I'm not sure if Squatty Dog approves of this message

...but I hope he's flattered!

The website is kind of cool too.

Say what you will about politics

I'm still a huge fan of this! 

It hurts my brain

I found a nail in my tire, and while the tire hadn't gone flat in the probable weeks the nail had been lodged in there, Dad said it had to come out. I kept putting it off so that I have only myself to blame for what happened next. The day I had finally put aside hours for some quality time at the tire place fell two days after that first big snow storm here.

I made my way to Les Schwab thinking it would be an hour or so, but it ended up being three and a half hours before I finally drove outta there! It was amusing in a sad sort of way to watch the patrons freak out over the wait. It's not like the workers were slacking, there were just a lot of people! Besides, they provided free wifi- a nice service (too bad I didn't bring the laptop). So as I sat there idly playing with the dog, reading magazines and my book, and people watching, I basically had all the posters and tire displays memorized. 

There was one particular poster, though. It was like a train wreck- so awful you can't look away. It makes me cringe on the inside every time I look at this photograph, and yet I can't stop... 

The EKG tracing is backwards! I can't handle these kinds of things.

End note: turns out the screw was so tiny that it hadn't actually punctured through all the way. The guy was nice enough to just smile at me and wave me away, no charge. 

It was bound to happen eventually

Sitting at a stoplight, the turn lane to my left had three cars lined up. All three were green Subaru Outbacks. I'd say what are the chances... but I guess it's not really a surprise. Welcome to Seattle!

A mystery

It's been established that Munoz has introduced me to the joy of candles, more specifically tea lights. I love, love, love spending quiet nights at home with Gazza while the fire is going, hot chocolate is steaming, Vivaldi is playing, and the candles are flickering.

I find it interesting to see which tea light makes it the longest. You would think that because the tree has the most tea light holders, statistically the last candle would most often be on it, but I've found that not to be the case (there, um, may or may not have been a calculator involved). Instead the lone light keeping late hours with the fire usually is on the votif on top of the fireplace.

Why would this be? Yes, its closer to the cracked door, and arguably maybe that slows down the burn rate, but at the same time its on top of the fireplace. To state the obvious, it's not exactly in the coldest part of the house.

Couch hog as well

As I've mentioned (numerous times) before, The Beast always has be be near me. Sometimes when I'm up late at night or she knows I'll be leaving shortly, she not only has to be near me, but also has to be touching me. This way I'm sure to wake her up if I get up. More recently she's begun to stay on the couch when I move around at those late hours, and she even went to bed (on my pillow...) without me the other night! This is one of my favorite couch shots, though:

When I was getting a midnight snack, she must have been too tired to pad over to the kitchen and keep an eye on me. Instead she just peeked up over the back of the couch and rested her chin there until I came back. Baby steps...

Sadly, I haven't seen her nearly as often as either of us would like. Fortunately being back on twelve hour shifts is better. She sleeps all day with me, with the exception of running with Bob for a few hours, spends an hour or so with me getting ready for work, and then spends the night burrowed under the covers with either Katie and Ellie or Megan, Jeff, and Violet. I hear there are pictures soon to follow from the latter crowded bed! 

I sure miss her out here in Indiana. 

December 22

The winter solstice. It's the most bittersweet day in my book. Why? Because it's the shortest day of the year and the point at which the days only get longer.

Ready, set, go!

Happy gotcha day Gazza!

Today, December 21st, is the day Woofda Gucci Ragazza (aka: Caboodles) came home. I worked that night then drove down to Portland. Picking her up, I had only two pictures to go on (and several hours on the phone with the breeder), so when it came time to actually claim her, I wasn't sure I was doing the right thing. We spent the long drive home in the car checking each other out, not quite sure what to think. I couldn't believe I had an animal living with me.

One year later, I can't imagine life without her. Gazza with the three inch fauxhawk. My Beast.

(all pictures shamelessly "borrowed" from Katie/Ellie and Megan/Jeff/Violet- two of her surrogate families)

Yes, she still takes Prozac (though much less). Often she stays in the car. She still has some anxiety about being home alone (but merely sleeps on my pillows and tackles me when I come home). It's a small price to pay compared to one year ago. It's worth everything when we go for walks around Greenlake, spend hours at the beaches and parks, and hike in the silence of the Northwest forests. It's worth it because she's not only acting like a dog now, but she's a happy dog.

Beast? I don't think you'll ever understand how desperate I was for this to work and how close you came to being put down ("not adoptable" indeed). But then again, I wouldn't want you to. All I want is for you to sleep peacefully when I'm gone, cuddle when I'm home, obsess over your ball at the park, and jump around smiling like you do when we're outside. The rest is just details.

Update: I put a link on the left side of this page titled "The Beast" for periodically updated photos of her for those of you who are curious...

Word play

Our pastor used Wordle last week to give a cool illustration related the parable of the prodigal son. The way Wordle works is that you plug in a block of text, tell it how you want it to look, and it spits out a "word cloud" where words are bigger the more frequently they appear in your text block. The biggest words in the Prodigal Son cloud were father, son, and celebrate. Point well made, I think.

I plugged in one of my favorite quotes by an Outward Bound student. I thought my results were pretty cool too:

Always a surprise

A few weeks ago, I stayed up for the entire night. Getting a case of cabin fever and temporarily disobeying doctor's orders (hey, sanity trumps the achilles), I took a stroll with The Beast about 5am. It wasn't exactly cold, but it had been raining for days and was a bit chilly. Gazza always gets excited for these forays into the night, so she was hopping and prancing the entire way at my side (she sometimes gives little kisses so I even got a few of those!). There are only a few people out walking in the midnight/early morning hours this time of year, and that's mostly the reason we don't go as often (rather than the weather). Gazza is somewhat surprisingly a pretty awesome guard dog, but I'm trying to be a bit more proactive (Hi Mom! Hi Dad!).

Anyway, while these city ambles are different than the night walks we'd do at our cabins or at home, they are generally peaceful. I never felt safe going alone in Chicago, so it's another thing I appreciate about Seattle. And while I usually prefer to share the quiet time and idle observations with somebody, perhaps it's for the best that Gazza and I get to spend it together.

Observing a sleeping city is cool because it's indirectly people watching. You get to peruse details without questioning looks or the rest of the world swirling around you. In a non-creepy way, my eyes are always drawn to windows (whose shades are open). People watch tv at odd hours and weekend nights often have lights shining out and silence punctuated by laughter. It makes me smile. I especially love Christmastime because of the lights and Christmas trees. So warm and inviting!

The more mundane sights are fascinating too. For example, on our walk back a few weeks, I noticed one particular house with rotating decorations looked different. In addition to holiday and seasonal yard ornaments, wreathes, address placards, and porch decorations, they always have five fish windsocks hanging from the eaves of the front stoop. As best as I can figure, the two big ones are mama and daddy, flanked by juniors one, two, and three. Cliche... but kinda cute!

Once I got to the major Wallingford through street, I did some window shopping. The wedding store had some very pretty, elegant dresses in the windows silhouetted by some soft lights in the back. The raindrops on the windows twinkled as they slid down and lights flickered. It looked like little diamonds were raining down on the dresses. I stood and watched for a while.

Walking into the Starbucks for a breakfast sandwich, we were greeted by loud music, bright lights, and one rather obnoxious customer. The baristas seemed to like him well enough, a regular I suppose, but I thought he was loud and arrogant. As I was waiting for my sandwich and scratching Gazza's ears, I heard him talk about how he and his wife had moved here from Boston and bought the most expensive house in Wallingford. Rolling my eyes to myself, hep happily continued to boast about the process and money involved. We couldn't get out of there quickly enough.

Nearing home on a particularly quiet street, I noticed something new. There was a brown van, not unlike this one that was backed up to a partial basement garage. The house looked a little sketch, but then again the same could be said for the market, so I don't know if that says much... I'm sure (or at least mostly sure) that it's simply a work van for the family living there, but don't tell me you wouldn't wonder for just a moment...

Baby it's cold outside!

Seattle is trying to be wintry like Chicago. It has been snowing on and off for a week with a few inches of accumulation in the actually city of Seattle. This is an unusual occurrence and the source of quite a few accidents and delays. I sure wouldn't want to be working at Harborview right now. What you need to know is that Seattleites freak out when it snows in town. I don't think it's because they haven't driven in snow because we're surrounded by mountains in three of the four cardinal directions. I think it's because the snow usually turns to ice, and in case you didn't know, Seattle is very hilly. As in, lots of steep hills here. I learned that snow chains for your tires are legal within the city limits- even the buses have them! I guess I was a bit surprised because Seattle is known more for its rain than snow, and snow chains notoriously tear up roads. 

Anyway, it's very pretty. It's also very cold and many of the roads are ice rinks. I was fascinated to learn that you can call into work if you're concerned about coming in, and they'll send someone out to get you! Also, they'll put you up in a hotel if the commute is too far and dangerous. I live less than three miles away, so I'm not really concerned (there's always the bus), but it's still nice to know. I am not, however, able to pick up The Beast downtown, so tonight I sleep Gazza-less. I'm home from work with body aches, stuffiness, an throbbing achilles tendon, and a raging headache... and am missing her on top of that. The place feels lonely without her beasty noises, dreams, or snuggles.

On the upside of it all, I'm going home to Indiana for the holidays tomorrow! Dee, Nicholas, and I haven't been home together at the same time in well over two years, and I haven't made it home for the prior two Christmases (or any holidays, come to think of it). I'm really looking forward to it! A parting observation by Shawn, "I'm convinced a Seattle weatherman couldn't predict a sunset... lame." Cross your fingers for air travel!

(Also, I've updated so now back to your scheduled postings!)

All the pretty colors!

I like the Seattle skyline at night from pretty much any angle. There's a lot of construction downtown, so there are a bunch of red, blinking lights alerting air traffic to temporary structures (cranes, for example). From Gasworks at night you can enjoy quiet summer breezes and multicolored lights of the Seattle skyline twinkling over the usually placid Lake Union.


(I don't know who to give credit for this photo)

Around the holidays they make a Christmas tree out of lights on top of the Space Needle, complete with a red star at the top. It's a nice addition to the usual constellation!

And yes, I'm well aware of how often Gas Works comes up in this blog. First of all, I love it. Second of all, I live only a short walk away.

Still alive

I haven't forgotten you, my ten adoring fans, but I've been busy trying to sleep. A while back I was in a writing kind of mood and stockpiled about a month's worth of entries. Each day's entry was almost a surprise to me too! And now here I am with little scraps of paper scattered everywhere, each with a posting idea, and without the creative energy to do it. So bear with me, I'll get back on the horse.

But first, I think I'll try to get some sleep. After tonight's shift, that is...

Foul ball

Regardless of how I fall asleep (preferably on my stomach), I invariably wake up on my back. Since my arms are usually thrown up above my head, I even sometimes wake up because they've fallen asleep or my shoulders hurt from the odd angle. I woke up this evening in a novel way, though.

Apparently my right hand had gotten somewhat tangled in my hair. In a dream I was throwing the ball for The Beast and my arm decided to half-heartedly attempt that throw in real life. So I woke myself up pulling my own hair.

Weird.

Can't believe I didn't catch this earlier

Gazza has a strip!

Oh come on now, it was funny...

Maybe it was something I ate. Or didn't eat.

Do you ever have those moments where you're absentmindedly doing something and then a random thought or memory comes to mind?

I was pouring some tea for myself (pomegranate white tea by Trader Joe's- yum!) staring into the cup. All of a sudden*, the image sprang to mind of the Jabberwocky as it stomps through Alice's house and she leaps through the mirror (I think that was when she did it? Near the end of the movie?). It was so completely random that I can't for the life of me figure out what triggered it.

*Go learn something! I did.

Please take a number

It occurred to me this past week that a number of people "reading" this blog are actually referred via Google Image searches. I'm debating the merits of labeling my pictures from now on as wenikio1, wenikio2, etc versus continuing as I currently do (meaning labeling them appropriately).

On the one hand, the current labeling method obviously creates referrals, which is good I think. On the other hand, I don't know how many of those referrals actually ever come back to read the blog for its merit alone (assuming this has any). So if that's the case, my numbers are skewed because they aren't exactly onetime "reads." Those visits are just one time picture views. Considering that some of my pictures aren't even mine, is it fair to count readers drawn to others' photos with my labels?

I suppose the bigger question is does it even matter? It does a little to me because I find it interesting!

Glowing eyes of evil

This picture pretty much captures the essence of cats, to my mind.

Terrifying.

Zing!

Somebody called into the radio station the other day complaining about back pain. Upon elaboration, she made it clear that it was her cyanotic nerve.

*snerk*

Well, I suppose if my nerve were cyanotic it would hurt too... I'm going to assume that, like a huge portion of the world, she meant to say her sciatic nerve.

I'm not laughing at her pain. I'm laughing because if you're going to freely broadcast your issues across the radio waves (or internet for that matter), it seems to me you should first get your facts straight.

Bored bored bored

I don't do nights well, that's no secret. On my nights off, I more or less stick to the same schedule so that my body doesn't revolt and decide it's never time to sleep. The problem with this is that nights off are typically pretty boring. It's great to sit by the fire and read, write, watch movies, and do some work, but in the end it's pretty sedentary. Sometimes I take The Beast for walks and go get breakfast up the street, but mostly we hang out at home (especially when it's cold and rainy. Yuck.).

Gazza sleeps all day with me, with the exception of the few hours the dog walker has her. She also sleeps all night with friends when I work. On nights that I'm home, however, she sleeps lightly, keeping an ear out for the sound of my keys, the door opening, or other such indicators that I'm not five feet from her. I've given up trying to be sneaky and let her sleep because she wants to know what I'm up to. 

The other morning about three, I got up from the chair by the fire and she woke up startled. I grabbed this picture and it still makes me laugh:

PSA

A traffic light is not a traffic signal. 

... ok maybe it is but "traffic signal" is like nails on a chalkboard to me. So please just say "traffic light." Pretty please?

Thanks :)

Good music

Somehow worship at church seems more intimate when members of the band aren't just, well, members of the band to me. When somebody is up there that I know outside of that context, it makes me feel more connected to church, and likewise, to God. Just thought I'd put that out there.

There was another thing at church tonight that made me smile- the harmonica. That's right, Chris whipped out the harmonica and worked it (nicely, I might add) into a few Christmas songs in the heart of Bellevue. Another reason I love my church.

Incidentally, I also loved Trampled by Turtles at the Tractor Friday night. Goooood bluegrass!

Entertaining the masses.

One of the masses (who ditched the crutches for beer and dancing).

Three of the masses (Jim and Carly and yours truly).

Good times had by all :)

Keep it down in there!

My mind is loud enough as it is. Sometimes I come home from work and find that I'm having to scream louder than usual to be heard over the beeps and alarms from work that have lodged themselves in my brain.

Wish my bellybutton doubled as a "reboot" key.

Finally finished Snow Crash

I slept for sixteen out of a twenty-four hour stretch yesterday/today. So when I woke up this morning at six, I knew my sleep schedule was screwed. I haven't the foggiest when I should go to sleep next (don't want to revert back to a day schedule after all). 

I do know that I finally got breakfast with Munoz (The Dish, mmm). Good tea, good people, good food. I like good things :) Then I took Gazza to the dog park today for the first time in over a month and was thrilled to stand around in the sun. Mini-Beast was there with Bob, so it was a gorgeous afternoon filled with beasties.

Coming home, I had a craving for protein. Following through on a promise to use what's in my freezer first, I cooked some chicken (breathe through it, I know it's hard to believe...). Of course, I realized my only condiment is mustard, so I ate it with tartar sauce left over from Ivars (that's normal, right?). 

Why am I writing about this? I realized I haven't been out in sunlight (for any notable period of time) for weeks (!!), so it was a nice change of pace. And the cooking thing, well, that needs no explanation. And now I'm sitting by the fire reading and napping. Because... why not?

PSA

Ranch dressing can, in fact, go bad. Very bad.

That is all.

A nice way to start the day

When I work days, I take The Beast on a walk around our block before work. Starting at the top of the hill behind my building, we're treated to a view of Lake Union and the eastern portion of downtown. As we walk down, more of the skyline across the lake opens up. The bikers outnumber the cars at that early hour, and it's quite peaceful.

Lately of course it has been completely dark at that hour, but during longer days the view varies from rainy to clear to foggy, like this particular morning:

Take a deep breath, pet the dog, smile, and start your day...

Suck it in folks

While I am a huge fan of hugs, I'm not such a big fan of being crowded with random people. Not claustrophobic, mind you (in fact, I'm the opposite of claustrophobic), I just think the cramminess* can be awkward. Even so, I like riding the el and watching how people deal with it on a daily basis.




*You know what's coming. That's right, Martha Brockenbrough.

Healthcare as a "right"

Among the mediblogs that I read, this is a topic that has as many different opinions as authors (and perhaps even more!). I find this one, if not exactly how I think things should be run, a view that is maybe more realistic given the way things are today. Apparently so does West Virginia.

I didn't even realize this was possible

There is cancer. It's awful.

There is being born with cancer. It's also awful.

Then there is being born with cancer so advanced it has already metastasized. It's... unfathomably awful.

Who could possibly relate?

The picture says it all

Meh.

It's such a great word! It can express indifference or apathy. I especially like its use, as Wiktionary puts it, "to express a mild disagreement where the person does not have either the solid foundation to actually argue a point or does not feel the argument is worth pursuing any further."

Apparently the Collins English Dictionary feels the same way.

Bang! You're...

stunned!

Cool!

But with a wicked case of scoliosis

Is that your scapula or are you just happy to see me?

This is why I dress in jeans and sweatshirts. I am totally not fit to be let into the public at large. Apparently there is a market for us, though...

Spoiled much?

No thanks to Katie, Gazza has reverted back to her old habit of sleeping under the covers. It's not too bad (she makes a great spooner), but she's still a bed hog. Since her haircut, her coat doesn't retain nearly as much dirt and mud, but still...

The past several evenings after I got up to shower, I've returned to my room only to find this:

From November 2008

From November 2008

Traffic has gone to the dogs

Driving across 520 from Bellevue, I was stuck in traffic. All of the sudden, it occurred to me that something was different with the car in front of me. Huh, interesting.

It seems the eastside has some odd traffic sights. Thanks to Jason for this one:

How early is too early?

The age old debate has finally come and gone this year. We all act indignant because radio stations are playing Christmas music, stores are putting out Christmas decorations, and restaurants are joining in the festivities... all before Thanksgiving. For the record, I think that it's absurd, but they do it every year. Let's just get over it, shall we?


I do wonder, however, what it's like in other countries. We define prior to Thanksgiving as "too early," but Thanksgiving is obviously an American holiday (or at least the fourth-Thursday-of-November Thanksgiving is anyway). What is unofficial line elsewhere in the world? Advent?


And on that note (get it? get it? note?), let the Christmas music begin!

Oh, and happy Thanksgiving!

Where days and nights merge

Coming to work last evening, I walked through a set of double doors that open out to the ICU elevator bank. Though I never saw his face, I saw him there with his back to me- shoulders slumped, orange "caregiver" badge slung back, toothbrush and toothpaste in his back pocket. He was intently texting somebody, waiting for the elevator doors to open. I'm sure he was headed up to one of the "sleeper rooms" where parents pretend to get some rest. I imagine it's a fitful sleep, not wanting to sleep so deeply that they might miss the pager's call, beckoning them back to their child's room.

Sometimes we get glimpses of life just outside of the busy, crowded ICU rooms. And often its heartbreaking.

Nocturnal once again

I spent most of my first year in Seattle living in my grandmother's basement and working nights. The Seattle I came to know as an adult was peaceful, devoid of traffic, and moved at a slow pace. I would now say that in comparison to, say, Chicago, Seattle does run at a somewhat slower pace, but I now know that the traffic is a force to be reckoned with and that it's really no more peaceful than most big cities (here we could digress into the definition of "big city," but whatever).

I took this picture when I was wandering around the Pike Place Market. So different during the night. So... peaceful.

I'll take my sugar without coffee, thanks

I was talking with a fellow nurse on Facebook chat tonight. She's a Hoosier transplant here in Seattle as well. We were discussing her apparent caffeine addiction, recently come to light with her quitting of the coffee.

Simultaneously, I was chatting with an old aquaintance. We were in school together at Culver for our freshman year. I thought it was amusing that he, an old Hoosier friend, and I were discussing the finer points of coffee in Seattle as well.

I don't even drink coffee, people!

Shh, don't tell Seattle! They might give me the boot...

Creepy

Walking into my building this morning, two people were milling around the front door. Seems there was a break-in at the techie store on our lower level. Eight computers were taken and then they got into the rest of the building where the condos are. Several units had been attempted, but none were actually entered. Apparently this happened early Sunday morning.

This is especially frightening to me because Gazza went to the door and started barking out of a dead sleep about three in the morning. I figured she had had a dream or heard something that set her off- I didn't imagine it was an actual break-in. Gazza is a big dog and I don't doubt she would attack if she saw me in danger (as evidenced by the moth episode), so in that I'm somewhat less scared. It's just that the fact she reacted at all makes the whole thing more real.

When I think of robberies, I think of men in black with stocking caps, face masks, and guns- like the kind on Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego (hi Munoz!). The reality is that they're like anybody you'd see on the street. Anybody your dog might bark at.

Almost made me seasick

I was driving behind a VW bug yesterday. Rain water had pooled in both taillights, and I was absolutely mesmerized by its sloshing.

Sometimes these are the only vacations we get...

Time is for dragonflies and angels

...the former live too little and the latter live too long.

~the Golux

Time is also, apparently, for me.

Went to the doctor for a follow up appointment today. The upshot of the visit is that my achilles needs a whopping dose of tincture of time (and a bit of physical therapy). Got the boot for a few more weeks too. Oh joy.

As I was getting up from the couch where I had spent half an hour icing my heel (with frozen peas and carrots), The Beast was watching. Putting weight on my foot, it cracked loudly and she looked down at it with her head cocked. Sometimes I feel like doing the same thing...

In which Matt Nathanson leaves me a voicemail

I introduced Erica to Matt Nathanson (at least I think I did) when we went to his show at Barnes and Noble two weeks ago. When I checked my voicemail during lunch last week, Erica had called to say hi... and held the phone up to the radio for one of his songs! I sat there with a big grin on my face, listening to my dearest Matt sing to me from my phone. 

It totally made my day :)

Yeah, me too

Saw this when I was last in Chicago:

Where are your safe places?

Crazy cat lady. Maybe.

Erica? Katie? KT? You know how you were wondering about the whole cat thing? Well, you're in good company!

Gymnastics tryouts are next month

We jumped from late summer to early winter here with little to show for the interim except for a brief explosion of color. And while that was indeed quite a show, I'm not sure it was worth it. Ask me in the spring.

The strip of grass that The Beast frequents is now plastered with wet leaves. They are actually pretty slick. So when Gazza squatted to do her business, her back legs slipped out from under her and she ended up doing the splits, help up only by her front legs. I couldn't help laughing out loud. She briefly struggled to get back into position, but in the end she just peed there doing the splits.

I'm sure the cars passing by thought I was unstable standing there laughing at my dog in the rain, but you would have too!

Yep, back to nights for the next two months

And the bacon is as good as I remember it... both actual and metaphorical.

Badum-ching!

Heads will roll

I was driving around Fremont the other night. As I rounded a corner (or more accurately a roundabout), I noticed a second floor condo with the shades up and all the lights on. I can't help but look when I see something like that. I try not to, but curiosity usually gets the better of me. I mean, if it's that big of a deal, close your shades- you know?

Anyway, I did a double take because the walls were covered with... animal heads. That's right, somebody in Fremont has two walls of mounted game. I couldn't see exactly what kind they were, but I still found it comical. If anyone in Fremont should have their shades closed to hide a dirty little secret, it's those people on the second floor!

Rain, rain go away

It rained nearly nonstop for five days. Welcome to winter, Seattle. 

Good days to work, I guess.

Love, it goes both ways

I can feel the change

The change you've made in me

But will I ever see

All the things you see in me

When you say that I'm one of a kind

I don't see it but you believe

That I'm so strong and true, I promise you

I'll try to be that kind of man

Because you love me like I am

When it comes to love

I may not know the rules

But there's one thing I know

My heart belongs to you, just you

Who would you sing this to? Who would you love to sing this to you? Just think on it awhile.

Clickity click!

Hey, remember Tangrams? I used to love them, but I haven't seen any around since, oh, second grade.

For those of you pining for the days of yore (spent gathered around in Story Circle, taking care of the class hamster, and playing with Tangrams), I bring you... Assembler.

Oh yes, let the drag and click begin!

Thanks Dad! I think.

All the crocs of the rainbow

Rainbows make me inordinately happy. 

White crocs? Does anybody actually wear those?

FINALLY! Somebody gets me!

At least the Calvin and Hobbes obsession if not the peanut butter and cottage cheese toast and pickled beets part...

Doesn't this only happen to fifty year old men??

So it seems I've either badly strained or torn my achilles tendon a bit. Either way, I'm walking around in this stupid boot, all the while feeling like somebody is sticking hot pokers into my heel. I wish I could tell you it was some game winning goal, but the sad truth of the matter is that I don't know exactly when it happened. The fact that I play soccer poorly (but with gusto!) makes the whole thing sadder still...

They say because of poor design (read: minimal blood supply), these things take a long time to heal (*snerk* heal... heel...). All I can tell you is that I'm pretty sure an amputated foot would grow back faster than this is taking.

Sad but probably true

"You want me to choose between you and your dog?" by explodingdog

I'm not entirely sure you want to know my answer to that question. How much do I really like you?

Use only a soft-bristled toothbrush please

Saw this little guy in the beginning of the month. Sort of reminds me of the pumpkin we had outside of our house in college. Yeah, he was pretty bad. But while he needed a, well, to be pitched, this dude only needs better dental care.

In which there are more blue states than red... again

Only this time I do identify with blue!

I'm really curious what the yellow people say. I say potato, you say... oh, nevermind...

I'm so totally, digitally close to you

I know it's short and kind of lame to post this, but I found this article really interesting. I find the psychology of Facebook fascinating. 

To be honest, it suits my social style quite well too...

Bloggity blog blog

What did you do tonight?

I found myself answering, "stockpiling blog entries" a few nights back. It's a tad bit embarrassing in retrospect (especially considering that I have an audience of, I don't know, ten people). But it doesn't bother me too much. Lots of things on my mind and cool sites I've stumbled upon. It clutters my mind if I don't put it somewhere. Much of my life goes into a personal journal, but the more benign observations and thoughts make it onto WwW (you're welcome my faithful ten).

"What? What more could she possibly have to say in a journal?"  Just remember that social awkwardness creates unlimited fodder and time to think. Oh loyal readers, you have no idea...

Anyway, better out than in, I say!

Tracking the elusive metropolitan feline

...or is in a raccoon? Either way, somebody's got some cleaning to do!

You think I'm kidding but I'm not

I realize my home is not an orthopedist's office, but I want both of these!

This, my friends, is the sad truth about why my mother has decorated all of my abodes.

Just call her "Grace"

I swear to you as I was laying* here in bed, I watched the dog curl up into a ball and poke herself in the eye with her back paw. She turned to look if I had seen, sort of licked her lips, and put her head back down. Who am I to judge, anyway?

*Again with my geek crush. Go learn something!

Before the 55 pound beast crawls onto my lap for the evening

The Beast does reasonably well during the strings of days when I work (of course, today was my last day until mid January, but whatever). I feel a little bad* because by day three, she obviously has accumulated energy that even Bob can't run off in two or three hours. Plus she gets all attention-needy. 

She has started doing this thing now when I get home and take her out to do business. She hobbyhorses down the hallway, doubling back to me, front paws in the air as she dances on her hind legs. And then when we walk out, she hops and pounces her way to the grass. The thing is, though, she holds her head up high, sniffing the air and everything she passes by. She's so giddy that it makes me feel like I'm taking a prisoner who has been in isolation for a month outside for the first time! She lollygags the whole way back inside and then tears and leaps back to our door. I laugh every time, but a little part of me feels guilty. 

And then I think about how I only work three days a week and that she goes to the dog park for several hours every day. At least. Dog? You and me, we're ok.

*bad vs badly? May I direct you here? I love, love, love this woman- I give you permission to geek out and read her other stuff.

Sounds about right

I think the Happy Hospitalist is onto something here. There's the positive Spaghetti Sign* and now I give to you the Twenty Sign.

*The inverse relationship between survival and lines, tubes, and drains.

What's "combover" in Italian?

Gazza's fauxhawk is getting really long. In fact, it won't stand up straight unless she's really dirty and the mud that's caked in provides structural support. So when I came home tonight from work I had to laugh. She'd gone out in the pouring rain today with Bob (dogwalker extraordinaire) and then obviously been cleaned off with a hose. Her poor little fauxhawk now looks like a bad combover as it lies on one side of her head.

The fashionistas of Seattle, that's us!

Got pain?

Just head to Germany for a short coma. Mmmm, ketamine. Interesting.

Then please get back to me with the 411!

Even harder to get at than my mother's wrapping jobs

Despite my beef with peppermint (Um, ew. Beef and peppermint should never be in the same sentence. My apologies), I still nibble on the occasional candy cane. 

Has anybody else noticed how every candy cane seems to have been shrink wrapped and requires dexterity and brain power beyond what you would expect to unwrap a piece of candy?

A little too close to home

I may have posted this before, but it bears posting again (and again and again). Seeing it this time around made me feel a bit more sick because of what I've seen at work recently. I didn't quite understand why the video portrayed the family's response so violently and in the way that they did. I'm beginning to understand, though.

The video was a bit of a catharsis for me. Please go hug your family as if it were the last.

You can keep your minty freshness!

I'm not a big fan of candy canes. There, I've said it. I'm not anti-Christmas or anything, I just don't like them is all. Maybe I used to, but I can tell you why I don't now.

Back in the days my parents fondly refer to as "the fog," I had a lot of migraines. Mercifully they are not so common anymore. There was one particular medication that worked best when given as a shot (usually in the bum by my mom). And it burned. So when faced with a choice of having jackhammers in my head or a burning bum (still with the jackhammers), I chose what seemed most reasonable at the time- to refuse the shot. 

The drug company wised up after a few years and made a sublingual tab. Unfortunately they never took psychology 101 where they would have learned about Pavlov's dog. So now the taste and smell of peppermint bring me right back to the horrible headaches, chalky taste of faux-peppermint, and nausea. If I want a flashback, just bring out the peppermint.

Incidentally, whoever embalmed our cadavers in college missed psych 101 as well (they must have been partying with the chemistry majors). We can all agree that formaldehyde smells pretty disgusting. Rather than masking the smell with something benign, however, they masked it with wintergreen. It took me years to pop in a piece of wintergreen gum without seeing the image of a cadaver in front of me. It still sometimes catches me off guard.

Every once in a while we'll use peppermint at work to help with nausea. I wish I could say I enjoy that refreshing smell, especially in the setting of the ICU, but I would be lying. I don't and it makes me feel nauseous.

Here's to hoping

Hope is the thing with feathers

That perches in the soul,

And sings the tune without the words,

And never stops at all,

And sweetest in the gale is heard;

And sore must be the storm

That could abash the little bird

That kept so many warm.

I've heard it in the chilliest land

And on the strangest sea;

Yet, never, in extremity,

It asked a crumb of me.

Emily Dickinson

Days like today leave a lot to be hoped for.

Pillows shmillows

After the whole couch thing, I had begun to suspect The Beast was also sleeping not only on my bed but on the pillows when I'm at work. I chose to overlook the whole thing because, hey, she's staying at home, right? After all, what's a little dog hair?

After three straight days of rain, I'll tell you what it is- a whole lot of mud on my pillows tonight!

And yet... she's staying at home, right?

Real hospital social drama

I know it's lame to post just to link to another blog, but it's short and captured my feelings pretty well. Most hospitals have the whole no jewelry thing going on for valid reasons, but it CAN make interactions a little more... uncertain is all. I think the resulting social situation is funny. 

So, Ringa Ding Dong!

After all, who says a ring means you're off the market anyway? *cough* McCreepy *cough*

In which I sit ten feet from my idol and squeal like a little girl

Matt Nathanson quickly became one of my favorite singers after I first heard of him. I could listen to him nearly any day at any time. So you might understand my sadness when I say I wasn't able to get tickets to his show last night. Fate, however, smiled upon me today (incidentally, it was possibly the only thing shining today. Rain, rain go away...)

Walking out of an unplanned stop at Barnes and Noble, I did a double take when I saw a poster of him... advertising a show... at B&N... for free... tonight. I went all seventh grade girl in the store and hopped around on my good foot when they handed me wrist bands for two people. Oh man. So Erica and I had another fabulous date night tonight (despite the rocky start to the evening). 

My buddy Matt didn't disappoint. In fact, his band played as well and entertained us with good humor. He even gave an impromptu reading of Nicole Richie's new book "The Truth About Diamonds." He was as disgusted as the rest of us and tossed it off stage. Nice. I would highly recommend his shows.

Matt? I love you.

From November 2008

Listening to for the thousandth time

Can't.... stop.... listening....

Thanks Jeremy! I think.

PSA

Has anybody ever stopped the dryer mid-cycle to, oh, I don't know, see if things are dry enough to wear or something? I did that last night, and as I was pawing through the load my hands were burning! I had to wait for the clothes to cool!

No really! I'm of the school of thought that "if it can't handle being washed in warm water and dried with everything else, it doesn't belong in my wardrobe." And when I say "dried with everything else," that generally means on the hot setting. Well friends, I'm here to tell you that that setting is hot. How is everything I own not five sizes smaller??

My dear clothes, I'm so sorry. I'll be nicer next time.

Still haven't solved the big mysteries though

I had taken a nap last week before a dentist appointment. Waking up shortly before I had to be there, I threw the dog a bone (literally) and skeedaddled out. A short time later, I was in the chair waiting for him in the little exam room. My mind still wasn't banging on all cylinders yet, so I lay there watching the fish mobile in the corner. I've always found them amusing, mobiles. I have to deconstruct them each time, trying to make sense of gravity's pull on each of the hanging pieces such that the whole thing stays in balance. It seems they are constantly in motion.

I think that's what lead to the following thoughts. The dentist's office was quiet for a few moments while people were occupied with whatever they were doing. As I lay there quietly watching the mobile, I was noticing its continued motion even when you'd think the air currents had stopped. For some reason, the idea of its continued motion after everyone goes home at night struck me as kind of... creepy. I couldn't explain to you why, exactly. Something about the mobile's movement in the absence of people just seems weird.

I think that realization surprised me. My theory is that we adapt to our surroundings (duh). In the city, motion is closely tied to people. Cities are driven by people and if you take them out, it seems to me that things should largely be... still. That stillness indicates alone-ness. But then place yourself outside of the city, away from people, and that changes. If you're ever out somewhere and sense complete stillness, then something is weird- or about to go badly. You are probably not alone.

I don't know. Food for thought.

Newton's fourth law

You know that bruise on my elbow? No? Well, there's a bruise on my elbow. 

Sure, I tell you it's from soccer, but the dirty, ugly truth is... I did it to myself. And while I wish I could tell you I hit it on the counter or wall, the truth is even worse: I banged my elbow on my own hip. That's right, both of them are bony enough and I was moving fast enough to connect with enough force to both hear from a distance and leave a bruise. 

Isn't there some sort of law of physics that prohibits this sort of thing from happening?

Addendum: interesting to note- if you Google "Newton's fourth law," you'll get an interesting page of results. Apparently I'm not the first to come up with this idea. How sad.

Simple math

In the process of talking about our dogs and showing off pictures of them at work the other day, we were ooohhh-ing and awwwww-ing. There was one photo of Melissa's dog that showed his little yorkie lips. I've always thought Yorkie puppies were some of the cutest ever, but her dog is only half so and has retained the puppy look. So cute!

Anyway, I've come to a conclusion- in the same way that "all babies are cute," all dog lips are cute. That's right. Dog lips = cute.

Office supply physics

Can't afford a simple finger x-ray in today's economy? Have no fear, Scotch tape is here!

Mud and electricity

I learned how to jump a car today:

First you clamp to the positive electrode of the running car. Next you clamp to the positive electrode of the dead car. Then you clamp to the negative electrode of the running car. Finally, you attach the remaining clamp to the dead car's frame as a ground. Then you try to start it.

Thank you, kind soccer mom and most awesome soccer team ever (that would be mine)! It was rainy and muddy today, but we had fun :)

This, my friends, is what texting is all about

Gina

in a car, oh i'm in a car. but not driving

Wenikio

uh oh! did you forget where the steering wheel is?

Gina

i'm in the back seat. perhaps i should look up front?

Wenikio

i hear they hide them up there in he new cars. i miss you- why aren't you in seattle?

Gina

poor navigation mostly. figure out what i should do with my life yet?

Wenikio

be a pilot.

Gina

lies! i'm afraid of heights. kind of.

Wenikio

well driver's ed teacher is definitely out.

Ouch

In the words of today's charge nurse, "there's sad and then there's terribly sad."

Sad: causing or associated with grief or unhappiness

Terrible: difficult, extreme, great, extremely bad

This patient wasn't just sad. This patient was terribly sad.

No thanks, I'll just die...

I've laughed with friends about when to pull the plug on me. I think I've made it clear that except in certain circumstances, I'm DNR. For the love, please just let me go peacefully! One of the other things that I refuse under any circumstance is a rectal tube. Do what you must, but when it comes time for that, I'll pass thanks.

I thought that was the worst, but boy was I wrong! Apparently to cure C. Diff (for which you usually have the rectal tube in the first place), they are now doing "fecal transplants." Dear sweet Jesus, I can't handle it. I'll take death with dignity over diarrhea and a poop transplant any day!

Sick.

Addendum: How in the world are rectal tubes over $600?? Especially considering most of them leak anyway!

...but it was called in my favor

When the ref says, "I saw that coming fifteen yards away," you are probably too stunned on the ground to hear him. And when your eyes stop watering enough to see everybody's concerned looks turn into laughter, it's time to get out of the dirt and start running again.

Here's to hoping I don't wake up with a black eye!

The kid in the hall

I've been reading Ali's African Adventures for some time now. I really admire both her writing and perspective on her job. She's doing something I would very much like to do in the future. Some of her stuff is serious and other stuff is hilarious. 

Her most recent post cracks me up. After reading her blog for a while, you begin to understand how lucky we are in US hospitals and how very different healthcare is abroad (especially, in her case, Liberia). It appears, however, that one thing is universal- you can't be naked in the hall.

The Beast likes milk

Why am I surprised? Also, is this normal?

I dare you

You know those questions that seem inane enough, but are loaded in a way that they shouldn't be? I've found a new one: 

Do you brush your dog's teeth?

I'm amazed at the intensity of the responses in both camps. Try it sometime. Stir the pot a bit.

This is a test, only a test

Is it bad that it's not unusual for my fire alarm to go off? When I'm cooking?

I think it's genetic because my dad used to routinely set off the fire alarm with his toast in the morning.

More shower stories!

I'm as big a proponent of shaving lets as the next woman (I think?). I mean, not every day and certainly not as often in the winter (TMI?), but in general I think it's good form. Call me a societal lemming or what have you, but it's the conclusion I've reached.

That said, in the process of shaving your legs, has it occurred to anyone else how odd it is that we scrape razors across the length of our legs in the name of being hairless? In fact, it struck me as rather absurd the more I thought about it.

Boldly going where no dog has gone before

I got a no-pay today (which is to say I got a last minute day off with vacation pay, for you non-medicals). That's good considering I went to The Paperboys last night. I'm convinced I will never tire of them and will always dance and laugh at every show. You may enjoy their music, but you'll never be able to truly appreciate them until you go to a show- and this from a non-show goer! But yeah, it was a late night...

So this morning I took The Beast to the park myself for her daily spazz out over The ball! The ball! Throw the ball! Throw it! Throw the ball! Good times on a gorgeous fall day here in Rain City (only it's not rainy at all today). Incidentally, did you know that the Northwest doesn't even enter the top rainiest cities in the U.S. until #24? And even then it's Olympia, not Seattle?

Anyway, we popped by Grandma's house for a bit where I dropped off some brownies and picked up some cookies and pickled beets. Did I mention how much I love pickled beets? No really, I love pickled beets almost as much as I love The Paperboys! So guess what I'll be having for breakfast, lunch, and dinner?

Now we're chilling at home with the doors and windows open. I'm pooped and comfy in my purple leather chair and the dog is, well, the dog is getting bold. I knew she was not only sleeping on the bed when I was at work but actually on my pillow. It's a battle I won't fight, though, because, hey, she's staying home, right? I was a little surprised, though, to see her come in from the porch, look at me, and then hop up on the couch. She scratched at the blanket there for a few seconds then plopped down and made herself comfortable. Just who taught her that, I want to know?

Fit to be tied

I left my shin guards on the floor earlier and then walked away to take a shower. When I walked out of the bathroom a bit later, Gazza was at her usual post outside the bathroom door. This time, though, she looked up at me and whined. Bending down to see what was up, I saw that her back paw had slipped through the foot hole and the top velcro strap was stuck to her dreadlocked beard. And I laughed.

How else could I assure you that she and I are meant to be together?

Kicking more than just leaves on this beautiful fall day!

Despite that last post, I want to take a moment to brag: I'm not too terribly awful at soccer (just terrible). I'm proud of myself though not delusionally so!

I haven't fallen over the ball (not fallen onto the ground, at least) and can run pretty fast up and down the field. We only play on a third of the field, I admit, but with only five people on each team we run like mad! I also won't claim to be the most aggressive of our group (my knees start balking when I think of running into the melee), but I'm not very passive either. And my coaches like me!

Why am I "bragging" you might be asking yourself. Because after class today I kicked the ball around with a friend. The team using the field after us had a game for which the other team didn't show, so they were just scrimmaging. A guy came over and asked if we'd like to join! Making it clear that we have only "played soccer" two other times, they still welcomed us on the field. Did I mention these guys were amazing? It was a lot of fun, though, and we laughed a lot. But really, my point is to say that I scored a goal! That's right, it was an ugly one but I scored!! And then I helped with a goal assist! 

Though these two things probably don't begin to offset my many ridiculous kicks into thin air, kicks offside, and practically handing the ball to the other team... I'll take them- and pretend I did it on purpose. I felt like one of the cool kids when they thanked us and told us that we did well. Weee!

My mind, it boggles!

I'm not sure what's come over me lately, but I'm just not with the program! My mind is anywhere but here. More times than I'd like to admit in the past month, I've gotten into the shower with my glasses on, put milk in the cupboard, and even parked the car and walked away only to realize I can't find my keys... because they're still in the ignition with the car running! At least I put it into park, I guess.

I'd like to tell you it's because I'm busy solving the great mysteries of the world, but the truth is I'm just lost in thoughts somewhat less productive (but probably more amusing?). So if you see me bumping into things and acting scatterbrained, just humor me and ask how my Big Bang theory is coming along, ok?

Next stop, domestic goddess!

The Beast and I did some baking tonight. We learned some things:

1. Baking soda makes whatever you're mixing expand. Choose the pot accordingly.

2. Label things. For example, do not take a swig of your homemade buttermilk (milk and white vinegar) when your regular milk is sitting two feet away.

3. Pot holders are not optional when reaching into a 400+ oven.

4. Flour can, in fact, go bad. 

It was an interesting evening. Now, brownies anyone?

And now you know

Breakfast. "The english word derives from the concept that sleep prevents eating, thus an involuntary fast occurs during sleep; this fast is broken by the first meal of the day, referred to as breakfast." (thanks, Wikipedia)

And don't I know it! There are usually two things on my mind when I first wake up- bathroom and food. Since my stomach and brain aren't on speaking terms, my belly wakes me up with loud growls. If I don't get food within an hour, I get desperate. 

While I have to eat, the list of things I can stomach within the first hour of waking up is quite short. And yes, peanut butter and cottage cheese is on it. How some people skip breakfast I'll never understand!

But I'm still smiling!

On Saturday I got a huge bruise on my left shin. Tonight I took a straight shot to my right inner arm. I'm curious to see how it will turn out. At the moment, it's throbbing and too sensitive to put ice on. Also, I hadn't had a skinned knee in years. My calves are super stiff and my neck hurts from a collision.

This is fun!!

No really. I don't know which part of me hurts the most, but the belly muscles used for laughing are in the running :)

Guess you can wear 'em twice then, eh?

There are days when you're absent-minded and then there are days when you change for bed and realize your underwear was on inside out all day.

Happens more than you'd think...

When no other word will do...

Wretched

1: deeply afflicted, dejected, or distressed in body or mind

2: extremely or deplorably bad or distressing

3: being or appearing mean, miserable, or contemptible

3: very poor in quality or ability

Food for thought

I feel compelled to say that this is not in response to anybody I know who has had a family member go through something like this. I feel it's worth posting because it paints a very realistic portrait of what happens all too often. He does it well and compassionately, I believe.

"It doesn't matter how hard you work or how many tests you order. Once a patient loses the heart for the good fight, the ultimate outcome is inevitable."

Please read the whole thing here.

What I do feel compelled to add is that sometimes (often more than we like to admit), letting go is the kindest thing. Their hearts may indeed be elsewhere- and that's ok.

Fun with science

So I was in the shower the other morning and was surprised at how far apart I could hold the lateral edges of my hands before the surface tension wasn't good enough and the water I had cupped started to just flow through. 

Try it sometime, you might be surprised!

For future reference

VooDoo Medicine Man has made a pretty awesome observation. Can I get an "amen" from you ER nurses?

I hurt...

Everywhere.

Maybe I should ease into the whole soccer and running thing. Also maybe I should invest in a pair of shin guards. I have a soccer ball sized bruise on my left shin...

*snicker*

Truth is often funnier than fiction.

...Anyway, they got everything fixed, and we filled up Granddads tank, checked the tires, and topped off the Wiper Fluid, before transporting him to the unit on an Epinephrine infusion that was dripping faster than that old broken faucet in my college dorm room that we never got fixed cause it would have cost money and we didn't pay for the water anyway...Grandpa died sometime later, not sure if it was his Kidney's who didn't have a sense of Humor about Hypo-Tension, or his Lungs were allergic to the swimming pool of Blood Products he got, or his Ticker didn't like the Aortic Crossclamp,or maybe his number came up in the Celestial Pick-6, but wateva it was, he died with a NORMAL HEMOGLOBIN by God!

Thank you Frankie!

Cool^2

At this very moment, my sitemeter is saying I've had 3,000 visits. Cool!

Also, I joined a soccer class (and then will join a league once I'm not deadly with a pair of cleats). It's fun!  The fall weather couldn't have been more gorgeous today and the people are awesome! Why did I wait so long to do this??

Musing

VW bugs are Seattle passe. We have now entered the age of Subaru (as seen at Greenlake this week)!

My car felt at home parked between the red and blue!

Trying to keep a straight face

Me

Oh look, his eyes are open! He's watching his big sister!

Big Sister

Yeah! He loves me! And this is the third time he's ever opened his eyes! The first time my mommy put the picture on her space!

Mommy

MySpace.

Big Sister

Yeah her space has lots of pictures of him!

Lights, car, action!

My car's dome light went out many months ago (six? eight?). I never bothered to replace it (or the one in The Beast's lair for that matter). I wouldn't usually mention such a blatantly lazy move (or non move in this case) except it's not just that I'm lazy- I abhor going to the car dealership.

Anyway, as I got into the car a few days ago, I noticed that the light now mysteriously turns on when the door opens. Weird.

How much energy can one 55 pound dog have??

This is the first day The Beast hasn't been doped up on oxycodone for a while. Each day as the narcs would wear off, she'd get really energetic and then go into coughing fits. She didn't cough much last night when I got home so here we are. In an effort to work off some of that pent up energy, we bladed twice around Greenlake today. 

She collapsed into the car when we headed home, so tell me, why is The Beast bouncing off the walls now? She keeps jumping and body slamming me. It's really funny, especially when she trips and summersaults. 

Stick it to me!

I got the flu shot yesterday at work. I have mixed feelings about it because I get the flu regardless every year. I guess it doesn't hurt anything (except my arm this morning! Holy moly my arm is killing me!), but still. What's the point? (needle... point... hahahehewhew. Come on, it was funny...)

Ahem, moving on. Now that I've taken a shot at beating the flu (hehe), we'll see how things go.

Random oddness

I've found I'm not so unusual in preferring to drink water without ice. What I'd really like to know, though, is if anybody else can't chew gum and drink water?

... no, not in the same way that I can't chew gum and walk... I mean, you get this rush of flavor from the gum making it difficult to swallow the water. I avoid it at all costs. Anyone else?

The crazee house

I was brushing my teeth last night when a gigantic moth flew into the bathroom, circling around me. Toothbrush in mouth, waving my arms above my head, I ran shrieking into the family room. The poor dog, roused from her narcotic coma, cocked her head at me and jumped up. Without thinking, I pointed to the bathroom and sputtered "go get it!" 

Surprisingly, she did. In fact, she jumped into the tub after the moth, leaped out and ricocheted off the toilet before jumping straight up to catch it. And then she walked calmly to me, dropped it at my feet, and sat down. By this point I'd already snorted toothpaste foam from laughing so hard. As it pathetically tried to fly away, bumping along the ground, Gazza kept picking it up and dropping it back at my feet. 

Figuring she didn't want to eat it (not that I blame her), I got the nerve up to squish the poor moth and toss it away. As I knelt down to give Gazza a hug and scratch her ears, she gave me one lick on the cheek. I was stunned.

I can count on one hand the number of times Gazza has "kissed" me. So tell me, how is it that she saved me last night and I get a kiss for it?

When staying inside isn't so bad

One of the things I love most about this apartment is the fireplace. I couldn't wait for the weather to get cold enough to light it up every night. Now that it's fall, I get to leave the porch door wide open and the fire going. Why is the door open, you might ask? Because I've no doubt the thing could heat the entire state of Rhode Island. The pilot light itself generates enough heat to warrant turning it off in the summer months.

The past several nights have been ideal for my favorite part of cold nights here in Seattle: I get the fire going, let a cool breeze in, turn off the lights, light the candles, and put on some mellow music. I love it. It's so cozy in here (especially in My Chair!). Time ceases to exist as I read, nap, or relax with Gazza snoring at my feet.

We should all be so lucky. And if you're super lucky maybe I'll let you join me :)

Lucky me

I was looking through some pictures the other day and ran across this one from the New River Gorge last fall:

It occurred to me that I've now seen the most gorgeous sunrise possible in the East and many equally beautiful sunsets in the West. 

Snippits

Went to a new church tonight. Still love FPCB but thought I'd give this one a try because it's closer and has a big group of people my age this side of Lake Washington. Nice folks but the jury is still out. Not exactly sure what I'm looking for, so we'll see.

But I wonder, what is it with big groups of people that completely shuts me down? I get seriously awkward. I'm not usually that socially retarded. Somebody help this girl...

The Beast is getting better, but I don't honestly know if it's because she's getting over it or because the narcotics are working. Have you ever heard a dog with kennel cough? I alternately laugh out loud and try to calm her down.

Cara and I went for breakfast at The Dish in Ballard this morning. I have to say it's not quite as awesome as the ol' Portage Bay Cafe, but it sure was good! Then we found all sorts of little treasures at the Fremont Market... 

Music dump... round two

I've been listening to a lot of Pandora lately. I've really fallen in love with my Joe Purdy playlist. And so for your listening pleasure today, here are some more new artists I've been enjoying (and could find samples to embed)...

Ray Lamontage: perhaps the most romantic singer ever, totally hot in my eyes, and here on a day that I work :(

Joe Purdy

Keb' Mo'

Bob Schneider

Deb Talan

(of the amazing duo The Weepies)

Ryan Adams

A.A. Bondy

Iron & Wine

You're welcome.

Don't judge a blog by it's cover...

Given that The Beast has begun acting like a dog and now stays home without self-destructing, I'm wondering if it's time for a new subtitle. Ideas?

In which I have fun with italics

The dog has kennel cough. First of all, she got the vaccination! Secondly, we were at the vet yesterday for her yearly checkup and she was just fine! So here we sit, not camping in the Cascades. Instead I am serenaded by the fire tonight by the soft melody of her hacking up a lung and throwing up. And that's with the narcotics (cough suppressant). *sigh* I wouldn't trade her for the world, though... Beast though she is, she's my beast.

So I have a question to pose. Regardless of how you all usually respond (email, in person, comments, whatever), I'd like to hear your thoughts. So here: we didn't curse in our family growing up. I mean, as kids we obviously didn't, but neither did our parents that I can remember. I know sometimes it seems only such a word will do, and I take advantage of that too. I notice pretty much every time one comes up, though, and don't usually care for it, but so it goes- they're just words. But really, how do you guys feel when people use them frequently? Do you even notice? And girls, is it a turn off when guys do that? I feel like it's really obnoxious and rude. Ready? Set? Discuss.