Cheering Stations - Breast Cancer 3day

They have announced the cheering stations for the Seattle Breast Cancer 3day. Just in case you want to come out and cheer us on, here is the information:

Cheering Stations
Cheering Stations are a great way to show your support along the route to encourage walkers and let them know that you are with them every step of the way. Seeing familiar faces cheering them on can provide that extra burst of energy that gets them to take that next step or go the next mile. Create banners, hold up signs, bring some music and make some noise - anything to make them smile, get energized and keep walking.

Friday, September 12:

9:00 am - 1:00 pm
First Baptist Church and Pilgrim Lutheran Church parking lots
10431 SE 11th St. and 10420 SE 11th St.
(Parking is also available at Church of Christ off of SE 11th St.)
Bellevue, WA 98004

10:00 am - 2:00 pm
McCormick Park
NE 12th St. between 106th Pl NE and 112th Ave. NE
(Parking is available across the street and in nearby neighborhood)
Bellevue, WA 98004

Saturday, September 13:

8:30 am - 1:00 pm
Spectralux Corporation
12335 - 134th Court NE
Redmond, WA 98052

11:00 am - 5:00 pm
Ben Franklin Elementary
12434 NE 60th Street
Kirkland, WA 98033

Sunday, September 14:

8:00 am - 11:00 am
Green Lake Park
7201 E Green Lake Dr. N
Seattle, WA 98115
Click here for map of cheering area

Unintentional Sagging

I had a minor crisis at work today.

Sitting in a morning meeting with the president of the company I felt a funny sensation on my back and then my bra began to slide off.

I kept my cool through the rest of the meeting (30 minutes!) and through the next meeting which came on its heels (another hour!!).

As soon as I was free I ran (well walked quickly, hard to run with no support) to Macy's and purchased a new support system.

Note to self: Check all clasps before leaving house.

I Quit The Gym!

Finally, after talking and talking about it, I quit LA Fitness and signed up with 24 Hour Fitness here in Bellevue. Costco had a great deal where you could purchase a 2 year membership to 24 Hour Fitness, not have to sign any contracts or anything, and it only costs about $12.50 a month! The best part is there is a 24 Hour Fitness in West Seattle as well as Bellevue. Now I can work out at work or at home!

I am pleased.

Bad Product Placement

Yesterday I got to do one of my favorite things: Lay on the couch, flanked by kitties, watching a Law & Order marathon on USA Network. The marathon yesterday was for Law & Order: Criminal Intent. Oh do I love watching Vincent D'Onofrio..........love...watching....

But I digress.

One of the episodes I watched was called Smile. Here is the logline from the USA Network website:

A Park Avenue dentist's murder turns out to be connected to the death of one of his young patients. As detectives Goren and Eames look into both murders, they follow a trail of counterfeit and poisoned mouthwash from the streets of Harlem to the FDA and Wall Street.

Needless to say it makes you begin to wonder about poisoned mouthwash, and just as those thoughts began to swirl about my mind a commercial came on for, yep you guessed it, mouthwash.

If I was the mouthwash company, that had probably paid a pretty penny for that advertisement, I'd be a little ticked off.

In my mind I'll always equate Act Mouthwash with Criminal Intent and poison.

Good Ole Levis

I hate shopping for jeans.

When I was a kid it was so easy. About a week before school started my mom would take me to Kids Count Too in Wenatchee and she'd buy me 2 or 3 pairs of shrink-to-fit Levis. The always fit perfect, looked great on the first day of school, and by Christmas were always the perfect shade of denim. By the time summer came around you could cut off the legs and have shorts for the summer. Easy.

Not so easy anymore. Have you noticed how many styles, fits, brands, and colors there are? I went shopping yesterday with the goal of buying one new pair of jeans. I went to Nordstrom, the jeans I tried on and sort of liked were $139. I just couldn't bring myself to buy them. I then went to Macy's, the jeans I tried on showed off my butt crack, oh and were $89. Finally I went to the Gap but was too confused by all the choices to even try any on. I gave up and headed for home.

On my way home I stopped at Fred Meyer to purchase a shower curtain and a miracle happened. I passed their display of Levis jeans. I grabbed a pair of each of the styles they had (only two!!), in the color I wanted (denim, they are jeans) and went to try them on. They fit perfect, were a great color, didn't have any holes in them already (I will never understand that), and they were $29.99!

Levis, I'm so sorry I had forgotten you for so long, but I'm so glad that I found you again.

And yep, I'm wearing them today!

Berberis thunbergii 'Helmond Pillar'

In case you didn't know, 1/2 Price Pots is having an end of the season sale. All outdoor pots are an additional percentage (from 25-50%) off their already reduced prices. I picked up a huge blue pot a couple of weeks ago to add some color to our hillside. I'm totally into splashes of color right now. I had thought of planting a rose bush in it or maybe another hydrangea. However, during a trip to West Seattle Nursery I came across the Helmond Pillar and I knew it was the plant for me. As it matures its leaves will become more purplish and add yet more color to the hillside.

Berberis thunbergii 'Helmond Pillar'

Goodbye 32

Tomorrow at this time I will officially be 33 years old. I can honestly say that I have had an amazing 33 years this far. I have an incredible and supportive family, fun and interesting friends, a roof of my own over my head and a pretty kick-ass husband. What more does a girl from a small town in central Washington need.

I can't complain.

I feel reflective today, as I usually do right before a birthday. Time slips by rapidly and sometimes you have to take a moment to reflect on the past year.

For me this has been a year of career changes, for both myself and my parents. I moved from a secure job and took a chance with a volatile start up. I'm not sure I'll ever outgrow the trill of taking a chance. My parents moved from their career into retirement. It was really hard for me to adjust to the thought of them not working, and I think it was even harder for my father's patients to adjust.

This has also been a year of home transformation. We're slowing pecking away at the list of things we'd like to do to our house. It is amazing what a little sweat and hard work can accomplish. We're so lucky that we love our house and neighborhood. It really feels like home.

So goodbye 32, thanks for the memories. I can't wait to see what 33 has in store for me!

33 Random Things About Me

In honor of my upcoming 33rd Birthday I'd like to share with the Internet 33 Random Things About Me you may or may not already know.

1. On my first birthday I learned to walk on a family trip to Stehekin, WA.
   
2. When I was four years old my family left me in a restaurant at Knott's Berry Farm.
   
3. When I was six years old we took a family trip to Maui, HI and I found a snail shell on the sidewalk. We tried to bring it home with us in my mom's bag but at customs she was pulled aside and throughly searched for trying to smuggle in illegal animals from HI.
   
4. I once flung dog doo with a shovel into my cousin Cam's mouth while trying to launch it over the fence and into the orchard next door.
5. I dream about Aliens, a lot.
   
6. I once cleaned an oil spill out of the ditch in front of our house with my mom's turkey baster. I then rinsed out the turkey baster and put it back in the drawer.
   
7. I played the trumpet from 6th grade through college. Wind Ensemble, Symphony Orchestra, Jazz Band and the pit orchestra for our school's production of Fiddler on the Roof.
   
8. My favorite color is navy blue.
   
9. I've had 4 male Siamese cats in my life. BJ, CJ, Phineas and Percival.
10. My favorite cat ever was a runt Calico named Foosball (Foozie for short). She lived 20 years.
11. I had a dalmatian named Patrick.
    
12. In 1992 I participated in the GAPP student exchange and spent a month with the Dittus family in Calw Germany.
13. Also in 1992 I did a two week student exchange to Salmon Arm British Columbia.
14. In high school soccer my nickname was Mad Dog Jones.
15. Once, while fishing, I was scared by a snake and fell backwards into the Snoqualmie River.
16. A short while later while fishing the Methow River the exact same thing happened. Twice in one day.
    
17. I order sandwiches with lettuce and onion but I always pick them both off before eating it.
    
18. Tangled in a tree, fishing off Devil's Head, I was almost eaten by a crazy deer.
19. I'm a lovin' Leo lion, born under the sun.
20. I like to name my cars. So far there has been Zeke the 1987 VW GTI, Calvin the 1995 VW Jetta, Sebastian the 2002 Subaru Outback and Spike the 2007 VW GTI.
21. I played doubles on the tennis team in high school.
22. From 1990-1993 I helped coach the Special Olympics Ski Team at Mission Ridge. I also taught in the ski school during that same time.
23. The summer of 1997, right after college graduation, I lived in Taos NM for 3 months. I didn't try to find a job and I spent every penny I'd saved working full time during college.
24. I'm married to a boat captain. He's pretty much the best thing ever. (I'm hiding this way down in here to see if he notices!)
    
25. I packed up my Jetta on January 2nd, 2001 and moved to San Diego, CA where I lived for 18 months. What I learned: I'm not a California Girl.
26. I think I'm a dog person, but I'm really not.
27. I've had the Whooping Cough.
28. I've had all kinds of jobs including: Technical Support, Proposal Writer, Cherry Desk Worker, Photographer's Assistant, Ski Instructor, Sales Analyst, Project Manager. Yet, my favorite job ever was being the hostess at an Italian restaurant in Wenatchee, WA.
29. When I was 13 I went on a hike with my father to Trapper Lake and fell backwards off a cliff. Luckily he grabbed my pack at that exact moment and pulled me to safety.
30. Every summer we would go to the WA State Chiropractic Association Summer Convention and I'd get into ice fights (and all sorts of other trouble) in the halls of the hotels with the other kids. We had the best times.
    
31. I've never broken a bone (*knock on wood*).
32. The first time I was stung by a bee was my 13th Birthday at Lake Chelan. I sat on it and it stung me in the butt cheek.
33. I was born on August 22, 1975 at 8:52am. I'm still a morning person, 33 years later.

Adirondack Patio Chairs

There is a furniture store across the street from my office in Bellevue called Underhills Furniture. They are currently having a huge sale and I picked up two unfinished Adirondack Chairs from them last Thursday ($39 each, you can't beat that!). On Friday afternoon I put them together and stained them with a Redwood stain from Home Depot. I think they turned out great and they look wonderful in our back yard. They add a great splash of color against the rock/greenery wall. And boy are they comfortable. Now I just need a side table to put between them and we'll be having Tapas on the patio!

The Pulpit

As I mentioned before I have a pulpit available to a good home. We love this pulpit and are truly sad to have to give it up but it no longer fits our lifestyle. We brought a new piece of furniture into the house and the pulpit does not get along with it, so the pulpit will have to go.

If you will love and cherish this pulpit I will not be asking for a rehoming fee. However, if I don't find him a new home soon he'll have to be posted on Craigslist and who knows what type of home it might end up in. Would you like to save our pulpit and give it the new home it truly deserves? Drop me a line.

Here is a picture of the pulpit with the Bible rest in it:


And here is the pulpit with the Bible rest removed (sack of concrete not included):

Stepping Stone Update

So far I have made 6 stepping stones. The first three I outlined in this post, and another 3 (including two with glow in the dark stones!). I laid them out in the front bed and it turns out I'm going to need one more. If you're having trouble coming up with a birthday present for me this year (only 7 more shopping days!) one cool stepping stone would be greatly appreciated. If not, guess I'll need to make one more!

Here are a couple of pictures.

Windham Media Console

Welcome to the House's house Windham Media Console!

I finally talked Chris into replacing our upstairs media furniture. We'd been using an old pulpit with our TV on top and equipment in the middle but it no longer fit the decor of the room. I'd been eyeing this console at Crate and Barrel for the longest time. On one of my lunchtime walks the other day I happened to swing through the Bellevue store and they had one marked down as a floor model. $108 off and there weren't any visible flaws! Needless to say I snatched it up.

As for the pulpit, it now needs a new home. I will post a picture of it tonight. Please let me know if you're interested! It is a pretty interesting piece of furniture and a great conversation point.

One Word

Taken from NM who took from Jen. Care to join?

1. Where is your cell phone? here
2. Where is your significant other? home
3. Your hair? straight
4. Your mother? amazing
5. Your father? superstar
6. Your favorite thing? House
7. Your dream last night? Lisa
8. Your dream/goal? retirement
9. The room you're in? officecube
10. Your hobby? fishing
11. Your fear? alone
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? happy
13. Where were you last night? tennis
14. What you're not? patient
16. One of your wish list items? kitten
17. Where you grew up? Wenatchee
18. The last thing you did? coffee
19. What are you wearing? Nautica
20. Your TV? giant
21. Your pet? P-man
22. Your computer? pink
24. Your mood? contemplative
25. Missing someone? parentals
26. Your car? zoomy
27. Something you're not wearing? hat
28. Favorite store? vice
29. Your summer? short
30. Love someone? yes
31. Your favorite color? blue
32. When is the last time you laughed? today
33. Last time you cried? yesterday

Only 1/2 Way? Seriously??

This past weekend the Seattle Warming Hut Hotties held another of their famous Back-to-Back training walk weekends. These are the pinnacle of our training for the 3day. Here are maps of the routes we covered this weekend.

Saturday - 18 Miles - Greenlake to Magnolia & Back.


Sunday - 14 miles - Around Lake Union.


We had about 30 walkers both days! Some only came on Saturday, and some only on Sunday, and those of us who walked both days all did great. It is a true testament to how much training pays off. I'm always amazed at the resilience of my teammates.

Sadly, the 32 miles we walked this weekend is only about 1/2 of what we'll be walking during the 3day. 32 miles seemed plenty long for me!

Birthday Shout-out

Happy Birthdays need to go out to Christy and Percy!

It was one year ago today that Jer proposed to Christy! Happy Birthday and Engagement anniversary Christy!

Percy turns 10 years old today. Happy Birthday Percy!!

Fishing Lincoln Park

It was really hot and muggy (for Seattle) here yesterday so after work Chris and I loaded the kayaks on the car and headed down to Lowman Beach for an evening of kayak fishing. We launched the kayaks there and then peddled south along the beach to the point at Lincoln Park. There were a bunch of folks fishing from the shore and they all wanted to ask Chris about his cool boat. The bite was on and we caught quite a few little cutthroats and silvers. Chris even landed a sole. What a great way to spend a hot August night.

I took about 50 photos and you can view them all here: photos. The sunset was amazing. Here are a few of my favorites:

Stepping Stones

I mentioned a while back that I might make some stepping stones to put in one of our new front flower beds. Well I finally got around to it. So far I have made three of them. They aren't ready to be stepped on (the mix said to wait two weeks) but they sure look pretty. I think I'll need about 4 or 5 more at least.

In case you're interested in how to do this: I ordered some Stepping Stone Mix, bought some colored rocks at Pier 1 and picked up three 12'' plant trays from Home Depot to use as the mold. Mixed up the stone mix, sprayed the tray with Pam, poured in the mix and shook it until it settled and then added the colored rocks pressing them about 1/2 way in. Waited 48 hours and then voila! Stepping stones.

I'll Need All The Encouragement I Can Get

This just in. Do you want to help me on my journey to walk 60 miles in this years Breast Cancer 3day? Send me a letter that I'll get at camp! Your words of encouragement and support will help me go that extra mile. Here are the details!

You’ve Got Mail
There’s nothing like a letter from a loved one to inspire you to keep going. Your friends, family and supporters can write a letter to you, which we’ll deliver to you on the event at the Breast Cancer 3-Day Camp Post Office inside the 3-Day Cafe.

Send letters to:
Breast Cancer 3-Day Camp Post Office
ATTN: COURTNEY HOUSE
Participant ID:1300307
P.O. Box 70316
Seattle, WA 98107

Envelopes only, please. No boxes or large packages. Mail must be postmarked no later than September 2nd in order to ensure delivery at the Breast Cancer 3-Day Camp Post Office.

Too Funny Not To Repost

Totally In Love With Uncle Chris

Jeff, Sara, Ella and Sadie came to stay with us last Saturday night. We took them to Alki for some beach walking and Uncle Chris gave the girls some lessons of the sea. They are totally infatuated with him.

From Alki Beach Au...

BAMN! It Is August.

Um, excuse me, where did the summer go? Just a minute ago I was complaining about the cold weather and then BAMN! it is August already.

Where have I been and what have I been up to you ask? Well here is a bullet point recap of the past few days in order of event:

• Happy Hour at the Whiskey Bar with Matt, James & Ed (Chris's coworker heard that I was there and said to Chris "But Courtney is so nice, why is she at the Whiskey Bar?".)
• Company Picnic on Camano Island (Ugly Hawaiian Shirt is first company garb acquired)
• Detour on the way home to Kayak Point. I really want to rent a Yurt there some weekend!
• Yard work and house cleaning.
• 10 mile walk with the Warming Hut Hotties.
• Arrival of Jones family in Seattle!
• Condo exploring with Mom and Dad.
• Alki Beach stroll with Chris, Jeff, Sara, Ella & Sadie.
• BBQ dinner and all night Wii fest.
• Sadly waving goodbye to cutest nieces ever.
• 10 mile walk alone.
• 3 Stepping Stones made.
• 3 Loads of Laundry.
• 9 hours of solid sleep.

And here we are at Monday once again.

Rain, Rain, Don't Go Away So Fast

It is raining in Seattle. Last summer I would have been sad to see a few days of rain. This summer however, all I can think is "Yay, I don't have to water my plants!!".

Sadly, today is our company picnic and the forecast is calling for more rain. Hopefully it will clear up for an afternoon of beach fun.....hopefully.