Saturday, May 31, 2003

Photo of the Day

Today's weather was beautiful... just perfect for the 5K we hosted for work! :) It was gorgeous out at the lake and afterwards we hit the Use It Again, Seattle swap meet. I picked up a futon this time and a new/never open comforter cover from Ikea... fantastic! The girls picked up tons of stuff for the kids at the community center... doll house, kids table and chairs, kids clothes, strollers, car seats, etc. Tons of truly fabulous finds that will be great for the kids we work with! Ah. What a fabulous day.

I was so happy about getting the stuff from strangers that will make our families so happy, I decided I needed to do something nice for someone else. So, I bought a couple of boxes of Popsicles and Fudgesicles and took them down to the boys at Gregg's Cycles. They have to work every Saturday and gorgeous days like today mean they're swamped with urgent customers standing in long lines. They often have to miss breaks/lunches to help customers so I decided to deliver some cool treats. It was great to see their smiling faces. Again, what a beautiful day! Tonight I'm hitting a vegan potluck, which really means I should sign off, hit Marketime, and start cooking! Hope everyone is well!

posted by Cat at 5/31/2003 06:02:02 PM |

Friday, May 30, 2003

What are you doing June 14th?

Ryan suggests we check out PleasureCraft, a local Seattle band he thoroughly enjoys. :)

Btw, speaking of bands that are thoroughly enjoyable... when was the last time you heard Dada sing "Dizz Knee Land"? I just heard it on the radio and was reminded of what a great anthem it was! I can't believe it's been 11 years since that album came out...

posted by Cat at 5/30/2003 05:46:23 PM |

Thursday, May 29, 2003

Photo of the Day
The beach view from our rooms

Well, my anxiety about this business trip to California was justified and the bad news dished out was indeed very bad. However, despite my anxiety and the bad news, there were positives:
First, it was really good to sit in the sun in a beautiful place. Second, it was really good to be surrounded by positive, supportive people. Third, it appears (though is not guaranteed) that I will still have a job after August 15th. Thank God!

posted by Cat at 5/29/2003 09:30:20 PM |

Monday, May 26, 2003

Heading out to Carmel, California for the rest of the week! Wohoo!
posted by Cat at 5/26/2003 07:10:10 AM |

Photo of the Day
Ceiling of the Experience Music Project

Friday night I made a quick trip to Folklife and saw the Sugar Beets, the Clumsy Lovers, Jesse from Discohesive, break dancers from the Fraggle Rock Crew, music videos from the 40s, and even made it up to the EMP to see Elisa sing with her band (Jim Vick.combo). It was only a brief stay at Folklife, but that's okay since moving was my priority this weekend. The big news of the day is that I finished moving into my new place, finished cleaning my old place, and even decided on a nice roomie! Super cool, eh?

posted by Cat at 5/26/2003 02:15:37 AM |

Sunday, May 25, 2003

Photo of the Day
One of my favorite roomies

I'm still stuck on finding the perfect roomie for my great new apt. I'm about to go out of town for a week and that doesn't help my search either. I get tons of responses and everyone wants it once they come see it, but they're all just a bit off. One guy was married and wanted to know if his wife could stay with us sometimes (!?). One guy had a 2 yr old who'd stay with us every other weekend (um, no). One guy was really cool but was a bartender who didn't get home from work till 4am (I think we'd have a hard time keeping quiet when the other was sleeping). A couple of folks were okay but were way too.... what's the best word... intense. Others were great, but would need another month to give notice and I'd be stuck with all of June rent. Dunno. Do I choose the person with the fewest quirks, or do I wait until the perfect roomie appears? Have any leads for me? Do share!

posted by Cat at 5/25/2003 12:42:42 PM |

Saturday, May 24, 2003

At the risk of Dieter feeling left out... Have I mentioned lately how hot he is? And how he's a nonsmoker? What a catch!
posted by Cat at 5/24/2003 11:16:49 PM |

What's wrong with this world? I just walked to Cedars and back to get some Indian food to go. On my 10 minute walk I must have passed about 10 different hot boys. Well... they were hot until I realized each and every one of them had a cigarette dangling from their lips. Do that many people still smoke cigarettes? Cigarettes seem so, I dunno, high school. Hmmm… If I could just get over the stinky clothes, bad teeth, and smelly breath, I think I'd be okay with dating a smoker... Ah well. Such is my fate to remain single.
posted by Cat at 5/24/2003 10:40:56 PM |

Photo of the Day
I'm in the reflection on the right, and my buddy Brian is pictured to my left. I ran into him downtown a few weeks ago when we were both out and about doing some shopping. We ended up in Capital Hill for some fine dining. :) We didn't actually eat at Bimbos (though it is my favorite Mexican food on the Hill). Instead, we opted for dinner at Ayutthaya, my favorite Thai place in town. It was good to see Brian and the dinner was yummy!

posted by Cat at 5/24/2003 10:27:21 AM |

Friday, May 23, 2003

Closure: The post office claims department finally sent me a check for my camera!! The quick version: My digital camera was stolen last April and I saved my money and finally bought a new one in November. By February the new one required warranty work and was sent back to the camera company. Sadly, it never arrived as it was stolen from the mail on Feb 13th. I filed my claim but kept getting letter after letter from the claims department telling me they couldn't find all of my documentation that I kept resending. Well, last week I got fed up and sent an irate letter letting them know I was contacting my congressman Jim McDermott for help resolving this issue since they weren't able to resolve it on their own. Lo and behold... a check arrived in the mail today! Blessed be! Guess it's time to start camera shopping again! Anyone have camera suggestions?
posted by Cat at 5/23/2003 03:49:48 PM |

Photo of the Day
Clown in a car mechanic's shop

In other news, I finally got the key to my new apartment last night! To celebate this long awaited event, I stayed up late and moved my kitchen, bathroom, and dining room to the new apartment. Now if I could muster up more energy to move my bedroom and living room. If anyone's bored in Seattle, feel free to come by and help carry stuff. :) Oh yeah, and for those of you who like to keep your address books up to date, please update me: Everything is the same but I'm now in apt 103. Take care!

posted by Cat at 5/23/2003 10:24:18 AM |

Thursday, May 22, 2003

Last night's Blogger Meetup had a pretty good showing despite initial fears of no shows. When I arrived at Aurafice a few minutes late, I saw TYD standing alone out front. Shortly thereafter, Jeff, Matt, and Tara all arrived and we went inside to start claiming table space. After reaching critical mass, we journeyed down to Bauhaus so we had room to spread out. It was a nice mix of vets and new folks. Others present included: Adam, Daymented, Tim, Jerry, Manuel, Jeremy, Clark, Michael, and Mickah (a LiveJournaler who stumbled upon us at the coffee shop). Conversation swayed from tech to pop culture to failed relationships to photography... and I definitely enjoyed the evening. Of course, I was hopped up on more caffeine than my body had seen in a month... what's not to enjoy? When I looked at my watch and realized it was 11pm, I realized it was time to send myself home. Looking forward to doing it again next month!
posted by Cat at 5/22/2003 08:16:17 AM |

Tuesday, May 20, 2003

Photo of the Day: Funny, funny boys perform on the corner

According to my blog, I spent Memorial Day 2000 in Houston where Beal and I threw a big BBQ and pool party for friends. Greg and Bryan came down that weekend to visit... a source of much amusement for my friends who like to give me a hard time about younger guys. :)

This year I'll be continuing my Seattle Memorial Day tradition... spending as much time as possible at NW Folklife Festival! Free music, sun, friends, and photo opps! Who needs anything more in life? Care to join me? Call 206-383-2285 and we'll meet up for some festivities. Where were you Memorial Day weekend in 2000?

posted by Cat at 5/20/2003 07:00:58 PM |

Photo of the Day
Today I posted pictures from the U-District Street Fair

posted by Cat at 5/20/2003 08:28:02 AM |

Monday, May 19, 2003

Six Degrees of Jim Dedman?

I was recently surfing and my web stats showed a visitor from a link on a website called jdedman.com. I had time to kill before meeting a friend, so I followed the link and saw my "I met Quentin Tarantino" web page from many years ago! I left old content up from 1996 and I often forget it's there, much less linked! I was thoroughly entertained to revisit my old site, and thoroughly embarrassed at just how silly my writing was. (Real friends don't let friends publish words like "trippy"). On the same jdedman.com website, I was entertained to see that I was linked on his Blogs of Interests, as was Chris Null, Bohemian Yuppie, Andrew Sullivan, and Thomas Goldstein. This is where the six 6-degrees-of-separation-thing really comes in to play.

Bohemian Yuppie - One of my close friends from college. I was entertained to see we were both linked on the site, though it could be a chicken-egg question to figure out which of us came first, or if the author knew we were related. As I perused Jim's site, archives, old high school fiction, etc, I further realized he went to the same high school as Bohemian Yuppie. So many coincidences!!

Chris Null - I met him back in 1995 while I was an undergrad and he was getting his masters. We were both online but met by chance in the hall at school one day. Did the author find him through my site back in 95? Did he know him separately (they're both journalists?) or from filmcritic.com? Too interesting!

Andrew Sullivan - Name of a guy a friend in Austin once dated. I checked his blog to see if it was him, but I'm guessing not (unless he's now gay and writing for the New Republic and Salon...a possibility since he always was one of those "artistic" types). Another fluke.

Thomas Goldstein - Name of a guy from the local Seattle nonprofit scene... we used to share office space during my first job in Seattle. Another chance occurrence. Apparently it's not him... unless the Seattle Thomas has a law firm he's been hiding from us.

The coincidences were all a bit bizarre and made for a crazy stroll down memory lane... and it all came back to Jim Dedman at the core. So who's Jim Dedman? A few emails later and the mystery is (mostly) cleared. He apparently found me randomly back in 1996 searching for Quentin Tarantino sites. And yes, he did go to the same high school as my friend (though they didn't really know each other and he only recently found her blog through my website). It also turns out he was a classmate of mine in college (though we never met), and does indeed know Chris Null (undetermined if he first heard of filmcritic.com through my website or not). Crazy world.

Oh, and just for the record, I tried to diagram out the relationship above, but it got too complex... kind of like the Rocky Horror Sex Chart drama from a few years ago. Instead, I settled on something that's always vastly easier:
Jim Dedman liked Quentin Tarantino
Tarantino hosted a movie premiere and party I attended
I met Sean Penn at a record store
Sean Penn was in the movie Mystic River with Kevin Bacon. Ahhh... much easier!
posted by Cat at 5/19/2003 07:38:30 PM |

Photo of the Day


posted by Cat at 5/19/2003 12:26:06 AM |

Sunday, May 18, 2003

Photo of the Day
Art for sale at the U-District Street Fair

After a busy Saturday morning at the "Making Tracks for Celiacs" walk and the Use It Again, Seattle swap with Erin, I headed down to the Street Fair in the afternoon and saw John and Caroline. We wandered around, took some photos, and enjoyed the festivities. I also ran into a few friends, coworkers, kids, and boys from my past. Too entertaining! Also entertaining were the many musicians and colorful people that the festival attracts. Gotta love Spring in Seattle!

posted by Cat at 5/18/2003 09:40:17 AM |

Saturday, May 17, 2003

On a side note, I picked up a free couch at the Use It Again, Seattle swap today! Yeah!! Maybe the new apartment won't be so empty after all!
posted by Cat at 5/17/2003 12:13:04 PM |

Photo of the Day:
Twins (in honor of Mary and Dale... who'll be having twin girls themselves very soon!)

posted by Cat at 5/17/2003 12:10:24 PM |

Friday, May 16, 2003

We just had thunder!! First time in many, many moons!
posted by Cat at 5/16/2003 07:31:10 PM |

Photo of the Day

posted by Cat at 5/16/2003 05:27:59 PM |

This weekend in Seattle:
U-District Street Fair
Bloats Afloat Festival
Norwegian Constitution Day Parade
Seattle International Children's Festival
Woodland Park Zoo Festival of the Birds
Beat the Bridge 8K Race

This weekend is also Use It Again, Seattle!

Event eligibility: Seattle residents are invited to participate in the events. Items are intended for free reuse, not for resale or personal profit. Please take only what you need for your own use. If you are interested in re-selling these items, please come back at the end of the day to see what is left.

We accept: Household items, except textiles and refrigerators, Gardening and landscaping tools, Clothing, Furniture, Baby items, Most Consumer Electronics, Barbeques, Vanities, doors and other building materials in good working condition, Sporting and exercise equipment, Hobbyist supplies, Toys, Books and Games, Toilets (for recycling only), Artwork, Almost anything that is in good condition and can be given away!
posted by Cat at 5/16/2003 04:14:19 PM |

Thursday, May 15, 2003

Photo of the Day

Who wouldn't want to move to lovely Seattle and be my roomie?

Tonight I'm interviewing more folks for the new apartment. Yep, that's right. I know I said I wasn't going to move for a long time, but I changed my mind. A larger 2/2 became available in my same building and so I'm moving one floor into the new unit. It should be a quick and easy move; it's just finding the ideal roommate that can take a while. People should be jumping out of the woodwork to live with me... it's a great apt, lots of amenities (DW/, WD, big balcony, etc), great location, and fabulous (ahem) roommate. ;) Truth be told, I am getting lots of calls and emails about the place, it's just that there's always some small detail I'm not always hip with. Cool people, yes. Fun, yes. Talented, yes. But they either have pets (not allowed) or have too much furniture (no storage unit) or want their wife to stay with us (wife!?) etc. The Tuesday night folks I met were pretty cool. Hopefully tonight will be more cool folks and I'll have a good pool to choose from. Wish me luck and email me if you want to be roomies! laurakoehn at hotmail
posted by Cat at 5/15/2003 05:02:28 PM |

Or, I guess it's okay to go out Thursday and celebrate. After all, tomorrow night's skies will host a lunar eclipse, the first in three years. If the weather cooperates, Seattle will begin to see the eclipse around 6:00pm. Cool!
posted by Cat at 5/15/2003 12:04:29 AM |

Wednesday, May 14, 2003

Photo of the Day

Pet your bunny and water your flower - May is National Masturbation Month! Everyone should stay in and celebrate!

I, of course, went out tonight since it was the Photography Meetup. We had a smaller crowd than last month, which was probably a good thing since it made it easier to take to everyone and chat as a group. Attending were Mikey, Tara, Geoff, John, Phil, Sig, Tom, and a few other folks whose names I should remember by now. Alas, even without all the names, it was a good time. I'm looking forward to getting out to the U-District Street Fair this weekend to do some people watching and hopefully take some fun pictures. :)

posted by Cat at 5/14/2003 10:40:43 PM |

Tuesday, May 13, 2003

Tuesday Photo of the Day:
Hummingbirds!

Fun facts...
HEARTBEATS - About 250 times per minute while at rest, about 1,220 per minute while flying. BREATHING - About 250 breaths per minute while at rest. WING BEATS - About 60-80 times per second in normal flight, up to 200 times per second in courtship dives. SPEED - Normal flight about 25mph; up to 65kph (40mph) in a courtship dive.

posted by Cat at 5/13/2003 02:19:26 PM |

Monday Photo of the Day

Today I added my contribution to the May Day Project

posted by Cat at 5/13/2003 12:00:50 AM |

Sunday, May 11, 2003

Sunday Photo of the Day:
Neighbor's irises

Camping was fun. We went to Leavenworth afterwards. Dieter and I walked when I got home. Went to a party later.

posted by Cat at 5/11/2003 03:13:02 PM |

Friday, May 09, 2003

Friday Photo of the Day

Today I'm heading out of town again, though this time I'll probably get more sleep and won't be as tempted to stay. I'll be camping in the mountains past Stevens Pass near Leavenworth. It should be nice during the day, cool at nice, and hopefully will be a lovely weekend. Y'all take care, and do drop a comment to say hi if you're a first time visitor. Thanks!

posted by Cat at 5/9/2003 10:40:12 AM |

Thursday, May 08, 2003

Photo of the Day

Hmm... am kind of in a funk after getting back in town. I do miss my fabulous friends and family and this time around it was hard to leave Austin... Don't get me wrong, I love Seattle and love my job and love my Seattle friends, but it was hard coming back.

posted by Cat at 5/8/2003 11:49:34 PM |

Wednesday, May 07, 2003

Photo of the Day

Did I already mention the wedding and reception were beautiful? It was a fun weekend, all in all. :)

posted by Cat at 5/7/2003 05:31:31 PM |

Tuesday, May 06, 2003

Photo of the Day

Tuesday: It's always nice to have one on one time while in town, though with lots of friends and a very small time window, it doesn't always happen. Happily, my buddy Scott invited me over for an early morning breakfast before I drove back to Austin. Not only did we get to catch up on life, he got up at a crazy hour and made me breakfast! Amazing! After returning to Austin, I did lunch with my dad, repacked my suitcase, and headed out to the airport. Many thanks to all who came out this weekend and shared their generosity, rides, meals, and hospitality! I know it was a short trip, but hopefully I'll have more time next visit (I'll try to make it back in less than a year next time). Take care!

posted by Cat at 5/6/2003 11:06:35 AM |

Sunday, May 04, 2003

Photo of the Day:
Crazy flowers

Monday: I got a rental car and hopped on down to Houston to see the old crowd! I spent a relaxing afternoon and had quality Suzan time checking out the Art Cars, a cool park in the Heights, and her new apartment. We did a Cinco de Mayo dinner at Chuy's and got to see Sam, Ricky, Crow, Ajit, John, Scott L, Scott D, and Dallas. Yeah!! We even ran into a bunch of the Enform guys while leaving Chuy's and had an unexpected mini-reunion. Afterwards, we toured John's amazing new condo and also got to see Erin and Buvy. Will and I ended the evening with quality time at House of Pies, where the waitress recommended I get neither the sundae nor the macaroon I asked about. Too funny!

posted by Cat at 5/4/2003 11:30:38 PM |

Photo of the Day:
"It's a damn sunset," said Mitch.

Sunday: Late after the reception, I got to hang out with my old buddy Mitch... we don't keep in touch as much as we could, but it was fantastic to reunite and stay up late chatting and catching up! I woke up early Sunday to do breakfast with my lovely parents (who generously lent me their car and camera for the weekend). After breakfast I got to see my Beal for a fun afternoon of the Pecan Street Arts Festival, dinner at El Arroyo, then drinks at Club Deville. Yeah Austin! I was barely in town for 48 hours but got to see lots of folks! Sadly, there are still tons of folks I wish I had more time to see.... I'll have to do another trip and see them all next time!

posted by Cat at 5/4/2003 05:11:57 PM |

Saturday, May 03, 2003

Photo of the Day:
Young Readers

Saturday: On an unrelated note, today I flew to Austin to see my old friend Kat get married! It was a beautiful ceremony and reception and I wish Kat and Steve the best for their marriage and their trip to Greece! I hadn't been back to Texas in over a year, and hadn't seen some folks like Kary, Vicky, Jeff, and Amy in an even longer time. It was great to see them again, and was great to spend the day with Chris, Lyss, Charles, Captain Mike, and Elizabeth. A good time was had by all!

posted by Cat at 5/3/2003 10:48:17 PM |

Friday, May 02, 2003

Photo of the Day:
California Coast

posted by Cat at 5/2/2003 10:34:40 PM |

Thursday, May 01, 2003

Photo of the Day:
Bike Shop

posted by Cat at 5/1/2003 01:36:01 PM |

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