I Am Screwed.

Apparently, crows can remember a face. Great.

Not only do I have to worry about crows dive bombing me, now I can't even scream at them and flip them off because they will remember me. And they will plan their great attack.

Perhaps when I'm down at the Locks, all by myself, enjoying the sunshine. Laying on a blanket, eyes closed. They will recognize me. And they will swarm in a giant murder, descending upon me with their oily little feathers and loud caws. They will peck at me with their beaks as I scream for help. But no one will help me. No one likes crows.

Eventually, the horrible beasts will grab my lifeless, bloodied body with their ugly, pointy feet and carry me off to their nest in order to continue their merciless execution.

No, I haven't seen Hitchcock's The Birds.
Why?

Home....And Then Some

Yes, we're back! Todd has done a great job of laying out the activities day by day, so I really don't need to rehash all of the details.

I will say it sure didn't feel like a whole week. Although, on the plane ride home yesterday, I suddenly became very exhausted and passed out for I don't know how long. Guess everything caught up with me. Meeting new people for an entire week tends to take it out of you.

And it was good dip in the parent pool. I didn't really go under......just doggie paddled to the edge a couple of times. Which, if you think about it, isn't too bad for my first full week with the kiddies. I know Todd was worried that I was going to get sick of him but that just wasn't even an issue. He still had me laughing until I had tears in my eyes on the plane ride home.

But, oh, it feels good to be home.

I ordered in thai food last night, had a glass of wine, took a long bath and painted my nails. This morning, I ran errands and just enjoyed being back in Ballard.

And now I'm off to piddle a little more until it's time to get ready for dinner. A special dinner. Dinner at Salty's. Today marks a whopping three months with Todd so we're celebrating. Is it just me, or does it feel like three years? Hard to believe it's only been months.

Speaking of relationships, our hostess with the mostest, Beth, said something a few nights ago that made my mouth just fall open. And opened up a whole new train of thought for me.

By now you've realized that I don't use this blog to spout about my feelings regarding Todd. There's a lot going on inside my head (and heart) and he's aware of all of this, but I don't want my blog to be therapy anymore. You guys were great this past year when I needed an outlet, but now, this relationship is so.....important....that I don't want to let everyone completely in on it. It's more complicated than boy-meets-girl-they-fall-in-love-cue-mushy-music. Todd and I each have our own baggage and issues from the past and I think we're doing a fantastic job of working those things out. So please don't think that just because I don't gush about him means I'm not in love with him. I am very much, 100%, completely in love with him. And his kids. How on earth could I not be?

That said, I tend to freak out every now and then. Sometimes it's because of a trigger from the past, sometimes it's because I fear making the same stupid mistakes I made last year, and sometimes it's because I feel like I'm just sitting in the corner, picking my nose, while this relationship happens around me. Sometimes I don't feel like I'm even participating. Like I'm not in control. And that makes me panic.

So when Beth said that her relationship with her husband took on a life of it's own when they were dating, I literally gasped.

A life of it's own.

Picking my nose.

See how it's the same?

Apparently, when a relationship is right, it just happens. Momentum takes hold and you just have to try and hang on and not get thrown over the side. This is a completely foreign concept to me.

My longest and most pertinent relationship ever began with complete denial. We were just "hanging out" for eight months. Spending Friday night through Monday morning together, sure, but we were just "hanging out". We never, ever, used the term "girlfriend" or "boyfriend". Then we really never lived together those first few years. We just "stayed with each other" because of whatever the current situation was. We didn't really get officially domestic until year four when we got a joint bank account (in addition to our own checking accounts).

This is my frame of reference. Healthy, right?

I thought we were just taking it slow. Now I see I had a chain around his neck and was dragging him down the beautiful path to domesticity. A path he so clearly was not happy to be on. Oh, I think I probably knew that, but dammit, I am no quitter!

So, to have a man who is gung ho about domesticity and togetherness completely throws me. I don't know how to do this if I'm not dragging them kicking and screaming. That's my way of being in control. And you know there's no way I can drag Todd anywhere. The man is huge.

Anywho. That's what's going on. Todd is at the end of the relationship path, arms wide open, tapping his foot and waiting on me. He's probably checking the time every now and then because he's a planner and our social calendar is constantly jam packed. I can see the kids too (along with every gatekeeper I met this past week), jumping up and down and cheering me on. "You can do it, Raechelle!"

I, however, am very gingerly walking toward him, while just trying to stay in the middle of the path and not fall down. I'm just being very, very careful. The path is uneven and if I rush, I'm going to hurt myself. Todd has been down this path. Hell, you can even see his big ol' footprints in the dirt. He OWNS this path. But it's all very new to me.

I wish I could paint. It would be a pretty picture, wouldn't it?

Okay, enough babbling. I gotta get ready for dinner. It's raining out but I am not deterred. I am wearing my new gold strappy shoes! I mean it!

Composting - A Beginner's Tale

A few weeks ago, the city distributed BioBags* to put food waste in. Once the bag is full, we can just throw that in the community compost container down by the garbage. I aspire to compost (and I'm all about appearances), so I was going to spend $40 on a pretty stainless steel countertop composter like this:

But then I thought, "I have these bags. I just need something to put the bag in." And wala!

Ugly, but functional:


Still ugly, still functional, but now with pretty green bag hanging out of it.

Only $6! I'm so smart. The only drawback is that the $40 stainless steel container has a charcoal filter to help with the smell of rotting food. My little Goodwill container's lid is one of those sealing lids so that will help, but I'll need to take the bag out pretty frequently.

Looks like the BioBags are only about $6, too (for 25 of them). Now it's just a matter of finding a store nearby that carries them. Whole Foods? PCC?

Let me know if you've seen them anywhere.

*They also have litter box liners, dog waste bags, trash bags and leaf and lawn bags. The bags are made of corn, not plastic, so they break down naturally.

California, Mid-Week Update

I could give you an update on our California trip, but let me instead refer you to TBBE's blog. We collaborated. More efficient.

Suffice it to say, 1) we're having a great time, 2) Todd has fantastic friends and 3) I'm not running away screaming. Which was apparently a concern.

No, no. All is good in Taechelle land. Or RaTodd land.
Still working on it.

I Been Tagged!

By Heather from H-in-London.

So allow me to babble about myself for a minute.

Here are the directions:
1. Link back to the person who tagged you
2. Mention the rules on your blog
3. Tell about 6 unspectacular quirks of yours
4. Tag 6 following bloggers by linking them
5. Leave a comment on each of the tagged blogger’s blogs letting them know they’ve been tagged.

Here are my 6 unspectacular quirks.

1. I fear crowds. Maybe not "fear", but I panic. Like, wringing my hands and twitching and looking around nervously because I feel like I'm in the way and if one more person touches me I will freakin' LOSE IT. Todd knows this and he is fantastic. He'll move me to the nearest wall or to the edge of the crowd or just stand in front of me with his back to the crowd. And he's much like a wall, so it's comforting. Thanks babe.

2. I say "interesting...." when I have absolutely no response to something someone has just said. "My chicken just won't stop pacing around the coop! Can you believe that?!"

"Huh. Interesting....."

3. I always think I have something in my teeth. I'm constantly checking my teeth in the mirror (or in a knife, if I'm at the table...although I'm discreet). Dinner dates are murder.

4. I can't go out of town without cleaning my apartment. Taking the trash and recycling out, scrubbing the tub, vacuuming (but that's fun stuff) and doing laundry. The thought of coming home and needing to do ANYTHING ruins the whole vacation.

Guess what I'll be doing tonight?

5. I have hyperacute hearing. Steve used to say I had superhearing. I can hear something rattling in the wall in my office and I've called facilities so many times to fix it, they think I'm crazy. One guy even asked if anyone else could hear it. So now I hit on the wall a lot to try and make it stop (which it does....for a minute). I mute the commercials (if I have the remote) because my head needs a break when watching TV. I hate whistling (she says as she hears someone in the hallway....whistling). It should be a happy sound, but I feel like it just adds to the already excessive amount of noise I have to tolerate on a daily basis. If you don't have to make noise, don't make noise.

6. It is imperative that the toilet paper pull from over the top, rather than from underneath. And I am not opposed to actually changing it in people's houses. People I don't even know. Underneath may be their preference, but when I'm sittin' on their potty, it's over the top. But I'm considerate, so I'll put it back the way they had it when I leave.

To Todd's friends with whom we will be staying next week - consider yourself warned.

Okay! Time to tag. I'm so sorry, guys. But I know that every bad thing that happens to me is a direct result of breaking a chain letter in 5th grade. Swear.To.Gawd.

Kayleigh
Tricia
Marcia
Jake
Ann
Ms. Traveler

California Dreamin'

What to say?
I am tired
Eyes are heavy
Sat in the sun at lunch
Big mistake
Back in my office
Blah

Short timers disease
Vacation a comin'
Finding it hard to work
So I plan my wardrobe
Always take a fleece
Even to California
Just in case

Hair appointment Friday
Sprucin' up for new people
Wanna feel cool in Cali
No mani or pedi
Gotta choose wisely
More money for shopping

How many hours?
72 hours
Touch down in San Jose...?
Or Sacramento?
No idea
Don't even care
Letting someone else plan for a change

Will you miss me?
Can I blog from Todd's phone?
Maybe from our hosts' computer?
Cryptic little updates
To keep you on the edge of your seat
Don't forget the camera this time!!

How many hours?
72 hours
Sigh

Weekend Update - GO! GO! GO!

Rumor has it that Todd isn't too motivated this morning to blog, so maybe I can get this done before him. Hee hee.

Friday night - FOOTBALL. Yeah baby! Seahawks won their first preseason game against the Vikings and we had a small, but nice, crowd to yell at the TV with. And Trish and I now have every intention of making food and being the hostesses with mostestess every Sunday for the games. This big plan was decided after a couple glasses of wine, so we may need to reevaluate.

Saturday morning consisted of a full on breakfast of pancakes, eggs and bacon, then a mad dash to Ikea for organizing gear. In and out in 45 minutes. A new world record, I'm sure. We came home with drawer organizers, bins for the office, and cargo nets for all of Kayleigh's stuff animals, which are now hanging above her bed. I personally would be afraid those things would fall on me in the middle of the night, but she's young and daring, so we'll see how it goes.

The afternoon was extremely productive, until we had to run off to dinner and "Crazy For You", a play done by Todd's theater group, Twelfth Night Productions where I got to see my man in true form as the cool popular guy. After the show, the cast was milling about, chatting with people and one after one I would hear, "TODD!" in a very high, screechy female voice. Quite popular with the ladies, he is. As a matter of fact, even last weekend when we were in Bellingham, I heard that familiar screech. In the consignment store where we were shopping. I said to no one in particular, "It's a good thing I'm not a jealous woman. This could get ugly."

And Sunday began early with a last minute dash to meet our real estate agent (after stopping for much needed caffeine, of course) to view a house. A very cool-retreat-like-would-accommodate-a-pool-table house. After that, there was more organizing and cleaning (I'm infectious, I tell ya!), then dinner, then Blazing Saddles (which, yes you guessed it, I had never seen) and a glass of wine. What a lovely way to wrap up a fun weekend.

Again, I had every intention of coming home yesterday afternoon, but for some reason, I just wasn't able to tear myself away from the big, burly man hugs, so it turned into a full weekend visit. A good sign, since I'll be spending seven straight days with the Downing clan here in a few days, doncha think?

And, Happy Monday, what did I find when I emerged from the bathroom this morning?

A latte and a croissant from The Best Boyfriend Ever (herein known as TBBE).

[insert big ol' mushy grin here]

Whew! Done!
What's the time on that, Bob?

Tattoo Time

Since posting pictures of our tattoos is all the rage now, here's mine.


Pardon the blur. Hard spot, Todd's camera phone, trying not to expose too much.....you get the idea. Yes, those are my Hanky Pankys.

I got this when I was 19 and drunk on peach wine coolers. My friend, Val, bought it for me because I won a bet. What was the bet, you ask? I asked a guy at Paragon, a club we frequented, what toothpaste he used.

Stupid bet. I know. But I got a tattoo out of it!

I picked a moon and star because I'm a night person.
Well, I used to be. Now I have to be in bed by 10:30pm.

Sad.

My, What You Can Do With Photography...

From the front page of CNN.
Rumor has it, John Edwards had an affair.

At first glance, who is the bad guy here?

Although I didn't actually read the article, I'm guessing from this photograph that this tramp seduced that fine, upstanding man. Look how the sun falls on his face, almost illuminating his halo. While this evil home wrecker, judging by the harsh light and scowl on her face, I'm sure only comes out at night as looks like the sun is setting behind her.

I want a photographer to follow me around and only publish the photos that make me look 1) clear skinned, 2) thin and 3) innocent.

If you are a photographer, and interested in being my employee, please click the "Email Me!" link to your right. I promise you will earn your money. I don't know how much money at this point, but I'm sure we can work something out.

You Can Take The Girl Out Of The Country.....

A new site to check 50 times a day. See more dog pictures.....

From The Ex To Steve

Some readers have noticed that in my Props for Shaun post, I referred to my ex by name. No more "The Ex". That's because the ex...er....Steve and I are talking again.

We hadn't spoken since the first of December and that was probably best. After six years, you can't break up and just act like everything is okay. He wasn't part of the mistake or fiasco, just so you know, and he was smart to remove himself from anyone involved. But, for the most part, that's all behind us and he's in a great relationship and I'm in a great relationship, so we're friendly again. We've even had dinner together and we still quote the same movies to each other in the middle of a conversation. Old habits die hard.

I'm happy that I still have Steve in my life. Because after six years of living with him, I can't just act like he doesn't exist (plus, he cracks me up. He's a funny guy). And I'm so very happy that Todd understands that, just as I understand that Sam was a huge part of his life and is the mother of his children, so she will never be completely gone. We can talk about our pasts and the people in them and no gets all bent out of shape or competitive.

I think I'm a very lucky woman.

It's A Sickness, I Tell Ya....

I just meant to drop off some stuff. Stuff from Todd's after we cleaned out the basement. And then I just thought I'd go in to see if they had shorts cause, ya know, mine are too big and I'm going to California in a couple of weeks.

Then somehow I found myself in the shoe department, and REALLY, I was just looking for some cute flats that I could wear with a couple of my dresses. But then I hit the boot aisle and well....crap.

Because I don't have brown ones, that's why
And they were $8.

Shoot me.

Glutton for Punishment

I just made the very grave decision to look at the swimsuits on the Victoria's Secret website.

And from Ordinary Angels, I hear Micah's voice in my head:
"What the hell were you thinking?!"

They've got all kinds of categories:
Beach Sexy
Miracle Bra
Very Sexy
Body by Victoria
Shop by Top
Shop by Designer
Shop by Category
Destination: Summer
Must Haves

And I found myself mumbling, "How about a "I'm 33 and I Weigh More Than 90lbs and I Just Want to Cover My Ass" category? Where's that one?"

They don't have that category.

Oh, but Newport News does. They're ugly, but they cover yer tush.

Oy.

That's okay. My cheap little suit suffice for the mere week I need it. That's one of the perks of living in Seattle. You don't really need to have a swimsuit. Unless you're one of those water lover types that likes to swim and kayak and crap. Luckily, I am not one of those people.

I prefer wool sweaters, thankyouverymuch.

Weekend Update

Mondays are so much better when you get smoochies as you leave for work. By your boyfriend, not just by some random neighbor that you've accosted. Trust me on that.

As mentioned in said boyfriends' blog, Friday was dinner with Kenni and Joel. Sneaky, sneaky Joel.

But before dinner, Todd and I went to Target to get me a nightguard. Look at me, actually following a professional's advice. Well, I got two sport mouthguards. One for my place, one for Todd's place, because I'm one of those tramps now who keeps her shampoo, soap, toothbrush and deodorant at her boyfriend's house. We haven't progressed to clothing yet, so you parents can just settle down. It's just toiletries at this point. And mouthguards.

Speaking of which, could this picture BE any cuter:

Tiny little girly deodorant, and big manly tall deodorant. That's me and Todd, in a nutshell. And no, I'm not afraid to show you our deodorant. So there.

Where was I?

Oh, mouthguards.

So I bought two of them, and did the whole boiling thing and, holy crap, those things are HUGE. There is no way I would be able to sleep with that huge chunk of....whatever..... in my mouth. I'd rather just go for the root canal. One time shot, lots of good drugs afterwards.

But, upon further consideration, I tried my whitening tray that I got a few years ago. Same concept. Plastic, molded to my teeth. I used it Saturday night and wala! No headache Sunday morning. I'll try it for a couple of weeks and see if the pain lets up. I'll keep you posted. Because I know you're just on the edge of your seat, aren't you?

So after the mouthguard experiment, off to dinner. I'm going to forget to mention the Raechelle's-an-idiot-and-walked-into-the-men's-room-AGAIN-story. Unlike Todd. Thanks, babe.

Saturday was a Bellingham trip. Farmer's market, meeting Todd's sister and niece, then lunch and shopping with his mom and a visit with his grandparents. Then I branched off and met up with Jamie for din din, and back home where I tried to stay up for Saturday Night Live, but was unable. Because, apparently, I am no longer a young whipper snapper.

Esther had friends over around 8:30 Sunday morning, so I was awake bright and early. It seems they were hanging out in her bedroom and bathroom which is, of course, right above my bedroom and bathroom, and they were quite chipper (and loud). So I tried to be optimistic and take it as a sign to get my day started. Four cups of coffee helped.

That afternoon, I visited with Kim, Tim and Milo for a bit. Then Kim accompanied me to Macy's for a quick shopping trip, including the dreaded bathing suit search since I'll be in beautiful California for a week. And, I swear to gawd, not one bottom that I tried on covered my butt. And you know my butt ain't that big. The suits are just getting smaller and smaller. I told Kim, if I wanted my ass to show, I'd just go naked. What's the point in spending $60 on a suit when I'm hardly covered? So, bathing suit shopping was a bust.

On the way home from shopping, Ruby almost got creamed by a very large and green minivan. That thing wanted in my lane something fierce, so to get out of her way, we went up on the curb. Scared the crap out of all of us. I think Ruby was actually shaking on the rest of the drive. So, to calm her down, I took her to Brown Bear and gave her a good washing and vacuuming. She seemed okay after that. Poor baby....

And then back to Todd's for dinner. But first, a quick trip to Marshall's, just to see if maybe they had any bathing suits left. And wouldn't you know it? Found a suit. That is the exact same style and cut as the one I just gave to Goodwill four months ago. Perfect. This one is brown and blue though. I tell you this because you probably will not ever see a picture of me in it. Unless I'm drunk. Which, let's face it, is not unheard of.

So, shopping, dinner, a nice chat with Tyler then Jim Gaffigan. Oh my gawd, Todd and I laughed until our throats hurt. He is freakin' hysterical. "Have you tried the Hot Pocket Hot Pocket? It's the Hot Pocket filled with a Hot Pocket. Tastes just like a Hot Pocket. Hot Pocket...."

What a nice way to end the weekend.

And here we are at Monday! Ack.

Actually, my day isn't too bad. Time flies when you....uh....don't work.

Oh, kidding, kidding. I work. Occasionally. Most of the time.
Rarely.

Wha....?

Is It Tomorrow Yet?

What the hell is up with the universe today?

I can't count the number of cars who almost ran or eased into me because they weren't paying attention to what they were doing. Or the number of people I almost hit with my car because they stepped off the curb, cell phone to their ear, completely unaware that there were cars zooming past.

Here's a tip for ya: PAY ATTENTION, PEOPLE. Take yer freakin' cell phone away from your ear and look forward. How hard is that? You are not the only one in this world and one of these days, people are going to quit slamming on their brakes for you just because you're too engrossed in whatever it is you're doing to notice that there is a car coming RIGHT TOWARD YOU. Dumbass.

Okay, maybe I'm a little grumpy today.

I had a dentist appointment this morning and apparently, a root canal is not in order just yet. I have a crack in my tooth, that runs up by the nerve, and we suspect I am grinding my teeth at night (just like I have for the last 25 years) which is aggravating the nerve every day and not giving it a chance to calm down.

So, he suggested (and has been suggesting) a night guard (for six years now). Maybe I'll actually break down and buy one because it's just pissing me off now and I'm pretty sure I'm killing my stomach with the amount of Advil I'm taking on a daily basis. And the tooth pain is making the entire left side of my head hurt so that when I cough (freakin' allergies) my brain feels like it's trying to somehow exit my skull.

And then there's MS (not PMS....we are not in the "Pre" stages anymore) which just makes me want to rip out my own ovaries with my bare hands and throw them against the wall. I work in a clinic. We've got plenty of gauze. I think I can do it.

When I had my first "woman's doctor's appointment" at 17 (I think it was 17), the doctor came into the room and asked, "Now, what can I do for you?"

And I very calmly and maturely said, "I would like a hysterectomy, please."

I think my mom laughed. Only three years of being a woman and I was sick of it. Screw. This.

Sigh.

Enough about my uterus.

I am very much looking forward to this evening. Todd and I will be taking one of our faithful readers, who is visiting from Houston, and her husband out for dinner. I think we'll go somewhere on the water. Because we know how to impress our fans.

And then afterward, mucho cuddle time with my man. I think that will make all of the aches and pains magically go away. And if not, well, who cares. I still get cuddle time.

Props for My Gals...er....Guys III

I haven't really told you about Shaun, have I? You merely know him as one of my Sheauns, the guy I stayed with last summer and the guy who lets me get drunk and cry on his chest.

But there's so much more to him.

I met Shaun in January of 2001. Steve and I had started dating, for the second time, and he invited me to join him and his buddies for Guitar Night. They had one night a week where they all got together and played guitar and ate and drank. There were a couple of non-guitar players, Ms. Heather included, who sang or shook shakers or just curled up quietly in the corner and listened. On this particular night, Shaun and McP were the only attendees. And since they were just so impressed by my singing, I became a regular with the group and saw them every week.

In the course of my six year relationship with Steve, Shaun became one of my best friends from the group. He, Steve, McP and I went on a few three day weekends together and I probably saw him more often than anyone else. He moved back to Boston for a year, but when he returned to Seattle, we all picked up right where we had left off.

I had always considered Shaun a good friend, but I never knew how good of a friend until he suddenly became my family.

Two days after the break up, I called and asked if I could stay with him for a few days. He said I could stay as long as I needed. And he meant it. He cleaned out a drawer in the bathroom for me and gave me his spare set of keys. He would text me throughout the day and ask if I had eaten anything recently. He would drag me out of the apartment in the evenings when I was curled up on the couch, staring glassy- and teary-eyed at the TV.

When I felt I had burdened him enough, and I went to stay with Jessica for a few weeks, I offered to give his spare keys back. He said no. He said since he traveled so much, I should just hang onto them in case I needed to do laundry or just wanted to crash there one night.

When I finally moved into my own apartment, I again offered to give his keys back. He again said no. Since I was having such laundry stress, he told me I could come over and do my laundry at his place anytime. (And in November, when The Fiasco happened, he started texting again. "Consider this your daily check in from Chicago! Eaten anything today?")

I spent Thanksgiving day and New Year's Eve with Shaun. He sat and watched football with me almost every Sunday, even though he doesn't give a shit about football and would spend the whole afternoon talking about how great Brady was, even though the Patriots weren't playing. He even talked me out of extending my West Virginia trip so that we could have a few three day weekends this summer.

Then, in April, I met Todd. Who, coincidentally, has a ton of things in common with Shaun (theater, graphic novels, music) When I told Shaun, he said, "You can't date him until I meet him." Well, Shaun was still traveling a lot, so after a month or so, he changed his tune. "You can't move in with him until I meet him." They finally met at dinner earlier this month. And I think he approves.

I went over to Shaun's this past Tuesday night, and as I left, I again asked if he wanted his spare set of keys back.

This time he said, "Sure". And I cried a little.

It was such a turning point. I don't need his keys anymore. And he knows it, so he took them back. It's like giving up a security blanket, or the pretty pink pills. I'm okay now. I have security (and laundry privileges) with Todd, but Shaun will always be my big brother. There has never been a doubt in my mind about his loyalty or his intentions. I knew I could let down my guard with him and he would still be a true friend. Oh, there were other men comforting poor Raechelle last summer, but I was way too broken to realize that they had ulterior motives. Shaun never had an ulterior motive.

(Or maybe he did. He's a guy. I'm cute. And was drunk. A lot.)

He never crossed that line. And when I confessed to him the Ginormous Bad Decision of 2007, he just looked at me and said, "Wow. You really screwed up. But you know what, Raechelle? Everybody does. Don't let anyone judge you because they've all screwed up, too." And then he let me cry on his chest.

So, raise those glasses!

To Shaun! One of my best friends. My big brother. My lifeboat.

*clink*

I love ya, man.

Well, Bless Your Heart For Trying

Here it is, July 31.
Middle o'summer.

Our company picnic is today, and it's Hawaiian themed, so we have been given permission to wear blue jeans (oh THANK YOU THANK YOU!) and a Hawaiian shirt, if we so desire (nothankyou). Rumor has it, there will be ping pong and mini golf this year, in addition to the standard tradition of a cover band. People are in holiday mode and one of our techs is passing out leis and hairclips with flowers.

My lei is peach and yellow, but it clashes with my thick, black sweater that I'm wearing because it's only 55 degrees outside and only about 65 degrees in my office.

I really do love Seattle. Really.

But come one. Just one month of summer. Please? One consistent month? That's all I need.

Maybe the clouds will part by noon and it will appear summery when I head down to get a hamburger. And the Blue Angels are in town for Seafair, so we may catch a glimpse of them practicing. That's summery.

Sigh.

Please send warm and sunny thoughts.

Even Amazon Hates Math

I just searched for "Dr. Horrible" on Amazon.

And this was the only result:

Coincidence?
I think not.

Bitch Box

This just in!

I have $1.39 in the Bitch Box.
Some people have donated just because they think it's funny.

Whatever. I'll take it.

Weekend Update

Where do the weekends go?

I had lunch with Ms. Traveler on Saturday. It's always good to hang out with her. She knows everything about everything and never fails to, at some point, compliment me on my writing. Seeing as how she's a Professional Writer, it's always a huge confidence booster. And I walk away inspired and motivated to find a writing job. But then I get overwhelmed and discouraged because I don't have an English degree like so many people are requiring and well.....I end up blogging and whining to you guys.

Thanks for listening.

After lunch, I ran some errands, did some dishes, paid some bills. Then just sat on my couch for an hour flipping through channels and looking through the new Ikea catalog. It was nice to just enjoy my apartment.

That evening, I headed over to Todd's to make dinner and watch some movies. And I have to say, I LOVED 50 First Dates. So warm and fuzzy. I'm a sucker for warm and fuzzy. I'm putting it right up there with When Harry Met Sally... Yes, THAT warm and fuzzy.

We also watched Airplane, which, GASP, I had never seen. Big surprise. Funny, but like with Star Wars, I missed the curve. At least I know what Todd and the kids are quoting now when they say, "A hospital? What is it? It's a big building with patients, but that's not important right now." Now I'm one of the cool kids.

Sunday, after sleeping in until 9am (I know!) I got on a teeny weeny cleaning bender.

I washed up some dishes and wiped down the counter, then just meant to wipe off the stove. There was something that looked suspiciously like dry Coco Wheats everywhere, probably from when Tyler cooked breakfast. (I'm guessing that's where the hunk of butter on the cabinet door came from, too. Teenagers are fun.)

But a simple wipedown turned into taking off all of the burner pans and knobs to soak and 409ing the shit out of the stovetop. Kayleigh was sitting at the kitchen table, playing solitaire while I was doing all of this and she (very seriously) said the funniest thing yet.

"A house without messes must be your own personal hell."

She's quick, that one.

After the cleaning bender, we headed out to lunch and a movie, where migraine number four made a brief appearance. It started with the squigglies on the drive, and progressed into the fork-in-the-back-of-the-eye pain once at the restaurant. I downed four Advil and Todd rubbed a pressure point in the muscle between my thumb and index finger, which actually seemed to ward off the worst of it.

Seeing a movie that afternoon was probably not the best plan, but I figured if my head started to hurt too badly, I would just lay against Todd, close my eyes and snooze alittle. But it never really progressed into the normal oh-gawd-please-just-cut-my-head-off headache. I still have a bit of pain today, but not enough to warrant turning off the lights or wearing earplugs.

And I'm glad it didn't get too bad because WALL-E was just fantastic. (You have to watch some of the videos on the site. HAVE TO.)

Holy crap, Pixar can do no wrong. And the movies just keep getting better and better. They're so good at conveying expression and emotion in the smallest amount of detail. And, although the movie is cute and funny, there is a very clear message to be had. If we keep up this pace, earth will be uninhabitable and humans will become brainwashed blobs of goo.

It really is a heartwarming film. Really.

Once home, Todd and I rested our eyes for a bit. What, old, you say? No, not old. Just soaking up some cuddle time before I had to leave. After such a craptastic week, it was so nice to just curl up with him and be happy.

I got home relatively early so I puttered around my place and watched some TV before heading to bed at 9:30pm.

Okay. Maybe I am old.

The Ring

No, not the movie.
The ring that Todd gave me.


Pretty little Celtic knots.

I've gotten a few emails that all ask the same question:

"Why the hell haven't you blogged about this!?"

Well, faithful reader, I'm a visual kinda girl. I wanted to wait until I could get a photo when the ring wasn't so tight that my finger turned blue. That just killed the beauty of the whole thing.

And it's been a rough week in RaTodd-land. Or Taechelle-land. I'm still workin' on it.

On life's highway of love, there are speedbumps. Sometimes those bumps are roadkill, but sometimes they're just speedbumps. Speedbumps slow things down for a reason. Speedbumps make you almost come to a complete stop and ask, "What the......?" This is a good thing. In hindsight, of course. In pre-hindsight, you don't see the benefit. You just think, "Oh crap, I hate dating."

But then you talk it out and the weight lifts and the barrier of anger you had up dissolves and suddenly all you want to do is latch onto that person for the rest of the night.

Unfortunately, you've decided to sleep in your own apartment. On a Friday night. Because your bills are piling up and your bathroom is filthy and you have a friend who really needs you on Saturday. So, you make sacrifices and tell your boyfriend you'll see him tomorrow night.

But you smile every time you look at your pretty silver ring.

Math = Hell

I don't get on a soapbox about a lot of things. I barely have enough energy to get through each day, let alone tackle an issue and get all ruffled over it.

The Ex used to get frustrated with me because my excuse for not educating myself in politics was that it was too overwhelming. I would rather just focus on keeping my little bubble of a life happy. Why depress myself with issues and topics I didn't feel I could do anything thing about? I just kept my head down, tried to stay under the radar and waited to die.

Not the healthiest way to live life, I know. I'm not so bleak about it anymore. Now, I vote. I read up on things. I have an opinion when the topic comes up at dinner. Rarely do I get all ruffled.

Oh, but I got ruffled this morning. Good-n-ruffled. (Ooh. My German name.)

I listen to 103.7 The Mountain every morning when I'm getting ready for work, and then on my drive. I love those guys. Marty Riemer and Jodi Brothers are like the best friends I don't have. And this morning, they mentioned that Washington state may soon require high school students to pass algebra II in order to graduate. And I immediately got a pit in my stomach. Then Jodi said exactly what I was thinking:

"I would have never graduated high school if algebra II were required back then."

Amen, Jodi. Amen.

Then Marty smarted off with EVERYONE should take algebra II and it was soooo important and girls can do math just as well as boys and then I turned off the radio. I love him death, but sometimes he gets a little opinionated.

I've written about my trouble with math a few times. It took me three semesters to pass algebra I in high school. It was brutal. Once I actually got out of algebra I, I went straight into informal geometry. Not regular geometry. But "informal".

This is a square.
This is a rectangle.
Explain the difference.

Uh......One side is longer?

Congrats, Raechelle! You've passed informal geometry!

At graduation, I stood in line with 135 other seniors, just minutes from walking across the football field to get that friggin' diploma, and watched as the principle literally pulled people out of line. They finished up our final grades THE EVENING OF GRADUATION. And if you failed, you got yanked out of line.

Scariest moment of my life.

I ended up passing with a D.

Oh, but the fun that was known as math was not over! I had to take the ACT exam - the "informal" version of the SATs.

Failed the math portion three times. THREE TIMES. Oh, I excelled in the reading and writing. I can write and babble about anything. Hence, these long, rambling posts.

But throw numbers at me with a letter here and there and I dry heave for an hour.

They finally let me enter college (bless their hearts) as long as I took pre-algebra. They were hellbent on cramming that stuff down my throat. I took this class, for six weeks during the summer, four days a week, for five hours. Algebra. Four days a week. For five hours. And by golly, I passed. No grade. Just passed. Good enough.

Okay, fall semester. My classes were algebra, psychology and ballet (needed to have so many credits to be considered "full time"). I excelled at ballet. I was first at the bar after three weeks. Psychology wasn't too bad; the teacher was enthusiastic and held my attention. I think I passed most of my tests.

Algebra? Failed.

Second semester. Algebra. Dropped out (the teacher showed up for class three out of five days).

Third semester. Algebra. Failed.

At which point I said, "Screw this."

Then came business school. No algebra. I learned how to balance a ledger, use a 10-key and type 80 words a minute. Much more my speed.

The point is, I would have never graduated if algebra II was required when I was in high school. My school (which will remain nameless since I'm about to badmouth it) had no desire to see us succeed. Our math classes were taught by the gym coaches (yes, I know some gym coaches have the smarts to teach math. Mine did not.) I remember asking Mrs. Hill if she could help me with a problem and she responded with, "Well, if you don't understand by now, you're just not getting it." My parents were never good at math, so they couldn't help me. And we couldn't afford to pay a tutor.

Now, as my disclaimer, I'm not putting 100% of the blame on my teachers. I was not a very motivated student. I did what I had to do to get out of there, and even considered dropping out my junior year and just taking the GED.

And I do remember my folks finding a tutor for me in sixth grade. Ms. Cardwell. She was very patient with me and I think I was probably making good progress. Then my brother picked me up at school one day and they started making googly eyes at each other and then they started dating and she went with us to a pool party (I remember she wore a lot of pink) and then they broke up and well, suddenly I didn't have to stay after school for tutoring anymore.

So I blame my brother, in addition to my teachers, for my math deficiency.

Anyway.

From what I hear, Washington thinks students should be required to pass algebra II so they can keep up with the education standards in other countries. In plain english - our kids ain't as smart as other kids. And I think that's all well and good.

Just don't suddenly force high school students to magically pass algebra II. Won't happen. They need to be prepared for it, starting in elementary school. They can't just do it on their own. Teachers have to be able to teach it to students like me who just don't get it. Parents have to have the time and money to get tutors for their kids who just don't get it.

Sigh.

I'm so glad I'm done with the whole high school thing. Although, if I could go back for a day, knowing what I know now......oh boy. I would be the coolest chick in school.

I'd probably still fail algebra though.

How Vain Do You Have To Be?

You know how I love my manis and pedis. LOVE 'EM. Sad because it's been months since I've had 'em.

But come on, people.

Fish. Really? Eating the dead skin off your feet?

Really?

Sigh.

What goes through a person's mind when they're asked if they would like the regular pedicure or the fish pedicure? What is the logic that makes them say, "Oh, why, the FISH PEDICURE, of course! It's only the best for MY tootsies!"

One word for ya: Ew.

Fish and feet do not mix. I don't think there is any way to convince me. Go ahead. Leave a comment. Try to convince me. Dare ya.

Speaking of pedicures, looks like I'm being whisked off to California in a few weeks! And you know how I love a good pamperin' to start my vacation off right. Gotta have pretty fingers and toes!

I may have to skip eating out for a couple of weeks. Habitude has upped their prices again.

Poo.

Redemption!

My fabulous boyfriend, who apparently has more hope for me than I have for myself, retook the 30's Wife Quiz for me. And got me a better score.

80 As a 1930s wife, I am Very Superior Take the test!

Kristin, maybe you should have someone else take the quiz for you. It seems that maybe we do not see ourselves very accurately.

Uh Oh

I think the fact that I wear red nail polish and cook in my pajamas is what doomed me.

5 As a 1930s wife, I am Very Poor (Failure) Take the test!

The Early Chick Gets The Parking Space

I had my first school night overnight at Todd's. And because my routine was different this morning, I factored in a little extra time. My reward? I beat the big suburban to work and RECLAIMED MY PARKING SPOT!! HA!

And I am now rewarding myself with biscuits and gravy for breakfast. And bacon. Gotta have the bacon.

I could recap the weekend for you, but why? Todd does it so well? Thanks, sweetie.
(I'm really not using him.)

It was a funfilled weekend. Pretty houses, babies, ex boyfriends, meeting new friends, movies, cleaning, cleaning and more cleaning.....all good things.

Also, who puts onions in gravy? Ick. I've hit my biscuits and gravy wall.

I'll post again when I have all of my coffee in me and can form better sentences......

Okay, I'm Better

And how can I just magically be all better? you ask.

Because I have seen Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog. Finally.*

Well, acts one and two. Act three is tomorrow. Whee!

Don't know what this is? Here.

If you are a Buffy fan (and if you're a fan, you know who Buffy is so I don't have to type "the Vampire Slayer"), this is a must see. If you're a Joss Whedon fan, it's a must see. If you are a Neil Patrick Harris or Nathan Fillion fan, oh, you must!



*Sorry Todd. Just couldn't wait for ya.

Just Mad

It's amazing what disrupted sleep does for my mood. I woke up a few times last night, even got up to pee, which is very unusual, so I never got that few hours of deep sleep.

And today, I'm just mad. Scowling, furrowed, don't-even-come-in-here-and-chat-with-me mad. I don't care how much money you're willing to put in the bucket.

And, oh, don't EVEN THINK of popping in here to ask me where my boss it. I will throw my stapler at you, I mean it.

I even pitched a tiny tantrum in front of the big boss lady. The first one in the three years I've been here. She asked me to change a catering order for next because "someone" (don't know who) thinks pastries are just too unhealthy, so we need fruit and yogurt.

Oh, for cryin' out loud.

This, after I spent 30 minutes on a conference call with two other assistants trying to get a reoccurring meeting that involves doctors (shoot me) scheduled through the end of the year. I was already irritated and then to be told to do something like change the food because it's just too unhealthy....well. My pen accidentally flew out of my hand and my pad of paper accidentally slid across my desk.

The big boss lady said, "Now you know what I deal with."

Sigh.

Maybe I should take a nap at lunch.
Or just drink lunch......

The Therapist Is In

I have a chair in my office. This is probably why some people come in here and plop down during the day. Jamie says I should put something in the chair. Even just a piece a paper will deter a potential visitor from sitting down and making themselves at home.

Normally, I don't mind visitors. A quick pop in, a "Hi, howya doin'?" is great. Maybe even a sit down, "Here's why I'm upset..." is okay. It's not written in my job description, but I know that people think I'm here for their venting pleasure. And most of the time I don't mind. It goes with the territory.

The problem is, there are some folks who don't have a lot going on and don't understand that I actually DO have a lot going on (despite my posting during the day. These short ones take all of 5 minutes). So I listen to them for a bit, but eventually, I have to just flat out say, "Okay, I gotta get back to work. Thanks for visiting. Buh-bye."

During one of these visits, I mentioned to my friend, who was sitting in my chair, that I needed to figure out how to make some extra money. Gas is going up, my parking is going up, groceries are going up.

But my pay is not going up.

He suggested that I rent out a portion of my spacious, green office. I said, "Hell, I could pay my rent just by charging people to sit in that chair."

And a lightbulb went off.

Todd asked what exactly a "session" was.
I replied, "I wear many hats at my job. Some of which I'm not at liberty to discuss."

More Craigslist Love

When I really need a chuckle, I go to The Best Of on craigslist.

And holy crap, I laughed until I cried at this. I think they're being serious, too. That makes it even funnier.

General Body Update

Ears: Still popping when I blow my nose.

Nose: Still a little clogged.

Teeth: Still throbbing. Ice cream for dinner was good, but only if I kept it on the right side of my mouth. I'll make a dentist appointment soon.

Gray hair: Not just confined to my head now.

[pause]

WTF?! Nobody ever, EVER told me, a woman, that gray hair could appear in any place other than my head. Why do we not talk about these things? It would really help to alleviate the panic that you feel when you see that first one. The mind boggles for a minute. "What the hell.....? Nah, couldn't be......"

Lungs: I'm using my inhaler a couple times a day now. I still have that revving, asthmatic cough. Could be leftover cold, could be allergies. Who knows.

Wrists: still neurotic about them. My massage therapist did a full body thing yesterday (rather than just spending an hour on my back, like normal) and she started to do my forearms, starting at my wrists. And I almost hit her.

DO NOT touch the inside of my wrists. Under ANY circumstances. Or the inside of my elbows. I will go kung fu on your ass, I swear to gawd. And touch the backs of my knees at your own risk. Sometimes I'm okay with it, sometimes I'll kick you. It's a gamble.

Poor Todd. I think he has a chart on the back of his door. Neck: a-okay. Stomach: just don't jiggle it. Wrists: Raechelle hurts me. Feet: Only when Raechelle's had a lot of wine. Hands: a-okay.

Eyes/Head: Funny thing. I quit wearing my glasses. Completely. And I haven't had a headache in months. I put my glasses on for 30 minutes, just to test my theory. Head starts hurting. Does that mean my prescription is off? Or that I really don't need glasses and I should sue my optometrist? Either way, my head doesn't hurt anymore.

Overall, I would say B+.
Not too shabby for a 33 year old.

Dinner

What?

Easy As Pie

Todd stopped by with Kayleigh and Tyler this evening.

And thank goodness I have a TV because I don't know how they would have entertained themselves in my little ol' bachelorette apartment.

Reason #129 Why I Love My Man

Todd brought me lunch today.

And what did he bring, you ask?

Sushi.

The man is allergic to shellfish and he brings sushi for lunch. That's love, baby.

We walked down to the lake, spread a blanket and had California rolls (dude, funny, since he's from Santa Cruz) and cucumber rolls. Then we just looked at the water and baked in the sunshine for an hour.

What a nice Wednesday.
Sigh.

Random Thoughts

My ears are still popping from the flight home last Thursday. What happens to make it so bad sometimes? Some landings are great! No poppage at all. Are there just some good pilots and some bad pilots?

Are any of my readers pilots? Could you please explain this phenomenon to me?

**********

I'm thinking I may need a root canal. I've got a problem cavity that was filled the year I moved here and, although my dentist has taken out the bad filling and put in good filling, it's now throbbing pretty much regularly.

I've read what happens during a root canal. And I am none too happy about it. I may willingly give up my arm for the IV that will knock me out. And that's saying a lot.

**********

I have a paper cut between my first and middle finger. Helluva place for a papercut. I may start applying for worker's comp for crap like this.

**********

Warning: the sauce that comes on the veggie quesadilla at Tacos Guaymas is freakin' hot. If you don't do spicy (like me) maybe ask for them to leave it off. Much less painful. I will remember next time.

Also, when you go to their website, there's music. And there's no way to turn it off. And it's really annoying. Just FYI.

**********

I would like to ask for some good juju, please.
There are changes coming on at work (things I dare not blog about) and some good juju would help me considerably. I'm not in jeopardy of losing my job, but there are "changes". Just work with me, okay?

**********

The Ex and I spoke last weekend. It seems we will both be at Milo's first birthday party this Saturday, so we thought it would be a good idea to break the ice in advance, rather than in front of Milo. He's too young for that kind of drama.

He sounds good (the Ex, not Milo. Milo can't talk yet.) And happy. It was a nice chat. I'm looking forward to seeing him. We will have our significant others in tow as well, so maybe some positive juju on Saturday around 3pm would be a good idea, too. You know, if you're not doing anything.

Because You Know How I Love To Talk About Myself

1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE?

My first name, Brenda, is after my aunt, who passed away very young.
My middle name, Raechelle, was after a woman my dad dated, but my mom changed up the spelling because although she didn't like the woman, she liked the name.

2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED?

July 4, at 7:45pm. Sitting on Granny's porch. I do that when I go to Nestorville.

3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING?

Not really.

4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT?

Um. Turkey. Maybe. If you twist my arm.

5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS?

No living creature has come out of my body.

6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU?

Yes.

7. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT?

Ha. Do you even know me? No, no. I never use saracasm.

8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS?

Yes.

9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP?

Maybe.

10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL?

Kashi Cinna-Raisin Crunch (or Froot Loops)

11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF?

Most of the time.

12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG?

Physically? No.

Emotionally? No. But people keep telling me differently.

13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM?

Oh, there's so many really. Mint chocolate chip, Ben & Jerry's Half Baked, strawberry....

14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE?

Their fingernails. Weird. I know.

15. RED OR PINK?

Both. Depends on if I'm feeling saucy or sweet.

16. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF?

My tummy. It's baby fat. I'm sure of it.

17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST?

My brother. We don't really talk much anymore.

18. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO SEND THIS BACK TO YOU?

Not really. Just post it on your blog.

19. WHAT COLOR SHOES ARE YOU WEARING?

Black. Big surprise.

20. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE?

A homemade chocolate chip cookie from a really sweet doctor.

21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW?

It's on pause, but my "Irish Boys" playlist.

22. IF YOU WHERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE?

Uh..periwinkle. Just because I like the word "periwinkle".

23. FAVORITE SMELLS?

Ah....fresh cut grass, Coty Musk perfume, cooking onions or garlic, Pledge, roses.

24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE?

Marc, from Purchasing. He always answers calls from me by singing "Did you ever know that you're my hero....?"

25. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU?

Yes.

26. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH?

Well, duh. Football! (four weeks to go!)

27. HAIR COLOR?

Brown (with lots of silver "highlights")

28. EYE COLOR?

Green (which, with the brown hair, apparently makes me Welsh......and hot.)

29. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS?

Oh, gawd no! I'd rather go blind than stick something in my eye every morning! Ewww!

30. FAVORITE FOOD?

Again, so many....sushi, chocolate covered cherries, chocolate covered peanuts, chocolate covered sushi....

31. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS?

Happy endings.

32. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED?

Batman Begins.

33. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING?

Black. What's new?

34. SUMMER OR WINTER?

Winter. Definitely.

35. HUGS OR KISSES?

Both! Who could choose?

36. FAVORITE DESSERT?

Favorite? Ha. Just hand it over, bucko.

37. MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND?

I didn't send this to anyone, so whoever reads it and posts it on their blog.

38. LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND?

Those who don't do these.

39. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW?

STILL trying to finish Obama's book. Love him to death, but it's just not engaging me.

Now, I bought "How To Talk To A Widower" in the airport in Pitt, and finished it before I landed in Seattle. A very fast and entertaining read. Not as sad as the title would lead you to believe.

40. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD?

I have no mousepad. I'm one of those mousing snobs who uses a trackball. No mousepad required. But if I did have a mousepad, it would proably have a picture of a cute kitty on it.

41. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON TV LAST NIGHT?

Ten minutes of the Simpsons. Then I left the house.

42. FAVORITE SOUND?

The creek at Granny's. And a really heavy rain.

43. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES?

Eh. Rolling Stones.

44. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME?

New York. Pathetic, I know.

45. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT?

Oh, you betcha. I can make my tongue split. It impresses all the boys.

46. WHERE WERE YOU BORN?

Morgantown, WV. At the WVU Hospital.

47. WHOSE ANSWERS ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING BACK?

Nobody's. I look forward to comments, though.

Weekend Update

So, where did we leave off?

Right. Got back to Seattle Thursday night and was picked up by Todd and two very excited children. I think they missed me.

And found this photo on my camera, which I had left behind.

Ruby got a bath. I don't know if the kids helped, but they sure look proud of someone's work, don't they?

Swigged some good cough syrup, updated Todd on the trip, and went to sleep. And slept really hard. Finally.

Then came Friday. My very last vacation day.

Sniff.

Todd, Kayleigh and I got some Starbucks, shopped around a little, then K and I came to my apartment to switch out vacation clothes for Seattle clothes. Then Todd and I spent some quality adult time (sans children) that night.

And I got a call from Daniela! She and Sergio were in town for a few days, so we made a plan to meet up Saturday evening.

Saturday was completely unproductive. It was beautiful out, but Todd and I couldn't seem to get motivated to do much of anything. And it was wonderful.

That evening, we had dinner with D & S.

Jonah & Daniela

Oliver (aka Diego) & Sergio

Kayleigh was enjoying baby time as well.

That evening, we were all tired, so we lounged and watched "Batman Begins" since I haven't seen it and we're going to see "The Dark Knight" when it comes out. My opinion? I don't think I'm a big Christian Bale fan. Something about him. And I think I'm so used to Tim Burton's Batman movies (over the top and comic book like), that this one just seemed boring. I'm still looking forward to "The Dark Knight" though.

Anywho.

Sunday, I had every intention of leaving Todd's early so I could spend some time in my own space. I haven't been home in over a week and I miss my space. I miss my smells. And you know how sensitive I am about smells.

Slight tangent:

The word "hyperosmia" is one of the top google searches that leads to my blog. There are a lot of people out there who want to know what this word means. And when you google the word, my blog comes up on the second page of results.

And one of the other top searches that leads to my blog are the phrases "alone vs lonely" or "how to deal with being alone". There are quite a few people who are wondering how to deal with loneliness. And to these people, I give you a hug. It sucks being lonely. But it gets better. Reach out to your friends who keep calling and emailing. They wouldn't offer to comfort you if they didn't want to. I tried the whole don't-inconvenience-anyone-when-I'm-sad-because-that-makes-me-dependent and that was just plain stupid. It just made life worse. My friends offered to come over and comfort me and I kept saying "No, no, I'll be fine. Really."

But you know what? As soon as I just started giving in and letting them comfort me, it got better. And it doesn't make you dependent. It doesn't make you weak. It makes you strong. Because you have the courage to ask for help. Sounds weird, but it's true. Trust me.

Where was I?

Oh yes. I had every intention of going home early yesterday, but after brunch with Todd's brother and his wife, a nap was much needed (freakin' crows squawking at 6am). Then I got all clingy and cuddly and well, I finally left at 6:30pm.

Clingy and cuddly is a good thing. I have quite the wall up. Todd and I are both well aware of this. I've been kicked in the gut a few times this past year (and I haven't blogged about it so you'll just have to take my word for it) by men who said all the right things and promised all the right things, just when I was broken enough to believe it. My friends told me it was wrong. They tried to warn me. But I didn't listen because I wanted so very badly to believe that it was right.

So, I have a wall up. And I'm hesitant to trust my instincts, because they've let me down in a major way recently. But little by little, the bricks are falling out of the wall. Little by little I'm starting to trust in a good thing. All signs point to happy. For me to step out from behind the wall to be clingy and cuddly is a big step. And it made for a fantastic weekend.

I Am Home!

Let us recap!
And please forgive any typos. It's late, I've been at this for a few hours and I'm pooped.

Friday, July 4

I arrived in Pittsburgh and began my three-ish hour drive to Nestorville, WV. In a PT Cruiser. Yeah, baby.

Apparently, I just missed dad being....well....dad.

Dad, workin' the tractor.

(Oh, calm down, mom. I specifically picked this photo (there were eight of them) because his shirt isn't open. It's all very PG.)

My brother and sister and their families were already there.

Tent City, WV

After all of the hugs and hellos, Ma and Pa were presented with a cake.

They have purchased land (officially dubbed Pisswilly Ranch) and are in the process of getting a mobile home on that land. We don't know when they're going to actually get to move up there, but they're ready.

That evening, my brother set off fireworks. Oohs and aahs were heard for minutes.

Sorry. No photos.

Saturday, July 5

Mom and I got up early and went to breakfast.
Why, what's that on the menu?

That's right! Coco Wheats! And now that I think about it, I meant to pick some more up while I was there. I forgot. Crap.

Later that day was bonding with the family.

My siblings, Wendy & Shane, with pa.

Then there was dinner, and more bonding with the family.

I thought I was being sexy. No one else did. Might have been the wine.

Then my sister's husband got a wild hair and decided he was every bit as cool as the young whipper snappers, so he partook in rolling down the hill.

At least he didn't throw up, right?

And Saturday ends with a very heavy four year old sitting on me.

Sunday, July 6

Tent City was dismantled and the siblings, and their families, left for home. Right as my aunt and uncle arrived. Ma and pa took them up to Pisswilly Ranch and while they were there, my aunt collected a bag of apples to make homemade apple sauce. So, me, my mom and my aunt sat and peeled apples (which, by the way, hurts the hell out of your hands) while singing gospel songs. A very West Virginia moment.

That evening, the sickness set in. Could have been the heat. Could have been dehydration. Could have been the beef I put in the lasagna I made for dinner. Could have been the tubs of Clorox in the bedroom where I was sleeping that my uncle swears prevents mold in the room. In any event, I was miserable.

Monday, July 7

Still sick. I woke up at 6:30am then went and crawled into mom and dad's (empty) room, since they had an actual bed and I was on a quarter inch of foam on the floor in my grandma's old room with a 10 year old. And Clorox. Dad gave me a pill to settle my stomach and my mom got me a bucket. I slept until noon, and felt a little better when I woke up.

My dad and uncle had gone up to the ranch to scope out where the mobile home was going to go and what trees would have to come down and other country, outdoorsy, retirement stuff, so mom, Trent and I took them lunch. I did not eat.

Side note: this house is on the road leading up to the ranch. Would you take a look at that porch? Sigh. I want this house.

(Take note, Nancy)

Anyway, here's the property.

The First Supper (okay, "lunch") at Pisswilly Ranch

More sleep that afternoon. Which was okay, because it thunder stormed for a little while. Actually, it did that every day. Little thunder, big downpour, then sunshine. Not too bad.

Tuesday, July 8

Shopping with my cousin, Hippy. Yes, Hippy. Her real name is Diane, but everyone in the family has a nickname. Harry, Lardy, Whitty, Hippy, Gillis, Binky. It's a hillbilly thing.

I bought WV hats and shirts for Todd and the kids. Gotta represent.

Stopped by the property for a bit to check out dad's new riding lawn mower that he and the uncle purchased that morning.

Here's my response to dad's tractor photos. Whadya think? Who works a tractor better?

That afternoon, I finally made it down to the creek. Hippy took some pics, but I haven't gotten them yet. I'll have to bug her about that.

Sickness update: the stomach was better, but the allergies had set in. Nose was clogged up, I started sneezing my head off, and as soon as I would lay down to sleep, I started coughing. So I slept on the couch.

Wednesday, July 9

Mom and I spent the entire day driving around looking at mobile homes. The entire day. I've learned alot. Not sure when I'll ever use this information, but it's tucked away for further reference.

And then, I got a little alone time, so I laid down by the creek and read a bit.

Sickness update: cough cough, hack hack, ACHOO, ACHOO, (blow) ACHOO, cough cough, ACHOO (blow). Oh, for the love of puppies, shoot me. Where is my codeine cough syrup when I need it?

Thursday, July 10

After a long drive, and almost hitting a groundhog that was sitting in the middle of a four lane highway, I arrived at the airport. My brother and his family got to see a big black bear sitting in the middle of the road on their drive up. I get a groundhog. Stupid groundhog.

Note to self: my very thin, Hanes boys' white tank top makes getting through security a breeze. Use it if ya got it, right?

And the final pic of the trip.

Does a pink cowboy shirt negate the "toughness" of the cowboy himself? Hmmmm....

Sickness update: cough cough, hack hack, ACHOO, ACHOO, (blow) ACHOO, cough cough, ACHOO (blow). Todd picked up my cough syrup while I was gone, so I downed a big swig before bed and slept soundly though the night. And Friday, felt right as rain. Huh. Must have been that clean, mountain air.

Next up.....Weekend Update!

Wrappin' It Up

Must focus
Last minute binders to make
Two more meetings to plan
Out Of Office to set
Oh, but no can do

Map from Pittsburgh
Printing of the itinerary
Weather for Nestorville
What to pack, what to pack?
T-shirts and shorts
Do I need a fleece?
Duh. Always take a fleece.

Did I send that last email?
Is everything tidied up?
Does the big boss lady have her schedule?
Should I give them a phone number?
Nah. Let 'em wing it
They'll live

One last Swiffering
Desk is so clean
Papers are stacked neatly
Coffee cup is washed
File cabinet is locked
Pens will not go missing this time
Like at Christmas

Okay, it's time
Powerdown
Lock the door, turn off the light
Am I forgetting anything?
Got my glasses
Got my printouts
Left notes for the bosses

Feel like there's something else.....

Oh for the love of puppies, let's just get the hell outta here!

See ya in a week!

Din Din, Thunderstorms and West Virginia

Funny how as soon as I walked out of the office yesterday, my mood improved. Isn't that funny? I'm sure the massage at 5pm didn't hurt.

After the massage, I jaunted off to West Seattle where Shaun FINALLY got to meet Todd (or as Shaun has been calling him - Snuffalufatodd.) We had dinner at the Celtic Swell on Alki while Erin McNamee played pretty much every song from our old Guitar Night binder.

The men seemed to get along just fine. They talked about movies and music and other stuff that I tuned out because I was listening to Erin. I got a text later that night from Shaun, telling me he approved. Well, "tentatively approved" were his exact words, but I know Shaun, and I know he's just giving me a hard time. I hope. In any case, I'm glad that hurdle has been cleared. Now I just need to Todd to meet Kim-n-Tim and then the relationship will be 100% real.

What about the parents? you ask.

Mom and Todd apparently have a little email relationship going on, so I consider them having already met. Wouldn't you agree?

After dinner, I headed back to Ballard (school night, you know) and promptly fell asleep. But I was awakened at 2:30am by pouring rain, thunder and lightning that lit up my whole apartment. There had been lightning all evening, but nothing like this. Holy geez. I was *this close* to calling Todd and whining that I was afraid the lightning was going to come in the windows and get me.

Did you know my uncle has been struck by lightning? Twice?
So you can understand my fear.

In the end, I decided I was a big girl and did not need to call my boyfriend in the middle of the night just because I was scared. I did, however, unplug all of my major electronic items. Cause that's what you do in Texas during a thunderstorm. What happens if you don't? Your big ass 50-something inch TV blows up.

Ask my parents about that.

So I unplugged stuff. Including my precious coffee maker. Priorities and all.

And this morning, it's dark and rainy, but that's okay. Because in 24 hours I will be on a plane, headed to the country.

Where the forecast says scattered thunderstorms through next Wednesday.

Crap.

But it's still vacation so I'm not bothered. Now, if the creek is too high to play in, like last time I was home, I'm going to be one pissed off chicky. Here's hoping the universe is happy this week and works with me.

31 Flavors of Ick

Or, Crankalicious.

I need to throw a tantrum. Big time. I'm wound up and I'm not sure why. My underthings are cutting into me, my shirt is too tight, I feel fat, I hate these jeans and my shoe has something that's poking me.

One of my supervisors is out so everyone feels the need to pop their little head in my office and ask where he is. How about I don't care? Now get outta my office.

I just remembered a meeting that is happening on July 14, my first day back after a week long vacation, and I haven't done the minutes for the last meeting to present at this meeting. So I gotta get that done before I leave work tomorrow. And minutes take me a long, long time. It's really no fun.

I feel like I have something in my eye but I can't find anything. So I'm rubbing my eye a lot. And it's pissing me off.

Sigh.

Sorry. That's all I got.

Send hugs.
And wine.

Total Score!

Okay. Yes, I know it's June, and I know we just had one of the hottest weekends EVER, but come on!

How could I not?

Goodwill. Thirty bucks. Leather.
SCORE!

I can't wait for fall.