Jeff's Birthday

This weekend started off with a bang when Lucy, Jeff and I headed to Teatro Zin Zanni to celebrate his 39th birthday. For those of you who have never heard of Teatro Zin Zanni, it is a combination of dinner theater, circus, and gymnastics. As you enter the large tent your senses are immediately put to work. The moulin rouge esque feel has you on high alert for fear you might miss some of the action if you are not paying attention. The performers are funny, talented and incredibly strong. We sat staring with our mouths gaping while we watched a couple perform a tango mid air. The meal that is provided has been given 5 stars, by whom I do not know, its just what they said in the advertisement. (Considering the fact that I probably wouldn't know the difference between a three or four star restaurant let alone a five star, it tasted good, so there you have it).

Jeff had several moments where he was in fear of being found out. He threatened to get me back BIG TIME if I mentioned that we were there for his birthday. It's probably a good thing I didn't say anything as Caesar, the "emcee" took great pleasure in pulling poor unsuspecting spectators from their chairs and into the spotlight. There were a few times when Caesar was searching for his next victim that Jeff was, I think, using the secret to keep him from being pulled up on stage. I can report that it worked because he stayed safely planted in his seat the whole time.

After being thouroughly entertained for three hours, Jeff and I headed up to Smokey Point to meet up with my little brother. Lucy decided to pass on the second part of our evening which was a trip to a haunted house to go ghost hunting. I know, I know, kind of an odd thing to do. My little brother has been getting into ghost hunting ala TAPS and asked if we could come along Friday night to help him out.

The house we went to had some sightings of a little girl. The owner (Mikey's co-worker) claimed to have heard a little girl giggling and singing lullabyes. I have to admit I was a little nervous at first and felt really dumb sitting in the dark talking to a wall. After we settled in, we all started getting into it. I have no idea what I would have done if we had gotten a reaction. (probably run screaming from the house like a little girl to hide in the car) We were able to debunk some of the claims as a result of her living on a busy street in a really old house. The evening was a bust and now we will never know what kind of ghost hunters we would be. I am secretly okay with that.

Jeff's birthday celebration was a lot of fun even though it ended with a no show of a ghost. It was 3am by the time we got back to the house, we were exhausted but it was worth it.

We continued the celebration Saturday afternoon with lunch at The Macaroni Grill, (another five star meal :)) where Lucy, Marly and her son Jett met us. Lunch was followed up with a trip to the theater to watch The Proposal. The movie is cute and Betty White is hillarious as usual. Later that evening Jeff and I met up with Lucy again to go for a walk at Discovery Park. We discovered a really long staircase in the woods that led us down to the water where we also discovered a lighthouse.

We finished the day sitting outside of a burger joint in Ballard where we ate dinner and talked for three hours. I think we finally dropped Lucy off at about 12:30am. I know that I am only 38 and can handle staying up that late, but Jeff is a feeble 39 years old now, he needs his sleep. :)

The weekend was great and as always I had a lot of fun hanging with friends and the man that I...(Jeff hates when I get mushy)

Another fun adventure with Lucy.

Lucy and I set off last Saturday morning at 7:30am for a day of road tripping. I was feeling antsy and needed to get out of the city and Lucy wanted to test out her new camera. Out goal for the day was to head to Oregon to see Multnomah Falls then head over to see a replica of Stone Henge in Maryhill Washington. This was the plan for the day but as we drove we decided to add to it a bit by heading to Tillamok for ice cream then end the day with dinner in Astoria. I will get back to that little adventure later.

Highlights:



Multnomah Falls is a beautiful place surrounded by trees with a lot of trails surrounding the falls. There were plenty of tourists roaming about which made walking the trails slightly congested. I was really looking forward to taking pictures but was disappointed to find that my camera had been left on all night and so the battery was dead. Thankfully I have learned to be prepared so I brought a second camera with me...which I left in my car in the parking lot across the street. I was being too lazy to walk back and figured I would get pictures from Lucy. The picture you see above is what I took from the parking lot.


Our next stop on our adventure was Stone Henge in Maryhill, Washington. Stone Henge is a world war I memorial created by Sam Hill in the early 1900s. The project began when Hill was mistakenly informed that the original Stonehenge had been used as a sacrificial site. He thus constructed his replica as a reminder that “humanity is still being sacrificed to the god of war.


The dedication plaque on this American Stonehenge reads:

"In memory of the soldiers of Klickitat County who gave their lives in defense of their country. This monument is erected in the hope that others inspired by the example of their valor and their heroism may share in that love of liberty and burn with that fire of patriotism which death can alone quench."


Not only was this an interesting place to visit on a sunny Saturday afternoon, but it was also a fun way to learn about Maryhill's history. Lucy and I
spent a little time at the Maryhill museum where they house some of Rodin's sculptures and artwork. I am not a huge fan of Rodin but it was worth seeing.

In the parking lot of the museum Lucy and I pulled out our map and figured out which route we needed to take to get over to the coast of Oregon. It was 4:30 in the afternoon and I started to question whether we would make it to Tillamok before it closed for the day. Lucy and I decided to bypass Tillamok and head straight to Asotria. We were feeling really proud of ourselves for being able to navigate so well and actually reach our destinations without getting lost...we probably should have waited until we made it back to I-5 before we got too excited.

We made it to Astoria by 7pm and we were pleasantly surprised to find that the local stores were hosting an art walk. Hunger out weighed our need to be culturally filled so we found a little Italian restaurant and hunkered in. It was prom night in Astoria so we found many scantily clad girls roaming the streets. There was a couple sitting close to up where the girl, in her pretty, barely there yellow dress spent most of the evening trying to keep her naughty bits from making an entrance of their own. Apparently Astoria has not heard of double stick tape. Lucy and I wondered whose parents let them leave the house like that.


With our tummies full and a very long drive ahead of us, Lucy and I headed on the 101 toward home. It was about 9:30pm at that point and we were both getting tired. We were doing really well until we came to a point where we could either go straight or turn right. Neither sign said 101 on it so we guessed as to which way we needed to go. Well...we guessed wrong. About 30 minutes later we were driving down what seemed to be a residential street and I jokingly said to Lucy, "wouldn't it be funny if this ends up being a dead end"? A block or two later Lucy says, "are we on Joe John road? Did that just say Joe John road"? (by the way, who names a street Joe John road?) Sure enough we were on the road of Joe John which confirmed our suspicions; we were going the wrong way!

I turned around and made my way back to highway 103, which we could not find on the map at first. We made sure to back track to the fork in the road we had come across earlier and found our way to 101. Feeling a little relieved to be on a somewhat familiar highway Lucy and I started chatting. It was right about then that a cop pulled up behind me and pulled me over...nice. Well, if you are anything like me you don't take out your old insurance or registration forms when you get the new ones. I proceeded to hand the police officer one expired registration/insurance form after another. When I finally found the correct forms it was all I could do to keep from laughing at the situation. The man took pity on me and let me go with a warning, which I was incredibly thankful for.

Adventures aside, I finally dropped Lucy off at her house at about 2:30am and crawled into my own bed after 3am. We had a great time visiting new spots and creating new memories. Hopefully this will inspire you to go visit some of these places, it is worth the drive.

Stem Cells

As you know I am preparing to donate stem cells on Monday for a 62 year old woman. To prepare for this procedure I have to go in and get one injection in each arm for four days prior to the donation. Before you even begin this process the doctors go over every possible detail of what you may experience, what could go wrong, basically what to expect. In all of my optimism I thought, I can handle anything, this won't be hard. It is less invasive than donating bone marrow, so how bad could it be? Well...six injections later I am feeling like a 90 year old arthritic woman whose body is not happy with what I am putting in it.

Last night Jeff and I went to a wedding reception and there were several moments when I had to stop and wait for my chest to stop throbbing. When I woke this morning I felt like my head was going to explode and my heart was doing loop-de-loops. I figured that I would ask about these new symptoms when I went in for my injections this morning. (I seriously thought that I was going to end up in the hospital) Thankfully, everything that I am feeling is considered "normal". I am feeling this way because the growth hormone is creating more cells in my bones and the sternum, being a larger bone will "ache" more. They told me before I started this that the fourth and fifth days were the worst and that the symptoms would go away as soon as the injections stopped. I am only on day three...

I must say, I am extremely disappointed. I was expecting to have grown at least 3 more inches but it just hasn't happened. I guess I am stuck at 5'4 & 3/4s. (That's what heels are for, right?)

All in all this has not been a bad experience, just uncomfortable to say the least. I just keep thinking about why I am doing it; call myself a wimp, take some Tylenol and get on with my day.

My next post is going to be much more exciting I promise. I still need to blog about my trip to Stone Henge with Lucy last weekend. It included a waterfall, an unplanned trip to Astoria, getting pulled over, and getting a little lost. It was quite the adventure.

Dietitis

I have been thinking a lot about why I continue to ride the weight loss/gain train. Just when I think that I have cured myself of the cunning ways of carbohydrates, I find myself being wooed, senses dulled with the promise of mouth watering pastries. It could be something as simple as a wafting smell of popcorn at the movies or the sight of fresh out of the oven chocolate chip cookies and I am back in their loving arms…I am such a push over!

I think that I have finally figured out why I am so weak when it comes to food, pure pressure. Yep, you heard me right…pure pressure. Now, I can’t really blame my friends and family for my food weaknesses, after all, it is not like they are forcing food down my throat, heck, I think half the time its my idea to go get something to eat. What is wrong with me? (That was a rhetorical question) I have decided that I suffer from a sad case of wantingtoeatwhatIwantandbeskinnywithoutdoinganythingaboutititis. It is a sad reality I know, but that is the crux of it; that and the fact that I think that I relate to others through food.

When you don’t have a family to cook for you tend to eat out a lot and when you are the only one eating healthy there is a feeling of not quite fitting in. It is like we, or I bond with others through food. I seriously need to change this way of thinking. My problem is that I do not know how to be that girl who eats the same way at a restaurant that she eats while at home. Scratch that…I do eat that way, just not in the healthy sense. Please don’t think that I lack the desire to be healthy and thin…In my mind I look gooooood!

If you have any advice as to how to take this insight and turn it into healthy thinking, I would appreciate it. Until then I will try to reclaim the shorts that my thighs are currently holding hostage and attempt to counteract my eating through exercise.

While I've been away...

Sorry that it has been soooo long since I have updated my blog, I have had some computer issues. Let me update you on the goings on in my life.

1.School has kept me busy, busy guessing that is. The program that I am in seems to be flying by the seat of its pants. Is how most grad programs are? No yearly calender to say when classes begin or end, registration is done through your counselor, just finding out that quarters are done on an accelerated program so they only last 4 weeks. All of this information would have been good to know before I started the program. :) (not that it would have changed anything)

I just finished my last class yesterday so I am anxiously waiting for the results of the final. I have to maintain a 3.0 GPA to stay in the program and while I am confident in my abilities, I still get a little nervous.

2. My good friend from work just found out that her 2yr old grandson (with whom she has been raising since he was 6mos) has Leukemia. She walked into the er on a Tuesday morning thinking that maybe he had an infection of some kind, would get some antibiotics and be on their way. By Tuesday evening he was admitted to the hospital, told he had Leukemia and started on chemo the next day. Such a devastating day. The good news is that of all the strains of Leukemia out there, his is the most curable, though he will be doing treatments for the next three years. Right now he is home and as he puts it, "mama, I happy now".

3. As some of you may know I donated bone marrow three years ago to a 16 year old girl with the same disease. Unfortunately she passed away shortly after the transplant, but I was thankful for the opportunity just the same. Last Friday I got a call from the Puget Sound blood bank telling me that I have been requested to donate again. This time I will be donating my stem cells which will require a series of growth hormone injections done over a week followed by an extraction. Blood is taken out of one arm "sorted" then put back into my body through the other arm. On May 18th, yes, the anniversary of Mt. St. Helen's' eruption I will spend the day doing this donation-much less invasive then what I did before, which I appreciate. The only information I know about the recipient is that she is a 62 year old woman.

4. Finally, my 4 year old laptop has decided it no longer wants to play so I am forced, yes, forced to go buy a new one. I hadn't realized how attached I am to my laptop. I have been forced (there's that word again :)) to use my parent's desk top which, is a little too bulky to rest on my lap. Today I am off to go search out my options, sadly MAC is out of the running (Jeff, Ken and Lucy) as I am looking for a laptop that is UNDER $800. Call me cheap, but I really would rather spend my money on fun things like traveling, or shoes.

So there you have it, now you are updated on some of the things that have been going on with me.

The first day of school

Today I officially started my grad school program. It is kind of weird because this particular class is every Sunday through May 6th. This is a pre-requisite to the rest of the program and since all other classes are on Saturdays the administration thought a Sunday class would make the most sense.

As I prepared to leave for class I wondered what kind of people would be there. Would they be professionals or would they be young "kids" fresh out of college? I wanted to look somewhat professional so I opted NOT to wear my sweats,(The class goes from 8:30am to 2:30pm) and made sure that I got up a little early to do my hair and makeup.(1st impressions you know) With my book bag once again in hand, I took a deep breath and headed off to school. I will admit that I felt a little relieved when I walked in to find that the majority of the students were "seasoned" professionals. The old school 3-ring binder that I brought with me to take notes fit right in.

I was feeling alright for the first few minutes, and then... the introductions started. My introduction came towards the end, (I tend to be a middle, to back of the room kind of student)and I was feeling incredibly inadequate. As each person listed their credentials and multiple degrees, my mind wandered to the scene in "Legally Blond" where Elle meets her fellow law students and her intro was all about how she stopped Cameron Diaz from buying a truly heinous orange outfit. I racked my brain for an interesting intro that would validate my acceptance to the program. I have to say that what I lack in experience, I definitely make up for in my desire and passion to make the school systems better. Despite that, I felt like I held my own but went on my first break texting Jeff about how intimidated I was feeling. I honestly was beginning to wonder if I was WAAAY out of my league.

My instinct to run out of the school and never look back was hindered by the fact that I left my books and computer in the classroom. Curses! I walked back into the room with my head held much higher than I felt and reclaimed my seat next to the overachievers, (do these people believe in having a personal life?). The professor, (who is the program administrator by the way) went through the syllabi's and by the time we were done with that I was starting to feel more confident about my ability to succeed in the program. We were placed into groups shortly after the expectations were hashed out and quickly found that the students are all really nice and non-judgemental. We were given questions regarding counseling that we needed to answer and I actually felt that I could give intelligent answers that were appropriate to the subject, despite my lack of experience in a school setting. (Jeanna, I even used your Reality Town experience as an example, thanks)

Though my day started off really shaky, it ended with a renewed faith in my latest endeavor. I feel like I will do well in this program and ultimately be able to help kids succeed in their lives. I met some really nice people that are respectful of the others ideas in the class. (What else would you expect in a room full of would be counselors?) I am sure that I will have more moments of feeling inadequate, but hey, that's what friends are for; reminding you that those feelings will pass. I will thank you all now in advance.

Activity Night

Every other Wednesday I meet with twelve young girls all between the ages of 8to 11 years old. My co-chair and I plan various activities to keep them entertained for a little over an hour. Some of the activities are really engaging and keep the VERY energetic girls occupied, while others seem to send them into this wild frenzy. This evening we had a guest come in to teach the girls a dance routine, (very basic) to the theme song for "Tarzan". Ellie, the dance instructor, was very patient when a few of the girls decided to display their skills performing "The Worm". The older girls did really well and seemed to be really into learning the dance while the younger ones entertained themselves by doing the splits, hitting each other and running aimlessly around the room.

Sue, my co-chair and I have been discussing the unruliness of our group and after repeatedly asking the girls to pay attention to our guest, she'd had enough. The girls were asked to come sit on the carpet where, with our prompting, they came up with a list of rules that they should follow while at activity night.
Most of the rules they came up with were pretty common, ie: Be respectful of others, raise your hand when you want to say something, and think before you speak. Some of the not so helpful suggestions: Don't do the splits, only one person can go potty at a time(don't ask) and don't lay on the floor.

After our chat the girls really seemed to be adhering to the rules. We will see how things go at our next get together. For our part, we are going to attempt to be a little more strict. Time will tell.