just laura

Everyone’s favorite nephew is still cute and oh so fabulous! Check out his blog at www.bigbadgus.com! Warning: the blog has some seriously cute baby mohawk photos on it!

Got to hang with Susie this week!
And Martha!
And Samantha, Manuel, Stephanie, Ryan, and Brandon!
And worked two jobs!
And did First Thursday Art Walk with Caroline! (And ran into Jim and Skye down there too! And bought some Seattle art work… always want to support the local artists.)
And maybe almost decided on a studio apartment in Fremont. No guarantees yet, but I’ve got the application in hand and that counts for something.

This weekend is more work (yep, even on Sunday), more catching up with friends, maybe four BBQs (if we can fit all four in the schedule), and maybe another date. We’ll see.

Yay life!

Sunrise at Crater Lake National Park

Here are a few pics from the road trip. To see more, I’ve posted the rest of the road trip pictures in my picasa account. Enjoy!

This weekend I had another date (yay!)

This weekend I went to Kim and Tyson’s BBQ and to John’s Black Party

This weekend I went running, tried riding a bike, walked, bought a bus pass, worked, grocery shopped, and turned in my application for an apartment in Fremont

I’ll try to get some real posts up soon, but for now I’m working two jobs and keeping busy catching up with everyone. :)

Here are five pictures from the Martha, Susie, Abbey party that happened two weeks ago. These selected photos are from both Kim and Joe, and mine are available for view in my picasa albums. Enjoy!

Want more pics? Mine are available for view in my picasa albums. Enjoy!

I meant to say three jobs. Yes, juggling three jobs right now. (Guess I’m making up for lost time over the past seven months). The latest job is courtesy of Caroline and her pull in the local film industry. She’s signed me up as a PA on a project this week and that means I’ll be trying to fake competency when I have no idea what a PA even does. Who needs training, anyway? The income of three short term things will be good for my bank balance, but I’ll be happy to make it to next Tuesday night when I’ll be down to just one job: my old position as director at the non-profit. Yay cash now and yay more freedom in my schedule soon!

In other news, in the past two days I worked two days, I got to hang out with my old roomie Erin B, and got to see Marth and Abbey, had quality time with my temporary roomie Jess, and got a tour of Erin D’s new house. :) I also got to see Caroline’s new place and moved my stuff from Erin D’s old house to what will ideally be my new studio. Oh, and Susie generously gave me a long overdue hair cut (I think it’s only about 2 inches shorter, but it feels short to me). Yay Sunday and Monday!

Guess who’s the new official resident at the cutest studio in Fremont? Yep! My new landlord called today and I’m in! I go over on Wednesday to sign the rental agreement for a year lease starting Sept 1st. I’ll live kitty-corner from the Buckaroo, so visitors are welcome before or after pub trips. And I’m sure I’ll have an open house / house warming sometime in September. Yay not being homeless!

Finished the overnight film job this weekend… we shot 5 commercials in 3 nights for a NW grocery store chain. It was pretty exhausting, but also pretty fun. I was expecting people to be too cool for school, but most everyone was actually very nice and very friendly overall. People even remembered my name, which was exciting since I was the lowest of the low as far as staff go. But the work was fun and paid the rent, so I’d happily do it again someday. Yay film and yay Caroline for my intro to the commercial/film world!

Did I mention we had a street party last week for the national Night Out initiative? I made cherry cobbler and ate lots of good potluck foods. It was pretty great meeting the neighbors and hearing some of the history of the neighborhood. (Linden, Greenwood, Phinney etc all used to be orchards… I had no idea but it does make sense in hindsight). Also fun to hear what housing prices were in the mid-80s… about $80K for a home that’s now over a half million. Crazy.

What else? I managed to semi-host a small BBQ this weekend at Jess’s house (where I’m still couch surfing). Was fun to see people, but also astoundingly cold for a summer August night. We were all bundled up in fleece and sweaters, but still opted to move the festivities indoors to remain a bit warmed. Just doesn’t seem right to wear fleece to a summer BBQ. Also managed a third date this weekend, which feels like quite a feat. Why it should feel so difficult, I’m really not at all sure. It just feels difficult on an ongoing basis. Not that he’s difficult, he’s quite sweet and caring. It’s just that I’m always left full of unanswered questions about background stuff that’s never discussed. Odd. Also managed to turn down three additional assignments with Dieter’s consulting company… which makes me kind of wish they’d just offer me a full time position then I’d happily do it. I just can’t juggle full time non-profit work and still take out of town assignments in California. It’s a wee bit logistically impossible right now with the start of school. Oh, and I turned down Dieter’s offer to move in with him and his wife Emily. When he said it, I didn’t think he was serious, and I think I responded with something like “we’re not having this conversation.” Or maybe that part was just echoing in my head? Either way, he told me they’d actually discussed it and Emily was cool with the idea. Could be lovely I’m sure, but also just seemed a bit odd. Regardless, it’s a non-issue since I’ve been approved for my own place in Fremont with a Sept 1st move date. Yay having my own place sometime soon!

Today I worked and tonight I ate Indian food (Cedars) for the first time since leaving Seattle in Nov 2005. (Unless you count not-quite-Indian food variations found on the Kenyan coast). I really can’t believe it’d been so long! I was so content with my spicy veggie butter masala and the bottomless chai is still rocketing through my veins many hours later. Must force myself to not drink quite so much of that stuff! Makes it very hard to want to go to bed with so much caffeine and sugar in my body!

And in other news, I’m still getting teary eyed at things like gorilla murders and poverty in Africa, but I suppose that’ll still happen for a while to come.

As is the trend these days for hip kids, more and more unmarried folks are having kids. Including my old boss’s teen daughter Kaylee. I remember going to dinner with Brett and Kaylee the day Kaylee first started her period. She wanted us to know, but was too shy to tell us herself, so Brett told us for her. And now she’s having a baby? Wild and very exciting. Which brings me to a request… Anyone in Seattle have gently used baby stuff they’d like to give to a new young mom? Or have friends or neighbors who might have stuff to give away? I’m going to her shower in mid-September and she’s specifically asked for gently used/secondhand stuff for her future little boy. (Yay environmentally conscious/anti-consumerism teen moms!). Here’s a very long list… if you have anything that might match that you’d want to give to a good home, do let me know. :) Thanks!

Clothing
1 – 2 baby hats (have 2)

5 0-3 month undershirts (have 1)

0 0-3 month onesies (have a lot!)
6 3-6 month onesies (have 3)
3-12 month onesies (have 6)
9 12-18 month onesies

0 pairs of newborn socks (have 7 pairs)
5 pairs of 3 month socks (have 1)
6 pairs of 6 month socks
6 pairs of 9 month socks
6 pairs of 12 month socks
6 pairs of 18 month socks

3 pairs of booties

0 gowns (have 4)

0 0-3 month Footed sleepers (have 3)
0 3-6 month footed sleepers (have 3)
0 9-12 month footed sleepers (have 4)
3 12-18 month footed sleepers

1 3-6 month sweaters (have 1)
1 6-9 month sweaters (have 1)
3 9-12 month sweaters

Little hat and mittens set that match

Things for Mama
Cute for bag for caring baby stuff
Movie rental gift certificates (on 15th Video)
Pretty shirts I can wear when I nurse
Gift Certificate for Retail Therapy

Hygiene
2- 4 baby washcloths
baby soap (not Johnson and Johnson, please only buy rabbit free and socially conscious)
baby lotion (not Johnson and Johnson, please only buy rabbit free and socially conscious)
gentle detergent (please only buy rabbit free and socially conscious)

Diaper stuff

Dozen small diaper covers (see www.seattlediaper.com)
Dozen medium diaper covers (see www.seattlediaper.com)
Dozen large diaper covers (see www.seattlediaper.com)
Dozen extra large diaper covers (see www.seattlediaper.com)
Dozen diaper pins
Diaper Pail (may come with the diaper service)
2 Dozen plain white washcloths for wiping the baby’s butt (nurturecenter.com)
Diaper service (24 months)
Butt cream (please only buy rabbit free and socially conscious)

Big stuff
Crib
Crib mattress
Bassinet
High Chair
Booster seat (for the kitchen table)
Car seat
Pretty sarong to use as a sling
umbrella stroller
Bouncy seat
Swing

Nursing stuff
breast pump
bottles (glass)
nipples
bottle brush
breast pads (washable not disposable)
breastfeeding pillow

Feeding it later stuff
Little baby spoons (not plastic)

Health and Safety
Monitor
Nasal Aspirator
Thermometer (ear kind)
CPR guidelines
cotton gauze (for use when cleaning umbilical stump)
outlet plugs
cabinet and drawer stops
toilet lock
2 baby gates
fire extinguisher
doorknob covers

Food things
3 Bibs for little babies
3 bibs for big babies

Bedding
2 sets of crib sheets (including crib bumpers)
2 sets of bassinet sheets
2 changing mats (see nurturecenter.com)
mobile
2 baby blankets
2 waterproof mattress covers (crib sized)
2 waterproof mattress covers (full size)
6 receiving blankets

Good music for the baby
Kaylee isn’t going to play the baby any classical music
Kaylee would like to have some Beatles music for the baby
Kaylee wants to have Patsy Cline’s Triangle song

Books
Free to Be You and Me
Free to Be a Family

What not to buy
Baby bath seat

Things she has:
Stroller

Suzan and Jeremy got married in Chicago in July and I’m just now getting around to uploading photos. Many thanks to the bride and groom for including me in their special day and week of wedding festivities! I felt extremely honored! Many thanks also to Ben and friends who generously put me up for the weekend, welcomed me with open arms, and showed me a good time outside of wedding festivities. I had a fabulous time in town and hope to come back for another visit very soon! More photos are from the weekend can be found on my my picasa albums. Enjoy!

More photos are from the weekend can be found on my my picasa albums. Enjoy!

Hmm… I’m all about Eclipse mints in the blue tins, but I just tried some of the new “Lemon Ice Eclipse” gum and thought it was pretty disgusting. “Tastes like cough syrup” would be the kindest possible way of saying it. Just my two cents worth… carry on with the rest of your day.

Two good shows coming up at the Showbox:

Jose Gonzalez
Showbox at the Market, Seattle, WA
Sun, Oct 7, 2007 08:00 PM

and

Ghostland Observatory
Showbox at the Market, Seattle, WA
Fri, Oct 12, 2007 08:00 PM

Also… lots happening this weekend. Anyone want to go play?

Friday – Free outdoor movie at Seattle Center – Hairspray
Friday – “Finding Your Audience: An Introduction to Marketing Your Photographs”
Friday – Mariners vs. Chicago White Sox
Saturday – KEXP BBQ at 2pm
Saturday – Rat City Roller Derby championships from 4-10pm
Saturday – Fremont Outdoor Movie is Casino Royale (2006) – Bond Night
Saturday – Green Lake Star Party (7pm, free, hosted by Seattle Astronomical Society)
Saturday – Free outdoor movie at Seattle Center – Moulin Rouge
Saturday & Sunday – Hemp Fest at Myrtle Edwards Park

Speaking of uploading long overdue photos… here’s one of Eric, my ex-boyfriend from college formerly known as Droopy. He now lives in Hawaii with his fancy engineering job, he’s on the island of Kauai, and he’s single. Similarly single ladies should feel encouraged to email now and get a date set up! I was lucky enough to get to spend time with him in Austin before he left again for his latest assignment and it was great fun catching up after so many years. He seems to be doing really well which makes me quite happy.

I moved into my new place last night, which made for a pretty darn exciting Sunday night! Only took a few trips in the Honda and one trip of Jess’s station wagon. I realize I’m missing a few things that I was absolutely confident I kept (matching whole silverware set; expensive down comforter), some things sadly had some mildew/mold (now I’m forced to do dry cleaning), but most things that made it here are thankfully intact. I’ve got other things I thought I’d kept (toolbox? salt and pepper shakers John Dunn gave me?), but have no idea where they might have gone. The kitchen is fully unpacked, but the rest will need a few days till I’m sorted. Pictures will be posted eventually. It’s a small studio so it really won’t take many pictures to get the idea across. :)

The rest of the weekend was also lovely. Since last Sunday’s update, I finished my environmental consulting contract and started working full time with my nonprofit again. Definitely a busy week. I also made it out to one of the Outdoor Movies at the Mural (saw the original Hairspray, perfectly seated on a blanket next to really fun and rowdy gay men). I don’t think I’ve seen a movie at the Mural since Beal spent the summer with me in Seattle a million years ago. I also started exercising (long overdue) with running a few miles here and there. This morning’s wet and rainy run with Steph was at 6am. It was a bit less than ideal after a late night unpacking, but still worthwhile and very necessary.

Also managed to fit in lunch with Maggie and Ian (yay!), hanging out and gardening time with Samantha (always fabulous), date night with Ryan (seemingly going well), a Mariner’s game (we won), and hanging with Jess and Caroline (yay neighbors). Was also fortunate to see Miss Crow who’s in town working this summer. She and Ajit left Houston, are doing MBAs in Boston, but she ended up here for her internship. I was happy to catch up with her after so long and was happy to wander the Fremont Sunday Market (even if it was raining steadily much of the weekend). Oh! And I even got to eat two GF meals this weekend: a cinnamon roll from Flying Apron on Sunday (gluten free goodies at the market) and Saturday morning breakfast at DaVinci’s (a new-ish gluten free cafe north on Greenwood). I’m sure I’ve missed other stuff, but in short I’m well. Life still feels busier than necessary, but overall life is good. No complaints. Definitely thankful for friends and opportunities, and definitely appreciative of how life is beginning to fall into place.

The overarching sadness of the week was due to Martha and Abbey leaving Seattle for new exciting times in DC. Martha wouldn’t allow entering into discussions of goodbyes, which was hard to accept, but I tried. So while I didn’t get much of a goodbye here in Seattle, I was lucky enough to see her daily for the past week. And even better than that, I know I’ll get to see them during my next visit to DC and on their visits back to Seattle. I’ll greatly miss them both and wish them all the best of luck on their future endeavors. (And I’ll probably post more about them soon… they’ve been on my mind). :)

So life is good, even if Marth and Abbey left us for new adventures. Now I just need to get my apartment settled so I can eventually focus some energy on job search. Wish me luck!

Currently listening to: Ooh Child, by Beth Orton

This was my first week back at my old job, which is now actually relatively different. I definitely feel needed and feel productive. I feel capable and competent. I feel remembered… a small town celebrity among the larger staff who’ve been around a while and knew me before I left. It’s really nice to see some familiar, welcoming faces. I don’t feel overworked (yet), but I do know I’ve got a whole lot to accomplish in a very short time before the school year starts and my new employees arrive.

The tragic part of the arrangement is that the director leaving this position open for me is a really good friend who is leaving Seattle for DC. Her girlfriend just got accepted into grad school out there, with an attractive fellowship at that, and she’s moving to DC with her. I get a job out of the deal, but Seattle and I lose an amazing woman who’s returning to the East Coast. We lose two amazing women, really, and let’s be honest: I’d much rather skip the job and instead keep the friends close at hand. That said, I couldn’t be more proud of Abbey for the fellowship or more thankful to have Marth in my circle of friends. I feel very fortunate that she was able to be convinced to move to Seattle in the first place, and bring with her Susie, and subsequently assemble a rag tag crowd of amazingly dynamic and supportive friends formerly known to me as the “Sunday Dinner Crowd.” Sunday Dinners have run their course as the crowd and tradition has morphed over the years, but my respect and appreciation of the friends found there continues. And my love and respect for Martha and Abbey continues. I wish them both all the best in DC and hope we’ll continue to be friends for many, many years to come.

When Abbey left town this week, she left me some hot cocoa, a CD player, two lamps, a Swiffer, and all kinds of other random goodies for my cupboards. So great!

Dieter and Emily are going out of town this week and they generously offered me a huge bag of produce from their CSA and P-patch. And they gave me the best chips and salsa. And I even get their full CSA basket this week! I’m super excited!

And when Crow moved back to Boston this week she offered me all kinds of stuff, saving me from buying items that were actually on my Target/Ikea shopping list: clothes hangers, laundry hamper, laundry detergent, condiments and spices, tupperware type stuff, etc. Perfect timing!

And I even got two free waffle makers this week… one from Caroline and one from the nice gay neighbors. Guess that makes up for having to buy two microwaves this week (the first microwave was literally 1/4 inch too tall for my counters, blocking my cupboard doors so they couldn’t open or close. The second one is an inch shorter and works perfectly).

Jess’s mom gave me a plant starter so I’ll soon have a tiny little house plant of my own.

Caroline’s sister Liz gave me her blue velour chair to use/hold for her.

Caroline and Liz’s neighbors offered me their wardrobe for free (though we haven’t managed to get it moved over here yet).

And in the same furniture vein, I’ve decided to cut down on the number of end tables in my apartment and give them away free to strangers. Today I put a nice stool and an okay water stained coffee table out on the corner with a “free” sign. I put the stool out first and immediately made a second trip down with the coffee table. The stool was gone in about a minute flat… it was gone before I even made it down with the table. And the table was gone shortly thereafter. Sweet! I think the sewing table is going next, and then The Mauve table. The Mauve is sturdy and functional and the perfect fit for below my bay windows, but I’m not particularly attached to it. We’ll see. Perhaps I’ll repaint it and keep it. Or maybe I’ll find the perfect replacement in non-mauve for 2 dollars at a garage sale. Either way, I know it’ll all continue to come together. It always does.

Thanks, Seattle, for helping pass along goodies from one person to the next. I love saving stuff from the trash and knowing it’s getting to someone who’ll appreciate it.

What’d I do this week? Hard to say, but it’s been busy.

• I saw Crow last Sunday.
• I ran 3 miles at 6am. I also saw Caroline, Jess, and Lee on Monday night for the studio unveiling and a friend’s birthday at Doc Watsons.
• I did dinner with Rod and Clare in my new place on Tuesday (we had Paseo… yum!).
• Ran 3 miles at 6:15am. And Will Isbell was in town so I saw him Wed and Thurs after work.
• And later Wed I saw Jess and Caroline for the first half of the hair dying party. And I bought spices at Whole Foods… such a great field trip! I [heart] spices!
• And later Thursday I did coffee with Susie and then dinner at Dahlia Lounge with good ol’ 19 yr old Nick from Malawi. He left for college on Saturday, so we wanted to catch up one more time before he left. And it was great to eat at Dahlia… I’d never been to the Tom Douglas restaurant before and it was good! We’re hoping to set up 19 yr old Nick with Tom’s high school daughter Loretta, but we’ll see.
• Friday night was Cuban night dinner and party in First Hill and it was like a mini AC reunion… great fun! However, I was positively exhausted and left at midnight after feeling tired and light headed. I went home and proceeded to sleep for 10+ hours… very rare. Maybe I caught the bug Ryan caught? He’s been sick this week and stayed home from work for two days…
• Saturday was errands day with Jess… including final unpacking and straightening of the apartment. Saturday night was Date Night with Ryan. Still a nice guy… who knew?
• Sunday was more errands in the morning, starting with getting quality time and veggies from Dieter and Emily. Errands included Goodwill and garage sales (where I got a sweet pair of sunglasses and a tree in a box for only $0.70. :) Jess and I went hiking around St. Edwards State Park and then dyed my hair in the evening. It was supposed to be “auburn brown 56″ (normal brown with a hint of red) but turned out very, very dark making me feel quite pale despite my lingering African tan. Alas… guess it’s my new fall ‘do? Guess it’s better than the natural sun bleaching I’ve had since Africa, but really I just wanted to get back to my normal color, sans dark and sans light. Ah well. No big deal, it’s just hair.

It’s now Monday, almost 8am, and that means I should be working. Coming up this week… Labor Day, Bumbershoot music festival, lots and lots of work, Charles’s birthday, Mom and Samantha’s birthday, and who knows what else. Hope everyone had a lovely week. Be well!

It’s Tuesday, it’s 11pm, and I’m exhausted. Guess maybe I am sick after all. I was planning to cook dinner tonight and watch a DVD, but that really didn’t happen. Instead I think I’ll just go to bed early. G’night y’all…

Unlike all of the magazines carrying Africa articles that make me cry, this Time magazine “special report” just makes me pretty happy. There’s a huge spread in the last Time about National Service. It’s what I do, and have been doing, since 2001. I find great value in the program and find the work incredibly rewarding (even if I do tend to work long hours). Apparently Caroline Kennedy also is a huge fan… which also makes me happy. Read on: http://www.time.com/time/specials/2007/0,28757,1657256,00.html

A brief excerpt:

When Americans look around right now, they see a public-school system with 38% of fourth graders unable to read at a basic level; they see the cost of health insurance escalating as 47 million people go uninsured; they see a government that responded ineptly to a hurricane in New Orleans; and they see a war whose ends they do not completely value or understand.

But there is something else we are seeing in the land. Polls show that while confidence in our democracy and our government is near an all-time low, volunteerism and civic participation since the ’70s are near all-time highs. Political scientists are perplexed about this. If confidence is so low, why would people bother volunteering? The explanation is pretty simple. People, especially young people, think the government and the public sphere are broken, but they feel they can personally make a difference through community service.

So there you go, folks. I’m not really too different than anyone else for believing that we all have something to contribute and that together we can all make a difference in the community. Go us!

Nope… this joyful quote wasn’t from a friend’s 3 year old, the neighbor’s kid, or one of the youth in our program. It was Caroline on the phone telling me to leave work already. I love my supportive friends… looking out for me as they do. So very sweet.

Tuesday was another fun moment when I was putting more free stuff on the curb. A man walked over from the Buckaroo Tavern and exclaimed “What? You’re getting rid of more stuff?” Apparently he’s a regular, writes for the major local daily, and has noticed me purging the studio this past week of misc coffee tables and assorted tidbits. We introduced ourselves and chatted a while. I haven’t met my neighbors in my building yet (despite my occasional knocks on their doors), but I am actually pretty happy to meet one of my neighbors in the form a bar patron from across the street. :)

In other news, yesterday I went to a baseball game for “employee appreciation day” at work, went to look at a fabulous 1950s lime green velvet couch, and even hung out with Ryan (what? hung out on a week day? who’s heard of such a thing?). Life is good… even if I am currently working way too much.

Oh! And I didn’t even mention… I finally walked to work for the first time today. It’s just over a mile and goes down the hill, over the drawbridge, and then along the ship canal. Beautiful and perfect weather. Gotta love exercise, beauty, and quiet alone time in the morning. Gotta love short commutes! I hope to walk to work most days I don’t have off-site meetings. That’d be swell. Also walked yesterday for a few miles (2-3, maybe more?). Safeco to First Hill, First Hill back downtown, bussed to Dexter, then walked up my hill to get home. A very lovely evening.

Coming up next… a scary trip to Ikea (the comforter and silver are definitely MIA), Samantha’s birthday, hot tubbing with the girls, maybe Bumbershoot, definitely running, and definitely working over the weekend. Happy pre-Labor Day! Hope y’all are well!

As promised, here are a few quick photos from my new home. Painting courtesy of the amazing and fabulous Abbey who ran away with Martha last week to Washington DC. Together they’ve left me a home and a job, but neither of those can make up for the space in my heart that wants them to be here in Seattle where I’ve been blessed to have them in my life for the majority of my time in Seattle. I’m pretty sure they arrived yesterday or today in DC and I wish them all the best. And now, since we can’t post pics of Abbey and Marth from this week, we’ll post studio pics instead. Enjoy!

I didn’t even include pictures of either of my walk in closets (one is clothes and storage and the other is my office with desk and bookshelves). The studio also has a cheery yellow bathroom with a claw foot tub. The hot water pressure is pretty lame (even Kevin couldn’t fit it), but overall my place is treating me well and it’s great to have a place to call my own after 8 months on the road. Speaking of 8… I do believe I’ve had 8 visitors so far and all 8 agree that my place is just charming, from the mirror in the entrance hallway to the fake kitchen cabinets that conceal the drawer bed’s hiding place. I mean, after all… who doesn’t love a disappearing bed?