I hope the photo shoot for Raegan's first birthday goes slightly better...........

So, we have revamped out home buying strategy (we think). Ethan suggested (and I think it may be a good idea), that we just go ahead and plan to pack up all our stuff in, say, May or June, put it into storage (or convince Papa to let us stuff it in his shop), then take a minimal amount of stuff, along with our cats, and get an apartment for maybe 2 months max, rip out the carpet here, repaint the walls, add nice trim, etc, fix the place up. We figure that would take maybe 2 weeks, if we don't take time off to do it. (less time if we took actual time off). There is not too terribly much that we want to do, and not living here at the time will speed things up a ton. So, we move to a small crappy apartment, fix this place, then put it on the marked and hope for a $100k gain (over what we owe on the mortgage--not a stretch at all) Having that money in hand will dramatically help us in our house search. We are expanding where we are looking--for the same price, a house in Burien or Renton or even Federal Way is remarkably nicer than something in the city. Ethan refuses to have a kid in the Seattle School district, so moving outside makes that easier, less hoops to jump through. The smaller districts are much better in this area. So, we have been looking through Windermere.com, and have seen some amazing houses. If we have $100K to put down, we can bump up the amount we can afford to spend on a house. And, with park and rides and bus service, and us eventually getting another vehicle, our commute wouldn't be too terribly much longer. So there. Look at these houses!! These of course will be off the market by the time we are ready, but look at them!!!! So exciting.......

Hopefully these links will work.......


http://www.windermere.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=Listing.PropertyFlyer&ListingID=6261235

http://www.windermere.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=Listing.PropertyFlyer&ListingID=6208033

http://www.windermere.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=Listing.PropertyFlyer&ListingID=6247060

http://www.windermere.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=Listing.PropertyFlyer&ListingID=6230232

http://www.windermere.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=Listing.PropertyFlyer&ListingID=6196781

http://www.windermere.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=Listing.PropertyFlyer&ListingID=6244141

http://www.windermere.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=Listing.PropertyFlyer&ListingID=6198033

http://www.windermere.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=Listing.PropertyFlyer&ListingID=5969079

http://www.windermere.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=Listing.PropertyFlyer&ListingID=6222180

http://www.windermere.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=Listing.PropertyFlyer&ListingID=6226017

Ethan and Justin before the first game of the season--last week vs the Atlanta Falcons. Lots of photos, but the quality is a bit limited since we sit in the third level (nosebleeds)

Michael Vick attempting a pass

Warick Dunn going down

I don't think he got far!!

Peter Warrick going DOWN

Shaun Alexander running through the gap curteously provided by the line

Great catch by Darrell Jackson

Shaun Alexander getting ready to shake the defender.

Michael Vick

Peter Warrick

Shaun running upfiels with some blockers looking out...

Maurice Morris with a couple yards

D-Jack with a big catch

Alexander

Another great pass

Bobby Engram

Another rush by Shaun Alexander. Sorta fuzzy at the bottom because the guy in front of us would stand up every time something remotely good happened.

Alexander breaking away, Falcons in hot pursuit

good protection

Getting ready for a big play

Hasselbeck in the pocket

Seahawks D

Alexander heding upfield

Shaun Alexander going down with four guys on him

Hasselbeck

D-Jack heading toward the endzone

Celebrating after D-Jack's TD

Grambling State University marching band was the halftime show. They came up from New Orleans to do some shows and be there for their football team's game against WSU the day before, and also ended up doing a charity concert to raise money for Hurrican Katrina victims. They are a nationally renowned band, supposed to be one of the best. We enjoyed the show!

The band was having a great time away from New Orleans

Band dancing along

band yet again

band members

band major

more band

band having fun

Harborview, from my seat in the stadium

Zoomed in view of Harborview, as taken from my seat. The taller part is the center wing, where Ethan's shop is (on the second floor), the dark window on the left is the elevator shaft for the East wing, where I work (but you can't see my wing), and the front part of the picture is the west clinic on the right, and the west hospital wing on the left

Fire boat in Elliott Bay celebrating the big win

Ethan with his 05-06 Seahawks cup

Ethan and Justin celebrate the first win of the season

Blogs

I just want to say something to all the bloggers out there (you know who you are).

I love Seattle. I love living here. I love the people, the attitudes, the diversity, and so many other things. What I miss the most is my family. None of you live here. No one lives close enough for me to see very often. That sucks. My sisters have babies, and they will grow up with a distant aunt. I want to be Aunt Ardena. I want my neices to KNOW me, to feel that I played a part in their upbringing, but I am afraid I am going to be more like Auntie Neila--they will have a vague idea of who I am, but no real idea of ME. I don't want that, but I can't afford to go down to Redmond to see them very often, and it is even more expensive for their families to come up here to see me. I know that Ethan and I will always live here (barring a lottery win), and that this situation is not likely to change. My only contact with my neices, who I want so much to know, and to know me, is by blogs and videos. They are so important to me. That is how I see them growing up, how big they are getting, and all the new things they are learning to do. I am missing out, but I can see them, and have some sense of what is going on. That is why I check those blogs daily, sometimes hourly, when I am home. I want to know. I don't mean to harass anyone, I just want to be some small part of your/their lives. And moving closer is not an option, so this is what I have. I try to update my blog with what I am doing, so we know what is going on. I really like having this forum to stay in contact. So much than just email. I can show you what I am doing, and see what you are up to.

CHRISTMAS

Okay......since we are all now fairly computer savvy, I was thinking that I would do this year's Christmas questionairre via email, so that would be quicker, and I could print out all the responses/etc and snail mail them once the names have been drawn. I would email the survey out in the next week or so, so we can all get started. I have email addresses for Sabrina, Jobie, Mom, Papa, Davinie, Ethan.....I am sure SOMEONE could give me Steve and Matts.......if anyone has an issue, they should let me know within the next week. Otherwise.....I am going to send them out next week (assumming that SOMEONE gives me an email address for Steve and Matt). Also.........I am open (As I have said before.......) to any questions YOU would like to see show up. hint, hint. Maybe this would be best as an email, but hey--it's my blog, I will do what I want to.

Oh.....and I went hiking today, so there are the obligatory photos on my hiking blog. Nothing great, but I think a few of them are fix-upable enough to maybe do something with.

This was actually printed in the Seattle Times today. I'm all for conspiracy theories, but this is just funny. Sounds like a Clive Cussler book, actually. Seriously--I think I read this one, but Dirk Pitt came through just in time and saved the earth.


IDAHO FALLS, Idaho – An Idaho weatherman says Japan's Yakuza mafia used a Russian-made electromagnetic generator to cause Hurricane Katrina in a bid to avenge itself for the Hiroshima atom bomb attack — and that this technology will soon be wielded again to hit another U.S. city.
Meteorologist Scott Stevens, a nine-year veteran of KPVI-TV in Pocatello, said he was struggling to forecast weather patterns starting in 1998 when he discovered the theory on the Internet. It's now detailed on Stevens' Web site, www.weatherwars.info, the Idaho Falls Post Register reported

Waiting for a break in the rain so we could play Bocce ball

Taking shelter from the rain in a big covered picnic shelter

Tank the wonderdog. He was actually pretty good as a camping dog. Didn't run around too much or chase strangers off, and loved jumping from lap to lap and eating sticks

After the Bocce ball game was won

Sunset haze over the huge field

Blue Angels at Seafair this year (August). Ethan took all these pictures from the roof of Harborview's center wing.

Another Blue angel

Taking off