just laura

So yesterday at the office I dressed up in a maiden outfit for Halloween. One of the older gentlemen in the office saw me at the copy machine and said “My, don’t you look pretty dressed up today.” I said, “Thanks, I always have to do something for Halloween.” And he said, “Oh, this is for Halloween?” Oh my!!

What a fun night! After work I went out with Nitza, Tim, Karen, Eric, Kelly, and Brian. We got some dinner then headed to the Seattle Art Museum for their Day of the Dead festivities that coincided with their Mexican Modernist exhibit happening now. The free admission was what brought us there, but the free food and drinks, live music, speakers, alter, and procession all helped bring a huge crowd out to celebrate the festivities. The exhibit has lots of amazing pieces from Frida Kahlo and Diego Riveria, as well as additional material from María Izquierdo, José Clemente Orozco, Carlos Merida, and Rufino Tamayo. Anyway, the company was friendly and the exhibit fantastic!

I just got home after the museum and checked my email. I found this silly link (courtesy of Justin) and it’s kept Dieter and I laughing for a while now! Enjoy! The Official Ninja Website!

Btw, I’m off to another Halloween party tonight! I’ve had different costumes for the first four times I dressed up this year, but am not entirely sure what I should wear tonight! Ah… the debate! Take care! (Oh, and big hello to Mitch who called last night to say hi!!)

Pearl Jam… are they not the band you have to love? I remember back in high school when they said “screw off corporations!” and sold tickets independently so fans didn’t have to make huge companies rich just to see a band they love. Sadly, that time I remember, tickets went on sale on Mothers Day, and the phone circuits couldn’t handle it, and it sold out in minutes without little old me getting any tickets. In fact, all of their shows I tried to get tickets to always sold out instantly. Well, Peal Jam continues to warm my heart many years later. :) They’re playing a benefit concert here in Seattle in December and the proceeds of the $36 (very affordable!) tickets go to a fabulous list of area nonprofits and schools. This morning the show sold out in about 15 minutes, and I was lucky enough to get tickets! I’m not always a big believer in destiny, but it’s nice when things work out like this. The first Pearl Jam show I ever get to see is going to be in Seattle and will benefit a fabulous list of area nonprofits (see below)! Couldn’t get any better! Btw, if grunge fans or friends from home want to join me for the show, I have one extra ticket to the sold out 12/8 show. Let me know. Even more beautiful than the low ticket price and the nonprofits it supports… when the show just sold old this morning in just minutes, they added an entire second concert date and released more tickets since the demand was so high from fans. These boys are saints in my mind… right up there with the Indigo Girls as far as social conscious musicians able to connect to fans and use their powers for good not evil. Today, all my love today is channeled to Eddie Vedder. :)

Beneficiary List for December 2002 Seattle Benefit Shows

YouthCare   

www.youthcare.org


Arts Corps   

www.artscorps.org


Lifelong AIDS Alliance   

www.lifelongaidsalliance.org


VERA Project   

www.theveraproject.org


Northwest Literacy Foundation/Fill the Shelves in Public Schools Book Campaign

Citizen Campaign for Commercial Free Schools   

www.scn.org/cccs


Rebound One Productions


Coalition of Northwest Food Banks


The Red Feather Development Group   

www.redfeather.org


The Northwest School (scholarships)   

Contact: Ellen Taussig, email: ellen.taussig@northwestschool.org


Home Alive   

www.homealive.org


Spruce Street School (scholarships)


Seattle Center Arts Academy


Future of Music Coalition   

www.futureofmusic.org


Conservation International   

www.conservation.org


Blue Mountain Clinic, Montana   

www.bluemountain.com


West Memphis Three–legal defense fund (not tax deductible)   

www.wm3.org

It’s currently 40 degrees in Seattle! Brrr! Hence, I spent the day inside and spent some time online. Enjoy the photos I posted! We’ve got the party on Friday, New Years a few years ago, and last year’s Solstice Parade! Enjoy!

Photo of the Day: Jason Webley in concert at the Paradox 11/02/02

Tonight Dieter and I made burritos and watched some movie called Loser. It wasn’t exactly bad, but wasn’t quite the quality you’d expect from the director of Fast Times at Ridgemont High and with a cast of Mena Suvari and Jason Biggs. I think I was expecting something funnier or more exciting. Ah well. Cheap entertainment (gotta love the library!). Last week I got Roger and Me from the library and we watched it on Halloween. Michael Moore is fantastic and the movie was great!

So now that I have my high speed access, I’m getting more old pictures posted that had been sitting on my old desktop computer. I realized I just posted new years pictures from three years ago, and already had up stuff from two years ago, but never managed to get photos up from just last year. So, here they are: last year’s holiday photos from my trip to Austin! I saw tons of friends, hung with my family, and had a great time! Enjoy!

Three quick (political) things:

1) Go out and VOTE today! We all learned in the last big election that every vote counts!

2) If you’re in Texas, I think it’d be amazing to finally put the first black Texan in the senate. Do consider voting for Kirk. :)

3) Read Michael Moore’s message below. He’s one of my heros. Or, if you refuse to take a stand in the politics that will effect your daily life, just skip to the meaningless and look at the new photos I posted tonight. They’re from my trip to Austin last winter holiday. Take care, y’all!

Well, folks, Tuesday is the day! The day that George W. gets taught a long
overdue lesson. The day that we, the MAJORITY — the 52% who never elected
him — get our chance to reclaim a bit of our former democracy (back when
ALL the votes used to be counted).

What if, on Tuesday, all of us, regardless of our political stripe, and
just for the fun of it, decided to serve one big-ass eviction notice that
said, you have two years to remove yourself from the premises-and you had
better not damage anything on your way out?

I think we can give Bush the Mother of all Shellackings on Tuesday. It can
happen if you, and the millions of others, who are now reading this letter,
will do one simple thing:

TAKE THE DAY OFF THIS TUESDAY.

That’s right. Call in sick, skip work, skip school, skip Springer, and then
devote the next 12 hours to dragging as many people as you can out of their
homes and getting them to the polls.

I know a lot of you cannot afford to do this. But, honestly, can we afford
NOT to? Bush has been effectively stymied in his first two years from doing
much of the serious damage he was hired to do (we owe a big thanks to Jim
Jeffords for that). Yet, if he has both the House and Senate under his
thumb for his final two years, we will all pay a huge price for many years
to come.

On Tuesday, go down to the local candidate’s office and volunteer to do
whatever is needed: give a ride to the polls for senior citizens who can’t
get there, make last minute phone calls to probable voters who may have
forgotten to vote, pass out handbills on street corners, do cartwheels in
the middle of the mall — you name it, I am sure it will work.

Or you could just start going door to door in your own neighborhood. Knock
on every door and tell people in plain, non-political language why you
would like them to go down to the polls right now and vote for so-and-so.
Tell them you have never done this before, that you were just compelled to
do it as an act conscience, to do something for our country. Or tell them
you just needed to get some exercise. Tell them what they already know:
that the corporate guys have made off like bandits while the rest of the
country lives in utter fear over whether they will have jobs, health care
benefits, or our pensions when they retire. EVERYONE can relate to this –
and trust me, it is on everyone’s mind right now. Even many conservatives
who have seen their job or their 401(K) go up in smoke are now livid and
want their pound of flesh.

I know that for many of you this will be a new thing. Give it shot. I
promise you, at the end of the day on Tuesday, if we succeed, you will
never again doubt the power of just one individual who decides that she or
he can make a difference.

Send this email to your friends and family so that they, too, can be
informed of the good women and men who are running for the House and Senate
(and for many local and state races as well). Visit my web site at:
http://www.Michaelmoore.com for my recommendations.

Will you join with me in doing this?

Expect a wake-up call from me at your bedside 6am Tuesday!

Yours,

Michael Moore

http://www.michaelmoore.com

Hey out of towners…. ever wonder what’s going on at a local level in Seattle? Today you get the brief summary. Elections for some initiatives in Seattle were so close they’re actually counting absentee ballots! So far we know that:

• Referendum 51, which Gov. Locke proposed and lawmakers placed on the ballot to raise billions in gas taxes for a transportation plan, was crushed despite spending dramatically more than the opposition did ($4 million vs $177,000. Let’s hear it for the under dogs!). R51 would have given money to roads, but not to mass transit solutions.
  
• Initiative 790 would give union members pension power now held by lawmakers.
  
• The evil Tim Eyman passed his latest effort to cut state car-tax fees, Initiative 776. His admission to a series of lies about taking a salary from past campaign bank accounts apparently didn’t get through to the citizens about what kind of a dirty man he is. His initiative will now automatically repeal votes done at a local level across the state. What a sleaze ball.
  
• The awesome plans for a monorail system were ahead slightly late last night, but absentee ballots will have to be counted before a victory can be declared. Let’s hope it works! With 776 cutting funding already approved by voters, and with R51 being voted down, we’ll need any transportation solutions possible! (And the monorail would be much cooler than more roads anyway! Let’s hear it for public transit and reducing cars on roads, traffic, and pollution!!)
  
• Referendum 53, the unemployment-tax measure that was defeated, meant that voters backed home builders and small businesses against the Legislature, the governor, Boeing and other businesses that would have benefited from the legislative plan. Yeah!
  

Photo of the Day: Dena gets taken in by the Bachelor

Last night Andrew and Dieter introduced me to something I’d never done before… something that was new and engaging and exciting and fun. Something that takes hold of you and doesn’t let go till it’s over. That something I’m talking about is ABC’s the Bachelor. Wow. Apparently the boys watch the show every week, but this was my first time (Dena’s too). As many of you already know, Aaron made the mistake of his life last night when he gave roses to giggly Helena and stupid Brooke but not to sweet, cute Gwen. What was he thinking?! Everyone knew he should’ve asked Gwen to marry him… we knew it, he knew it, she knew it, and little Brooke knew it too. I implore you…. Aaron… are you out there? Say screw it! Cancel the show! Go find Gwen and marry that girl! That blonde bimbo child you kept there is no good and you both know it. Do the right thing… dumb her and go for Gwen!

Photo of the Day: Stephanie and Andrew at the Ballet

Tonight Andrew, Stephanie, Dieter, and I all went to see a performance of the Pacific Northwest Ballet. I’d gotten free tickets from work and have a hard time turning down free entertainment. :) I don’t claim to know much about ballet… but the show was lovely. They did everything you’d expect: they wore leotards, danced on their toes, and did lots of lifts. It was cool not only because it was the ballet and it was free, but also because I got to dress up a bit fancier than jeans! I wore a skirt and heels and jewelry and it was pretty exciting! Afterwards, we hit the 5 Spot Diner for some late night grub. Nothing better than going to the ballet and then getting a pitcher of beer and a pound of fries! :)

Yesterday at work I had more visitors than any other day I can remember. Over half my team showed up at some point or another… kind of fun! :) However, by the time I got home, I was hungry and quite tired (didn’t even have the energy to respond to email or blog! Wow). We were originally supposed to go see Neko Case in concert, but in a sort of mixed blessing, she sold out long before we were able to get tickets, so happily I got to stay at home Friday night and curl up on the couch. I read my book for a while, then Dieter came over and we watched Requiem for a Dream (many thanks to Nitza from loaning me the DVD). It was a relaxing night, I was warm, and all was good. :)

Went to my Physical Medicine appointment this week and found out some interesting stuff. :) The arch on my right foot is collapsing (most likely due to the two times I sprained that ankle in years past). Well, because of that, my left leg tries to compensate, and ends up overcompensating. So, now my left leg is slightly longer, which makes my left hip higher, which means my right shoulder over compensates and it’s higher now too. Crazy string of worthless events, eh? I know they are doctors and are trained to measure this stuff, but I’ve never noticed any of this and don’t think it’s really noticeable to the average person. Or is it? Could anyone out there tell I’m misshaped from the photos or real life? Do share!

Every couple of months I get emails from Sean in Chicago who is always full of love for my site. :) Anyway, figured I’d give you his link in case y’all are looking for ways to spend more time online surfing. http://www.fatseanny.com Enjoy!

The Jetty at the beach in Westport

This weekend I joined Andrew for a road trip to the Washington coast. :) We visited the towns and beaches of Aberdeen (home of Duffy’s Restaurant), Westport, Grayland, and Tokeland. I just posted pictures of the weekend… enjoy! Oh, and upon return from the trip, we called Dieter and got Sara and went to the Buckaroo for a low-key hangout evening. Was nice. Take care!

It’s storming in Seattle and we just got thunder!! Wohoo! I’d have preferred the storm to start after I’d gotten home, not while I was walking home, but that’s okay. I’ve now got dry clothes on and am ready to curl up on the couch! Sadly, it’s 9:12 here, which means it’s too late in Austin to call my Dad and wish him a happy birthday! Ack! I’ll have to call him first thing in the morning!

Photo of the Day: My new Electra bike!

Many thanks today to Dieter! Many thanks should go to Dieter everyday since he’s always way too good to me. However, many thanks on today in particular go to him for making it possible for me to get a bike at a great price. I just bought an Electra Hawaii women’s bike from their shop and it’s pretty sweet! “Single speed Shimano coaster brake, comfort geometry, hot floral designs, TIG welded High-Ten steel frame, Electra comfort seat, alloy rims, stainless steel spokes, extra grippy Electra brick-tread tires.” I’m pretty excited… now I just want the rain to stop for a day so I can go ride!   :)

Today we had a visitor in town for work and instead of talking all day at the office, we took her out to Snoqualmie Falls to see some of the sights while we talked. Imagine my surprise when this 60+ yr old woman decided she wanted to hike the trail to the bottom of the falls… in sandals nonetheless! You know, the trail with the “Caution: steep grade!” sign. We did it and there were no injuries to boot! Yeah!

After work, I met up with Joseph again, and with Sarah, and the three of us used my free passes to the movie premiere of The Emperor’s Club. It wasn’t horrible, but it was pretty predictable throughout the whole movie. Ah well. It was free, and was a chance to socialize.

Oh, and in other news, I got a part time job today that will help to balance out my hours at the nonprofit (since budget cuts brought my hours back down to 20 again). Nothing like working retail for the holidays! Wohoo! (Seriously though, I think it’ll be fun. Lots of people. Fun store. Great location. Keep me busy since I’m spending the holidays in Seattle). Yeah jobs and spending money (saving for car money?)!!

One of my members asked today if I could feed her kitty over the winter holidays… sounds like fun! My apartment building doesn’t allow cats, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want to visit them! Speaking of cat’s, thatonedude.com had the following entertaining link: mycathatesyou.com. Enjoy!

Speaking of silly sites thatonedude found, there are some silly listings to be seen on craigslist. In addition to the usual ads for furniture, apartments, jobs, etc, check these out. For example: “Please women, don’t reward mean guys with sex.” or “Trade: My Web Design Work 4 Your Escort Services.” Nice! Why didn’t I think to put up postings like those?

Last night Dieter, Andrew, Niki, Leah, Clint, and I all went out to the Monkey Pub for some Friday evening revelry. Sadly, the Monkey Pub had a loud, intense band playing so we left there after less than an hour. On the way to the Blue Moon, we passed Sundi and a date. I know any time Sundi is out in public he’s bound to run into someone he knows. Last night was no different. Apparently he and Niki knew each other and she got quite a kick out of him when he told her I was his boss. :) Crazy. Hmm… speaking of Niki, I think next Thursday we’re going to try to go to Gameworks for Ladies Night. Any other Seattle women out there interested in joining us? Free games all night long… hard to resist! The bars were fun, as were the folks from Gregg’s we hung out with. In fact, I don’t think I’ve had that much fun at a bar in many moons. It was a good night.

Today I’ll be skipping the bars and running errands. I got groceries this morning, went to the library, and now I’m going to do Christmas shopping for the family reunion’s annual gift exchange extravaganza! I always have a hard time picking out a gift for the exchange… I need a $30 gift that’s good for anyone age 16-80+. Wish me luck, and PLEASE send me any inspirations you might have!

Today’s shopping trip was a moderate success. I found two sweaters for me (though I think I’ll take them both back… they always look better on the rack than on me once I finally get to try them on). I also got a block of sharp cheddar (I’m keeping it), two gifts for family, and one gift for the exchange. I’d love to tell you one of the fabulous things I found, but there is a chance my family will read this between now and Thanksgiving, so I’ll leave it off since it’s a secret! I do still need four more gifts though, so I’m going back out tomorrow, into the rain and winds, to try again. Again, any suggestions you have would be much appreciated!

Oh, and in other news today, I talked to my brother for the first time in a long while. I called to find out what he and Stef wanted for Christmas, but we got to talk for a while so that was nice. He’s doing well and spent his Saturday golfing with a client and enjoying Phoenix’s sunny 80 degree weather! Among other things, we discussed my pineapple wall (he’s a big fan and apparently told many friends about it!), my allergy diet, and my blog mentioning him having “redneck tendencies.” Guess I should clarify in case anyone got the wrong idea. He’s not a hick with outdoor plumbing, bad grammar, cars on blocks in the front yard, and screwed up teeth. The redneck tendencies I was referring to were having a strong Southern accent, driving a truck, listening to country music, etc. I should let you know for the record that he is a regular guy, works as an engineer, plays golf in his free time, happily married, etc. My sister in law Stef mentioned feeling a little offended by the comment so I thought I should apologize and clarify in case anyone got the wrong idea. Anyway, it was good to talk to him and catch up! With Thanksgiving just a week away, I’ll get to see him and the whole family very soon. Hope everyone is doing well and is looking forward to a lovely upcoming holiday. Take care!!

Tonight I went out to dinner with this guy who tells me that he is difficult to deal with, rude to others, and likes jokes that are gender biased or racially biased. He goes on to tell me that he’s an egomaniac, that he’s desperate for dates, that none of his friends will set him up with their friends, that that he just wants to meet someone so he can get married, and that he doesn’t have time to date since he is trying to concentrate on his job. Well. So. Umm. Hmmm. While I’m a big advocate for honesty and while I appreciate full disclosure when hanging out with someone new for the first time, it was really quite strange. I began to think he was trying to turn me off or trying to make himself seem unattractive so we wouldn’t go out a second time (it totally worked!!), but then at the end of the night he gave me a hug and asked me out again for tomorrow night. Truly bizarre. I think I’ll have to give him the let’s just be friends speech. Geez… men are weird.

Photo of the day: Snoqualmie Falls

In unrelated news, I finally saw prostitutes on Aurora Ave/Hwy 99 yesterday. Since my first week Seattle I’ve been told that’s where the prostitutes hang out. While I’d never seen them myself, I had friends who’d seen them and other friends (like poor Christina) who’d been mistaken for one on the day her car broke down and she was waiting on a street corner on Aurora for a ride. However, that’s a different story. It wasn’t until yesterday when I was on the bus heading home that I saw the Aurora prostitutes for myself. Our bus stopped at a crowded bus shelter and a bunch of people got on the bus. However, some women stayed seated on the benches and didn’t board. Upon closer inspection, all three women were had long straight hair, wore makeup, had on high heeled shoes, wore black leather jackets, and were sipping coffee to stay warm. With the weather in the low 50s and the winds gusting at 30+ mph, you’d have to have a good reason to be sitting outside at a bus stop on a busy road and not board the bus. Seems all three were waiting for johns. Too exciting!

Today I had a full day anti-racism training at work and tonight I went out to coffee with a nice boy from Houston. :)

Besides the fact that I have a bad headache right now, it’s a really good night!

First, the final monorail votes were finally counted tonight around 9pm and they won!! Thank goodness! The count took a long time, and it was super close, but it’s been proclaimed the winner! Yeah!!

Second, there is some really fabulous art work on The Library of Congress website. You’d be wise to check out the By the People, For the People: Posters from the WPA. The collection has over 900 boldly colored and graphically diverse original posters produced from 1936 to 1943 as part of Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s New Deal. I just spent a long time browsing and they’re quite amazing! The art is fabulous and the history is really intriguing and telling about the era. They promote everything from “Careers in Household Arts” to National Parks to “Stamp out Syphilis” to “Censor what we say about war.” Wow!

Another exciting day here! First, it was sunny and in the 60s! Nice! Second, I got to eat the vegan lunch buffet at Araya with Erin. Third, my new digital camera arrived with the UPS guy today and it’s pretty sweet! (My old one was stolen last spring at a community service event (LAME!), so I finally decided to spend the money and replace it with a new one). I haven’t gotten to play much yet, but I’ve recorded voice, made a movie, and taken pictures. I will have to play more tomorrow on my day off and figure out all of the settings!

Let’s see. Weather was great so Dieter and I walked home from school/work together. :) I got to ride his new cruiser and it was fabulous. Dinner was great too… I made mac and cheese from a box – that’s right – rice pasta mac and cheese (wheat and gluten free!). I found it at PCC this weekend and was pretty excited to find it tasted good. :) After that lovely discovery at dinner, Andrew, Brian, and I went to see “Personal Velocity” on more free movie premiere passes. It’s the new film with Kyra Sedgewick and Parker Posey… an art flick about three women’s unrelated lives. It was not exactly fun or uplifting, but it was a powerful film that excelled at showing pain. After that, we came back to Dieter’s place to watch an overly drawn out season finale of The Bachelor. Side note to Aaron: What were you thinking?!? You genuinely looked happy with Helene, but she looked totally fake in return. (Looked pretty money hungry too, yuck!). Hmmm… the two hour finale was a bit long for me, but I survived. Now, however, I’m ready for bed. G’night!

Today I saw my old roommate Ross for the first time in about a year. For those unfamiliar, Ross is the kind and generous soul who let me rent his basement when I first moved to Seattle two years ago. I didn’t know anyone here, and didn’t have a place to stay, and though I’d never met him, Ross (an old friend of a college buddy’s) offered me shelter in his Queen Anne abode. Anyway, we eventually became good friends but then one day (long story short) it got awkward and I decided it was time for me to find my own place. After I moved out, Ross no longer called or emailed. We didn’t cook together anymore. No more late night chatting. No more hanging out or watching movies or hitting bars or anything. Sad. I’ve invited him out many times since then, and have invited him over for dinner parties and such to no avail. He emailed a few times saying we should hang out, but we never were able to pick a date and do it. I did see him once about a year ago when our mutual friend was in town, but otherwise we haven’t hung out – not even once.

Running into him today was a total freak occurrence. I was downtown rushing around doing holiday shopping and we ran into each other near his downtown office building (he was in a parking lot searching for his girl friend apparently). We did the brief “hi, how are you” and then the “well, gotta run.” I know I looked like hell and I probably sounded pretty stupid too, but I left that parking lot smiling like a lunatic. What a great reunion of old friends, eh? :) Who knows? Maybe I should give up on the idea of ever hanging out socially with him ever again. Maybe I romanticized the whole roommates period and made it seem more fun in retrospect than it really was. However, I like the boy. He’s a kind soul, and is incredibly intelligent, creative, and gifted. He and his coworker Moses were the first people in this city to befriend me and I will always appreciate them for making my move so fabulous. Ah well. I digress. I guess I just wanted to post my Ross spotting. No, not because it was terribly exciting, but basically because I needed a place to reminisce. Hope everyone is well.

Last night was our team’s potluck for Thanksgiving. I was worried about not being able to eat much, but among the 30+ dishes, I was able to eat about 6 things and they were all great! Sweet potatoes, spaghetti squash, caramel chocolate cheesecake with no crust, etc. I ate more than enough and had fun seeing everyone and hanging out. :) In addition to the excess amounts of food, we had a good playful evening. People chatted, played Trivial Pursuit, shot some pool, and watched DVDs on the big screen (Sex and the City, Office Space, and Wayne’s World!). I opted not to join them for the bars afterwards, but ended up getting a taste of their drunken revelry anyway. Around 1am I got a call on my cell from two members serenading me with a rowdy, horrific version of “I Believe I Can Fly.” Too funny! Not the first time they’ve called me drunk to sing to me on a Friday night!

Photo of the Day: Disco stud dancing on skates!

Last night was Saturday night and we might as well been living Saturday Night Fever! Dieter and I went to the Experience Music Project for grand opening party of the new Disco exhibit. In addition to free museum entrance, a sneak preview at the new exhibit, and free food and alcohol, there was also a costume contest, disco content, and dance music all night long spun by original Studio 54 DJ Nicky Siano. Quite fun! Look for pictures to be posted soon… I took tons of all the people dressed up and looking disco-riffic!

Today I finished my holiday shopping and did laundry to facilitate my packing process. On Tuesday I’m flying down to San Diego, CA to see my family for Thanksgiving. I’ve got my passport ready since Tijuana, Mexico is just south of the border (maybe 10-15 miles from San Diego). I get back to Seattle on Saturday and will be meeting up with Suzan on Sunday to head north of the border to Vancouver, British Columbia. It should be a fun filled week, I’m just trying to get all of my shopping done now, pack my bags, make hotel reservations, arrange to have food available that I can eat, etc.

Oh, and in other exciting news, I went to orientation yesterday for my new seasonal job. I’ll only be working for the month of December, but it should be fun. All of the folks I met were really nice. I was excited to hear that the “dress code” is basically “don’t look unprofessional.” What’s the mean? Well, jeans are okay, facial piercings are fine, sneakers are cool, etc. Not bad for a downtown retail job, eh? And, I was excited to hear that we get some amazing deals for select merchandise at cost… I might just have to add to my wish list!

Okay, guess that’s it for tonight. I’m off to make dinner then meet a friend for drinks. Take care, y’all!

Dieter is house sitting for friends this week and tonight I joined him for walking their dog Kigara. I totally should have brought my camera with… she was the sweetest, cutest puppy! I guess she wasn’t really a puppy since she was grown and huge, but she was super sweet and playful so she’s still a puppy in my book! I’m home now, eating some take out from Taste of India, and am needing to start packing for my trip. Meant to do that this weekend but never quite got around to it. Guess tonight is as good of time as any! I was excited about packing as San Diego is generally in the 70s this time of the year, however a quick visit to weather.com shows that we’re expecting rain and clouds and low 60s all week – lame! Not quite as exciting to have to pack sweaters after all. You’d hope leaving Seattle and going to Southern Cal would bring warm, sunny weather, but sadly it’s not something one can always count on. Ah well. I’m sure it’ll be lovely anyway. :)

I just had the long post about my trip and travels in San Diego so far, but the hotel’s computer cut me off. PAIN! Short version: I’m here (after almost missing my bus). Andrew and I shared a bus to the airport. I drove to Orange County today with my folks to get a bread maker from Dieter’s generous parents (will be great since I’m allergic to wheat and gluten and can’t eat store bought bread). What else to mention? San Diego isn’t as cold or as rainy as weather.com had projected. Thai food last night was yummy. Lots of surfers are at the beaches. Spent lots of time with family tonight catching up with Charlie and Stef, Mom and Dad, cousins, grandparents, aunts and uncles. I don’t know what we plan to do for the new few days, but hopefully it’ll be new stuff that I didn’t see the last time I was in town. First priority, though, is seeing family. So, on that note, I’m signing off for the night. Hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving!

Just wanted to wish everyone a happy Thanksgiving! I’m thankful for lots… terrific friends and family, hot tubs at hotels, Trader Joes…. ya know, the usuals. :) Hope everyone has a great week! Take care!

Tonight it was time for cousin bonding and after the gift exchange and happy hour, we all went to the Eminem movie 8 Mile. Not a bad movie…. not bad at all. (Of course, I feel kinda guilty I told Dieter I wasn’t interested in seeing it, but I had no choice as it was a group decision). I’ve never listened to his music before, but I enjoyed the movie and liked the rap. Cool. :) So anyway, I think we’re all heading up to Vince’s room now for some more bonding. Jon’s got a big game in the morning for his soccer tournament, but the rest of us have no place in particular to be early. Might as well hang out and catch up. Y’all take care!

Friday was a good day. :) After the usual breakfast with the whole family, me, mom, and Stef headed to the mall to check out any good bargins. I found a great sale on a purse from Macy’s and actually bought it! Amazing! Dad helped Marge and Grandpa learn about computers while Charlie stayed at the hotel to watch A&M’s football team get slaughtered by UT. We all met up for lunch then headed to the La Jolla beach to watch the sea lions, photograph the surfers, and take in a gorgeous sunset. Lovely, lovely scene. After a big family dinner at Cozymel’s, the cousins hung out and watched The exciting newest Muppet movie: The Very Merry Muppet Christmas. It was fantastic and I think I might have to add it to my holiday wish list at some point. I wonder if the 1-800-peacock number will sell it on DVD? Hmmm…. Speaking of Christmas, I got gifts from Mom and Dad this week. A couple of things for the kitchen, a knitting book, and some decorations for the apartment. Lovely stuff. :) Anyway, it’s late and I fly back to Seattle tomorrow. I’ve got to say… the trip flew by this year (probably since there was no family drama or fighting this time). I’ll be sad to go home, but will be glad to see Dieter. (Poor guy is home alone, doing homework, and has a yucky cold or something. He rarely gets sick, but he’s got something now). Anyway, that’s it for me tonight. Before I go, let’s all wish my cousin Jon good luck in his soccer tournament tomorrow – his team won their first two games! Hope everyone else is well too! Take care!