Things That Need Sugar

Let's just say that anything normally made out of egg whites and sugar, should be left at that. The DH, as many of you know, does not eat sugar. When he saw sugar-free Peeps at the drug store last night, he had to try them. He ate one bite and was done. He suggested I try one. The same. One bite and I was done. It's sweet and I couldn't eat another bite. Seriously, what do you think a sugar-free Peep could possibly be coated with? I don't think I even want to know.

5:07 p.m. It's Spring!

It's officially Spring! It's raining right now, but we've had some lovely days leading up to it. I've been enjoying the bulbs and buds associated with the entry of Spring and had to take a photo of the tree in the front yard. Isn't it lovely?

What Would YOU Do?

I made a big mistake. I’m participating in the book club at church, and this month I’m hosting. That means I picked the book and the meeting will be at my house. I thought a lot about the book and decided to go with one that I’d read a year and a half or two years ago and really liked when I read it. It’s Empire Falls and it is a really powerful story. I remembered that there might be some questionable content for a church audience, but I really thought it wasn't too bad. (Does it mean that I'm getting old that I've forgotten what was in there?) I asked around about what people thought and got reassuring answers that it should be fine.

Last week, I started re-reading the book. It’s bad. The language is foul and there are sexual innuendos that are really off-color. It’s not OK for church book club. On Saturday, the Relief Society president told me that she hadn’t read the book, but that a few women had called her and asked her if she knew what was in it and they really thought it was inappropriate. My first instinct was to say that everyone has agency and they can just put the book down. My second instinct is to be horrified that I recommended the book. It doesn't help that I was unable to attend church today because I had to be at a Ward Conference in another ward.

The meeting is on Tuesday of this week and it’s too late to choose another book. What would you do in this situation?

Baby's Got a New Pair of Shoes...

Or, maybe she's got a brand new car!

I made the decision that I needed to make my commute better by getting a better commuting car, so I decided to get a hybrid. On Saturday, the DH and I went over to Toyota of Lake City and test drove the hybrid Camry and Prius. The Camry was posh and absolutely wonderful, but the MPG on the sticker was only 30 compared to the Prius' 60. I just had to go with the Prius.

It's a very wierd experience driving this car. First of all, you don't use the key at all. You get close to the car with the "key" and it unlocks. When you get in the car, you press a power button to turn it on. It turns on the electric engine, which is silent, so the only way you can tell is that the dash lights up.

To turn it off, you press the power button again. On Sunday, I couldn't lock the doors and realized it was because I hadn't turned the car off. I didn't hear anything and forgot to hit the power button. It will definitely take some getting used to.

I'm happy to say that the guage told me I got 41.5 MPG on my commute home from work yesterday. That felt good. Now I have to figure out how to hook up my iPod and bluetooth wireless for my cell phone and I'll be good to go.

Live and in Concert

The DH and I have been enjoying some great live music this weekend. Friday night, we went to the Tractor Tavern and took in three acts. The first was Jim Brunberg and he was a solo act playing guitar and singing his stories. He reminded me of a cross between John Denver and James Taylor. I could take it or leave it. The next was a group called Ragazza. I liked the sound. It was a woman singing, a guy on midi and guitar, and a third guy playing drums. It had a cool 80’s retro sound, but it was still totally today. The singer reminded me of Dido, but not many people have heard of her, so that won’t be a great point of reference. The final act was Carrie Akre. Patrick and I saw her on our third date, so we quite partial to her. She’s working on a new album, so we heard a bunch of her new stuff. It was really good. She has a great husky, throaty voice. Good times.

Saturday night, we went to see the Texas Songwriter’s at the Paramount. They include Lyle Lovett, Guy Clark, Joe Ely, and John Hiatt. It was just four guys with guitars on stage sharing their music. They were fabulous. I can’t recommend that one highly enough. We had a great and managed to go out to some great dinners on our way to those concerts.

My Visual DNA

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Shout Out to Jami!

Shout out to Jami today as it's her birthday! I hope it's fabulous and that she's enjoying it with her family -- inlcuding the new baby Katrina. I've had a cold and cough, so haven't seen the new baby yet, but her dad gave me permission to come over before the cough is gone, so I'm going to see the baby today. I can't wait!

Shout Out to Baby Katrina!

Shout out and congratulations to Jami and Andy and three proud siblings for the new baby girl at their house. She arrived on Monday February 26th at 11:08 am. YAY for Jami not being pregnant anymore and YAY for healthy new babies!

Drunk Love

You might think I’m writing about my feelings for my DH, but that’s not really the point today. It’s about great projects that I need to get started on.

Annzy hipped me up to a great quilt pattern called Drunk Love by Denyse Schmidt. I love it! Annzy, of course, has already made this one and two or three others in the time it’s taken me to decide that I can make a queen size quilt. Actually, it’s totally within my abilities. It’s just one of those projects that are big enough to be intimidating.

The DH and I sleep under a feather comforter in the winter, but as soon as it starts to get over 40 degrees at night, it’s just too hot. We need something lighter weight and I’m a stickler for matching.

I got the DH to accompany me to his not-so-favorite store, JoAnn’s, where we picked out 4 reds. I hope you find them as delightful as I do. I really like them and can’t wait to see how this shapes up. Wish me luck!

Valentine's Day Redux

Patrick and I are improving on the Valentine’s Day front. Yesterday was a delightful day of work, followed by a 90 minute commute home, ending in pizza from Papa Murphy’s and watching CSI on the couch. We also had small gifts for each other that were given thoughtfully. We really are learning.

Valentine’s Day really is a silly holiday. It just creates icky expectations for single people. I think it’s great when you’re in second grade though. Sharing valentines and getting conversation hearts is wonderful.

The day did give me a moment to reflect on love, however, and I wanted to share an amazing quote by one of my all-time faves. It’s from C.S. Lewis:

"To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly be broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even to an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements; lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket — safe, dark, motionless, airless — it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. The alternative to tragedy, or at least to the risk of tragedy, is damnation. The only place outside of Heaven where you can be perfectly safe from all the dangers and perturbations of love is Hell. "

I’ve played at wrapping up my heart and putting it away and I have to say that being vulnerable sure beats being safe any day of the week.

XOXO

Lucy

Shout out to The Duchess!

Let's all hear it for The Duchess of Yarnation! It's her birthday today and she's fantastic! Whether it's her birthday or not, I think she's a great example of someone who follows her passion. I can't wait to see what she's doing next in knitting projects and in life.

Valentine's Day

...at Valentine's Day, that is...

The DH and I aren't very good at Valentine's Day. It started when we were dating. For the record, we didn't get serious until March, but we both really liked each other in February.

I'm seriously deficient at being able to take risks, so I wanted to let Patrick know I liked him without putting anything on the line. Go figure. He's the same way. What a great combination.

Before our Valentine's Day date, I picked out the perfect card. It was just the right mix of "I like you" and "you're OK" without jumping up and down and saying I was really into him. At the same time, he had purchased a stuffed Valentine's bear. You'd think we could just be straight with each other and give each other these heart-felt gifts. But, if you thought that, you'd be wrong. We're far more pathetic than that.

After dinner, we chatted in my living room, at arms length of course. Then Patrick said goodbye and I didn't give him the card and he didn't give me the bear. He left after I said goodbye. But that's not the end of the story. He came back from his car and abruptly said, "I got you this." As he shoved the bear in my direction, I said, "oh, I forgot to give you this," and shoved the card in his direction.

Then he left for real and we both felt like complete idiots. When I shared this with my friend Lori at work the next day, she concluded that we were meant for each other. There are no two bigger invertebrates. We should not inflict ourselves on anyone else.

Happy Valentine's Day, DH!

The Worst Business Trip -- EVER

A week ago, I had a business trip to Las Colinas, Texas, just outside of Dallas. It was, by all accounts, my worst business trip ever – and I mean EVER. I’ve traveled quite a bit and consider myself quite comfortable arriving places I’ve never been to before and I’m not familiar with. I wasn’t worried at all about my trip. I got my MapQuest maps before I left so I’d be able to get from the airport to my hotel, from the hotel to the office, and back to the airport. I was all set.

Things started going awry as soon as I arrived at the airport. I went to the check-in kiosk and the computer couldn’t find my reservation. Confused, I went to the counter to find out that my reservation had been cancelled when the payment didn’t go through. I’d made the reservation through American Express corporate travel, so I was very confused. I called AmEx travel to find out why I didn’t have a ticket. They said it was a “computer glitch” that happened when their computer went to pay with a credit that I had from a previous cancelled flight. They reinstated the flight (at $200 more than the original ticket) and filed a complaint for me so I could get the money back.

With ticket in hand, I set out for the plane that was a half hour late. For once, I was actually happy with the delay as I didn’t have to stress about getting to the plane on time even with my ticketing issues. The flight was uneventful, which in the grand scheme of things really is the most important part of the story. I was safe the whole time, even if I was miserable by the end of the trip.

When I arrived in Dallas, I rented my car and left the airport with my map in hand. What I hadn’t realized before setting out on my drive to the hotel is that the airport is 5 miles north to south. My map was leaving from the north end of the airport, but the rental location put me leaving the airport at the south end of the airport. Dallas is a maze of highways. The hotel was 7 miles from the airport with highway the whole way. In a perfect world, this would have been a 10 minute trip. In my alternate universe, it was almost an hour, including my trip into and out of Dallas proper. Ugh! By the time I got to the hotel, it was 10:00. I was hungry and a bit grumpy, so I just wanted dinner and sleep. At the front desk, I asked about room service. The answer was, no. There is no room service there. I had to go out again and find some dinner. After finally finding a Taco Bell, I got dinner and found my way back to the hotel. Sleep at last!

The next morning, I had to be at the office at 8:00. Did I mention that it’s 2 hours ahead of Seattle? That’s like being at work at 6:00 Seattle time. I was a bit tired. The reason I was in Las Colinas was to facilitate a round-table discussion. Normally, this is an easy task for me. Also, I listened in on a similar call in Charlotte a few hours before mine in Las Colinas. I had my colleague helping me with setting up a Live Meeting that we could record and reserved the room a half hour ahead of time so I could get all set up. Then the crazy floor plan struck. My conference room was nowhere near the other conference rooms with numbers right above and below mine. By the time I got to the conference room, I had only 5 minutes to get everything set up and the Live Meeting recording wouldn’t work. Then the people who came wouldn’t talk. It was pretty aggravating and I wasn’t having fun. I don’t think I won any credibility with my peers in the other organization either.

When the round-table was done, I got to work on some other things I needed to do and got them all taken care of. I thought my plane left at 2:40, so I got on my way at 1:20. I got directions from my colleague to get to the airport so I wouldn’t waste any time. Well, I made two mistakes there. First, the flight was leaving at 2:20, not 2:40. Second, I got directions to the north end of the airport. That meant I had to drive all the way through the 5 miles of airport with the arrival and departure traffic.

When I finally got to the rental car return, it was so crowded I had to wait another 10 minutes to get out of there. The only good side of this was that it gave me time to change my blistered feet out of the offending shoes and into more comfortable shoes. On top of everything else, I made a really bad footwear choice for the day.

I finally arrived at the terminal at 1:48. I knew you needed 30 minutes to check in, so I ran to the kiosk to get in there under the wire. Then the kiosk asked me which later flight I wanted. I was crushed. I went to the counter and the woman told me it was 40 minutes for checked bags. I asked if I could get my bag back and go on the earlier flight. She stopped the belt, grabbed my bag, looked at the ticket and told me not to bother. I was in terminal C and the earlier flight was in terminal A. There was no way I could make it. I resigned myself to 2 hours in the airport and got in line for security.

I called the DH to tell him I’d be later than planned and started to cry. I was so tired and just wanted to be home again. Instead, I nursed my blistered feet and found a stuffed armadillo for the DH and enjoyed a salad at Chili’s. When I got home, the DH had a wonderful dinner prepared for me and we fell into bed shortly after eating dinner. I think that’s about the happiest I’ve ever been to get home from a trip.

Happy, Happy!

Shout out to An Ordinary Mom today. It's her birthday and she's just fabulous. I wish her all the best for the next year of her great life.

Snow Day… Again

Great pic courtesy of my brother here!

We’ve had bad weather her in Seattle yet again. It struck yesterday in the late afternoon with a vengeance. I usually pride myself in staying in front of such ugly weather and not getting in the traffic fray, but I was not so lucky last night. I spend two and a half hours traveling from my office to home. While sitting in my car for such a long time, I thought about how blessed I am. Even though I was in a messy traffic situation, I was safe and warm. These are a few other things I’m thankful for.

1. A DH who loves me and shows it in many ways.


2. A loving family that supports me.


3. A good job that challenges me and helps me grow in ways that I wouldn’t otherwise.


4. A warm house with electricity, gas, water, and sewer.


5. Really great friends both near and far. I know some really amazing people and they bless me in more ways than I can express here.


6. Cell phones that help keep me connected and make the commute go faster.


7. My health. I’m also thankful that I can work out regularly and feel good about myself doing it.


8. E-mail and blogs that keep me feeling connected to people I can’t see as often as I’d like.


9. A piano in my living room, even though I don’t play nearly as often as I should.


10. Access to great music, art, and programs that feed my soul.

A Meme -- from the rule-breaking, Miracle-Whip-eating, car-accident-surviving, accident-prone, contest winner.

I got tagged for a meme by An Ordinary Mom, so here goes. These are five things you don’t know about me:

1. On my mission, I spent the night in the Elder’s apartment while they were in their landlord’s resort house up in the Alps.
2. I like Miracle Whip sandwiches. Who needs the meat anyway? At least it’s not as gross as Mac ‘n’ Cheese with ketchup.
3. I’ve been in three major car accidents, but have never been seriously injured. This includes being the passenger in a car that was totaled crossing the Blue Mountains in Oregon and continuing to drive it to Seattle and back to Boise. The two of us in the car were fine, but the body shop asked if there were fatalities when it was brought in.
4. I lost my front tooth when I was hit by a swing when I was 2 years old and had that gap until I got my permanent teeth at 7. I think this made me much more empathetic when my mission companion wrecked her bike and lost her front teeth when we were riding our bikes in the rain.
5. I won a Father’s Day essay contest sponsored by the Idaho Statesman when I was 12 by writing about why my dad was so amazing (and he still is).

Seeing as I was tagged for this one, I feel it my obligation to tag five fabulous people as well. I'd like to know five new things about the DH, Annzy, The Duchess, and Darin and Liz over at Corndogs and Avodados.

Cheery Cherry bag

Shout out to my SIL, Kinsey, who made me the very cutest bag ever for Christmas. I love it!

New Beginnings

It’s a New Year and time for new beginnings. My dad always taught us to set goals and that the New Year was a great time to do it. I have a couple of things that I’d like to accomplish this year, but you know it scares me to put them in writing for everyone else to see. I’m not sure how comfortable I am with it. Here goes nothing:

• Continue to improve my overall physical health. This means working out 5 times a week (which should be fine because I’ve been doing that for a long time now), eating a more healthy diet with no refined or processed stuff (wish me luck!), and losing a little more butter.
• Improve my spirituality by reading the scriptures daily and attending the temple regularly (for Patrick and me, we think twice a month is reasonable). I guess I’ll keep doing other churchy stuff too and not slacking there.
• Improve my mind by taking a class in the spring and a class in the fall. I thought about convincing the DH to take a ballroom or salsa class, but we’ll see if that ever flies. That could also have dual benefits as it’s good for both the mind and the body.

I’m breaking it down to more granular goals for myself, but I think that gives you an idea of what I’m working on this year. Hopefully you’re doing the same!

The DH and I had a very nice Christmas. On Friday, we went on the Argosy Christmas Ships. Santa and a choir were there with us and we had a really nice time listening to the concerts, seeing the other decorated ships, and enjoying a night out together.

We spent the holiday at home with no other obligations except for cooking dinner on Christmas Eve for a few friends who joined us for the evening. It was yummy dinner. I even made cream pudding and Evelyn’s rolls. Mmm… It makes me hungry again just thinking about it.

On Christmas day, we got up around 8:00 and opened a few presents. Patrick had already had my windows tinted for one of my presents, but he also got me an iPod Nano, some gift cards, and shirts. It was pretty great. I gave him an authentic Raiders football jersey, hockey tickets, and some long john’s (to replace the crotchless ones he’s wearing at work right now – I guess that’s what wears out first with all the gas passing he does).

We didn’t do much more on Christmas day other than that and delivering a few straggler gifts. We also got in some naps and nibbled on more turkey. I think I could get used to staying home for Christmas.

Ringing, Singing On Its Way

The DH has found out something very odd about me. I know the words to a lot of Christmas songs. You may find this unremarkable. In the grand scheme of things, it really is. However, the DH finds it hysterical, mostly because I can’t remember the words to any other songs at all. I sing along all the time and just make up new words or fake words or whatever. It’s kind of entertaining if you don’t find it completely frustrating and annoying.
When you put that next to the fact that I can sing along to almost any Christmas song written, it’s pretty funny. The DH, on the other hand, can recite the words and tell you everything else about many, many songs. He doesn’t know any Christmas songs other than Jingle Bells.
Aren’t we a pair?

Christmas Meme

An Ordinary Mom put together a meme on her site, so I thought I’d join in.

1. Eggnog or Hot Chocolate? I just love eggnog. The best thing though, is an eggnog milkshake.

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree? They’re sitting next to the stocking that has been taken down and filled, and they’re unwrapped.

3. Colored lights or white on tree/house? I like white lights on the tree, but colored lights outside on the house.

4. Do you hang mistletoe? I like mistletoe, but didn’t find mine this year while unpacking the decorations.

5. When do you put your decorations up? I like to put them up right after Thanksgiving, but it doesn’t usually all happen that quickly.

6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)? I associate fondue with the holidays and I love it, especially with really good gruyere cheese.

7. Favorite holiday memory as a child: this is tough as there are so many. I think I really love those childhood memories of checking out each other’s gifts. I remember one year when my older bother got a Flintstone’s sculpture kit. It was this set of weird plastic figures that you chipped off until you uncovered the Flintstone’s character inside. I also always loved shopping for gifts for someone we chose off the Salvation Army giving tree. Good times!

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? What truth? That he’s real? I always knew that.

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? We only ever opened the Christmas tree ornament that Granny sent. My mother is very anti-opening-on-Christmas-eve.

10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree? White lights, lots of ornaments collected over the years, and a fun gold star on top.

11. Snow! Love it or dread it? I have to admit that I dread it. I love it in the mountains, but don’t enjoy it where I live.

12. Can you ice skate? I think the real answer is “no” even though I’ve been on ice skates numerous times.

13. Do you remember your favorite gift? I actually don’t remember a favorite. I got a Madame Alexander collectible doll from Santa most years and always looked forward to which doll he would bring. One year my dad bought be a string of fresh-water pearls that I really wanted and I loved it. Maybe the best was the beautiful ruby necklace the DH got me last year.

14. What’s the most important thing about the Holidays for you? I love the focus on the Savior and being in a spirit of giving. I also enjoy how it brings people together – whether by hearing from old friends in Christmas letters once a year or getting together with family.

15. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert? Hands down, cream pudding.

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? Christmas dinner by candle light was always my favorite.

17. What tops your tree? A star.

18. Which do you prefer giving or receiving? I love spending so much time focused on giving, but I’ll admit to enjoying the receiving as well.

19. What is your favorite Christmas Song? I love Christmas music, but I think my two favorites are Mary Did You Know and O, Holy Night.

20. Candy Canes – Yuck or Yum? I’m not a big fan of hard candy, but I love the flavor of candy canes.

A Mighty Wind

We just keep making the national news with our weather. I find it somewhat humorous -- only because I'm not one of the folks on the phone with my insurance agent. It's been a wild night, but my home is fine and I actually have power (hence the ability to blog). My thoughts are with the thousands without power and those who are cleaning up the many trees and other messes.

Trimming the Home for Christmas

I really enjoy decorating for Christmas. The picture here is the figure of Mary and Jesus from our nativity. I just love the simplicity of the figure. The nativity is a critical part of the holiday decor since it's one of the wonderful things that reminds us of the reason we are celebrating. It's a great time to remember the great gifts He gave us and to reflect on our relationship with Him. It's also a wonderful time to reflect on the other relationships in our lives and to present gifts that represent, in some small way, our feelings for those we love. All good things!

Of course, I also love the rest of the decorations. The tree is always good fun. I have some great decorations from Europe, from our honeymoon, and from my childhood. They all bring back sweet memories. I'm a sucker for tradition. I just can't get enough of it.

Shout Out to Annzy!

Everyone give a shout out to Annzy. She got an HR job yesterday. It's at this really sexy company too! She really rocks and she'll be able to do cool HR-y stuff there. It will even require skills she learned in her graduate school program. (I know! shocking!!!) She'll als be close to the porn wagon, where she used to work and Orson Gygi, one of the coolest kitchen stores ever.

I ask, who wouldn't want that job?!?

  

Annunciation

I'm not sure why the picture wouldn't post on this, but it's in the post above now.

Mormons aren't really devotees of all the dates on the Catholic calendar, but at this time of year I enjoy thinking of all the events leading up to the birth fo the Savior. The annuciation (when the angel visited Mary and told her not to be afraid of this overwhelming event that was taking place in her at the moment) is celebrated on March 25th.

Luke Chapter 1
26 And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,
27 To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary.
28 And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.
29 And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.
30 And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.
31 And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.
32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:
33 And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.

I love this picture. It captures exactly the feeling I imagine Mary might have had. It was painted by Henry Ossawa Tanner, and african-american artist, in 1898. It is exquisite.

About the Artist:
Ossawa Tanner was raised in an affluent, well educated African-American family. Although reluctant at first, Tanner's parents eventually responded to their son's unflagging desire to pursue an artistic career and encouraged his ambitions. In 1879, Tanner enrolled at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, where he joined Thomas Eakins's coterie. Tanner moved to Atlanta in 1889 in an unsuccessful attempt to support himself as an artist and instructor among prosperous middle class African-Americans. Bishop and Mrs. Joseph C. Hartzell arranged for Tanner's first solo exhibition, the proceeds from which enabled the struggling artist to move to Paris in 1891. Illness brought him back to the United States in 1893, and it was at this point in his career that Tanner turned his attention to genre subjects of his own race.

In 1893 most American artists painted African-American subjects either as grotesque caricatures or sentimental figures of rural poverty. Henry Ossawa Tanner, who sought to represent black subjects with dignity, wrote: "Many of the artists who have represented Negro life have seen only the comic, the ludicrous side of it, and have lacked sympathy with and appreciation for the warm big heart that dwells within such a rough exterior." The banjo had become a symbol of derision, and caricatures of insipid, smiling African-Americans strumming the instrument were a cliche. In The Banjo Lesson, Tanner tackles this stereotype head on, portraying a man teaching his young protege to play the instrument - the large body of the older man lovingly envelops the boy as he patiently instructs him. If popular nineteenth-century imagery of the African-American male had divested him of authority and leadership, then Tanner in The Banjo Lesson recreated him in the role of father, mentor, and sage. The Banjo Lesson is about sharing knowledge and passing on wisdom.

The exposition-sized canvas was accepted into the Paris Salon of 1894. That year it was given by Robert Ogden of Philadelphia to Hampton Institute near Norfolk, Virginia, one of the first and most prestigious black colleges founded shortly after Emancipation. Hampton lent it the next year to Atlanta's Cotton States and International Exposition of 1895, where it hung in the Negro Building. Contemporary critics largely ignored the work. Tanner painted another African American genre subject in 1894, The Thankful Poor, but then abandoned subjects of his own race in favor of biblical themes. When Tanner returned to Paris in 1895, he established a reputation as a salon artist and religious painter but never again painted genre subjects of African-Americans.

Cops love me

So, I hate my commute, especially on the way home. I don't think that's much of a revelation to anyone. It's ugly out there. Yesterday was no exception. I left work at 4:15, but it was already packed and I found out later there had been an accident (that I never saw, but it was reportedly there). I was in a hurry to get to the traffic jam, so I went as fast as I could, weaving through traffic.

Then there were lights -- cop car lights. You know the feeling. There was the wee bit of hope that it was for someone else. There was the lump in the stomache. There was the resignation that I would get the ticket I have been deserving for years.

The police officer was quite nice and asked for my license, registration, and proof of insurance. I was having a hard time getting my proof of insurance card out of my wallet because it was stuck in the silly, flimsy plastic cover of my temple recommend. Plus, I was nervous, because I was about to get a ticket.

I finally gave the card to the police officer and he asked me how fast I had been going. I had no idea. I felt like an idiot. Then he asked me if that was my recommend. I was a little confused (assuming that no one in WA is LDS). He asked again if that was my recommend. I said it was and then he told me I was the third member he'd pulled over in the last two hours. He gave me back my information and sent me on my way.

I didn't get the ticket! Cops love me.

Advent

Today is the first Sunday of the Advent. It’s a lovely European tradition I learned on my mission. Each of the four Sundays before Christmas, families would light a candle and do something to commemorate the coming of Christmas. Today, the DH and I lit a beautiful gold candle and watched the Christmas program with the first presidency and Mormon Tabernacle Choir from Salt Lake City. It was a really nice program, only and hour long, and was a nice beginning to the Christmas season. We also put up the tree and put the star on top (but didn’t get any farther than that) and worked on Christmas cards.

Snow Days

By now, everyone knows that Seattle got blanketed with snow and that things here came to quite a standstill. On Tuesday, the WSDOT cautioned that everyone should stay home unless they were involved in “essential services” like doctoring and police officering. I’m curious what my friends and neighbors did on their snow days. Here’s what I did:

Tuesday

• Worked some from home, but with a spotty internet/RAS connection.
• Watched a bunch of TV, including the Tyra Banks talk show. Her show is really lame, but I was working on my computer at the same time and didn’t really think to change the channel.
• Picked up a painting from the frame shop.
• Almost got stuck in Patrick’s old truck trying to get into the frame shop parking lot (that had a bit of an incline).
• Bought supplies for making Christmas cards.
• Bought supplies for making Christmas gifts.
• Took almost half an hour to get home even though it would usually take only about five minutes because 130th street West-bound was closed.
• Forgot to plan or make anything for dinner in spite of the fact that I didn’t really accomplish anything all day.
• Planned Christmas presents for everyone I want to give to.
• Bought Christmas gifts online.

Wednesday

• Worked more than I did on Tuesday.
• Swept and mopped the kitchen floor (while participating in a conference call for work). I'm a great multi-tasker.
• Bought groceries.
• Made turkey soup for later and a really good dinner to make up for slacking on Tuesday.
• Ironed table cloths at the church in preparation for a Christmas program this weekend.

What did you do?

24 Degrees Fahrenheit

It’s unseasonably cold in Seattle today – 24 degrees Fahrenheit at 12:20 p.m. to be exact. We’ve had a bit of a cold spell with the weather and it’s not what we’re used to here in the normally temperate northwest. There is also a bit of snow on the ground. At one time, it was close to four inches.

It’s quite lovely, but a real mess too. It all started on Sunday afternoon with some lovely snow. Then it got warmer on Monday morning, but worse on Monday afternoon. The result was a horrible commute for most folks in the Seattle area. I decided to work from home, so I missed most of the ugliness. The DH, however, did not.

Today, it’s much worse. The snow that fell yesterday turned into a big sheet of ice over night. The Microsoft campus actually closed. I’ve stayed home again today and the DH didn’t go to work until 9:00 after the sun came up. Normally, you would expect everything to melt here when the sun comes up. Not today though. It’s only 24 degrees.

Thanksgiving

I'm so thankful for a wonderful husband and great family. I really enjoyed Thanksgiving in Boise with my entire family. It was only a little crazy and mostly really fun. I also got to see some great old friends. I loved seeing Andrea and Kathy. I’m really blessed with wonderful people in my life. I’m thankful for lots of things:

• The great DH
• A lovely family and in-laws
• Wonderful friends in Seattle and elsewhere
• A job that’s mostly good with a nice boss and really fine co-workers (the only exception being that blasted commute)
• Enough money to do most things I’d like to (because of my mostly good job)
• A nice warm house (especially today when it’s 20 degrees outside – and I’m not exaggerating)
• Working out at the gym and feeling really strong and good
• General good health
• A beautiful world to be in and appreciate
• DVR and Netflix
• Fleece and hot chocolate
• Christmas decorations
• Computers and the internet for staying in touch
• And a really good hair dresser
• And lots more stuff that I can’t think of right this moment

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday too and that you remember all the things you’re thankful for.

Happy Birthday to the DH!

Today is the DH’s 50th birthday. We celebrated last night with a party at Sunset Bowl in Ballard. We invited all the best people we knew and most of them even showed up. We had four lanes reserved and had all kinds of good food in the banquet room upstairs. It really was a fun way to celebrate.

Folks that wanted to bowl got one game in before we sang, ate cupcakes, and opened presents. I had a great time getting the present for the DH. Since I’ve met him, he’s talked about wanting a Ford F-150 pickup truck in black or silver. The big 5-0 seemed like the perfect time to surprise him with just that. It took an elaborate plan and a husband clearly lacking in any suspicion whatsoever.

I went to the Ford dealership last Saturday and bought the silver truck. They kept it at the lot for the week. Then yesterday, I told the DH I had a pedicure appointment with my friend Jamie. She came to pick me up, but we went to the dealership, picked up the truck, and I drove it to the bowling alley where she came and picked me up.

When we got home, the DH told me there was a weird message from a car dealership about my appointment. Fortunately, he didn’t think I’d be doing such a thing and didn’t put 2 and 2 together.

I got some decoy gifts, then put the keys to the new truck on a newly purchased Oakland Raiders keychain and put it in a small box. It was the last thing he opened (after bunches of really cool things that his friends bought for him).

When the DH opened the car keys, he didn’t’ get it right off. He thought it was my keys on a new key chain. I had to tell him the rest of the gift was in the parking lot. He was ecstatic! I think I may have done all right with that gift. You only turn 50 once, and it’s a big milestone, so that’s the biggest gift he’ll ever get from me. (And he’ll be helping to pay for it for the next little while.)

Happy Halloween!

These are the cupcakes I made for the Trunker Treat at church on Saturday. Actually, they were made for the cake walk, but you get the drift. The best part was having nephew Max come and to see his amazing Thomas the Tank Engine costume that the brother made. Somehow, I didn't get a picture though. I'm not sure how that happened. The brother will have to share a photo.

We also had yummy dinner together at my place on Sunday. With the parents and the other brother and family here, we had a housefull and a really nice time.

Ako Pa

Literal translation from Tagalog: "Still me."
Meaningful translation: "I'm the man!" (or woman as the case may be, as Tagalog has no gender specific pronouns- gotta love that.) or "I Rock!"

Megan wrote an Ako Pa blog with a list of all that she has accomplished, giving herself the proverbial pat on the back, and proclaiming, with pride, to the world Ako Pa! She then challenged readers to do the same.

Here’s mine:

• I learned to speak fluent German, in part by living in a language house where only German was spoken.
• I served a full-time mission to Switzerland for 18 months.
• I graduated from college with a BA in English and a minor in Music.
• I was certified to teach English and German in the state of Idaho.
• I successfully taught high school English and German for four years.
• I transitioned into a career in technical communication.
• I wrote three award-winning user manuals for HP products.
• I sang with the Opera Idaho chorus.
• I married a fabulous man who loves and respects me.

I’m feeling pretty good about myself right now!

Autumn "To Do" List

Autumn is by far my favorite season of the year. I'm not super fond of the heat and I love when the air starts to get crisp, the leaves change, and the days get shorter. It's this time of year that I get in the mood for projects of all kinds (that I don't always finish) and enjoy baking and cooking. Just like Annzy, it makes me think there are a few things I need to do to make this Autumn complete. This is my Autumn "to do" list, which must be completed by December 21st:

• Have a fire in the fireplace
• Buy fabric for more baby blankets
• Crochet around at least one baby blanket
• Make Evelyn's rolls
• Make homemade soup to go with the rolls
• Walk a half marathon
• Watch 42-Up and 49-Up documentaries
• Clean up the yard for Winter

I'm looking forward to it already. If you're really lucky, I might share some rolls with you!

Six Degrees and Pipe Dreams

Today, I was reading Annzy’s blog about things to accomplish in the Fall. (I’ll make my own list on that for later, but that’s not what this post is all about.) So, Annzy wrote her list after reading Erin’s blog on the topic of feeling “dark and twisty”. Erin’s blog was referring to Kim’s blog about Pipe Dreams (that apparently make her feel “dark and twisty”). Funny thing is, I had already read Kim’s post about Pipe Dreams after linking to if from Megan’s blog. Megan is in my ward and is a pretty cool gal that knits a lot. So, I know Ann and I know Megan and I read both their blogs and it was really funny to see that I could connect blogs with only five degrees of separation. I just had to share.

Now, for my pipe dreams. I have a few:

• I always thought I’d get married in my 20’s and have three kids. That was clearly a pipe dream. Getting married at 39 changes some dreams.
• I wanted to be an opera singer (but never wanted to work that hard at it). I love to sing, but never really jumped all the way into that pond.
• I love to teach and really thought I would go back after just a couple of years in the business world. Instead, I let my credentials lapse and have now spent almost ten years working for the man. Maybe going back to teaching isn’t 100% a pipe dream. It might still happen, but I don’t know when.
• Perhaps being a size 10 is a pipe dream too. Since I haven’t been that size since 7th grade, it might be a bit much to hope for.

So, anything you don't have a clear path for achieving sounds like a pipe dream to me. Maybe later I'll post on the dreams that I think might actually come true.

Ruminations...

Do you ever have one of those days where you just wonder how you got here? I have to say, I’m not really on the path that I thought I would be on. It’s a pretty good path – no complaint really – just not the one I expected.

Today at work, I have been dealing with spreadsheets, numbers, and vendors. My degree is in English with a minor in vocal performance. I planned to get married and stay home with kids. How did I fall into spreadsheet madness?!? Seriously, this is just freakish. My favorite thing about getting my degree at BYU was testing out of basic math and taking the foreign language option so I wouldn’t have to deal with numbers. It seems I can’t escape them though.

It does all make me wonder how much of my life is chance (or fate, or what have you) and how much is deliberate. And if it’s not deliberate, is it because I didn’t try hard enough or because life just doesn’t work that way?

That’s my philosophical question of the day.

Now back to the spreadsheets.

The Ol' Ball and Chain

Technically, I think I might be the ball and chain. Even if I am, I’m the best damn ball and chain the DH has ever had. Hands down. How’s that for confidence?

We celebrated our first anniversary last month. It was pretty cool. We went on a trip to Mt. Rainier and then to Sun Mountain Lodge near Winthrop, WA. It was beautiful on both trips and we had a great time. The food, the hikes, the scenery, and the hot tub were all great. We even had fun going to church in Twisp. They have a branch with less than 20 people. They bring in speakers from wards in the area and the second speaker was literally the worst sacrament meeting speaker I’ve every heard. It was hysterical.

I also had a first on the anniversary trip. On the way out of town, we bought a fishing rod and license for me. On Monday, we went fishing and I caught my first fish (in memory at least – sorry dad if you ever helped me catch a fish and I forgot). It was actually fairly entertaining and I’d do it again as long as I had a chair to hang out in instead of standing on the shore the whole time.

Good times! I highly recommend the anniversary.

Of festivities and fishing

Last weekend was the annual sister’s get-together. We invited the sisters-in-law as well, like we sometimes do. The middle sister moved this year and the younger sister is unemployed, so we decided to get together in Boise on the cheap instead of going somewhere else. Of course, the best time to get together in Boise is the weekend after Labor Day because that’s when you get Art in the Park.

We all showed up in Boise on Friday and then spend the better part of Saturday at the park looking at all kinds of arts and crafts made by vendors from all over the place. A lot of the vendors are the same from year to year. I always get a kick out of doggy designer clothing. It’s there every year without fail and has been as long as I can remember. Of course, the potters and jewelers are all there too.

This year, I decided I was going to purchase real art. I didn’t have a real budget, but I knew I wouldn’t spend more than a huge load of money. That’s fine, right? I was getting discouraged by most of what I saw, but finally found several things by one artist that I really liked. He’s Karl Pace out of Salt Lake City. The art is representational and hopefully looks good in my house. That would be the best part.

We all went to dinner at Cottonwood Grill and had wonderful, tasty appetizers, dinner, and dessert. Yum! Even the chocolate banana bread pudding was great. After dinner and a phone chat with the DH, I went back to Art in the Park to purchase my art. I bought a painting called “Low Bluff” that has nice hues of blue and tan with a touch of green. I think it looks pretty good and I really hope the DH loves it when he finally sees it in person.

Low Bluff


After dinner, we just hung out at the parent’s new house and chatted and had a nice evening. It was really great to just relax with such wonderful people. I’m lucky to have two great sisters and three wonderful sisters-in-law that were all together for the weekend. You can’t get much luckier than that.

On Sunday, we had my all-time favorite dinner of fried chicken, new potatoes, and gravy. My mom does the best job on this dinner. I love it! The only thing that could have made it better would have been to have the DH there as well.

The DH, on the other hand, spent his weekend fishing. It was the annual work fishing trip. He might have had fun, but of course he missed me too much to really enjoy himself.

Nauvoo

The last leg of the trip was to Nauvoo. We started with a wagon ride around the sites to see what was there. It was about 50 minutes and gave a nice overview of everything you could see. The church owns and maintains a lot of sites in Nauvoo, so it's a lot more than Palmyra or Kirtland.


After the wagon ride, we went to the Community of Christ sites. They own the Smith family home sites and the land where Joseph and Hyrum Smith are burried. One of the most interesting stories was regarding the bodies of Joseph and Hyrum. Emma Smith got their bodies and prepared them for burial after they were killed, but she was afraid that someone would come steal the bodies because there was still a $1,000 bounty on each of their heads, dead or alive, from Missouri. She first hid the bodies under the family home, but moved them from there when additional contruction was going to start on the home. She put them under the cold cellar outside the home and asked to be burried in a spot close to that. She kept the sites secret her whole life. The bodies were finally found in the 1920's when the RLDS church paid to have a dig to find them because of fears that the bodies would be lost with flooding on the Mississippi. When they were found, all three bodies (Joseph, Hyrum, and Emma) were burried together in the Smith family cemetary.


We had lunch at a small, sad deli and then did a session at the Nauvoo temple. That temple is amazing. I have not been in another temple, other than Salt Lake, that had more beautiful workmanship inside. It was awesome in the true sense of the word. After that, we took a nap. I was so tired this whole trip. In the evening we went to two shows. The first was called Sunset on the Mississippi. It was a fun variety show and we really enjoyed the fun. Then we went to the Palmyra Padgeant. It was basically the story of Nauvoo from the time it was settled until they left to go West. It was really well done and we thought it was great. I could recommend it to just about anyone.

On Friday, we went to several of the sites including the blacksmith shop, the print shop, the post office, and bunches of others. Except for the heat and humidity, it was really good. We also did some shopping before going off the beaten path. We went to a man's house outside town who has stones from the original Nauvoo temple. When the new temple was being built, the old rubble was dumped not too far from his house and he grabbed some of the stones and breaks them up and gives them to folks who stop by. We also went to a glass maker's studio where he showed us around and told us all about his shop and his work. We really loved those little side trips.


We also saw one last show that day, which was fairly entertaining, but not as good as the shows the day before. It was in an air conditioned building though, so we managed just fine. We also went to Keokuk, Iowa for dinner. The dinner was unremarkable, but the views of the Mississippi along the way, especially on the way home with the sun setting, were lovely.

On Saturday, we did some last-minute shopping, toured the Mason Hall, and headed for St. Louis so we could come home.

No matter how much fun the trip is, it's always so nice to get home and sleep in your own bed.

Kirtland

On Tuesday, we spent the day in Kirtland. I think I love that little town. We started at the visitor's center and historic Kirtland. The missionary that led our tour was so wonderful. She had a wealth of knowledge and was so sincere in her presentation that we all enjoyed her more than anyone else we heard in Palmyra or Kirtland.
We visited the K.N.Whitney store, the Whitney home, the saw mill and ashery, and an old hotel. We also heard about how the church acquired some of the property and got the road moved back behind the historic district.


After the historic town, we went on to the Kirtland temple.
The temple still stands as it was built and is owned by the Community of Christ (formerly the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints). The tour guide was great and he gave us a lot of information about the structure and history. He also told dad about a "behind the scenes" tour that you can get by special appointment if you come September through June. I'm betting on dad going back for that.

After visiting the temple, we had a great lunch at a diner reccomended by the temple tour guide. Who knew you could get such great food in Kirtland, OH? The food wasn't great in Palmyra, so we didn't have very high expectations.

After lunch, we went to another farm and heard about more of the history of the area. We had more interesting tour guides and enjoyed the experience.

All of the tours were so good that we ended up spending much more time than expected in Kirtland and so we weren't able to drive all the way to Chicago. We ended up spending the night in Ekhart, Indiana and driving to Chicago in the morning. We had a driving tour where we saw the apartment my parents lived in when dad was at Northwestern for grad school. We also saw the B'hai temple. It's quite an impressive structure.

After the driving tour,
we went to meet our friends Liz and Darrin Jensen for lunch at Giordano's for deep dish Chicago style pizza. We had a great time catching up and having yummy food.

After lunch, we drove on to Carthage, IL where we saw the jail where Joseph Smith was killed. It was a short tour, but pretty powerful.

Finally, we landed in Nauvoo, IL. More on that later!

Palmyra

After arriving in Rochester, my parents picked us up and we traveled to Palmyra where they have been volunteering during the Palmyra pageant. On the way from the airport, we went to the Martin Harris farm.


It's out of the way, so we didn't want to have to drive all the way back out there on Sunday. Later that evening, we went to the pageant and it rained on us more or less the entire time. Good times in the rain. It was pretty close to the Manti pageant that I saw a couple of times twenty years ago. We also enjoyed great BBQ at the pagaent. The Rotary Club in town makes food for sale and gives all the proceeds to several different charities. It was great to see them getting so many hungry customers and the food was great.

On Sunday, we went to church and then visited the historical sights in Palmyra. We went to the Johnson farm, the visitor's center, and the Smith Farm. The Smith Farm is where mom and dad were volunteering. We loved the presentation by the missionary at the log home. She was fabulous. We also enjoyed the walk through the grove out behind the buildings. After Saturday's rain, the weather was cooler and not so humid. We had a really nice time and chatted with a bunch of other people visiting the sights.

On Monday, we went into town and shopped for half an hour and then went to a temple session at the Palmyra temple. After that, we got in the car and drove to Kirtland, OH. It was only a few hours to our low-rent hotel. We really enjoyed Palmyra and would highly reccomend it.

I almost forgot to mention that we took a side trip to Niagra Falls after leaving Palmyra. I had never seen the falls and they were spectacular. We had a great view from the American side and had a nice walk around the park by the falls.

The Happiest Place on Earth

Last week, I got to go to Orlando for a conference for work. It was my first time in Florida and was not prepared for the humidity. Who knew my hair could be that curly (or frizzy, depending on your perspective)? Then when you go inside, it's always cold with the air conditioning. It was kind of odd to be wearing a jacket a good part of my stay in the state.

I got to go to Epcot center (but not really DisneyWorld) and watch fireworks and ride a few rides. It was great to soar over California, go on a mission to Mars, and test drive cars for GM. I only got a little motion sickness on the trip to Mars. Not bad for a beginner.

I also had a great time going to the town of Mount Dora and eating dinner at Pices Rising. Let's hear it for Andrew for picking the restaurant and Ray for driving us there. It really was fabulous food and great company.

Of course, nothing beats leaving a business trip and meeting up with the DH again. The Rochester airport was the best part of the trip.

Beautiful Music at the Winery

The DH and I had the most wonderful experience last night. We went to see Bruce Hornsby at Chateau Ste. Michelle winery out in Woodinville. The venue is beautiful, the weather was perfect, and the music was first rate.

I have to admit that the DH picked the music. I couldn't even tell you what Bruce Hornsby is known for (though a few of his songs, like The Way It Is and Gonna Be Some Changes Made, were familiar). What a great surprise to hear that he is an amazing pianist and plays with some wonderful musicians.

There was no opening band, so it was just two hours of lovely music from someone who can really play and arrange and sing.

We also enjoyed a really nice picnic and found many of the other concert-goers very entertaining. It's fun when the people-watching is almost as good as the music.

Now Taking Recommendations

The DH and I are quickly coming upon our first anniversary. It’s mere weeks away and we’re very excited to have made it through the “toughest year of marriage.” In anticipation of a fabulous anniversary, we’ve both taken time off work. Unfortunately, we haven’t done much else in the way of planning. The DH was given a recommendation for cabins in the Sun Lakes area, but, alas, they are all booked at the end of August.

So, here’s the deal-i-o. I’m putting it out there to all you great blog-reading friends to give us recommendations. Here is the criteria:

• No more than a 3-hour trip from home with no plane trips involved
• A place to stay for less than $150 per night (we have some class, but don’t want to blow our wad in one place)
• A few activities in the area that you would recommend

See, we’re not too picky. And maybe there can be a prize for whoever picks our anniversary destination. I’m sure I could come up with something worth your effort!

Turning 40 (ARGH!)

Well, I did it. I turned 40 on Tuesday. After spending the weekend with Granny, who just turned 90, I should feel young. Too bad it doesn't actually work that way. We had a great time seeing the entire family (except for Sean and his wife and kids, since he's stationed in Italy now). It was also nice to see how many people came to see Granny and wish her well. She really is well-loved and has a pretty amazing legacy. I could only hope for such a life.

After celebrating with Granny in Idaho Falls, we headed back to Boise to celebrate my birthday. We enjoyed pancakes at the sister's ward breakfast and then had cake and ice cream at Mom and Dad's house. It was yummy and fun. When the dh and I flew back to Seattle, we were no longer in a mood to BBQ, so we went out to dinner for the birthday. It was really nice to spend time with friends and family. Plus, the dh found me a fabulous pair of earrings in white gold with diamonds and rubies. They're divine and I LOVE them. Too bad I couldn't find a picture of them online to show you all.

Run for your life...

On Saturday, I ran in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. It was a 5K (3.12 mile) race, but I was just in it for the experience. I’m far from competitive in the foot race.

I’ve been working on being healthier lately and I think it’s working a little. I work out with a trainer three days a week and I’ve asked him to help me with running. It’s actually working. I ran the race in 39 minutes, which averages out to a 12.5-minute mile and average speed of 4.8 miles per hour.

This is not fast. This is pretty slow. But for me, this is fabulous. I actually ran a good part of the way. I was really tired after the race, but I felt great about what I had done.

It’s pretty amazing how one slow race can make you feel like you accomplished something great. It really was great for me. I think I’ll even do it again some time and see if I can shave a few minutes off that 39-minute race time.

Plumbing woes -- and I mean WOES

I’ve now realized that I take drains for granted. I just expect them to drain. No worries, no woes. I’m learning to appreciate a good drain now. After spending two weekends with plumbers in the house, I’m really ready to have it done.

Last Saturday I was cleaning the bathroom toilet and it just wouldn’t flush. (Thank heaven’s there was really nothing in there except clean water or this story would be much more colorful. Perhaps that a disappointment to you though.) As every good woman of independent thought and means, I got out the plunger and plunged. I didn’t work. I called in the DH. He plunged. After we had both plunged to no avail, we realized that water was seeping out from under the toilet every time we did anything. That’s a bad thing, if you were wondering.

Patrick has a plumber friend who happened to be at a party nearby with his plumbing truck. He came over and snaked, replaced the honeycomb seal, and put the toilet back in place. All was well – for a week.

On Friday, the woes came back even better than before. The toilet still flushed, but nothing else seemed to drain. The DH took a shower and I did laundry, and it was a bad combination. I’d noticed the sink in the bathroom not really draining, but that’s fairly common, so I didn’t think much of it. Then the DH took a shower and it didn’t drain at all. And my laundry bubbles started showing up in all the wrong places. We knew it was real drainage woes when that happened.

We called the plumber friend again and he recommended someone to call. For a measly $200, we got the big drain (from the outside) snaked with the really big (think anaconda) snake and now we know why plumbers get paid well. It was gross – not just a little gross, but make-you-want-to-hurl gross. He pulled up things people just shouldn’t have to see. No more details will be given, but I think you can use your imagination and get close enough.

When he was done the shower drained, the toilet flushed, and the washer drained. It was a beautiful thing. Now, two days later, the toilet flushes weird, the shower drains slow, and I’m worried that I get to see a plumber every Saturday for the rest of my life.

What a Wreck...

I meant to post on this earlier, but time just got away from me. Wednesday was kind of a bad day. I started from home right around 5:00 and SR520 was already super backed up. In a moment, I adjusted routes and headed for I-405. I seldom go that way, but it looked like I might get home faster and I needed to get gussied up for the opera that the DH and I had tickets for that night. 15 minutes can make all the difference there, you know.

As I was heading North, minding my business and feeling quite bored with the stop-and-go traffic, I stopped in one of those slow-downs, but the car behind me forgot to. The car rammed into me, pushing me into the car in front of me. The impact was enough to throw my glasses off my face and open covers and empty the two console cubbies of lipstick, dental floss, and sunglasses. It even knocked the phone book from under the seat.

The three of us made our way to the side of the road and traded vital information. I was quite shaken up and the man in the car in front of me was quite concerned. I thought I was coping quite well, but maybe not. It’s hard to keep the perspective in such a situation. I was grateful to the front driver as he drew a diagram of the accident, took down license numbers and car models, and collected our insurance information and phone numbers. We all had everything we needed.

I checked the damage to my car and saw that the bumpers, front and rear, were damaged. I didn’t discover the rest of the damage until I got home, but it’s mostly cosmetic. Except that the trunk won’t close now. It’s my Joad car now, I guess – at least for a little while.

Because it was rush hour and there were not injuries, we didn’t call the police. Don’t worry. My insurance agent said it was fine. They wouldn’t come out anyway. That’s who I called first, then found out that I should work with the instigator’s insurance agency unless they gave me grief.

So far it’s been quite a bother, but not much more than that. I called the instigator’s insurance company right after the accident and they’ve called me back every day with updates. It looks like it won’t be much of a problem to get taken care of, but it will take some time and a loaner car for me.

After getting home and getting a grip, I was really grateful that I wasn’t hurt and that the airbag didn’t deploy. Considering that it was on the freeway, it could have been much worse and I feel pretty good about having only the inconvenience. Of course, I could do without that too, but it’s minor in comparison to what could have happened.

Mas Que Nada

I love NPR just like Annzy does. I especially like it on the morning commute. It's kind of funny, because it's a 2-hour loop and I usually get in my car after the gym exactly two hours after leaving it to go into the gym. I just pick up right where I left off.

This morning, the story I heard arriving and leaving the gym was about Sergio Mendez. You may or may not know that he's a family favorite. We heard his work while driving to Burley, Salt Lake, San Francisco, L.A., Tucson, and everywhere else we ever drove as a family. It was one of the few things we all liked (and we only ever listened to anything that Dad liked, so this is saying a lot).

You can listen to the new album Timeless here. Somehow, I don't think my Dad would buy this one. I couldn't even recognize Mas Que Nada (which is one of my favorites from the Best Of album). E Menina is totally old school though. Maybe Dad would like three or four of the songs.

Blue, Blue, My Eyes are Blue

I think I can tell how old you are by whether or not you recognize the title of this post as song lyrics. Just a thought to start this post, but really not what it's all about.

It's really all about wasting time (even at work). If you haven't taken any of the Blogthings Quizzes, you're really missing out on a fabulous time waster. Today, I found out what color my eyes should be. Lucky for me, they should be blue. And they are. Coincidence? I think not! I was at the mercy of the quiz. Here's what it said...

Your Eyes Should Be Blue
Your eyes reflect: Innocence and sweetness
What's hidden behind your eyes: A calculating mind

Cool, huh? I have a calculating mind. Who would have known if I hadn't taken the quiz? Who needs a mirror or introspection when you have online quizzes?

You can take the quiz too. Even better, when you take that quiz, then you can chose from a variety of other time wasting quizzes to take. It's a thing of beauty. Take the quiz here: What Color Should Your Eyes Be?