Blonde Team Go

Reflections on Cancer Awareness

2011-12-02T09:52:00.000-08:00

Let me start off by saying the color ribbon designated for colon cancer is brown.

Back to the main point, October is widely recognized as breast cancer awareness month and people of both genders wear pink in support. Gaining in popularity is prostate cancer awareness month in November celebrated by men growing mustaches all month-Movember. I assume women can grow mustaches if they like as well.

Here is the disconnect in my head. Breast cancer is designated as pink and prostate cancer is designated as light blue. Either everyone needs to wear pink in October and light blue in November or women shouldn't have to shave (anything) in October while men don't shave in November. I'm just saying it should be fair...

*I know multiple people with all of the cancers listed in this post and while it is a serious issue, this post was meant with no disrespect.

November Already? Updated!

2011-11-21T10:49:00.000-08:00

Obviously I haven't been keeping up on the blog, I believe my last post was in July. Here's a really quick run-down of the last 4 months:

July-bought a house
August-officially graduated from Highline with 2 associate degrees; my niece turned 1
September-had a delightful time at 'family camp' which was in Ocean Shores this year; started a new job as a help desk support technician; my first day of "school" at Central Washington University, I broke my foot (the cripple foot, not the good one)
October-went from a walking boot to shoe and crutches to my grandpa's cane (no, he wasn't using it; the 30th my grandpa had some mini-strokes, he is home, but it's hard to tell the 'damage' since he has Alzheimer's; for Halloween Jeremy was Brian from Family Guy and I was a penguin
November-I am 'walking' cane free, but still slowly and carefully; I roasted 2 pumpkins and have plans to make pies for Thanksgiving; Jeremy cut down a tree/bush in our yard and insulated the pipes under the house.

I will make more of an effort to blog before this year ends.

Update: I don't know how it slipped my mind, but my little niece Indy is going to be a "big" sister in March!

Home Sweet Home

2011-07-08T00:04:00.000-07:00

As of July 1, I am a homeowner! The house needs a wee bit of fixing up (patch the fence, new faucet, re-caulk the tub, etc), but in general it is move in ready. That being said, I've now spent slightly more time at the house than at Home Depot buying miscellaneous supplies. Jeremy, Wally and I hope to move in this weekend. I'll admit, I'm a little nervous as this is the first time in my life that I have ever moved and technically I'll be moving to a new city!

Stay tuned for before and after pictures!

Catch Up

2011-06-25T12:46:00.000-07:00

I obviously haven't posted in a few months and it has been crazy. Here's the last few months in a nutshell:

March-participated in Pacific Rim Cyber Defense Competition (PRCCDC). Super stressful, humbled me some, but was overall very fun.
Winter quarter-got 4.0's in all 4 of my classes...woo!
Got accepted into CWU's bachelor's degree program
Spring quarter-4.0, 4.0, 3.8, 3.6....not as happy
June 9-walked at commencement

From June 9 until now-

Had 1 week of summer vacation
Started summer classes
Had a job interview (I was second choice and essentially got offered a different position)
Found out my work study funding won't cover summer so I'll have no job as of 6/30
Bought a house
Wrote this post

Water Baby

2011-03-24T21:16:00.000-07:00

Tonight I got to see Indy at her swim class. She is a girl after my own heart...loves the water. Auntie Jenny will take her swimming anytime she wants!

13.8 lbs

2011-03-12T00:01:00.000-08:00

Somehow I managed to survive the first 17 days of my diet and lost 13.8 lbs. It was a tough road for someone used to the fast food, gravy covered, eat until I'm stuffed lifestyle. I'm not going to lie, I broke down and cried one night because I wanted bread so badly. You may laugh, but food addiction is real and hard to beat. The day after my breakdown, Jeremy let me "cheat" a little because I had been doing so well...not to mention, it was Talan's 5th birthday and it would be rude not to have a birthday brownie. I think I would have lost slightly more weight, but certain circumstances were out of my control.

On the plus side, I'm now wearing a size smaller pants (without a muffin top) and in one more size I get to go try on a wedding dress that might be 'the one'. The second phase of the diet almost might be tougher. While I get to add in red meats and certain starches (every other day), I have plans that keeping to the strict diet would be impossible. Such as two full days of completely catered meals and a potluck tomorrow.

Sad Day

2011-03-03T22:36:00.000-08:00

It's been one year since I lost my best friend. Today, in her memory I donated to the BullsEye Dog Rescue.

I love you Tobby and I hope you are happy.

Weighting Too Long

2011-03-02T11:45:00.000-08:00

So I just finished my first week (and a day or two) of my diet and I suppose I should give an update.

Living without bread/pasta/doughnuts/pizza/delicious things is HARD! I am a firm believer that a food addiction is the hardest addiction of all. Why? Because we need to eat to live and food is everywhere; billboards, tv, radio, stores, break rooms, etc. I can't avoid seeing it or hearing about it on a daily basis. One of the hardest things right now is not having a "grab and go" meal.

On the plus side, I have lost 9.5 lbs and counting!

Snow Helmet

2011-02-23T14:09:00.000-08:00

And that's after part of it melted!

RJ45 Army!

2011-02-23T14:01:00.000-08:00

This is what nerds do in their free time.

17 Days

2011-02-21T13:16:00.000-08:00

Today mom, Jeremy and I started the "17 Day Diet." Basically you have 4 main cycles that are 17 days each and each cycle, like most diets, lets you add in a little something more. The interesting part to this diet versus the million or so other ones that I've seen, is that the last cycle expects you to have a life. It basically says that you are on the diet from Monday at breakfast to Friday at lunch and then you can eat whatever you want on the weekend. Of course it gives the caveat of being reasonable with your choices so you don't lose all of your progress in 2 days.

When I come to terms with not eating carbs or sugars, I'll talk more about what the diet entails. But for now, I must go grieve the loss of some very very good friends.

I'm a Firm Believer That:

2011-01-17T23:12:00.000-08:00

1. Streaming netflix is amazing

2. Dexter is the best show I never knew about

3. Finding over $150 in cash and gift cards makes a great day

4. If my arteries were cut open, I would spew gravy and hollandaise

5. Beagles have the saddest puppy face, probably because they are so terrible!

At This Point

2011-01-17T23:04:00.000-08:00

Wow, fall quarter ended, winter break ended and winter quarter is now in its third week. I'm technically taking two less credits this quarter, but the workload almost seems harder. So what am I taking?

Unix/Linux system administration

Intro to forensics

Network intrusion detection

Data network design/management

Oh yeah and I'm still doing the work study thing at the school. Jeremy has night class the opposite days that I have night class so it's been a bit of a challenge and it will only get worse as the quarter progresses (tests and midterms and papers oh my).

High Horse or Short Pony

2011-01-17T22:35:00.000-08:00

What makes you think you have the right to judge situations when you walked into it less than 3 minutes ago. You haven't been there, you don't know what happens, so what makes you the resident expert? You are so quick to criticize that the words that come out of your mouth end up being lies.

You're quite obviously better than everyone else and know exactly what and how things should be done, but wait, you're qualified how? Oh that's right, the mental sitcom that plays out in your head translates directly into reality.

Well I'm not going to play victim to your games. There is a fine line between sticking up for one's self and being rude and frankly, I don't care how you perceive it.

You may have ridden up on your high horse, but you need to leave with the tail between your legs on a short pony.

Merry Grinchmas

2010-12-20T23:30:00.000-08:00

So I'm not sure if I'm feeling Grinchy from the lack of winter vacation snow, lack of funding around holiday time, the fact that Christmas seemed to sneak up on me, the lack of Tobby or a combination of everything. I have managed to make quite a few batches of peanut brittle, bake a loaf of bread, make chocolate crinkle dough, take a delightful Christmas card photo and prep my garden for the spring. I have plans for more baking tomorrow, it's been almost a week and I can see most of the floor in my room (removed 2 full trash bags of trash and 2 trash bags of clothes to donate) and I have to finish Christmas shopping. When is Christmas? Saturday, yikes.

Fall Quarter

2010-12-20T23:22:00.000-08:00

This past quarter at school was supposed to be my hardest quarter yet. Not only is the quarter 2 weeks longer than the other quarters, but I took 20 credits (my last 3 quarters will be 18, 18 and 10 respectively). In addition to being at school for physical class time, I was also at school working. My internship that I had over the summer turned into a work study position so I was getting paid to get experience (bonus!). Somehow I made it through but my g.p.a. went down. Jeremy seems to think if I turned in one of my assignments (the only one out of 4 classes that I "didn't feel like doing") I might have gotten a better grade. Can I object on the grounds of speculation? Here is my final tally:

Unix/Linux 4.0

Intro to data recovery/forensics 4.0

Wide Area Networks 3.8

Operating System Principles 3.1

Winter Gardening

2010-12-20T23:07:00.000-08:00

So this past 'sprummer' (late spring, early summer), Jeremy and I attempted to create a garden. We spent the better part of one evening trying to dig up grass on a 10 x 6 plot in Jeremy's back yard. We only got about a foot border dug up before we called it a day and subsequently quit the whole process. Our plan was to plant peas, Roma tomatoes, beans, peppers, multi-colored carrots, strawberries and perhaps potatoes. Well, we did "plant" my Roma tomato plant naked in the light of the full moon. Well, technically I was in a swimsuit on my deck putting it into a topsy-turvy with the deck light on, but it was still a full moon! The strawberries ended up getting planted in a planter on my deck. Neither the tomato plant nor the strawberry plants turned out to be fruitful.

Skip ahead a few months and it brings me to November when our teacher decided it was more important for us to attend a seminar during "Green Week" at school than to learn about 'wirtualization.' I learned a few things at the seminar I attended, Urban Agriculture, which was put on by Seattle Tilth (go to their website!). I learned that planting garlic in the winter is just fine because it'll "hang out" until spring when it is time to sprout. The second thing I learned (and I found most interesting) was how to prepare your garden for spring. See my layered word diagram:

burlap

compost/leaves

newspaper or cardboard

grass

The cool part is the newspaper/cardboard will kill the grass and the compost/leaves will start to make new soil on the disintegrating paper product. The burlap is there to not only protect the under-layers from flying away due to wind, but keep moisture and heat trapped underneath. So Sunday after the Seahawks "game", Jeremy and I put down newspaper, leaves (mixed with some random grass clippings) and put burlap over the top. Now we wait.

Birthday

2010-11-21T19:58:00.001-08:00

Earlier this week I made a chocolate zucchini cake. Why? Because this is around the time of Tobby's birthday and she loved chocolate and vegetables. I miss her like crazy and today is her birthday so it's been hard. I hope she's happy.

Power Cooking

2010-11-21T19:48:00.001-08:00

Last month I took a "power cooking" class. In a nutshell, you plan a months worth of meals, shop and prep in one day, cook and freeze the next day so you can just pull the meal out of the freezer and heat it up. I sampled 4 dishes and they were good so I got excited about trying it out.

Last Sunday Jeremy and I decided to go for the gusto. We spent approximately 11 hours shopping then cooking and I still ended up having to finish two more meals later that week. So far we've had Mediterranean chicken pockets (AMAZING!), macaroni and cheese (different flavor, but good), lasagna (jury is still out) and paruskys, beef filled pockets (just ok).

I just realized that between what was incorporated in the meal and side dishes that were prepared, I have eaten a significant portion of vegetables for the last 7 days...in a row! Granted, today we had a really fun "extended family" Thanksgiving and I had 2 legit sized helpings of salad, not related to power cooking. My only regret was not eating more salad.

Here's The Scoop

2010-09-23T12:16:00.000-07:00

I haven't written an update in a few months, so here it is:

I spent this past summer doing an internship at Highline in the administrative technology department (we fix faculty computers), taking an online class, working at the dive shop and babysitting. When I had a some time off, usually Saturday evening and Sunday, I attempted to go camping with Jeremy. Wally went on his first 2 camping trips this summer and survived a few long car rides like a good boy.

I got my financial aid award letter and since I'm eligible for work study, I turned my internship at the college into a paying job. Now, I'm at school from 9-4 everyday (ignoring the 20-40 minutes I spend trying to find parking). Did I mention I have a Saturday class too? That being said, I have very limited availability for working at the dive shop. Two weeks ago I talked to my boss about it, he knew it was coming, and I'm still an employee for emergency coverage, but I'm no longer on the schedule. At least I still get my discount!

My niece was born on August 30 and I missed Jeremy's (and soon my) niece's birthday which was the same day!

Jeremy and I have been doing little bits of wedding planning. We've researched venues, got some prices for cakes, confirmed the color scheme, got paper samples and I tried on wedding dresses for the first time.

All of this plus going to a few Mariner's games has been quite a challenge. We'll see what the fall has in store.

Our Anniversary

2010-09-14T22:00:00.001-07:00

Jeremy + Adriatic Grill = Amazing night

On a Whim...

2010-09-14T21:50:00.001-07:00

The 12 inches that were chopped off were donated to Locks of Love

Happy 2nd Birthday Wally!

2010-08-31T22:43:00.000-07:00

Baby Indy!

2010-08-31T22:33:00.000-07:00

After 9 months of waiting, baby Indy made her entrance into the world at 8:17 pm on August 30, 2010 (Katie's actual due date!)

Wedding Update

2010-07-29T10:42:00.001-07:00

Since Jeremy proposed, I've been looking at wedding related stuff (well, I did that before, but this time I'm serious about it). We have managed to make a few decisions already...the most important ones of course:

Date: August 11, 2012

Colors: Hot pink and spring green

Font: Finehand

We've also decided what our invitations will look like.

You may wonder why the date is over two years away. Here is our reasoning:

1. It is on a Saturday

2. I will have graduated from school and hopefully will have had a job for about a year which means (minimal) job security.

3. I thought it would be cool to have my parent's anniversary be August 9, my brother's be August 10 and ours would be August 11. Why is this so cool? There are three chances for a milestone anniversary and what is a better way to celebrate than all of us going on a cruise or a big trip?

4. It will also be easier on the my parents (mainly) to save for a wedding rather than putting a bunch of money on a credit card.

5. If Jeremy and I plan on being together forever (which we do), what is two years in the grand scheme of things? We are definitely committed so waiting two years to make things legal isn't a huge deal.

6. It's our decision and we'll do it when we want.

Anyway, that's all of the updates I have for now. I'm always looking for advice or ideas so let me know!

School Update

2010-07-29T10:22:00.000-07:00

Better late than never right? Well, I finished Spring quarter with all A's (hey, an A- is still an A) and I am taking 2 summer classes. One of the classes is online "business and labor relations" which isn't a challenge, but still required for a degree. The other "class" I'm taking is cooperative education where I spend time each week at an internship and write on the discussion board what happened that week or answer a question related to work. I'm only required to take 1 credit which is 30 hours...yes, 3 hours a week. I got an amazing internship in Administrative Technology at Highline and I generally spend between 6 and 10 hours a week there.

I absolutely love my internship! Not only are my co-workers awesome and I'll walk in the door and everybody makes sure to tell you there is some sort of baked good in the break room, but I'm actually putting what I learned in school to use. My teacher told us the first quarter I was in school that we would do IP addressing out our ears...that is so true! I've also done a lot of things that I haven't learned in class and it's really cool. I learned how to image the new iMacs and get them ready for delivery to the faculty. Since I am the only intern (out of 2) that knows how to do it, my supervisor made a comment that I have "job security." I won't get all boring with details of exactly what I do, but I enjoy it.

Since I have the internship at the school, I'll be "working" there until I graduate (I'm only getting credit this quarter because it's required, I don't want to pay to work). Hopefully I'll not only gain lots of experience, but make some good contacts and have some references for when I actually look for a job.

How It Happened

2010-05-26T11:49:00.000-07:00

Since Jeremy and I have been going to school, we've pretty much stayed home every night studying and if we went out to diner, it was usually fast food or Applebees if we were feeling fancy. So at work on Saturday Jeremy called me to see if I wanted to actually go somewhere for the weekend. I said ok and we decided to go to Seattle that night, have a nice dinner somewhere, stay at a hotel and the next morning go to the Woodland Park Zoo (we've been trying to go for the last year).

I got home from work, packed and got all gussied up because we only knew we were going to have a nice dinner. Jeremy made reservations at the Mediterranean Inn in Queen Anne. We got to the hotel around 8:30 and we watched some of the Mariner's game before Jeremy thought we could go check out the rooftop terrace at the hotel since dinner at the Melting Pot wasn't until 9:45.

When we got up to the roof, I started taking pictures of the Seattle skyline and Elliot Bay. I was looking at the Space Needle when Jeremy tapped me on the shoulder and said "Kitty." As I turned around to look at him, he was pulling something out of his pocket and started to get down on one knee as he said "I had something else planned, but will you marry me?"

I just stared at him like he was talking Swahili with my mouth open. He's still down on one knee with the ring box opened and said "are you gonna answer?" I squeaked out a little "yes" and he got up and hugged me. I was in total shock! Of course I started crying and I was shaking while I was putting the ring on (Jeremy had just gotten in back from Kay, he already had it sized for me).

After the mushy I love you's, hugs and kisses, we went back to the room so I could fix my makeup. I took a picture message and sent it to my mom, who texted me back so quickly that she misspelled words. I called her and told her the whole story and Jeremy called his mom at the same time to tell her that he did it. After I talked to mom, I called Anna because she has a vested interest in Jeremy and I and since I was in shock, she thought something was wrong. I told her everything and she was super excited. Then I forwarded the picture message to a few more people and changed my status on facebook (that's how you know it's real).

End of important details.

I'm Engaged!

2010-05-23T02:19:00.000-07:00

My first post about this will be a short story of pictures. When it's not 2:30 am, I will post more words.

Before

The view right before I turned around to see

The ring!

Hoppy Belated Easter!

2010-05-23T02:17:00.001-07:00

Back On The Horse

2010-04-28T14:04:00.000-07:00

This is my first post in over a month and I will attempt to get back on the horse.

I took the hiatus because on March 3, my family had to put Tobby to sleep. Needless to say, I was (and still am) devastated that I lost my best friend.

I have a few things that I need to post (better late than never) and hopefully I can get back to my "normal" schedule.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

2010-03-17T11:29:00.000-07:00

You would think Wally wouldn't mind wearing hats by now...

We Carried the Stupid Torch

2010-02-23T22:48:00.000-08:00

So I show up to class this morning and everybody is outside of the classroom. Sometimes the teacher takes a bit to come from her office to unlock the door for us, nothing abnormal. So we talk amongst ourselves as usual.

So it's getting fairly late (for her) and someone went into the offices and found out that she called in sick today. Not only did she call in sick, but there is a note on the door saying that class was cancelled. So at the same time everyone looks at the door and wouldn't you know, there was a sign saying class was cancelled! Nobody actually looked at the door, we all just stood there waiting!

It was so funny!

Valentine's Day

2010-02-17T15:58:00.000-08:00

For Valentine's Day this year, I decided to do something special for my grandparents. Since my Grandpa was still in the hospital (and complaining about the food), I made dinner and brought Grandma up to the hospital so they could have a 'romantic' dinner.

I made pork chops, mashed potatoes, gravy, broccoli, an apple crisp for dessert and even brought plastic champagne flutes for sparkling cider. Pair all of this with the heart shaped plates and the battery operated candle and I thought it was a very 'romantic' dinner.

Unfortunately, I Grandpa said he wasn't hungry, Grandma ate two bites and shortly after this picture was taken Grandpa decided he wanted to go home and I spent 15 minutes trying to keep him in bed while Grandma was getting frustrated.

A for effort right?

Avatar (in 3D of course)

2010-02-17T15:53:00.000-08:00

Jeremy and I saw Avatar last Thursday. We got a gift certificate from my brother and sis-in-law for Regal Cinemas and since we had been trying to see a movie for the last 3 weeks (long story), we went to a 10:30 pm showing at the Supermall. I didn't think the movie was the best movie of all time, but it was entertaining. After some thinking, I've decided that Avatar is Ferngully for adults.

Fetus Jacobson

2010-02-13T18:30:00.000-08:00

Here is the first 'picture' of my niece/nephew.

I still can't see the "baby."

My Poor Tobby

2010-02-13T09:13:00.000-08:00

So Tobby's lump has been getting bigger and bigger and the day before my birthday it stretched the skin so much that it started oozing out blood. My dad and I have been bandaging it everyday and this past Monday, we took Tobby to the vet because it started looking really gross. Needless to say, I had been crying all weekend because my dad mentioned the fact that she is getting old and mom told me what the quotes were if we chose to "take her to a farm."

The vet gave us another option that we hadn't even thought of, amputation. We knew it would be hard on her because we have lots of stairs and she is arthritic. They were going to send us a quote anyway. They did say that our bandaging was good and we could keep doing that and keep her comfortable.

I just looked at the quote for the first time a few minutes ago and I'm certain we are back to square one. The absolute minimum price is $1,974.75 and it could go up to around $2,686.38. If we struggled for the $600 for her other surgery, two thousand is way out of the question.

This sucks.

Like A Compliment Sandwich...

2010-02-12T17:40:00.000-08:00

My grandpa had his hip replaced on February 2 and we have had a rough time. I'm going to put the "bad news" portion in between the good news like the compliment sandwich does...but there are no compliments.

He did great in surgery and when he woke up from anesthesia, the first thing he said was "now when can I get up?"

His dementia has been acting up most likely due to the anesthesia and the shock on his system from the surgery.

He fell in the nursing home because he got up by himself and ended up shattering the top portion of his femur.

He can't put any weight on his leg for at least 3 months and that leg is two inches shorter.

The only two options for what to do is hope it heals naturally and doesn't get worse or do an even bigger, more complicated surgery. The family agrees surgery is not an option.

When he's "with it" he makes everybody laugh. Yesterday he was "fiddling" with his catheter because it is uncomfortable and the nurse asked him "Thor, why are you fiddling around down there?" Without missing a beat, grandpa said "Because it's fun." Everybody in the room almost died laughing and the nurse couldn't get out of the room fast enough to tell everyone at the nurses station.

Well, that was a large sandwich that, unfortunately, had a lot of bad filling. I suppose the toothpick that holds the sandwich together is the fact that he is alive. I just hope these next few months go by quickly and easily.

Holy Stress Batman!

2010-02-04T09:54:00.000-08:00

These last two weeks have been fairly stressful for me.

The day before my birthday, I woke up to mom yelling for me at 7 am because Tobby's skin around her lump had stretched so far that she was bleeding and had wandered around the upstairs in panic. After we got Tobby bandaged up, mom and I spent 2 hours cleaning the blood spots off of the carpet (they looked like chicken pox all the way down the hallway). Jeremy and I opted not to go to Ocean Shores overnight for my birthday so I could stay near Tobby.
I had a midterm in my networking class on Feb 1, which I was worried about. Although I did manage to get a 101% on the test...I guess I know more than I give myself credit for.

On Feb 2, grandpa went in for a hip replacement. I guess he sailed through surgery and when I visited him later that evening, he was the most coherent I have seen in a while. It was like I had my old grandpa back. We were a little worried because after his first hip replacement his memory started to go.

I went to visit grandpa yesterday and I spent 2 hours trying to tell him that I couldn't get his clothes for him so he could leave, we couldn't stay at a hotel that night and we weren't at the "nurses house," but at the hospital. He was getting frustrated a little with me because I wouldn't get him his pants, but he realized he was confused and would get frustrated with himself.

Sometime between 6:50 pm when I left home and 7:50 pm when mom got home, Tobby had gone outside and her bandage had fallen off. She proceeded to go into EVERY room in our house, I assume looking for us. So mom had to put a new bandage on her. Now mom and I have a large job ahead of us of cleaning carpet. She even went into the laundry room, my room and my bathroom! Side note: Mr. Clean Magic Eraser works really well to remove blood spots from tile.

I have another midterm on Monday. I'm worried about that one because I understand all of the concepts, but I haven't read any of the book (maybe I should). It is a super easy class, but the books terms things very specifically and I think that will be my downfall.

I also haven't been getting my naps in lately and I've been staying up later than I should be so I'm super tired!

Then add in the typical life drama of my foot has been hurting really bad lately and the new pants I bought don't fit, even though they are the exact same size/brand as I had before.

Ah That's Nasty!

2010-02-02T09:57:00.000-08:00

So I'm Hwy 99 today near the Crossings in Federal Way waiting to turn right and I look at the guy in the car behind me. He's driving a Dodge Neon that appears to have been lowered and has some sort of non stock grill. It looks stupid. A man in his early to mid thirties is driving (he probably is trying to be 'young and hip' but isn't succeeding).

I look in my rear view mirror and see his hand go up near his face and then near his mouth. I questioned what I just saw and paid more attention. I watched him explicitly pick his nose with his index finger (he twisted once inside) and then put said finger in his mouth.

He ate his booger! I laughed and was horribly disgusted all at the same time.

Criticisms

2010-01-21T23:47:00.000-08:00

Before you comment on my previous post, read this one.

The only clock that is ticking is the "I want to get married" clock.
There is a difference between not wanting my own kids and not wanting to be around kids.
As I have aged, I have come up with better (in my mind) reasoning about why I don't want kids.
I have felt this way for as long as I can remember and I fail to see how my mind will change "when I see my friends having kids." My friends do have kids or are having kids. I still don't want kids of my own.

I can't think of anything else off of the top of my head as far as possible criticisms are concerned, so you may voice your opinion....................................now.

Not The Mamma!

2010-01-21T22:36:00.000-08:00

The recent outbreak of parasitic humans (babies) has caused me to do some in depth thinking about the idea of creating fruit from my loins.

In my current state, mid twenties, unmarried, part part-time job and living with the same roommates for the last 24 (almost 25) years, I do not wish to have a child, nor do I see the want for a mini-me anytime in the next 50 years.

"But don't you want a little girl who looks just like you to dress up in pretty dresses?"
No, I wouldn't want to subject a child to that because I remember how I hated being "dressed up" as a younger child and all of the issues in terms of body image that a girl faces throughout life.
"But don't you want grandchildren?"
No, if I don't want children, why would I want grandchildren?
"But don't you want to pass on your genes?"
No, I don't want the 50% increased risk of my child having a mental disorder, I have trouble with one myself, how the heck would I ever deal with another individual?

It is a known fact that I would rather have a dog than a child. Here is my side by side comparison of the two from my perspective:
Food
Dog-eats the same thing (dry kibble) all of it's life and usually costs about $30 per month. Food only needs to be given twice a day.
Kid-diet progressively changes throughout life including quantity consumed. Food must also be prepared a minimum of 3 times a day.
School
Dog-obedience class is optional.
Kid-grades K-12 then college. The child must have school supplies, school uniforms, lunches packed, etc.
Clothing
Dog-optional and fun!
Kid-required and they grow out of whatever clothes they have sooner than you can get them home from the store.
Babysitter?
Dog-can put in a kennel most of the day or spend money to board them. Able to leave for a few hours in a moment's notice.
Kid-have to coordinate schedules with families, babysitters or day cares.

I am under impression that a dog can provide just as much love as a kid and Christmas and birthdays are a wash because I spoil my dogs. With a dog, I wouldn't have to worry about driver's ed, prom, those terrible teenage years, trying out for sports, the nights spent crying over a lost "love," etc.

As for the physical aspects. Why would I want to subject my body to carrying a parasite for 9 months that causes me to gain extra weight (when I can't even get it off in the first place), over time puts pressure on my bladder and squeezes all of my internal organs in my chest further up so it makes breathing more difficult. Add all of this to increased mood swings, strange cravings and lets not forget the act of birthing (whether natural or surgical).

If you have taken this all into consideration and you still want a kid, good for you, I don't. I'm fairly certain even if I don't reproduce, there will still be enough children in the world to create more and more generations. Get rid of the need for orphanages and foster homes because there are enough parents in the world for children, then we'll talk.

What a Week!

2010-01-10T21:08:00.000-08:00

My first week of school was crazy! First off, who decided it was a good idea to build a school on a hill? It is literally an uphill battle to get to class everyday! My networking class is by far the most difficult class so far. For some reason, nothing has "clicked" yet. The computer class where we get to take apart computers, play with their insides and rebuild them is pretty fun and slightly challenging. The books for both classes are boring and give a ton of information! My survey of computing class is very boring! I understand that a little later in the quarter, it will become more challenging, but learning how to create a folder, create a document and put the document in said folder is very boring! The teacher is fun to listen to, so I don't feel the need to doze off.

Homework this week was uber crazy! We went over 2 chapters in my networking class (and 2 online modules), 3 chapters in my computer "fixing" class and 2 (very easy) chapters in my survey of computing class. Now imagine 20 + questions for every chapter all due Monday! I just finished typing everything up and I am waiting for Jeremy to get done with his homework so I can print it out.

Even though I may not understand some stuff and other stuff is mind numbing, I am enjoying school for the first time in...well...ever.

Morning Comes Earlier Now

2010-01-05T18:10:00.000-08:00

Or at least for me it does. I have to wake up at 7:30 to start getting ready for school and I must be in class at 9:00 am. Keep in mind that for the last two years, I usually woke up around noon, went to bed around 3 am and napped most days. I also do not like coffee, so I get no caffeine boost.

This quarter I'm taking Introduction to Networks, Microcomputer Systems and Survey of Computing. The first two classes are my morning classes that start at 9 and end at noon (well, 10:50 on Friday). I'm not sure if you realize this, but that is a lot of education for that early in the morning. It is taught by the same teacher, but we have to move 3 classrooms down.

The other class is on Mondays and Wednesdays from 7:15 pm-9:50 pm. This will cause me to miss House and Psych! The teacher is probably in his mid 30's and the way he speaks and acts reminds me of a combination of Loreli and Rory from Gilmore Girls and the way my good friend (or did we decide best friend?) Amber and I talk. He talks pretty fast, goes off on random tangents, uses sound effects and shrugs his shoulders to make a point and is generally hilarious. I am pretty excited because I think I actually understand numerical binary code (on the first day) and he told the class that most people probably won't understand it for a while.

Unfortunately, I don't have any classes with Jeremy (we were taking an online class together, but I got into my wait listed class) this quarter. I know for sure that there is a class we have to take together because they pair up the data forensics students with paralegal students. Jeremy has classes on Tuesday and Thursday nights which means that we don't get to spend every waking minute after work together (sick I know). We just have to remember that it is only temporary and we are both working towards our future.

Big Beef

2010-01-03T15:53:00.000-08:00

On New Year's Eve (after a few weeks of looking), Jeremy became the proud owner of a 2000 Focus wagon. He won't let me put the family decal on the back window even though he has a soccer mom car. I nicknamed it Big Beef because the guy he bought it from lived on Big Beef Ave (not kidding).

Christmas 2009

2010-01-03T15:41:00.000-08:00

Tobby unwrapped her present (a new box of dog biscuits) and she got paper stuck in her lip. She kept barking at me and wouldn't let me get it off.
My nieces spent Christmas with us and they fought over a toy. It doesn't matter that there is more than one toy, they only want what the other one has.

Wally got a few presents this year (toys, bones, a sweater from Jeremy's parents) and it only took him 5 minutes to destroy the loofa dog.

Jeremy was sad because his parents bought a fake tree this year, so I bought Jeremy a grow your own Christmas tree kit. We planted it Christmas morning. Maybe someday it'll be our Christmas tree.

Why Best Buy Sucks

2009-12-29T12:40:00.000-08:00

As told by Jeremy

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-25T00:12:00.000-08:00

Tough Questions

2009-12-24T15:25:00.000-08:00

So I was at Taco Time today with my mom and grandma, as is the ritual after grandma gets her hair done. I went to the bathroom and before I sat down, I noticed a quarter in the toilet. I contemplated going after the quarter, but decided it wasn't worth a nasty toilet water hand.

I told my mom and grandma about this and it lead to a short discussion on what you would actually reach into the toilet and grab. We decided jewelry and cells phones were a must. Grandma said a 1925 quarter.

Where would you draw the line?

Christmas Movies

2009-12-22T23:09:00.000-08:00

Here is a list of my favorite movies to watch to get into the Christmas spirit (in no particular order)

A Christmas Story
National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
Bad Santa
Elf
Frosty the Snowman (cartoon version)

Honorable mention to The Santa Clause and Home Alone.

Santa Photos!

2009-12-15T13:31:00.001-08:00

Santa needs to smile more.

I <3 My Grandparents

2009-12-11T22:47:00.000-08:00

I absolutely love my grandparents. They say and do so many funny things that I am going to start sharing them more frequently. This post will be how my grandpa proposed to my grandma.

It was New Year's Eve and they were trying to get into the "Top of the Ocean" restaurant, but due to the holiday, it was packed. Midnight had come and they still hadn't gotten in, so they got their $50 cover charge back. My grandpa gave my grandma the $50 and said "go buy us some sheets."

And that is how he proposed.

Makeshift Thanksgiving

2009-12-03T17:39:00.000-08:00

I must first appologize for no pictures.

This year, my mom, dad, Jeremy and I went to my dad's family's house in Longview this year on Thanksgiving. The Sunday following Thanksgiving we made "dinner" for my grandparents where my brother and his wife were also able to attend. Here is what we had:

Mom made a ranch cheese dip to snack on while dinner was being cooked, nobody could seem to leave the dip for more than 3 minutes before going back to eat more.

Turkey breast (yes, it was in a roll shape, but amazingly delicious and flavored perfectly)
Birds Eye lightly sauced corn (we can't seem to find Jolly Green Giant buttered corn anymore)
Cranberry sauce out of a can
Mom's stuffing
Stove Top stuffing (for me)
Instant mashed potatoes
Turkey gravy made from a packet
Rolls
Yams with brown sugar, butter and tons of marshmallows (first year I've tried them and they are good!)
My sister in law made an amazing apple pie
I made the pumpkin pie, but I tried something different when making it and it turned out so delicious that I made another pie on Monday!

While 8 people isn't the traditional amount of people we have for Thanksgiving, it was really fun. We did have all of the dishes we usually have, just some of them were straight from a package. Definitely less stress this year.

Friends, How Many of Us Have Them?

2009-12-02T17:44:00.000-08:00

Lately I've been thinking about that question a lot. It started when I was thinking about who would be my maid of honor should I get married. Well, Jeremy is indeed my best friend, but he definitely won't work as the MOH. After that, I don't have any friend that I would consider a "best friend." I have some friends, but not a best friend (who happens to be a girl).

If something really amazing happened, the first person I would tell would be Jeremy (and mom) but after that, I don't know of anyone else that I would have to tell. On the flip side, if something bad happened (specifically between Jeremy and I), I keep it to myself because I don't have anybody that knows our situation.

It's also interesting to think about that usually best friends are indeed each others' best friend. If I did happen to have a girl that was a "best friend," I'm sure she'd already have a best friend and I would just be her "good friend." Somehow I managed to lose my best friend growing up (and many friends in the process) and by now, it's probably too late to find a person who I can be best friends with, who I'm their best friend.

Do It

2009-11-26T22:43:00.000-08:00

Without getting into a big discussion about my views on government, foreign policy and the Iraq war, I would just like to make a general statement.

While I might or might not agree with the situation, I do appreciate the people that decided they wanted to serve in the armed forces knowing that there is a possibility of having to fight in a war.

Xerox has a program called Let's Say Thanks that allows you to send a postcard to a random person currently serving overseas for the United States military. I highly suggest you send a postcard (or 5) and share this with your friends and family.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-26T01:58:00.000-08:00

Triple Nerd Score

2009-11-25T11:47:00.000-08:00

After much deliberation, Jeremy and I have decided to go back to school. This will be Jeremy's first post high school adventure. I just hope that the third time is a charm for me. We will be attending Highline Community College starting winter quarter 2010 (January). Jeremy is going to be working towards a certificate in paralegal studies (and a few extra classes to get a good old fashion associates degree).

As for me, I will be working towards an associate of applied science in Data Recovery Forensics and Networking. That's right, tentatively in fall of 2011 I will have earned 2 associate degrees raising my total to 3! Maybe one day I'll consider a bachelors.

So why did we choose the programs that we did? Jeremy enjoys legal junk ie government workings. I on the other hand enjoy more nerdy approaches to life such as math and chemistry. Computers fit nicely into my nerdy style and I got very excited while talking to an advisor about the program. (She also enjoys NCIS which is a huge bonus!)

If you would like to question my nerd-id-ity, please watch the following commercial from Intel. When I first saw it I laughed for 4 minutes and told mom and Jeremy about it because I thought it was just hilarious (still do).

Darn Tootin!

2009-11-23T20:15:00.000-08:00

Story* in a nutshell:

Bunny at Humane Society bites human.
Bunny scheduled for euthanasia.
Protests.
Euthanasia decision reversed.
Bunny released to Rabbit Haven Sanctuary in Gig Harbor.
Jenny happy.

*As seen on Komo 4 News

Fine French Cuisine

2009-11-23T20:02:00.000-08:00

Last Thursday Jeremy and I made chicken cordon bleu. It didn't turn out exactly like it did in the picture on Food Network's website, but it tasted AMAZING!

Substitutions: Canadian bacon instead of prosciutto and provolone in lieu of gruyere.

Angry Face

2009-11-21T14:05:00.001-08:00

Over the years, Christmas in stores has started earlier and earlier. This year at Fred Meyer, Christmas decorations were being put out before Halloween had even come. I am a firm believer that you DON'T start decorating (that includes music) for the next holiday until you pass the previous one. By that standard, the day after Thanksgiving is the appropriate time to start decorating for Christmas. I don't put up bunnies and Easter eggs in December simply because it is the next holiday.

I would love nothing more than a nationwide boycott of all stores who decorate for 'future holidays.' Unfortunately, almost every store has now started this trend, so I wouldn't be able to even buy food at a grocery store.

I urge everyone to NOT decorate for Christmas before Thanksgiving and fill out comment cards at the store expressing your displeasure.

Snow Sneakers or Boots?

2009-11-19T00:04:00.001-08:00

A few weeks ago, an LL Bean catalogue came in the mail and while perusing, I found a pair of boots called "snow sneakers." I was very excited and thought they were so cute. A week later, Jeremy and I were in the shoe department at Fred Meyer and I happened to see some boots made by Columbia that I had to try on. My feet looked super little and the boots were so cute! Now, I can't decide if I like the boots or the snow sneakers more. To be fair, I need to try on the snow sneakers to see how the fit is.

The first picture is the LL Bean Snow Sneaker and the second picture is the Columbia Bugaboot.

Looking at both pictures, I think I like the Columbia boots better. Perhaps I can call them snow sneakers.

Hey Good Lookin...

2009-11-16T23:10:00.000-08:00

I'll tell you what I got cookin! For the last month, Jeremy and I have been trying to be more money conscious and eat out less. We've gone grocery shopping and cooked our own meals. Here are some of the highlights:

Chicken fried steak
Breaded baked cod
Spaghetti (our favorite fall back)
Pasta primavera alfredo (via recipe from Kraft)
Beef & broccoli
Italian beef kabobs
Tacos
Enchiladas (using leftover taco makings)

We have gone out a few times for dinner, but not every night like we used to. The nights that we are extra lazy become frozen pizza or tv dinner nights. There were a few days we had soup, but we were both sick (perhaps on our death beds).

I'm very excited for the new few weeks because I have some delicious ideas for dinner. Like pulled pork sandwiches, chicken cordon bleu, pork chops, orange beef, fried rice...you get the drift. We are also going to revisit some recipes we already made and make them more delicious.

Hopped Up On NyQuil

2009-11-13T22:50:00.000-08:00

I caught the cold that Jeremy had last week. No, it is not the Bacon Achen. But I do think I might be on my death bed.

Yesterday, mom and I took Wally to the dog park. He ran for 40 minutes straight and that boy can run! Silly me thinking that him running for 40 minutes would tire him out and he would go to sleep. No, he was still excited from the dog park and fought going to sleep again...kids...

I texted my brother today to tell him that we should go diving soon, but I'm sick right now so we'll have to wait a bit. He replied back and said "you guys have the immune system of an aids patient...all your white cells have to do are look the rhinovirus in the eye and poke it. can't fight blind right?" I almost died laughing at work.

Here is more random texts he's sent me while he was working swing shift.

"ya comcast gave us the ability to speak to animals...how the hell do i return that? the only word my dogs know is "sausage". "

"my yakisoba is better than yours. i could teach you, but i have to charge."

My grandpa also believes that eating Mexican food makes you as short as he is. Why you ask. Because all of the Mexicans he has seen have been short.

Minus 20 Cool Points

2009-11-13T11:22:00.000-08:00

This time to Jeremy

Minus 15 because you signed up for twitter (even though you claim it is so you can 'talk' to Ryan)

Minus 5 because you got me sick (not the Bacon Achen)

Regaining Cool Points

2009-11-09T23:43:00.000-08:00

Jeremy has just informed* me that Ryan Rowland-Smith will be a certified diver soon. While this does return some of the lost cool points, more cool points would have been gained had he have gotten certified in Washington...perhaps through my shop.

Maybe one day Ryan and I will be able to scuba dive together...sigh...

*Jeremy had to inform me because I am still against twitter and refuse to even look at it.

Simple Fruits

2009-11-02T01:56:00.000-08:00

This Halloween Jeremy and I decided to dress up in (my opinion) the most awesome costumes ever. He was Mario and I was his princess. Here are 2 pictures from my Sis-in-law's party at the Milton Tavern. Jeremy and I won 1st place in the contest and recieved a ribbon and vodka!

Yes I am wearing hot pink heels! I bought them in 2004 and I just now had the perfect outfit/place to wear them.

I would like to point out that my mom made my entire costume (dress, necklace and earrings) and she also made Jeremy's awesome-tastic Mario hat. Mom, you rock!

It wouldn't be Halloween unless I dressed up a helpless puppy. Tobby got a break this year. Jeremy wouldn't let me dress Wally up as Toadstool (which would have been awesome due to our costumes). Making him wear a hat was about as far as I could get...this year. Next year, pants!

Seriously?!?!?

2009-10-30T13:55:00.000-07:00

Pumpkins!

2009-10-29T13:54:00.000-07:00

Jeremy and I carved pumpkins last night! It took us about an hour and a half. That included prep work and clean up. Since I have small girly hands, I was chosen to clean out the inside of both pumpkins. Well, Jeremy couldn't fit his hand into the hole in his, so that's why I had to do it.

Yes, Jeremy did balloon boy.

The Last Chapter

2009-10-26T22:05:00.000-07:00

When we got home, I went back to bed. I was tired, anxious and needed a rest. Around 11 am, Mom came into my room and woke me up. I could tell something was wrong. She had the look on her face of someone who was going to tell you bad news, but was searching for the words to use. I braced for the worst. What if there was a complication and Tobby didn't make it through surgery? While the news was bad, it was not devastating. Technically, there was a complication; they couldn't remove the lump. There were too many veins and nerves running through the tumor. The doctor felt that the expertise needed to remove the lump was beyond his capabilities.

So we were left with three options. One: take her to a more skilled (and expensive) surgeon. Two: take a biopsy of the lump and if it is cancerous we could start her on radiation treatments. Or three: sew her back up and love her. If we had a superfluous amount of money we would take her to a surgeon. But we just don't have that kind of money. If she wasn't almost 13, we might have considered the biopsy and possible radiation. But she is an older puppy and might not be able to tolerate the treatments. So we told the vet to sew her back up. We were going to smother her with love. Again I cried bittersweet tears. I felt relieved that she made it through surgery and was ok, but she wasn't fixed.

As soon as I was able to partially compose myself, I called Jeremy to tell him what I found out. Jeremy can usually tell when I've been crying and the sound of my voice made him fear the worst. Through my tears, I tried to tell him what had happened and we agreed to have lunch together so I could fill him in on the details. I got back home from lunch around 3:30. The vet said we could pick Tobby up at 5:00, so I watched the Food Network until it was time to go get her.

At 5:00, Mom and I drove back to the vet. We got a 2 page sheet of post-op instructions, a bottle of pain killers and eye ointment. While she was under, they did remove some skin tabs (kind of like fleshy moles) from her muzzle and one from her left eye (it kept getting small infections because of the irritation) and they cut her nails. They also shaved a 5 inch by 2 inch patch of hair on her left side and made a 4 inch incision to remove (what we thought was) a small puss pocket (for lack of proper terminology). My poor puppy was so shaved! When the vet tech brought her out she was whining and pulling towards the door. She wanted to leave! As Mom paid the bill, Tobby pulled me outside and I put her in the car. I sat with Tobby on the way home and she layed her head in my lap as I pet her.

Aftercare instructions told us she was not to do much physical activity for 5-7 days and that included walking up or down the stairs. The first night, Tobby hated being picked up (all 50 pounds of her) and carried up the stairs. But soon she seemed to be enjoying not having to actually walk! Tobby is stubborn however, and soon she was hobbling up the stairs. Not even a baby gate was going to stop her! The instructions also said she might not have a bowel movement for 24-36 hours following surgery. So what happened when she got home? She went right outside and pooped! She wasn't supposed to eat for 12-24 hours, but we gave her some biscuits anyway. Tobby loves biscuits and after all, we were supposed to be smothering her with love.

That Friday, I went upstairs to make myself an English muffin with butter (Smart Balance to be specific). Tobby and Mom were downstairs. I had a few more bites left when I heard the lock on the baby gate rattling. I assumed it was mom trying to adjust it to actually fit the opening to the stairs. But then I heard a crash and the sound of Tobby crying. I bolted out of my chair and flew downstairs to see what happened. The gate had fallen down, but instead of finding Tobby laying at the bottom of the stairs, she was pacing around by the gate. Tobby tried to get past the gate to come upstairs to see me, but had instead knocked the gate over and was crying because she couldn't get passed it. I put the gate back and sat on the floor in the other room and she plopped down next to me and fell asleep.

It has been a week since the surgery and she is allowed to go up and down the stairs as she pleases. She still has pain medication to take (poor girl hurts at night) and eye ointment to use. Next week, we take her in the get her stitches removed. Her fur is slowly starting to grow back , so she doesn't look as deformed as she did the day after her surgery. I told my grandma that we will never take Tobby back to get her hair cut at that salon again because we overpaid and they did a terrible job at cutting her hair!

(fast forward one month)

Tobby's hair has almost all grown back on her back and the arm that had her IV, but her lump seems to be impeding the growth of new hair. I think in the month since her surgery, the lump has gotten bigger. She still hurts most nights and gets antsy and wanders around the house at 4 am. I've only taken her to work one time and she was so happy to go! Every night I sleep with her, I still kiss her goodnight and tell her I love her. If she is with me in the morning, I kiss her when I get out of bed.

She truly is my best friend and I hope that she knows how much she means to me.

Continuing Saga of Tobby

2009-10-13T13:44:00.000-07:00

We scheduled her appointment for the Wednesday following our annual family camping trip in September. I had cried a few times since we scheduled Tobby's appointment, mostly at night. My tears were bittersweet. I wanted Tobby to be lump free and have a better quality of life, but at the same time, I was so worried that she wouldn't make it through surgery. Every night that she slept in bed with me, I would kiss her on the top of her head and tell her that I loved her before I would go to sleep. I was conflicted because the one person I knew I could talk to about anything at anytime of night, was the one that I was worried about. When I tried talking to Jeremy about it, I would just end up crying and couldn't get more than two sentences out. I tried as hard as I could not to worry myself and just concentrate on the upcoming camping trip.

It was late morning when I started packing and Tobby knew something was up. She'd been camping enough times before that she could tell when we were getting ready to leave. As I finished packing my explorer, I noticed Tobby lying down in the grass next to me, making sure we didn't leave without her. Soon it was time to leave and I asked Tobby if she was ready to go camping. Without hesitation she sprung to her feet and jogged to the car as fast as her legs would let her, whining the whole way (in excitement of course). I put her on her bed in the back seat, rolled down her window and off we went. We headed east toward Mt. Rainier, with Tobby's face up near the window. Her nose was twitching the entire two and a half hour drive. We got to the campsite just as the sun was starting to go down and as Jeremy and I unpacked, Tobby went to greet everybody who was already there.

Tobby has always loved camping. With so many new smells to smell and places to explore, she's never bored. This trip was no exception. She sniffed every corner of the entire site and wanted to follow us everywhere we went. She seemed invigorated, even leaping down a 3 foot embankment just to follow my dad. She was having fun. Each night, Tobby found the perfect spot near the fire to curl up and warm her old bones. My 50 pound Tobby slept in the two person tent that Jeremy and I shared. I made a nice spot for her at my feet and I slept more curled up than normal just so she was comfortable. One night she woke up crying, we thought she had to go potty so Jeremy sat up to find a sweatshirt to take her out. While his attention was diverted, she got up, went over to his pillow and plopped down, groaning as she got comfortable! After we got done laughing, Jeremy helped me scoot Tobby back down to her bed and we went back to sleep. Like all fun vacations, the end always came too quickly and Tobby was insistent on staying whether her bed was in the tent or not. But we had to go, Tobby had a surgery to get ready for.

Mom and I woke up early on Wednesday morning to take Tobby to the vet. I had spent Tuesday night holding Tobby and crying myself to sleep. Wednesday morning we were on our way to the vet. I held Tobby in the back seat, petting and loving her the entire way. At 7:30 am on September 16, we arrived at Twin Lakes Veterinary Hospital. We checked Tobby in at the reception desk and soon the veterinary technician came up front to get Tobby and take her back to the 'surgery waiting area'. Before they took her away, I told her I loved her and pet her one last time. The receptionist told us we would hear from them sometime before noon. We thanked them and headed outside. Once I stepped foot outside of the door, I broke down and started crying. I couldn't help but thing that I would never see Tobby again and I couldn't handle the thought. Mom hugged me, but it didn't help.

...to be continued...

Tobby part 2

2009-10-09T13:06:00.000-07:00

As the years past, and she began to grow older, the effects of arthritis began to show. Strenuous activities that she once loved became difficult. Some days she would fall down the stairs when trying to go upstairs because her back legs didn't get the message to move. Despite the discomfort she never abandoned her responsibilities to greet all visitors, whether at home or at work. Her favorite part about going to work now was the car ride because she could just sit and watch the world go by.

This last January, a small lump began to grow on Tobby's left front leg. Similar lumps that had grown on her in the past never seemed to effect her and since this one was roughly the size of a peanut, we weren't too worried. By April, however, the lump on her leg had grown to the size of a golf ball. My mom and I grew more concerned by the day. Later that month we decided that it was time to see our trusted vet, Dr. Driscoll. She recommended that we consider removing the lump, if it was interfering with her day to day activities. Knowing that it was already beginning to interfere with her everyday life, we asked how much the procedure would cost. The quote? $1,000! My heart sank. As much as my family loves Tobby, I knew that we couldn't afford it. Seeing the strain in our face, Dr. Driscoll suggested that we do the pre-op blood tests on Tobby now to see if she would even be able to tolerate surgery. We agreed and when the results came back, she had the best results she had in the last 12 1/2 years! Her liver enzymes, which had been bad since she was a young pup, were back in the normal range. I was so excited that Tobby was so healthy, but the excitement quickly turned to anxiety. While Tobby was healthier than she had ever been, she had a large tumor on her leg that we knew we couldn't get removed because we didn't have that much money. So we did the only thing we could do at that time, wait and hope that it stopped growing.

At least once every week, my mom and I head over to my grandparents house to visit. Tobby decided she wanted to come along this time, so we loaded her up in the back of the car and headed over. We made our usual small talk about pills, doctor appointments and products that got Grandma excited on QVC, and soon it was time to leave. But as we began heading for the door, Grandpa noticed the lump on Tobby's leg. By then it had grown to the size of a tennis ball. We told him to story about how it grew, about our discussion with Dr. Driscoll and how it would cost a minimum of $1,000 to remove. As the story progressed, you could see the sadness in his eyes. While Grandpa will never admit it, he is definitely a dog lover. Soon we were on our way home; Tobby's nose sniffing the outside air as we drove. I couldn't help but notice how content she looked, which was completely opposite of how I felt.
Later on that same night, I was hanging out with Jeremy when I got an unexpected phone call from Mom. She had just gotten off the phone with Grandpa and he told her that we wanted to pay for Tobby's surgery. At first my brain couldn't compute what she was saying. In disbelief I asked her if she was serious. She said yes. I was in shock when I got off the phone with her and quickly shared the great news with Jeremy, I almost started crying. My Tobby was going to get fixed!

...to be continued...

Tobby

2009-09-29T14:34:00.000-07:00

January 24, 2001 (my 16th birthday)

Our family brought Tobby home in February of 1997. The family we got her from couldn't keep her and we agreed to take her for a weekend to see if our family liked her. Being only a few months old at the time, she was very rambunctious and like all puppies, enjoyed to put things in her mouth. Fingers, hands, toes and other associated body parts were no exception. Needless to say, I was afraid of her. My mom tried repeatedly to contact the family to say we just couldn't keep her, but they never answered our phone calls, or returned our messages. We were stuck with her.

Being the hyperactive puppy that she was, Tobby was always eager to play or go for a run. Since my brother, Jason, was significantly more active than I was, he and Tobby bonded early. The two would wrestle in the house and go for sprints up and down the block. They quickly became best friends.

In the summer of 1997 Jason graduated high school and began to work full time. By the fall of that same year, he had begun attending Tacoma Community College. Between work and school, he was now spending most of his days away from home.

As Tobby started to grow out of her "puppy phase" she began to calm down. In 2002 Jason decided to attend Central Washington University in Ellensburg, leaving Tobby with just my parents and me. Because school was out of the summer and Jason spent most of his time in Ellensburg, Tobby and I would spend all day together. As Jason came home from school less and less and Tobby and I spent more and more time together, our bond grew stronger.

Since then, Tobby and I have been almost inseparable. Tobby and I have shared lots of experiences. She's always been there for me when I cried over boys, money, school, friends or almost anything else you can think of. She is my favorite person (yes, person) to talk to because she always listens, never gets mad at anything I say, always keeps my secrets and is there at anytime of the day (or night) that I need her.

About two years ago, I underwent 3 separate foot surgeries, each of which kept me in bed for weeks at a time. During the times I was practically bed ridden, Tobby would lay with me for hours. Mom would need to force her to get up out of my bed just so she would go to the bathroom. Once finished with her business, she would quickly trot back inside to my room and cry to get back on the bed.

When I began working at Lighthouse Diving Center, my new boss, Randy (a dog lover himself) told me it would be alright for me to bring Tobby to work. After a few weeks, going to work became Tobby's favorite part of the day. She learned what "go to work?" meant and would pace excitedly and cry at the door if I wasn't coming fast enough. She hated being left behind. If, for some reason, I needed to leave her home, you could count on finding the contents of the waste paper basket spread throughout the house.

...to be continued...

What I Do @ 2 am PDT?

2009-09-23T02:32:00.000-07:00

Most of the time I'm:
In bed watching tv

Sometimes I'm:
Surfing the internet ie blogs, myspace, facebook and assorted other websites (not porn)
and/or
Thinking too hard about the day's (or life's) events or the future (while in bed)

Rarely I:
Sleep

Tonight I:
Drank a Mike's Hard Lime
Applied for a job at REI
Continued writing my story for an upcoming blog series.

100 Day!

2009-09-18T17:05:00.000-07:00

Remember 100 Day in elementary school? Where on the 100th day of school everybody brought in 100 of something like barbies, candies, pencils, pennies (my favorite cop-out), etc. Well I'm not going to show you my collection of 100 random items, but this is my 100th blog post! You could make the argument that my blog posts are 100 random things and I will accept that. So happy 100 to me! I think there should be cake.

Warning: Sad Beagle!

2009-09-16T01:56:00.001-07:00

Latin Porn Star?

2009-09-16T01:22:00.001-07:00

No, it was just Mariner's center fielder Franklin Gutierrez.

Jeremy told me at the beginning of this baseball season that Franklin Gutierrez was his new favorite Mariner. So for our 3rd anniversary I got tickets to go meet him and get his autograph. Julio Cruz (left) was also there signing autographs so of course we got his too. Julio Cruz was one of the original Seattle Mariners (1978-1983).

Anniversary side note: on the actual day, Jeremy took me to the Adriatic Grill in Tacoma for an amazing dinner and drinks (we ate in the bar so we could watch Ryan Rowland-Smith pitch). We split every course, but only left 2 bites of dessert after all was said and done. We started off with Mozzarella Marinara (fried mozzarella balls with marinara sauce), then ate the Five Cheese Pizza (mozzarella, provolone, white cheddar, smoked Gouda and Parmigiano-Reggiano) and for dessert an amazing molten chocolate cake with caramel and amaretto ice cream. I don't know the name of the dessert since it isn't listed on their website, but it was fantastic! You haven't lived until you have eaten all three of those foods.

We clean up well if I do say so myself.

Camping Trip

2009-09-16T01:02:00.000-07:00

The weekend after Labor Day is my family's ("from another mother" included) annual camping trip. This year we returned to the North Fork campground (outside of Randle or Rangle if you must) but stayed in the Beaver campsite vs Bear last year. Here are a few of the fond memories:

Just read my shirt

My attempt to get a picture of Jeremy, Tobby and I while on our mini hike.

We spotted a spawning salmon in the river and almost our entire camp ended up standing on the log (or next to it) to watch it. Pictured from left to right: Talan, Jeremy, Jack (my dad) and Debbie.

While on a hike, Dick found an animal skull. What trip is complete without a picture next to dead animal bones?

I Didn't Get His Name, But I Saw His Dingle

2009-09-08T01:12:00.000-07:00

That's right. I saw his dingle and it was dangling.

Jeremy and I went to the Rainiers game Monday and due to weather, the game was delayed an hour. In the hour prior to the game, some guy decided the smartest thing he could do would be to pull his pants down, run around the infield, stop by the pitcher's mound, jump up and down, pull his pants back up and try to run away. So I saw his dingle.
Yes, security did get him and I'm sure the cops won't look to favorably on somebody who has frontal nudity in front of a crowd mixed with small children, can we say sex offender? And who else should "streak" later in the game? Rhubarb, the wacky mascot reindeer. After the man streaker, I told Jeremy that they probably wouldn't have Rhubarb do that, but they did. Another side funny note, Windex was doing a promotional thing at the game and later in the game was "Windex's Streak Free Recap." It indeed contained no streaking of any sort.

On a super awesome note, the Rainiers won the game 11-2 which earned them the title of "Pacific Coast League, Pacific North Division Champions." And it didn't turn into a blowout until the 8th inning.

Jeremy and I ended up at Applebee's for our usual late night dinner. I take the road through Celebration Park to get home. It was 11:40 when we were turning to cut through the park and we saw some sort of animal get up. At first we thought it might be a fox, but it was too big. I said wolf. We stopped and stared at it for a while. Jeremy told me they just caught a cougar in a park in Seattle, I asked what an old lady was doing in a park. I told mom about the "wolf" and she said "coyote." I said "ok fine, a dingo." It was a dingo.

Last Week in Food

2009-09-07T00:07:00.001-07:00

Everybody is a little bit different when they have a house to themselves for a week. What do I do? I cook. Here is what I made:

1. Chicken Piccata from the CPK Family Cookbook
2. A checkerboard birthday cake for Wally using the Wilton Checkerboard Pan and the recipe on the box (frosting was Betty Crocker)
3. My Aunt Judy's semi-secret chocolate chip cookies.
4. Peanutty Somen Noodles with Shrimp courtesy of Robin Miller on the Foodnetwork.
5. Overnight Cinnamon Rolls courtesty of Alton Brown on the Foodnetwork.
6. Tacos.
7. My semi-famous sketti.

Honorable mention: Pizza Hut, pot roast from QFC, chinese take out from Peking Wok and a Freschetta frozen pizza.

Didn't cook, but was on list: Thai Chicken Pizza (CPK cookbook) and biscuits & sausage gravy.

Reviews:
1. I worked too hard to make the chicken thin enough and made a big mess while frying. The sauce with the noodles was phenomenal! I grated some asiago over the top and it intensified my taste bud satisfaction.
2. The cake didn't taste as delicious as the first one I made a week ago, but it was still yummy. See my last post for a picture.
3. It's only a semi-secret recipe because you can ask her and I'm sure she would tell you. I didn't think they tasted as delicious as my Aunt Judy's did. Will definitely try again.
4. I substituted chicken for the shrimp because I had chicken. I also tossed edamame in at the end and left out the bell pepper. It was a good recipe overall. Better to eat fresh than reheated.
5. I followed the directions to a T, I even measured by weight (I hope you're happy Alton). I personally didn't like the cinnamon rolls. Jeremy and his coworkers thought they were amazing. To each their own.
6. My tacos are very generic. McCormick taco seasoning & beef, a can of refried beans, Old el Paso Mexican Rice, cheddar cheese, sour cream and tortillas. Just add Mike's Hard Lime and you have a mini fiesta!
7. Ah, my semi-famous sketti (spaghetti if you missed out on my family tradition). It is only semi-famous because those who have eaten it, love it and crave it. It may not be the best recipe out there for spaghetti, but it is family loved!

Wally's Birthday Party

2009-09-03T17:54:00.000-07:00

Last night was Wally's 1st birthday party. The night started out with a car ride to Petsmart to pick out some presents (toys), back to my house to play with Tobby and the presents, a walk around my block (new route for him) and back home to Jeremy's to sleep off all of the excitement. Jeremy and I ate people cake.

This was the best picture we could get of all who attended.

Wally gave Tobby one of his bones.

This is the delicious cake I built.

Wally got some good presents for his first birthday. He got a Loofa Dog Toy and Missing Link from grandma (my mom). He got a 4-pack of bones, a Kong Wubba and Mr. Bill. The best part about Mr. Bill is that he says "oh nooooooo" when you squeeze him. Wally squeezed him and tossed him down the stairs, it was HILARIOUS!

Happy Birthday Wally!

2009-09-01T01:36:00.000-07:00

Observations

2009-08-29T10:59:00.000-07:00

Taking the Link Light Rail (central) to go to baseball games is very efficient, especially when you have an Orca card.
I felt mentally deficient at yesterday's Mariners game when I was in a situation where a Snuggie would have made my situation easier.
Jumbo dogs at Mariners games are way more delicious than regular hot dogs at said game.
Cereal is amazing.
Planning a birthday party* for my dog makes me feel like a crazy dog lady.
Customers like to blame things on the person who has nothing to do with their situation.
Like socks, sleeping bags disappear when put in the laundry room.

*Cake, presents, putting hats on the dogs for a photo, etc.

Waldorf Salad

2009-08-21T15:21:00.000-07:00

I call Wally that when I don't like him, such as when he's being bad...because nobody likes waldorf salad. Here's what Wally has done this week:

Good

Kept out of trouble while we were "camping"; including seeing an opossum

Feels so soft from his bath the other day

Ate blackberries off of the vine

Slept in the crate for 3 hours

Looked cute

Bad

Rolled in raccoon poop

Tried to eat raccoon poop

Tried to eat barbed wire

Tried to mark a trash can inside of my house (only got a few drops out)

Looked cute

Things I Want

2009-08-19T17:54:00.000-07:00

A job with a desk, preferably in a cubicle or a private office.
An office or cubicle where I can put some pictures up of my family.
A phone in that space which is rarely used.
To work for a company that does fun things such as picnics and has a summer softball team and a winter bowling team.
To have enough money to go on the vacations that I have planned in my head.
To go back to Australia.
The house in Brown's Point.
The bedframe from Ikea that I've been looking at for 5 years.
To have my own garden that I use in my cooking.
To make a huge batch of waffles once a month so I can freeze them and use them throughout the month for a breakfast or snack.
A kitchen big enough to cook in almost daily.
To be able to make a new recipe once a week if not more.
To be able to host dinner parties or game nights at my home.
To actually go scuba diving on a regular basis.
To own my own boat.
To weigh what I did just before I went to Australia.
To not have my foot hurt.
To not worry about what Wally chewed up today.
To be in a position where a marriage proposal wouldn't cause stress.
To be happy.

New Campsite!

2009-08-17T20:38:00.000-07:00

So on a whim last night, Jeremy and I decided to go camping. We had thought about this one location for a while and decided to try it out. We brought Wally with us (and he was such a good boy!). We ended up cooking chili on the bbq and made chili dogs for dinner. During dinner an opossum made an appearance in the distance, Wally barely made a peep...though he did perk up and mean mug it until it left. After dinner we decided to make smores, but it would have been difficult to toast marshmellows without sticks of some sort and on a bbq so we made them in the microwave at the community center. After smores and a quick bathroom break we returned to our site to watch The Pursuit of Happyness. Good movie. Chris showed up for a short visit since he was in the area. Our site was semi-secluded and next to a hole in blackberry bushes (we assume raccoons come out there).

Oh, did I mention we stayed at "Camp Olson"...like on the NW corner of Jeremy's yard. He does have an acre after all.

Ryan Rowland-Smith

2009-08-10T10:39:00.000-07:00

So before the 2009 baseball season even started, I made Jeremy promise to take me to Ryan Rowland-Smith's first home start. His first two starts were on the road, then he got hurt and didn't play for a while. We did go see some of his starts while he was rehabbing in Tacoma (yay). He was scheduled to start in Seattle on July 24. I thought that would be an awesome game because it would be my half birthday (good present). Except, I worked until 7 and it was Franklin Gutierrez bobble head night so the tickets would most likely be sold out, not to mention parking would be ridiculous. So we didn't go. His next start was on the road. Then I found out he would be doing a Q & A on 8/11. I found out a few days after I confirmed my attendance at a party and I can't back out on a friend. Great, I'll miss another opportunity to see him.
After months of waiting, Ryan was going to start August 9 at Safeco. I was stoked. I wanted to show up early so I could watch him warm up before the game. Jeremy and I took the *light rail to Seattle...along with 75 other Mariner fans so we had to wait in line for 45 minutes to get tickets. We got to Safeco eventually and picked the SLOWEST TICKET LINE IN HISTORY! So when did we get to our seats? Barely after first pitch. This meant I never got to see Ryan warm up. So when is his next start? Friday and guess who works until 7 again. I am very frustrated.

*Light rail side note. Way easier to go to games. It cost $9 each to go round trip to Safeco (well, 1 block away). We normally pay $20 for parking and have to wait at least 45 minutes in traffic to get to the 5. We saved money, time and gas!

Sign the Petition!

2009-08-08T10:44:00.000-07:00

Long story short:

The Mariner's bullpen watched 300.
They got inspired.
Purchased/acquired gladiator helmets.
Brought said helmets into bullpen during games to remind themselves about teamwork.
MLB banned helmets.
Fans outraged.
Fans wore helmets to first game back from thier road trip.
One fan made his out of foil (mad props).
Sign the petition to bring the helmets back.

*After you submit your name gives you the option to donate money. I just closed the window and my name was there and I donated no money.

Looking for a Fun Wet Time?

2009-08-06T16:59:00.001-07:00

Then learn scuba! I have a dive buddy whose schedule is rather full all of the time. It was my New Year's Resolution to dive more and I haven't. I need to find somebody who hasn't learned and wants to or is patient enough to dive with someone who dives...we'll just say yearly... Let me know if this interests you, I work at a scuba shop!

*Note: I am not "selling my product," I just want to find a trustworthy dive buddy who I know. And it helps that I'm "in the know."

Baseball + Cat = Uncontrollable Giggling

2009-08-06T12:07:00.000-07:00

Yesterdays Mariners game vs Kansas City was briefly delayed due to a cat running around the field. For a video I suggest going Here also known as the Kansas City Royal's page on MLB.com. When it happened last night (in the 5th inning), I started giggling uncontrollably.

A happier side note: next to the video on the page are 'related' videos of animals disrupting baseball games. I love baseball!

Seriously Now

2009-08-04T23:55:00.000-07:00

This has been bugging me for a while. Myspace comes out and it wasn't until I met Jeremy (3 years ago) that I actually got a myspace account. Why? So I could converse with him. For a while, it was nice, then all of my friends "didn't have the time."
So facebook came out and most of my friends from myspace were converting to a program that isn't user friendly and crashes computers. So I got an account. Now all people do is write pointless updates about how they are sitting, which pant leg they put on first this morning and send random happy-grams that require an installation of a new (and pointless) app.
So I started a blog a while back, didn't write for a few years, then decided I should start up again. Cool, some of my friends made blogs. But now, they don't write except once every few months (if that).

Seriously now, I'm sick of getting new accounts for 'social networking' and people ditching them like a bad date.

Living The Dream

2009-08-04T12:29:00.001-07:00

I work 40 hours per month at my job.
I haven't been able to find a new job in 2 1/2 years.
I am physically unable to do volunteer work as an EMT.
I do have a boyfriend of almost three years.
Though my boyfriend and I live with our respective parents.
Even with our combined "incomes," we still don't have enough money to rent an apartment.
We have a dog from hell.
I graduated in the top 20 of my [high school] class, got my associates degree then essentially failed out of college, twice.
"Friends" from high school seem as though they are holding a grudge towards me and I have no idea why.
As a result of, my only friends are 'spouses' of my boyfriend's friends.

I'm just living the dream.

Neighbors

2009-08-01T00:27:00.000-07:00

So Jeremy and I were at my house watching TV and I went downstairs to tell my mom something. When I got upstairs Jeremy told me that "your neighbors are classy." When I asked why, he told me the following story:

"I heard something outside so I looked over my shoulder (and out the window) and saw that a cop was asking your neighbor, the one who lives across the street, to open his car doors for some reason. And you know the really fat guy? He came out wearing boxers...and nothing else. And the boxers barely covered his thigh. And there was some other guy out there wearing jeans and no shirt and perhaps his baby's mama, I don't know.
When I've had to go outside to talk to the cops, I make the time to put pants and a shirt on. I think the cops appreciate it too."

*These would be the neighbors who have a car parked on the side of their house with grass growing through it and if you look into their backyard (which is possible from my living room) you will notice that the grass is as tall as the fence. No, not a chain link fence, we're talking like the 8 foot tall, privacy fence. And yes, the neighbor Jeremy referred to is rather fat, like 300+. Oh, and I live on a main road.

Stay classy neighbors.

My Pups

2009-07-31T12:14:00.000-07:00

When You're Feeling Hot Hot HOT!

2009-07-30T11:08:00.000-07:00

It felt like our trip to Mexico last summer...except better sanitation and no cows eating garbage in front of our house.

Notice the temperature was increasing as time passed from 2:59 pm to 5:30 pm (when the last picture was taken)

Dive Computer

2009-07-25T00:42:00.001-07:00

I made my very first dive computer purchase on June 16, 2008. Yes, 2008. After minimal research, I opted for the Aeris Manta watch. I did buy the blue one as pictured.
Since my purchase, I have only used my computer on 3 dives, 2 of which were in Mexico on the same day. It wasn't until about 30 minutes ago that I actually installed the software so I could download my dives onto my computer.

Operation: I don't feel that I have enough dives with the Manta to make a fair judgement on how it operates.
Why purchased?: I was drawn to the Manta due to its price, size (looks more like a large watch than a huge wrist growth) and ability to download dive information to my home computer.
Dive Log Software: The jury is still out. I haven't had the chance to experiment with other computers (and programs) so I don't have anything to compare it to. I'm not sure if it's due to the unfamiliarity of the program, but I am having minor difficulties figuring everything out. But I do like the program as far as calculating SAC Rate and auto completing depth, time and temperature. I also found out there is a chart that compares your depth vs time. My chart was a little jagged, but I feel challenged to dive more so I can make my lines smoother.

Overall, I seem to be happy with my purchase. I do wish I had the money to buy an air integrated (or even a hoseless air integrated) computer to track my actual air consumption vs overall air consumption. With any luck, I'll get a few more dives under my belt by the end of summer and I can play with the computer and the dive log more.

Recent Purchase

2009-07-15T21:59:00.001-07:00

I went to QFC to buy a specific brand of wine. I wanted the wine mainly due to the name, but I also wanted to try it. It wasn't until I was checking out that I realized the comedy of my purchase. I'll let you see exactly what I bought:

Just Some Flowers

2009-07-15T21:41:00.000-07:00

Here are some flowers we see on Wally's walks.

Applebee's

2009-07-15T21:31:00.000-07:00

So Jeremy and I went to Applebee's the other night for some 1/2 price nachos and a Maple Butter Blondie. We got there around 11 which gave us an hour before they close. We got our check just after the lights turned all the way back on. Our waitress asked the guys in the booth next to us where "that guy came from." They had no idea. Jeremy thought it was an employee because he came from the back and sat in the booth and laid his head on the table like he was waiting for someone to get off work. I guess from that point the guy laid down on the bench.

The guys at the other booth were getting their phones out to take a picture when one said "oh...he just yacked." The waitress came back and was told about the vomit and she went and got the manager. The manager came over and tried to wake the guy up to tell him to go clean himself up. Jeremy later said that the guy had puke in his hair and all over his face. The manager left and the guy threw up again. The manager came back with a more stern tone and told the guy to clean himself up and tried to find out if he was with anybody. He never really gave any sort of answer but looked as though he was trying very hard to remember something. We left as the guy's "friends" came back from the bathroom. On our way out we heard our waitress say "I'm not cleaning that up!"

Stay classy Applebee's.

Mariner's Game-July 10

2009-07-15T21:17:00.001-07:00

Wally's Rules of Possession

2009-07-13T23:00:00.000-07:00

1. That's mine.
2. If that's yours, it's mine.
3. If I don't want it and you have it, it's mine.
4. If I don't know about it yet, it's probably mine.
5. If I'm not supposed to have it, it's definitely mine!

Reunited and it Feels So Good...

2009-07-08T18:57:00.000-07:00

Almost 1 month after Eddie got sick in Seattle and had to be towed home, he is back and healthy as can be! Well, after I got him home the battery died so I had to buy a new one.

A big thank you to the following people:

Mom & Dad-for picking Jeremy and I up in Seattle and footing the bill until I can pay you back.

Jeremy-for being a shoulder to cry on many times.

Irvin from Rayman Northwest Transmission*-for doing a great job.

Ian-for suggesting Irvin.

Auburn Valley Towing-for getting my car back from Seattle for less than $5 a mile plus base rate.

The parking lot attendant at Key Arena-for refunding our $15 since my car was being towed.

*Rayman Northwest Transmission (253) 848-5813

1134 E Main Ave

Puyallup, WA 98372