Topher & Heather's Excellent Adventure

new member of the family

2011-01-19T18:03:00.000-08:00

So, yes we had a baby. He will not be seen on this blog, because this is for his parents. A few snip-its of our new life:

his song:

his feet:

I have been catching up on dvds:
Shutter Island
Sunshine Cleaning
Eastern Promises
Weeds Season 1 and 2
Changeling

Couldn't get through:
Perfume
Idlewild

I am also finally reading a real book! Cutting For Stone and it is fantastic!!!

still waiting

2010-11-09T11:57:00.000-08:00

I am now 40 weeks pregnant and still waiting for the little one to show it's face. We are trying to stay busy, so we don't go crazy thinking about it. Mom and I saw Wall Street and then we all saw the social network. We are all going out to Central Cinema tonight to watch Twin Peeks, the pilot and the 1st episode. I am looking forward to being comfortable in a booth and eating while watching! It's hard to go to a movie at night with such a pregnant body. We hope to also see Conviction and The Town while we continue to wait. Tomorrow we are planning on heading to SAM to see the Picasso exhibit together, hopefully Topher will get off early and we'll have some time to enjoy the show before it gets too crowded.

Yesterday we decided we needed to see a midwife, just to make sure the baby was okay. I was trying to walk and go to Yoga a lot, but then was told to try to rest more. Here is a photo of when Mom and I walked around Green Lake on one of the beautiful fall days that we have been enjoying, between the rainy days. Everything continues to be "normal". We have 4 appointments on Thursday! An ultrasound, centering group and then more tests to make sure we continue to be "normal". At that point I'll be 41 weeks. We continue to suggest to the baby to come on out, but it is still too young to understand what we are saying. They will let it go until 42 weeks and at that point we may have to be induced. I am doing everything in my power to speed it up, so we shall see...

2010-11-03T07:32:00.000-07:00

I know people are curious about the baby, but there is no news so far. I am enjoying maternity leave and mom is here to visit. We are taking it easy. We will let everyone know when the baby decides to show up.

38 week update

2010-10-24T08:35:00.000-07:00

I think I have started having Braxton Hicks contractions, but of course I am not sure. I have a few things to finish up at work this coming week, but I still want the baby to come as soon as it's ready. This morning I was looking up Braxton Hicks and stumbled upon the Due in November message board on Baby Center. It was nice to read about other women who are experiencing some of the same things I am.

In case you're wondering, I am fine, just tired of being tired all the time and ready to have the baby. The pregnancy felt like it went by really fast, until about 2 weeks ago. Work and my Professional Certification feel very overwhelming right now and I am really very ready to not be at work anymore.

Here is the nursery so far:

2010-10-20T19:37:00.000-07:00

Tired 36 week girl on my way to a Sounders Game on a weeknight! It was worth it, they won!

36 weeks once again, this time in the nursery. We'll post some more photos of the nursery soon, it's coming together!

And 37 weeks!

2010-10-17T10:34:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone. Happy Sunday! Topher is at work and I am home trying to relax and get some work done today. We continue to clean and organize the house in general and of course for when the baby comes home. We finally purchased a desk! We have been thinking about it for so long and finally went to Crate and Barrel yesterday and ordered it. We haven't had a good place for the computer, speakers, hard drive and printer for sometime now. We also bought a poster for the nursery and a mobile for the baby to look at. We put it above the bassinet in our bedroom for now and plan on moving it to above the crib later. We have some more furniture moving to do and are still looking for a rug for in front of the fireplace. I think then, we will be happy with the way the house is set up.

I am trying to not work too hard, I get tired easily, but there is so much to do before I leave! I have more swelling and some other symptoms that tell us labor is on it's way, but of course there is no way of telling when.

inspiration!!!

2010-10-04T17:14:00.000-07:00

This band is amazing....

BENDA BILILI! Promo from Trinity Films on Vimeo.

I hope I get to see this film!

Pregnant Lady!

2010-10-02T16:57:00.000-07:00

Heather can't blog today because the pregnancy thing is giving her some wicked carpal tunnel syndrome and she shouldnt be using her hands. However, she wanted to show y'all some pictures of her belly. Here's H. at 32 weeks pregnant:

Beautiful right?

here's 34 weeks:

And in something less stripey:

In other news we went to the midwife this week and found out that our brilliant baby is in the appropriate "head down" position and is getting ready to exit the womb.
This weekend we plan on packing the bag to bring to the birthing center with us, just in case they show up earlier than expected.

Have a great weekend y'all.

2010-09-23T16:43:00.000-07:00

It's been awhile...we continue to be very busy. For me it has been work and then putting my feet up and watching t.v. or reading. I am staying on top of it at work and sometimes I wonder how. Not been perfect, by any means, but I seem to have found a way to be more organized and better at time management (Maybe because I really want to go home at the end of the day!). I made the mistake of going on a field trip to the fair on Thursday and plan on planning the next for when I am out on maternity leave, it was too much! We start a bevy of baby classes next week to add to our busy schedule!

I have started reading for pleasure again, which is wonderful (Fledgling, Mockingjay, Under The Banner of Heaven, The Girl with The Dragon Tattoo and a ton of pregnancy books!) and a little bit for work (Learning about Readers' Workshop, our new wonderful reading program). Topher's soccer season is in full swing and prenatal yoga has been a godsend for me. This week he had jury duty and it was interesting to hear about it after it was over! Topher has had to take over most of the cooking and cleaning around the house, as I am either too tired or too nauseous to help out. I am lucky to have such a wonderful husband. I still tidy up, but not like I used to.

As I type this with my feet up, watching tv, he is out getting Thai take out for us. We are planning on watching Gaslight tonight and taking it easy. I have Pro-Cert tomorrow (booo), but I'll manage through it. I always do. I am losing steam at work lately. I try to eat more and not work too much, but it doesn't seem to make a difference. The baby is running out of room and is even more active than before and I am pretty sure that is adding to my tiredness. I am trying to not buy more clothes, but my belly keeps getting bigger and many of my other clothes are uncomfortable. I did treat myself to some designer maternity jeans that have the full belly panel and those are more comfortable than my jeans that sit under my belly. There are a few more items I have my eyes on, but I am trying to be careful.

I have been trying not to knit lately, as my hands are having some swelling issues. Not sure if it's carpel tunnel or what, but I want to avoid that at all costs! Hope everyone is doing well and I'll try to post a more recent photo this weekend.

let's see...

2010-09-06T10:49:00.000-07:00

We had a great 2nd anniversary! Topher had 2 days off and we relaxed together. We finally saw Babies and have been watching the Storm and the Sounders play. I am now 31 weeks pregnant and the baby is more and more active. I can see my belly move from the outside, which is a little strange, but better than no movement at all. The weather has cooled down, which has lessened my swelling, thank goodness. There is a Looney Tunes marathon right now and I am typing up meeting notes and classroom behavior observations for work. I have a lot of work to do, trying to not let it take over my whole day...I have a lot of built in incentives and breaks. I hope to also get some knitting, cooking and personal stuff in today. Hope everyone is having a nice Labor Day.

Babymoon!

2010-08-19T09:02:00.000-07:00

Haystack Rock, Cannon Beach Oregon

Finally, we got out of the city!

A day at the beach!

Dinner at The Irish Table; Rock fish with quinoa for me and Irish Stew with lamb for Topher.

Topher enjoying his Guinness Float with homemade ice cream that had so much St. Germaine in it that it would not fully freeze.

2010-08-08T14:01:00.000-07:00

Knitted wall hanging for above the crib. (Debbie Bliss pattern)

Topher
Me (and a 26 week belly, this was a big belly day)

Salmon!

Ballard Locks...

2010-07-30T07:55:00.000-07:00

Hello again,

I am waking up earlier and earlier. This is good in a way, work starts soon. I have to be there all next week for training. Today I am attempting to garage sale for the monkey. Topher had a good birthday. The past 2 days we have spent at the Seattle Art Museum viewing the Kurt and Andy Warhol exhibits. We also hit up the Happy Hour there and I had some delicious goat cheese stuffed morels. I have been knitting and "nesting" ie organizing and reorganizing the house over and over. One annoying side effect of being pregnant is swelling, which I hadn't experienced until a few days ago, so now I spend a few hours a day with my feet up, way up! to lessen the pressure. It is uncomfortable and kind of gross looking. We have a busy weekend coming up, lots of socializing.

Happy Friday!

update!

2010-07-14T14:47:00.000-07:00

Friday I will be 6 months pregnant, Mom took this when she was here. The belly is growing!

and then we went to Vancouver!

2010-07-11T14:40:00.000-07:00

2010-07-11T09:59:00.000-07:00

This is a great book, we have been searching for information on how to save money and not ruin the environment while raising a baby. It has already helped us with a ton of information on diapers! I have diapers on the brain lately! So far we have been pretty conservative on new items and it has been fairly easy. We have been lucky enough to have very generous people in our lives! So far it has been quite an adventure and the little monkey is not even here yet!

Happy Saturday! Go Oranje!

Mom left today

2010-07-10T13:24:00.000-07:00

Here are a few photos from our adventures in Washington:

2010-06-29T18:52:00.000-07:00

Hi! School ended and my mom came to visit. I am now 21 weeks and it has been interesting. Lots of changes. The house is great and everyone is good, we just haven't had time to blog. Mom and I have been getting around town and Topher tags along too, I'll post some photos from our adventures one of these days.

Happy Summer!

2010-06-16T19:27:00.000-07:00

Being pregnant reminded me of one of my favorite stories from work:

Student: "see that lady, she's a lesbian" points at a Somali woman who is on the playground
Me: "do you know what a lesbian is?"
Student: "yeah, that means she's going to have a baby"
Me: "actually a lesbian is a woman who dates another woman, when you are going to have a baby you are pregnant, is that the word you meant?"
Student: "oooooh that's what a lesbian is" and he runs off to play on the jungle gym.

the belly

2010-06-09T20:01:00.001-07:00

SIFF movies!

2010-06-06T10:27:00.000-07:00

SIFF has been great so far, we just got a 6 ticket pass and I snuck off to see one by myself:

Beyond Ipanema (great movie with great music and I learned a lot about Brazilian music. I bought 1 new cd after seeing this and I definitely want to explore this country's music further.) (For m&m trailer is here)

Waiting for Superman we saw together and it gave us a lot to talk about after the film. Topher learned a lot about charter schools and I tried to not think too much about work and the changes my school is undergoing in the next few years.

Next up is Rock Steady on Friday night, it looks fantastic!

and then Howl, starring James Franco, Jeff Daniels and Mary-Lousie Parker.

Tonight we are going to a Storm game with my work and taking it easy in the meantime. Yesterday was a busy day, so busy in fact that I finally slept in! Right now we are off to the Ballard Farmer's Market!

what i'm loving right now...

2010-05-24T18:51:00.000-07:00

(las rakas- Panamanian city slang for people from the ghetto, whose stigma they are trying to remove)

2010-05-23T09:24:00.000-07:00

I really feel like the last 4 months have been a whirlwind...I finished the first part of my Professional Certification yesterday! We don't meet again until September, so that gives me time to relax. I wrote my last 2 IEPs of the year and still have meetings, but at least most of the paperwork is done. I am also done with my first trimester and feeling like my energy is increasing. I have been able to cook more and have been to pick up some old knitting projects.

Topher has been trying to work more and is at work today. I am relaxing at home today and it feels like a huge weight has been lifted from me. Next week we are going to see the Storm on Tuesday night, they are undefeated so far! Then we are going to a Sounders game on Wednesday night. They are playing the BOCA Juniors, the very popular Argentinian futbol team. Thursday night we have our first Centering Pregnancy class and in between all of that I have an IEP meeting and at least one placement meeting. I am looking forward to the end of the year like I have never before.

up early, due to the dog and my Pro-Cert...

2010-05-18T07:19:00.000-07:00

Topher took over the other blog, which is fine, but I wasn't done. Here are some photos to go along with the text.

Here is the nursery from our bedroom (check out our lovely new Shaker rocker):

And here is the crib (Sustainably farmed wood and Eco-friendly/non-toxic):

I am recognizing that the voice inside my head is urging me to be myself but never follow someone else Because opinions are like voices...

2010-05-16T09:48:00.000-07:00

Topher is putting together the crib. I am trying to keep Leo (the dog we are dog sitting) from licking his face while he is trying to screw in bolts. It is a beautiful weekend in Seattle. Yesterday we made coffee cake and had that and some incredible strawberries for breakfast. We took Leo to the local dog park and then walked down to Golden Gardens. Then we went out to do errands and got home in time to watch the Sounders WIN!

----> Heather started writing this blog, but now she is at prenatal yoga class and I am sitting in a coffeeshop drinking a beer. It's a lovely Sunday, I didn't even have to work today. We might go see a movie tonight, or maybe just watch the Seattle Storm on TV. Later on I am going to trim my beard, the dog we are watching has a nicer looking beard than I do. I don't like being the beard slob in my own house.
Okay, I have to get back to cruising Craigslist for cheap furniture. The crib looks great but we still need a few things to get our house in order before the little person shows up.

Have a great week!

9 months is a long time!

2010-05-12T12:55:00.001-07:00

I want to meet our baby!

lately...

2010-05-08T08:53:00.000-07:00

We saw Date Night.

We laughed at this:

We bought a crib, a rocker and another chair.

We bought blinds for the whole house!

We like this song:

We are going to a Sounders game today and then I am finally going to knitting!

ah ha!

2010-05-06T12:44:00.000-07:00

I hate pcs! I just typed a lovely blog and this stupid pc deleted it all. Some stupid button by my right hand. So much for that.

a few photos

2010-04-28T20:41:00.000-07:00

As I was sitting in our yard on Saturday, which was a really nice day, I remembered that we have not taken any photos of our place since we moved in. Sorry about the quality, it was dusk and I wanted to take some before I forgot. These are of our front yard:

From the outside looking in:

Topher grilling some steak:

We will be visited by a blinds person pretty soon here and will no longer have a fishbowl living room, which actually hasn't been that bad. We also plan on digging up some of the plants and moving them to the greenway to make more room for a container garden one of these days. So, yes, we have a front yard!

We are still here!

2010-04-18T08:19:00.000-07:00

Hello readers,

We are still alive out here in Ballard. I know we have been busy with life, nothing too exciting. The Sounders season started and we have not missed a game yet. I have one more Professional Certification class in May for this school year, thank goodness! We have also been working on the house, still organizing and putting things away. This past weekend we managed to catch 2 movies! We saw The Joneses and A Single Man, both of which were thoroughly enjoyed in completely different ways.

Later!

finally posting

2010-04-02T10:13:00.000-07:00

We bought a house! And are moved in to our new big townhouse in Ballad. I am on Spring Break and trying to put everything away, and also have fun. It has been a lot of work and we have also been getting rid of tons of our old stuff. Our small crowded apartment seems to have awakened the packrats within us. Now we have more space and can really spread out and look at things with an objective eye. We are very close to a Value Village, which makes it much easier to load up and car with junk and get rid of it! It feels good. Some of the things I am amazed that we have a ton of; old magazines neither of us are going to read, clothes we haven't worn in 3 or more years, and old candles we were saving to make new ones!

I am reading Gathering Blue, a Lois Lowry a young adult science fiction book and trying to get some of my professional certification done (haven't yet), with my time off as well.

Topher has this weekend off, his parents will be around and the Sounders play on Saturday and his crew is going with us. Fun! I hope it stops raining!!!

we want to move

2010-03-07T10:35:00.000-08:00

We are ready to move. I think time has slowed down for us since we made the offer. We are ready! I have been doing a lot of Professional Development lately, finally have motivation to move up the pay scale as fast as I can. My Professional Certification has been taking up a lot of my time as well. On top of everything else my school is vying for the Race To The Top Grant. (No comment) Topher has been doing the usual at work, different shifts and different days off. We both had this last Friday off and that was nice. He was also nice enough to take this coming Friday off and accompany my class to the Pacific Science Center once again. We have also been getting out and walking a lot more. The weather has warmed up and it has been pretty nice lately. It is about to get not as nice, again. I have been taking a break from some of the more complicated knitting projects and decided to try to use up all the cotton yarn I had sitting around on burp cloths and bibs. All of a sudden everyone has a baby! Of course this meant buying some more to finish them up and now I have a almost done bib sitting here and that means another skein! I was trying not to buy any more yarn before we move, actually we are trying to not buy anything new until we move. We are really packed into this place....we can not wait to move!

life

2010-02-23T18:13:00.000-08:00

This week at work will be very busy. We continue to do paperwork for the house. I made it to knitting and to the Animal Shelter last weekend, quite a feat! Topher is making me dinner tonight as the sun sets and The Simpsons are on. We are really excited to get a dog...at least I am. We plan on adopting an adult dog this summer. Hopefully we can find one! We want a Wheaton Terrier!
We hoping to see An Education one of these days. Topher gets $5.00 movie passes at work and we have a bunch of them to use up. I took a break from the Olympics last night to fall asleep watching BSG, but can't wait to see the Women's figure Skating.

Mid-winter "break"

2010-02-18T07:59:00.000-08:00

This past week I have been on Mid-winter Break. Last Friday we made an offer on a house and the days in between then and now have been chock full with house related errands, paperwork and gathering of information. I am still trying to enjoy my time off and get some stuff done which I had been saving for this week, but most of that has been put off until now.

We are very very excited to move and also to stop paying rent! And just this morning as Topher was telling me to sleep in at around 6:45 am, our upstairs neighbors started in with the very important early morning furniture moving and throwing and/or dropping of very heavy objects. (I am counting down the days!) We are moving to a different neighborhood and once again we will be very close to the water. This time though, it is a beach and it will be within walking distance. There is also an off-leash dog park nearby and we are looking forward to finally getting a dog!

We feel very lucky that the process has gone very smoothly, but are still a little stressed, as much as can be expected. I have been dealing with it by sleeping a lot, watching the Olympics and knitting a lot of small easy projects. At this point we have more paperwork and a lot of waiting. Our closing date is March 15th, 2010.

day between semesters

2010-01-29T22:45:00.001-08:00

I had today off and got to spend some time alone in the house for most of day. Then I met Topher downtown and we went to Palace for Crabby Hour ($3.00 Dungeness Crab Legs, etc) and we finally saw Invictus. It was a very well made and inspiring film...

Invitcus

Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the Pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.
In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.
Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds, and shall find, me unafraid.
It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll.
I am the master of my fate:I am the captain of my soul.

William Ernest Henley

Happy New Year!

2010-01-03T18:46:00.000-08:00

We went to SAM for free and got a discount on Happy Hour with our new membership! Thanks!

And had a wonderful New Years Night together....

Happy Holidays!

2009-12-27T15:02:00.000-08:00

--------> X-mas List <--------

2009-12-11T21:48:00.000-08:00

okay, some folks wanted me to come up with an x-mas list, and I put it of for a long time, but here it is:

•the new iPod Nano, the one with the video camera built in!
•some new soccer shorts and/or new soccer socks, mine are getting a little beat up
•renew my subscription to Saveur
•a Seattle Art Museum membership for H. and I
•Books! like Soccernomics, or good cookbooks, or comic books, or a decent world atlas.
•Cds and DVDs are good too, i especially like TV shows on dvd
•we could also use new RAM for our computer and I need a dresser for the bedroom, but those things are kind of impossible to get as gifts.

(and of course season tickets to the Sounders would be greatly appreciated.)

Merry Solstice!

kimchi and beyond

2009-11-29T18:34:00.000-08:00

I love kimchi. I started eating it regularly in the Marshall Islands, my favorite kind was sold in a bag and had pickled garlic in it. I know, really no surprise if you know me at all. I was intrigued when my Yoga Journal magazine had a recipe for quick kimchi. Kimchi is really good for you, especially in the cold and flu season, it has vitamin C, vitamin A, iron, calcium and lactic acid (to name just a few of the health benefits). I feel very lucky to be married to someone who will try anything! So, we decided to make kimchi at home! It is delicious! And so easy to make...

Then my mom came to visit! We went to Bainbridge, see top photo and here she is at Matador Happy Hour by the fire. We mostly laid low, hung out and took it easy...

Then today we finally got to make a recipe I have been wanting to try, Kimchi Quesadillas!!! They were so good! Surprisingly good, actually....I recommend this recipe! Cheers!

blogging is for the birds...

2009-11-11T09:43:00.001-08:00

Sorry parents, we have been spending a lot less time on the computer lately. We have been reading, books, comics and magazines, that is...and doing other things not on the apple. It has been good for music and listening to NPR. I have the day off and was glad to hear this story, perfect for Veteran's Day. More sometime...

oh my goodness!

2009-10-26T19:07:00.000-07:00

meet Sprocket!

jets to brazil

2009-10-25T13:37:00.000-07:00

I am sitting on the couch with a heating pad on my back trying to watch Breakfast at Tiffanys. I have never seen it and so far, I am not sure what the big deal is. Though I noticed the "Jets to Brazil" poster in Holly's apartment. On Wednesday morning at 4 am I woke up in blinding pain. My back and neck spasming and tighter than something very very tight. Since then I have been sleeping or propped up on the couch, with a heating pad and on muscle relaxers. Yesterday I ventured out to get a massage, which I think helped, but the outside world was really too much for my condition.

I have had time to watch the first season of True Blood, the sixth season of Buffy, The Women remake and the original, Little Children and Breakfast at Tiffanys. I am feeling much better today, but I did actually move around the house this morning and worked a little on an iep that I need to finish by Tuesday, and now I am hurting, so it's back to the drugs, heating pad and couch. I was going to go to the shelter today to volunteer, but there is no way that was a good idea. I hope that I fully recovered by next weekend, so I can volunteer.

I can knit a little, but mostly I have seriously been doing a whole lot of nothing. I am pretty sure I can blame all this on a stupid basket that I was filling with work crap and it weighed a million pounds...it will be purely decorative from now on.

rain city

2009-10-17T09:17:00.000-07:00

the rain is back. i hired some dude to come and detail my car today, after the sap storm attacked it last month, it was about time. now it is on and off pouring rain, i told him to wait until next weekend. hopefully it won't be raining this hard then. i don't have any plans this weekend. i have one iep to write, knitting to do and the sounders are playing today at 5. i am entertaining the idea of baking something...we'll see if that happens. rain seems like buffy weather.

yesterday after school i had an iep meeting and ended up staying later at work then i planned, talking to some co-workers. my classroom is coming together this year. i have been spending a lot of time getting trained, prepping and then reflecting on teaching science. right now we are learning about organisms and it is going well. it has been a little exhausting, but the results have already been good. it is s different way of teaching, compared to how we do math and reading, by front loading or an anticipatory set, so the students get to actually do their own investigations and observations without a lot of help from us.

to make a short story long...when i got home topher, who had friday off, had made a delicious salad and poured me a glass of wine. then we decided to go on a date to palace kitchen, where we had steamed clams and oysters on the half shell. then we went to see zombieland, which was entertaining, it had 2 of my favorite actors in it, woody harrelson and bill murray and of course zombies!!!

Legos!

2009-10-04T09:58:00.000-07:00

intensify

2009-10-03T10:38:00.000-07:00

This morning we are hanging out listening to Reggae and drinking coffee. Topher is making pancakes, I am knitting and also haphazardly cleaning/organizing our house. This week we both stayed home one day with a 24 hour bug. The house is still recovering. We are feeling better and today is jam packed with possibilities. Brickcon is happening in lower queen anne, it is a Lego nerd conference and the general public is invited today and tomorrow. It happens to also be the educator preview day at the Pacific Science Center, which means I get in free and can bring a guest. We also are going to head to capitol hill to get burritos at Bimbo's later and I really want to pick some candles and long sleeve shirts, as Fall has arrived in Seattle.

Last night we had sushi at a new restaurant, Obasan, they messed up our order so we got a super deal and it was delicious! Then we went to SIFF, also in lower queen anne and saw ALIEN on the big screen! It was amazing! Tonight we are seeing ALIENS, which we are really excited about too. We also decided to become SIFF members, in part so we can see More Than a Game, which is open to SIFF members only on Wednesday. The movie took 7 1/2 years to make and follows LeBron and his high school team to the state championship!

got some champagne for a 40 oz frown

2009-09-17T18:21:00.000-07:00

Sorry about the hold up...here are some of my favorite photos from our trip to OZ...

busy busy

2009-09-13T21:01:00.000-07:00

We have been really busy out living our lives. We went to Australia and it was great! Then we came home and I started work. We have been doing a lot more around town and trying to get out to enjoy the weather and each other more than we had been. At some point I will share some photos here, but in the meantime, we are all good.

Monday and Tuesday under construction!

2009-07-23T14:55:00.001-07:00

Monday: We ate breakfast at home and then drove over to West Seattle to walk on Alki Beach. It was beautiful and warm...then it was the obligatory trip to Target with Mom...then we headed to Jolly Roger for dinner and an early birthday dinner for Topher! They are moving to a new location soon, so we took some photos to commemorate the occasion.

Monday: We ate breakfast at home and then drove over to West Seattle to walk on Alki Beach. It was beautiful and warm...

Tuesday: Mom and I shopped in Ballard and ate lunch at La Carta de Oaxaca. We were tired and hot, it was hot again. All three of us laid low until we headed downtown via public transportation for a 10 course meal at Earth & Ocean...
1. "W Sexy Fries" (Perfectly cooked fries with truffles and pecorino romano cheese)
2. Plate of hand crafted dry, cured meats
3.
4.
5. Tuna Tar tare (pacific ahi, smoked steelhead roe, sizzling garlic)
6.
7. Pacific Oysters (radish and celery mignonette)
8. Cured Salmon (This was my favorite)
9. Pasta with duck and
10. Peanut butter chocolate ?, Key Lime Trifle and 3 different kinds of sorbet with fresh fruit

SUNDAZE

2009-07-20T12:02:00.000-07:00

We walked around Discovery Park in the morning. Then we drove over to Capital Hill to visit the Seattle Asian Art Museum. Then we were starving and headed over to Chinook's for dinner, which was mostly oysters. Yum! Then we came home and watched The Simpsons with Topher, who was out doing his own thang. It was hot again and we were lazy, though Mom and I did yoga before heading to bed.

go sounders! go whedon!

2009-07-19T11:20:00.000-07:00

Saturday we got to babysit Esther! She was very well behaved and both Topher and I got her to take naps! She is very cute and did well with my mom too! We watched the Sounders play Chelsea online, while Esther's parents were at the game and it was exciting to see even more people pack into the stadium!

Topher and I went to the annual Serenity geek out benefit on Saturday night. This year it was quite an affair; Serenity, dinner and Dr. Horrible's Sing-A-Long Blog on the big screen! Next year we are going to have to dress up, we forgot this year. It was so fun to see it again and I am ready to watch Firefly again....Equality Now is the organization which Joss works to support through these annual screenings and the Seattle Browncoats made their target this year!!!

Update!

2009-07-17T22:34:00.000-07:00

Friday: Mom and I took the bus downtown. First we stopped by Earth & Ocean to say hello to Topher! Then we went to the Seattle Art Museum and saw Andrew Wyeth; Remembrance and Painting Under Attack 1949- 78. The shows were amazing. It was a very hot day and when Topher met us at SAM and said that we should be prepared, we decided to stay inside the SAM building....so he went to the bar at TASTE and we continued wandering around the freezing cold galleries and eventually made our way to TASTE. We had a delicious dinner including but not limited to; oysters, chickpea frites, ling cod, scallops and bisteca. (This our first time back after we ate there after getting married! Almost a year later!)

another fun Thursday!

2009-07-16T12:27:00.000-07:00

We took it easy on Tuesday...Mom mostly read and napped. Yesterday was Topher's day off and we ate breakfast at Sunlight Cafe, got baked in the sun at Kubota Gardens and then went to 3rd Place Books for my knitting night. Today I actually slept in and Mom and I went to Peet's for the Matcha Green Tea Freddo and we are going to head over to Ballard to eat lunch and see The Proposal. Topher is back at work and he has Soccer tonight, so Mom and I am going to have a lot of time to hang out together!

Wednesday

2009-07-15T18:00:00.000-07:00

Monday

2009-07-14T21:00:00.000-07:00

Sunday!

2009-07-14T16:31:00.000-07:00

I did not take photos. We walked to Fremont, it was cooler and a bit rainy. We had snacks at The Flying Apron and went to Showpony to do a little shopping. Then we walked home and decided to take it easy and ate leftovers from our cookout on Friday before the Storm game. The Storm played the Chicago Sky and damn they were good! 2 of the Sky's players Kristie Toliver and Candice Dupree were pretty much unstoppable. The Storm kept up, but ended up losing, it was still a fantastic time and we had excellent seats! I also went ahead and got Topher and I tickets for several more games throughout the Summer, so we can continue to enjoy our local basketball team! By the time we got home, it was time to call it a night.

We have been enjoying Flight of the Conchords, mom has never seen it and loves it as much as us! Yesterday, Monday Eileen and I went up to Mount Rainer for the day. It was beautiful and socked in, but still lovely. When we got home I made Spring Rolls and we were all beat again, watched a F of the C and then called it a night! Photos to come...

Saturday

2009-07-12T10:32:00.000-07:00

Thursday and Friday

2009-07-10T20:38:00.000-07:00

:::the last few:::

2009-06-28T10:41:00.000-07:00

Here are some of our photos from Mount Rainer:

This week, we had 2 days in a row off together! Pretty amazing...we got sugared up at Flying Apron,

ate vegan Thai food, went to Zanadu (comic book shop) saw UP!, which was really really good (and sad, which we were unprepared for) and spent some quality time relaxing around the house, reading and watching Big Love. Yesterday we decided to walk down and take the ferry to Bainbridge Island for the day.

It was a perfect day and we discovered a wonderful little place, The Streamliner Cafe, where we had a delicious dinner before heading back to Seattle. I finally got to visit Churchmouse Yarn and Teas and get some new yarn for my stash. Once we got back to Seattle we happened upon a cute bar called the Library downtown and watched the Sounders beat the Portland Timbers! Then is was time to come home...we were beat.

2009-06-20T19:15:00.000-07:00

The school year is over! I worked on my classroom all day today and it was a start. I hurried home for our Saturday tradition, grilling out and watching the Sounders! They tied, once again! We were lucky enough to go to the Wednesday night game with Topher's friend Steve as well. It was so much fun I lost my cell phone! (It's gone for good, so don't use that number until I can get a new one.) Topher is working hard and also doing his share of partying as well. Our garden is growing like crazy and we have been enjoying the veggies and herbs. I have Professional development all week next week and hope that after that I can seriously chill!

Here comes the Summer!

Lately...

2009-06-04T11:36:00.000-07:00

We saw the Sounders play the Crew last Saturday, sat behind the goal and saw Jaqua make the goal that tied up the game. It was awesome and the best seats we've had so far. Le Toux, Nyassi and others were warming up right in front of us.

Becky and Esther also came up to visit. Esther is getting really big and is very wiggly and happy!

We have tickets for 2 SIFF films: Il Divo, That Evening Sun and an event; viewing the film The Bear with live music from No Age. We also have tickets for the The Storm's 1st home game on Sunday and we will be taking my mom to a Storm game when she visits in July.

I am off for 3 days, due to a planned visit from my stepdad. He wasn't feeling well and decided not to come, but I decided to still take the time off. It gives me a chance to catch up on all the things I don't have time to do when working. Topher took this weekend off and we plan on getting out of the city. I have 2 days to figure out where! I better hop to it!

2009-05-29T11:50:00.000-07:00

I took the day off...to go to the doctor, finally! My new doctor is in Upper Queen Anne, which was wonderful. I slept in and walked up there on this beautiful sunny day! When I came home Ellen was on and I decided to have a glass of wine and cheese and crackers for lunch. What a great idea that was! I am going to take the bus downtown later to meet Topher to go to a matinee, maybe Terminator: Salvation?

2009-05-24T07:59:00.000-07:00

Pictures from the last time we saw Esther. She is very photogenic, I on the other hand was too goo-goo eyed to pose for the photos. Oh well...

This week....we went to a Mariners game, which they won! We saw Star Trek! We ate some delicious food out at Kushibar and Palace and in, from the grill...sitting in the sun. We both have tomorrow off and look forward to hanging out together. Topher is sleeping on the couch, tired from work and a walk around Green Lake. Good night!

Everybody I know seems to know me well but they're never gonna know that I move like hell

2009-05-21T19:34:00.000-07:00

:::nothing gets crossed out:::

2009-05-18T19:32:00.000-07:00

I am so tired. Tomorrow it will be one month to go... There is a lot to do and time will fly. I have been knitting like crazy for Esther and trying to keep on top of what seems like a growing amount of personal responsibilities. We are looking forward to Summer and our trip to Australia. We both need a vacation. Things are busy with Topher's work too and he is trying to balance it all out, by possibly becoming more busy. Equanimity will be the watchword. We are still enjoying our side of the hill and periodically look at real estate, but can't imagine moving until we feel like we have to.

It's the little things...
I got an amazing CD yesterday, Staff Benda Bilili is a group from Congo of paraplegic street musicians who sing about political issues (and have really cool homemade vehicles)...listen to the story or go and get the cd. Lately I can not get enough of African Music!
We met Eddie at the Fund for the Animals Silent Auction and got excited about getting a dog someday too.

He is a Pomeranian and Italian Greyhound. Mutts are the best! Thanks for listening, I feel better now.

2009-05-16T14:14:00.000-07:00

Spring stopped by for the weekend here in Seattle. It is gorgeous out! I finally had my once every few years Aveda facial and I hope that I remember to do it more often. It felt wonderful and amazing to lay down and have someone else do the pampering for once.

We have been trying to catch up on all the movies we been wanting to see. So far we saw Slumdog Millionaire, Gran Torino, State of Play and Wolverine. All good movies, I was especially impressed my Wolverine. I thought the ads played it up as cheesy as the other X-Men movies, which is okay with me, but it was so much better then I expect. Awesome! I want to see it again. Next on the list is Star Trek.

Topher is at work right now and I am at home enjoying the warm weather. In the process of making my mom a birthday CD I discovered how much of my music is missing from the hard drive. So I plan on uploading some of it, we'll see how long it keeps my attention.

Today The Sounders play and we plan on barbecuing and watching the game at home. Hope everyone is having a good weekend!

2009-05-07T17:26:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow we are having a Cinco de Mayo Party and other crazy things going on in Room 102! I found this Horchata recipe that is totally cheating, but doable for people who do not want to put rice through a sieve!

Happy Weekend almost here!!!

The Hunt For Gollum

2009-05-03T08:19:00.000-07:00

Today is the internet release date for The Hunt For Gollum! Awesome! I can't wait to see it, but first I must correct papers....

summer is...

2009-04-26T18:51:00.000-07:00

guided by voices
champagne in the afternoon
being burned by the grill
dirty fingernails
flowering fruit trees
wishing you had a dog
inappropriate clothing
excuses to go to happy hour

can you wait?

2009-04-25T11:01:00.000-07:00

This morning I am watching the Hornets Nuggets game, hoping the Hornets can get it together and win! There are so many movies we still want to see, but they take a backseat to Basketball for now. I will try to not get sucked into the NFL draft today.

The list:
Slumdog Millionaire
Gran Torino (I am going to try to rent this today)
Revolutionary Road
The Wrestler
Defiance
State of Play
X-Men Origins: Wolverine
Il Divo
Wendy and Lucy
The Reader (I want to see this one, I am going to try to fit it in this weekend.)

I have been listening to NPR's coverage of Detroit over the last few days and am inspired to take a deeper look at the city depicted in the arts. Did you know the original script for Gran Torino took place in Minneapolis and Clint Eastwood switched it to Detroit? The move was for a tax break and symbolism. Go Pistons!

Esther Grace Maguire

2009-04-05T20:51:00.000-07:00

Sometime around 4:30 on Saturday morning, Heather and I became an Aunt and Uncle. My sister and Gary had a baby!
This is Esther Grace:

I got to go down and see her shortly after she was born. She was mostly sleeping and looking pretty comfy wrapped up like a burrito.

See ya later Esther! Let me know if you wanna come hang out in Seattle sometime.

2009-03-28T12:24:00.000-07:00

Last night we went out. It has been along time. The last 3 weeks have been dominated by my job. we went to see Blue Velvet on the big screen at Central Cinema, a cool cinema where you can eat and drink while watching a movie. (Sort of like at home) It was amazing! I have seen the movie several hundred times, but never on the big screen. (I feel very lucky to have married someone who has the same taste as me!)

I am on Spring Break now, still nursing a wicked cold and leave for Kauai tomorrow morning for a much needed vacation! We have been taking it easy due to the germs going around and the weather that refuses to clear and warm. I finally picked up Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog! So great! Joss continues his reign! Can't wait to see what he comes up with next. While nerding out I found a Map of the Verse! Very cool...add this to my list. If you are reading this and are a Whedonist, vote for Dr. Horrible for the Streamy Audience Choice award.

We went to the Sounders first game and it was awesome!!! We look forward to going to more games and watching our new team on tv too! They are really good and we were starved for some local live sports!!!

2009-01-24T08:32:00.000-08:00

Bush Street in San Francisco's new street sign.

The Big Picture website has some amazing photos of the historic day.

Devoutdolls Octobabies are so adorable and edgy.

Reader Photos of the inauguration day uploaded to the NYT.

If you like that old time banjo music, check out the Field Recorders' Collective.

At paste magazine you can personalize the famous Shepard Fairey Obama poster.

Who doesn't like a youtube dog video?

Have a great weekend!

take a few moments to say goodbye to George....

2009-01-21T12:46:00.001-08:00

I had to work today...it was worth it!

2009-01-20T16:28:00.000-08:00

p.s. it was spirit hat day, so i supplied the students with red, white and blue hats and gloves for this historic day. these photos are right before lunch, that's why we are lined up and ready for recess. i had to hold my emotions in all day long, luckily we have a TV in our classroom, so we watched part of the inauguration this morning. it was amazing and more importantly....the kids love President Obama. With that in mind, I do believe that he will change our world in more ways than we can ever imagine.

Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day!

2009-01-19T09:14:00.000-08:00

"I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream today."

-- Martin Luther King Jr., Speech at Civil Rights March on Washington, Aug. 28, 1963

In the spirit of MLK Jr. the call to service for this national holiday is needed now more than ever. USA Service is one website where you can find service opportunities. I plan on donating feminine hygiene products and some canned food to a local food bank. On the Second Harvest website you can find local food banks. I am counting on my Animal Shelter hours as my ongoing commitment to my local community...I hope that with this initiative the volunteering bug will spread.

Oh course I have the day off. The sun is shining and it is slowly getting warmer. Yesterday I got the vacuum and other stuff for the house. So, today I am hoping to take it easy.
There are 13 basketball games on today! I will probably only watch 3, thank goodness we do not have cable, huh?! As I was looking up the start times I came across the article The Meaning of Obama: NBA Embraces New Leader's Message and it sounds as if Dreams from my Father would be right up my alley. (For more reasons than one.) I am excited in general, but it is even more exciting to think of an active, in shape president who also plays and watches basketball.

Warren Skalski/NBAE via Getty Images

... And I could play basketball, with a consuming passion that would always exceed my limited talent ... --Barack Obama

2009-01-10T17:32:00.000-08:00

Schmancy is a cool store in downtown Seattle, which is having some problems in the current economy. Nancy and Fancy are located in the same block and the three of them have some great, handcrafted toys, housewares and jewelry. We never go out shopping, but yesterday we went downtown and braved the wind and cold temperatures to take care of some of our needs.

Zanadu was one stop and we picked up a stack of comics, which was exciting. We rarely get to go to the comics store together. Pull Shapes , B.P.R.D., Hellboy, Echo and blue monday were all procured and I stayed in bed today and read them while Topher went to work. Lucky me!

Topher is home now and we thought we were going to go to a movie, but instead we are going to watch the Flight of the Conchords. Work this week was okay, Friday was pajama day and most classes had parties. We watched Underdog and had popcorn and hot cocoa and cider. The students could all bring one stuffed animal, so the younger grades were pretty bananas with all the excitement. It was pretty cute! Tonight Topher is going to see the dwarves with his buddies and I plan on continuing to do the stuff I go on the weekends, yoga, cleaning, reading, knitting and getting ready for the week...

2009-01-02T11:28:00.000-08:00

We decided to go out on a real date (Thanks Mom!) for New Years Eve. (With new clothes and haircuts to boot!) We headed home before midnight, while we still could walk and the rest of the night was fun and a bit of a blur. We played our favorite songs from 2008 for each other and drank some bubbly. Here is the only photo of us together from the night, but the rest are pretty funny!

2008 was great and we can not wait to see what 2009 brings us!

Happy New Year!

hungry?

2008-12-30T19:11:00.000-08:00

Hey everybody, I just thought I would put in a little advertisement for my work here. We've been really, really slow lately (rumor has it there's some sort of recession going on), and it's a lot more fun for me and my co-workers if we actually get to cook food for people. Yesterday 50% of our lunch business was Heather. She said "It's good!"

If that review isn't enough, here is a video where my boss (the chef) talks about the resturaunt.

So come on in, I'd like something to do.

Thanks!

Also, Christmas was really, really nice. We got to spend it together and we've been happily opening presents and cards all week as the mailman delivers them. Things got pretty backed up during our snowstorms last week.

Happy New Years everyone!

It's snowing again

2008-12-24T09:22:00.000-08:00

Last minute shopping? I stumbled upon the World of Good ebay Store this morning. The online store has items that I have not seen in stores, including these very cute animal friendly clutches:
W of G is a socially responsible company that helps build communities by ethically sourcing their products.

Introducing Butter!

We have begun to give magazine subscriptions as gifts recently. It is the gift that literally keeps on giving!
Some of our favorites:

Seed
W
Adbusters
Gastronomica
knit.1

Happy Christmas Eve!

Snow in Seattle

2008-12-22T09:05:00.000-08:00

I was surprised yesterday afternoon when it started snowing again. And then even more surprised when it did not stop until 8 in the evening. We decided to walk to Ballard to mail some packages and to meet Nels to watch the NY Jets (Farve) game. We started at Matador, mailed the packages...then we happened to walk past the Jolly Roger Taproom...and had to stop in. We were really hungry after walking all day and we closed the bar (at 8 mind you) and then walked home. It was beautiful out and reminded us of "home", back in Wisconsin. The best thing though, is how much warmer it is here. It is so quiet and people are really staying in in Queen Anne, though Ballard was bustling.

One of my coworkers reminded me before school was canceled, that animals are really affected by the weather. I spotted a hummingbird looking around our porch last week and dug out the hummingbird feeder and made some new nectar. I put in on the bedroom window and it is really cool to be able to sit and watch them eat. It's also nice to do something like that for someone, some animal this time of year. We wanted to get toys for the Toys for Tots, but with this weather, it doesn't seem likely. (See if you can spot the tiny birds in our photos.)

When I was little we made "Snow" Ice Cream from the massive amounts of snow we got in Wisconsin. The snow back then might have been cleaner or we just knew less about the amount of pollution in the world. Is it safe to eat snow? There is not a definitive answer.

Who's on vacation?

2008-12-19T10:11:00.000-08:00

Cute Overload is a website dedicated to cute animal pictures and videos.

Bailey the Unknown Reindeer is a video making the rounds this year...

Can You See the Sunset from the Southside asks Can you see Santa from the Southside? and offers many Christmas songs you may have forgotten about to download for free. I got them all, but I am excited about Wham's Last Christmas and Debbie Gibson's Sleigh Ride.

The cute shelter dog of the week is...Lucy!

I love looking at stores Top Ten gift lists! Showpony is the store owned by former owner of Olivine. Check out her Top Ten list...so great! My wallet has been saved from the snow!

And I leave you with The Funky 16 Corners Hot Pants under the covers with James Brown mix! This site is amazing, download a playlist and put it on and get ready to party...good times!

snow day!

2008-12-18T09:31:00.000-08:00

Greetings from Seattle...

2008-12-15T12:15:00.000-08:00

Hey everybody! I've got a rare day off to spend the day lounging around the apartment and playing on the computer, so I thought I would give you all an update on this blog that I've been neglecting for too long.

We went to Portland! Did you know that? It was fun. We spent the weekend after Thanksgiving in a fancy new hotel in downtown Portland. We took the train down, hung out with our friends who live in Portland, did some X-mas shopping (Oregon has no sales tax), saw the Trailblazers play the Hornets (Blazers won by a bunch), and spent a lot of time lounging in the hotel pretending to be rich. Here's some pictures:

Staying in fancy hotels is one of the perks I get for working in a fancy hotel in Seattle. If anybody out there wants us to stay in a fancy hotel in your city, please let us know. We're hoping to get real good at it.

Meanwhile back in Seattle... it's Christmas Time!

Some holiday lights in our neighborhood.

Our little (fake) Charlie Brown tree with presents!

and X-mas time means toys!! The Spongebob Legos are officially for Heather's classroom (but I get to test 'em out) and in the back you can see our Playmobile Advent calender display. Playmobile Advent Calenders are the coolest.

Also, just in time for the holidays, Seattle was treated to a rare snowstorm last night.

Snow in Seattle is actually kind of exciting because the city doesn't have any snow removal trucks, or salt, or de-icer, or anything, and half the people in the city don't know how to drive on frozen roads so things get "interesting" real quick. Especially when it stays cold and the ice doesnt melt.

Okay, I'll try to blog again sometime before holidays. Happy Snow Days everyone!

2008-11-27T17:39:00.000-08:00

The sunset from Thanksgiving Eve.

This morning my mom reminded me of the Cranberry Nut Bread that we always have back in Wisco. The recipe was online and we whipped up 2 loaves to bring to Portland with us, one for a friend. We have to wait 24 hours to partake, something that was always hard for my cousins and I growing up!

Tomorrow morning we wake up ultra early to catch the train to Portland to chill at the nines. We are going to celebrate a friend's Birthday and see the Trailblazers play the Hornets (! Chris Paul) on Friday night. We are very excited to take a vacation together, it has been awhile!

Thanksgiving was delicious and we hope everyone enjoyed it and has a great weekend!!!

2008-11-23T08:49:00.000-08:00

This morning I am knitting beer cozies for the Ale Asylum holiday craft fair. I was enjoying the quietness of the house, but then decided to check out some happy stuff on youtube...sometimes the internet is awesome!

2008-11-16T10:07:00.000-08:00

Topher is working "eggs" right now. For those of you who do not know, that means he left the house at 3:30 am. We had a great day yesterday. Found the perfect Christmas tree, got Christmas card supplies at Paper Zone (our first trip there) and walked along the sound in the sunshine to downtown to get dinner and hang out. Today I am going to block some of the knit Christmas presents that are done and continue knitting a sweater vest for me, very exciting, check out the knitting blog for more knitting updates. I am also trying to not work today, we have parent teacher conferences next week and early dismissal at 1:00 pm, so I should have enough time to do work at work! For once! Later we are going to make red enchiladas together for a get together tomorrow night. The holiday season is upon us! We are very excited for our upcoming trip to Portland!

wow!

2008-11-05T16:31:00.000-08:00

words escape me. i am so happy, when i think about our country my eyes start tearing up. i had to come home right after school, because i stayed up way too late last night. topher kept telling me everything would be okay, but i was still worried until the final numbers were in. i faintly remember doing the cha cha slide (with topher!) at some point during the night...and now we will have a new president and i have hope for our future, education, our soliders, our relationship with other countries and all of our children.

all of the propositions that i voted for also passed; death with dignity, light rail expansion, preserving pike place market and preserving parks and green space. good stuff!

i am watching oprah right now, weird, i know, but she is having a post election show and it is interesting. i feel like i want to relive last night over and over and over.

oh, happy day!

and us being dog freaks, we are wondering what kind of puppy they are going to get?! topher thought a pug and i'm going for a lab or retriver.

peace be with you! this is my favorite picture from the day:

VOTE!

2008-11-04T18:58:00.000-08:00

go obama!

2008-11-04T17:54:00.001-08:00

2008-11-02T11:01:00.000-08:00

hope everyone had a great halloween!

2008-10-30T21:24:00.000-07:00

I have been busy. Busy working, relaxing and doing a lot of professional development. I was struggling with a nasty sickness for the last 2 weeks on top of everything else. I am currently dealing with the fact that I can not have a "Halloween" party in my classroom tomorrow. We will have a "Harvest" party instead and I will give out the Halloween gift bags while they are out the door.

I understand that my school is diverse and I love that fact, but this is a wake up call about the world I have been living in for the last 32 years. I am sad, it feels like a great loss. I am trying to figure in a way to make it all inclusive, like Dia de Los Muertos and Halloween, in the future...or something. The idea is still brewing. I am suddenly paranoid about celebrating St. Patrick's Day in my classroom. Halloween and St. Patrick's Day are my favorite holidays, they are the best! No stress, only food, fun and drinks!

Topher and I decided to get real pre-made Halloween costumes this year. I will be Scooby-Doo and Topher will dress as Fred Flintstone. We are pretty excited about it, except for a fact that Topher keeps pointing out to me; I am used to a city wide Halloween party. Seattle does not get it...I hope we can find something fun to do.

In the meantime I love these people:

Yes We Carve is also pretty darn cool!

Kwik-E-Blog

2008-10-16T20:43:00.000-07:00

Hey everybody, this blog is gonna be quick because I'm tired and also I'm distracted because my wife and I are watching Hole in the Wall right now on Fox. It's the stupidest game show I have ever seen.

We've been pretty busy lately. Work is taking up a lot of time and energy for both of us. I've been working the 4:30am breakfast shift at the Hotel a lot, which means my sleep schedule is all screwed up and I'm really sick of French Toast. And Heather is a special ed teacher. Special Ed teacher is a hard job. She works a lot too.

We have managed to get out and about a few times lately. We've been to a cool little toy store downtown a few times called Schmancy. They sell nifty toys like these awesome little Simpsons figures:
So far our collection includes Lisa and Apu, but I'm hoping to get some more. Also the store had a cool art show recently called Plush You. Heather and I attended the opening and bought some honest-to-god ART. Which was cool. I'll post a picture once the show is over and our new art graces our walls.

The other reason we like going to Schmancy is that it's pretty close to a Japanese restaurant we discovered recently. It's called Wann and its an "izakaya" style restaurant . The thing that I'm craving from Wann right now is the Takoyaki. Which is kind of like doughnuts, but with octopus in it. It's delicious. I guess it's Japanese street food. Street food is always the best.

I'll blog more later. I'm sleepy. G'night everybody!

2008-10-06T19:14:00.000-07:00

Jibangus are some of my talented friends from Madison. This movie is one of my favorites, but check out their youtube page for more goodies. Right about now, we could all use some laughs.

veep debate nite sunset

2008-10-04T09:46:00.001-07:00

meet bailey!

2008-10-01T20:33:00.000-07:00

(click on the photo for more info...my new favorite shelter dog!)

Tophers wearing a tanktop!

2008-09-30T12:51:00.000-07:00

The Runway to Change store at the Obama website has some pretty cool stuff! I want to get something that says Obama, but haven't decided what yet. I like the scarf and Change is Awesome bag and wish there was a sizing chart for the shirts. We will probably just get the car magnets.

Yesterday I was sick and Topher took me out to Wann for dinner and then we went to see The Dark Knight! It was a nice evening, after sleeping for 12 hours. Oh, it was so needed...and I forgot that tonight I would be at work until after 7...

We are finally finishing up the wedding announcements tonight, so watch your mail!

2008-09-28T09:25:00.000-07:00

Last weekend...our house was cozier with the Bakes...

Yesterday we rode our bikes to Ballard for brunch at Tiger Tail. I had my first Bloody Mary ever, they give you a checklist and you can pick what you want. I had a spicy one, it was really good! They just started serving brunch and it was big and delicious, especially after the ride.

We also stopped by The Dray for strong Stumptown coffee and to watch the end of a Futbol match, then it was down to the Market Street to check out Sonic Boom and stroll around. We also happened upon the Sustainable Ballard Fair and a new way to reduce your dependence on oil!

We ended up at the Jolly Roger taproom for dinner and drinks just in time to see the Badgers lose to Michigan. Today Topher is working and I am working a little at home, while watching the Packers and knitting a new sweater. Go Pack! (In case you are wondering, the Storm lost on Tuesday.)
I heard this on nrp and it inspired me...
Caring makes us human...

Baker!

2008-09-21T18:29:00.000-07:00

We spent our weekend with Baker the dog!

We mostly tried to stay out of the rain by watching movies and lounging around...
Tonight we watched the Seattle Storm beat the L.A. Sparks! They are tied up and have another game on Tuesday night here in Seattle and YES we will be there! The weather has cleared up and we are grilling out and it is a beautiful evening here in Seattle.

2008-09-18T23:00:00.001-07:00

57 seconds

2008-09-18T23:00:00.000-07:00

51 seconds