It's a Jungle Out There!

It's been a while since I have posted an update on the condo garden, and I'm pleased to report that our deck is starting to feel very jungle-like. We've got our first tomatoes on the vine (green and growing), and everything is filling in nicely. We're looking forward to a great bounty of tomatoes in a few weeks!

Selling the Car

So, we've decided that it's time to part ways with my vehicle... seems that we have the opportunity to take over a car that Lennie actually fits in, so we're going to take the plunge. Know anyone who wants a great car in the Seattle area? Let me know. Here's the nitty-gritty details:

1990 Acura Legend Coupe
Sporty commuter vehicle in good condition.

Price $2,200 (obo)
Mileage 155,000
Year 1990
Make Acura
Model Legend
Body Style Coupe
Transmission Automatic
Drive Front-wheel drive
Engine V6
Exterior Color Beige/champagne
Interior Color Beige
VIN Provided Upon Request

Features/Options:
- Air conditioning
- AM/FM stereo
- Single CD player
- Multi CD player
- Cruise control
- Power steering
- Power windows
- Power door locks
- Power seats
- Leather seats
- Moon roof
- Anti-lock brakes (ABS)

Other Special Features:
- Driver-side airbag

Well maintained and economical -- perfect for commuters or young drivers. "Sport" gears for highway driving, moonroof to enjoy sunny Seattle days. Comfortable leather bucket seats will make long drives a treat.

Roomy trunk is perfect for shopping sprees at Costco or for storing your sports gear after a big game.

After-market Kenwood CD system includes single CD player with removable face and a remote control up front, 6-disc changer in trunk. Instruction manuals included for your convenience.

Check out photos and my snazzy ad on Craigslist.

Moonlight Movies

One of my favorite things about summer is the return of the free outdoor movie season. Last night, Lennie and I went to the "Moonlight Movies" series at Liberty Park in Renton to enjoy the sunset and then watch the "Bucket List." It's really nice to see the community come together to enjoy each other's company and to share a few laughs over a good movie in the great outdoors.

There's a lot of great movies being played around Puget Sound this summer -- maybe we'll see you there!

One Year!

Today is our one year anniversary. (In fact, at 6:30 p.m., it'll be truly one whole year.) It's hard to believe that it's been a whole year since we "tied the knot." On the one hand, it seems like a long time ago because of all of the things that we've done together in the last 12 months. On the other hand, I still remember the wedding like it was yesterday. And I wouldn't change a thing about our adventure together.



I can't wait to see what the coming years bring. I love you, Lennie. Happy anniversary!

Hanging in Hood Canal

This past weekend, Lennie and I had the pleasure of taking a weekend "first anniversary getaway" in Brinnon, WA, on the shores of Hood Canal. We fell in love with the area immediately, and found ourselves losing track of time as we took in the canopy of green trees, clear water, and blue skies. We couldn't have asked for a better getaway, really. Our home away from home for the weekend was a quaint A-frame cabin that overlooked Hood Canal. There was a fully-stocked kitchen (actually, BEYOND fully stocked!), living room, bedroom, sleeping loft, bathroom, and super-spacious deck where we enjoyed all of our meals. Check out the cabin on VRBO.com... I highly recommend it, and can't wait to go back!


From hanging out in the hammock to lounging on the beach, we simply relaxed and enjoyed time together. The water was perfect for sea kayaking (which we truly loved), and we saw all kinds of wildlife, including sea otters, eagles, jellyfish, jumping fish, and oysters on the beach. If you haven't been to Brinnon, you need to go at least once in your life. Not much in the way of shopping, but it's rich in nature and relaxation.




Enjoy more photos from our weekend getaway.

Seattle Summer

If there's one thing to know about Seattle, it's that summer can seem like it's fleeting, and when the sun is shining, you get your butt outside to enjoy it. The sun's been shining here a lot lately, and I have to say, I'm truly loving the warmth and brightness in the skies.

It's summer in Seattle -- don't blink, or you might miss it! :-)

Happy Birthday, America!

Yesterday, the 4th of July, we had the opportunity to hang out with my parents and some family friends to celebrate the 4th. We're not big on making plans for Independence Day, especially since the weather here in Seattle can be very questionable. Nevertheless, it was a pleasant day, and we had the opportunity to laugh and exchange stories with friends. After dinner, as we watched the sunset over Puget Sound and the Kitsap Peninsula, we were treated to a 180 degree view of fireworks displays, both public and private.

Oh, and a first for me: we all sang "Happy Birthday" to America. It's amazing what you'll do for friends and family...

Loungin' in Leavenworth

Last weekend, Lennie and I had the opportunity to get some great rest and relaxation time in Leavenworth, Washington. It was exactly what the doctor ordered! We trekked over to this Bavarian village to celebrate the wedding of our friends, Glover and Josie. The weather was a temperate 95 degrees, the skies were blue, and there wasn't a cloud in sight. On Friday night, we arrived around 6:30, checked into our hotel after getting a little lost (in a town with three stoplights, go figure!), and then we went to King Ludwig's restaurant for the "welcome dinner." After a nice stroll through town after dinner (and some Cold Stone ice cream, yum!), we retired poolside at our hotel.

Seems that Lennie's brand-new swim trunks should have gotten a little more scrutiny from us before we purchased them... the had no drawstring and were a little (or a lot) too big. He made it work on Friday night, but not without some "close calls." Needless to say, we purchased him a new pair of swim trunks on Saturday in town! It was kind of funny, now that we reflect back on it. :-)

Saturday brought a lazy schedule -- breakfast at the hotel, lounging by the pool, lunch in town, and strolling through town again. Around 3 or so, we left the hamlet of Leavenworth for the small town of Plain, WA for the wedding (at Mountain Springs Lodge). Plain brings back fond memories of one or two trips to a friend's cabin with some great friends, so it was nice to be back in this small town. The wedding on Saturday afternoon was hot but wonderful, and we had a great time dancing the night away.

On Sunday, we had another lazy morning, with breakfast and then one last walk through the Bavarian village before we got on the road.

There's something really wonderful about going for a long drive on roads that are marked at 70 MPH. I enjoyed driving home, admiring the beautiful area that we live in; lush green hillsides (still kissed on the top with snow), placid lakes, and the breeze swaying the trees. [Sigh.] We live in the best state ever!

Oh, here are some photos of our weekend -- enjoy!

Funky Pet Peeves

Over the past few months, I have become keenly aware of some of my quirky pet peeves. (Are all pet peeves somewhat quirky?!) It's made me think, sometimes it's made me angry, sometimes it's really made me step back and try to adjust my frame of mind. I sometimes wonder if all of my pet peeves are "normal," or if some could be classified as kind of weird. Here, help me classify them, won't you?

Gum. I have a total neuroses about gum. I hate it. Really, really, absoultely despise gum. I don't like hearing it being chewed (especially when someone is looking over my shoulder), I don't like hearing it being snapped, popped, or blown into bubbles. And I really hate seeing it outside of someone's mouth in a chewed fashion. In fact, when people pull out their gum at a dining table and stick it on the side of their plate or wrap it in their paper napkins, it's everything I can do to not throw up then and there. I'd classify this as a "weird" pet peeve. How about you?

Timeliness. I have a real thing about being on time, and it's a pet peeve of mine when I am late for an appointment or a meeting. I also feel really slighted when people are late for meetings that they have set with me. If someone says that they are going to be somewhere at a certain time, then I think that it's up to them to go above and beyond to meet that commitment. And if you're going to be more than 10 or 15 minutes late, then I think that it's common courtesy to call and let the person know. I feel like I'm being disrespected (and my time is being under valued) if you don't call to tell me that you're running late or not going to make it. On the flip side, I take it really personally that I'm running late, and work very hard to give people the simple courtesy of being on time or communicating with them. Normal pet peeve? Yes, that's how I would classify it. What do you think?

Toilet seats. I think that we need to all come to an agreement across the nation -- either we need to all put the toilet seats down, or all put 'em up. And we all need to agree on it. This should not be a "men vs. women" thing, rather, we should all be consistent on how we treat the seat in shared bathrooms. Classify this one as a "normal" pet peeve. I think it's an age-old argument, in fact.

Proper English. First and foremost, I'm not perfect on this topic. However, I feel like the advent of "spell check" has made our society lazier and perhaps a little less intelligent than earlier generations. The word "ain't" is never proper English, in my book at least. "Are system" is not down, "our system" is down. The bride did not walk down "the isle," the bride walked down "the aisle." Simple spelling mistakes that I've seen in the past that wouldn't be picked up by a spell check application. I guess that I wish that people would take a moment to step back and read their work -- your words, and what you type, are how people see you in this virtual world. I'm not even sure where to classify this pet peeve...

I think that the reason that these pet peeves have made me step back and examine myself is that I find that I am projecting my pet peeves on others -- and on how I see the world. Perhaps I need to reframe my impressions of others and cut people a little more slack. Who knows?

What do you think? Do you have little pet peeves that get the hairs standing up on the back of your neck? I would love to hear about them!

Child of the 80's

I admit it: I'm a child of the 80s. It seems that lately people have been noticing that I use words from the 80s and 90s vernacular. You know the words: yo, dude, awesome. Some have ribbed me for it, but I have to say, I own it: I'm a child of the 80s, and I'm okay with it.