Wrapping up 2007

We're sitting at home, wrapped up in our bathrobes, blankets with kitties.

So much for our other plans.

Thursday and Friday I went dancing and found some old muscles that haven't been used in awhile. This was after spending the day with HB running errands, and eating nummy food.

Saturday Mr. Red and I woke up to Mr. Red puking. We soon figured out it wasn't just something he ate but instead stomach flu. Oh joy. After a wee bit of food he decides that being sick at the beach sounds way better than being sick at our apartment. Needless to say we eventually checked in and immediately take a 4 hour nap. Both of us.

Sunday woke up to stormy weather. We made the most of it and went to the aquarium and hung out with the sea otter. Ended up taking a drive up the coast.

But I started feeling weird, we were wondering if it was the bug or if I'd eaten something I shouldn't had. Turned out it was the first. Lets just say not pretty and not a happy RHCD.

So waking up this morning, still feeling like I'd been run over by a freight train. Needless to say we canceled out plans and just drove home. Yeah - Happy New Year to us.

Gift horse

So my cousin drew my name in the family xmas draw. She gave me a mastercard gift card. Cool I can use it any where. But I have to register on line. Coolio.

Snag #1 - Can't register thru safari.
Snag #2 - Can't register thru firefox.
Keeps telling me IE only. Um we so don't have IE on any of our two laptops and the PC isn't hooked up. The only IE computer we have is my work laptop. Not going there for now.

So I call the number on the card - they send me a text that I can respond to... um looks like spam. Have Mr. Red check it, then FGI. Yep spam.

How the hell am I going register it so I can get my monies...

That whole last name thing

Christmas cards have been coming in and some days I'm amused by the combination of Mr. Red's name and mine and other times I'm exacerbated. Let me back up, when he and I wed I added his name as my second middle. My last name did not change. Therefore things that are mailed to Mr. and Mrs. Red go to him. My passport, SSN, and drivers license all have two middle names. I am also a Ms.

I am not Mrs. Red. That's my very lovely mother in law and her mother in law. Seriously they are two of the coolest women I've meet in the last five years. But we do not share a name. Typically things get handed to Mr. Red since we've adopted Mrs. Red as his feminine side.

It's our second Christmas together as married partners - but I'm noticing some people just don't aren't getting it; like my family. I know that I'm the first in my family to not take the husband’s last name in some form formally. I'm the oldest in my generation (there's only two girls on each side anyway). I guess I'll still plug away at correcting people. Thankfully Mr. Red is no board to help (like I'd of married him if he wasn't).

But this got me thinking...

At a bday dinner for a friend of ours I noticed of the 5 or so married couples I don't think any couple had the same last name. We were all in married in our late 20's or later, all with various stages of established careers, all urbanites, some with children, some due anytime and some with no intention.

I then looked back on this year with the 7 weddings we attended:
• Two of the straight couples kept their respective names,
• Three straight couples went traditional (including my other girl cousin),
• One lesbian couple went to one partners name,
• One lesbian couple; one partner hyphenated the other kept hers.

No wonder people are confused.

caffeine plus scary movie...

I can't sleep!

We went and saw I am Legend which not a bad movie. Parts of it really freaked me out and I'm not usually freaked out by movies.

I then made a mistake of having a diet coke around 8ish. I know I shouldn't have anything with caffeine in it, past oh noon but for what ever I did. When I went bed around 1ish my mind just would not stop going to scenes in the movie. Yeah so much for sleeping. crap.

So I'm now sitting up on the couch watching really bad tv. I'm hoping it'll put me to sleep. I could happen. Really.

I just need a kitty on my lap.

um so yeah

Not doing much on the allergies. There was no way I was going to try to figure this out going into Thanksgiving. Not because of turkey day itself, more for the fact my very cool inlaws were coming into town. Surely they won't mind you say. No they won't, not in the least. It's more for the fact that we eat well. Very well. Too well.

Friday we picked up Red's Mom and started at the Museum of Glass in Tacoma. Where we watched them make the most amazing and huge (36" dia) ornament. Red and I actually watched from above the workshop space. You could feel the heat from the glass and furnaces. I think I found a craft that I won't get cold in.

We split the party after an amazing dinner at the Lobster Shop, where Mom and I headed to Anacortes to check in for the evening. The Mr would be bringing up him and his dad later that evening. Saturday the party woke up bright and squirrelly to catch the daily fairy to Vancouver Island. Yes in Canada.

After an amazingly scenic ferry ride, a quick dropping of our bags at the condo we were staying at, then lunch at Superior Cafe recommended by my brain partner, (seriously the food is divine). Took a we bit of a stroll where we met Sammy the local Harbour Seal. Anytime you'd walk near the smoked salmon shack he'd pop his head out of the water and give you the puppy (okay seal) eyes. It didn't work. I'm immune. But it was a great photo opp. We then decided that the drippy and wet day would be oh so much better with a nap. Yeah nap.

For dinner we took the rents to their first sushi outing. Which meant I was ordering for the table. They had Toro for way cheaper than I've ever seen. Needless to say I ordered some.

Saturday we woke and went for a drive out into the countryside for a few of the Pacific Ocean and the Olympic Mountains. Have I said how much I love this area. I felt at home in the trees and the water.

After our drive we had lunch at the Empress. Followed by us wandering down to the water to buy a few live crabs. Did I say they were live and didn't have their claws bound? We put them to sleep (in the fridge) after we got back to the condo, while Dad and I head to the store for fixings.

Let's just say crabs are exciting to cook. That likely makes me a horrible person. But they are tasty and tasty won in this case.

Okay enough for now - I need sleep.

Food Allergies - wtf man

My allergy report came back. Which is going to have an impact on my diet. We've been trying to nail down why my system is all over the place and I haven't been able to get back to an even keel. These all showed as the “not immediate reaction.”

Right now we're going to tackle the High/Moderate and then perhaps the Low reaction foods (but due to the numbers maybe sooner rather than later). Which means an elimination diet.

Thankfully absent from the list: Dairy, meat/fowl/fish most fruits & veggies, and wheat. So then what’s the list:

Highly Reactive:
Cayenne Pepper
Horseradish
Nutmeg
Pysllium seed
Vanilla

Well with the exception of the pysllium seed I love the other highly reactive foods. Vanilla is in just about everything. And we use nutmeg/cayenne often. Horseradish = wasabi which um hello sushi lover here.

Moderate Reactive
Coffee
Yeast, Bakers
Blueberries
Sesame
Curry
Ginger
Pepper, Black
Aloe Vera
Dong Quai
Licorice
Valerian
Mung Bean Sprouts

So the coffee is no lose as I find it horrible, but the bakers yeast = bread. Then we start seeing the spices. I like spices but it appears we don’t get along.

Low Reactive (but still some reaction, not no reaction)
Eggs (yes both whites and yolks)
Almonds (just barely low)
Cinnamon (just barely low)
Cumin Seed
Paprika
Parsley
Thyme (just barely low)
Astragualus
Chamomile
Dandelion
Ginseng, Siberian (just barely low)
Goldenseal
Gymnemia
Milk Thistle
Saw Palmetto
Spirulina
Wild Yam
Cantaloupe
Chili Pepper
Millet
Navy Bean
Watermelon

See more spices! So here’s where I get to go thru all my vitamins because I know most of those things are in there somewhere. Of course I get to figure what some of those things are.

Grocery shopping and going out to eat should be fun.

Business travel isn't always fun

So despite the nice flight to the the east coast, the rest of the trip was long, hard and I came home sick. Didn't see much of Buffalo itself, but did see Niagara Falls (the US side). I should have gone over to the canadian side but I was the only one in our group who actually brought my passport. Monday I first noticed my sinuses giving me issue. That and my face broke out horribly. Yeah.

Flew back to Newark on Wenesday. Which means no playing in the city for me. Bummer. Sinuses were in full revolt. Thankfully I'd brought sudafed. Which while makes my sinuses empty they make me dehydrated. Friday I get to fly home (which at noon was looking unlikly - but yeah boss man said come home). Flight was only delayed an hourish. By only I do mean only.

But coming home I get loving from Red and from my kitties. I'm happily sitting on the couch, my sinuses all wonky, feeling like crap with both my kitties snuggled up next to me, including fluff the not snuggler is snuggling up next to me. Life is good.

Upgraded

Wohoo - upgraded on the first leg of my business trip! It's also the longest leg of the trip.

Although my phone didn't fall back this morning but the computer and Red's alarm clock did.

less obnoxious, still crappy

Yeah - the yippy dog people moved out. We share an entry way with four apartments. Anytime someone walked into the entry way chewbacca the yippy dog would yip and yip and yip. And since these apartments suck and you can hear pretty much anything we'd hear the dog.

Yesterday I noticed s yippy dog's apartment was empty.

It's almost pleasant. Snerk.

Now if only we could get the people to start parking correctly. Ain't going to happen.

Snore

Mr. Red is feeling sickly so he went to bed way early. I can hear him snoring from the bedroom. Poor guy.

And of course Biscuit - the orange cat, is currently snuggled up half on my lap, half on the couch. Yes he's snoring too.

I'm trying to decided which is more pathetic and cute. The tucked head under paws may just win out over Mr. Red.

woo hoo Business Trip

Sunday I get to fly off to Niagara Falls, NY then midweek back to NJ. Fly home friday. No NYC trip this time. Booo!

Lucky me!

Then I hear the leftover part of Hurricane Noel is supposed to dump lots of rain this weekend in New England/New York, I'm flying thru Newark - crap. And there is a potential for snow in Niagara Falls. Regardless it's going to be cold (well okay cold to me in the 30's). I do not like being cold. Ever. Not my thing.

But hey - King bed all to myself.

Zoom Zoom Zoom

While driving around Hood Canal with the Miata Club on this glorious Saturday I was awarded by Red and a fellow driver the "Wife of the Year" award. Why (other than my general fabulousness!)? Earlier I had made the comment to Mr. Red that a drive down PCH to Laguna Seca would be a fun trip. He relayed this to the group, and one of the ladies comment "I guess I'm out of the running for wife of the year!" They didn't disagree. Smirk!

And of course one of our friends was driving up the Canal and spotted a whole bunch of pretty Miata's all linded up and shiney on the side of the road. So he gave me a call. Why yes of course we were with them! Small world.

For those curious - Yes the top was down (usually is unless it's raining), Ear flapped hats are your friend, as are scarves.

Purr purr purr

One of the benefits of THE JOB is I get to work virtual often. Today is one of those days.

Which means lots of kitty loving while I work. This morning Biscuit the orange cat got taken to the vet this morning for his way delayed teeth cleaning. He normally spends his time trying to sit on my lap, but will settle for sitting right next to me.

Charles aka Fluff aka "Mr. pur pur purr growl" aka lardo, is snoring in Lee's seat. Notices that I'm laughing at him, gets up walks over to me snuzzles me while turbo purring and then heads back to his spot to sleep some more. I tell you reducing his food to get his weight down has produced a loving cat. Who knew?

This is way better than coworkers.

What four months?

So yeah - so much for my secret plan to keep this going. Sigh.

Mr. Red is now very much employed and happy. Actually doing something he likes and went to school for. Only draw back it's further out in the burbs than my job.

We've started exploring the city more. Yeah.

Aslo recognized that unless we make significantly more, living close to the city center just isn't going to happen. Housing is stupidly expensive. Case in point: coworker of mine bought his house several years ago for let say 300k. 1908 3 bed, 1 bath, 1100 sq feet in the city, Today vauled at 2x that. They are also about to triple the square footage by spending oh 420K on it. Do the math.

As for making more - I'm starting to line up my grad school stuff. No I'm not quitting THE JOB, I'm being superwoman and going to get my MBA in about two years while working full time. There's that planning thing again.

Exploring we shall go

Today I emailed Mr. Red and con'ed him into getting a picnic ready for us when I got home. He made ribs. numyy nummy ribs. While this him being able to cook thing is cool we really want him to be working. Hopefully his recuriter will have some good news tomorrow.

Any we wondered over to the sound and found our way to Saltwater State Park. What is with this state for not having public beach access everywhere. So wierd. view was good, company was good, food was good. Man I love that man.

wo hoo

Shingles. Not the type you put on roofs. No the type you get as an adult. Well let me rephrase that if you're under 50 you're not likly too (less than 10%). Except in times of stress. This is the second time in over a year I've had the joy of having shingles. I need to play the lottery dammit - (1-2% chance). Why yes I was the kid who had chicken pox several times.

Well hello stress, in addition to the not sleeping you decide to inflict me with a painful blistery rash that hits me right where my pants sit. Way to go body. Of course having new insurance I have to figure out where the nearest urgent care clinic covered is because in two months I haven't even looked for doctor. That was fun. Lets hear it for conflicting healthcare websites and befuddled operators. After an hour phone call after another an hour of trying to figure out thier websites I finally had an answer.

Good news is I'm on anti-virals again while I had the joy of explaining to the urgent care doc that why yes I'm under stress. In the past two months I've driven back and forth from PDX to SEA (150 miles each way) every weekend but one, and that one weekend we went north to a wedding. Started a new job, moved into crappy (I mean temporary) apartment until house sells and Mr. Red finds a new job, put house on market (those trips back to PDX), had Mr. Red quit his jobs to follow me. I haven't slept in on a Saturday in my own bed since 4/25.

I did this weekend. Since I left work friday I've watch movies 1-4 of Harry Potter, and Fellowship of the Ring. Tomorrow Mr. Red and I may go exploring or we just may continue the sloth fest.

I just want the shingles gone so i can do normal things like sleep with my husband dammit. He'd like it too.

Hi there

Okay okay I did it.

Um now what? I suppose I'm supposed to write something pithy. Hell I'll be happy if I can just keep the spelling and grammar in check.

Here goes.

Who am I?

Married in Fall '06, 30 something chick living in the great land of Cascadia. In fact I just relocated Red (that's my working name for my husband) from Portland to Seattle area. Yes he's following me because sometimes you just get that job with all the perks that's silly not to go. So we went. Which means we're in the process of selling our lovely Portland home (dammit) and moving in to ghetto apartments while Red finds THE job so we can do another fabulous house. It's the smart move to make as buying right away doesn't make sense until we know where he's working so we can coordinate our commutes. How's that for fair?

We are also easily distracted by bright shiney objects, like say anything. We do not like cleaning. At all. We have come to the conclusion we must absolutely have someone come in and clean but the damn budget thing is in the way. Crap. So we're finishing the final touches on our Portland house.

For those of you who eventually find your way here - you may be thinking he cool he moved to follow your carreer, snork I'll just brag and say yes, he's fabulous and this is the 2nd time he's done it. The first time we we're doing the long distance thing knowing we just needed to get in the same city to test this relationship out. So yeah when his job plans fell thru in LA three days before a visit with me he visted and just didn't go home. Talk about jumping in. He's damn cool and we're damn lucky and smart to be together. That and he's hell of a cook, great in the sack and just this side of fabulous (thankfully). Okay enough about him, me dammit this is supposed to be about me.

Me - PDX native. Born here. Love it here. I'm your classic PNW crunchy, hippy dippy, liberal, meat loving, indie, buisness woman with a up and coming career. I'm the person who blends in sort of, well at least until I open my mouth. Unless it's some of my famiy, then it just doesn't pay. I'm the odd one out already I don't need to make it worse. Why yes I do have issues, my baggage is bedazzled with sparklies and the fake fur stuff. It's fabulous. I'm sure you'll here more about this as time goes by.