Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Who Is This Sergio Ross Guy....

And how on earth can he sell his boots for $1199?!
And who on earth (aside from actors and politicians) can actually afford to pay $1199 for boots these days?!





I like boots, but my limit is $100.
Most of the time.

Unless they're really, really spiffy.

They Have Them In Black!



[whimper]

Damn my sudden desire to be debt free and responsible! Where is my credit card now?!

I may need to find something to sell......
Or start pimpin' TBBE out to support my habit.

Gobble Gobble

It’s that time once again. Where we cook too much food, drink too much wine and watch football. I love Turkey Day.

And I know you must get sick of me reminiscing, but I can’t help but think back to where I was a year ago.

I don’t need to go into the whole my-life-is-so-much-happier-now ramble. You know all that.

Oh, but I sense that tonight, I will be right back on track with the Pre-Turkey Day Freakin’ Out. We have four people coming over tomorrow for dinner so I need to vacuum (the actual highlight of the night!) and clean the bathroom and we have to put the leaf in the dining table and Kayleigh wants to make Irish soda bread and my jeans stink so I should probably do some laundry and I promised Tyler I would help him finish cleaning his room and Kayleigh’s clothes are all clean now but she’s completely out of room in her dresser drawers so we need to organize those so she can put her clothes away and I need to get in her closet and clean that out and help her organize it because right now there’s all this wasted yet useful space and then there’s our closet and my boots are just everywhere and where are we going to put all of the towels because right now half of them are piled up on the floor beside the bed because they won’t fit in the cabinet where the towels are so I should really get Todd to help me sort through them so we can put everything away and I bet the kids’ bathroom needs cleaned because what if someone needs to pee and the half bath upstairs is occupied?

Um…

Where was I?

Oh, right.
I need to vacuum tonight.

That is all.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

An Example of the Hilarity

While laying in bed at 6:30am this morning, with a very, very full bladder, after the alarm has gone off three times.

Todd: (thinking he's motivating me to get out of bed) Don't make me touch you inappropriately.
Me: I will pee on you, I swear to gawd.
Todd: (laugh) Like a mouse, when you hold it.
Me: Wha...?
Todd: Mice. They pee on you when you pick them up...
Me: Why are you holding mice? That's disgusting.
Todd: Some people juggle geese....

Even better, when I first typed this, I typed "sheep" instead of "geese".

Todd read it over my shoulder and said, "I said geese. Not sheep. Baaaaa."

I almost spit out my bagel.

Monday, November 24, 2008

Mushy Post - Don't Get Used To It

Every now and then, I look at TBBE and I see him through the eyes of that woman who went to his house on her lunch break, to merely audition for him. I remember him opening the door and I was staring at his chest. I had to crane my neck to look at his face. He was huge.

Then my attention was replaced by a dog. A dog that was very anxious to get to me. Todd had him by the collar and was pulling him back as I was coming in. I couldn’t take my eyes off the dog.

(Did I mention I was attacked by a dog when I was 14? A 100 pound chow. He got my arm and my leg in two spots. I have nice scars to show for it. So, needless to say, I’m a bit leery around dogs when they’re coming at me. Even if it’s just to sniff my crotch.)

Todd was holding the dog back and he asked, very casually, “You’re okay with dogs, right?” And I said, very bluntly, “No.” He was surprised. No one really says no.

The he remembers sending Wiley to his kennel, but I remember Wiley licking my feet (and me trying to outwardly cringe) while I was playing.

But the very clear memory we both have is nervousness and trying hard to form complete sentences. I remember Todd getting me a glass of water and then going back to the family room, but I thought he was just going to get a guitar so I was waiting in the front room until I heard him holler, “You can come back here.” I remember my voice shaking and my hands sweating when I was playing, and that I skipped two verses in my own song because I just wanted it to be over. I remember him playing and singing “Goodnight My Love”, with his eyes closed. I remember telling him that my friend gave me a hard time about answering a Craigslist ad by saying “Ahhh, you’re gonna meet your next boyfriend!” because I met my last boyfriend through a Stranger ad.

And I remember that when I was leaving and grabbing my coat and my purse and all the swag he had given me, he leaned down and gave me a hug. I had to stand on my tiptoes to hug him back.

When I got back to work, Nichole emailed me and asked how it went. I replied with, “Good. He's cute. Really cute. Really tall. Hugged me goodbye. Might be a problem. I can't stop grinning.”

I looked at Todd last night as we were leaving QFC after our weekly grocery shopping trip, and had that brief, fleeting thought of “How did I get here?” I just wanted to play music again. I wasn’t looking for a boyfriend. I wasn’t looking for a family. I just wanted to play music.

And now I live with this man, and his kids. His daughter tells me she loves me when we say goodnight and his son asks me for permission to go to a friend’s house.

“And you may find yourself in a beautiful house, with a beautiful wife
And you may ask yourself, well, how did I get here?” – Talking Heads

Oh, but I’m so glad I’m here. And this past weekend just calmed all of my fears and took away any doubts I ever had. Todd and I laughed until my back and my throat hurt and I couldn’t seem to take my hand off of his arm. And there was no over thinking things. There were no heavy discussions. We just had fun.

And it was wonderful.


Okay, back to your normal, cranky, sarcastic blog about boots.

Friday, November 21, 2008

Somethin' Just Ain't Right With That Boot....

WTF?




I am dying to know who would actually wear this.
Contact me. Please.


Yes, I'm working.
Why?

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Monday, November 17, 2008

(Late) Weekend Update

TBBE and I were a bit busy yesterday, so our apologies for not posting. I see he has just posted his weekend update, so here's my contribution.

Friday evening, Todd, Kayleigh and I went to see Bullshot Crummond. I hit my functioning limit at about 9:00pm. Home. Bed.

Saturday....uh. I'm actually having a brain fart and cannot remember what we did Saturday.

Umm. Hang on.

Oh! Pictures!
Todd's friend Ron came over and took family photos. Cause the holidays are coming and even Todd's arms aren't long enough to do a family self portrait. As much as we'd love to.

Todd put a couple of photos up on his post.

I think I was difficult. Give me a few glasses of wine and you can't keep me away from a camera. But at noon, functioning only on three cups of coffee, I don't know what to do. I fidget. I roll my eyes. I'm annoyed. Some of the photos turned out okay, though.

That afternoon, we just tinkered around the house. Unpacked some stuff, walked down to Target and Bed, Bath & Beyond. Very low key.

Saturday night, I attended my friend Nichole's bachelorette party. As bachelorette parties go, it was very tame. Nichole warned me that there were to be no strippers, no phallic desserts, and no naughty gifts. I may have adhered to two out of three requests. How do you go to a bachelorette party without buy the bride some lickable massage oil or edible panties? Come on!

My gift, however, was not the worst, so Nichole is still my friend.

I excused myself early because after her ninth(?) jello shot, Nichole decided to move the party down to the hotel bar. Go Nichole! However, I knew that if I went down to the bar, I would end up crashing in the hotel room. So I announced that I need to leave, siting that I was now a mother and needed to set a proper example for my children.

The group of 15 women then laughed at me. Loudly.
Hmph.

I was home by 10:00pm.

And Sunday was just blah.

Todd had gone to coffee with Ron, Kayleigh had slept over at a friends' house, Tyler is 14 and sleeps until noon, so Rae-rae didn't wake up until 10:00am.

RIGHT ON.

But it made me very unmotivated all day. Oh, I was muy productive. I was just very slow going about it.

I treated myself to a glass of wine and a hot soakie after dinner, and read some of the new Stephen King book that TBBE bought me. It's no Twilight, but it's good.

And to start the week of right, Todd and I had a lovely dinner last night at Etta’s, since they’re participating in Dine Around Seattle. Three courses for $30. And the restaurants that participate are normally way too expensive to eat at otherwise. Wednesday evening, Jamie and I will be having dinner at The Georgian. She tells me I have to wear my pearls. It’s that swanky.

Hopefully, I will be feeling better by then. The pork tenderloin (oh, when will I learn?), mixed with throbbing ovaries and a tight back, made for a very rough night. So this morning, I’m just worn out. I would very much like to be curled up in a ball right now.

Sigh.

This is going to make for a long day....

**********

And in my defense, regarding a certain clothes rod that could not take the weight of all my very fabulous clothes - no one ever gave me a weight limit on a clothes rod. I've hung clothes on a clothes rod for years and not one has ever collapsed on me.

In hindsight, maybe putting jeans, fleece and sweaters on the same short rod was a bad idea. Lesson learned. My apologies to Todd's wall.

Friday, November 14, 2008

Sleepy Haiku

Thank gawd it’s Friday
Just need to sleep in one day
So very tired

Rethinking this plan
7:30 too early
I am out by two

Close my eyes quickly
Turns into really long blink
Where did the time go?

Would a latte help?
Maybe a coca cola?
How about some speed?

One hour to go
Then hopefully a quick nap
Before we head out

Theater tonight
We are so very cultured
Bravo! Yes, bravo!

Okay, mind hurts now
No! Do not look at the clock!
Must stay distracted

Sigh…..

Thursday, November 13, 2008

The First Hurdle

My new drive to work takes about 30 minutes. That's with normal 7:30 to 8:00am traffic. Throw rain or an accident in there, well, it's just a mess.

Which is what happened yesterday. There was a wreck in the Battery Street tunnel, which backed up Aurora (my normal route) for miles. So I took I-5, which really wasn't much better. It took me an hour to get to work.

So, last night I invested in a big thermos and I programmed the coffee maker to start perkin' at 6:40am. I got up at 6:15am, showered and beautified, made some coffee and was out the door by 7:00.

Total commute time: 23 minutes.
And now I get to leave at 4:00pm.

I figure, I have a new home, a new neighborhood, a new family. Why not a new work schedule?

We'll see how long I can keep this up. I may have to rethink my strategy when my head hits the desk at 3:00pm.

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Is This Your Foot?

There is an eerie mystery up here in the Pacific Northwest. Very Stephen King-esque.

Single feet, all in running shoes, are being found in the water. They’re popping up in rivers and in the sound. Since August of 2007, seven athletic shoes (different brands) containing a human foot have washed ashore. It seems that most of them are right feet. There’s no foul play suggested – it looks like the feet have become “disarticulated” through natural decomposition.

Questions that are being asked:
Is this the work of serial killer who targets runners?

Are these the missing bodies from a 2005 plane wreck near Quadra Island in British Columbia?

Are these victims of suicide, as two of the feet have proven to be a match and once belonged to a depressed man who disappeared in 2007?

It’s very interesting.
Where are these feet coming from?

Check your loved ones.....

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Random Thoughts

Happy Veteran's Day!

I have to work today. Half of the campus isn't working today, but half of the campus is. And we're a little cranky about it. Maybe it's just me.

**********

My first official evening at the DowningMarsh household was lovely. TBBE had dinner ready when I got home and the kids fought to clean up afterwards. Wonder how long this whole impress-the-new-family-member will last.

How about years? Can we say years?

**********

Remember all of that stress and exhaustion I wasn't feeling during the move? Yeah, that's all caught up to me now.

We went to bed at 9:30 last night (after dozing on the couch for half an hour) and when the alarm went off this morning, I was just mad. I remember waking up a few times last night, so apparently I didn't get that solid nine hours of sleep.

And you know how Rae-rae likes her sleep.

So, I'm dragging a bit today. It doesn't help that the kids had the day off, which meant Todd could sleep in a little, too. Maybe they'll feel guilty for having such a relaxing day and they'll pamper me with wine and love and chocolate when I get home.

Ha.

**********

Just got an email at work that we are participating in a country wide hospital disaster drill in the next week or two.

The name of the drill?

PANDEMONIUM.

From Merriem-Webster.com:
Main Entry: Pan·de·mo·ni·um
Function: noun
Etymology: New Latin, from Greek pan- + daimōn evil spirit — more at demon.
Date: 1667
1: the capital of Hell in Milton's Paradise Lost
2: the infernal regions : hell
3: a wild uproar : tumult

How the hell are we supposed to be calm during a drill called PANDEMONIUM?

**********

My gawd, is it 4:30 yet?

**********

I scheduled a haircut for tomorrow. I feel frizzy. I'm thinking layers. Lots and lots of layers. Might go a smidge shorter, too. My hair is so long right now that when I sit back against my chair and then turn my head, my hair gets caught. It bugs me.

**********

I am treating myself to a soda pop today.
Letting the belching commence!

**********
Okay. I think my lunch is up. I should go.
I will leave you with this moving photo. In honor of our veterans and heroes.


Monday, November 10, 2008

West Seattlite

As TBBE wrote, the move was absolutely painless. Yes, it was hard to leave Ballard, but not as hard as I thought it would be. Guess I was more ready for the transition than I thought. Dare I say, I was excited? Raff did comment on how cute my apartment was, and I immediately stopped him. "Don't even say it. It's hard enough to leave it. Just tell me what a dump it is." My apartment was good to me and got me through a rough time. But now, things aren't rough anymore. It's time to move on. Start a new chapter. A better chapter.

So, after a flat two hour move, and a big ol' lunch, I stood in the bedroom, looking around. And I felt the twinges of option paralysis. What to do first?

Lay down. That’s what. What’s the point in rushing?

I got my clothes put away (see: tossed into drawers) and some of the bathroom unpacked. Then it was time to gussy up and head out to Jamie’s cocktail party. Which was a blessing in disguise. That just meant I couldn’t overdo it and work until the wee hours of the morning.

I bartended for the first time ever. A pretty easy first time gig. The options were wine or champagne. Jamie likes to keep it simple. Todd stuck with me, while occasionally making a food run so we could nibble in between serving. It was a lovely evening. Jamie throws a beautiful party.

After the party, home and straight to bed. Busy, busy day.

I wasn’t as productive as I would have liked to have been on Sunday, but again, being forced to stop to go see Jason Mraz was a blessing. And it was a great show. Well, it was after I told the guy next to me that he had dog crap on his shoe and wouldn’t be able to focus on the music unless something was done immediately. My gawd, the stench. He ended up going to the restroom and cleaning up. And he thanked me profusely.

After the concert, home and straight to bed. Another busy day.

Tonight, I will get my computer and desk set up and maybe work on the bathroom some more.

And I’m very much looking forward to having dinner with my family.

Tough Birds


See?! See why I hate 'em?!

Friday, November 7, 2008

Signing Off

Not permanently, silly.
Just for the weekend.

It's time to pack my computer. I've procrastinated and procrastinated, but there's nothing left to do. I have to unplug it.

This hurts me.

My kitchen is packed, except for the fridge. But I've already cleaned it out. The cabinets and drawers are bare. The magnetic knife rack has been removed.

The couch was picked up at 11:00am. So tonight I'm on the floor. That's okay. Tomorrow night I'll be in a big fluffy bed with a big fluffy guy.

Jamie came and took apart the big bookshelf. She'll pick it up tomorrow. I took a trunk load of stuff to Goodwill, and have yet another pile starting in the corner. The shower curtain is down, but I think I want to take one last soakie before I go to bed. Wonder if I can find a candle easily?

The curtains in the bedroom are down and I took the top piece off the dresser to make it lighter. We'll move it to West Seattle, where it will go to one of Todd's friends. It will have a good home. She said she'd take the curtains and the lampshades too, but I'm willing to rent a storage unit if that's what it takes to store them until I can have a spare room to boudoir-up.

So now I sit here, with my glass of champagne, looking at my naked apartment and I can't help but think back to where I was a year ago.

It was just about this time last year when my life imploded and I blew a fuse. I was sent home from work because I couldn't do anything but cry. I started taking the pretty pink pills, I stopped eating and my ass created a very prominent dent in my couch. Not a good time in Raechelle-land.

My goodness, look what a year can bring.

The emotions! Oy!
It's exhausting.

Well.
Here we go.

Cheers!

Thursday, November 6, 2008

We Now Return You To Your Regularly Scheduled Life

I’m wearing a blue sweater today. This is big news.
I don’t wear blue tops. Especially with blue jeans. Too much blue. Blah.

Aside from my wardrobe, not too much to report. I’m still trying to get back on track from Tuesday night. Little too much wine, not enough sleep. Kim came over last night and I laid down on the couch, thinking, I’ll just take a little nap until she gets here.

I was awakened by my door buzzer and it completely freaked me out. You know when you’re in a deep nap and then you’re yanked out of it suddenly? Your vision is blurred and you can’t think straight and you’re just disoriented. I didn’t really come out of it until we were walking back from dinner and then I just got nauseous.

I tried to be productive when I got home (got a blog post up!) but ended up going to bed…er…couch at 9:30. And I was asleep within minutes.

Then my alarm went off today and let me tell you, I was none too happy. Laid and listened to the radio until 7:15, then finally decided I should maybe get up.

On the bright side, I get to sleep in tomorrow as I took the day off. One last day to finish up the packing and enjoy my little place. Hopefully Esther and K. won’t be home. My little place isn’t enjoyable at all when they’re there.

And then, I ship out at 10:00am on Saturday. Headed for the big city of West Seattle. I was informed today, by a life long West Seattleite, that they’ve tried to secede from Seattle three times. So, it is kind of like moving to a new city. But then, Ballard is kind of like it’s own city, too. Well, they were their own city until Seattle cut their water off and said “Join us or suffer.”

Sigh.
Anywho, I babble.

Okay, back to your regularly scheduled lives now.

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Look How Far We've Come

In my packing this evening, I found my copy of The Stranger from 11/11/04, when a lot of us were beaten down and feeling hopeless.


And within that paper was the electoral map from the Bush/Kerry race.



Look at all that red. Wow.
Here's the electoral map from this year's election.


So pretty. Much more balanced.

And, once again, we love The Stranger. They have nailed the sentiment on the head, once again.

(Warning - Big, bad word. Not at all suitable for work.)

Yes We Can

And boy howdy, did we.
Thank you, Ohio and Florida.

Carrie, I won't be needing that room. I'm proud to be an American today.

Because we finally made the right choice.

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

The Big Day

I don't think I get this excited at Christmas. I can't help but click over to CNN every three minutes, even though there is absolutely nothing to report yet.

But even through the excitement, part of me feels a slight sense of dread. I think tomorrow is going to be a rough day, regardless of who wins.

If McCain wins, well, how are we supposed to go on? I have until January 20th to get my passport. If Obama wins, there might be some people who are upset. And the people who would get upset by such a thing are pretty darn passionate, on so many levels.

I just hope it's quick and painless. I want a concession speech by the end of the day tomorrow. None of this dragging it out for days, recounts or threats of lawsuits. Just give up and accept defeat like a big boy, McCain.

Oops.
Did I say that out loud?

Monday, November 3, 2008

BOO!


Just a quick post to direct you to photos of our Halloween party. TBBE will have a more in depth post for you.

Todd and I agree - the party was a success! There was much eating, drinking and schmoozing, and the vampire costumes were a big hit.

Sunday was spent in jammies, watching football, sleeping and eating pizza rolls. A perfect day in my book.

Now we begin election week. I sense that tomorrow and Wednesday are going to be quite unproductive at work……