Tuesday, January 31, 2006

Jelly

Yes, jelly. This is what my whole body feels like right now. No, it is not because I have not exercised in eons, nor is it because I just moved seven tons of furniture this weekend.

This morning, we couldn't find Shadow. Since the move, Boo took a couple hours and has happily been exploring the house ever since. He tears through the house, racing up both sets of stairs and down the hall, then reversing his course back downstairs. He loves it. He found a petrified gummy bear from the previous owners, and carries it around in his mouth, then sets it down and kicks it all over the smooth laminate floor for a while, then picks it up and takes it somewhere else. I don't have the heart to take it away from him, since he is having so much fun, and obviously does not want to eat it.

Shadow, on the other hand, it not doing so good. In the condo, Boo was a mere peasant, and Shadow was the king. In the house, Boo figures that he is just a peasant in a new kingdom, but Shadow thinks he may have been overthrown. He is terrified. He stays mostly in the bathroom we had them confined to, holed up in the teeny cat carrier, or in the little 'house' on one of our cat trees. He is freaked out. He finally will come out on his own and explore the downstairs just a little, then goes back to his cubby hole. He went upstairs maybe once--he is just not ready for that yet.

Last night, at 2am, we were awakened by our doorbell ringing several times. Turns out it was someone going to visit a friend who lives next door to us (in a similar house), and got the wrong house. Don't even get me started on how WE just moved in and are not familiar with the neighborhood, yet SHE got the WRONG house. We went back to bed. Ethan gave me a ride to work, and we were a bit late since we couldn't find Shadow. We figured that he was just hiding somewhere, and didn't think much of it.

Well, I called Ethan at 1100, since he was supposed to be at the condo taking all the doors off so I can paint them. He said he had bad news. He had terrible news. Shadow was missing. He must have gotten outside when we opened the front door at 2am, scared by the noise of the doorbell (he has never heard one before). Ethan looked for over 3 hours, scoured every inch of the house, closed doors to each room once it was searched. He was not in the house. He went outside and walked through the neighborhood, yelling for Shadow. He knocked on our neighbor's door, asking them if their friend who came to our house had seen a cat come through the door as she left. He looked and looked. I called the Seattle Animal Shelter to update my phone number with them in case someone found Shadow.

I am totally freaked out. He has nail caps on, and can't defend himself. Shadow is really freaked out already, and has never been outside before. The wind scares him. He doesn't know cars or trees or dogs or any of that stuff.

Finally, Ethan called me. He gave up searching, was upset and frustrated and sat down and turned on the stereo to play some music to calm himself down. And heard some frantic scratching noises. Turns out, Shadow can JUST squeeze himself through the hole in the back of our big speakers. He did this when he was a tiny kitten, and apparently remembered and squashed his way back in. He was there for HOURS. Ethan had to really pry things apart to get him back out. The holes are now covered with packing tape, and Ethan is NOT going to the condo any more today. He is also jelly, sitting on the couch holding onto Shadow tightly. I don't know what we would do if something happened to him. He is not our cat, he is a part of our family. We don't have kids--we have cats. They ARE our babies. We spend our entire time at home interacting with them. We love them. And we thought we lost one today.

So, jelly.


But all is well now, so we are okay.....

Tuesday, January 24, 2006

SUPERBOWL!!
'nuf said

Sunday, January 22, 2006

The GAME

This is it! We are heading out momentarily to pre-funk before the tailgate party before THE GAME. Special thanks go out to Davinie and the Fieros for the cool Seahawks scarf for the game. Wish us luck!!!!!

Wednesday, January 18, 2006


How about this??? Played with it for a second in photoshop...

HOUSE

Things Accomplished:

1. We now are the proud to-be owners of a Maytag refrigerator, black with an ice crusher and ice cube and water dispenser right in the door. Got a great deal, and have a rebate to mail in for a refund of the $50 delivery fee, and another one for a $100 gift card, since they had a special ending TODAY for if you buy an appliance you get a gift card for Home Depot (based on the price of your appliance). Yippee.....
2. We have been measured for carpet and laminate, and have paid our HEFTY materials fee, and will have it installed next Friday, 1/27, and possibly the 28th also, if it takes that long. Actually, since we used the credit card in the am for carpet, when we went to Home Depot in the pm, our credit card was not working until we called the bank to verify that it had not been stolen (unusual activity, seeing as how we don't usually buy $$$ in carpet and $$$ in appliances on the same day, or at all, actually)
3. We have an appointment set up to get our cable modem and digital cable with HDTV set up on Monday, 1/30.
4. We have an appointment to have the fridge delivered on 1/27. They will have to climb over the carpet guy if they are not early, but we warned each of them, so it will be fine.
5. We are pretty well packed, except for the bedroom. I will finish the kitchen completely today, then go buy some paper plates to use 'til the move. We ran out the other day and were stuck with napkins and tupperware lids that had not yet been packed. That sucked.
6. One more Goodwill trip. They have been the recipients of everything I can part with--clothing, knick-knacks, and even a pair of Waterford Crystal candle holders. They are just not my style, and someone will get good use out of them. I am sticking with my new motto--'be generous'. If in doubt, it is donated! We had a whole set of dishes that left. We have Corning plates that are impossible to break, and don't need more than the 15 or so that I kept. The others just take up space, and someone can now get a whole matching set of plates, small plates and bowls, as well as nice glasses and mugs.
7. Loan is all locked up, ready to go
8. House stuff is all ready to go, just waiting for our Escrow appointment to sign papers and be DONE

The Plan:
1/26 I am working either 8 or 12 hours (Did some switching to get the rest of the week off). We get keys officially at 9pm, but probably earlier. I am going to pack up a bag of paint supplies and take the bus home (if I get off at 3pm) or to the Windermere office (if I get off at 7pm), get the keys and head over to the house for some painting. They are leaving the colors of paint that are currently on the walls (I like a lot of them, but they were crappy painters and did not do a good job, so I need to do some touching up on some, and entirely new paint on others...). I will paint with caffeine assistance until Ethan is done with his overtime (around 2-3am), then he will come over and either drive me to the condo, or we will have some blankets and pillows pre-stashed in the car to stay the night.
1/27 Around 9:30-10am the floor guy is coming, and at some point the fridge guys will come too. I am really not sure what we are going to be doing this day (Friday). No real plans. Maybe bring some of our fragile stuff over, but one of us will stay at the house while the floors are being done (someone I don't know in MY house!). Either Friday night or Saturday we will bring the cats over. Oh...we need to break down the bedroom set Friday, in preparation for moving it. We had a really crappy experience last time, and don't want to repeat. It is SOLID wood and really heavy. Try as I might, I CANNOT lift parts of it with Ethan. Last time, we had to call a random friend of Ethan's (the ONLY one who I TRULY dislike, but so glad he could help out--it was POURING rain and no one else was in town to help us) to come help move things off the truck and inside, and everything got DRENCHED outside while waiting for help and it was just generally a horrible experience. I know I can carry the drawers and help with smaller parts, but this sucker is HEAVY!! Definitely a 2-guy project. And I do mean GUY. I am all for girls and guys are equal, but you can't beat those extra muscle fibers. Anyway, break down the bed so it is ready to go.
1/28 Saturday Move pictures/paintings on the walls, fragile stuff, the computer, small TVs, and the cats, if they don't come over Friday night
1/29 Sunday The BIG MOVE. Everyone Ethan knows has had him help them move, so he has a lot of 'moving karma' built up, and we are cashing in! We will pick up a U-haul early, and get going. We are enticing people with the promise of pizza/food and beer at the end, which should help. Maybe we will have the big TV set up enough to watch a DVD or something. We definitely need to get it set up by the end of the day, since we have the cable TV and cable modem guys coming in the morning to get everything going, and they need things where we want them to be. Also need go get the computer set up.
1/30 Cable modem and TV hookup, then we are officially done. After this, the focus needs to go back to the condo, and getting new carpet and repainting the walls. Karin, our agent is going to come buy with a designer to help with colors. They are going to 'dress' the condo with furniture to make it look nicer in pictures on windermere.com (for free since we are using her for both buying and selling). The wall colors are going to be chosen to look the best with the furniture, which will be chosen to make the room look bigger and nicer.

That is about it. BUT....we also have the NFC championship game on 1/22 to look forward to, and the Superbowl to anticipate. I have given the kitties Seahawks toes, and my toenails are also a lovely shade of green. We are ready to go!!!

Check this out......Songs 1,4 and 5 are pretty cool, as is 'Sweet Shaun Alexander' (to the tune of Sweet Home Alabama, the song played each week when he gets a TD)

http://www.kjram.com/main.html

The end of an era

Sadly, the streak of rainy days was halted abruptly at 27, when drops failed to fall from the sky between midnight and midnight on Sunday. Alas, Seattle mourned by following this dry day by starting a new streak, currently at three days and counting. We are still on pace to break the all time January rain record, so we can still hold out hope............

Sunday, January 15, 2006

Let us discuss the fact that I cannot speak today. My voice was left somewhere on Qwest Field, I think. I will have to go back next Sunday and look for it, although there is some concern that I will just lose it again. I am forgetful like that.

Can you believe it!?! We lost Shaun Alexander in the first quarter to a concussion, and still got the win. I have heard 'Sweet Home Alabama' so many times this year......they play it whenever Shaun gets a TD, (Alabama is his alma mater). Since he did set an NFL record for the most touchdowns EVER in a season, you can see why it was stuck in my head. Not yesterday, though. Only 9 yards, a fumble and a blow to the head. BUT......he will be back.

And what about Lofa Tatupu?!? He is and has been simply awesome. Should have gotten rookie of the year, but at least we will see him in the Pro Bowl. He will be awesome to watch for years to come.
Waiting for next week, and hopefully the Chicago Bears coming to town.....

Friday, January 13, 2006

Funny article in the paper about todays rain.........


Looks like rain has violated terms of the truce
There was a moment about a week ago — I think it was Day 18 or 19 — when I'd had enough of this rain.
I was driving and the air was weeping. Water filmed the car, yet there were no drops, no pattering sound. It wasn't rain so much as a mass dew attack. I like the rain, or so I say. But suddenly, it was too much.
There's a scene in the 1997 movie "The Sweet Hereafter" in which a man drives into an automated car wash. He sits, listening to the radio, as jets of water course over his car.
As you watch, it hits you: He's been in there too long. He's stuck. Yet the water keeps coming. Wash, rinse, repeat. Water is no longer his ally, his car-cleaning helper. It's the enemy. He becomes agitated and starts honking his horn. Nobody hears him.
That's how I felt last week — like I was trapped in a hostile car wash.
Assuming it's still raining today, which seems a safe bet, then this is Seattle's 26th consecutive day of rain. It's our second-longest rain streak on record. The longest is 33 days, in 1953.
I'm no mossback. But I thought I had made a truce with rain years ago. I'm happy when it starts up in the fall, and warmed by the sound of its soft drumming on my roof.
But I also hustle to get out of it. I use umbrellas. I try to stop it from leaking in my basement.
The rain people tell me I've been going about it all wrong.
"You've got to give yourself over to it," says Nick Bond, a Seattle research meteorologist.
Bond bikes to work every day. He gets irritated when it stops raining. He says people like me are doomed to traverse the five steps of a Seattle winter: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance.
The rain's relentlessness will wring acceptance out of you, one way or the other. So you might as well just start there.
"Get in it," he says. "I find it helps to keep a dry pair of shoes at the office."
Another rain freak, Shoreline writer David Laskin, 52, suggests becoming a rain connoisseur. These past weeks have offered up a dazzling array of rain varietals, for those discriminating enough to notice.
Drizzle. Mist. Warm, soft rain. Cold, hard rain. Laskin recalls "rain bands" and "sheets of rain."
After nearly a month straight of rain, yesterday's forecast had the audacity to predict "increasing rain." And the quirkiness to call for "scattered sunshine."
"One of my personal favorites is a gentle rain, the kind that just sets up and keeps going and going," Laskin says. "You know, when it's raining, but it's not really raining? I love that.
"Of course, my wife thinks I'm nuts."
On Day 24, I went to Myrtle Edwards Park, on the waterfront. Sky and water were identical shades of dreary. The rain was vaporous. It was like being in a terrarium and getting misted by a giant spray bottle.
I'd left my umbrella. In five minutes I was drenched.
That night, I was in our bathroom and caught myself listening for the telltale patter on the skylight. Nothing. I craned closer, searching the window pane for sprinkles. It was dry.
Did I want it to be raining? Is the rain now a companion so constant that when it isn't there, I feel a sense of loss?
I searched the sky. The moon was out instead. It glared in my eye like a spotlight and I turned away.

T minus 27 hours, 48 minutes

It's coming!!! We are going to bare our weekly tailgate party at Argens again (only 3 blocks from the stadium). There are a couple current Argens employees that have season tickets, and we always meet up and tailgate there before the home games. We have a big BBQ that belongs to Argens, and the obligatory Seattle tent top for the rain, a TV on a long extension cord that perches precariously on the hood of Dale's truck so we can watch other games in progress, or in this week's case, the pregame. We always bring brats to grill, and I make a 7-layer dip with chips and there is chili and veggie trays, etc. Lots of fun. Since it is private property, we can also have beer/alcohol there. It is smack dab in the middle of most of the Seahawks traffic, since we are so close to the stadium, so people are always walking by trying to get a free beer. We always end up with way too much food, so we send Dale, our ambassador, over the the shelter across the street, or under the viaduct to round up some of the homeless guys hanging out, and we give them all the hotdogs and shishkebobs, etc that we have left. There is always enough for at least 3-4 people. Then it is off to the game! Sadly enough, the only Seahawks gear I own is my beanie. But, it is always needed at the games, so I get to wear it every week. I put on a Huskies sweatshirt, my blue/grey scarf that is Seahawks color even if it is not Seahawks brand, and my blue warm waterproof coat. Our seats are cheap, but that is good, since only the upper level is under cover. We never get wet at the games! Actually, our seats are NOT cheap, but they are not in the lower deck or anything. We sit around the 10-15 yard line, 12 rows up in the 300 level. There are like 45-50 rows, so we are not THAT high up. Great view.

Anyway, be there or be square!! Can't get tickets to this game (come on--this sold out in only 10 minutes when they opened up to sell the gaime), but you can watch it at home ahd wear something blue or green. Go hawks!!!

Day 26

In 1953 we set a record for 33 straight days of rain, and we are closing in!!! Everywhere is flooded, it keeps coming down. For the first time in almost 20 years, our water reservoirs for the region will be at normal levels. Last year, there was no snow on the mountains, and all the ski resorts couldn't open and we had drought issues. Not this year!!

I am happy about the rain, as previously discussed, and also because of the fact that we bought a house on a hill. If ever it is going to fall off that hill, it is during the month of rain. If this doesn't do it, I am quite sure it will remain there. AND...if it does fall off, we haven't closed yet, so would not be out any money for it. Tee hee.....
Actually, Seattle has extremely stringent building codes regarding houses on hills, since we are famous for having so many of the darn things. The most strict codes in the country, I am told. Our house is actually built onto pilings sunk deep into the ground, I am not sure how far they go down. No mudslides here!! THere have been some slides in the area, but not in the city. There wer some famous in-city slides 5 or so years ago, but those involved some houses built back in the 1930's, before all the codes, and some huge condo/townhouses that were not built to code, as it turns out. Big lawsuit for the builder on that one! The townhouses were all over the news, since they were on Capital Hil right by the freeway, and you could see as you drove past that two of them were really leaning back towards the freeway. It was awfully tricky for them to demolish those guys and replace the lot with houses built to code that are not going to slide. Anyway.......

Thursday, January 12, 2006

For all who have asked....

We get our keys on the 26th of this month, will have carpet/flooring installed on the 27th (Friday), will move our electronics and clothes and stuff on Saturday the 28th, and are having the massive moving party on Sunday the 29th. Just finishing up with carpet and flooring quotes for now, and need to choose and order a fridge to be ordered and delivered on Friday the 27th. Lots of busy work. On Tuesday, I have the final and probably best carpet installer guy coming out to measure for an estimate, and then will be set. Just need to pack up boxes of stuff and get the kitties prepared for the big move. I think we will bring them over Saturday once the flooring is all done........

Our wood flooring

Our carpet (ours is a tad darker)

Another thought about rain/water

I was just thinking......the other day (well, a couple weeks ago) Ethan and I were heading to a Sonics game (of course) and there was tons of water (this was in the begining stages of this monsoon season we are in). Anyway, we were standing under the monorail tracks (which are sadly no longer used), waiting for the light to change so we could cross the street in front of the Space Needle. And......a car came speeding alond towards us, and ran through this monster puddle and a huge wave of water washed over both Ethan and I from head to toe. It was hysterical. Just like something out of a movie. We weren't even upset, it was so funny. Things like that don't happen in real life!! Ethan saw the car and puddle just before it happened, and tried to pull me away, but only managed to pull me in front of him, so only his right side was drenched. He tried.......

Sold!!!

Living room looking into the kitchen, you can also see the pantry door

Dining room

Living room looking towards the dining and kitchen

Fireplace

Cobbled together picture of the kitchen

Our neighbor's front porch area and patio. Nice, huh?!

Our neighbor's front yard/patio area. I want to copy them!

Downstairs bathroom. I measured it, and it is 9.5 feet long. There is a ton of space. I think we will put the litter box, etc in here, since we have the room!

Laundry room. Yucky yellow walls (bright and not nice yellow), and needs some shelving/cabinets put in.....project for LATER
All right, I'm saying it. I am saying it loud--


SUPERBOWL!!!!!

How can we not?? The Hawks are 9 point favorites this weekend against Washington, and are AT HOME with THE loudest crowd in the league (thank you very much). Home field advantage, crowd on your side, torrential downpour of biblical proportions (we are in our 25th straight day of rain, heading for a record of 33 straight days. I kinda hope we beat it!), we got this one.

And next week, with the NFC Championship game AT HOME, a win sending us to the big game, we are SO not losing!! We have conveniently purchased our home at a time whereas we will be moving on the off weekend between the NFC Championship and the Superbowl. How utterly thoughtful of us. Then again, NO ONE would help us move if we were doing it the week before or the week after.

As for the rain, let me point out that the average yearly rainful for SeaTac airport, Seattle's official measuring point, is 38 inches, while New York City gets 42 inches a year, Tampa Florida gets 47, Miami gets 57 and Atlanta gets 48. And you know what--we like it. I own several umbrellas (giveaways from Sonics games), and haven't used one since I can remember. It is just rain! It hardly ever downpours when I am out and about, it is much more likely that we are having some form of heavy misting, sprinkles, etc.
There are dozens of ways to describe Seattle's rain. Our forecasters have some creative terms to describe all of our 'liquid sunshine'. This is what gives us our vibrant greenery, flowers and fruits growing everywhere on their own, with little help from someone with a so-called green thumb.
People who live here don't complain so much about the rain. Out of towners may throw a fit and say it is depressing, but I have never seen a more uplifting site than that of a teeny patch of blue sky amidst the grey, or a peek of the sun during a break in the clouds. Have you ever seen the sun and smiled, just because it is there?? We do, all the time. We don't take it for granted, and we totally appreciate it when it does 'come out'. On my latest snowshoeing trek, it was foggy and thick and white everywhere. But two or three times the mist parted and we saw glimpses of blue, and everyone stopped and pointed and yelled and smiled and we were thrilled to get a teeny peek of the sky above.
So, next time you feel sorry for me or want to bash on the weather here in Seattle, think twice. It may only be bothering you. I live here and I love it. And we have enough people living here already, thankyouverymuch, so stay in your sunny utopia and leave the rain to me! (But could you give a few Californians a ride out of here?? They are really messin up our traffic......)

Saturday, January 07, 2006

My biggest obsession yet

I have a new obsession. It has been coming on for a while now, I have definitely felt it coming. It is probably my healthiest obsession, so I suppose that is good. I am obsessed with Mt. Rainier. I went snowshoeing there a couple weeks ago, and have hiked there several times. I look for 'the mountain' every day on my way to work, and when she shows her face (only on clear days), it is awe inspiring. What a beautiful mountain! I recently bought a book with the 50 best hikes on Mt Rainier, and another one called 'the big fact book about Mt Rainier', which was really interesting. I can tell you whatever you want about the mountain and it's history now. I just love it. How amazing it is that I can live somewhere with such a beautiful mountain so close by. Then again, it is due to erupt sometime, so I guess it would sorta suck to be here for that, but that is only a once-in-a-couple-thousand-years kinda thing, so I will risk it. I am getting a National Parks pass asap, and the first day I have off when it is not crappy on the mountain, I am heading up for some solo snowshoeing and photo taking (only on the trails, no adventures when I am all alone), and I will be back plenty of times, I am sure. I must get others interested too.....I don't know where this obsession will take me, be it the 14, 411.1' summit or just the flower fields of Paradise, but I am excited to have something healthy to obsess over.

Wednesday, January 04, 2006


Edited version of a bit of architecture I walk past on my way to the bus. There are so many little architectural details in many of the older buildings downtown. This is on a church, over one of the entrance doors. I love all the little swirls

Original

Tuesday, January 03, 2006

Fancy feet update

so far so good. We have lost 3-4 toe covers so far, but that is to be expected, since it is their first time with them on. The good thing is that cat claws shed layers every 4-6 weeks, and that is when the covers come off (with the layer still glued inside), and the ones that we have found around the house have the layer of claw inside, which means they aren't pulling them off--it was just the time for the claw to be shed, so the new replacements should last for the expected 4-6 weeks. I had accidentaly glued one of Shadows claws to him (I glued myself to.......myself......), and had to wait a few days for the glue to break down so I could put a cover on it. They still have their back claws, but those are not very sharp since they use them so much. Wrestle mania is also more fun now, since I know now that they aren't hurting each other (they used to occasionally draw blood). They are buddies and brothers and all that, but wrestling is fun and they sometimes got a claw stuck in each other. No one is picking on anyone, though. Just regular run of the mill sibling rivalry.