This Brings It All Home

Why I'm walking:

Piece of Cake!

120,526 steps for the week and it is only 7:08pm. Just a short jaunt through the neighborhood as well as some moving about the back yard and I'm good to go.

116,700

It is 6:15pm on Sunday night and I'm only at 116,700 steps for the week. To meet my weekly goal of 120,000 steps I have to put in another 3,300 before bedtime. That is more than many people do in an entire day. I need to get moving.....darn it!

Anything to Save a Buck!

When I was a kid my Uncle Bob started calling my dad "Ole TW", which stood for Tight Wad. My Uncle was always making fun of my dad for being tight with his money and always going out of his way to save a buck or two.

Today's case in point: My parents just drove all the way over from Wenatchee to pick up our old refrigerator. My dad said to me "How much could you get for it? $150? I'll give you $100". And so we struck a deal and he and mom hopped in the truck this morning and drove all the way here just to get the fridge (it is about 155 miles door to door). Apparently he needed one for his rental house.

Little does he know that this trip is actually going to cost him a bundle because as they were driving away I heard my mom telling him that on the way home they were stopping in Southcenter to go shopping.

Good luck TW!

Holy Cow!

How is it that it is 8:30am on Friday already. Where the heck did my week go. This week at work has been so busy that I feel like I never even looked up. Last I remember it was Monday morning and now here we are on Friday. Well yay! It's Friday. This weekend should be fantastic. We're going to hit a baseball game tonight, there is a hottie walk tomorrow, the possibility of kayaking tomorrow afternoon, and my parents might come over on Sunday. Now if I can just make it through today.......

And I'm Never Going Back....

Today I picked up my new O2 Optix Contacts. Finally. After.....almost 4 whole months of trial lenses and rude front desk ladies I have in my possession 2 boxes, a 6 month supply, of contacts.

And I promise you this....I will never, ever, ever be going back to Globe Optical.

Oh, and I strongly suggest that you don't either.

*sigh*

Fun Event for a Great Cause - Fund-A-Cure Silent Auction

As you know, I've joined the Warming Hut Hotties for this year's 3-day walk for breast cancer. We're holding a Silent Auction to raise money on May 5th, 2007. Anyone and EVERYONE is invited so grab your friends and family and come join us for a night of fun for a great cause. You'll be amazed at the donations we've received!!

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120,003!

Wow, I hadn't even set a goal last week but I managed to hit the 120,000 step mark again (barely). Let me just say that 120,000 steps in one week is not easy. Well, it would probably be pretty easy if you didn't have a full time desk job and you could just spend your days wandering West Seattle. But, if you're like me and you spend 40+ hours a week at a desk, and add in another 5 hours a week in a desk in class, it isn't easy to walk 120,000 steps in 7 days. They say that every week you should try to add 500 steps a day to the previous week. I think this is for people who are averaging around 70,000 steps a week. I've been tracking for 4 weeks now and I'm averaging 107,137 steps a week. Pushing that much further may cause me to implode. I'll keep you posted.

Weekend of Fun!!

Oh man, I am so tired, but it was so worth it. I love jam packed weekends of fun.

Friday night of course was Super Diamond, and let me tell you, they were super! We had dinner before hand at Pike Place Brewing (not so super). I really have to remember that their food is just not so great. Their beers, so yummy, their food, not so yummy. Oh well.

We then headed over to the Showbox where we were greeted by the guys from Alaskan Brewing Co. We were given bottle caps that were good for the new Alaskan IPA. Oh so yummy. There was an opening band. They were named "Stay Tuned". They were an 80s sitcom cover band. Ha! They played the theme songs from WKRP in Cincinnati, Silver Spoons, Charles in Charge, Cheers, Land of the Lost and a few others, but with a grungy, loud, edge. After they were done it was time....time for the Surreal Neil to dazzle! They came on stage and right away dove into "Coming to America"!! Complete with band member prancing around the stage waving an American Flag. At the end he shot confetti out of the end of the flag pole. Oh so awesome. Of course they didn't end up coming on stage until about 10:30 so we only stayed for about 12 songs. But they were 12 awesome, wonderful, killer, Neil Diamond songs. I love you Super Diamond!

The next morning I had to be at Green Lake for a Warming Hut Hotties training walk. We did a 7 mile loop from Green Lake to Maple Leaf down to the U District and back. It was a great route filled with hills! I also was able to hand off my Auction items.

My walk team - The Warming Hut Hotties - is holding a fund raising silent auction on May 5th on Queen Anne to raise money for the 3day walk (invitation can be found here). We were each responsible for collecting at least 3 items for the auction. I was able to get my mother in law to donate a beautiful quilt, her friend wanted to help too so she donated another beautiful quilt, my friend Christy donated 3 framed photos that she had shot (2 of Seattle and 1 of Snoqualmie Falls), my friend Victoria was able to get us 2 tickets to the Pacific Northwest Ballet, and the nice folks at Argosy Cruises donated dinner for 2 on the Royal Argosy. I also sent out a ton of emails to various Seattle establishments asking for donations. In return I got 2 tickets to Jazz Alley, tickets to Sunset Bowl for free games of bowling, and gift certificates to Aqua Verde for the cafe and the kayak rentals. And that is just the items that I've collected!! Our auction is going to awesome.

Last night we ventured back downtown to witness the Rat City Rollergirls bout #3 for 2007! Grave Danger fell to the visiting Bay City Derbygirls, but they put up quite a fight. We left before the second bout was over but I'm fairly certain that the Derby Liberation Front stomped the Socket Wenches (when we left it was like 120 to 40). If you haven't yet been to a Rat City bout I suggest you get yourself out there and get tickets to Bout 4 on May 26th. Fun times!!

My Husband is the Coolest

There are a lot of perks that Chris gets with his job. There is often beer or wine to try, boats to ride on, cookies to taste, hockey games to go to, etc. But one of the best perks is his connections for random concerts. Tonight we were invited to go to the Super Diamond concert at The Showbox!!!!! I am so incredibly excited I can barely sit still. Super Diamond rocks!! And the "Surreal Neil" is one not to be missed.

I first saw Super Diamond in 2001, shortly after moving to San Diego. They were playing at the Catamaran hotel in Mission Bay. My friend Caroline from work was a huge fan and got a bunch of us tickets. We sang along and danced all night to the Neil Diamond covers. It was amazing. After that I saw them play a handful of times. Once at Canes Bar & Grill and once at the Belly Up. Every time I saw them had the best times!! I have only seen them once since moving back to Seattle, but tonight is going to be awesome. To top it off, our tickets include VIP privileges. Maybe I'll get to meet the "Surreal Neil"???????? Oh man.....how am I going to wait all day?!

National Walk@Lunch Day

Yesterday was National Walk@Lunch Day, and since I am apparently known for my walking at my company I was asked by our HR department to head up a walk. We had a pretty good turn out for an event like this. 5 of us met in our lobby at noon and took a stroll from our offices in downtown Seattle to the sculpture park and back. I logged 6400 steps on this little outing and when I mapped it on gmap-pedometer it was about 3.1 miles. Pretty good for a lunchtime stroll I thought! I'm thinking that maybe I should organize something similar say once a month. But mostly, I like to walk by myself because I can put my head down and go really fast. I'm not sure chatty walks are my style.

Dreams of Kayaking

Last night I dreamt of Kayaking. I was in the San Juans (?) and Chris was cruising along ahead of me. We were enjoying the scenery and just out for a "stroll". All of a sudden I see a shadow below me and an Orca is swimming alongside of me. Then another came up under me and tipped me into the water.

Needless to say I woke up a little freaked out.

First Kayak Fishing Weekend

Behold, pictures of the first weekend of Kayak Fishing. We headed down to Anderson Island on Friday for a weekend on the water. Below are some pictures of the progression. In addition some highlights were:

• On Friday I arrived to a fire in the fireplace and dinner on the stove!
• Chris got me a new Manny's Pale Ale Sweatshirt (and brought growlers of Manny's and Chopper's).
• The resident bald eagle was very active.
• A dead seal was washed up on the shore and the eagle had eaten it's head (not really a highlight, but worth noting).
• The fishing was amazing! The best I've ever had at the cabin.
• The kayaks are even more fun than I ever imagined. Except for the part where you have to lift them places, then they are heavy.
• I played a pretty good round of golf (for me).
• I'm tired and sore, but in that oh so good way.....

Chris and I, excited for our first voyage in the new boats!



Chris leading the way...



First fish in the new kayak.



First fish for Courtney (well, not the first really, but we had to trade off the camera).



Chris enjoying a frosty Manny's after a long day on the water, contemplating the next days journey.



Yay, Kayaks!



My sweet sweet ride. Note the beer and fishing rod holders.



First 2007 round of golf at the Anderson Island course. A nice 9 hole course that winds through the Riviera Country Club. We only saw 1 deer this time, a doe, and I thought she was going to come right up to me.



The view from my ball. Ben shooting for Par (probably not, but it sounds good).



Heading home.


Chris in the lead. I was very impressed at how little the boats moved on the trip.

Kayak Fishing is Sweeping the Nation

Holy Cow - This is like the best ever......."Simmer Down Now"

Courtney Fishing

Goodbye

Next Wednesday Jason is leaving the company. Tonight is his going away shindig. I'm going to be missing it since I'll be heading to the cabin to meet up with Chris for a weekend of Kayaking! As a substitute I took he and his lady friend (and Christy!!) out on an Argosy Harbor cruise last night for happy hour. Fun times.

So this is just a small shout out to Jason. Take care, we'll miss ya, and don't let the door hit ya too hard in the arse on the way out.

Happy 6th Ella!!

Yesterday was my niece Ella Ione Jones's 6th birthday. This is a shout out to her!! 6 years old already.

Do you remember being 6? I'm pretty sure that is the first year I really remember vividly. Everything before that is a mix of memory flashes. The year I turned 6 I entered 1st grade at Lewis & Clark Elementary school in Wenatchee and my teacher was Mrs. Truscott. We had an influx of students from Cambodia and Vietnam and I was paired up with Lum Nam Chet to help him assimilate and learn English. The year I was 6 was also the year of my first trip to Hawaii. Good Times.

Happy Birthday Ella, and enjoy being 6!!

Fridge Update - FINAL!!

Yes that's right. Amazing as it may seem, we finally received the correct fridge last Saturday. It is wonderful and beautiful and if you're standing at the stove you can open the door away from the stove and reach right in. You don't have to shuffle over to the other side then shuffle back. Genius! But wait, there is more, check out this back and forth between myself and the nice guy that delivered this appliance of wonder:

Guy: Hi I'm here from Sears to deliver your fridge.
Me: Yep, and take away the old one.
Guy: Oh, the old one in the garage?
Me: No, the one that is EXACTLY like the one in your truck, but that opens the other way.
Guy: Oh, ummm, you know we can just switch that door for you.
Me: No, it is stainless steel, you can't do that.
Guy: Can I look?
Me: *sigh* Yes.
He looks over the fridge and I show him how the holes are only drilled on one side.
Guy: Oh, I see. Well, hmmm....I'm pretty sure I have the exact same fridge in the truck.
Me: I'm not surprised (and I proceed to give him the ENTIRE STORY AGAIN).
Guy: Oh dear, ok, let me go look.
Minutes go by......
Guy and Other Guy come back into the house and look over the fridge in our kitchen.
Other Guy: Oh no, this is the same one. But we can just switch these doors for you.
Me, Chris, Guy: NO YOU CAN'T
Guy: Ok, wait, lets go unwrap the fridge in the truck and verify which way it opens. The number on the box is the same as this fridge, but lets make sure.
Me: Ok, great idea, but with my luck it is probably the same one (and I proceed to give him the ENTIRE STORY AGAIN).
More time goes by and the guy comes running back in.
Guy: The numbers are wrong, this is the fridge you want!!!!!!
Me: I'll believe it when I see it.

But it was, it was the right fridge, and it now lives in perfect harmony in our kitchen. And life is good.

Guy: (looking at Chris and I) Don't I know you guys??
Us: Umm....no.....
Guy: Hmm...would you like to buy some windows?

The end.

Every Time

You know those detectors that you pass through on your way out of just about every store now days? The ones that are supposed to catch shoplifters? They make a loud racket and every one turns to look at you? Yeah, well I set those off EVERY SINGLE TIME. On my way in a store, and again on my way out. I think what bothers me the most is that every time it happens the people in the store just look at me. Like, "why is she bothering us with this racket". Like it is my fault their stupid detector thinks I'm made of metal. It happened to me 3 times today, once yesterday, twice on Saturday. Chris is about ready to quit shopping with me.

It actually makes me a bit nervous. Probably because I've been watching a ton of X-Files lately. Remember how Agent Scully finds out that she has something implanted in her because when she goes through the metal detector at FBI headquarters the alarm keeps going off? I'm pretty sure I haven't had any missing time, or an anal probe, so I'm hoping it isn't an alien implant. But, if I end up with some crazy alien cancer that they can't figure out how to treat, you'll know what it was.

Maybe it is just my magnetic personality.

Security Guard: "That thing is more sensitive than a toothache."

---

Doctor: [examining shrapnel removed from Scully's neck] "Well it's definitely not buckshot. I, uh, I know what it looks like, uh, but I couldn't tell you how it got there. Take a look."
Scully: "It looks like a computer chip."
Doctor: "That's what it looks like."

Yes! 121,503

I set a goal last Saturday to log at least 120,000 steps this past week and I just made it! I hit 121,503 and I'm taking off the pedometer for the rest of the evening. Feels pretty great. I actually had a minor disaster this afternoon when I accidentally ran into the bed and reset my pedometer. I may have lost a couple thousand steps. Oh well. Just had to work a little harder.

Phew - Mission Accomplished.

The New Kayaks Are Here!! The New Kayaks Are Here!!

Yep! They are here. Finally. We picked up our Hobie Mirage Outback SUV kayaks yesterday from Hobie Cats Northwest. They are killer. Sadly we didn't have time to take the out yesterday but we have a big cabin outing planned for next weekend.

Last night we watched the DVD that came with the kayaks. It showed us how much fun we are going to have, and also how to get back in the kayak if we happen to fall out. Oh man, I can't wait to get out there and try to tip the thing!

My Parents are so Awesome

So get this. My parents were down in Portland for the weekend visiting my brother and his family. Since it was Easter and all they decided that Seattle happened to be on their way home to Wenatchee. They just made a slight pit-stop on their way home in little ole West Seattle. In honor of their visit I BBQ'd them up some hot dogs. My mom said that my dad would drive hours out of the way just for a free lunch. I got a little payback for the lunch though in the form of a much needed Chiropractic adjustment. Hopefully this will relieve some of the problems I'm having with my allergies. Hopefully no more sleepless nights!

Yay for my parents!

Yes!

We're finally about 70! It is Friday, it is BEAUTIFUL outside, and the temperature is rising. I am just thinking about packing up and heading home. I may even get off the bus even earlier on the way home so that I can walk for a couple miles and enjoy the sunshine. Hurray Spring!!

Things I've Learned This Week

Don't believe people, even in writing.
You are supposed to take an antihistamine before you encounter your allergen.
Alavert is my friend - Especially Citrus Burst flavor.
My Cat - A - Day calendar is da bomb.
Contract Management and Procurement is extremely boring, no matter how much you doodle during class.
I am dying for sunshine - it is supposed to be 75 tomorrow - YAY FRIDAY!!
Sears...well they are just lame.
Good people come and go, you just have to deal with it.
I'm a huge fan of spinach dip.
Peach Vodka was a wise invention.
My water bottle is out to kill me.

OH!!! And I can wake myself up snoring, especially during allergy season. Sorry Chris!

Fridge Update

So, we're getting the correct fridge on Saturday, or so they tell us. After numerous phone calls with all types of dumb asses we've finally worked it out and should be getting the LEFT HINGE fridge on Saturday.

I think the best part of this experience has been this: My phone rang on Monday during a break at my class so I opted to answer it. It was a recording, from Sears Service Department. They were telling me that they would be at my house on "Tomorrow, Tuesday April 3rd, between 1pm and 4pm, to service my RANGE, please make sure that someone over 18 is available". Um....what?

So, I called the number back and got a pretty hilarious woman. I told her about the call, and then told her about the fridge, and then told her that honestly the Range is the only thing we had absolutely no problems with. She said "are you sure the glass top isn't broken and you didn't call to request a replacement" and I said "yes, I'm quite sure, unless of course it broke itself while I was at work and called you on its own", she laughed hysterically. We couldn't figure it out, but I assured her I did not need this service.

Somewhere, someone has a broken range top and it isn't being fixed.

Happy 3rd Sadie!

This is a brief shout out to my niece Sadie Elizabeth Jones who is celebrating her 3rd birthday today. She was born on 4/4/04 at 4:40am. I would imagine that next year will be a big one for her.

Happy Birthday Sadie!

Bringing Me Down

Ugh. Allergy season has hit Seattle and it is bringing me down. All last week I thought I was getting a cold, until I left the house one morning and noticed a yellow film on the car parked under the cherry tree. This is one of the worst times of year for me. I get all stuffy and grumpy, I wake myself up snoring because I can't breath, and my nose and eyes are constantly itching. But hey, if it gets to 70 degrees this week it will all be worth it.

Yay Spring!

107,822

That's how many steps I logged last week, Monday morning until just now. I figure that is about 55 miles of walking in 7 days. Guess I'm going to have to bump that up a bit to do 60 miles in 3 days. Wow. I keep thinking, 60 miles isn't so bad, I can do it. But then I go out and walk 8 miles and my feet are tired and I think....oh....wow....I better really get training. I don't want to end up in the medical tent after the second day. I'm going to shoot for 120,000 steps this week. I'll keep ya posted.

In other news we went to Scott and Josie's last night for Josie's 30th B'day party. They held a Syrah/Shiraz taste off. We each brought a bottle of either Syrah or Shiraz, put them in a plain paper bag and labeled them with a number. Then as a group we tasted them 1 by 1 and rated them on Aroma, Taste, Finish, and Overall Impression. We also guessed if it was a Syrah or a Shiraz. Then we unveiled the wines and the person that brought the bottle had to tell how much they paid for it. Scotty then input everything into a spreadsheet, including the price, and came up with some complex formula that spit out the winning wine. And guess what! The wine that Chris and I brought with us won the overall prize! It was a 2003 Glen Fiona Syrah. Here are the notes on it (we paid $12.99 at the QFC in University Village).

2003 Glen Fiona Bacchus/Sagemoor Vineyards Columbia Valley Syrah
Black plum in both color and brambly flavor with sweet black tar in the mouth. Rich and minerally with red fruits on top and the most interesting ginger root aromatics. Wood spice builds nicely in the palate and trails on the finish. For the price, this is pretty unbelievable stuff! $14.95 ($13.46 with case discount)

It was excellent and I'd recommend it. If you haven't ever tried a Glen Fiona Syrah, get thee to the store and purchase!