My Life

10 am

2012-02-07T10:21:00.000-08:00

I didn't want to get out of bed. My alarm went off three times. Finally, the husband opened the curtains and said he'd make breakfast. I'm up, but I can't stop yawning. It's just one of those days.

super bowl

2012-02-05T16:02:00.000-08:00

I certainly hope I got my information correct. I don't know anything about football even though I live with an avid sports fan. When the hubby starts talking sports, I swear I hear the noise that Charlie Brown's teacher makes when speaking. Might as well be gibberish :)

words

2012-02-02T16:03:00.000-08:00

my view today

2012-02-01T20:54:00.000-08:00

Most of the time this is my view in the library. I almost posted a photo of the view in another direction, but it was too horrifying. No one needs to see that much filing and microfiche.

howdy!

2012-01-29T08:44:00.000-08:00

Yes, I'm alive :)

So, for Christmas I asked for a wireless SD memory card for my camera so that I could upload photos and blog regularly. There are currently a boatload of photos that I want to liberate from my camera and share with you, but I've been too crazy to do it lately.

Christmas was a month ago and my lovely new wireless memory card is still sitting in the package. This past holiday season really took the stuffing out of me. I was completely overwhelmed--to the point that I started off 2012 with a ridiculous cold, followed by the sinus infection from hell. Oh, and did I mention the chronic headaches?

In any case, I've decided decided that I'm finally going to snap out of my funk. Starting February 1, 2012. Stay tuned!

miley moo

2011-12-05T23:03:00.000-08:00

i want a beagle

2011-12-01T10:12:00.000-08:00

I'll probably spend the rest of the day obsessing about these dogs:

I've always thought beagles were cute, but I had no idea their dispositions made them ideal for lab testing :( Makes me sad. Seems so wrong to treat dogs this way.

It doesn't bother me to think of rats and mice being kept in cages and having experiments conducted on them. I think it goes back to my Rat Lab days. I was a psychology major, and in one of my behavioral classes we had to teach our rat how to press a lever to get a drink of water. At the end of the semester I had to decide Sunny's fate.

He was a good rat and caught on to the whole lever thing quickly. When the class was over, I didn't want to give him to the zoo for snake food. My professor felt that the rats had been bred specifically for this purpose, and once they'd served that purpose, it was perfectly acceptable to let zoo animals make a meal of them.

Some students found homes for their rats or, like me, ended up taking them home as a pet. Having a rat for a pet was not ideal. Sunny was an escape artist and he could chew through anything! I bought him a ball so that he could run around the house, but he always got himself stuck in corners. I had him for about a year, then one day he escaped while I was cleaning his cage :(

I probably should have given him to the snakes. Instead he was probably eaten by whatever vicious creatures that lived in our backyard. Poor Sunny.

Anyway, I think that using beagles as lab animals is sad because I've never thought of them as anything other than pets. It's easy to see them bonding to humans in that way. Rats and mice, on the other hand, make me think of garbage and the plague. In any case, is animal testing on one type of animal more acceptable than others? Not really :(

Treat yo' self

2011-11-26T17:00:00.000-08:00

Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Wes and I did our usual Thanksgiving routine and it was great... except for the part where the plumbing went crazy as we were trying to clean up :( Mel, Nate and I ended up doing dishes as if we were camping and let me tell you, that was an adventure. It made us really thankful for (working) indoor plumbing, that's for sure.

In the end, we did manage to wash everything that didn't fit into the dishwasher. We sang a few verses of Celine Dion and discussed the merits of sponge bathing. There was wine involved. Just trust me when I say, you had to be there to understand what I'm talking about.

Now that Thanksgiving is over, we're eyeballs-deep in Christmas preparation and shopping. And while you're out and about doing nice things for others, please remember to take a moment to treat yo' self. It's only right.

bacon dip

2011-11-20T08:36:00.000-08:00

We are officially entering the holiday season. That means party, party, par-tay. Whew--I'm tired just thinking about it.

This bacon dip is ridiculously easy to whip up. Serve it with your favorite veggies and bread or chips or crackers--whatever you have on hand. It's like crack, I tell you. People won't stop eating it until it's gone :)

cheddar dill scones

2011-11-06T08:23:00.000-08:00

I've decided that I'm not a huge fan of dill. I'm not completely opposed to it, but I won't go out of my way to eat dilly stuff.

I really only figured this out after I made Ina's cheddar dill scones. I love a good savory scone and these definitely delivered. I just kept wishing they weren't so dilly. They were delicious, but dilly. And if you like dill, these will totally ring your bell.

If you're like me, you're better off trying Ina's strawberry scones instead.

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T23:31:00.000-07:00

see more Funny Graphs

light show

2011-10-26T08:42:00.000-07:00

Crazy good, right?? If this doesn't make you smile then... you are the Halloween equivalent of the Grinch. I'm not exactly sure what that's called, but you're it.

cranberry bliss bars

2011-10-23T09:00:00.000-07:00

I've never had these from Starbucks, but I've heard people ooh and aah over them. I don't know why, but they've never called to me from the display case. What's my problem, right?

It turns out I have all of the ingredients to make cranberry bliss bars sitting in my kitchen on any given day. I can make a whole pan of them to share with people without emptying my wallet into the Starbucks coffers :) And these these bars are very tasty! I still don't know how they compare to Starbucks, but I'm ok with that.

happy

2011-10-19T08:17:00.000-07:00

Happy. Patient. Elegant. Peaceful.

dilly beans

2011-10-18T10:31:00.000-07:00

One of the husband's favorite things I've canned is dilly beans. He generally loves pickles, so these are right up his alley. Some people snack on potato chips, but Wes snacks on dilly beans.

Kim taught Jodie and I how to make these and we used beans from her very impressive garden. It was fun and very easy to do! Can't wait to do it again:

1. Prepare your water bath, jars and lids. Get your brine going on the stove.

2. Wash and trim your beans to fit in your jars.

3. Place a whole clove of garlic (peeled), a few slices of carrots (for color) and one sprig of fresh dill into each of your hot jars.

4. Stuff as many green beans as you can into each jar. Really pack them in there.

5. Pour brine into jars, making sure to leave the proper head space.

6. Process for 10 minutes.

7. Let the jars cool and seal. Refrigerate before serving.

We used the water/vinegar proportions from the recipe linked at the top. Instead of cayenne, we used red pepper flakes. Since Wes likes spicy things, I'll be more generous with that next time. We also used fresh dill rather than dill seed. I'm thinking this really changes the flavor, but since I don't have dill seed in my spice drawer anyway, it's just as easy to grab some fresh dill from the grocery store.

If the hubby doesn't eat them all, I think these would be nice as part of an appetizer tray. Meats, cheeses, olives, dilly beans, etc. Sounds good, right?

scrapper

2011-10-16T22:04:00.000-07:00

Oh, sure. He looks harmless enough. Like an adolescent cat, really. Well under 10 lbs.

He is really fast. Good at evading larger cats in the neighborhood. Good at chasing down smaller cats in the neighborhood.

It's only taken two years, but he's finally getting better at slapping Milo around--hehe :) Tonight alone, Neek attacked Milo out of the blue twice. Milo, who is used to being the aggressor, was terribly confused. Neither cat was hurt and I totally LMAO.

laaaaaaaaate night

2011-10-08T18:22:00.000-07:00

Who knew the International District was such a happening place in the middle of the night?

We went out to celebrate Larry's birthday last night. Started off at Blue C Sushi in Bellevue. Drinks and dancing at Lucky Strike. Chinese food at 1:30 AM at Honey Court.

And boy were we hungry by the time the honey walnut prawns, special pot... and some kind of tofu made it to our table. The whole restaurant was packed! Wes and I had never been there before, but apparently Larry and Christina think of this as their 2 AM grub of choice on the rare occasion they are out that late. I really have no idea what we ate, but I do recall being very happy about all of it :)

The craziest part of the whole thing was all the people! We had to park a couple of blocks away from Honey Court, so we walked past a handful of other open establishments when we left before 3 AM. There were still so many people out and about. I just couldn't believe it.

still guilty

2011-10-07T14:01:00.000-07:00

Skip the first one--total yawn. Characters and dancing were totally forgettable. Second one was better on both fronts. This one has the best dancing and music and acting by far. Love the Red Hook scene (I refuse to call it a battle), particularly the robot part in the first clip. And the water feature in the second clip was more effective than the downpour from the second movie finale. Plus the tango in this last movie makes me wish I could dance :)

guilty pleasure

2011-10-07T13:06:00.000-07:00

Don't judge me.

60 seconds

2011-10-06T09:00:00.000-07:00

This video has almost convinced me that I can do this:

You'll recall my deep and abiding fear of pie crust from this incident. But, I'm trying to shake it off! The holidays are just around the corner and I would love to be able to make a pie or two.

pumpkin carving

2011-10-04T23:06:00.000-07:00

Yes, I know it's only October 4 and Halloween is still 4 weeks away, but Wes and I have pumpkins :)

We went to a pumpkin carving birthday party for Marc this past weekend. I had no idea you could even buy carving pumpkins yet. Wes and I always wait until the very last minute to carve ours... like Halloween day. Anyway, we usually just start hacking our own designs, but this time there were patterns at the party and we both ended up choosing ghosts. What you can't see from the pictures is how neat Wesley's pumpkin is. My pumpkin is pretty stringy and shaggy. hehe

Left to right: Mandy, Marc, Wes

Neil, Rachel, me

Of course, a handful of people decided not to carve pumpkins because they'll be moldy and gross before Halloween. And the second wave of carvers were still hard at work by the time the hubby and I left. I'm thinking we'll have to carve a couple more closer to the 31st :)

coasters

2011-10-03T08:29:00.000-07:00

I made these coasters as a housewarming gift for Max and Beth. I was very pleased with the finished product. It was so easy to do!

First off, I gathered my supplies. I already had the old nautical map upstairs in the Man Cave along with leftover felt from another project. I also had some spray adhesive sitting around. I stopped at Jo-Ann Fabrics for some Mod Podge and foam brushes. Then I headed over to Home Depot to buy some ceramic tiles and clear spray paint.

I've had this old nautical map of the Puget Sound since my Gov Docs days in college. At one point it was framed and hung in my living room because I thought it looked cool. I am past my map phase now, but I thought Max might get a kick out of it since he works on a ferry.

Anyway, I cut eight 4-inch squares out of the map. I concentrated on areas closest to water because of the whole ferry thing. And since it was a nautical map, the land areas were pretty drab. No one wants a drab coaster.

So once I had my squares cut out, I used some Mod Podge to stick them to the tiles. Following the instructions on the bottle, I brushed a nice coat on top of the paper... then I freaked out. There were bubbles under the paper! I tried to smooth them out with with my brush. I piled on more Mod Podge. It didn't help :( I was totally frustrated.

Then Wes took me to SushiLand so that I could walk away and chill out. We also stopped at Home Depot so that I could buy more tiles and start over. Thankfully the tiles weren't terribly expensive and it was a big map. Unfortunately I had used all the best parts of it and I wasn't too keen on what was left :(

But when we got home, the tiles were dried and completely smooth. Yipee! Anyway, I did a couple more coats of Mod Podge and let them dry overnight. The following day I cut out 4-inch squares of felt and used spray adhesive to stick them to the underside of the tiles. Lastly, I sprayed the tops of the coasters with a couple coats of clear spray paint and let them dry for 24 hours.

Piece of cake :)

:)

2011-09-27T08:25:00.000-07:00

Cats are awesome and kids totally recognize this. So they go ahead and draw things like this:

All of these make me smile, but the last one is my absolute favorite. Reminds me of Milo. If my kid gave me this picture, I'd frame it :)

toffee chocolate chip cookies

2011-09-26T10:47:00.000-07:00

I'm not really into Heath bars. If I'm going to eat a candy bar, my first choice would be Snickers. But really, I don't usually eat candy. I figure if I'm going to eat something with lots of sugar and zero nutritional value, I'll save myself for some baked goodness :)

These toffee chocolate chip cookies fit that bill. In this case, I will eat some crushed Heath bars that have gotten cozy with chocolate chips and cookie dough :) My one tip would be to refrigerate the dough before baking and pull them out while they still look a little underbaked--if you like a chewy cookie. If you like a crispy cookie, skip the refrigerator and remove them from the oven when they're a nice golden brown.

In both cases, a scoop of vanilla ice cream (on the side OR sandwiched between two cookies) is completely appropriate. Enjoy!

home alone

2011-09-23T16:48:00.000-07:00

see more Lolcats and funny pictures, and check out our Socially Awkward Penguin lolz!

peanut butter cup cookies

2011-09-20T10:06:00.000-07:00

So you should know by now about my love of anything mini or individualized when it comes to food. I coo over such things the way other people do with babies and animals. Yes, I'm weird like that.

Anyway, you make these little darlings in mini muffin pans :) I get really excited about any excuse to use my mini muffin pans. Especially when the results are so yummy.

Just make sure to let these cool completely in the pan before trying to remove them. I learned the hard way that these are not cookies that can be enjoyed right out of the oven. It is terrible, but don't give in to the temptation to try these when they're still warm!! They just smoosh and fall apart if you take them out of the pan too soon :( Trust me when I say that these are definitely worth the wait.

jammin'

2011-09-19T10:17:00.000-07:00

That's what Wes calls my new obsession. I keep telling him it's actually called canning, but he prefers jamming :) I guess it does sound more festive that way.

My dear friend Kim has been canning since we were in college. Ages ago, I told her that we have two very productive pear trees in our backyard. Most of the fruit goes to waste because the hubby and I can't possibly consume that much fruit all at once. So Kimmie brought over her canning supplies and taught Jodie and I to can. So exciting!!

We decided to make pear ginger jam and pear cardamom butter. Sounds delish, right?

To begin, Kim filled the canner with water and brought it up to a boil. We removed the lids and rings from our jars then placed the lids in a small saucepan to simmer in water. The rings were set aside and the empty jars were placed in the canner.

Next came the fun part. We peeled and chopped and grated and measured our ingredients.

We followed the recipes and cooked down our pears. When they were done cooking, Kim pulled the empty jars out of the canner. Jodie filled them up. I wiped the rims and placed the lids on top. Kim screwed the rings on tight and plopped the jars back in the canner.

At that point, you make sure the water covers the tops of your jars by at least one inch. Bring the water back up to a boil. Once the water starts boiling you can set your timer for the amount specified in the recipe. In our case, the pear jam and butter had to process (boil) for 10 minutes.

Take the jars out of the water bath and set them in a place where they won't be disturbed while they cool.

As they cool, you'll hear the lids give a little pop. That pop means you've canned successfully :) You want to make sure that you don't move them until you hear that sound so that you do not disrupt the sealing process. This could take a few minutes or a few hours, up to overnight. Just depends on the size of your jars. Anyway, if you press down on the lid, it won't give if it is properly sealed. If your jars do not seal properly, you'll want to stick them in your fridge and use them right away.

Kim, Jodie and I made labels while waiting for our jars to seal.

Ok, let's be honest--I mostly organized the paper supplies and read the cookbook while Kim and Jodie got creative :) If you received a jar of pear stuff from me, I'm sure you're disappointed with my labeling effort. Kitchen twine and a postage stamp-shaped tag was all I could muster.

Anyway, store your canned stuff in a cool dark place for maximum shelf-life. Most stuff keeps for a year. Except for this stuff. I think I only have one jar of pear ginger jam left!

crazy

2011-09-15T10:12:00.000-07:00

see more Funny Graphs

hot fudge

2011-09-14T10:09:00.000-07:00

Oh, sure. You could just grab a bottle of Hershey's when you pick up a pint of your favorite ice cream. But why??

Hot fudge is ridiculously easy to make. Just a handful of ingredients rather than the 52 listed on the Hershey's label. Actually, I'm not sure how many ingredients are listed on the Hershey's label, but I do know that it is more than five :)

When I made this stuff, people literally took a spoon to it and just oohed and aahed. It's that good. Seriously, just try it.

Heath Bar Blondies

2011-09-13T10:34:00.000-07:00

I have made these blondies on three separate occasions. They disappeared so quickly all three times that I know they are delish. In fact, the hubby said I wasn't allowed to make them again because he can stop himself from eating them.

I think these would go best with some ice cream. Maybe a little drizzle of hot fudge or caramel sauce?

That's probably just gilding the lilly, right? hehe

Soba Salad

2011-09-11T23:29:00.000-07:00

Eat this for lunch! It's a good way to use up that leftover chicken sitting in your fridge right now.

I feel like you could make this salad with any noodle you like, really. Any cabbage you have on hand, too. And while you're at it, toss in some mushrooms or something. Maybe some red pepper flakes for a little kick :)

If you're feeling really dedicated, you could shred the cabbage the night before and let it soak in the dressing until you're ready to use it the following day. It will be sort of pickled and totally yummy--if you're into that sort of thing :)

old people

2011-09-04T07:55:00.000-07:00

see more Funny Graphs

I'm not trying to be a hipster... I just thought I was old :)

The Hunger Games

2011-08-29T08:19:00.000-07:00

Have you read these books yet?? If you haven't, I really think you should give this series a try. Although it is YA fiction, I feel like the only big thing that makes them "young adult" is the fact that the main characters are teenagers. The story is pretty harsh and violent, so even though the happy-ish ending brings a satisfying closure, it's not terribly upbeat. The main character, Katniss, is strong and capable, which is fantastic. I love it when girls kick ass :) And despite the romantic triangle between Katniss, Peeta and Gale (this is YA afterall), the real story is about the characters finding the courage to press on despite their hardships.

PLEASE IGNORE ALL COMPARISONS OF THIS SERIES TO THOSE BOOKS BY STEPHENIE MEYER! They are entirely different creatures. Really, the only commonality between them is the fact that the main characters are teenagers. And if you're really technical about it, that's not true either since Edward et al. just look like teenagers.

Anyway--although I'm not a teenager anymore, I did attempt to watch the MTV awards last night just to catch a glimpse of the trailer for the Hunger Games movie that hits theaters next year. I missed that part because I couldn't handle the spectacle. I'm obviously not the demographic MTV caters to anymore and I'm ok with that. What a bunch of shallow, rediculous characters!

All of this is just to say that I am really looking forward to the Hunger Games movies :) The books were fantastic and I think the story will translate well on screen. The casting looks great and as long as I ignore further MTV promos for the movie, I'll be ok. hehe

craving a hot pocket

2011-08-28T09:02:00.000-07:00

see more My Food Looks Funny

I would definitely be part of group 2 (revulsion). The filling in those suckers is like molten lava! OUCH!!

The Mindset List

2011-08-24T08:42:00.000-07:00

So, for the past few days I've been seeing articles referencing Belloit's 2015 Mindset List. This list describes characteristics of college freshmen who will graduate in 2015. It's meant to be used as a tool to bridge the generational gap between faculty and students--in an amusing sort of way.

Let me just say--I'M OLD. Reading some of the items on the 2015 list made me laugh. Or, I should say, LOL:

14. All their lives, Whitney Houston has always been declaring “I Will Always Love You.”
15. O.J. Simpson has always been looking for the killers of Nicole Simpson and Ronald Goldman.
22. John Wayne Bobbitt has always slept with one eye open.
32. Their older siblings have told them about the days when Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake and Christina Aguilera were Mouseketeers.
39. Moderate amounts of red wine and baby aspirin have always been thought good for the heart.
54. They’ve grown up with George Stephanopoulos as the Dick Clark of political analysts.
56. They’ve always wanted to be like Shaq or Kobe: Michael Who?
57. They’ve often broken up with their significant others via texting, Facebook, or MySpace.
63. They won’t go near a retailer that lacks a website.
68. Andy Warhol is a museum in Pittsburgh.

I am SOOOOO OLD that Belloit doesn't even have a Mindset List for the year that I graduated from college (2001). Their oldest list is for the class of 2002, but that's close enough, right? For these people:

2. They have no meaningful recollection of the Reagan era, and did not know he had ever been shot. (But, I DO know that he was an actor before his gig in the White House!)
11. Bottle caps have not always been screw off, but have always been plastic. They have no idea what a pull top can looks like.
17. There have always been red M&Ms, and blue ones are not new. What do you mean there used to be beige ones?
29. They have no idea when or why Jordache jeans were cool.
39. The Titanic was found? I thought we always knew where it was.

While these lists make me feel old, I've decided that I'm glad to be the age I am :) I'm finding that I have a very low tolerance for people in their late teens and early 20s. I am easily annoyed by them. Sometimes I feel like American society is seriously going to hell in a handbasket with these kids. They are self-centered and oblivious to others. They need constant hand-holding because they lack any sort of judgment or common sense. It's such a bummer.

Key Lime Bars

2011-08-23T08:33:00.000-07:00

I made these for the first time back in June. They are so good that I've made them twice more since then. Let me just warn you--they're dangerously yummy.

I've made these with key limes and regular ol' Persian limes and both varieties tasted great. The key limes were sort of annoying to work with because they were small, so zesting and juicing them took more time. If you're using Persian limes, just make sure you are using fresh lime juice--NOT bottled.

I also tried to substitute graham crackers for the animal crackers one time and that was... eh. My suggestion would be to avoid graham crackers and go with the animal crackers. They make a much tastier crust.

Finally, don't skimp on the cooling and refrigerating with these guys. The texture really is the best when they're cold. This is the perfect make-ahead dessert. In fact, someone I work with put a piece in the freezer (well wrapped, of course) for about 6 weeks and just ate it recently. The flavor was still there and since it really is better eaten cold, the freezing didn't harm the texture :)

Emerald Downs

2011-08-21T08:50:00.000-07:00

Wes chose a fantastic day for us to go to the races! We typically head down there once a year. I'm not big on gambling, so really I just like to hang out cheer on the underdogs :)

Here they are, setting up the gates:

While the crew is doing that, the participants take a walk around the track. Why do they do this in pairs? The other guy isn't racing--just keeping company to calm pre-race jitters? Will someone explain this to me?

And they're off!

In a minute they're back and barreling toward the finish line:

So Wes gave me some money to play with. Out of the 8 races, I only bet on 4. Three were complete busts. The fourth time was a total fluke. I wasn't going to bet anything, but Wes said I should bet on Caveman Kitchen because of the 'kitchen' in his name. Apparently the hubby associates all things kitchen with me--even horses. He was a very nice looking grey horse and the teller at the bank said to always bet on grey. Well, with two mintues left to post, I put $3 on Caveman Kitchen to place. THEN I WON $15!

The hubby didn't do so well this time, but it was still a lot of fun :)

headin' south

2011-08-20T22:15:00.000-07:00

Wes has been dying to go back to the Marination Station ever since I took him there in May. So he said we needed to eat there on our way to Emerald Downs. Who am I to say no to some kim chee fried rice?

Along with our fried rice (don't forget the kalbi!!), we had kalua pork sliders and spicy pork tacos. So. Freakin'. Good.

Note to self--refrain from ordering spicy food in hot weather. Too sweaty! hehe

chocolate chip muffins

2011-08-19T06:38:00.000-07:00

I have an idea for you this weekend:

Who doesn't love a fresh muffin for breakfast? These particular muffins are fantastic. I'd even pick them over my favorite blueberry muffins [insert gasp here] lately. They are nice and moist with just the right amount of chocolate in them. They're also rediculously easy to make. You just plop everything in one bowl. Give it a little stir. Pop them in the oven. 30 minutes from start to finish. You can do it!

Arnie's

2011-08-14T09:58:00.000-07:00

A nice place to take in the sunset.

Look at the mountains across the sound.

Admire boats in the marina.

Wave to passengers on the ferry.

Share a meal with someone special.

Deschutes

2011-07-28T22:56:00.000-07:00

For his birthday dinner, we were finally able to get a table at the Deschutes Brew Pub.

The sampler there was much more manageable! You got to pick any six of the beers on tap. My favorites were the two Black Butte beers. Wes didn't enjoy any of them too much because he was still full from the Bend Brewing Company sampler. hehe :)

Bend Brewing Company

2011-07-25T22:18:00.000-07:00

Bend, OR is known for it's great outdoor activities... and beer. In the downtown area alone, they've got 7 breweries that are all within walking distance of eachother--and the Old St. Francis School where we stayed.

This was the birthday boy with his sampler, which consisted of NINE beers on tap that day.

We were in agreement that the Ching Ching, their seasonal sour, was our least favorite of the bunch. This was no big surprise to me since I'm not big on sour things in general. I was, however, surprised that Wes didn't like it since he actually likes sour stuff. Oh, well.

When we were done, our server came by and asked, "Did the sampler put you under?"

Wes replied, "No, I feel good! But what was that big furry black thing that ran through?"

"Through the bar?!"

I caught a glimpse of the creature in question, and I'm pretty sure it was a black squirrel that ran past the window outside. But all I could do was giggle because the sampler totally put me under. Oy.

Payton

2011-07-22T18:04:00.000-07:00

Good bye, old man. You were the best ♥

yogurt

2011-07-20T23:58:00.000-07:00

After we unpacked, we decided to multitask. We had a pitcher of McMenamins Ruby Ale, a yummy pizza and salad for dinner in the theater while we watched X-Men: First Class. It was nice to sit on a comfy couch with our food and entertainment :)

It was still early when the movie ended, so we wanted to grab a pint or two at the Deschutes Brew Pub. It was waaaaaaaay too crowded, so rather than wait around we headed to the Bend Yogurt Factory for dessert. Who knew there were self-serve places like this??

They had lots of interesting flavors like red velvet, white chocolate macadamia, coconut, Reese's and watermelon. You were free to taste before you made your decision.

Wes decided on Reese's and chocolate, which he proceeded to top with caramel sauce, marshmallow fluff, Heath bars and who knows what else. As for me, I chose a little white chocolate macadamia, Reese's and chocolate. Then I sprinkled a little granola on top for crunch. I can be totally boring like that.

We were happy campers :)

Old St. Francis School

2011-07-20T23:45:00.000-07:00

Wes and I have made it our mission to stay at every McMenamins hotel--as long as it has a soaking pool. So far we have been to the Kennedy School, Grand Lodge, and Edgefield. We had been putting off the Old St. Francis School because it's so far away. But, you don't turn 35 everyday, so we decided to made the trek all the way to Bend, OR.

Our room is called "Dorothy McCool" and it has a very log cabin feel to it. Nice and cozy. And it's the only McMenamins room we've stayed in that has a TV. Seems weird to me since Bend is all about outdoor activities.

Wes and I love McMenamins because they all have a funky, relaxed vibe. They've got good food and drinks. Cool activities like live music and movie theaters. The facilities aren't super fancy, but they're very clean and comfortable. So much character, which we really enjoy. This brings us to the fabulous soaking pool here:

There is a giant open skylight directly above the soaking pool. Particularly cool at night because you can see the stars :) So relaxing, which is exactly what we were hoping for.

Bend, here we come!

2011-07-20T23:17:00.000-07:00

Wes and I have been looking forward to celebrating his 35th birthday in Bend, OR.

Since he messed up his ankle, I did all of the driving. I don't mind driving... unless he's my passenger. Total backseat driver and radio hog. But, since we were going for his birthday, I decided to suck it up and deal with it :)

It's supposed to be a 6.5 hour drive. Luckily we didn't have to stop at every rest area along the way! hehe

If I'm lucky, the hubby will be ok to drive back. I'm not holding my breath, though.

busted ankle

2011-07-19T21:28:00.000-07:00

Ok, really it's a sprained ankle. Wes didn't break it, but he sure did mess it up last night at basketball!

Just in time for us to take our trip to Bend, OR to celebrate his 35th birthday :(

Knock Knock

2011-07-19T08:17:00.000-07:00

I was wandering around Retrofit Home and came across these hillarious products by Knock Knock.

Makes me wish I worked in an Office Space environment. Just for a day so that I could bombard all of my co-workers with notes and memos and stamp documents with more than my plain ol' date stamp. hehe :)

sleepin' in

2011-07-17T08:52:00.000-07:00

Oddfellows

2011-07-14T06:46:00.000-07:00

I can always count on Oddfellows for 1) something delicious to eat 2) pleasant dining atmosphere and 3) good people-watching opportunities.

For some reason I got a picture of Nate's French dip and my BLAT, but not Kelsie's plate. I think it had something to do with a biscuit... In any case, just as we were gulping down our Cokes and begining our meal, a woman wearing an interesting outfit came in. She had a white fluffy tail--like fox! And another woman walked out wearing a men's dress shirt over fishnets. That's it. Just fishnets.

You've got to love Capitol Hill :)

the hill

2011-07-13T09:44:00.000-07:00

I am very fortunate to work in such a great neighborhood. A great mix of people. Good food. Interesting sights:

I'm totally in love with this toilet paper holder. Is that weird?

You're soooo getting a pair of these underpants in your Christmas stocking! hehe

I'll spare you the photos of naked bicyclists (and rollerblader!!) that crossed my path as I was out and about in the neighborhood this weekend :)

I love a good mystery.

2011-07-12T23:41:00.000-07:00

If it's empty, why is it in the fridge?

*sigh*

A Day Made of Glass

2011-07-06T10:18:00.000-07:00

Have you seen this video??

Since I am slightly obsessed with glass objects, I was completely tickled by this :) I love how clean and beautiful glass can be. And it's so functional, too. The only problem for me would be all of the fingerprints! I'd have to carry Windex with me all the time.

Anyway, this video reminds me of that Tom Cruise movie... the one with the eye balls and psychic people floating in a pool. The name escapes me right now, but I guess it doesn't matter. I'm not a huge Tom Cruise fan. And now that I think of it, I believe that movie skipped glass and imagined holograms instead. Oh, well.

2011 Greenwood Car Show

2011-07-02T17:54:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday Wes and I continued our tradition of attending the Greenwood Car Show. We were hosting a birthday party for Beth that evening, so our plan was to go early and get home in time to set up for the party. This was kind of a bummer because our favorite time to go is at the end of the day. That way we can watch as the cars drive away. But we love Beth, so it wasn't a terrible sacrifice :) There's always next year.

My favorite Impala that day!

I love Mini row! They're so cute--and just my size according to Wes :)

Old license plates are awesome.

This Bug was a mobile DJ unit. We walked past as the owner was cranking up the music and my bones rattled. My heart skipped a beat. Some people were not amused and told him to pipe down. hehe :)

Blue pill? Red pill? This was my favorite car at the show this year. Made me want to slick my hair back, slap on a pair of Ray Bans and dress in head-to-toe vinyl.

Wish she had her top down!

Since there were so many entries that we'd seen before, Wes only took pictures of cars he didn't recognize from previous years. Unfortunately, those pics are still floating around in our DSLR. These pics came from my phone, so it was basically all Impalas all the time :) I totally ♥ Impalas--just in case you missed that. hehe

chocolate cherry almond cookies

2011-06-27T23:27:00.000-07:00

Life has been so hectic lately! I've got a million things I want to blog about, but there aren't enough hours in the day :) For now, take a look at these lovely cookies.

I don't know what it is about chocolate and cherries, but they absolutely belong together. And the almonds lend a nice crunch. I threw in some white chocolate chips because they were handy, but they really help to cut the intensity of the chocolate. Don't get me wrong--I love chocolate, but sometimes it can be a bit much, right?

The Voice

2011-06-21T23:47:00.000-07:00

Ok, so there are very few TV shows that I watch regularly in the evening. Castle. Modern Family. The Voice. I don't even know how that one happened. I've never been into American Idol or any of the other performance competitions on TV.

Well... there was that brief stint with America's Got Talent. It was all about The Hoff. hehe

Anyway, I ♥ Dia Frampton. Her performance this week was very nice. I'm not terribly fond of REM, but I really enjoyed her performance. I do think she needs to develop a little personality, though. She's a fantastic singer/musician, but she's awfully reserved whe she's not singing. Unfortunately in America, talent can only get you so far. We Americans are a shallow bunch. She's going to have to throw down like Russell Crowe in Gladiator:

"Are you not entertained?!"

No, Dia, we're not totally entertained. We ♥ you, but... you're holding out on us.

my downfall

2011-06-15T08:37:00.000-07:00

I love Red Vines. I love real black licorice--not the stuff made by the Red Vines people. Now I love this:

Soft pineapple licorice :) I got this 1.5 lb. bag at Costco, which was a good/bad idea. I thought I'd bring it to work and share. It has been locked away in my desk for a month while I've strictly rationed pieces for myself. I wish Costco would sell this stuff in tubs like Red Vines! Then my life would be complete.

That Book Woman

2011-06-14T09:58:00.000-07:00

This is a beautiful story that I never get sick of reading. In fact, I can't imagine my life without being able to read or have access to free reading materials. I was an early reader and my mother always made the effort to take us to the public library regularly. I often asked her to let me borrow the same books over and over again because I enjoyed them so much. She always prodded me to add a few new titles to the mix. This particular book is part of my permanent rotation of favorites :)

brekkie bomb

2011-06-13T08:50:00.000-07:00

Jodie made these outrageous brekkie bombs for Kim and I this weekend. I am sooooooo gonna try to recreate them for breakfast again sometime.

According to Jodie, these are actually supposed to be sandwiches. The problem is they basically explode if you try to eat them that way. Much more civilized to eat them Jodie's way. Toasted ciabatta bread topped with Canadian bacon, slices of avocado, tomatoes, spinach and poached eggs drizzled with some sort of balsamic vinegar reduction = YUM.

summer 'do

2011-06-12T08:42:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I had Kyli cut it all off in anticipation of warm summer weather. So far the hair is cute, but the warm summer weather hasn't found the northwest yet :(

year-old cake

2011-06-08T07:25:00.000-07:00

A month ago we ate a 1 year-old cake.

We let it thaw overnight before cutting into it. What do you know?? It was actually still good :) The frosting was a little smooshed, but the taste and texture was great. I think it helped that it was such a good cake before it was frozen. I can't imagine a boxed Betty Crocker cake being good a year later.

dia is heartless

2011-06-07T22:04:00.000-07:00

Daaaang. This is probably one of the most interesting and awesome remakes ever. I love Kanye. I love this song. I love this girl's take on on it!

BTW--shut up, Xtina! Who gave her this job anyway?? She's totally annoying--and pissed that she doesn't have Dia on her team.

Skillet Diner

2011-06-05T08:41:00.000-07:00

My new favorite place to eat anything. I mean, seriously. I'd eat there morning, noon and night if calories didn't matter.

My first trip to the diner was with Tina. I had "The Burger" and it was beyond delicious. Bacon Jam. That's all you need to know. Grab one at the diner or from one of the trucks. Just do it.

Wes and I recently stopped by for breakfast, which is served all day. I love it when breakfast is served all day :) I tried to convince Wes to order the grilled peanut butter, jelly and banana sandwich but he wasn't buying it. I'd already decided on the corned beef hash:

It was so good, my mouth is watering at the memory. Seriously.

Wes was torn between the pancakes and the french toast. In the end, the french toast won. He usually drowns his pancakes or french toast in syrup. This time, the orange sauce was tasty enough on its own. And this is saying a lot because he usually pours syrup first, then tastes to see if everything is good :)

Sasquatch

2011-05-31T10:38:00.000-07:00

Grab a friend and head over to Molly Moon for this fantastic seasonal flavor. It's chocolate ice cream with chocolate chunks, granola and caramel. O.M.G. Anyway, we grabbed our cones and headed across the street to the park. It was so nice to sit out in the sunshine with our tasty treats. If only every luch hour could be like that :)

BTW, this is what they call a 'single' in a waffle cone. I'm pretty sure that's more than one scoop!

thud

2011-05-27T00:01:00.000-07:00

That was the sound of me falling over as a result of this adorable video:

TOO CUTE!!

I am not a morning person.

2011-05-24T18:39:00.000-07:00

see more Funny Graphs

bubble tea

2011-05-23T20:23:00.000-07:00

Just bought all the stuff to make this at home :) And by all the stuff, I mean tea, tapioca and straws. It's so easy, I don't know why I even bother with bubble tea places.

5K

2011-05-22T22:54:00.000-07:00

Wes participated in the Big Backyard 5K this morning.

Me? I don't run unless I'm being chased by a wild animal or the cops :)

Pike Street Fish Fry

2011-05-18T21:45:00.000-07:00

Just go and eat there. I'm telling you, their french fries with lemon aoli are FAN.TASTIC.

Since Shawn Kemp said the pulled pork was the best, I decided to give it a whirl. (No, not really.)

This amount of food is really enough for two people to share. Even if you're really hungry. Seating is limited, so plan to take your food elsewhere to enjoy.

it's all in the tail

2011-05-17T06:28:00.000-07:00

see more Lolcats and funny pictures, and check out our Socially Awkward Penguin lolz!

Lola

2011-05-16T18:00:00.000-07:00

The morning we checked out of our room at Hotel Andra, we had a wonderful breakfast at Lola. Happy anniversary to us :)

We shared an order of fresh doughnuts that were to die for. They came with two different toppings: mascarpone cream and a rhubarb compote. Both were quite delicious, but Wes and I prefered the mascarpone.

Wes chose the pancakes (of course) and I had Lola's Breakfast. The hubby goes for the sweet breakfast 90% of the time. I, on the other hand, always go for eggs. We both chose the sausage and it was so yummy! Sort of sweet and spicy. Anyway, we will definitely go back again!

Assaggio

2011-05-15T21:41:00.000-07:00

For dinner on our anniversary, Wes and I ate at Assaggio. If you're in the mood for good Italian food, you won't be sorry. I think it's a great place to celebrate a special occasion. Your wallet will be a lot lighter, but your tummy will be happy :)

Wes had the braised short ribs with polenta. The meat was sooo tender and flavorful. He practically licked his plate clean!

I chose the wild boar ragu with pappardelle. I don't know what it is about pappardelle, but I just love those noodles with a hearty meat sauce. This particular sauce was fantastic, but I couldn't finish all of it. Not to worry, though. The hubby was right there to make sure that none of it went to waste :)

foodgasm

2011-05-09T23:02:00.000-07:00

To celebrate our first wedding anniversary, Wes and I were headed to Belltown. We had reservations for a room at Hotel Andra. Dinner at Assaggio. Movie at the Big Picture. Breakfast at Lola the following morning.

On the way to our hotel, we stopped for a snack at the Marination Station. Best. Idea. Ever.

We had kalbi tacos and kalua pork sliders. Since it was only supposed to be a snack, Wes and I had one of each. It wasn't enough! My mouth is watering as I type this. Please go and eat something there ASAP. And have a kalbi taco (or three) for me!!

Mother's Day

2011-05-08T09:51:00.000-07:00

To all of the wonderful mothers I know--I hope that you are overwhelmed with love today :)

I wish I could share these fabulous cupcakes with my mom. She wasn't a huge chocolate fan, but she could always appreciate good food. I think she would have liked these and she would have been impressed by the frosting job :)

I wish we could have some tea and eat our cupcakes together. Maybe she would tell me more about motherhood. I'd be squeamish. She would look me right in the eye and say in all seriousness, "It's all worth it."

Although we had that conversation, there were no cupcakes involved then. And I had no idea that she wouldn't be with me when that time comes. When it's my turn to be a mother I will miss her even more than I do now. But then I'll know what she meant.

1 year ago

2011-05-08T09:28:00.000-07:00

Wesley, I promise you these things:

I’ll laugh with you in times of joy
and comfort you in times of sadness.

I’ll share in your dreams,
and support you as you strive to achieve your goals.

I’ll listen to you with compassion and understanding,
and speak to you with encouragement.

I’ll help you when you need it,
and step aside when you don’t.

I’ll remain faithful to you through the ups and downs of life.

You’re my partner.

You’re my best friend
and I will love and respect you always.

Union

2011-05-07T11:37:00.000-07:00

by Robert Fulguhm

You have known each other from the first glance of acquaintance to this point of commitment. At some point, you decided to marry. From that moment of yes, to this moment of yes, indeed, you have been making commitments in an informal way. All of those conversations that were held in a car, or over a meal, or during long walks – all those conversations that began with, “When we’re married”, and continued with “I will” and “you will” and “we will” – all those late night talks that included “someday” and “somehow” and “maybe” – and all those promises that are unspoken matters of the heart. All these common things, and more, are the real process of a wedding.

The symbolic vows that you are about to make are a way of saying to one another, “You know all those things that we’ve promised, and hoped, and dreamed – well, I meant it all, every word.”

Look at one another and remember this moment in time. Before this moment you have been many things to one another – acquaintance, friend, companion, lover, dancing partner, even teacher, for you have learned much from one another these past few years. Shortly you shall say a few words that will take you across a threshold of life, and things between you will never quite be the same.

For after today you shall say to the world –

This is my husband. This is my wife.

Railroad Park

2011-05-05T09:55:00.000-07:00

We've driven by the Railroad Community Park a million times without stopping. I've always been amazed by the size of this tree trunk. When I told Wes I wanted to stop and take a look at it up close, I thought he'd probably refuse. I knew that he'd be perfectly happy to keep driving.

But that's the thing about my husband, he'll pretty much go along with whatever silly ideas I have. He'll tell me I'm being silly, but he'll humor me. And in the end, he has no problem admitting I had a good idea. (Sadly, I'm not as forthcoming when the tables are turned. I'm working on it!)

So that's how I finally got to take a close-up look at this incredible feat of nature :)

happy hour at the falls

2011-05-04T10:09:00.000-07:00

Every so often Wes and I feel the need to hit the road. Snoqualmie Falls is a nice place to head because it isn't too far away, but far enough to feel like we've left Seattle behind. You can take a brief "hike" down to get a closer look at the falls or just stay up top and enjoy the view from the observation deck.

There seemed to be a lot of construction going on, so we didn't bother with the hike. We snapped a few pictures then headed over to the Salish Lodge to grab a bite to eat. It was happy hour in the Attic :)

Nice cold Hefeweizen from the Snoqualmie Brewery:

Giant burger = happy Wesley:

Quite possibly the best reuben I've ever eaten:

Seriously, I'd go all the way out there for the reuben alone :)

Deception Pass

2011-05-03T10:29:00.000-07:00

After looking at tulips and eating lunch in LaConner, Wes and I made our way north to Deception Pass. Unfortunately the weather wasn't the greatest, so we didn't linger :(

OBL

2011-05-02T08:39:00.000-07:00

When Wes told me that Osama bin Laden was killed, I scoffed at him. This is just some internet hoax designed to rile us up. Right??

I don't condone violence, but I can't help but hope that it's true that he is no longer a threat. By all accounts, it must be true. I suppose I should feel relieved that this has happened. Now the US can ease up in the Middle East and concentrate on problems at home. Right??

The problem is that al Qaeda isn't just made up of Osama bin Laden. Al Qaeda is like a cockroach. Bin Laden was just the head. Sure, you can cut off the head of a roach, but the body still runs around all crazy. (I should know--I grew up in HI.) The only way to kill a roach is to squish it to smithereens. And even then, you better make sure to grind it into an unidentifiable pulp otherwise you'll turn around to grab a paper towel to wipe up the remains and turn back to find the cockroach has managed to run off. (Again, I should know because I grew up in HI.) Violence begets more violence.

Woodland Park Zoo

2011-04-29T10:41:00.000-07:00

Last Friday I had the pleasure of spending the day at the zoo with 3 of my favorite people. Kim, Jodie and I have known eachother since college. We worked together in good ol' Gov Docs at our library :)

And this handsome little guy is Kim's son:

It was a lot of fun running around the zoo. I thought it would be fairly empty on a cloudy and cold weekday, but it wasn't. In fact, there were busloads of kids there. Just a warning--be prepared for crowds!

LaConner

2011-04-28T10:05:00.000-07:00

All of that tulip gazing made us hungry, so we made our way to LaConner for lunch. We decided to eat at the LaConner Seafood & Prime Rib House on the main strip. It was just too bad that we weren't able to sit out on the deck. Still too cold :(

We shared the calamari and crab louie. I liked the calamari. The louie was... eh. Totally overpriced for what it was, but Wes was happy. I guess as long as he was happy with it, I won't complain :)

tulips

2011-04-27T09:36:00.000-07:00

Wes was on Spring Break last week so decided to go for a long drive one day. Our plan was to head north to see some tulips, have a nice lunch somewhere and visit Deception Pass. Then we'd head south across Whidbey Island and catch the ferry over to Mukilteo, which would spit us out just a little north of home.

First stop: Roozengaarde. It costs $5/person to get in, but parking was free. Thankfully it wasn't raining this year, so the grounds weren't muddy. And since it was a weekday, the crowds weren't crazy. I highly recommend going on a weekday if you can. The last time we went, it was a weekend and you could barely get a look at anything because there were too many people in the way.

crowds + mud = not so enjoyable tulip experience

So many different varieties out there! It was nice to be able to see them up close. And I like learning the different names.

Unfortunately, not all of the tulips were out yet. Too cold!

It is quite amazing to see fields of bright tulips.

I wouldn't do this every year, but it's nice every few years :)

pb&j bars

2011-04-26T09:54:00.000-07:00

I knew we were going to see Jeanine and Dan, so it was the perfect time to whip up these peanut butter and jelly bars. I don't allow myself to bake anything unless it is going to be shared. That's my rule.

I ate one piece to test whether or not it was edible, then I packed up half of these bars and handed them over before the play. That evening I had half a piece when we got home. Left for work the next day and there were 5-1/2 pieces in the container. Got home from work and they were GONE. As if they had never existed.

The husband says to me, "you are not allowed to make those ever again. They're too good. I ate them all." And with that, he proceeded to rub his tummy like a pregnant lady.

Steve Jobs

2011-04-24T23:50:00.000-07:00

Last night Dan and Jeanine took us to see The Agony and the Ecstasy of Steve Jobs at the Seattle Rep.

I'm not gonna lie--I am anti-Apple. There. I said it. Just like some people don't like the way Christians talk about Jesus... that's how I feel about Apple-lovers. They can creep me out.

Anyway, I was LMFAO during this monologue. Mike Daisey sure has a way with words because even through the laughter there were definitely some issues that made me squirm uncomfortably. He effectively uses his love of Apple products to frame some very troubling aspects of consumer electronics. We love them. We need them. But at what cost??

I highly recommend you see it if you have a chance.

lovies

2011-04-19T10:33:00.000-07:00

Baby Charles is due to make his appearance in about a month :) His parents are very excited for his arrival.

This is the giraffe lovie I made for Charles. Yes, it's a giraffe. I know he looks sort of like a horse with an exaggerated neck, but he's really a giraffe. What can I say? I wasn't working off a pattern, so this is what you get when I try to free-hand things. I never claimed to be an artist--hehe :)

I also made this sweet little elephant lovie:

My original intention was to use the same fabric for ears on both lovies, but I didn't account for scale in my original concept. The ears on a giraffe this size are tiny. Too difficult for me to incorporate nicely, so I just left them off entirely. I used the same rick rack for both tails and the giraffe's horns. The same buttons for both animal's eyes. Overall, I'm pleased with the way they turned out :)

And as with any gift I give to a new baby, I had to include a book or two:

Go, Dog, Go! is one of my favorite books of all time. I distinctly remember reading it by myself as a child and feeling so proud of my accomplishment when I got to the end. I can just imagine Charles curled up on his mommy's lap with his lovie while they read a book together :)

Baileys

2011-04-18T10:43:00.000-07:00

No, this is not what I made with that tub of Crisco :)

These cookies have Baileys in them, so if you don't like Irish cream you probably won't like these. Wes and I love the stuff, so these are going to be a part of the ongoing cookie dough rotation. Particularly helpful when you have an extreme chocolate craving.

Give them a try! Just be sure to have tall glass of milk close by. You're going to need it.

63

2011-04-16T22:44:00.000-07:00

Today is my mom's birthday. It is definitely bittersweet to think of her... mostly sweet, though :)

I love you, mama.

10 lbs.

2011-04-15T12:27:00.000-07:00

6 lbs. of Crisco + 4 lbs. of butter = 10 lbs. of good times at the Simon's :)

bed buddies

2011-04-14T10:02:00.000-07:00

This picture might almost convince you that they are friends. The truth is that they merely tolerate each other. I'm just thankful that Milo is willing to share... for now.

strawberry bread

2011-04-12T22:54:00.000-07:00

I was at Costco and they had strawberries. I realize they're from Mexico and they won't taste that great since it's not really strawberry season. Plus they're from Mexico and I don't know what it is about Mexican produce... It's always so bland.

Anyway, I was rediculous and allowed Costco's price to convince me that these strawberries were meant to come home with me. They were bright red and smelled like strawberries, so they had to be good... right?

Eh.

The husband wouldn't touch them. He kept saying, "you'd better do something with them." As if eating them plain would be a bad thing.

So I made this lovely strawberry bread :) Granted, I had to chop the sad berries up and set them aside with a sprinkling of sugar while I assembled the rest. It's not that they were tart--they just needed something to give them a flavor boost. I can't wait to make this bread again with strawberries from the farmer's market!

fresh

2011-04-07T10:09:00.000-07:00

I am a huge fan of shopping online. L-O-V-E it. Makes my life so much easier. And now there's this:

I placed my order one night and I opened my front door the next moring to this wonderful delivery :) AmazonFresh is my new BFF. I ♥ it so much.

AmazonFresh has been delivering for a while at this point, but only recently began delivering to my neighborhood. I did a little informal price comparison between my top 3 grocery stops (Fred Meyer, Costco and Trader Joe's) and AmazonFresh before deciding on what I'd buy online and what I'd continue to haul my ass around town for.

My top considerations:

1. I like to pick out my own fresh produce and meat. After reading many reviews on AmazonFresh, it seems like the vast majority of online shoppers are happy with the produce and meat delivered to their doorstep. Still, I like to pick my own.

2. AmazonFresh prices are comparable to Fred Meyer, but the advantage of going to Fred Meyer is finding items on sale. Obviously the sale prices at Fred Meyer are better than AmazonFresh. I'm not sure if things go on sale on Amazon...

3. I need variety. Thankfully, AmazonFresh has lots of options and even specialty or ethnic items. Most of the specialty items I looked at were more pricey than Trader Joe's or Central Market, but I think it's worth it to add them to my Amazon order to avoid driving somewhere for one or two items. Neither Trader Joe's or Central Market are conveniently located for me.

4. Speed and ease of use. AmazonFresh is both fast and easy to use. Order by midnight and your order could be on your doorstep before 6 am if you choose their pre-dawn delivery option. You can even add items to your order up to 4 hours before your scheduled delivery window. Delivery is free with a minimum purchase, otherwise you're charged a flat fee of $5.99. With gas prices as they are, I think this is extremely reasonable. And everything arrives safely packed so that none of your food will spoil :)

5. I hate grocery shopping. I hate the lines. I hate the irritating people who get in my way when I just want to grab a few things and get out of the store. I hate hauling all of the stuff to my car. I hate hauling all of the stuff from my car to the house. Since I'm the one who does all of the shopping for our house, this means that I spend a good portion of my Friday doing something that makes me want to pull my hair out. AmazonFresh saves me some time and sanity :)

Overall, I think AmazonFresh is great. Unfortunately, I still can't avoid Costco, Trader Joe's and Fred Meyer entirely. I'm ok with this because at least I have AmazonFresh to take the edge off my grocery-shopping-rage. hehe

welcome to the good life

2011-04-06T09:36:00.000-07:00

Wes: Your cat sleeps more than any other cat in the whole world.

Me: Don't be jealous.

Wes: I want to come back as a cat in my next life.

Me: Not just any cat. You have to come back as the cat of really nice cat people :)

yes, another blueberry cake

2011-04-05T09:59:00.000-07:00

I sure feel sorry for you if you hate blueberries. I talk about them a lot on this blog of mine. I eat them a lot when they're in season. Heck, I eat them a lot when they're not in season. Fresh, frozen, dried--it makes no difference to me :)

This particular blueberry cake is fantastic! Even better than my old favorite, which is also quite delicious. I think it's the crunchy walnuts that I'm diggin' right now.

I always like to throw in Wesley's opinion to back me up, but I realize that he's a little biased. He likes any food I make as long as it's not bland. He liked this cake, but when I asked him how it tasted all he said was, "good." The true measure of his enjoyment of any food is how long it lasts in our house. This disappeared before I even knew what happened :)

rainy hipsters

2011-04-03T08:45:00.000-07:00

see more Funny Graphs

no foolin'

2011-04-01T22:09:00.000-07:00

Ten years ago on this day, the hubby and I went on our very first date :)

Tonight I made a couple of Kentucky Sidecars for us to celebrate.

Husband: Ten years ago... you were 23 when we met?

Me: I was 22. I've given you the best years of my life.

Husband: I think the best are still ahead.

This is just one of the reasons I think this guy is pretty neat :)

smoked

2011-03-31T09:24:00.000-07:00

I am not a huge fan of seafood. There--I said it! I know this is crazy talk for someone who grew up in Hawaii and currently lives in Seattle.

This is not to say that I won't eat seafood. I just need to be in the mood for it. It's not really something I would go out of my way for.

I really like shrimp--as long as it doesn't look like a shrimp. I can't eat it if it's got the head and legs still attached. Can't do it.

I feel the same about crab. Love to eat it, but hate to look at it intact. Really kills the mood for me.

I love scallops, but avoid anyting else in a shell. No mussels or oysters or geoducks for me. ICK!!!

I like fish, but again, it can't look like a fish. If it still has it's head and fins, I'll pass. I'm really freaked out by fish bones. I don't know why, but I'm terrified that I'll swallow one and it will be excruciatingly painful. That really takes the enjoyment out of eating fish.

Smoked salmon, however, is nothing to be afraid of :) I love it and rarely get to eat it. Monica gave us a nice big hunk of smoked salmon and it was delicious. Used some of it for the smoked salmon spread pictured above. Give it a try!

catnap

2011-03-29T09:30:00.000-07:00

perspective

2011-03-28T09:23:00.000-07:00

see more Funny Graphs

My particular shampoo costs about $200/gallon, so thank goodness Coke is such a reasonable price :)

Spring

2011-03-24T08:58:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was the first day where I felt like we are really saying good bye to winter.

I ate my lunch and decided to take a walk around the neighborhood. There were so many people out and about. Happy dogs on leashes. Children in strollers. Sunglasses, shorts and flip flops everywhere :)

On my way back to work, I stopped by the chapel. It's spring break for most of the students on campus, so it was nice and peaceful. College students can be pretty annoying. hehe

It's days like these that remind me how wonderful it is to live in the northwest :)

My Life

10 am

super bowl

words

my view today

howdy!

miley moo

i want a beagle

Treat yo' self

bacon dip

cheddar dill scones

Happy Halloween!

light show

cranberry bliss bars

happy

dilly beans

scrapper

laaaaaaaaate night

still guilty

guilty pleasure

60 seconds

pumpkin carving

coasters

:)

toffee chocolate chip cookies

home alone

peanut butter cup cookies

jammin'

crazy

hot fudge

Heath Bar Blondies

Soba Salad

old people

The Hunger Games

craving a hot pocket

The Mindset List

Key Lime Bars

Emerald Downs

headin' south

chocolate chip muffins

Arnie's

Deschutes

Bend Brewing Company

Payton

yogurt

Old St. Francis School

Bend, here we come!

busted ankle

Knock Knock

sleepin' in

Oddfellows

the hill

I love a good mystery.

A Day Made of Glass

2011 Greenwood Car Show

chocolate cherry almond cookies

The Voice

my downfall

That Book Woman

brekkie bomb

summer 'do

year-old cake

dia is heartless

Skillet Diner

Sasquatch

*thud*

I am not a morning person.

bubble tea

5K

Pike Street Fish Fry

it's all in the tail

Lola

Assaggio

foodgasm

Mother's Day

1 year ago

Union

Railroad Park

happy hour at the falls

Deception Pass

thud