I think I've found my best friend

This week was St. Patrick's Day. I'm not particularly Irish, I think there's a smidge hidden in my heritage, I'm mostly Norwegian and Native American but my great grandmother always insisted on reminding me that there was Irish in there too "and don't you forget it" so I haven't. There were plans to head out to an Irish pub in Seattle with a bunch of the boyfriend's pals but because it's an Irish pub and St. Patrick's Day you KNOW it's going to be packed. This is why I was given the task to show up insanely early (woohoo unemployment for once!). I got there about 1:30pm thinking at least I'd be able to read some of my book (Geek Love!) and that was the silliest idea I've come up with in a while.

Funny thing though, while waiting I ran into this girl who apparently had the same idea, book and all. We started chatting and in the end our friends ended up co-mingling the rest of the evening. New friends are always fun.

In much more exciting news, yesterday was the boyfriend and my one year anniversary! It's gone by SO fast and I hear that's a good sign. :-) The day was a little hectic for me as I had to go to 4 different stores in hopes to pick up the Eliza Dushku issue of Maxim (which BTW I never found because they JUST put out the new one) and instead felt like I was buying porn since the magazine was inside a plastic cover. But the boyfriend buys one every time he has to go out of town for work and he's going to San Francisco at the end of the month and I wanted him to be prepared.

But all that was worth it for what was to come that evening. He came home from work with the most beautiful bouquet of flowers I've pretty much ever seen. Afterward we headed to Morton's Steakhouse for dinner which was a first for the both of us. We arrived a little early so we started in the lounge for a drink while watching some of March Madness. I was not completed finished with my martini when our table was ready so the host insisted on carrying it to the table for me. :-) But what was so surprising was when we got to the table our menus were waiting...with the heading of "Happy Anniversary _____ and _____!" I think that just made my night.

All the food was amazing, there were bacon wrapped scallops for an appetizer, beefcake tomato salad (for me) and lobster bisque (for him), filet oskar (mini filet mignon with lump crab & bearnaise sauce w/asparagus for me) and filet mignon & lobster tail w/asparagus (for him) followed by a Grand Marnier souffle (for me) and hot upside-down apple pie (for him). All this was paired with an Argyle pinot noir and we were in heaven. It was all amazing and the great kind of full where you don't feel like you will explode. :-) During dessert they even came by to take a complimentary photo of us that got put in a paper frame and came home with us.

I can't imagine a better evening. All I can think of is the time we'll spend together in the future and he makes me so happy. This morning (super early) I was greeted with a "happy 366 days together" from him. Oh my, if you're reading this you probably just threw up but you know what? It put the biggest grin on my face. I think I've found my best friend.

Posting..how *do* you do it?

I hate to be that girl who starts a post about the weather, but I'm going be her. Over the last couple of days we've had some crazy weather here, WA is not normally one to be all about the rain, snow, hail and sun all in one big swoop but here we are. It's March and there's snow. It's March and I'm contemplating using my electric blanket despite living on the 4th floor. Weirdness abounds. But what really starts this entry is how I might be getting sick or the weather is playing insane tricks with my allergies. I never used to have allergies but within the last couple years they developed and for some reason I can't get myself to take the daily meds.

How many of you guys can remember to post a couple times a week? I don't know if it's for a lack of subjects (or those that are interesting to more than just me), lack of time, etc. but I wish it could be more. I do have another blog, I've had it for about 8 years and it's nice and private where only specific people can see it. That's the place that deals with all my mundane details, asks questions to my friends and has been an online world where I've made great relationships with. But with such an open forum on Blogger I find myself censoring myself. I've seen countless blogs I read deal with the ramifications of employers finding said blogs and people losing their jobs over it. I don't want to be that girl, even being unemployed right now.

But on that front, I might be making some headway. I decided on Thursday that I would just call a temp agency and see what they might be able to find for me. I've used this particular one a few years back to get in with the company I just left 5 years later and we shall see how it all goes down. I met with someone on Friday and she seemed to respond very positive to what I was saying so I'm going to cross my fingers and hope for the best. I would love to hear that something is out there for me that is a great fit. Remaining positive is so hard, but I know it makes a complete difference if you're not projecting yourself that way.

Until later, I hope Monday doesn't kick all of you in the ass like it's known to do. :-)

I have 10 fingers, you have 10 fingers, let's be friends!

Yesterday was Mardi Gras and it was the first time I've ever really celebrated. Ok, so the boyfriend and I went out to dinner and there was more fun in the bar at said restaurant (pictured at the left) but it was still great. There were balloons, decorations and of course...beads! Thankfully I didn't need to start flashing anyone to get said beads, I still ended up with quite the collection.

Unfortunatly I was beyond stuffed before we ever arrived to the restaurant. Earlier in the day I went to happy hour with one of my closest friends who I haven't seen in a few months. We stopped by a local mexican joint called Cactus and her boyfriend came along. We did the catch up thing, snacked on chips & salsa/guac and had quesadillas. But all that meant was come 7pm I could barely force myself to eat anything extra. :-(

For all the fun had on Tuesday, great hair day and all...today isn't really the same kind of day. I think the job search is starting to catch up to me. I was all positive thinking and going strong with applications etc. and today I can be bothered to care. Ok, scratch that. I care, but the lack of responses and the continuous questions from absolutely everyone about how the job search is going is getting to me.

The boyfriend and I have started watching Dead Like Me recently. I've seen it countless times before but I like to introduce him to shows that he hasn't seen and that I love. But because of this I feel myself missing working in an office. Yes, I just said that. I miss it, I miss having a reason to get up early even though I can't stand waking up before 9am. I miss having deadlines, projects to work on and seeing the same people day in and day out. I miss having a desk or a cubicle where I can put those little doodads up to make me smile after a potentially boring day.

What is wrong with me?

Good To the Last Drop

I don't mean for this to turn into a wine blog, or at least I don't right now. I'm still finding my footing so I'm testing the waters with a variety of things instead of diving right in. Yes, this is how I am in the swimming pool too. :-)

But I have another wine review for you guys and I think you'll like it. Right now I'm drinking O Wines 2007 Chardonnay. The boyfriend and I first tried this wine over at Grape Choice in Kirkland. It's in the heart of downtown Kirkland and the wine shop has so many different brands, as well as a great atmosphere if you just want to chill and drink a little.

But as I was saying, one day a while back the boyfriend and I went to drink a little bit. I told him to pick something because I trusted his judgment and he picked out this chardonnay. I loved it at the time and I made a mental note to try it out again the next time we went.

So there was this big sale I mentioned before and we picked up a variety of bottles to try. Some we have had before, some were recc'd to us and others just looked good. I made a point to get this one again because like I said...it's yummy.

It didn't disappoint. Some chardonnay's are too oakey (I say there's no such thing but others tell me otherwise), too sweet, whatever. This one is PERFECTION. There's a hint of sweetness at the end of it. A little creamy/buttery, a little vanilla and fruit of some sort mixed in.

But the best part ever? They have made it their mission to donate a portion of all proceeds from O Wines to establish scholarship funds for underprivileged/at risk young girls in Washington State. What could be better than that? You have a great tasting wine that when you buy it gives to underprivileged girls. That's even better.

Down Memory Lane

When I was a little girl (around 4 or 5) I started staying with my great grandmother during the week. At the time it was my single mom and I as her and my father split up before I started walking. In our family though there is a great support system and since my mom and I moved apartments frequently the best course of action for schooling was to use my great grandmother's address. I stayed with her during the week and came home on the weekends. Surprisingly this was the perfect arrangement for all parties involved and it stayed this way pretty much until my great grandmother passed away. With the exception of right after high school (I moved in with my mom & stepdad for about a year which was a BAD idea) I want to say I lived there for approx. 20 years.

This arrangement helped me a lot. My great grandmother was a teacher when she was younger and always was ready to do arts & crafts with me, teach me reading, math, help with random homework and most of all...she taught me how to knit. Ok, so she taught me how about three or four times over the course of my life because I couldn't stay with it too long, but every time I started I picked it up right away. She also taught me crocheting because you can't have one without the other. In fact, the primary thing she knitted were dish cloths/rags and you can't call it finished without crocheting the borders.

When she passed away I thought it was only fitting to continue her dish cloth/rag tradition. Every Christmas she gave them to all the families as gifts and during our first Christmas without her I couldn't just NOT do it. It was a coping mechanism for me and to this day I do it every year.

So I know the basics. I've made some scarves, even a blanket...but after a certain point I became stuck. When I was little she made my cousin and I these blankets and to this day it stays in bed with me. It's the most comfortable blanket ever and I think every baby/child should have one. This is what brings me to my current dilemma.

I started this blanket for my cousin's baby about a year and a half ago. I love the colors and design of it but secretly? I messed it up, royally. I was new to more than the most basic crocheting and I flubbed some spots meaning I had to make the same flubs every time afterwards. This in turn made me put it away never to be seen again.

Until today. I decided to rip it and start over and I've done two rows so far. And of course? I'm off by two stitches. What do I do? Do I just remember to reduce by two stitches every time? Do I rip it and start all over again? Or do I rip and start again and add to more stitches from the beginning? Life is so complicated.

Pour Me A Glass

I've been wanting to post something about wine for the last couple of days, mostly because this week a local wine shop had their annual sale and the boyfriend and I picked up quite a few bottles. Within the last year we've become a big fan of wine in the bigger picture of alcoholic beverages and there's a variety depending on what your price range is.

We have a tendency to pick wine based off the packaging or name of the wine, there's been Cupcake Chardonnay last week, the 3 Blind Moose Cabernet Sauvignon I'm currently sipping on or countless others that have entertaining corks. But when I go online to find reviews of the Monkey Bay Sauvignon Blanc (I think it's the 2006) all I find is positive reviews and that was not my experience.

This is what the website gives as a description:

Colour:
Pale yellow in colour, with green hues and brilliant clarity.

Aroma:
A vibrant bouquet of citrus and tropical fruits, layered with subtle cut grass aromas.

Palate:
Monkey Bay Sauvignon Blanc is a charming, elegant wine, displaying intense varietal character. Ripe, zesty flavours of grapefruit, kiwi and pineapple are overlaid with fresh cut grass. Finishing crisp and refreshing, the palate balances intense fruit qualities with fresh acidity, fullness and length.

Sounds promising, right? I was impressed with the idea of grapefruit since I can't pass up anything with that, let alone with a cute little monkey on it. But the only thing I actually tasted in this wine was the so-called "subtle cut grass aromas". I don't know if it was lemon grass or what, but at the time the only reason I eventually finished the bottle was because it would be bad to waste it.

I thought maybe it was just an aversion to New Zealand wine, but that wasn't it. I've tried a few others that didn't make my taste buds rebel (I need to start writing this stuff down) so I'd say it's just this one.

I'll tell you what caused it if you'll handle the effects

Unemployment is a very bad thing. I know you're thinking "duh Cass, why would you say something so obvious?" but bear with me. Yes, unemployment sucks because you are out of work and probably getting a check that is far less than what you used to make but that's not why. It's because you have too much free time.

Even though you spend your time job searching online, there is networking to be done to contact those with opportunities. You're working on reformatting your resume for the 15th time (or so!) and at times you're kicking yourself because how are you really going to write an awesome cover letter to make people realize you are the poop and they need to hire you RIGHT NOW because THEY CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT YOU OMG!!

Exactly. But there's also that time where you don't want to do that stuff. You have laundry to do, a home to clean and there's tv that needs to be watched. Lots and lots of tv. In the last week or so I've watched the second season of Dexter, started Californication, caught up on the shows I missed due to networking etc. and cooked. Yes, OMG I COOKED! Since I'm kind of new here you probably don't know how important that bit is, I don't cook. If I do? It's baking. So actually making real food for real people would make you confused.

Obviously this means I need to find a new job pronto, although lounging in my pjs and showering in the afternoon can be a lot of fun too. Can I get a job that lets me do both? :-) Kidding, a little.

Addicted

As a fairly "girly girl" I have a few things that I am hopelessly addicted to. For some it's purses (or bags), some it's accessories and some have an endless supply for 3435645 pairs of jeans. However, for me it's shoes.

I love shoes, I always have. And I think it stems from when I was younger, because my mother was all about having multiple pairs of shoes so that they didn't wear out as fast. Oh mother, look what you started!

I don't know how many shoes I technically have, but I do know in my little studio apartment I definitely don't have enough room for them all. Even when I try to put them all away there are still a few straggler pairs that hang out under the coffee table. :-)

My favorites right now?

Please ignore the Kleenex in the background. :-) These are my Enzo Angiolini Magnify's in red leather. I think I picked these up about a year ago and due to the color I don't get a chance to wear them all that often. But how I love these! They are comfy and there hasn't been a time where I've gone out and every woman around oohs and ahhs over them. <3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3

Funny thing, these are one of the few pairs I have that are not from Linea Paolo. That particular line is my favorite, they have the cutest and most comfortable shoes I've ever owned. Unfortunately now that I've found that link for you guys I realized that Nordstrom is having a killer sale on a lot of them and it's taking all my willpower not to add some of them to my cart. Being unemployed is a bitch.

Now if only I can get out of the habit of buying new shoes and THEN trying to find an outfit to go with them. :-) Doubtful.

Super Bowl *insertnumberhere* :-)

Today I attend my very first Super Bowl party. Yes, I'm approaching 30 (scary!) and I've never been to a Super Bowl party. But I've never been a big football person, mostly because despite being told and explained to over and over again the rules make no sense to me. They throw flags over the silliest things (flag! he celebrated too early!) and I know that college and pro rules are different. But I have a boyfriend who is a big football fan so I'm trying to get into the spirit of things and most of all, I provide food. :-)

Yes, I bake and make all kinds of snacky goodness so they put up with my endless questions in the middle of the game because without me there wouldn't be tasty treats. Today I'm making a concoction of pigs in the blanket with little smokies. Somewhere in there we're throwing in cheese etc. so it should be good. But because of this I have to start early with the prep, the party we're going to has 20+ people already RSVP'd.

In other news I've been craving crab cakes benedict for the last week or so like nobody's business. For one reason or another I haven't been able to have it and at this point my body is rebelling because I'm not feeding it what it wants. I've dreamt about these things and even too the point where I get to the restaurant and find out you can't get them if you sit in the bar and at that point in my dream I have a tantrum, it's not pretty. But as a pre-Super Bowl excursion we're going to get the car washed and then head over there for lunch/brunch.

Yummy food, here I come!

I sleep with the fishes ... only not really

I promised a more upbeat post about my weekend, so here we go.

The boyfriend and I had a quiet Friday night watching the second Underworld movie (I can't believe he hasn't seen these), drinking some wine and lighting a fire because it was brr...chilly. Nothing like the rest of the country of course but cold enough to freeze if it wanted to, you know? But really this was all low-key since his company holiday party was to be held the next evening. I know you're thinking "holiday party? I thought the holidays were over." and you'd be right, they are over. But their company likes to hold their party in January when it's not as busy.

So we booked a hotel in downtown Seattle that was pretty fancy for the evening along with another couple we're friends with and had plans to meet up in our room before arriving at the party. On a side note, the boyfriend passed his PE (engineering) test and there was cause for celebration. Once we met up we drank Dom Pérignon, headed to the bar downstairs for a quick drink since it was still pretty early and then to the party over at the aquarium.

Now I've been to the aquarium before, but every single time I've been surrounded by screaming children and no space to walk. So this was a completely different experience. There were appetizers, dinner, drinks, dancing and the entire aquarium to ourselves. There were even a few employees to answer questions we had about the fish etc. The only downside I had was the next morning, not because we were hungover (thank goodness we were NOT) but breakfast. I had been looking at the room service menu since we got there and all I wanted was crab cake benedict. When we went down to the restaurant it turns out they were doing Sunday brunch buffet and although there was eggs benedict it obviously not what I had my heart set on. All in all - a pretty good weekend. :-)

In a slump

It's Day *insert#here* (I refuse to count because it will make me feel depressed) of unemployment and although the job search is promising I've fallen into that phase of apathy. You know, that phase where cleaning & organizing your apt. seems more appealing than searching for a job? I know I'm going to get over it soon enough but in the meantime realizing I'm in that phase is so frustrating.

I'm doing well in the job search though, I'm networking like crazy and I've had a few leads to follow up on. My resume is updated and I figure I'll apply to a few positions this week. I also went to a career fair last week for the first time ever...I think this is where all my apathy is stemming from. I was pumped when I first heard about the career fair, I got my resume ready to go, dressed up all professional and headed into the big bad city of Seattle with a fellow friend that is also laid off. Upon arrival though we quickly realized that this career fair was over hyped and really not worth all the hassle.

There were approx. 10-15 companies there tops, most of which are not what I was looking for. Sure there were hospitals, insurance companies & the army/border patrol/navy but unless I wanted to work as a nurse, insurance agent or carry a gun my luck ran out. I tried to see the bright side in it all, I handed out some resumes, listening to them talk and planned to check out their websites later, but the amount of people at this small career fair was astronomical. Each line to talk to someone had at least 15 people deep and when I talked to most of them they told me to check out their websites.

At the very least I figured out how these fairs work, got out of the house and did something productive - but I thought there might be some sort of payoff in the end. Naive? Yeah I might have been but now I know how it all goes.

Next post includes some fun weekend stories so look for that. :-)

The Facts of Life

I have that theme song stuck in my head and I never really watched that show growing up. :-)

It's 5:50pm on a Sunday night, and here I am watching Ocean Force on TruTV. The boyfriend is at the gym and I can see the sun setting out the window. Even better...when he comes home he'll be cooking me dinner...can it get any better? His family has been in town recently due to the birth of his new niece and it's been great to see them. They live on the other side of the mountains so it's not very often I get a chance to make a good impression, but this time around we've spent a fair amount of time with them. Friday night the boyfriend and I, two of our friends and his father went to the monster truck show down in Tacoma. Not usually my cup of tea but I've willing to try something new out at least once. We had a good time but there was a commotion in a section a few down from us that we were not sure what was going on. The next morning the boyfriend went into work early and texted me...turns out there was a little boy who got hurt from flying debris, he later died. Six years old, it's unthinkable. I know that something like this is a horrible accident and in the many years this show has been operating they've never seen anything like it before - but I think that something else should be done in preperation...I don't know what, but SOMETHING. They didn't stop the show, the continued the rest of the shows for the weekend. It just leaves a sour taste in my mouth.

Day One

Like countless people around the country I am now officially unemployed. It hit me like a ton of bricks right in the chest but I understood. The economy is in the toilet and I know that it was one of the few ways that the company I was working for could stay afloat, but it still hurts. It hurts that I was one of the chosen few to be let go, it hurts that despite my best efforts to show how valuable I could be it didn't work, it hurts because I know there were better places to make cuts (like those people who actually don't do work all day).

But I can't dwell, I know it all happened for a reason and as cliche as it can be...it's a blessing in disguise. I can now find a job that I can be happier with. I don't know if I want to stay doing the same kind of thing as before, although if there are any positions in Seattle-ish for purchasing I won't ignore you. It's been suggested for me to go back and finish school, although I'm still paying off those loans from before and the idea of going into even more debt makes me anxious. Something else can fall into my lap or I could network with just the right people, so all it needs is time and I can make it work.

Besides, if I wasn't unemployed I couldn't pick my little brother from school today because he's sick. We're now hanging out at the parents while he plays video games, we drink candy cane tea and lounge by the fireplace. It can't be all bad.

Blast From the Past

There are only a few things more awkward or weird than running into an old boss, especially when the partnership didn't end on the best terms.

Let's flash back approx. 6 years ago. I was working at a small company not far from my house in a temp capacity. I got along really well with my boss (I was in reception, she in office mgmt.) and we were the same age. We ended up taking classes together at the community college and even spent time together outside of work. Her boss however, was not as pleasant. He was a little too friendly, pretty much the poster boy for sexual harrassment.

I spent approx. 1 year at this company in the temp capacity, the only real explanation for that is that I was apprehensive about going through the job search again. I think they kept me on as a temp as a precautionary way to make sure I couldn't sue the company due to this particular guy. But one day his post-partum suffering wife got the idea that I was having an affair with him (who knew what he said at home - no freakin' way on my part) and within the next week there was a phone call from my temp agency telling me not to come into work that day. Nice.

Running into this woman was definitely a surprise but it was nice to see her. I was updated on a few old employees and found out that the company folded about a year after I left. My spiteful nature says "serves them right" but I know everyone who worked there is better off now.

Confessions & resolutions

Another confession - I'm a packrat. Yeah I have a lot of stuff in my home and my place really isn't all that big (studio and all) but I just have tons of things. I can't part with anything and when I do it takes a while.

What's worse? I'm a digital packrat. When it comes to photos on my computer, or emails in my account I don't delete things. The other day I was looking at my gmail account. The whole point of using gmail is that you don't have to delete anything if you don't want to, which just fueled my habit. As part of the New Year what better resolution than to clean this stuff out? I started using the archive feature for those important emails (after all, having almost 2000 unread messages is just crazy) and deleting the others.

This took me a few days. I had email in there from 2004, seriously? Who has messages from 2004 that are not just things to save? I have a very bad habit. But I went down from around 6000 messages to a handful. In my archived? Approx. 600. My inbox? 1 - yes, one email.

Small victories are all we should hope for, any more than that it's hard to keep a resolution. What else is on my resolution list?

• Travel somewhere new. It could be another state, a new city, a new country. I have plans to go to Mexico for the first time so I hope all goes as planned.
• Learn a new skill. I knit and crochet but the extent of it is dishcloths, scarves & blankets of the most basic variety.
• Lose weight. This has never been on my list before but I'd like to have what my boyfriend calls "a new Mexican bod". I'm thinking 5lbs.
• New employment. I have a job that I should get out of, everyone says so. I don't make enough for what I do and I can definitely be treated better.

What are yours?

Happy New Year! (and all that jazz)

It's 2009 already, where did the year go? I remember just the other day I was...having my first date with the boyfriend. That happened in March and who knew that would be the start of a serious whirlwind.

Confession time - I met my boyfriend on match.com*. Yes everyone, I did the online dating thing and it was, get this...successful.

How on Earth did something like this happen? I've heard horror stories, I've read about countless stories on blogs I follow and it makes me want to jump out from delurker status (because I'm still really bad at commenting) and shout from the rooftops that IT CAN WORK!!! I'm the exception it seems in the online community, and I'll share my story in the slight hope that it might help you out too.

Back on March 19, 2008 I had a date with the boyfriend and I almost fell head over heels for this guy. It all started out because I got this email. It said something to the effect that one of my friends decided to set me up with a match.com profile and I needed to complete it. Said friend was one I used to work with and become fast BFFs with, but I never thought she'd be into that sort of thing (she's gorgeous, has no probs with guys) and let alone her thinking I needed that kind of help. I mean, what kind of quazimoto did I need to be to need help in the dating world? I'm not horrendous looking, I'm spunky, love some random guy-type stuff and have guy friends. I shouldn't need help like this?

So basically I was a little offended. I called her up and gave the big WTF?!?!? about it and she told me point blank that I was an awesome girl and she wanted to see me happy. I rolled my eyes a few times and she told me to shut my mouth, I was amazing and although I was super busy and not focused on guys that she wanted me to possibly date a few people and get me back into the dating mindset.

Seriously, everyone needs a girlfriend like this. I think there's a few lists out there that tell you the people you should have in your life and she is one of them. Note to self: call her ASAP, it's been too long.

But I finished my profile and started looking around. I didn't see all that many people I liked but there were a few. Even though I was signed up I was in free status so I couldn't do all the cool stuff, like IM people or even email them so I thought that was lame. I bookmarked a few profiles for later and didn't think about it. But then I found out about a 7 day free trial.

I was wary, I'll give you that. But worse things have happened to me and I checked out the emails I had waiting. Some were douchebags, some I wasn't interested in and some were trying all too hard. But there he was. A guy who made me giggle in front of my laptop and score! He lived in the same city.

After a few emails back and forth (and me soon canceling my trial) we decided to try out dinner. We started at this Mexican place that had almost an hour wait, but headed to an all American restaurant down the street I've been to a few times. He was quiet and let me talk, which made me happy since I can't ever shut up. I think I babbled about my hair a lot, it was down my back in my photos but I had recently cut it and donated to Locks of Love. Boys like long hair so I was freaked out.

A hug was had at the end of the date but we planned to get together two days from there. His birthday & Easter were that weekend so we wouldn't be seeing each other for about a week...It didn't matter.

It's nine months later and we're still going strong. I see him almost daily, and talk at least once a day. I'm never sick of seeing him and even most of his quirks I still find endearing. We've been through a few family deaths, family pregnancies, meeting the parents (and actually LIKING them!) and countless other outstanding events.

What I'm really trying to say is...IT CAN HAPPEN. Don't sell yourself short, don't pretend to be someone you're not. It's cliche but that's for a reason, because all that stuff is true. Be you, don't be discouraged. Someone is there for you, and they're amazing. They might be online, they might be in your city or across the country. Remember though, it takes time. Some of us find that special person in their high school sweetheart and some find them two marriages down the line at the age of 60.

Live like you mean it - seriously.

*I promise, I am no way affiliated with match.com or made anything off this post. I just have a success story.

Happy Holidays

This will be the last little bit of snow talk, or so I'm hoping. But at least this is the pretty part of snowfall, we can all appreciate that.

Although I'll complain about the Northwest on a pretty regular occasion I really do like it here. It took me approx. 25 years to compromise with the weather in the area as "rain" is definitely not my friend and "cold" is it's significant other, but there are certain aspects of this area that make me never want to leave. The area when it snows and the amazing summer times are what make me stay.



This photo is the view from the BF's balcony, it looks right into Seattle. This view is also why he has a hard time parting with his apartment, as it will cost an arm and a leg to get a house with a similar one.



I may complain about the snow this year because it hung around just a little too long, but look at this! We had a white Christmas around town, and this only happens every 435346 years.

On Christmas Day we decided to head up north to see some of the extended family and there we say what can only be described as "sights to be seen".



Check out these icicles. If there were multiple guys here deciding to measure these would take the cake. I couldn't get a photo of the biggest (I tried, but it escaped me) there would have been an eight foot icicle. I think these were around 6-7 feet. I've never seen anything like it before.

I hope everyone's holidays have been great, in my family they tend to extend far after Christmas Day is over with but that's what family is all about.

Happy New Year everyone! Stay safe and come back with some awesome stories of toasting at midnight and having the New Year's kiss.

SNOW DAY x38475642

In my last post I wrote about the almost lack of payout from all the December storm news coverage. This in particular gave me pause:

I packed up my things and headed home before 4pm and was in the midst of a hail storm for about half my commute, but then it just abruptly stopped. Nothing, no rain, no hail, no snow for most of the night. This had me sad, because with all the hype I needed payoff. I decided I would snuggle up with my electric blanket, glass of wine, some decent tv and would peek through the blinds outside to see if anything changed. It didn't.

I wish someone had smacked me. I repeat - why didn't anyone smack me when I said this? This was last Thursday and today, 4 days later I am stuck at my boyfriend's apartment. Said boyfriend is not here because he has a backup vehicle with 4 wheel drive and went to work early this morning. I on the other hand have spent the last 45 mins trying to dig my car out of the snow with no success. I wouldn't have even THOUGHT about doing such a thing, but you know...if there are countless cars/trucks going up and down the same hill I shouldn't have that much of a problem.

Oh yes I did, and at this point I am freaking the eff out. I want to go home - if anything I want to be snowed in at my own place. From there I can walk anywhere to get some food or cleaning supplies or whatever. Instead I'm sitting on my boyfriend's couch watching TV that has no TiVo and wishing I had more clean clothes.

*sigh*

I guess hindsight really is 20/20.

Snow Day

We've had some crazy weather in my neck of the woods over the last week and today is no exception. The weatherman/woman (or is it weather people?) have been lamenting about "Winter Storm 2008" even though winter isn't for another few days. But they've been forecasting snow, snow and more snow for pretty much the entire area and last night I was sent home early from work due to the storm coming south from northern Washington.

I packed up my things and headed home before 4pm and was in the midst of a hail storm for about half my commute, but then it just abruptly stopped. Nothing, no rain, no hail, no snow for most of the night. This had me sad, because with all the hype I needed payoff. I decided I would snuggle up with my electric blanket, glass of wine, some decent tv and would peek through the blinds outside to see if anything changed. It didn't.

But I got a call from my boyfriend who was busy cleaning his house for upcoming family visits. I didn't plan on seeing him this night but he insisted since Wednesdays are ours, we watch Criminal Minds and South Park (if it's new) because it's the yin & yang. I love the first, him the second. I pack my overnight bag on the off chance that the weather will change and we snuggle up with the tv and couch that has become oh so comfortable.

Cut to the next morning when we wake up far too early, think around 5am. He looks outside and tells me there's no snow, I pout but try to force myself back to sleep. There is a flash of white I see even through my closed eyes and the rumbling starts...a thundersnow (not my term, look to the weatherpeople). I sleep for another half hour and we peek through the blinds.

SNOW DAY!!!

In an instant we have at least 3 inches covering everything. A winter wonderland is mine and I feel vindicated. The roads are a mess, traffic isn't moving because it's rush hour and people in the area were taken by surprise. The boyfriend however is not deterred and sleeps until 8am before deciding to go to work.

Here I am stuck at his house as my little car hates the snow. It's not so bad, I have the comfy couch under me, tv at my disposal, but he's not here. He trusts me to stay in his house for extended periods of time without him, which is nice...but my hope for today was that we would BOTH be celebrating snow day together.

The dreaded first post

It's always so hard to figure out what that first post is going to be about. Is it a run down about me? Is it something I feel strongly about? Is it a poll?

I decided to just say "hi" and share a cute thing that happened today.

My office is running a little bit behind on the holiday cards this year so I was tasked to go to the store & pick up coffee. Upon getting back to my car there was a minivan parked next to me and the mom was trying to get her two boys out to go shopping. This of course meant I couldn't get into mine and drive away, so I waited. She was apologetic and in the spirit of the season I told her it was no problem and just hung out until she was done.

When she finished the oldest of the two boys (maybe 3 years old) saw me open my driver side door and my flame print steering wheel cover. He got all excited and his mom explained what it was. I mentioned that it was pretty bright and he counters with "mom needs one of those!".

Yes, it was all in the delivery but it reminded me that little kids can be pretty darn cute when they want to be.