I am a Seattleite…born and raised. I know the city well; the streets, the parks, the choice places to eat, picnic, boat, swim, or play sports. However, I will never even begin to understand the inner workings of the weather system in my glorious PNW. It is simply unpredictable.
On Sunday, the sun was shining brightly in the clear azure sky and it was a balmy 50 degrees. It was wonderful being outside and absorbing some much needed Vitamin E. I had almost forgotten what sunshine felt like on my skin. I spent the morning playing soccer and was running around in my shorts and T-shirt. It was simply that warm.
Yesterday was so dramatically different I wondered if I hadn’t been mistakenly transported to Alaska overnight. It was about 35 degrees and on my drive home it went from a torrential downpour on Lake Union to snow/rain mix at Montlake and finally snow in Bellevue. It was insane. By 7pm there was a light dusting of snow on the ground and it was still falling steadily. I went for a stroll to the nearest coffee shop with my sisters (Starbucks of course…which I hate…I know, raised in Seattle & hating Starbucks) and then tucked myself under a blanket with my hot cocoa steaming in one hand and a log crackling on the fire. Pure bliss.
Overnight the snow became ice, with treacherous black ice hiding itself on sharp curves and off-ramps. I exited my car at work and almost crashed to the cement because it was so slick.
Now, the sun is shining brightly once more and the remnants of last night’s blizzard/ice storm are fading away. Soon, Seattle will be back to its normal gray and sloppy self. Oh the joy of living in the convergence zone
Monday, January 14, 2008
Friday, January 11, 2008
Within a Breath
That's how close I was to embarrassing myself at work today. I got up in typical fashion at 6:04am and proceeded to ready myself like normal. I showered, dressed, fixed my hair, makeup, ate breakfast, etc. Then I returned to the bathroom to brush my teeth. And thank goodness I did! As I was scrubbing away at the grimy plaque on my teeth, I noticed that my shirt looked a bit odd. The seam was a little thicker than I remembered, not to mention the color was just not as vibrant. Then it hit me. I had put my shirt on inside out! Definitely a B.I.H. moment for me.
In case you're wondering, B.I.H. stands for "Blonde in Hiding". My friend and I came up with it back in high school as an excuse for all our many lapses of judgement. We're brunettes, so we said we were simply blondes in hiding.
Needless to say, I'm glad I escaped the embarrassment of strolling around the office in a reversed shirt all day. But then, I could always claim it is "inside-out-day" and transport myself back to grade school. ;)
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
Just What I Need!!!
My excitement is through the roof right now!
How did the inventor/designer of these know I had been yearning for this product since my first snorkeling trip when I was in 7th grade? How?? It's almost eerie...
You know you can't resist dashing to the nearest waterwear retailer and snatching these babies up!
How did the inventor/designer of these know I had been yearning for this product since my first snorkeling trip when I was in 7th grade? How?? It's almost eerie...
You know you can't resist dashing to the nearest waterwear retailer and snatching these babies up!
Burning Nostrils: Only a Typical Girl's Night In
Last night I had the rare pleasure of enjoying a girl's night in with my sister. We live together, but are hardly ever home at the same time for extended periods, so this was a treat.
In honor of this glorious event, we made enchilada's and guacamole for dinner. Homemade. The only way to do it. The enchiladas cooked up perfectly. Cheese bubbling and crisping on top of oodles of sauce and low-carb tortillas (we cut the fat where we can) filled with shredded chicken, cheese, and more sauce. The delectable scent alone was enough to cause us to start salivating. That is, if Laura hadn't decided to clean her bathroom.
I know what you are thinking. How could this be so bad? Normally, it wouldn't. But my sister is anything but normal. She has this theory that the more cleaning sprays, powders, and gels you use, the better the purging of the soap scum will be. This, however, is unfortunately not true. It only serves to create a stench so unpleasant to the nostrils that it sends one running for any source of fresh air they can find. We could hardly set foot into her room seconds after she poured the massive quantities of toxic liquids into her tub. It was almost unbearable. Of course, we had to shut the door to her bathroom and turn the fan on, in hopes of airing the place out. But that brilliant idea came to us later. After our leg gel debacle.
Yes, dear reader, leg gel. We discovered two packets of tired leg gel in the depths of one of my bathroom drawers. Eager to test them out, we ripped the packets open and drizzled the pepperminty pink gel all over our calves. As we began rubbing the slimy liquid into our skin, our nostrils began to burn again. Not from the Comet seeping from under Laura's bedroom door, but from the leg gel. Not only did our noses burn, but so did our legs. My guess is the leg gel relieves your sore & tired legs by lighting your skin on fire and poisoning you with noxious fumes. But that is only my guess. We left the leg gel on for about 20 minutes. Why? I cannot tell you. The fumes must have inhibited our ability to think properly. Finally we crawled our way to the bathroom, grabbed a wash cloth, lathered it in soap, and proceeded to cleanse our legs. To no avail. I'm afraid that leg gel is made of the same substance glue is. In fact, my leg still burns a little. And when I say burn, it is similar to Icy Hot, but at a much more intense level. Also, my jeans keep sticking to my skin. Not a good sign. Not to mention we put Biore strips on our noses, which if I'm going to do I might as well just get my faced waxed because I always feel like I'm stripping my face naked when I pull the strip off.
Despite the potentness of our apartment, singed legs, and baby-smooth faces, dinner was good and so was One Tree Hill. Yes, we are still teenagers in many ways.
I hope Laura didn't efixiate herself in her room last night. She has the master bedroom, which means she has the master bath. Extremely high fume content in there from her cleaning attempts....I'm sure you can imagine my concern.
In honor of this glorious event, we made enchilada's and guacamole for dinner. Homemade. The only way to do it. The enchiladas cooked up perfectly. Cheese bubbling and crisping on top of oodles of sauce and low-carb tortillas (we cut the fat where we can) filled with shredded chicken, cheese, and more sauce. The delectable scent alone was enough to cause us to start salivating. That is, if Laura hadn't decided to clean her bathroom.
I know what you are thinking. How could this be so bad? Normally, it wouldn't. But my sister is anything but normal. She has this theory that the more cleaning sprays, powders, and gels you use, the better the purging of the soap scum will be. This, however, is unfortunately not true. It only serves to create a stench so unpleasant to the nostrils that it sends one running for any source of fresh air they can find. We could hardly set foot into her room seconds after she poured the massive quantities of toxic liquids into her tub. It was almost unbearable. Of course, we had to shut the door to her bathroom and turn the fan on, in hopes of airing the place out. But that brilliant idea came to us later. After our leg gel debacle.
Yes, dear reader, leg gel. We discovered two packets of tired leg gel in the depths of one of my bathroom drawers. Eager to test them out, we ripped the packets open and drizzled the pepperminty pink gel all over our calves. As we began rubbing the slimy liquid into our skin, our nostrils began to burn again. Not from the Comet seeping from under Laura's bedroom door, but from the leg gel. Not only did our noses burn, but so did our legs. My guess is the leg gel relieves your sore & tired legs by lighting your skin on fire and poisoning you with noxious fumes. But that is only my guess. We left the leg gel on for about 20 minutes. Why? I cannot tell you. The fumes must have inhibited our ability to think properly. Finally we crawled our way to the bathroom, grabbed a wash cloth, lathered it in soap, and proceeded to cleanse our legs. To no avail. I'm afraid that leg gel is made of the same substance glue is. In fact, my leg still burns a little. And when I say burn, it is similar to Icy Hot, but at a much more intense level. Also, my jeans keep sticking to my skin. Not a good sign. Not to mention we put Biore strips on our noses, which if I'm going to do I might as well just get my faced waxed because I always feel like I'm stripping my face naked when I pull the strip off.
Despite the potentness of our apartment, singed legs, and baby-smooth faces, dinner was good and so was One Tree Hill. Yes, we are still teenagers in many ways.
I hope Laura didn't efixiate herself in her room last night. She has the master bedroom, which means she has the master bath. Extremely high fume content in there from her cleaning attempts....I'm sure you can imagine my concern.
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
In God We Still Trust
I received the following song in an email from my mom today and thought I'd share. The song is amazing. The message...even more so. Enjoy! I know I did.
Apparently Diamond Rio put this song on their Greatest Hits CD, but since I don't have it, the song was new to me.
Disclaimer: If you don't like country, I apologize. But please give this song a listen anyway. :)
Copy this to your browser www.windomnet.com/web/nls/InGodWeStillTrust.wmv
Apparently Diamond Rio put this song on their Greatest Hits CD, but since I don't have it, the song was new to me.
Disclaimer: If you don't like country, I apologize. But please give this song a listen anyway. :)
Copy this to your browser www.windomnet.com/web/nls/InGodWeStillTrust.wmv
Thursday, January 3, 2008
Fresh Beginnings
Why is it we all look at the "New Year" as a clean slate or chance to start over? Can't we do that anytime of the year? Why does it have to be January first? And do we honestly think the events of 2007 aren't going to impact us in our 2008 bubble? Do they all just crash to a screaming halt the second the clock chimes midnight, announcing the close of the previous year? And all of a sudden we are completely free of debt, loss, life changing choices, bad relationships, body image and self-esteem issues, and the like? Really? Just like that?
And why does the media place so much attention on New Year's Resolutions? Must everyone have a new goal for the year? Can't I set my goals anytime during the year? Why does it have to be done in time for January 1st? Why?
I guess I'm just jaded to it all. In my opinion, the New Year's holiday is right up there with Valentine's Day. I just don't understand it. At all. So much hype, just for the chime of a bell and the opportunity to shout out "Happy New Year!" for all your friends to hear. And of course, who could forget the excuse to imbibe in some alcohol. Because our society needs an excuse for that. Maybe I should anxiously await the dawn of each new day or the start of a new month. That should definitely warrant a reason to celebrate, right? Happy February! I mean, then I would be able to party 12 times at least during the year, because I'd be ringing in each month, not just the year! What a brilliant idea!
Except, I think it would get old. Just like having Christmas everyday. It'd lose it's excitement and would soon be viewed as a chore.
Sorry, sorry. I apologize for my lack-luster attitude towards the new and exciting year of 2008. It's not that I don't look forward to another year of growing older and hopefully wiser, but I just don't understand the hype around it. I'm sure the year will be filled with reasons to rejoice and celebrate, but I also know there will be times of mourning, anger, hurt, and frustration. Because, let's face it, good and bad are a part of life. We can never escape the bad things. But I will choose to focus on the good. And I do thank God for each day he gives me and the opportunities He brings my way.
Happy New Year everyone! ;)
And why does the media place so much attention on New Year's Resolutions? Must everyone have a new goal for the year? Can't I set my goals anytime during the year? Why does it have to be done in time for January 1st? Why?
I guess I'm just jaded to it all. In my opinion, the New Year's holiday is right up there with Valentine's Day. I just don't understand it. At all. So much hype, just for the chime of a bell and the opportunity to shout out "Happy New Year!" for all your friends to hear. And of course, who could forget the excuse to imbibe in some alcohol. Because our society needs an excuse for that. Maybe I should anxiously await the dawn of each new day or the start of a new month. That should definitely warrant a reason to celebrate, right? Happy February! I mean, then I would be able to party 12 times at least during the year, because I'd be ringing in each month, not just the year! What a brilliant idea!
Except, I think it would get old. Just like having Christmas everyday. It'd lose it's excitement and would soon be viewed as a chore.
Sorry, sorry. I apologize for my lack-luster attitude towards the new and exciting year of 2008. It's not that I don't look forward to another year of growing older and hopefully wiser, but I just don't understand the hype around it. I'm sure the year will be filled with reasons to rejoice and celebrate, but I also know there will be times of mourning, anger, hurt, and frustration. Because, let's face it, good and bad are a part of life. We can never escape the bad things. But I will choose to focus on the good. And I do thank God for each day he gives me and the opportunities He brings my way.
Happy New Year everyone! ;)
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