Update

I sweated buckets in a totally neurotic and nervous state between 2 and 3 p.m. this afternoon. But despite numerous set backs at 3:36 p.m. the equipment was crated and headed out the door. The driver showed up a few minutes later and it headed out the door. HOORAY! (

Friday Thoughts

I haven’t been in much of a “blogging mood” this week. I started presenting with symptoms of a head cold on Sunday evening and no matter how hard I fought it with Airborne and Vitamin C, when I awoke on Monday morning it had taken over. I greatly dislike being sick, in fact, I hate it. I tend to gripe a lot and wish I weren’t sick.

==========

Quote of the day…

"What can you say about a society that says that God is dead
and Elvis is alive?"

--Irv Kupcinet

==========

Remember my top dollar day from a few weeks back? Well all of those orders are shipping today (or are supposed to). The truck will be here at 3:00 p.m. and I will be really surprised if everything is ready to go.

==========

I got a new headband for my hair last weekend. I should have been suspicious of the extra-thick heavy-duty rubber bumpers on the ends because when I have it on my head I feel like my head is in a vice. Ouch!

==========

I finally got the suction cup razor holder that came with my razor to stay put on the side of my shower. For the past several weeks the suction cup holder and I have been playing a daily game. I get in the shower and stick it up on the wall only to find it lying on the shelf when I get in the shower the next day. I don’t know what I did differently but when I got in the shower this morning it was still stuck to the wall!

==========

Obviously this has been a slow and boring week from my lack of anything of real substance to share. I hope you have a good weekend. My plans include plenty of fluids and sleep, schoolwork, an Oktoberfest party and organizing my home office.

Which Programming Language Are You?

Shamelessly stolen from Don's website...


Which Programming Language are You?

Fun Evening

The Beaver game on TV, people making fools of themselves with Karaoke, local flare and beer, the perfect combination.

Bathroom Graffiti

Message on the dry erase board in the bathroom at a bar in Astoria.

Astoria Sunset

Beer drinkin view.

Do I Give Good Advice?

You Give Great Advice

You know what's up when it comes to people and social relationships. And you're advice is golden, even if your friends don't always take it! Just make sure that you take your own advice too!

Do You Give Good Advice?

Paper Mache Graffiti?

Is there such a thing as graffiti made from paper? This is a new addition to the wall on Mercer Street.

Guilty Pleasure Confession

Urban Dictionary defines guilty pleasure in the following 2 ways (with spelling errors corrected).

1. Guilty pleasure
Something that you shouldn't like, but like anyway.

2. Guilty pleasure
n. to describe a certain substance or activity a person enjoys, and often practices, while said person morally believed or is informed that the substance or activity is abnormal, improper or incorrect.

I have also thought that a guilty pleasure is something that you enjoy but realize that it is a total waste of time, energy and money. I was thinking about guilty pleasures when I chose to sit on my couch and watch TV last night instead of doing my laundry. My justification to myself was that the CW was showing an encore of the season finale of Gilmore Girls. I saw the episode back in May when it originally aired, but I missed the last minute which was *the cliffhanger moment* that is so typical of the Gilmore Girls. I wanted to be completely “up to date” when the season premiers next Tuesday.

With all that said, I don’t consider Gilmore Girls to be a “guilty pleasure” in my life. But my recent behavior is beginning to make me wonder. I have recently started listening to several unofficial podcasts about the Gilmore Girls. I am amazed that someone could be so obsessed with a television show that they would create a studio in their home and then create a podcast weekly just to talk about it. I continue to tell myself that I think that these people are stupid and I can’t believe that they are so obsessed, yet, I continue to listen.

I think I realized that I was no better than these fanatic fans when I found myself on the elliptical machine at the gym on Saturday morning and was listening as this husband and wife team described how they longed to visit Stars Hollow (the make-believe town where the Gilmore Girls live) and how they are going to plan their summer vacation to California next year so that they can visit the set at the WB. I can’t believe anyone would do this and therefore I keep listening. It’s like the car accident on the highway that you just can’t help looking at. I find this level of commitment to a television show utterly fascinating. They do know it’s a TV show right?

So I will keep enjoying my guilty pleasure as long as it doesn’t turn me into a totally crazed fan.

Tuesday Afternoon Randomness

My commute this morning was just as fun as can be expected when you live in a place where rain in a natural and frequent occurrence yet everyone around you forgets this fact. In that same spirit one of the DJ’s on my favorite radio station had a funny definition for rain this morning.

Rain – a meteorological phenomenon which causes confusion, congestion and car accidents.

I am hoping that in the next few weeks everyone can re-adjust to the fact that we live in Seattle and it does rain here and we can get back to a normal routine.

==========

I just saw a photo of a piece of Macaroni and Cheese Pizza on one of my feeds through Bloglines. The idea of Macaroni and Cheese Pizza is disgusting yet curiously tempting to me.

==========

After a few days of peace and quiet the construction crew showed up this morning to continue work in the field across from my office. We are still debating on what they are building or if they are just playing with dirt.

==========

I bumped into the following quote this morning and it spoke to me…

“You will never be happy if you continue to search for what happiness consists of. You will never live if you are looking for the meaning of life.”
--Albert Camus

My new jacket

When I walked into the office this morning I immediately noted that a strange jacket was hanging on my desk chair. When I got closer I realized the joke was on me. Do you think he would have felt bad if I had actually died from the spider bite?

Quote of the Evening

"I miss that goddamn reverend!"

What Alcoholic Drink Are You?

You Are Red Wine

You're not a big drinker, and when you do drink, you go for the best. You probably know a good deal about wines, and you know how to order a great bottle. When you drink too much, you tend to flirt - but only in a subtle, understated way. You prefer to date a man who's worldly and wise. He's got to be as sophisticated as you are.

What Alcoholic Drink Are You?

Update

An update on my not so imminent death. The swelling and redness is gone from my face, chest and shoulders. My forearm has significantly decreased in size and redness.

Kipp wanted to know if I wanted to eat "my last meal" with him today so I had lunch with him in the kitchen and assured him again that I was not going to die today.

Bad Morning

When I went to bed last night everything was fine. When woke up this morning it was not. My alarm went off early this morning so I could head to the gym. As soon as I was awake I noted something was wrong. My right forearm was swollen and tingling. I got up to go to the bathroom and investigate and was horrified when I turned on the light I noted that the right side of my face was swollen covered with red patches. I then examined my arm and found a very large swollen welt and red patches up and down my arm and on my chest. I immediately took a Benadryl and put ice on my face and climbed into bed. A few hours later the swelling had gone down in my face and arm. I am assuming that it’s a spider bite of some kind. I always have severe reactions to even the smallest spider bite, but this is ridiculous.

When I got to work and shared this story with my friend and co-worker Kipp he is sure that it was a Hobo Spider that bit me and that he heard on the news last week that someone died from being bit by a Hobo Spider. I did a quick search and I need to keep and eye on it but it’s not going to kill me, at least not today.

Kipp just came by my desk to ask me if he could have my CD collection and my couch. I thought it an odd question and clarified that he indeed want the above mentioned items when I drop dead later today from my spider bite. I assured him that I wasn’t going to die today.

Friday Report

The company that I work for has spent the last 4 years developing a new model for one of our product lines. We launched the product on August 24th and received our first order today. It is very cool to be a part of something that many people have spent countless hours working when it comes to a successful conclusion.

==========

It’s a gray and rainy day in Seattle.

==========

I am playing Barry Manilow on my iTunes just to drive one of my co-workers nuts!

==========

I like spinach especially spinach salads but don’t eat them often. Ever since I hear the news about the FDA encouraging people not to eat raw spinach because of the risk for an E Coli infection, I have been craving spinach.

==========

I had $38,087.50 in business today! That beat my previous record of *best day ever* by over $15,000! I am ready for a beer!

Rainy Day Randomness

The temperature has cooled significantly over the past few weeks and I love it. Last night it cooled off to 60 degrees in my apartment which created the perfect environment for sleeping and I slept very soundly. I was late getting home and therefore late getting to bed so I decided to forgo the gym this morning and just sleeping in.

I woke before the alarm today to the sound of rain. I couldn’t actually hear the raindrops falling on the ground, but I can hear the “woosh” “woosh” sound of the cars speeding past my building in the rain. I lay in bed and decided which sweater I was going to wear today. Oh, I have missed my sweaters.

==========

I commuted to work this morning in rain for the first time in months. I listened to the traffic report before leaving the house and it seemed that either of my normal routes would be a bit slower than usual because of problems (accidents, stalled vehicles, etc). So I picked the route that is consistently better but it still took me 55 minutes to complete my usually 25 minute commute.

Is it possible that Seattleites have forgotten how to drive in the rain in the few short months that it has been dry?

==========

I don’t know what I did before NetFlix and how I ever survived without it. I am a HUGE fan!

==========

I keep my palm pilot in a red leather case. When the case is open there is an elastic loop on the left hand side for storage of the stylus (for those of you that don’t speak Palm that it the “pen” you use to write on the screen of a palm pilot). Well the loop is worn out and stretched out from 2+ years of use. Every time I have opened the case during the past week the stylus has been missing. I have found it on the floor, in the bottom or my purse, in my car and this morning I found it in my bed. It’s a miracle that I have not lost it!

==========

I downloaded the new version of iTunes (7.0) yesterday. I played around with it for a few hours last night and I really like many of the improvements that they have made. The screen is more clear and concise and you can choose from several new views when looking a play list or library. The only glitch that I have experienced is that I asked it to fetch the album covers for all of my CD’s (most of which already had album covers) and when it found a few that were slightly different than what I had it duplicated the tracks. So, all of a sudden I had several hundred extra tracks in my music library. I got that all cleaned up and won’t be doing that again.

==========

Peaches are at the peak of ripeness right now. I LOVE PEACHES! I have eaten a peach every day for the past 2 weeks. I make fruit cobbler on a regular basis. The recipe was my mother’s and she always made it with peaches. I use different kinds of fruit and often use berries. I am going to make it with peaches this weekend, I can’t wait.

==========

Well lunch break is over, better get back to work. :-)

A new drug

Do you have feelings of inadequacy?
Do you suffer from shyness?
Do you sometimes wish you were more assertive?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, ask your doctor or pharmacist about Tequila®.

Tequila® is the safe, natural way to feel better and more confident about yourself and your actions.

Tequila® can help ease you out of your shyness and let you tell the world that you're ready and willing to do just about anything. You will notice the benefits of Tequila® almost immediately,
and with a regimen of regular doses you can overcome any obstacles that prevent you from living the life you want to live. Shyness and awkwardness will be a thing of the past, and you will discover many talents you never knew you had. Stop hiding and start living, with Tequila®.

Tequila® may not be right for everyone. Women who are pregnant or nursing should not use Tequila®. However, women who wouldn't mind nursing or becoming pregnant are encouraged to try it. Side effects may include dizziness, nausea, vomiting, incarceration, erotic lustfulness, loss of motor control, loss of clothing, loss of money, loss of virginity, delusions of grandeur, table dancing, headache, dehydration, dry mouth, and a desire to sing Karaoke and play all-night rounds of Strip Poker, Truth Or Dare, and Naked Twister.

New liquor warning labels:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
WARNING:
The consumption of alcohol may leave you wondering
what the hell happened to your bra and panties.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
WARNING:
The consumption of alcohol may make you think you are whispering
when you are not.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
WARNING:
The consumption of alcohol is a major factor in dancing
like a retard.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
WARNING:
The consumption of alcohol may cause you to tell your friends
over and over again that you love them.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
WARNING:
The consumption of alcohol may cause you to think you can sing.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
WARNING:
The consumption of alcohol may lead you to believe that ex-lovers
are really dying for you to telephone them at four in the morning.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
WARNING:
The consumption of alcohol may make you think you can logically
converse with members of the opposite sex without spitting.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
WARNING:
The consumption of alcohol may create the illusion that you are
tougher, smarter, faster and better looking than most people.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
WARNING:
The consumption of alcohol may lead you to think people
are laughing WITH you.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
WARNING:
The consumption of alcohol may cause pregnancy.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
WARNING:
The consumption of alcohol may be a major factor
in getting your ass kicked!

Shamelessly stolen from an email from my Aunt Becky!

Spray On Grass?

The hauling and moving of dirt is over (which means the tremors have stopped, thank goodness). We all assumed that there were getting ready to put a building in the field until this morning when this truck showed up and started spraying grass all over the field. Now we cannot figure out what is going on.

I will keep you posted.

Tears and Chocolate Cake

I received some bad news about a friend in a phone call on my way home from work last night. I had several other teary conversations about it with others and thought that I had worked it out of my system. I was so wrong. When I finally climbed into bed and was surrounded by the quiet of the night, except for the tranquil tones of classical music, I lost it. I cried what Oprah would call an *ugly cry.* And then I tossed and turned all night.

This morning the news from last night is still heavy on my heart and my new boss has had me doing stupid and pointless data collection all morning. So when it was time for another cup of coffee this morning I walked into the kitchen and someone has brought in a huge chocolate cake. I decided that a piece of it would make me feel better about everything. It didn't work.

I remember a time in my life when crying and chocolate cake actually made me feel better. It was about 25 years about. I miss those days.

How come?

Everytime I go to Ballard and begin the journey home the bridge goes up. My timing sucks.

Monday Mutterings

I bought a box of cereal at Target on Saturday. This is only a big deal because I cannot remember the last time I purchased a box of cereal, but think that I have only purchased 1 or 2 boxes since moving to Seattle 18 months ago and it was when I knew that guests were coming.

So you may be asking, "Why don’t you buy cereal?" Well it’s a number of reasons really, here goes…

1. I remember a disgusting tid-bit from “the college class that ruined me” a.k.a. Microbiology 210 about the FDA setting a limit to the numbers of mouse parts and pieces that can be ground up in the cereal. I don’t know if it’s true or not, I have never taken the time to investigate it, but it’s disgusting to think about.


2. I would eat it far too often if it was readily accessible and in my home. I fear that I would never cook because I could just come home and “have a bowl of cereal.”


3. I often don’t know when to stop. Sometimes with the super-sweet cereals that we were not allowed to have as children I can completely over dose and then find myself suffering from a total sugar high.


4. I think that as a rule cereal is over priced.

All that said I am a HUGE oatmeal fan and eat it nearly everyday. It’s just the cold cereal that I am talking about. Anyway… On Saturday I purchased a box of Vanilla Yogurt Burst Cheerios and I loved them. Last night I goggled the “mouse parts” rumor and cannot find anything to substantiate it so I think cereal may start appearing on my grocery list again.

===========

I received several (3 to be exact) bug bites on my left arm on Saturday while at my brother’s house. They are still itchy today. I hate bug bites.

===========

I cleaned my entire bedroom and closet yesterday. I moved the furniture out of the room and vacuumed and dusted and cleaned out drawers, closets, EVERYTHING! It feels really good to have a clean and organized space, I love it. Tonight I am attacking the kitchen pantry.

The bad thing about this project was that 4 hours into it, I could no longer breathe. All the dust made my asthma act up and gave me a raging headache.

===========

My new boss has made plans or has already taken everyone on our team to lunch except me. Two weeks ago I noted this fact but was far too busy completing 2 really big projects that I deemed it an oversight on his part. He is back in the office this week and has still made no mention of it. If I weren’t doing such a kick ass job I would certainly think that my head was on the chopping block. It’s really bugging me, so I am going to say something to him about it.

===========

Engineers ask WAY too many questions.

===========

The weather has cooled down and bit and as far as I am concerned it’s perfect. Towards the end of the week it is going to be rainy. YEAH!

===========

The leaves on the trees near my house are already changing colors.

===========

Last.fm is pissing me off! I have the software on my computer and it’s supposed to track the songs that I listen to and report them to their website. I love the statistics and reports, but not if they are incorrect. The reports don’t include any of the songs that I listen to on my iPod, only those that play through the iTunes on my computer. I have checked the message boards and have tried the patches made by others but nothing is working. I sent an email to them last week ask for some assistance and have heard NOTHING back. Ugh!

===========

I said “no” to something I would have said “yes” to a few weeks ago today. I think that is proof that the doormat recovery program is working.

What Season Am I?

You Are Fall!

Thoughtful Expressive Creative Poetic Smart

What Season Are You?

Blue Sky

I drove south right out of the of the rain. :-(

RAIN!

A rainy morning makes me realize how much I love days like this.

Well it's official, I am a grown up!

You're All Grown Up

Congratulations, you're living in the adult world now. Even though it may have been difficult at first, you've taken responsibility in your life. You have a great job, fantastic friends, and a grown up wardrobe. And you're probably on your way to a very successful life!

Do You Need to Grow Up?

Thursday Thoughts

One of the customers that I was scheduled to call today is named Keyster. Is that real name? It seems to me like the name of a cartoon or fictional character. It also reminded me of the scene in Home Alone when Kevin uses the audio from a movie to scare away the burglars… “I’m going to give you to the count of 10 to get you ugly, yella, no good keyster off my property before I pump your guts full of lead. 1, 2, 10!!!” All of those things were swimming through my head while the phone was ringing and I was completely relieved when I got voice mail, instead of the man himself.

==========

Four months ago I inherited the “South” territory from a co-worker that left the company. He kept a whole lot of paper records of his correspondence with clients rather than saving the electronic formats within our customer database. I have a 5 inch thick stack of papers that I have ignored for 4 months and decided that this afternoon would be the perfect time to begin tackling the pile.

This co-worker was known for his inappropriate wordiness and was always sending out emails several pages in length. The bulk of my pile is printed copies of those emails which I am just throwing into the recycle bin. However this has given me the opportunity to read his correspondence in more detail than I had before and after several instances of falling out of my chair and sharing with my co-workers, I have decided to create a “Greatest Hits” file. That way when I am having a bad day and need a good laugh, I can pull out the folder and have numerous resources at my disposal.

==========

I spent the entire summer searching for a pair of navy sandals and never found any. I wanted to wear a blue dress today so I resorted to wearing the navy sandals that I already owned. I remembered that they were uncomfortable but I forgot just how uncomfortable they are. I can last about 40 minutes in them and then they HAVE to come off. As a result I have been barefoot most of the day.

==========

I am going to meet a 12 foot troll that is made entirely of recycled materials tonight. I am pretty excited about it.

Step 5

Step 5 in the Doormat Recovery Program - Self Hypnosis

Happy News Story of the Day

Japan princess gives birth to boy

Japan's Princess Kiko has given birth to a baby boy, potentially resolving the royal family's succession crisis.

The 39-year-old princess gave birth by a Caesarean section two weeks early, after complications in the pregnancy.

Princess Kiko, wife of the current emperor's second son, already has two daughters, but women are not allowed to ascend to the Chrysanthemum throne.

Her son becomes the first male heir to be born into Japan's royal family in more than four decades.

The present heir, Crown Prince Naruhito, and his wife, Princess Masako, have a young daughter, while Princess Sayako is married to a commoner, so if she were to have children they could not be considered.

Coverage

Princess Kiko's son was born weighing 2,558 grams (5lbs 10oz) at 0827 local time (2327 GMT Tuesday).

Reports say mother and child are both in good condition.

The pregnancy has attracted enormous interest in Japan.

Princess Kiko has been in hospital since 16 August because of symptoms of partial placenta previa, a condition in which part of the placenta drops too low in the uterus.

Doctors said when she went into hospital that the move was precautionary and the pregnancy was proceeding well.

"I am very glad that the prince was born," said Chief Cabinet Secretary Shinzo Abe, who is likely to become Japan's next prime minister.

"I truly feel relieved and happy to receive a report that both the princess and the prince are fine.

Princess Kiko and Prince Akishino already have two daughters
"It's a refreshing feeling that reminds us of a clear autumn sky."

Conservatives had hoped Princess Kiko would give birth to a boy, thereby bringing an end to debate on whether the constitution should be revised to allow women to ascend to the throne.

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi had been advocating such a reform, and there appeared to be support for it amongst the Japanese public.

But the reform plans were shelved, amid strong opposition from conservative palace officials and some politicians, when the royal pregnancy was announced.

"Reforming the Imperial Household Law is an important issue that concerns the stability of the imperial family," said Shinzo Abe.

"We must carry on the debate in a careful and calm manner."

Japan's birth rate has continued to decline in recent years and the government has been working on ways of persuading women to have more children.

Baby and maternity product companies are also hoping the birth will benefit them.

Shares in baby-linked firms rose ahead of the birth, with one baby food company's shares hitting a high for the year on Monday, the Associated Press news agency reported.

Best Burger in Seattle

I don't know how it can be but I have lived in Seattle for 18 months and until this past weekend had never heard of Red Mill Burgers. I was told that they had award winning hamburgers and has been voted the *Best Burger* in Seattle over and over again. I browsed the website and found out that it's all true and then I couldn't wait to taste one.

We attempted to go on Monday, but they are closed on Mondays. We successfully made it there for dinner last night. I must say that the burgers are awesome! My dining companion (who will remain anonymous to protect her from embarrassment) was quoted as saying, "This burger is the SHIT!" (I warned you the quote would appear here!)

If you are ever in the mood for a super yummy burger, I recommend Red Mill. They have shakes on the menu and I may have to try one of those before summer sneaks away.

For the record...

I tried Wendy's new Vanilla Frosty today and I LOVED IT! I am a huge vanilla fan and they did a really good job turning the Frosty vanilla!

Wednesday Mutterings

I stopped on the way home from work yesterday to fill my gas tank. A few months back I started taking a slight detour on my way home to get gas at the Safeway because I get an additional discount with my Safeway card, usually .10 cents per gallon. While I was pumping my gas yesterday the clerk waved at me and asked me to come in the store. I have gotten to know him over the past few months as he seems to be the only one working when I am there. As soon as I hit the door he shared with me that they had been robbed at gunpoint the day before and asked if I wanted to see the tape. He had just finished showing it to another customer. I stood and watched the 15 seconds of tape as a masked man walked in the store and up to the counter, pointed the gun and walked out with the contents of the cash register in a plastic Safeway bag. I told the clerk that I was glad that he was okay and left the store to finish pumping my gas.

On the way home is occurred to me that maybe I want to find a new place to get gas, but then I did pay $2.75/gallon yesterday. Decisions, decisions.

==========

I received an email yesterday and I don’t know who it’s from…

Hi Julieanne,now you have my email address, will be fine to see you in October.Love ya, “New Friend?”

I don’t quite know what to do, I don’t remember meeting anyone new, but evidentially I am seeing them in October! :-)

==========

What part of “Quiet Zone” is so difficult to understand?

==========

Since I began working in the *beautiful Kent valley* over 18 months ago the fields directly north and east of our building have been filled with weeds. Well two weeks ago they began construction additional buildings in those fields. All day long they dig and drive big trucks and equipment around. They have not started any real construction yet and already I am sick of it. They are kicking up all kinds of dirt so my car is dirty all of the time and the constant movement of large trucks and equipment is causes our whole building to shake. The mini-earthquakes are driving me nuts.

Not at all surprising?

You Are a Good Girl

You are 80% Good and 20% Bad Generally speaking, you're a very good girl. (But you don't have us totally fooled!)

Are You a Good Girl or a Bad Girl?

Quote of the Day

"A few times over the weekend I started to feel guilty for being too drunk at the reception and hoped I didn't embarrass myself too much, but then I thought, I DIDN'T SWIM NAKED!!!

--Anonymous Bridesmaid

Labor Day Randomness

Once again Bumbershoot came and went and turned my normally quiet neighborhood into a bit of chaos over the weekend. Each and every day by noon it was impossible to find a parking space on my street and traffic around the Seattle Center was crazy. After last year I swore that I would go out of town this year, but that didn’t work out. I have already marked the calendar to hit the road next year.

===========

Summer is “socially” over even thought the calendar reflects a few more weeks. I wore my white summer dress and white sandals today to mark the end of the season. I have officially “put them away” until next May.

Usually I am not quite ready for summer to come to an end when Labor Day weekend rolls around. This year I am ready to put summer behind me. I miss cool, rainy days. I miss my sweaters. I miss curling up on the couch with a cup of tea and a good book. Autumn is my favorite season and I am ready.

==========

I had dinner at Mama’s Mexican Restaurant tonight. I have been looking for a good Mexican restaurant since I moved here and several people had mentioned Mama’s to me and after my first meal there I can officially say that I will be back. I have to try a few more menu items before I name it as my favorite Mexican restaurant in Seattle, I will keep you posted.

==========

Today marks the completion of my first week back in the world of exercise. It is going to be a few more weeks before exercise is fully integrated back into my normal routine. One immediate benefit… I am sleeping SO well! (

CONGRATULATIONS!

My friends Beth and Alex are getting married today! Since Beth is one of my few and loyal readers I thought I would post a little something for them!

CONGRATULATIONS & BEST WISHES!

I hope that you have a wonderful and happy life together. I am so honored that you have asked me to be a part of your ceremony and don't want to spoil any of the surprises that I have planned for it, but I want you both to know how much I care for you!

Quote of the Day

"Never tell anyone that you're: writing a book, going on a diet, exercising, taking a course, or quitting smoking. They'll encourage you to death."

--Lynn Johnston