I decided I had eaten my last skit. Never again would I partake. I'm not sure where my disdain for the the meal originated but what I do know is it was severe.

Fast forward to my adult life. I put some leftover past, sauce, and veggies in a dish for a perfect lunch to take to work the next day. That next day I innocently opened my lunch, heated it up and began to enjoy. It was only then that I realized it...I'd made skit. Not only had I made it, I was enjoying it. And so the internal battle rages today. Although I think I'm finally embracing it. Bring on the skit!!

Diet Coke

2009-08-20T14:54:00.000-07:00

So there I was, coming back to the office after lunch, with a soda in one hand and bags in the other. The elevator opened but started to close rather quickly so I reached out and put my soda-bearing hand between the doors in an effort to stop it from moving on without me. Typically the elevator doors have sensors that cause the doors to open when an object blocks it. Not this time. My hand got pinned and since I was holding my drink with the captured limb, I couldn't get my hand out without dropping a soda all over the elevator floor (not to mention losing some very needed Diet Coke). Finally a neighborly onlooker pulled the doors open enough for me to put my bags down and squat down to put my drink on the elevator floor, allowing me to pull my hand out of the doors' grasp. It took some tricky work to get the elevator doors to close then open properly...but we did, I retrieved my beverage and we sent that elevator to the top floor...then waited for the other elevator. The moral of the story - I won't let my Diet Coke go without a fight.

Mindy Day 2009

2009-08-18T11:09:00.000-07:00

Thanks for another Happy Mindy Day!! :)

Oh What a Weekend

2009-06-23T22:24:00.000-07:00

Such a busy weekend. Here are just a few pictures and highlights.

My Mira got married.

My Richie got married.

My niece got to see some friendly faces at the happiest place on earth.

Oh and I caught the bouquet.

Woohoo! :)

Nassau, Bahamas

2009-06-15T21:33:00.000-07:00

And we're off.

Here we are leaving Port Canaveral and our lovely view of the NASA shuttle launch. (It's that tiny building in the distance.)

And welcome to the Bahamas!

We really wanted to see Potters Cay where they serve fresh conch salads. REALLY fresh.

After seeing them alive in their shells (and smelling them) neither of us was brave enough to try them but I still think we got to experience the local flavor. :) Here's the view of Potter's Cay.

On the bridge to the Atlantis Resort.

I love this picture. Fishies at the aquarium in the resort.

And of all the great things there were to see at the resort, this was the highlight. We snuck into the dolphin encounter area and got a free show. So cool and free...made it even better!

Womancation Continued...finally

2009-06-15T21:08:00.000-07:00

My excuse for not adding pictures sooner has been that I was internet access challenged. That has now been remedied so here are more Womancation pictures.

Mmmmmm Mimis for dinner in Maryland. :)

I've always been a fan of Disneyland but it was a lot of fun to get to spend a day at DISNEYWORLD!!! :)

Thanks for such a fun day girls!

And so it begins...

2009-04-27T21:12:00.000-07:00

Womancation has begun. I love vacation. It's great. I arrived in DC Saturday night after a very long day of travel. The weather has been beautiful and HOT!

On Sunday we walked around DC and went to the National Cathedral. We'd hoped to hear a service at the beautiful church but decided we weren't particularly interested in paying for a ticket to hear one. Instead we walked around the museum and visited the herb garden.

Monday (today) I was a proper DC tourist and sweated my way around the mall and saw all the monuments. It was a nice, peaceful and relaxing day that has left me really tired and the top of my feet a little sunburned. (doh!)

Here are some Picture highlights:

National Cathedral

The White House (strategically I managed to keep the protesters out of the photo)

Washington Monument

Lincoln Memorial

Vietnam War Memorial

Korean War Memorial

FDR Memorial

Jefferson Memorial

This one's for you, Mom. A picture with me in it! :) Note the Washington Monument behind me.

That's all for now. Tomorrow I'm off to Maryland!

Wo-mancation

2009-01-28T18:37:00.000-08:00

In all seriousness..."wo-mancation" is my favorite word. It sounds more exotic than "weekend with the girls" and way more exciting that simply a "vacation". And for my very 1st wo-mancation, it's Bahamas or Bust baby!! :)
No but really...I can hardly wait!!!!!!!!!

A random rant

2009-01-27T22:52:00.000-08:00

Time. It's a tricky thing. It tends to move much more quickly between 6:00PM and 6:00AM...why is that? Yet for some reason I still manage to justify spending hours and hours on my computer at night. Between facebook, myspace, blogs and emails, how is there time to do anything else? Not to mention all the shopping, Netflix queue updates, solitaire,etc.
Award season - not so long ago, I was a huge fan. I enjoy movies of all sorts and I enjoyed seeing who won the various awards and (let's be honest) what everyone wore. Something happened this year and I've totally lost my taste for it. Perhaps after last year's writers strike, it's become tainted. The strike last year was for more money, correct? Yet the movies being "honored" are being so due to their "artistic achievement". Really? How short minded are we? Let's be honest about what we're doing, shall we. It's not art, it's a paycheck. And award shows are just another platform to promote your movies and the people in them.
Vacation - I consider myself to be patriotic. I love the country in which I live and I'm proud of many things about it. Unfortunately on the subject of vacation, we missed the mark. Let's follow the example of our friends to the east and provide more vacation time as standard for our hard working citizens.

Happy Holidays!

2009-01-03T21:17:00.000-08:00

After a holiday, such as Christmas, there are usually dozens and dozens of photos to wade through. I must have left my camera in my room all day because I really don't have many pictures of the big day. Oh well, whatcha gonna do? Here are a few of the pictures I do have from the holidays.

This year I finally got to take one of my nieces to the Nutcracker. The ballet was great and we had a really fun weekend together.

The first snow of the year.

Enjoying the lights and the holidays at the Market.

Are there any families who have reverent holiday nativities? I don't see it ever happening at our house. It's more of a dress up comedy hour and I have to admit, I love it that way! :)

Happy 2009!

This is the view of the Spaceneedle fireworks from my living room. It was fantastic to see the show, without having to leave the comforts of home.

And here we are ringing in the new year!

Buzzzzzzz

2008-12-10T12:53:00.019-08:00

Who knew two adults could take Buzz Lightyear so seriously?

To be fair, I will admit that I did use the controller to move our car when I could tell my sister was trying to aim. I like to call that "strategy" not cheating. Plus how many targets could she really have hit, aiming with the wrong eye? :) She did kill me at the Toy Story game - no control to move our car at that game...

The Southland

2008-12-09T23:24:00.000-08:00

Last weekend I had the opportunity to go to California for a few day with my sister and my parents. We had a FANTASTIC time! We stayed VERY busy but managed to relax a little too. Most of the pictures are on my mom's camera so I'll have to get those over the holidays but here are a few highlights from my camera.

My sister and I landed in Long Beach and rushed to Universal to catch a Smashing Pumpkins concert that started just an hour after we landed. I think we missed the first song...not bad considering our commute started in Seattle. :)

I MISS YUMMY MEXICAN FOOD! One day I met up with some friends from my old office and we ate at Wahoo's - one of my favorite places to eat in Orange County.

Wicked - even after seeing it so many times, it's still such a fun show!

A couple of my old roommates/friends and I got to spend a little time together at Downtown Disney.

In all the six years I had an annual pass and frequented Disneyland, I had never heard of or seen the big choir performance in the park. Several choirs and orchestras performed Christmas songs on Main Street and the narrator was none other than John Stamos (aka Unlce Jesse). I have to admit, it felt a little odd to have him reading the Christmas story from the Bible...however it was a lot of fun too and the music was fantastic! (You have to take my word for it...the guy in the middle is John Stamos.)

And here's the castle...so pretty! I love Disneyland during the holidays!

Twilight

2008-11-21T10:30:00.050-08:00

At 12:01 this morning, like thousands of other across the country, I piled into a movie theater to catch a first glimpse at 1. all the freaky people who are obsessed with the series and 2. to watch Twilight. You "fanpires" have no fear, you will find no movie spoilers here. About the movie I will say only this - it follows pretty closely the story of the book and keep in mind some things are much less cheesy when you're reading them and picturing it in your head than they are when you actually watch someone act it out. The movie certainly isn't in any Academy Award race but it might do well at the Teen Choice Awards this year. Silly, cheesy but if you like the series it could be fun. If you haven't seen it yet, set your expectation low and you won't be disappointed. :) If you haven't read the books, don't bother!!!!!

I was relatively happy with the casting except one minor...uh huge detail. Is it just me or does Edward (aka Robert Pattinson) totally look like Dawson Leery (aka James Van Der Beek)? He does! I think it's the shape of his head, the floppy hair and the caterpillar like eye brows. It was hard for me to get over...