Our Kitties

I don't have anything really interesting to tell you today, so I thought I'd share some pics of our kitties. Because who doesn't love seeing pics of kitties?

Tom has a habit of doing this. When we leave the door to the entertainment center open, he just sits there and stares through the glass. I wonder what he's seeing?

Elvis loves sleeping on our bed, and loves it even more when there's something to sleep ON. Like clean laundry.

We've finally gotten some downtime, so Todd and I have started writing our thank you cards for the wedding gifts. Tom is not happy at all. That lap desk takes up valuable snuggling space for him. But he still tries.

Randy took this one of Elvis when he was here for the wedding. Elvis is just beautiful.

Proof that Elvis and Tom like each other.

Goodnight...

Really? Fantastic.

Our new head coach was fired today.
After one season.

Yeah, that’ll fix everything.

I admit it - the ‘Hawks absolutely blew chunks this season. We ended up 5-11. Just shoot me.

But it was Mora’s first year! And half of our starters were hurt! I would think it takes a bit of time for a brand spankin’ new coach, as well the entire team, to develop a rhythm after such a major change. Hell, ask any Redskins fan about that!

What really, REALLY chaps my hide is that the team CEO tried to keep Mora on board. He knew it wasn’t entirely Mora’s fault. He was willing to try again.

But no. It was the team owner who fired Mora.
Paul Allen.

Aw, gawd.

I already have a HUGE beef with this man – he thought up the SLUT.

So, next season, we get yet another new coach and we then we’ll have a shitty season because everyone is still getting know everyone. And if that coach can't please Allen, he'll get fired and we'll get another new coach and then 2011 will be a shitty season, and so on and so on and so on. That’s going to be AWESOME for team morale!

Go back to buying buildings and snarling traffic, Allen.
Leave the football decisions to the guys who actually know about football.

Updates and Random Thoughts

First, a mom update.

She’s leaving the hospital today! And her parting gift will be a lovely, “life vest” defibrillator!

When I talked to her this morning, she hadn’t gotten the details of the “life vest” so she’s not sure how long she’ll have to wear it. I’ve read up on these (because that’s what I do when one of my parents end up in the hospital – I learn about all kinds of good stuff! It’s like medical school, but cheaper) and sometimes these “life vests” are the interim step before one gets a pacemaker. Mom said there was no mention of a pacemaker in her situation, so hopefully this is just a temporary piece of flair.

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In other news…

I finally broke down and shaved my legs last night, only to realize today, while wearing a skirt, that I completely missed my knees. How does that happen after 20 years of shaving?

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I was super strong and passed on the sour cream and guacamole when I got my baja bowl from Taco Del Mar today.

See?

My new year’s slim down plan is still right on target.

Forget the country chicken smothered in sausage gravy last night from the Charlestown Café. Just….just….disregard that…

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I am FREEZING in my office. Okay, could be the skirt.
But they won’t let us have space heaters! Unbelievable.

So I suggested the company purchase us all Snuggies – complete with our logo.

I was laughed at.

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Despite my half asleep mood on Tuesday, this week has flown by. What is up with that? If this in any indication of how 2010 is going to be, I'm already exhausted.

Whew.

Cars and Kitchens

I’m getting used to the new car. Actually, without thinking I apologized to it last week when I hit a pothole at lunch. Crap. I may be getting attached.

I’ve finally figured out the bluetooth system and it’s pretty handy. I got a call on the way home last week when CB was in the car with me and it scared the crap out of her. This voice comes on and says “Incoming Call”. Then I just push a button and start talking. Apparently, I don’t have voice recognition, so I still have to manually dial the phone number. No biggie. I don’t normally dial calls on my drive home, just answer them.

I’ve gotten some suggestions for names for the car. “Sugar” and “Foxy” (as in Silver Fox) and "Silver Bullet" but I told Todd, this car reminds me of a little skinny 20 something guy, with a Beatles haircut who’s addicted to his iPhone and other techie gadgets. You can picture him – he’s in pencil jeans, hipster shoes and probably has stubble.

So, name that boy. If this were a German car, I’d call him “Dieter”, but it’s Korean, so Dieter doesn’t really work.

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We got our new kitchen cabinets and counter top!

(like, four weeks ago...sigh..I'm so behind)

We are officially done with the house.

At least for a few months.

Well, we still need a garbage disposal....

Mom Update

I called mom today. She’s doing really well. She got up this morning and is now walking around. She had to wait until the incision in her femoral artery healed before she could even sit up.

The change in her voice is startling. She’s clear and alert. Her breathing isn’t labored, like usual. And she said there’s been no pain in her legs, which she’s dealt with for the past 10 years or more. I’m no doctor, but it would make sense. When your heart isn’t pumping efficiently, by the time the blood gets down to your legs, you would probably have very weak circulation, which would make your legs ache. And the harder your heart has to pump to get the blood through those clogged arteries, the more taxing it is on your lungs. Now that she has the stents in, the blood is flowing better and it’s less work for her body.

If you’re a doctor and I’m wrong, please leave a comment.

She said she figures she probably had a mild heart prior to this. She had, what felt like, heartburn. She’s never had heartburn before (lucky woman). It lasted about three hours, then went away and she didn’t think anymore about it. But then Saturday night, it started up again and really hurt her throat. She said the pain went down to about the middle of her chest, and her left arm was tingly. But she’s felt that before, so again, she didn’t think anything about it.

Then early Sunday morning, in addition to the heartburn, she got hot flashes, but then would cool off really quickly. That’s when she woke dad and said something wasn’t right. It wasn’t just heartburn.

The nurse at the hospital said back pain, especially between the shoulder blades, is a clear sign of heart attack as well, but mom has had pain in her back for 30 years so, again, it just seemed normal to her.

She doesn’t know how long she’ll be in the hospital, but I’m much more comfortable with her there right now. I’ve been reading up on stents and blood clots are a concern at this point. The weather is horrible and roads are icy, so if something were to happen, it would be difficult to get her even down to the little clinic in town. With her at the big ol’ hospital (which is two hours away), she’s surrounded by doctors 24/7.

Thanks for all the good juju. Despite mom’s protests (“Did ya have to tell EVERYONE?!”) she really does appreciate it.

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We now return you to your regularly scheduled blog…

Happy New Year!

So, you may notice a change in the blog. Just a little one. I figured, new year, new marriage, new house (INHALE) new car, new kids and experiences, I might as well change up the blog, too. And why not?

Our new year started off Thursday with a lovely dinner at Anthony’s, downtown on the water, followed by adult beverages and games at Dan and Trish’s. They had a couple of other friends over, so it was a quiet evening. So quiet, in fact, that I asked if we could pop open the champagne around 10pm and toast, so I could go home and go to bed. No one went for it. I made it until midnight, then shortly after, Todd and I headed home (after I slipped on the stairs and drove the corner of the Apples to Apples box into my back. Happy new year, indeed!)

Friday was muy productive. I cleaned the kitchen and the bathrooms, while Todd and the kids took out garbage and recycling and tidied up. We took down the tree and other decorations, but left the multi colored lights up around the windows because we were having people over for a Rock Band movie night. The colored lights just added to the….rockiness….of it all.

At 6pm, Steve, Stephanie and Raff came over and we ordered pizza and watched This is Spinal Tap. Then, while still in rock out mode, we broke out Rock Band. And the house was officially rocked. I sang a couple songs, played drums once, played bass once, then just hung out to watch and chat with Steph. It was a fun night.

Saturday began with breakfast at the Easy Street Café (cheap, cheap, cheap) then turned into a mission to find a couple of Rock Band expansion packs (classic and country – just like Todd and me). Once those were acquired, back home for miscellaneous projects around the house. Then some family bonding with Family Guy’s Something Something Something Dark Side and few episodes of Buffy.

Yes, the new year was starting off well.

Until 5am on Sunday morning, when my dad called to tell me that mom had had a heart attack.

When he called, she was stable and being flown to WVU hospital. He called a few hours later and said by the time he’d driven to the hospital (two hours away), they’d already placed two stents in her completely blocked arteries and she was doing much better. The pain was virtually gone and she was able to eat. She was in good spirits and joking around with him.

She’ll be in the hospital for a few days, just for observation, but should be home for the weekend. I’m sure I don’t have to tell some of you this, but there is no feeling like being 3000 miles away from a parent when these things happen. There is panic, guilt, sadness, more panic… It’s exhausting. At least when I got the call about her lung cancer, I was in a position to pack up and leave for a month. Unfortunately, I’m not self employed these days and can’t tell my clients to just clean their own toilets.

So, needless to say, I wasn’t very productive yesterday. Todd and I watched the Seahawks game (thank gawd the season is over) then walked down to the store for dinner fixins. Hamburgers, french fries, onion rings and green beans. Yummy.

And here we are, back to the grind, the holidays over, my cube un-decorated. Sniff. Oh, but Presidents’ Day is a mere two weeks away. If we can just make it until then…

Au Revoir, Mr. Uber Busy Year

This past year will forever be The Turning Point in my life.

I got my first Mother’s Day card, I helped sell my man's house, I bought a house, I got married (still baffles me), and I finally left the continent and visited that strange, far away land of Hawaii for the first time (shut up – it was strange and far away to me!)

Holy crap, no wonder I’m tired. And have twice the gray hair now.

I am very much looking forward to a quiet, uneventful 2010. I’m ready to get back into Friday night movie nights with friends, spend Saturdays cleaning, and enjoying some down time. I miss girls’ night dinners, and random shopping on the weekends and laying bed on a Sunday morning, chatting with my boy…uh…husband.

Oh, but don’t get me wrong. This past year has been more incredible than I could have possibly imagined. I never thought I’d ever be able to buy a house or raise teenagers or find someone who was willing to put up with my quirky neurotic self. And then whadya know?! BAM!

So, goodbye, 2009. It’s been fun.
But let’s get back to the mundane, shall we?

Happy New Year, everyone.
Be safe.

Post Christmas Lull

It’s that quiet week between Christmas and New Year’s, when I finally have a moment to sit down and say hi.

Hi.

I would like to tell you that we all had a wonderful Christmas, full of joy and cheer and general merriment, but unfortunately, that would not be true. As noted before in my blog and Todd’s, holidays and special occasions tend to trigger some anxieties and heavy emotions for our son. And such was the case on Christmas day.

But we did get to spend time with the family in Bellingham on the day, and Santa brought us a Wii and Rock Band, so on Christmas evening, Kayleigh, Todd and I got our rockin’ on (well, I had a cold, so my “rockin’” was a bit raspy and low energy) and I sung 100% on “Hungry Like the Wolf”. So, that’s something.

Saturday was a semi-lazy day, with a quick trip out to Doug and Ann’s for their holiday open house. The rest of the weekend was spent in jammies, either reading or watching movies and eating. A perfect weekend in my book.

And now I am back at work. I’m still sniffling and sneezing, and I’m just pooped from actually being up and awake for so long, but hopefully, I am on the mend and ready for a par-tay on Thursday night.

Oh, but there won’t really be a par-tay. We’re just hanging with Trish and Dan and playing games. I wanted to go to a par-tay so I could get all gussied up and wear uncomfortable shoes, but neither one of us are up for that this year. We’re looking forward to a nice, quiet evening with a couple of good friends. Very low key. Very low energy.

Unlike 2009.

At least we get to be together this year.

Merry Christmas Eve-Eve

Ah, to be a kitteh kitteh....

A Typical Sunday Morning

Mr. Pushy Kitty (aka Tom) doesn't care what your plans are. If there's a warm body on which to lay, he's happy.

And then later in the day, the kitties move to the bedroom and snooze the afternoon away.


I can't believe Elvis is comfortable.

Happy Solstice

Today is the winter solstice. The first day of winter. The shortest day of the year. Tomorrow, our days get longer, one little minute at a time. And none too soon.

A funny piece of trivia for you… I bought Ruby on the Summer Solstice of 2006. And I bought her replacement (un-named thus far) during the Winter Solstice of 2009.

Granted, Saturday wasn’t the solstice, but close enough for story telling purposes.

The Husband and I headed off to Car Pros at 10:00am Saturday morning. I knew I wanted to buy from them again. That’s where I got Ruby and they were pretty painless to deal with. I even recommended neighbors to Car Pros and received a $50 when they bought a new car from the same saleswoman I did.

This time, I had done my homework, of course. An excel spreadsheet that listed the cars I was interested in, along with their dimensions, price tags, mpg, and features I wanted (heated mirrors, sunroof, mp3/iPod port, rear defroster and wipe and keyless entry). After much surfing at work…uh…research, I decided to go with the Elantra Touring.


You'll have to pardon the dude in the background. Daylight is limited up here these days, so I took this pic on my lunch break. I was pressed for time.

It’s the next generation of Elantra hatchbacks, even though the body is not at all an Elantra. The hatchback is much more flat and cut off at the back, but there’s still ample amount of room in the “trunk”. It’s a lot more solid than Ruby, and over four inches wider in the wheelbase so it feels like it hugs a bit better. But all of the standard features inside are very familiar – another reason I like it.

And, of course, it’s loaded. Because if you’re going to be forced into buying a new car, get the NEW CAR. It has the mp3 aux port, along with a USB port (so I could put music on a thumb drive and use the USB). The stereo controls are on the steering wheel, the huge radio display also give the temp outside and there are heated cloth seats (aka butt warmers).

And the uber cool feature that I still haven’t figured out how to use is the bluetooth thingy. I turn on the bluetooth feature on my phone, throw it back in my purse and forget about it. If someone calls, I push a button up where my overhead lights are and BAM. I’m talkin’ on the phone. The salesman programmed my phone in for me, but we didn’t have time for him to show me how to put the numbers in or the do the voice recognition or whatever you have to do to actually place a call. I can only answer calls. Which is fine for now.

The only negative thing about it is that I really, really wanted red with the black interior. But the dealership was having a hard time locating one nearby, so I drove the silver one off the lot. Now I notice that everyone on the road has a silver car. I blend. I don’t like blending.

I took CB down and showed it to her this morning. She oohed and ahhed. She said the silver was very “refined”.

It really is a nice car. I’m just having a hard time being excited because I really didn’t want a new car at all. And this whole process has been a colossal pain in my ass. Carless for three weeks, rental car fun, getting turned down for an auto loan (damn mortgage), dealing with car salesmen the Saturday before Christmas and to top off - this great new fear of driving in dark, rainy weather. Fantastic!

Yesterday, Todd said that he was sad that I wasn’t more excited about this car. I compared it to his house burning down. Everyone comes over after you rebuild and says, “Wow!! This is a great house!! Aren’t you excited about your new house?!!”

Well, no, not really. Sure it’s nice, but I really didn’t want my old house to burn down. Ya know?

I’ll get over my grumpiness soon. I do enjoy all the bells and whistles on this car and it’s fun to drive. But I’m still just mourning the loss of my best buddy.

Rare Mushiness

How does one know she is PMSing?

She cries every time she hears “Bless The Broken Road” by Rascal Flatts (because she actually bought the song off iTunes...so she hears it a lot).

What the hell is happening to me?!
Oh. Right.

I must love my husband or something.

Funny.

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I set out on a narrow way many years ago
Hoping I would find true love along the broken road
But I got lost a time or two
Wiped my brow and kept pushing through
I couldn't see how every sign pointed straight to you

Every long lost dream led me to where you are
Others who broke my heart they were like Northern stars
Pointing me on my way into your loving arms
This much I know is true
That God blessed the broken road
That led me straight to you

I think about the years I spent just passing through
I'd like to have the time I lost and give it back to you
But you just smile and take my hand
You've been there you understand
It's all part of a grander plan that is coming true

Dear Universe (Auto Division)

I'm beginning to think you are upset with me.

First, a five car fender bender on the viaduct. Poor Ruby. She's a goner. Lesson learned. I'll be more careful.

Then yesterday, I received a ticket in the mail. I cut the yellow light too close. But in my defense, it had just changed yellow and it was raining and I had someone behind me so I was not going to slam on my brakes. But the camera flashed - I saw it in my rear view mirror. Fine. I'll pay the stupid ticket. The first ticket I've had in 11 years. ELEVEN YEARS.

Is this because I left Ruby alone, on the street, for 10 days while we were in Kauai?

I picked up a rental car today. I got tired of being chauffeured around. Although, maybe a chauffeur wouldn't be such a bad idea. I don't seem to be doing very well, huh?

The rental is a Sebring.


Better than The Beast from January, but still. It's HUGE. And it's the smallest one they had. They said.

So, in conclusion, my apologies, dear Universe. I have wronged you somehow, and I am deeply sorry. But please leave me and my car alone from now on.

Please?

Sincerely,
Rae-rae

I Am Not Ashamed…Okay, Maybe A Little

Saturday was a family movie day. Todd and Tyler went to see “Men Who Stare At Goats” (which I really, really want to see) and Kayleigh and I went to see “New Moon”.

Of course.

Because we’ve read allllll of the books and we saw “Twilight” when it first came out and yes, it was just horrible, but COME ON. Pretty vampires.

I was totally on Team Edward in the beginning. I like ‘em when they brood.

But after seeing “New Moon” and my, how Jacob has exploded into adolescence, I may cross over.

I still think Edward is a cutie, but the lack of chemistry between him and Bella (and the enormous amount of chemistry between Bella and Jacob) makes me see Edward for what he really is. A drag on the story. The movie was so good when he wasn’t in it. Bella had personality! Then Edward comes back and Bella goes back to twitching and talking through her teeth. Blech.

But the movie was entertaining. So entertaining, in fact, that I went to see it again with CB and Trish on Tuesday. At a grown up movie theater – 21 and up, with alcohol.

Coincidently, Todd posted this pic to Facebook - and tagged me and Trish:



Just so you know, I am NOT a Twilight mom.

I am a married woman!
And I know those boys mean jail time for a woman my age.

RIP Ruby

My baby has been totaled. I just got the call. The frame is "crushed". I have to go clean her out.

This hurts more than I ever thought possible. She was my constant through the break up. She was my closet while couch surfing. She was my breakfast table on the drive to work. She was beautiful.

I guess I'm getting a new car for Christmas.
Yay, me.

Post Honeymoon Post

I’m really slacking, aren’t I? Man.
Just can’t seem to get everything caught up.

Todd already got his post honeymoon post up, which was a great day by day account of our time there. But you know me. I always like to throw my $.02 in.

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Kauai was beautiful. So beautiful, in fact, that by the time our last day rolled around, Todd and I were sick of the beauty. Too much beauty! No more beauty!

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We started out in Waimea, on the south coast, and stayed there Tuesday through Sunday. We became very familiar with the south shore. Then we checked into the Hilton, on the east coast, and drove around the east and north shores. You can’t really get to the west shore. But we saw that when we took the infamous sunset dinner cruise.

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The sights during the sunset cruise to the Na Pali coast were absolutely incredible, and the ride was a blast. Bouncing on the waves, getting splashed and soaked from head to toe. Thrilling! The return, however, was hell. Period.

I’ve never gotten seasick. Never. But coming back, the water was rough, the wind was painful and I just felt queasy. So I did the worst thing you can possibly do; I went down below. Which of course, just made it worse. It could have also been the buffet food on the cruise. And thank goodness Todd and I didn’t partake in the alcoholic beverages during the cruise (I KNOW, right?) I can’t imagine how bad it would have been. At one point, right before we docked, I actually made a mad dash (as “mad” as you can make on a rocking, wet boat) to the head. But, thankfully, was spared the actual sickness.

Until we got back to the hotel. Oh, it was not a good night. But afterwards, all was right with the world and I was ready for a mai tai.

I bounce back like that.

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November is the beginning of the rainy season, so there were showers every day. No big woop. We’d just hang out inside until it was done, the go back out to the pool, or down to the beach (Salt Pond was our beautiful beach of choice). The rain didn’t make the temperature drop at all. The only rain grrrr was that it hindered our pool plans at the Hilton. Such lovely pools and spas. But on those days, the rain was more fierce and the temperature did drop, so it was just too icky to be out in it.

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The rain also prevented us from seeing the beautiful, clear blue beaches, which was probably my biggest regret. But during one rainy day drive, while following the guide book, we found Anini Beach. It had clear water, even while it was raining. We decided that’s where we will buy our summer home one day.

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I am curious about the animal situation over there. The dogs and horses we saw tied up did not look good at all. Too short of leashes or too small of pens. And there were lots of stray cats, some of which were not healthy at all. And the chickens! My gawd, the chickens. Apparently, during Hurricane Iniki, the chickens all got loose and started reproducing like no one’s business. Now, they’re running amuck.

At one point I was sitting on the patio at the Hilton, reading, when a rooster came up to me. Then another one. Then another. Then three chickens. I tried to ignore them or politely shoo them away, without freaking them out, but they were very comfortable just staring at me. I ended up going inside. Too close for me.

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Trying to see the Queen's Bath was an adventure. I don't know if we ever really saw it. We hiked (inadvertently, in mud, mere hours before we were supposed to fly home), we found the edge of the earth, we found signs that warned us the sea would sweep us away, but now I'm thinking the actually swimming hole was a bit farther down. Regardless, it was amazing. And scary. And boy howdy, did our legs hurt the next day. Oy.

Afterwards, we cleaned up and changed in public beach restroom, then headed off for the airport. Good times.

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Another interesting thing in Kauai is the speed limits. You go from 50, down to 45, to 35 to 25, then you come to an intersection. Once you’re past the intersection, WHAM! Back up to 50. It made driving the length of the island a little longer than expected.
Oh, there so much more I could babble about, but we need to get back to random posts about shoes and birds. I’ll just sum up with it was wonderful to be able to bond with my new husband without any distractions from real life. I totally understand the meaning of a honeymoon now. And am so sad that we can’t do it once a month.

Sigh.

You can see all of the pics (including multiple self portraits because we are picture hogs) here.

(Please pardon the photo of me licking Todd’s face. There were cocktails involved. Cause it was our honeymoon!)

They've Got Weapons Now!

Because their pointy little beaks and sharp talons just aren't enough!

Ack.

Post Wedding Post

Well, what can I say?

I can say my husband has done a fine job out laying out the events of the wedding and honeymoon for you. Which makes my job a little easier.

I can say I didn’t get completely trashed at my own wedding, which believe it or not, was a great fear for a long time. I had a glass of champagne as I was getting dressed, a glass of champagne during the toasts, then a couple of sips of whatever was poured for me (oh, and some nips of Gentleman Jack from Michael's flask....gawd bless him). I was too busy looking around and just being completely in awe that this was MY WEDDING. Or I was dancing my ass off.

I can say I remember everything, except the verbage of the speeches, which is a shame, because they were beautiful. All of them.

I can say I was really worried about Todd having to tear me away at 9:30pm, when the party was in full swing. But people started filtering out around 9:00, after a few hours of very enthusiastic dancing, so after that I was constantly asking the time because I didn’t want to keep the limo driver waiting.

And I can say everything was perfect. Yes, my dad stepped on my dress while walking me down the aisle and then he didn’t know when to sit down, so I had to tell him “You sit now!” And yes, the bustle ripped on my dress during the first dance conga line, which led to many pictures of me (and other people) holding it up while trying to get down.

But really? It was an incredible time. Just incredible. There just aren't enough words or enough time to post everything, so here are some of my favorite photos, so far:

(Afterwards, at the hotel, high on bliss)

(My Best Lady (under the dress), workin' on the bustle)

(Me and my new daughter)

(Me and Isabella, dancing)

You can see the rehearsal, wedding (some, not all, from Randy) and post wedding pictures here.

Where To Start?

How about, I got in a car wreck on my way to work, the first day back after a wonderful wedding and honeymoon? How’s that? Fantastic, right?

It was a stupid five car fender bender during rush hour traffic on our viaduct. I’m sore and a bit scared of driving now, but otherwise, I think I’m okay. Time will tell. Ruby, however, has a jammed rear end and will require some body work (hopefully JUST body work) which can’t even start until December 2. Sigh.

Does the Universe think I need a project? Is he afraid that I will be too bored now that the move and wedding are over? Was he worried that I would no longer have something to Facebook or blog about? Thanks, Universe. I appreciate it.

I was very much looking forward to things being back to normal. No massive stress inducers, no deadlines, and working regular ol’ 8 hour days. I was an hour and a half late yesterday and I had to leave early for a doctor’s appointment. My boss just kept saying, “You said things would settle down after the honeymoon!”

Guess someone out there has a different plan.

Wedding and honeymoon update to come…

Just Married

Yesterday, TBFE (The Best Fiance Ever) became the TBHE (The Best Husband Ever).

But that looks too much like THC to me, and that makes me think of pot and well, that's not good. So, let's just call him my husband.

My Husband.

Life is good.

Pre-Wedding Poem

Wrapping up at work
Gathering updates
Making notes for co-workers
Must Swiffer desk
And wash dishes

Out for 13 days
Already dread coming back
Mounds of email
Hope my new rule works

Emailing vendors
Confirmations, final payments, itineraries
Headcount is wacky
Maybe I’ll just stand at the reception
Who doesn’t want to eat?

Feeling much better
Antibiotics are awesome
Think I might be okay
Really want a glass of wine
Can wait until Friday
I guess

Still have some shopping to do
And tomorrow is pedicure
And massage
Because that’s what you do
The week of your wedding

OMG
I’m getting married
MARRIED
Five days
Five days

B R E A T H E......

WWRD?

We have a question!

So I saw you're online and remembered I need to ask, now: Exactly where did you get your food-waste-suitable bags and bin? Our solution has become... honestly we have no solution. Help.

- Anonymous
(the twit wouldn’t email back when I asked for permission to use his name)

We use the BioBags.

At first, we had a countertop/under the sink composter like you get at Bed, Bath & Beyond. But just FYI, the white ceramic one sucks (it’s not even offered anymore). The neck is smaller than the rest of it, so when it's full, it's too difficult to get the bag out. And we discovered it wasn't big enough for a family of 4, since we can now compost napkins, paper plates, cardboard food containers, etc.

So we got a kitchen trash can, one that you step on the pedal and it lifts the lid. We use the tall kitchen BioBags in that and probably change it out twice a week. The lid keeps the fruit flies out and the smell down, but you still have to take the bag well before the can fills up.

An excellent question this week.
Thanks…man.

We’ve Got Another Foot!

A while back, I told you about a weird phenomenon up here in the Pacific Northwest. Feet, in running shoes, are washing up on the beaches in British Columbia. It’s quite mystery. Why are they all in running shoes? Why do some of the feet belong to same person, but some do not?

Well, another foot has washed ashore (the article says seventh, but it’s the eighth. I keep track of these things). It’s in a running shoe. Size 8.5.

The mystery continues…

A Little Wisdom About Marriage

From Shit My Dad Says, on Twitter:

"If mom calls, tell her I'm shitting... Son, marriage is about not having to lie about taking a shit."

Ah, it all makes sense now.
I can't wait to be married.

Bachelorette Smut Extravaganza

No, there was no pole dancing. Promise.

But let me begin by saying that 1) I made it home in one piece, thanks to Rachelle who personally drove me home and 2) I was a very good girl, in the fact that I did not flirt with any cowboys at all. Go me!

My bachelorette party on Saturday started with dinner at Rosita’s, in Greenlake. This has been a favorite place of mine since I’ve moved here. Low key, casual, and great food. Seven of my very favorite gals were there.

There were your typical bachelorette party accoutrements – penis straws, blinking penis drink stirrers, a candy penis necklace, naughty playing cards and game, as well as a tiara and a blond wig. How can one not have a good time with a blond wig?

After dinner, we toodled across the street to the Little Red Hen, a county bar with a live band and lots o’ dancing. I’m sure the group wasn’t wild about the country part, but they’re good sports and sucked it up for me.

Like my buttons?

Nom, nom, nom...

Me-n-Stephanie

The girls can't get enough of the candy...

My Best Lady REALLY wants the candy...

There were many jack-n-cokes, and toward the end of the night, a rogue tequila shot, instigated by my “Buy Me A Shot” button. The group had left by then, and only Rachelle remained. She’s a trooper. And she’s been out with me before and knows how these things go, so once she heard about the tequila shot, she very politely told me it was time to call it a night. And I actually listened to her.

It only took most of Sunday for me to recover, to the point to where I still felt icky, but could think about other things. Which I couldn’t do until about 3pm. Damn tequila shot. Todd was a saint and took very good care of me while I laid in bed and whimpered.

Rumor has it, I apologized profusely when I got home about my drunken state, and Todd merely replied, “It was your bachelorette party! If you’d come home sober, I would have wondered what was wrong!” Reason 14 why I love him.

Sunday, needless to say, was a bit rough, but I was fine by the time we went to bed.

Now Todd's bachelor party is this Friday. But Todd's not into tequila shots, so he should be okay.

Pthhhfffff

Amen, kitteh. Amen.
I'm here. Just crazy.

I'll have an update on the Bachelorette Smut Extravaganza soon.

Promise.

House Update

I just had a thought. Maybe Todd and I should start a new, joint blog (cause we’re so good at keeping up with our own) called “Drowning in My New Life Out Here”.

Whadya think?

The house is in “an unsettled” state. How’s that for putting in mildly?

We are 90% unpacked. Most of the things that aren't unpacked need to go into/onto things that go on the walls, but we can't hang stuff on the walls until after the electricians finish.

Because the electricians started the rewire yesterday. They tell us they’ll be done by Friday. They better be. The windows should be going in either later this week or next week, and it will be none too soon. You can’t even see out the windows now in the morning – there’s so much condensation on them. Old, old, old.

The new tub shower system arrived today. It’s a clawfoot tub shower ring, with the original clawfoot fixtures and attached shower. The current fixtures are just stupid. They’re mounted to the wall, as is the shower head, and they simply “loom” above the tub. When I tried to run a bath last week, the wall behind the tub and the floor got soaked (and there was no hot water coming out of the faucet, which is a whole ‘nother issue). The faucet is up way too high, so the water just splashes everywhere. This set up was obviously never used. Someone probably thought, “Oh, these fixtures are pretty, and they should go about, eh, here, and that’s just fine.”

Well, it’s not at all functional. So we got a whole new system.

And then we had the fridge moved to the other side of the kitchen, because it was crammed right up against the stove, which is 1) not functional, 2) bad feng shui, 3) not energy efficient and 4) just stupid. Now we have a big empty area, so we’re putting in cabinets up above and a
matching countertop and cabinets below that will house the trash and recycling. But (there's always a but!) the manufacturer of the existing cabinets has since gone out of business, so we are forced to either buy cabinets that almost kinda sorta match or go with something completely different that we aspire to have one day down the road. We went with almost kinda sorta match. Which, initially, will make my head explode every time I walk into the kitchen, but eventually, will be just fine.

Please don’t point this out to me if you ever come over. Just tell me how beautiful the kitchen is. Please?

And then there’s the downstairs, which is just about completely finished. There was no tub surround in the bathroom (more proof that these “upgrades” were never actually put into use) so we had one installed, and that took cutting drywall out because this nifty, new, non-cheap surround actually bolts into the studs. No gluing and caulking here. No sir. They bolted that baby in. So the muddin’ happened, and the primin’ happened, and now it’s painted and looks like it should have when we bought the place.

And Tyler now has a wall and a door, and I believe the last of the painting there will be this afternoon. And then we can call that area done!

As annoyed as I am with all these things, the house really is fantastic. And it’s good for me and Todd to make this one our own. The neighborhood is just wonderful and lively and full of little kids. Our neighbors have decorated for Halloween and boy howdy, they go all out. It’s great being so close to West Seattle Bridge; it cuts 15 minutes off of my commute.

Yes, if we can just make it to November 4. Then we quit with all this house stuff and start the real fun!

No, I'm Not Proud

I heard a song in Wet Seal when I was out shopping a few weeks ago.

Yes, Wet Seal. Don’t judge me.

Anyway, it sounded like some angry, frequent smoker/drinker chick and it just kind of struck a chord with me, even though I don’t normally like angry frequent smoker/drinker chick singers. When I got home, I looked up the band (Thriving Ivory) after remembering a mere one line of the song (I heart Google). Imagine my surprise when I learned that the band actually consists of five young emo guys. And they’re so tortured with their shaggy hair.

I watched the YouTube video and couldn’t make it through the whole song. The guy singer just kills the feeling I get, which in turn, makes me not like the song at all. But I still bought the song because I can picture the angry, frequent smoker/drinker chick in my head and get an entirely different emotion from it. As long as I’m not looking at the brooding emo guy.

So, the point of this post, is a line in the song:

“Pull yourself together before you set yourself apart.”

I like that line. It hits home. Get your crap together before branch out on your own.

Maybe it’s just the “pull yourself together” part as my self, incidentally, completely unraveled over the weekend. So, I felt especially lectured when I heard this again this morning on my iPod. I pictured the angry, frequent smoker/drinker chick cooing at me, very lovingly, saying “Dear. Get yourself together…”

Okay. I can do that.

“And I know and I know and I know
That you’ve had more than you can bear
But you’re gonna have to let it go
No, you’re not movin’ anywhere.”

Yes, yes. You’re stressed and overwhelmed and you’re about to blow a fuse, but get over it (to quote my mother) and skootch along. You’ve got shit to do.

It’s amazing how much I can read into a song.

Speaking of not being proud, Celine Dion just came across my iPod.

I remember listening to her first album, with my brother in his apartment. Her big hits then were “If There Was Any Other Way” and “Where Does My Heart Beat Now”. That’s when I first started singing and, man, you could BELT the Celine songs. But then she got a little to big for me, and then she put a large string section in her band, so I don’t listen to her much at all.
Then one day recently, I heard the song “Taking Chances” somewhere. Can’t remember where. But oy, it hit a nerve. It’s like it was written for me and Todd.

“What do you say to taking chances?
What do you say to jumping off the edge?
Never knowing if there’s solid ground below
Or a hand to hold, or hell to pay?
What do you say?”

It just chokes me up.

Todd has specifically said no Celine at the reception, so you’ll just have to watch the video. And yes, it’s not your speed of music, but the song is short, so just do it.

Okay, back to work.

Suddenly, I'm Vain

I had my trial run with Alyssa, the gal who’s doing my make up and hair for the wedding. She’s a friend of Todd’s and very young and very enthusiastic. We did the trial in her mom’s kitchen, with her brother and sister (twins) cracking jokes and giving tips. Her mom came in midway and stated it had been a helluva day and she was opening a bottle of wine and who wanted some.

It was a fun night.

However.

Oh my gawd, the gray! I went in the bathroom to take a look at the finished product and was in awe at the streaks. I’ve never minded they gray before. Really. But seeing it in my perfectly coifed hair was startling. It was like the Bride of Frankenstein. Dark, poofy hair with white running through it. I’m only 34!

I may have to color my hair before the wedding.
I can’t believe it.

Gasp!

I think I might be vain.

You probably think this song is about you...

Catching Up

I realized I never published the post about my bridal shower. I guess I've been busy or something.

Anywho, it's up. With a pic. September 28th.

Toodles.

Yes, I'm Still Here

But I’m buried under projects at work and I’m buried under boxes at home. It’s really no fun.

The unpacking is coming along, in large part to TBFE (I’m going to have to think of a new acronym after November 7). Thank goodness he works from home, but he sure ain’t getting’ any work done. Well, not business work anyway. He’s been coordinating bids for windows and coordinating bids for rewiring and letting in dry wall guys and putting boxes out on the sidewalk with Free signs and running all over Seattle looking for a second cherry bookcase. It’s really no surprise that he has this crazed look in his eyes by the time I get home.

Once I change into my grubbies, I start on boxes while he makes dinner, or I’ll make dinner while he unpacks a little more. And before we know it, it’s 9:00 and we’re telling the kids to get ready for bed. Because we’re ready for bed.

However, last night we took a time out and watched the big wedding on The Office. And I had tears in my eyes and I felt just like a typical mushy girl. Could it be the whole wedding thing is hitting pretty close to home right now? I believe it is.

Anywho, we have absolutely nothing on the calendar this weekend, so I’m very much looking forward to being productive. And watching the entire Seahawks game on Sunday. Every last minute. Dammit.

WWRD?

Raechelle would sleep. A lot.

Period.

My Horoscope

From The Seattle Times:

Aries (March 21-April 19): Today is an 8 -- You're being drawn in seven different directions at once. Share your intuition with others, and go with it.

The Universe understands.

Except my "intuition" is telling me to put my feet up tonight and enjoy our brand new 50-freakin'-inch TV.

I don't think that would be the best thing, since you still can't walk through the house without whacking your leg on a box....or six.

Quick Weekend Update

Last visit to the old house on Friday. Done!

Dan and Trish visit. Pag’s pizza for dinner and a little champagne. Because WE DESERVE IT.

A little unpacking.

Off to Bellingham Saturday morning for Jessica’s wedding.

Wait. We need new locks?! Agent to handle. Whew.

Arrive in B-Ham. Drop off Kayleigh. Purchase wedding rings.

Ahhh.

Arrive at B&B. Where are TBFE’s dress clothes for wedding?!

Off to Sears for pants, belt and dress shirt.

Back to B&B.

Shower and clean up for wedding. Hair dryer doesn’t work. Lights don’t work. Clock is dead. No power.

Transformer blew. 4600 people without power. Wedding hall without power.

Arrive for “sound check” at wedding. Ha. No power. No sound. Generator on the way.

Generator is too late. Jess needs to walk down the aisle. Todd strums the guitar for her. She is radiant.

I sing “Come Away With Me”. People clap.

Dinner in the dark. LED lanterns to show us the food. Very romantic.

Lots of wine. Lots and lots and lots of wine.

I do not fall down! May have broken a toe, though. Not sure how that happened.

Power is restored.

Sunday morning. Breakfast at the B&B. Mexican blintz. Pineapple and banana in a crepe with honey. Yuck. Rae-rae fuels up on coffee and sausage.

Seahawks game! Where to watch? Nothing open. Miss the first half.

Off to Todd’s folks’. Kayleigh is sick. Game is on!

Lunch. Yum.

Back to Seattle. Pick up Tyler. Wait on agent who has new keys to new lock.

New lock isn’t working. Need another one.

Some unpacking. Bedroom is almost done.

Can’t do anything with the bathroom. Need circular curtain rod and shelves. Should arrive next week.

Dinner. Take out. Must quit that. Pants are very unhappy.

Cuddle time with sick girl. Fever of 101. Set her up with a movie.

More unpacking. Kitchen is coming along. Must find the food.

In bed at 10pm. Not too bad.

Up late this morning. Discover water heater is not turned on. Must wait for a shower. Back to bed. Oh darn.

Showered and off to work. Welcome wine on front porch. A friend lives across the street. Who knew?!

Busy at work. Busy at home. Busy busy busy.

Ready for Kauai.

Oh, wait. Wedding in a month!

WWRD?

Raechelle wishes to sleep now, please.

We will return to your regularly scheduled blog next week.
Once Raechelle can form a coherent thought again.

Is This Year Over Yet?

Good gawd, it’s been a busy two days.

We moved! And we signed papers!

The packing took 10 hours on Wednesday. And the move took eight hours yesterday. Our new house is a maze of boxes, but I know what I’m doing – I made the beds and found the toothbrushes before doing anything else.

I have declared that I wish to never, ever move again. Ever. I’m done.

And after a long, busy day of moving, we sat down and signed escrow papers at 5pm. I am now a homeowner.

I like to say, “I’m vesting. Right here, in front of your very eyes.”

We are without internet (and TV) until next Wednesday, so our updates will be few and far between. But at least we’re over two major hurdles.

Now can we please focus on the fun stuff? Like the wedding?!

Only 36 days to go!!

My Bridal Shower

My bridal shower was yesterday. It was quite…surreal.

That's me with my ribbon bouquet (in front of all of my loot). Apparently, I have to carry that at the rehearsal. It's made from all of the ribbons from the presents. And did you know, that however many ribbons you break when you're opening gifts, that's how many babies you're going to have?

I BROKE NO RIBBONS. Ha!

I also was surprised at how overwhelming it was. I was even a little teary eyed when talking about how Todd and I met. And you know Rae-rae don’t do mushy anymore. She is SO over that. But I think it just kind of hit me that this is all really happening and it’s very real and very scary and very exciting. It could also be that my stress level is through the freakin’ roof, so it doesn’t take much to make me cry right now.

Like Aunt Mardie’s card. She addressed it to “Binky”. Only my family uses that name. My parents rarely use anything but that name. And I think I was really missing my mom yesterday, and wish so much that she could be there. So when I got home and was re-reading all the cards, I came to Mardie’s and just lost it. It’s like my mom was there. I tear up just typing that now.

Sigh.

It must be the stress.

It’s Amazing I Don’t Have Any Pimples

I have an ulcer in my mouth, an upset stomach and kink in my neck, but by gawd, I have no pimples! I’m okay being stressed if face doesn’t break out. This must mean I am truly an adult now.

I honestly cannot think of an adjective that is strong enough for where we are right now. Chaotic? Tumultuous? Hectic? Disorganized?

We might close today. Or we may close tomorrow. I am on standby for the phone call. Who knows when we’ll take possession. Still need to book movers, but can’t book movers until we know when we’re moving. I want to get all packed, but don’t want to pack the very necessary stuff because I don’t know how long we’re going to need that very necessary stuff out.

Friends are offering to help, but we don’t know what to tell them because there is NO PLAN. I NEED a plan. I cannot function without a plan. I am planless.

I spent all day yesterday either on email or on the phone, sending last minute stuff to our mortgage gal, searching for a circular shower curtain holder for this new freakin’ claw foot tub that is 66 freakin’ inches long, coordinating the electrician to meet our agent so they can give us an estimate for rewiring, researching movers, and all the while, trying to actually do my job. I finally went to lunch at 2:30 and just sat at the little café and stared into space for 30 minutes.

I told Todd, I cannot keep this up for any length of time. I need it done. Right now. Done.

There is light at the end of the tunnel, though. We’re going to Bellingham this weekend to attend Jessica’s wedding! She’s asked me to sing, so Todd will play guitar for me (our first public performance together! The whole purpose for us meeting!) And then we’ll stay in nice little B&B and catch up on our quality mushy time. Just thinking about it puts a smile on my face.

Sigh.

Gotta get through this week, gotta get through this week...

WTFWRD?

"So, in the WTFWRD category this week, how about this question: I'm watching from some distance as my stepson and soon to be stepdaughter are simultaneously packing to move, selling their house, buying a new one, planning a wedding and working, while keeping two young 'uns in school. Which should I do? Watch in fascinated horror (think train wreck), offer to help in some insipid & probably useless way, or vacuum and clean the toilets in my house?"

-Bob

Raechelle would want absolutely no part in such drama and train wreckness. Your stepson and soon to be stepdaughter sound like they are complete gluttons for punishment and need to relax and enjoy their lives, rather than constantly coming up with ways to draw attention to themselves. “Look at me!! I’m so stressed!!” I mean, really.

So, Raechelle would clean her toilets and vacuum, so that when the stepkids finally snap from the insanity and need a place to which they can escape and drool on themselves, you can offer up your home.

Rumor has it, you’re a pretty a good cook too, so I’m sure the stepkids would very much appreciate some kind of gooey chocolate dessert to comfort them.

Thanks for the question!

Sold!

The For Sale sign out front now has a "SOLD!" sign on it.
I think it's time to start panicking....

Ahem...

I mean packing.

Feel The Love

So, remember the RSVP box that I thought was a FANTASTIC idea? And my friend CB thought I was retarded for even contemplating spending money on something so stupid?

CB was in a mood one day and didn't feel like working.

So she made me an RSVP box.

Isn't that just the sweetest? I laughed until I had tears in my eyes. And let me tell you, the staples and scotch tape just add a little something special to it.

Happy Birthday, Daddy.

On a more positive note, it's my dad's birthday today. I won't tell you how old he is. He may not like that. But he's retired, and that's all that matters!

He's also sick today. He and mom both have the crud. Let's hope it's not the swine crud, but it's still crud, nonetheless. Send them good, healthy vibes.

Happy birthday, Daddy!

WWRD?

Raechelle would win the lotto so she could quit her job and not have to deal with a certain department and their indecisiveness and their constant need to revise their quotes. Raechelle has been dealing with this since late June and she’s just about had enough.

And Raechelle would have faith in the sale of her house so that she could actually start packing to move (in two weeks). But Raechelle is not so sure this will actually happen, given the experience she’s had with these buyers. So Raechelle is Freaking Out.

Raechelle will, however, be drinking a crap load of wine tonight so she’s got that going for her.

And as if the Universe knew Raechelle was having a bad today, this is her bento box fortune cookie fortune:

A vacation to sunny shores is soon in store for you.

Well, no shit, Sherlock. Is that supposed to make me feel better right now?

Because that vacation to sunny shores is still two months away. And I don’t know if I can make it through two more months of this.

**********

As you may have guessed, there was no question this week. See what you get if you don’t write in a question? See? Wouldn’t you rather read about organizing?

Die, Uterus, Die!

I must have this.

It's from IHeartGuts.com.

I'm thinking it could come in handy when its, you know, that time. And when I get all crampy and pissed off, I can stick needles in it. Like a voodoo uterus.

Fantastic.

"Well, sometimes I vary it a little..."

I'm mad today. So mad, at one point, I had to go outside and walk down the block to keep from throwing something. So, CB took me to Subway for lunch to get some air. She's a good friend. I told her I felt the need for something different, but I didn't think today was the day to make the change.

I'm not good at Subway. Too many choices, too many options. I lock up. CB laughs at me. Sometimes I like pickles, sometimes I don't. I have to think about what mood I'm in as I'm ordering. It's the same thing at Taco Del Mar.

Lately, I've just gotten into my routine:
6" sandwich
Whole wheat
Grilled chicken
American cheese
Toasts
Lettuce, tomato, green peppers and a smidge of mayo. Just a smidge.

But today, when I was asked what kind of bread I wanted, I said Italian herb and cheese.

Gasp! Branchin' out.

And I immediately thought of this exchange in When Harry Met Sally...

Harry has asked Sally to tell him about the sex fantasy she has.

Sally
Well, basically it's the same dream I've been having since I was twelve.

Harry
Which is?

Sally
Okay, there's this guy...

Harry
What does he look like?

Sally
I don't know, he's just sort of faceless.

Harry
Faceless guy, okay.

Sally
He RIPS off my clothes.

[pause]

Harry
And?

Sally
That's it.

Harry
That's it? Some faceless guy rips off all your clothes, and THAT'S the sex fantasy you've been having since you were twelve?

Sally
Well, sometimes I vary it a little.

Harry
Which part?

Sally
What I'm wearing.

My herb and cheese bread was just the spark I needed.

Well, that and the big ass chocolate cookie I got.

WWRD?

We have a question!!

What would be your must have essentials for your cleaning bucket? If I wanted to amass a bucket of cleaning supplies what would I be sure to have and what would I pass on? Rags vs Paper towels? I am thinking I have too many things and would prefer a few multi-cleaners, ya know. And, of course, what works best on which surface. Trying to decide if I should put them all in a bucket so I can tote it around the mansion.

- JamieB

And it's an excellent question to start off this new segment of the blog!

Knowing your mansion (i.e. new condo), I will speak specifically to what I would do in your situation. I had a big ‘ol blog post written (three pages of a Word document) but it was more about what I do in my house and in my situation. You may have gotten some ideas from it, but it was a long read.

So, in your brand-spankin’-new condo, I would put the following items in my cleaning bucket:

Swiffer
All purpose cleaner
A sponge
A toothbrush

It’s a small bucket.

I like the Method all purpose cleaners. They’re non toxic and smell yummy.

And I use these sponges call Turn-Abouts, but you can’t find them just anywhere. It’s odd. But they have nylon mesh on one side (good for scrubbing, but they don’t scratch) and cloth on the other side (good for wiping).

I like toothbrushes because you can get into nooks and crannies with them, and they’re great for baseboards.

I would keep a basket of rags in your closet, next to your cleaning bucket, so when you grab the bucket to go clean, you could grab a couple of rags as well. I like the terrycloth rags from Home Depot. I’ve been using the same ones since I had Mighty Tidy, my cleaning business, back in 2005. They’re very durable.

I would keep the bathroom cleaning supplies in the bathroom, under the sink. I’d have a little basket with:

Toilet bowl cleaner (I have to have bleach in my toilet bowel cleaner)
Bon Ami (powdered scrubber, non-toxic, non-smelly and usually under $2)
Two sponges (the one for the toilet in a Ziploc baggy, so it doesn’t cross contaminate)
A couple of toothbrushes
Gloves
Glass cleaner wipes.
A cup (to rinse out the tub) if you don’t have a handheld shower head.

Since your bathroom and your kitchen are close together, you could either grab the bathroom basket so you could use the powdered cleaner and non-toilet sponge in the kitchen, or (because I am somewhat neurotic) I’d just get another basket with powdered cleaner, a sponge, a toothbrush and an all purpose cleaner and put that under the sink.

I get on cleaning fits rather quickly and if I have to go and seek out what I need to do what I want to do, I get annoyed. I’d rather just keep everything right where I want it.

I rarely use paper towels to clean, even though we can now throw them in the composter. But there is one exception – when you’re cleaning a stove top. Using a sponge just smears whatever it is that you’re cleaning up. Fresh paper towels (or rags, if you have enough of them and don’t mind washing them) make sure that you’re not just pushing the same grease around.

Some people like the all purpose wipes. The only time I use them is in my cubicle at work. And that’s only because it’s just easier since I don’t have a water source close by. A rag wet with water can do wonders. If you’re looking to disinfect, then a cleaner would be good, but just in general, water is fine.

I wouldn’t have a spray glass cleaner. The ammonia that sprays into the air is icky. I like the Windex wipes. They still reek of ammonia, but at least I’m not spraying it. For some reason, this makes me feel better. And I just use the wipes on mirrors. I clean windows with a wet rag and squeegee.

I would have furniture polish on hand, maybe tucked away in the closet, behind the rags, but polish doesn’t need to be used at every cleaning. Swiffers are fantastic at picking up the dust and keeping a hold of it. I've found that feather dusters don’t really hold the dust, so I’ve never been a fan. Although, I’ve read that *down* feather dusters actually attract the dust, as do the static dusters, so maybe I was just using the wrong kind. I still love my Swiffer, though.

Okay, I think I've babbled enough. Thanks for your question, Jamie. I hope I answered it well.

Until next Friday, that's what Raechelle would do.

Celebrate Good Times, Come On!

Yay, it’s the first day of school!

Except Kayleigh is in 7th grade now, so she starts tomorrow. The 6th graders in her middle school start today, though. It gives them a chance to get used to the big, new school without all of those daunting upper classmen.

I had no idea why mom and dad were so happy when I went back to school. I totally get it now. There's just something about getting back into a routine and structure and early bedtimes.

But I had forgotten about the traffic that comes with school. I need to adjust my morning a bit.

I Think I'm An Adult Now

Well, it's official. We bought a house.
Finally.
Look familiar? It, too, is a 1922 Craftsman. Just like the house we're leaving.
We like our Craftmans. Craftsmen?

We saw this house on Wednesday, after it had been pending, then came up active again. We wrote up the offer that night, the seller countered and we accepted.

BAM! What's the time on that?!

It's a three bedroom (almost - we need a door downstairs to close off that area), two bath, with a one bedroom, one bathroom rental cottage in the backyard. The goal is for that to be Todd's office and our studio. But it's rented right now, which just means we don't have to get used to larger mortgage just yet. It will be a bit tight in the house until we ask the renter to leave (spring maybe?) but that's okay. Because it is a mere one block off of California Ave.

For those of you not from around here, California Ave is the main, downtown West Seattle street. Where it crosses at Alaska, that's call The Junction. That's where you want to live.

And now that's where we live.

Todd and I fell in love with it as soon as we walked inside. And as soon as I realized that oh my gosh, it has a walk in pantry, and on my gosh, it has a walk in master closet, it was a done deal. You just can't find old Craftsmans, even redone old Craftsmans, with a decent closet and a pantry. But this one has both. Sold!

We're anticipating moving in sometime during the last two weeks of September. Which gives us a month to get it somewhat up to speed before the wedding. Talk about cutting it close.

And related to cutting it close, you know that Todd and I are all about the signs. The signs control us. Well, we had said if we didn't have any decent offers, and didn't find a good house by September 7, we were done. We'd try again next year. And then lo' and behold, on September 2, everything falls into place. I was temped to email The Universe (because I have his email address now, and we're friends on Facebook - The Universe is hip like that) and ask just what did he think he was doing? Could he maybe have not of waited until the last minute? Sheesh!

But I see the beauty here. I see the learning experience. I'm no dummy.

I am, however, officially a homeowner.
Crazy.

WWRD?

Raechelle would have written in a damn question when her very favorite blog asked her to! But no one sent a question. So, we have no column today.

And I sure don’t have the brain power to think up a question. I have too much going on in my head. House stuff, wedding stuff, work stuff. Ack!

We’ll try again next week.

Until then, enjoy your (hopefully three day) weekend.

And this kitty picture that reminds me of me and TBFE. Except we have less fur and we don’t sleep in the sink.

My Soon-To-Be Son...

....is 5'9" now.


Mom wanted a photo, so see how big he's gotten, but he doesn't like to have his picture taken. I said we could blur out his face, but he preferred to stand beside me, turned around.

Whatever.

It still shows how big he is, and how tiny I am.

Speaking of my kids, my soon to be daughter bought me a present yesterday.

It says "Shoe Fund".
Does she know me or what?

Todd already put some change in it. I'm well on my way!

WWRD?

I had dinner with Jamie last week. She just bought herself a new condo! Yay!

She was asking me questions about organization and packing, and I told her about Stephanie’s email a few weeks ago.

Steph was cleaning her office and thought, “Would Raechelle keep her printer manual on her desk, and if so, where? Or would she file it away?” She said she should just wear a necklace when she cleaned that said “What Would Raechelle Do?” or “WWRD?”

Todd took it one step further and said, “How about WTFWRD?”

Get it? The WTF?
No? Ask a 20 year old…

Anyway, guess what Stephanie got for her birthday?



I’m so good.

Jamie thought that was great (as did Stephanie) and said that should be a blog feature. What Would Raechelle Do?

I like it! And you know how I love talking about organizing and cleaning and preaching the gospel of vacuum cleaners. So, on Friday I’ll start a new feature of the blog. WWRD? Or maybe, when it’s a tough question, WTFWRD?

So use that link “Email Me!” on the right and send me your organizing or cleaning questions. I’ll pick one per week and answer it.

It’s not like I have anything else going on, right?

She’s Wound Up Tighter Than a Pissed Off Rattlesnake

My horoscope for today.

From The Seattle Times:

Aries (March 21-April 19): Today is a 5 -- A puzzle you've been putting together finally starts to make sense. A little more work and you'll solve the mystery.

Really? It’s all going to make sense now?
Thank.Gawd.

Cause this funky little dance of sell for this price, buy for this price, put this much down, but you need this much for closing costs, but have this much money left over is going to give me a freakin’ heart attack.

Todd asked me this morning if I would be disappointed if we took the house off the market and just stopped this. He said maybe it’s just too much with all of the other stresses. And I asked him, “Are you stressed about the wedding? Really?”

And he sighed and said, "No."
I said, “Neither am I.”

It's just this house stuff. But it should be done soon. It has to be done by September 7. We’ve decided that if we have no acceptable offers, if we can’t find another place we like, we stop this madness cold turkey so we can really enjoy the last two months leading up to the wedding.

So we’ve got one week.

There are things happening. Trust me. But the funky little dance isn’t written down on paper yet. That’s the key. The signatures.

One week. Just a little bit longer….

…but man, my head hurts.

Braindead

I missed another game! Dammit!

I complete forgot (I KNOW!) that the Seahawks played last night. FOR.GOT.

We got caught up in a movie (Leatherheads – awesome) and then in the midst, had to vacate for a showing, then came back and finished the movie, then ordered pizza and watched another movie (Lords of Dogtown – also awesome), then watched the documentary about that movies, and then went to bed.

And I missed my boys win yet another pre-season game!

I’m sorry, guys. I promise to pay better attention and look at the calendar regularly (the games are on the calendar!) Really.

They play again Thursday. I've got a big post it note on my monitor.

I will not miss this.

Why Didn't I Think of That?

It's fabulous.

A box for your RSVPs. No on one side, Yes on the other side. Alphabetized index cards to separate by name. And even matches the invitations!

Genius.


My friend, CB, says "Ridiculous. I will get a shoebox and MAKE you one of those. Much better."

But will it be covered in pretty paper?

She says, "Of course!"

I say, she's hired.

Why can't I think of this stuff before other people do? Oddly enough, this site is by the same woman who wrote my Big Ass Wedding Book. She's a pro. She knows what the crazy brides want. We want useless boxes of crap that are pretty and remind us that we're getting married!

Speaking of crazy and organizing, I got on a kick last night and organized the hell out of our white board. I've got a list of things we still need to spend money on, a list of To Do items, a list of questions for the caterer, and taped to the board, a drawing that eerily resembles a football playbook that tells me who is riding in which car to get from West Seattle to the rehearsal dinner and then who is riding in which car to get back to West Seattle/the hotel downtown/back their lodging.

There are lots of arrows.

All the while, Todd worked on the processional music and drafted up some programs. We were bustling. Today, we're emailing ideas about paper back and forth. There will be a trip to Paper Zone this evening.

Yes, it's a good day.

Random Thoughts About The Weekend Update

We had another open house, and I, of course, had another freak out. There will be no more open houses. I cannot take it. We had some genuine interest this time, so hopefully, there will be no need for another open house.

**********

We also have a showing scheduled for tomorrow, and I just got a call from someone at my company who saw my listing on our company news board. We have movement!

**********

TBFE and I went Kauai shopping. And I bought (er…Todd bought me) a bathing suit! And I actually feel kinda good in it! I am ready for the beach…

**********

We met with my friend who is making our wedding cake. And I told Todd last night, there is a certain beauty to planning this wedding among house buying and house selling and teenager drama.

We don’t fret over the details.

Our cake meeting took a whopping 30 minutes. We said we like this, we don’t like this, we want to do this, there are this many people, and BAM. We’re getting a wedding cake. We don’t have the energy to scrutinize the details, like how many roses we want on the cake or how many different types of combinations or do we want fondant or buttercream frosting.

Just gimme a damn cake that tastes good and let’s move on. I got things to do.

**********

I forgot my glasses at home and my head already hurts from staring at the computer. Maybe it’s time for eye appointment and back up glasses?

Nah. I’m not ready yet.

**********

The Seahawks won Saturday night!! We’re 2-0!

Okay, yes it’s only preseason, but hopefully it’s a good sign for regular season.

And the Redskins beat the Steelers. Holy crap. Way to go, ‘Skins!

**********
We bought new shampoo and toothpaste this weekend. The shampoo smell is different and the toothpaste taste is different. So I have this “homesick” feeling in my gut. I get this when I’m surrounded by unfamiliarity.

I have a new shirt on, too. That’s not helping.

**********

Which is a more significant sign of aging –

The fact that I get those little, stiff, black hairs on my chin, or the fact that I can oh-so-discreetly yank them out with my tweezers while sitting in my cube because I have been doing it for years and I am THAT GOOD?

**********

Every now and then, I am distracted by my sparklerific ring. Either the light catches it just so or it knocks against something and makes a loud thunk. And then it hits me all over again.

I’m getting married.

And then I think, “I just wanted to sing with a band. Really.”

Funny how things work out.

**********

To wrap up this riveting post, please enjoy this pic a snuggling Tom.

Tom doesn’t care if you’re laying on your stomach, your back or your side. If he sees a warm body, he’s on it. He laid like that until my arm fell asleep and I had to rollover.

My little, fuzzy baby...

I Am Offended!

From The Seattle Times:

Aries (March 21-April 19): Today is a 7 -- You're doing something the hard way concerning record-keeping. It's too hard to find what you need. Get organized.

Excuse me? "Get organized"?

Just who do you think you're talking to, Ms. Universe?

Have you seen my Holy-Crap-I'm-Actually-Getting-Married spreadsheet (15 tabs!) and organizer?

I enter my receipts into Quicken at least once a week. And I have all of my blank birthday cards in their month appropriate pocket in coordination with the person I think they're good for. And our Google calendar color coordinated so that we can glance at it to see who is doing what that day (I am red, Todd is blue, Kayleigh is green and Tyler is tan). And my shoes (that aren't in storage) are still in their labeled, clear bins.

I am organized!!

Oh wait.

Are you talking about the wedding invitation I lost? Is that what you mean?

Well, I had to clean up my desk for the open houses and I put a bunch stuff "somewhere" so it would be out of the way, but still accessible, but now I can't find that pile of stuff and I finally had to email Jessica and ask where her wedding was again because I have "temporarily misplaced" the invite and this pains me more than you could ever, ever know.

She replied with, "Rae-rae! I am SHOCKED."

Sigh.

Rae-rae loses things now. It's very sad.
But, by gawd, I am still "organized"!

Sleep

Yeah, I’m gettin’ none of that. I thought I would crash hard last night, but even with a nip of my codeine cough syrup, I was still either awake most of the night or snoozing but could hear every little thing around me. Even with earplugs.

This is odd to me because I have never had a problem sleeping. My mother often tells people that, when I was just a baby, she finally took me to the doctor because I was sleeping 12 hours a day. She would put me down at 7pm, then have to physically wake me at 9am the next morning. The doctor’s response?

Don’t knock it. Consider yourself lucky.

I’m still like that, although 12 hours really isn’t an option anymore. Now, sleeping in means getting at 9:00am. Which really is plenty of sleep. I should be thankful for that.

I’m not sure what I’ll do tonight. Benadryl? Valarian? Baseball bat? There are lots of options. I just hope I’m not up again. Three nights of very little sleep is gonna make Rae-rae a cranky biach.

You Said It, Girlfriend

Thank you, TBFE. For the laugh.

And the nightmares that are sure to come tonight....