I KNOW there is someone out there who is celebrating memorial day in much the same way as me.....bored to tears, close to a computer. I am at work and have little to nothing to do, with a couple spurts of actual work.
So.
Here's the game.
What is one of YOUR memories?? Any subject, any day--just a memory. In alphabetical order.
I will start--My memory starts with an A (first letter of the alphabet--get it???). I remember Sabrina and I playing in the back yard of the house where we had a front dirt and a back weed (such a sad commentary on your housing situation when your kids totally make fun of your gardening technique by straight-faced referring to your property by front-dirt and back-weed). Anyway, I remember playing back there with Sabrina, and she was sitting on the ground and got bitten by a bunch of fire ANTS (see the letter A??).
NEXT???
Monday, May 28, 2007
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
We won the lottery!!!
Ok, so we didn't actuallly *win* the lottery, we came in second. And it wasn't exactly *we*, as in Ethan and I, but it WAS the Sonics, and we DID get the second pick in the lottery draft!!! Can you say Kevin Durant?!? I am just hoping the Blazers don't take him and leave us to get Greg Oden--we have a million feet of centers already, we really don't need another 7 footer!!
We had our first Storm game of the season on Saturday. So much fun! Our second game is tonight and I am totally looking forward to it. They are predicted to win out the West in one poll, and they sure looked it! We were down by 22 points in the third quarter after playing extra suckily, but came back and won it by 6 or so. LJ threw in a beyond-half-court shot at the buzzer that totally swished and was just the icing on the cake. We love the WNBA!!
We had our first Storm game of the season on Saturday. So much fun! Our second game is tonight and I am totally looking forward to it. They are predicted to win out the West in one poll, and they sure looked it! We were down by 22 points in the third quarter after playing extra suckily, but came back and won it by 6 or so. LJ threw in a beyond-half-court shot at the buzzer that totally swished and was just the icing on the cake. We love the WNBA!!
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Much ado about nothing....
I really have nothing to post about. Not really. Well, I did just get back from Portland for a bachelorette party. That was lots of fun. We went down on the train Friday and came back Sunday afternoon. The train is nice! We had a group of 4 seats and a table for the 4 of us who took the train down (some drove, some flew). There is a beverage cart on the train, and they served little half-bottles of wine. Lets just say that we cleaned them out.
In Portland, we stayed at the Kennedy school, a McMenamins hotel. It used to be an elementary school, but was closed down because the school needed lots of repairs and the school district had no money (in the 1970's). After sitting empty for quite awhile, it was bought up, restored and opened as a hotel. Within the school, there are 4 bars, 2 restaurants (well, 1 big one and 1 brewery/pub open late), tons of classrooms that have been turned into hotel rooms but still have the blackboards and some original pieces, the teachers lounge is now a locker room for the hot plunge pool, the library is a meeting room, etc, etc, etc. Pretty cool. The grounds are beautiful, too. Lots of green everywhere. A neat place to stay.
We had a great time there, as well as exploring the vast nightlife of Portland and trying out every martini bar known to man. I swear to god. We went to one that had a 15 page BOOK in small print with all their drinks listed out. I had one called 'Banana Bread' with chai liqueur, banana rum, vodka of some sort.....it was WONDERFUL! We all sampled each others drinks, and they were all amazing.
Anyway. Good times.
I got a bit sick Sunday, and ended up calling in sick Monday. Sore throat, zero voice, general fatigue. I swear to god--that number 3 bus is going to kill me! There is tuberculosis, etc hanging out there, I know that is what makes me sick! All those people coming to harborview on the bus, not covering their mouths when they sneeze! I take this bus to work daily and am exposed constantly. Good thing we get a free flu shot every year!
So. That is what is going on in my world. Lots o nothing. I do get to go to the trauma conference in 2 weeks, which will be lots of fun, and the Rose festival in June (and Kael's birthday), but pretty much same old, same old.
Oh, but we are going to have our housewarming party. FINALLY! After living here for a year and a half. We are thinking the weekend of June 1, since we have plans pretty much every other weekend. You are all invited!! (but let me ask Ethan if I can have a party first.....don't just surprise him by showing up. He hates when people come without calling first..........)
In Portland, we stayed at the Kennedy school, a McMenamins hotel. It used to be an elementary school, but was closed down because the school needed lots of repairs and the school district had no money (in the 1970's). After sitting empty for quite awhile, it was bought up, restored and opened as a hotel. Within the school, there are 4 bars, 2 restaurants (well, 1 big one and 1 brewery/pub open late), tons of classrooms that have been turned into hotel rooms but still have the blackboards and some original pieces, the teachers lounge is now a locker room for the hot plunge pool, the library is a meeting room, etc, etc, etc. Pretty cool. The grounds are beautiful, too. Lots of green everywhere. A neat place to stay.
We had a great time there, as well as exploring the vast nightlife of Portland and trying out every martini bar known to man. I swear to god. We went to one that had a 15 page BOOK in small print with all their drinks listed out. I had one called 'Banana Bread' with chai liqueur, banana rum, vodka of some sort.....it was WONDERFUL! We all sampled each others drinks, and they were all amazing.
Anyway. Good times.
I got a bit sick Sunday, and ended up calling in sick Monday. Sore throat, zero voice, general fatigue. I swear to god--that number 3 bus is going to kill me! There is tuberculosis, etc hanging out there, I know that is what makes me sick! All those people coming to harborview on the bus, not covering their mouths when they sneeze! I take this bus to work daily and am exposed constantly. Good thing we get a free flu shot every year!
So. That is what is going on in my world. Lots o nothing. I do get to go to the trauma conference in 2 weeks, which will be lots of fun, and the Rose festival in June (and Kael's birthday), but pretty much same old, same old.
Oh, but we are going to have our housewarming party. FINALLY! After living here for a year and a half. We are thinking the weekend of June 1, since we have plans pretty much every other weekend. You are all invited!! (but let me ask Ethan if I can have a party first.....don't just surprise him by showing up. He hates when people come without calling first..........)
Happy Mothers Day
A very happy belated Mother's day to all the mothers out there....I was out of town this weekend and sick Monday, so I am just now getting around to it...
Hope you all had a wonderful day!
Hope you all had a wonderful day!
Wednesday, May 09, 2007
Guess who's going on vacation!!
We have officially booked our next vacation (together....Ethan is going to Vegas without me in June....and we are going to a wedding in July in Montana...but this is a VACATION).
I wanted to go somewhere for my big three-oh, but the Seahawks schedule would not permit it. We must travel in the fall when the Seahawks are on a bye week or at the very least on an away game. So. One week to the day after my birthday, we are flying out. We leave at 1015pm and fly through the night, changing planes in Miami and arriving in Puerto Plata at 230pm. Our final destination is about 10 miles away in the beautiful country of the Dominican Republic.
For those of you not in the know, the DR is located south east of Cuba, between Jamaica (to the West) and Puerto Rico (to the East). We are travelling at the end of the hurrican season, so cross your fingers for us!
We really wanted to use airline miles, and the only flight dates we could get have us staying there for 9 nights. No complaints from me! We are deciding which resort to stay at....we have been in the Riu before (in Puerto Vallarta), and LOVED it. There are three Riu resorts all in a row, all very affordable (from $82-$110 per night total, all-inclusive), and you can stay at any one of these three and go through the others, use their pools, etc. We are thinking about staying at the Riu Bachata, the slightly more spendy of the three, mostly because it IS a bit nicer, and has the big swim-up bar (the others don't), and a second beach to access (it is located on a point of land and has beaches on either side). Very lovely! Our other option is the Riu Merengue, the centrally located resort. Still pretty nice and lots of wonderful stuff. The Riu Mambo is the least expensive, and the oldest of the resorts. It looks it, a bit, but still nice.
We are leaving the DR on a Friday at 3pm, arriving in Miami at 630pm, and staying the night there before we fly out the next morning. We will stay in a hotel and go out to South Beach or somewhere for a nice dinner, then head home Saturday, getting to Seattle around noon our time.
Sound like fun? We are paying only about $1000 for the whole shebang, since we are using our miles for the flight. CHEAP!!
We will have someone stay at our house to house-sit and get mauled by the cats. Can't leave them alone that long!!
I wanted to go somewhere for my big three-oh, but the Seahawks schedule would not permit it. We must travel in the fall when the Seahawks are on a bye week or at the very least on an away game. So. One week to the day after my birthday, we are flying out. We leave at 1015pm and fly through the night, changing planes in Miami and arriving in Puerto Plata at 230pm. Our final destination is about 10 miles away in the beautiful country of the Dominican Republic.
For those of you not in the know, the DR is located south east of Cuba, between Jamaica (to the West) and Puerto Rico (to the East). We are travelling at the end of the hurrican season, so cross your fingers for us!
We really wanted to use airline miles, and the only flight dates we could get have us staying there for 9 nights. No complaints from me! We are deciding which resort to stay at....we have been in the Riu before (in Puerto Vallarta), and LOVED it. There are three Riu resorts all in a row, all very affordable (from $82-$110 per night total, all-inclusive), and you can stay at any one of these three and go through the others, use their pools, etc. We are thinking about staying at the Riu Bachata, the slightly more spendy of the three, mostly because it IS a bit nicer, and has the big swim-up bar (the others don't), and a second beach to access (it is located on a point of land and has beaches on either side). Very lovely! Our other option is the Riu Merengue, the centrally located resort. Still pretty nice and lots of wonderful stuff. The Riu Mambo is the least expensive, and the oldest of the resorts. It looks it, a bit, but still nice.
We are leaving the DR on a Friday at 3pm, arriving in Miami at 630pm, and staying the night there before we fly out the next morning. We will stay in a hotel and go out to South Beach or somewhere for a nice dinner, then head home Saturday, getting to Seattle around noon our time.
Sound like fun? We are paying only about $1000 for the whole shebang, since we are using our miles for the flight. CHEAP!!
We will have someone stay at our house to house-sit and get mauled by the cats. Can't leave them alone that long!!
Wednesday, May 02, 2007
It is official or "In which Ethan's attributes are bragged upon"
Ethan is poised to be the first ever in the history of Harborview Medical Center's department of Engineering, with it's multiple, multiple divisions--the first ever black (African-American, if you must) lead/supervisor. Ever. First. Numero uno.
Engineering, in my opinion (and this entire blog is strictly *my* opinion, if you did not already know), has always been a 'good old boys' club. People gained positions of power, then hired their friends and buddies for new jobs. There are very, very few people of color. Almost no women. And never has there been a black lead. There was a man quite high in the Engineering department, but he never was a lead, never managed a shop. But Ethan might.
He is now the lockshop. The ENTIRE lockshop. On his own. They are trying to open up a new position ASAP, and Ethan is contacting locksmith friends right and left to get someone who is a really good worker to apply for this new job. He has the chance to get this shop working well, get the systems updated so that security and records are improved.
In short, Ethan will do one hell of a job. One of the greatest things about him is his relentless work ethic. He works until everything is done. The *right* way. Not the easy way. He IS Mr customer service. Back at Argens, he would talk to customers over the phone, do a great job, and when they came to pick up their orders or pay or something in person, they would ask for 'Ethan'. He assured them that he was, in fact, Ethan, but they were thrown. Weren't looking for some young black kid to be that professional, that knowledgeable. That GOOD. He won them over. By the time he left Argens, he was as sought after as Karl, his boss. He will win them over again. People are going to be amazed at how much more efficient the lockshop becomes. No more 6 month waits for new locks. No more lost records. Just efficient, polite, exemplary service performed by a master in his field. Ethan may tell you he is a journeyman locksmith, but in many eyes, he has mastered it. Combined with his skills in customer service, he is an employee worthy of recognition.
Can you tell that I am proud of him??? We have been stressed out about this coming, and we are stressed out a bit less now that he is actually the one and only locksmith, but I know in my heart that he will do an excellent job.
Send him an email to congratulate him! Tell him what a good job you know he will do!
rizonis at comcast dot net
Please do not send him spam. That would so suck.
Engineering, in my opinion (and this entire blog is strictly *my* opinion, if you did not already know), has always been a 'good old boys' club. People gained positions of power, then hired their friends and buddies for new jobs. There are very, very few people of color. Almost no women. And never has there been a black lead. There was a man quite high in the Engineering department, but he never was a lead, never managed a shop. But Ethan might.
He is now the lockshop. The ENTIRE lockshop. On his own. They are trying to open up a new position ASAP, and Ethan is contacting locksmith friends right and left to get someone who is a really good worker to apply for this new job. He has the chance to get this shop working well, get the systems updated so that security and records are improved.
In short, Ethan will do one hell of a job. One of the greatest things about him is his relentless work ethic. He works until everything is done. The *right* way. Not the easy way. He IS Mr customer service. Back at Argens, he would talk to customers over the phone, do a great job, and when they came to pick up their orders or pay or something in person, they would ask for 'Ethan'. He assured them that he was, in fact, Ethan, but they were thrown. Weren't looking for some young black kid to be that professional, that knowledgeable. That GOOD. He won them over. By the time he left Argens, he was as sought after as Karl, his boss. He will win them over again. People are going to be amazed at how much more efficient the lockshop becomes. No more 6 month waits for new locks. No more lost records. Just efficient, polite, exemplary service performed by a master in his field. Ethan may tell you he is a journeyman locksmith, but in many eyes, he has mastered it. Combined with his skills in customer service, he is an employee worthy of recognition.
Can you tell that I am proud of him??? We have been stressed out about this coming, and we are stressed out a bit less now that he is actually the one and only locksmith, but I know in my heart that he will do an excellent job.
Send him an email to congratulate him! Tell him what a good job you know he will do!
rizonis at comcast dot net
Please do not send him spam. That would so suck.
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