Monday, June 30, 2008

An early birthday present?

I just got out of the shower and am brushing out my hair when out of the corner of my eye I see a small glint of light reflecting off of my hair. I don't think too much of it and go on prepping my hair for the dryer, when I glance into the fog covered mirror and discover something horrifying...a gray hair!

I frantically wipe off the mirror and lean in for a closer look, this has to be light bouncing off of my wet hair, it cannot be what I think it is. After thoroughly examining my hair I am left with the sad reality that as an early birthday present my body has left me a shiny, gray hair. I think that I could do without this years' gift. I haven't pulled it out yet, (I think I am still in shock). Men are so lucky, if they have gray hair they just look more distinguished. Women just look old.

Its just one hair now, but that's just the beginning. Pretty soon I will have a full head of gray hair. Thank goodness for hair dye!

Thursday, June 26, 2008

Happy Birthday Jeff!!!

Today's blog is in honor of Jeff's birthday. Today he turned the ripe old age of....what is it? 38? I was dared or manipulated, (I'm not sure which) to drive all the way to Quincy to help celebrate his birthday. I don't think Jeff really believed that I would be crazy enough to do it. Apparently I am that crazy! :) I lucked out and was able to get off of work at noon, so I was able to get to Quincy earlier than expected which gave me a little more time to hang before getting back in my car for the 2 1/2 hour drive home.

The drive really wasn't that bad; I had good music to listen to and after having a very emotional, stressful start to my week, it was nice to get away even if it was for only a few hours. Jeff wasn't there when I first got to his house, so I spent the first 15min or so making small talk with his mom and niece and nephew....not awkward at all!! They were very nice to me though.

After a quick tour through Quincy and Jeff's house, we settled in for dinner, then dessert. Later we went out to find the kittens that have made the barn? garage? their home. I must say that I was sooooooo tempted to take one of them home with me. They were so adorable. I lost my senses for a moment and seriously considered it. Then I remembered that kittens grow up to be cats, and cats like to scratch everything, oh, and they shed!

The drive home seemed to go a lot faster then the drive to Quincey, doesn't it always seem to work that way? All in all, this has been a good day. My family has always been big on birthdays, so it was fun to go and celebrate with Jeff. So now that I am back in Seattle I will end this day with one final......HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Monday, June 16, 2008

I'm a __________ (fill in the blank)

Earlier today I took a road trip down to Puyallup to meet a friend for lunch. On my way I got to thinking....an hour and a half drive, traffic, and good music will do that to a person. The thought of the day is what is it that defines me? This thought was really intriguing to me, we get so caught up in the "I'm a ....mom, dad, doctor, teacher, husband, wife, etc". I think we all have ideas of who or what we will be when we grow up and that phrase "I'm a...." is our way of stating our accomplishments.

What do we do though, when those hopes and dreams from our adolescence do not come to fruition. Is that when we say, "Oh, I'm just a...", as if to say, this is just a position that I am temporarily filling until the real one I am secretly holding out for comes to be? (Can you tell I majored in Sociology?) Don't even get me started on the societal pressures we place upon ourselves and as a result chose to do things that we may not otherwise have pursued. :)

Thus, I did not come up with any brilliant answers. Though I have a clear idea of what I want to be, but the "I'm just a..." is lasting longer than I expected and has unwittingly become my "I'm a..."

Thursday, June 12, 2008

A Sunny Day in Seattle!!!!!!

I am thrilled to announce that Seattle, yes Seattle has been exposed to the sun! Finally! I love how Seattle-ites welcome the sun. It doesn't matter how cold it actually is, if there is even a hint of a ray of sunshine, shorts are thrown on, tops on the convertible are down, everyone is calling in sick to work, and my favorite part...the smell of the charcoal being lit with the promise of good BBQ to follow.
I never think much about how I am affected by the rain and the gray, but as soon as the sun comes out I notice how much more energy I have and I just feel happier. I guess I have just gotten used to it, but I really, really love it when it's sunny! I am still a California girl at heart.

Saturday, June 7, 2008

Photography 101






So I spent the bulk of my day in a photography class taught by Robert Stahl, a professional photographer. His work has been featured in National Geographic as well as other magazines that I cannot seem to remember right now. I just about fell off of my chair when he mentioned that Ansel Adams had shown him how to photograph trees. (If you do not know who Ansel Adams is I would suggest you google his work, it is pretty spectacular)

Anyways, I learned a lot about lighting and texture and different ways to look at a subject you are going to photograph. The class went from 9-4 but I ducked out after lunch. It was an interesting class and it inspired me to run over to the Bellevue Botanical Gardens to try out some of the things that I had learned. The above pictures are some of the many that I took in the hour that I was there.

I am finding that I really enjoy taking pictures, (I prefer nature vs people). It is fun and creative.... right up my alley.

Friday, June 6, 2008

How many shoes can one girl own?


There is nothing better than walking through a department store, wandering around with no specific purpose in mind! I honestly get a small high just from being there. I love, love, love the shoe department! It doesn't matter if I am in a hurry, feeling tired or even have no extra money to spend, I inevitably end up surrounded by shoes and harried sales people salivating over themselves trying to meet my every whim.
I am particularly partial to high heels, I don't know what it is about them, but I can never get enough. The shoes shown above are just one of my favorites! Though I love heels, I save them mainly for Sundays, do to the fact that I am on my feet most of the day at work. I call my heels my three hour shoes! That is because that is about how long I last in them. I suppose I am willing to suffer minimally for fashion, (I would never make it in New York). I envy those women who can wear them everywhere without complaint.
Hmm...I think that I will have to go visit some more shoes this weekend.

Sunday, June 1, 2008

Bikes, Buses or Vespas

Okay, it is time for some serious thought to the gas crisis. I filled up my car the other day which cost me $60. I just about died when I looked up and saw that my 14 plus gallon tank had consumed soooo much of my money!

I am trying to think of more economical ways of getting to work, but I keep coming up with "yeah, but...." after any of my ideas are thought about seriously.

Here are some of my ideas and my yeah buts. Let me know what you think I should do.

IDEAS

Ride a Bike to work
Ride the bus
Buy a Vespa
Walk I would have to leave at about 4am
Trade in my car
Change jobs

YEAH, BUT.....

There are a lot of hills between my house and work so riding a bike may be a challenge.
What if I get sick or an emergency comes up at work and I rode the bus...what would I do?
Though they are cute Vespa, being splattered all over the pavement has its drawbacks.
Walking....'nough said.
I really like my car, it has a lot of room, a huge sunroof and heated seats
I have been at the same job for 10 years, why change now.

Those are my ideas so far. Maybe I should ask for a cost of driving raise instead. I am sure that will go over well.