Dear little house:
We get your keys on Friday! We can't think about much else other than you becoming a part of our lives. (okay, total lie because at the moment my neck is out and all I can think about is that I can leave at 8:45 so I can be the first patient at my chiropractor.) The plan seems to be to move in and then in 6 months figure out how you can be ours for good. Yes, we'd like to be able to make you part of our family. It might be rough in the checkbook for a bit but, seriously it will be the best possible thing the two of us can do in our boring lives. I promise to eventually make your outsides as pretty as your insides. And we both promise to fill you up with the smells of great foods. And supply plenty of dogs and dog friends to run in your yard. Oh, and we'll use your yard to help keep us fed. Can't wait!!
-Us

Almost free gas?

Yesterday I bought gas. It was $3.19 per gallon. This was the cheapest I'd seen it in Seattle and it was at a 76, not something like Arco.
This morning I drove by the same station and it was $2.99. Holy fuck, if I knew you were gonna be practically giving it away... I would have waited a day.
A 20 cent drop over night? I like the drop instead of the increase.

Update Dump

This week:
Made a calorimetry from Knitty. Um, the patter is great but to big and after looking at a few forums there seems to plenty of discrepancies with the one shown in the picture, the one the chick is wearing and the pattern.. I mean I have a huge head and plenty of hair and I had to modify it and ad an extra button. But, I will make another one binding on less stitches to start with. I think this might be something I could use for running and walking in the upcoming cold season.

I found my long lost Pumpkin Ale!!! PCC @ Seward Park doesn't have it, but PCC in Issaquah sure does! Sweet! Anyway, it is made by Buffalo Bill's Brewery in Hayward, CA.

I'm all registered to do the Pumpkin Push 5k! My mom and I are doing are second 5k this month because I think it is a great idea and we are crazies. Um, I don't think we'll be dressing up though.

Martha Stewart's new Holiday is now out in stores. I love buying her holiday magazines to get great ideas, maybe this year I'll actually use some of them. Can I just let anyone know I'm usually pretty retarded about Christmas. Some years not as much as others, but indeed I love it. And this year I'll have a house to decorate! I can have a tree and stuffs.

And on a super really happy notes:
I am no longer in the 210s. I have been really slow at losing weight these past few months but, I've lost something like 27 pounds since April and I'm happy with it. I could do better but I could do worse.

We go on vacation in 21 days. Yes, I'm counting. There is snow on the top of Whistler and Blackcomb! (yeah, not a lot but so what.) Yea bitches! I like snow. Yes, we are 30 and going on a fairly cheap vacation with my folks... and I am quite happy to do so.

We'll be out of our craptastic apartment in a month and a half. Thank god. Any kitchen will be better than the one we currently have. According to the maintenance people there is nothing wrong with our fridge and dishwasher, they are just old. Oh, and how many times can you people try to level our stove and not get it right? Fuck.

GO ME!

I did my first 5k! I can't wait to do more!

We might be renting a house!

VOTE!

The Great Schlep from The Great Schlep on Vimeo.

Sarah Silverman wants you fuckers to vote!

WaMu=fail

This is the time on Sprockets where we look at our finances and ask ourselves "what can I do to help myself get ahead..."

Seriously when the banks start failing, you know that happy days aren't here again.. and that they'll be gone for a while... Fuck. 118 years after you started out being a local Seattle bank, you fucked up big time and the government said no more? Jesus, over inflated ego much?

I guess now that I'm 30, I should wake up and pay attention to finances and politics... eew.

Diamonds are forever.

I went to visit my grandma today.

She gave me a pair of diamond earrings. They are earrings she had made about 15 years ago from a diamond ring that had belonged to her aunt. There were 6 stones. She and my aunt had earrings, my mom took her stones and put them into a newer wedding ring. She had her ears pierced at the age of 60 so she could wear diamonds! But, she never really wore them.

Today, I got them.

Thank you grandma, I love you.

You know you've lost a bit of weight when your bathrobe is getting to be to big.
Squeee!

Fall seems to have finally shown up! The nights and mornings are getting cool and crisp.

I do what?

I'm trying to figure out if I'm over pronating... who knew this could be so had to figure out on one's own.
Next week, I'm going to Super Jock N Jill in Greenlake, I hope they can figure me out. I'm so done with blisters and my heels not fitting well in my shoes.

When I've gone to the Humane Society, I cry.

ketchup.

Oh wireless router, I'm glad you were replaced!

My dog is afraid of strange men with leaf blowers, but not afraid of my dad with a leaf blower.

When washing laundry with a random towel that was used for cleaning guns, it will take a good 5 or so washings/soakings with water softeners, liquid Dawn, your regular laundry detergent and 2 scented dryer sheets to get the awesome chemical scent out. Thanks sweetie, I love you.

Stroh tastes like burning and butterscotch and christmas... all in one awful fiery gulp. Yuck.

Moleskin doesn't work.

I've committed myself to 2 5ks! The Issaquah Salmon 5k and Jingle Bell Run. Hmm.

When your new boss asks if you can do this, this, this and that?
The answers are yes, yes, yes and of course.

After feeling like I was shit on for a year, I'm so ready to redeem myself.

Wet dogs aren't happy dogs.

The best way to clear out a dog park on a summer day: sudden rain downpour

The best way to dry off a wet dog: the back seat of a Honda Civic?

I've never seen Abigail rush towards the gate so quickly.

We're still on the dog hunt...

Welcome a new classic to the closet.

Hmm. If someone would have said the classiest plain black pump you'll find at Nordstrom would be by BCBG, I might have laughed.

After deciding to try on women's shoes more than juniors shoes, I found these. Totally classic, plain and versatile. No weird trendy embellishments, no crazy square toes, not pointy, and pretty damn comfortable.

They actually replace the last pair of classic black pumps I had... the ones my mom bought me in 1997, when I was a senior in HS. Hopefully, I'll take amazing care of them and I'll have them for 10 years as well.... until I'm 40?

No zoot suits.

Last night Kevin informed me he needed a suit for Friday. Um, really? We are going to a future insurance agent thing, and we've known about it for about 2 months. Yesterday he got an email about things to bring and expect, a suit was second on the list. Gee, you couldn't have said something about this when you told us about it in June?

Last night we were also waiting for someone to call us back and let us know if we had to run out to Monroe to get a dog. The call came at 7:55, the little lady that came to look at him before us fell in love and took him. We're fine with it, we just wanted to know if we still had a chance...

So we went to Men's Warehouse. Kevin got this amazing suit. The best part is, it will be ready by Thursday night!!

I have to look fairly formal or put together as well. I'm off to buy a pair of basic black heels to go with my fancy black trousers. Fun.

Wanna know how I know you're gay?
...
You're a racewalker...
Kevin has been watching a lot of the Olympics this week. Last night we came upon Racewalking, he hadn't heard of it before. It seems like one of the more idiotic sports, but it rather entertaining to watch.

We had a woman who was supposed to come to our house today with a dog. She called last night to tell us she was going to meet with a different couple first, on this upcoming Wednesday. She seems to like the idea of them more because they don't have a dog and the one she's giving up isn't very well socialized because she doesn't take it out to parks or other places where there are dogs. She is worried about how her dog will get along with our dog. Hmm, super. We were the first people to reply to your post and you were okay with us being in an apartment and some how we ended up being bumped to #2. Hmm, thanks for being judgmental and all, are you in highschool? Or just some stupid eastsider...

I've decided it is probably easier to catch a STD than to find a dog to adopt. Okay, it's not that it's really hard... it just seems the dogs we are interested in are gone before we get a chance to respond, reply, are to big, or cost more than we'd like

I'm totally loving NPR's Wait Wait.. Don't Tell Me. I've just started to download the podcasts again, it's nice to have a working iPod again.

My mom, grandma and I went to Victoria for 2 days. My mom and I had high tea at The Empress Hotel. My mom and I got to feed baby ducks, out of our hands. I bought all sorts of awesome tea from Murchie's tea.

A woman is coming over tomorrow morning, she's bringing a possible dog for a us to adopt. He's part rat terrier and part blue heeler. Dog number 2, we're looking for you! We went to animal shelters last week, I cry.

I gained 5 pound on my vacation. But, I am now back on track... I really over ate for a week.

dogs need homes.

We are in the process of trying to find another dog to adopt.
Yay dogs!
But, going to a shelter or reading why people have given up their dogs breaks my heart. Rips it in two, actually.
I had found a dog on Petfinder that I thought was cute and seemed like the right size, when I went to the shelter to have a look at her they said she was the first dog adopted that morning. So, I looked at the other dogs and I had to leave because I couldn't handle all of them being without a home.
They were all howling and barking and I'm sure if they could speak I'm sure they would all say "Please pick me! I love car rides. I'll hold down the couch or bed all day and make sure they don't get stolen. I'll try really hard not to slobber on the sliding glass door or car windows, but I might when I get really excited. I won't chew on your shoes as long as you train me not to and give me other awesome things to chew on. I'll take all biscuits that you offer me in a gentle manor. I'll get off the couch when you tell me, and jump up when you tell me. Do you have a friend for me that already lives with you? Will you take me to the park? Will you please just fucking pick me because I can't handle being in here, just like you can't handle seeing all of us in here. Come on lady, LET'S GO HOME!"
If I had a massive SUV and insurance companies didn't give a flying fuck about pit bulls, I'd have 25 new dogs to talk about.

sick from beer cooties

Last night Kevin and I ate at the Elysian with some people from Ars. The food was great. The beers were great. I think we both had three?

And this morning we were both really sick. We both had different food and different beers.

WTF?
I told someone about this and he said that they probably don't clean their taps as much as they should. He worked for the liquor control board and liquor stores for years. He said a bacteria can grow if not cleaned properly and make you really sick... like food poisoning. Hmm.

Day off, yo!

I hopped on the scale this morning and was over joyed that it said 212. !!!
I'm pretty stoked that there is a fly in the apartment, Abigail keeps snapping at it.
I went to Urban Outfitters today, I love their stuff. I wish I had some money to spend there. But, the happy thing was I felt like they actually had clothes I could fit into without looking like hippo in a skirt.
I also stopped into Ann Taylor Loft and tried on some pretty hot looking jeans. Jeans are my 210 reward...


On Saturday I had a pedicure and didn't have the best experience or service. They're sending me a gift card, sweet. Another spa service in my future!

Shark!

Dude, it's Shark Week on Discovery this week!
Sharks are rad, but days off are even more rad.

pms and pent up birth agression.

My PMS is in full swing at the current moment...
... which would be fantastic if I didn't have to be sleeping right this very minute, have to get up at 5:15am tomorrow, and work a short shifted day from hell tomorrow morning.
Um excuse, me can you come back on something like Tuesday?

Oh, and I'm sure it doesn't help that were in that whole stretch to my birthday. The one were I'm very agitated for something like 2 weeks right before my birthday due to the fact that I was born almost 3 weeks late? People can make fun, but it is no laughing matter.

Seriously, don't fuck with the Jesus.

And, when I ask if you sell magazines, newspapers aren't the same thing and just won't cut it. And, if your debit/credit machine is broken, you might want to post that on the outside of your business instead of telling me I need to pay in cash, I don't carry cash. And if you charge me for a service I didn't want or even feel I got and seem unwilling or able to fix it, your manager/owner will receive a nice mature but very matter of fact email followed by a follow phone call... just because you work the front desk honey, doesn't mean you're amazing and besides, you being 16 and "cute" doesn't do anything for me. And if you are over charging me, I'll point that out to you as well. Have a fantastic day.

Kevin bought me a hot "new" Schwinn American cruiser for my 30th birthday.
Sweet.

Picture to follow, soon I hope.

bzzz

I've been very fascinated with bees lately.

Buh bye!

Starbucks is closing 600 stores.
Darn, 600 less places to get awful coffee that doesn't taste burnt. Sadly, they aren't closing to many in the general Seattle area. One of the ones they are closing near me just opened, May to be exact.

I feel bad for those 600 managers now without jobs?

Your plan of 10,000 stores by 2010 totally worked, but you got of little over zealous and looked what happened.

Black bras with white t-shirts?

Dear leathery looking lady @ Target-
Maybe you don't know this... but they have dressing rooms in this store. That black bra you tried on over your tee shirt (and probably a bra you have on underneath) was totally hot. I'm thinking you might like the way it fits if you were to actually go to a changing room and try it on there. Next to your skin. Like you would actually wear it in real lifes.
I'm just saying.
And my 2 bits of advice would be a)Do not buy bras at Target. Good quality bras that are built to last aren't something they sell here. Go to Nordstrom or Macy's, yo! b)Stay out of the sun already! Your face looks like a weathered Louis Vuitton purse, and not in a good way.

XOXOX
-J

Mmm, lunch.

I'm off today. I have a dinner date with an old friend.
Kevin got bit by some crazy bug or spider that left a huge blister on his wrist. He finally went to the doctor today, the blister showed up on Sunday. He chose not to go back to work.

Just now Kevin was in the kitchen making himself lunch. I heard him snicker. I tried to figure what he was doing.

"Sweet!"
(??)
"I are eating bachelor food!"
(looking at his plate) Did you make a spaghetti sandwich?
"Yes. It's going to be awesome."

Gross.

I had to take my Coach sunglasses back to Nordstrom, again. This time the lens was not in right and looked like it could eventually pop out. They didn't have the burgundy at the location I was at so I went with black. I suppose I could have gotten a different style altogether but I really like the shape. The girl asked if I wanted to find them at another location... um no, I'm here now and it's 75 degrees out.

3rd pair in 2 years.

I heart Nordstrom's return policy.

Happy Friday!

Watermelon juice? Years ago when I worked in a juice bar the summer was always fun, fruit flies by the platoons! But we used to make random fruit concoctions including stuff with watermelon. Today I got a free Evolution Watermelon juice. Let me tell you, it's like summer in a container! And minus the seeds! And there was no extra crap in it, just juice! Um, but the price is a bit higher than you might pay for an Odwalla, but after hearing about this company, it might be worth it on those days I feel like blowing $4 on a juice.

Today was fantastically started by waking up at 5:30 only to realize I was supposed to have been at work a half hour prior... reseting the alarm time and setting the alarm are two different things.

I order this shirt from The Herbivore Clothing Co. I am not a vegetarian any more, but I really care about food and the way it is grown and processed and where it comes from. I was also stoked because I was able to order a large.

My mom took me shopping yesterday because she understands the whole "I've lost weight, and now I want to wear clothes that are closer to my size, even though I'm not done losing weight yet." thing. Thanks mom, I love you. She lost 30lbs doing the South Beach Diet (um, she read the book, there was no online program when she did it) and has kept it off for something like 2 years. She looks great, I'm proud of her. She's proud of me. But, when she was losing weight she had extra cash to spend on clothes and bought a whole new wardrobe. I'm excited because I can wear stuff from Ann Taylor Loft again without feeling like I'm squishing into everything, some thing yes, I squish... most things, no squish, but not always flattering. She bought me jeans that were $20 that I fit into. Even if I can only wear them for 2 months or something, $20.

I have a dinner date with an old friend from my OSU days in a week. Yay!

Summer has arrived in Seattle, thank god! 90 degrees tomorrow?!

doughnuts, junkyards and weight loss

Dude!
Last night we were flipping channels and the food network had a show on about doughnuts. They showed this place in Portland called Voodoo Doughnuts. I totally need to go! But they talked about how the 2 men that own it are also ordained ministers and you can get married there as well. I said "if we decided to get married we should totally get married there just to mortify my mom!" It's $175 and included doughnuts and coffee for 10 people. Our friend Chris needs to bring us some of those bacon maple bars next time he goes home to visit his family.

Kevin and I went to the Pull A Part on Sunday. I felt my high school years flash before my eyes, every car a friend had ever owned had come to the junk yard to rest. Next time we go, I'm bringing gloves, a dust mask and a piggy bank.

I love my friend Robert and I really love him when he tells me I'm thinner. I'm at 217! I was kind of stagnant for a bit at 219. Last week I gained, sad. This week I'm a loser of 2lbs.

Next time, I'll keep your dog.

Wow.
So the other day the maintenance lady at my apartment complex gave my dog a pet while I was cleaning up poop. Yup, the joys of picking up poop. She asked me if I knew anyone who had lost a dog. Sadly and happily, nope. She said it was a mixed small dog and that she thought it might have been dropped off. She said something about calling animal control. This was Tuesday or Wednesday.

So I fianally got motivated to go for a walk, tough stuff I'm telling you. Yup, on my Friday night, alone. I saw a flier with pictures saying PLEASE help us find Annie! So I took the flier off the telephone pole and finished my walk.

I got home and called one of the numbers on the flier. I was hoping people had their dog back and it would be a happy ending, I would have cried like a baby if the dog had been killed or disappeared from disappearing...

Wow lady, you seem to be really bitchy about the fact that you lost YOUR dog and the person took care of YOUR lost dog didn't seem to take care of her very well. I was calling because I had information and I'm very happy that your dog was returned to you since YOU lost her but you really don't need to be a bitch and fill my ear with your bad attitude about other people who don't know how to take care of dogs...

Um wait, didn't you lose YOUR dog? Are you qualified to take care of dogs? I'm just saying....

I'm on my 3rd dog in 30 years, dogs lost? ZERO!

Good karma for me on doing the right thing.


And as I've been saying for years, if you really like your shit, you'd hold on to it. I've never lost keys, a phone, sunglasses, a dog, a sweatshirt, jewelry or my purse. Our neighbors used to steal stuff from us because they had a copy of your house key made from the one we gave them while they house watched, but that is a whole other story...

On to my next step?

So I'm trying to figure out what to with my professional life...
stay and grow in the company I'm in?
go back to massage? (but I can only do this 25 to 30 hours a week...)
go back to school?
-go to school for culinary anthropology type stuff?
-go to school for nutrition stuff?
-got to school for what?
-go to school and learn about business and marketing? (this probably involves lots of math, which I fail at.)

But I don't know who to talk to!?
A life coach?
A college guidance counselor?

Some how in the past 10 years, my mom and I have gone from being the badly matched mother/daughter combo to the good friends with a 21 year age gap.. Or as my friend Amy says, you sound more like sisters. (I wouldn't know about that, I don't have one.)

Weight loss doesn't go as well when you add peanut butter cookies into a few days of your week.

According to my mom, I have expensive taste in everything... but she usually loves the item I've acquired. According to my aunt I to have expensive taste, $65 shoes?! Um, yeah, that dye job you just told me you paid $135 for looks like butt.

Coffee=love.

cha cha changes!

Change is totally in the air this year!

Kevin is working on getting his own insurance agency.
I want to go to school and learn me some stuffs!

My mom and grandma are taking me to Victoria, BC for my 30th birthday.

It is warmer in Siberia than it is in Seattle.

No weight loss this week, but we ate cake 2 days in a row.

paradise or home?

On Sunday I told Kevin I wanted us to go to Jamaica. He responded with the whole what would you rather have: a) a house or b) a tropical vacation?
Shit.
As much as I love him, the idea of a vacation is out of his head. He knows that a really amazing decent vacation that we would want would cost about $10k for 3 weeks. $10k would be an okay down payment on a house, not an awesome one but a start. (we are not huge american "chargers."
Way to be the realist in our relationship, sweet pea.

To all those that participated last week, thanks for being so judgmental.

blah crap yuck.

For the past few days, I've woken up with a head ache. It makes for an enjoyable start.

The weather up in here has been crappy for the past few days, it's enough to make me be sad and depressed and contemplate cookies. This has been one of the first years where I can honestly say the weather has gotten to me. When I was at Fred Meyer the cashier asked me where my coat was. I told her it wasn't needed. She replied with a mm, hmm. What I wanted to shout was "I'm a 30 year old adult and I can dress myself!" Hmm, maybe she should learn to keep her comments to herself? For the love of god, stop raining and give me some fucking sun!

I went to a Weight Watchers meeting, the second one since I've joined. When I was weighing in the guy made a comment about be giving up on weight loss for the week because I had my coffee on the counter. A tall non fat latte is worth 2 points. Um, I also had wet hair, all my clothes on, and had eaten breakfast. Then he got all excited because I had lost 5lbs since my last weigh in. But in my calculations it's close to 12 since I joined. I went to the meeting because I realized it was going to start soon and I was close by, I thought maybe it would help with my morning slump. um, not to much. But they gave out some recipes with mushrooms.

Oh, and the Starbucks I went to didn't have the paper I wanted, but I was able to find my crosswords!

Adding my cake batter ice cream and my period to the mix, I only lost a pound this week. But, a pound is still a pound less than before.

Noting says day off like homemade coffee.

Nothing says awesome like making your breakfast in new shoes and your bathrobe. My mom insists that I dress up for this 75/55 party for my grandparents. She said no jeans. Ha, I'm an adult, I'm wearing jeans. I bought a new top(Macy's Style and Co on sale for $9.99), which looking at clothes right now is crappy because I'm between sizes.... medium boobs, large shoulders, large but flat waist, and larger hips. Well, if since I got really frustrated I bought new shoes... and charged them to my mom's Nordstrom's account. I know she'll like them and understand. Anyway, gotta break them in. They'll be great for summer and I'll get my use out of them. I could even go back and buy them in navy to go with the Ann Taylor Loft dress I'm wearing to Desirae's wedding in August.

If anything, some of the people I'll see at the 55th, I haven't seen since the 50th. I was at my highest weight then. I'll look hot!

Kevin bought me Ben and Jerry's Cake Batter ice cream on Sunday. Worth 7 points a serving... and I think it's totally worth it!

its raining beer and glass!

I love me some beer.
But nothing says gross like having one explode while in your hands. Amazingly enough, I all the broken glass hit the floor and not my arm.
At least this time, I didn't smell like cheap Rolling Rock, which is what a managed to wade through last week...

My issues with people and their food buying habits.

There was on article on the front page of the Seattle Times yesterday that talked about ways to save money on your grocery bill. I wanted to link to it and rip it to shreds but now I can't seem to find it. I fail at internets?

Any way, one of the things they suggested was stop buying ready made cookie dough. Also, eat breakfast for a dinner meal one night a week. Put a lazy susan in your cupboard. Jesus christ, this shit was on the front page of the paper!? No news? Slow Tuesday? Um, I could think of lots of things they didn't use that would help you save money on food.

The number one way to save money on food is: Eat serving sizes. Don't be a piglet.

And since I work in the grocery/natural food industry I can speak on this one... Buy food. Don't buy shit from the deli. Don't buy frozen meals. We buy big staples ar Costco and Trader Joe's. We make 95% of our food from scratch. I buy stuff in bulk. I eat salad at least one meal, 5 times a week, and I take it with me. Buy what you need, not what you might later use or eat. Convenience is really nice, but puts a huge dent in funds. Seriously, if you buy a pound of mashed potatoes from the deli for $7, you don't really have the right to tell me how expensive food is.

And, magazines. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE MAGAZINES. But, at $5 a pop for the ones I like, I've scaled back. $10 for 2? Shit, you could have bought 3 pounds of celery!

And for the love of god, are you wackos still spending $5 on fluffy lattes with soy milk and syrup and extra decaf shots? 5 times a week? I splurge once a week and buy a coffee, it's also under $4. But I make a lot of plain black coffee at home and drink plain black coffee at work. And if you are like my mom and don't like the taste of coffee, why are you spending money on Frappuccinos?

I really hope that more people will figure this all our and get back to basics. I suppose this is all a huge deal to me because I hear about it so often and I'm so trying to figure out how to manage my money better so I can buy a house. I'm also watching what and how I eat so I can lose weight for all sorts of various health reasons and money saving options.

I'd rather spend $13 on my massage co-pay than pay $13 or some gourmet macaroni and cheese from Beechers.

The end.

Fat Stats

235 start
219 current
205 current goal
180 realistic goal
160 ultimate goal

down 9 pounds since I posted the same info 2 months ago.

Kill the allergies, then sleep it off.

Hey, its the end of May. This means the cottonwood trees will be throwing their fluff all over for about 2 weeks. Fuck you cottonwood. It's semi decent outside and I pretty much have to stay indoors or use way to much allergy stuff for my liking.

I ate way to much on Saturday and Monday, but still have managed to lose a pound. I still have 5 flex points left after all that eating. Also, I find that if I weigh myself on the mornings I get up super early and don't get enough sleep the night before, my weight seems off. For example, yesterday at 5:30am with about 6 hours of sleep, the scale said 222. This morning at 7:30 with at least 8 hours of sleep, it said 219. Sleep is serious business, people! Um, I wish I could lose 4 pounds over night, but this seems to be a pattern for me every Sunday and Monday mornings, no budging... then a loss of 3 or so on Tuesday morning. Yes, I weigh myself every day.

Taking my daily B Stress vitamins sure make a huge difference in my nail growth. I love it! I'm going to get a manicure and pedicure next week, my G-Folks are having a 75th birthday/55th wedding anniversary thing and want to look as nice as I can.

Socks!

When I was in my early 20s I used to house sit for some of my mom's friends. I never snooped through anyone's stuff... but I used to steal their socks. It was never to be rude, it was really out of sheer laziness or having forgotten to bring my own.

I used to steal my mom's socks when I moved back from Olympia, mainly because I was out of clean ones.

I used to "borrow" ex-boyfriend's socks if I had spent the night and forgotten to grab my own.

I would buy socks from work if I worn sandals and had forgotten to bring socks to go with the shoes I remembered. I would buy fun new socks from work each time we got new styles.

I have more socks than I know what to fucking do with. Washing all of them with their matches, is an on going battle.

When Kevin and I collided, we both had the same type of Nike socks... they are all now stretched out to fit his hobbit feet. But he's left all my Adidas to me. Now the sock mish mash includes boot socks, wool socks, dress socks and Wigwam socks.

The other day Kevin pulled socks out of his drawer and informed me that the socks weren't his. Nope, they had belonged to an ex. I have a pair of socks with giraffes on them that I took from MJ and a pair of Calvin Klein socks I took from Sue. Random weird socks I took from my grandma's house. Cute little decorative socks I took from my mom. Random wool socks with out a match that my ex from the 1996s mom gave me for Christmas. A pair that my mom hand knit for my grandma, that my grandma said didn't do anything for her and pawned them off on me. Knee highs with skulls on them, that never stay up. And none of my brother's socks from that year we lived together, because I have no use for a men's 14 stretched out sock.

AND SOME DAYS, NONE OF MY OWN SOCKS ARE CLEAN.

220, yo!

The eyes have it?

Newest love :

MAC Fluidline

For some reason, I recently seem to enjoy lining my eye with a brush. I started with wet eye shadow but knew there had to be something better. AND THERE IS!!

I bought Blacktrack and Marcoviolet. I feel like such a dork but, lately I've been getting really into making up my eyes and being more creative with color.

Since I don't want to buy any clothes right now, I guess I'll buy makeup and spice up my looks that way?

Rock, Paper, you lose!

The other night was super warm.
Kevin crawled into bed and then told me I should go get the fan from the other room.

Um no, you do it.

No, you go get it. You know its warm in here.

You go.

Ooh, lets do rock, paper, scissors! We haven't played that in a while!

Guess who won... I win at rock, paper, scissors because Kevin has a pattern I figured out more than a year ago. I find it funny that he suggests this for things when he usually loses.

Kevin's move is 9 times out of 10: rock, rock.

Rock, paper for the win.

We are such amazing adults.

hmm.
So a month ago, it was snowing in Seattle.
Today it was something like 80ish degrees.

I love how nothing in Seattle is ever really normal.

I want 5 more inches.

God, my last hair cut was such a disaster.
A 2 months later, it looks like absolute shit and takes product to make it look decent. It ended up a lot shorter than I really wanted and with a lot more layering than I asked for.
Thank god summer is on the way, my hair grows like a weed when its warm.
I want some hair like Carmen Electra, yo.

bye bye tack factor.

I love it when the women cry when they cut off their shitty hair on What Not to Wear. Don't you people watch tv or read magazines and notice that your hair looks fried and dated?

Also, why do so many women suffer in the wrong bra size? GET FITTED.

it's all in the checkbook.

When will more people realize that being polite gets you farther than being an ass? What ever happened to please, thank you and excuse me?

I'm come to the point were I'm not as angry about paying my bills. I've finally realized it's a fact of life. I've either just figured it out or just now come to the conclusion that I am an adult? Take your pick...

But the funny thing is this... now that food has gotten pricey, I'm planning on only really spending money on that. I have been taking my lunches to work and eating a lot more salads. I am mainly bring my own food to keep from eating things like scones and creamy soups but amazingly it seems to save me at least $6 a day. Saving money buy taking lunch to work means more money can go towards my debt, which means more money to save for a house... it seems to be a win win situation. Smaller waist line, more savings. I currently just can see the need to buy any extra junk.

Um, and speaking of smaller waistlines... the more weight I lose, the more tops I have that look nice. The only thing I'll really need to replace as I lose weight are jeans and bras. As of today, I'm down 7.2lbs.

Also, apparently there is no need for 2 spaces between a period and a new sentence. This is all news to me.

A Saturday off!

mmm, today included a Theo Chocolate tour and lunch at Tawon Thai. Free chocolate samples and a total carbohydrate lover's dream!
(it's 5:05, I'm stuffed still! And out of points.)

I find it strange that people ask how I managed to get a Saturday off, the same way they could... ask for it off. Dummies. Although, the person who asked that seemed the most put off by it has only been with the company for less than 6 months. She can't use any vacation time yet and is at the bottom of the seniority list. I on the other hand get a day of vacation each paycheck and have 6 years of seniority over her. I can afford to take a random day off here and there.

I have at least 100 vacation hours and probably at least 100 of sick time. And I've probably used at least 25 to 30 hours of both in the past 5 months.

Dear sleep-

I thought you and I were great friends, what happened? Lately you seem to disappear when I have to use the bathroom. We go WAY back and I know that sometimes I haven't taken relied on you like I should, but just to bail on me when I need you most? What gives? Is it because the days are starting earlier? Are you a vampire suddenly?
Please come back for your nightly visit and stay through my bathroom break! All it is is 2 minutes, if even that. Our relationship is still serious business to me, lets work it out.
I know I've been drinking a lot of water, but it is good for me. And the weight loss and better eating will be great for the both of us, I swear.

-J

Dog Park Rant

For whatever reason, it really bothers me when people talk on their phones at the dog park. I find it really annoying to be outside and have to listen to a one way conversation. And I find it really annoying when that person's dog chases after the ball I just chucked for my dog, gets it and then takes it to their owner who is parked on a bench blabbing on and on.

Dogs like to interact at the dog park! If not with other dogs, then with a tennis ball. Hang up your fucking phone and play. Or hang up and make sure your dog isn't being an ass.

I bought a new wallet, it's made by Hobo International. I've seen a couple of people with it and I think it's brilliant. It's a wallet\clutch thing in a cantaloupe color... rightly called melon. Since I couldn't find any awesome pictures that would work with me and not sure where the camera is at the moment, you can see it here.

So this whole Weight Watchers thing is really easy for me, as of now. Years back when I had just come off of Paxil, something I was consuming was making me sick. My stomach was a mess for year or so. I had some allergy tests done and they came up with me being allergic to 4 things that were constantly in my diet. A few years later my naturopath tested me for food allergies via blood and come up with nothing. So I started to eat everything again. The stomach issues returned. I have a weird intolerance to soy proteins. So anyway, that whole entire time, I kept a really decent food journal of what I ate. Some of the time I was doing really good, the other times I cringed when I recorded my food intake. But the truth is, for me this works. I'm not one of those people who can lie to myself all that easily. Sure I look in the mirror and think to myself I don't look as fat as I am. But I know that when I shop I have to look for xls and 16s and that I have to really shimmy through tight spaces. (I want to be back at the 170 I was at before I gained all the weight from Paxil.) The Weight Watchers eTools work because now I can enter stuff into a computer and it figures stuff out for me. All I need from any packaged foods I eat are the calories, the fat and the fiber. Enter it in and be on my way....

I am not one of those fat people who uses the flex plan so I can eat 3 cupcakes in one day.

So far I'm down 3 pounds.

Go me. I bought the wallet to reward myself for finally figuring out that maybe I really do need help to lose weight and that maybe joining a gym again and still eating improperly just won't cut it this time. I'll reward myself when I lose my first 10% with a new tattoo.

Um, as of May 3, 2008, I am no longer using half and half in my coffee.

Sorry Dude.

I figured out that I use to use up about 8 WW points a day on just half and half for my multiple cups of coffee. I knew it was bad, but not that bad. Crap.

Um, I think this means no more white russians. (stab stab, whimper whimper)

The Dude would be sad.

Friday.

The IRS gave me some money, nice.

I gave in a joined Weight Watchers.

I fell down the stairs at work.

And now for my next trick....

Money crunch.

I gave my grandpa a massage today, and he paid me $60.

$10.89 - Madonna's new CD
$2.20 - Drip coffee and Seattle Times
$44.00 - one full tank of gas. OUCH! I drive a small Honda Civic.
_____________
$57.09

I bought my grandpa a birthday card before I went to his house and it was about $2.99. That was a $60 spent quick.

Wow, apparently $60 doesn't go as far as it used to?
I could have bought a new pair of DKNY jeans like I thought about but the gas tank needed filling today or tomorrow, so I did it.

Thank you jesus for a 12 mile round trip commute instead of the old one I used to make that was 60.

I knew that when Kevin would get an Xbox, that he'd be parked in front of the tv for hours at a time.

He is. And I find it very annoying.

Moofia!

I need these.

Spring is here, sweet. Although, yesterday was super humid and reminded me of a wet dog.

I'm eating breakfast and watching VH1. Um, the Counting Crows have a new album out? I never really liked them, they were super whiny to me. But John Mayer on the other hand, Kevin and I have a liking for him... that stupid Wonderland song made me think he was a total puss. Plus, he has beautiful lips that make me want to make out with him. And he does hot shit like this.

IN other news, I'm doing to massages this week. I spent almost $200 on groceries yesterday. I also can't wait for my IRS rebate?

Why the hell am I so tired?

Running needs shorts.

Newcastle + running + epsom salt bath = not to shabby.

I have decided that wearing Converse for 8 hours and then putting on my awesome Mizunos seems to confuse my arches. Are we flat and walking in circles? Or are we supported and running on the sidewalk?

I read something about drinking beer after running, I can't remember what it said... but I'm determined to have one after every running adventure, even if they are still small. Beer is nice.

I drove my normal walk/run course and I've discovered that it is almost 2.5 miles. A 5k will be really easy. Sweet.

I really want a pair of running shorts with pockets. I know that they will be very unflattering, but if you choose to look at me when I'm working out it's your own damn fault. But for my own reasons, I'm so mortified to try them on. I haven't worn shorts in public in EONS! 10 yearsish? Like I've seen plenty of fat folks wearing elastic waist shorts but they have nice or decent legs. My legs are like sausage links covered in spider veins and bruises. Yum-o. I usually wear my awesome black Lucy capris and pants or my not as awesome blue capris... but shorts? I yearn for the days when my legs are a bit leaner! Shorts damnit, I want some shorts and I want them to look okay.

Eew, and I supposed in a few months I'll need to buy a new swim suit that is more flattering and shows off my boobs... then one I have now is more for swimming laps and has a high neck.

I've started to rub calendula oil on to help my skin stuff issues. Plus, who doesn't love soft skin?

It rubs the lotion on it's skin or else it gets the hose again....

Sometimes washing my hair seems like such a chore.

After not working out for a few days, tonight we shall run!

5 days are left of April, I'm hoping for sunnier days.

Kevin informed me that this year we need to do day hikes. This is fine with me, last summer he didn't want to do anything but find a job. I think he forgets that we have totally different days off.

Happy Earth Day!

Bloat no more.

And now that our period is over, the scale had returned to it's "normal" spot.

Thank you, come again.

Feeling parched! sort of...

After I made my lovely breakfast of muesli, milk, honey and apple sauce, I decided to wash my hands. I turned on the facet in the kitchen to find that I have no water. Lovely.

When I called the leasing office to tell them they sounded so nice ands all duh! like. "We had to turn it off to work on the pipes." No warning to this? Even though a lot of people work during the day, including myself, some times we have a day off in the middle of the week or that random day where you get scheduled really late.

And yeah, it will be on in 15 minutes... I have a cold and touched the jar of honey, I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO WASH MY HANDS!

And I want to shower and shave my legs and turn on the dishwasher and wash ALL of my clothes right this minute!



In other news, some dude on The Ultimate Fighter had to go home last night because he had a mad case of herpes on his neck?! WTF? How did you get that on your neck? I used to have a massage client who had herpes in her eye, eek, and that I can understand but neck?

money, money and mo money.

Today Kevin and I opened new mutual funds with State Farm. $100 each a month with the idea to increase it next year.

I also just found out that my small loan with Sallie Mae is paid off! I was paying my Sallie Mae loan and my SLM Financial loan together for a total of $180 a month. My new monthly payment is $110. Sweet. The projected pay off is somewhere down the road in 2017 for the SLM loan, yuck

I will be done paying off my US Dept of Education loan in 4 months. I am paying them about $125 a month while my mom pays them $75 a month for the 2 massages I give her.

So if I add the $200 from the US Dept of Education to the existing SLM Financial, I will pay them off way before 2017 and will be years closer to a house.

Next week I change my car insurance to State Farm as well, saving $25 a month.

THANK GOD.

My money seems to have gotten under control a bit. My credit is next.

All of the sudden 30 just got a lot better looking.

After we get some of this shit under control, we can have some fun... say July.

We have 7 and a 1/2 months to find the best damn apartment we can afford. Any other kitchen has to be better than the one we currently have. For some reason my mom seems really bothered by the fact that we'd move by Nov. 30th.

We are now the proud owners of a 37 inch tv and a Xbox. I'm determined not to sit in front of it all summer.

I worked and wasn't tempted by the crack-o-tastic cookies we sell. And they ordered pizza and I had none. I ate like a piggy all weekend.

I ran again on Friday, bowled on Saturday and worked out again for an hour on Sunday. Today, I'm doing my stupid pilates tape that annoys the crap out of me but gets the job done. What I'd really like is a 2nd sports bra and maybe some clothes to run in that has a pocket.

The end.

I heart my run.

I'm such the novice runner.

But last night I RAN!

I didn't hurt, I didn't die. I gave it my all.

And I enjoyed it, even the slight side ache.

I can now see what people get out of it.

I was so thirsty afterward, but I think I finally got it.

and then..

I buy the Seattle Times almost everyday. Mostly to do a crossword puzzle but lately I've been reading more of it.

I never take the top paper because I'm weird and don't like having magazines or papers other people have riled through.

So I just looked through my paper so I could do my puzzles and some fuck face already took it out.

How fuck rude and Eastside of you. I hope you get a flat tire on the way home.

Weak link.

A few weeks ago I was having a day from hell and I ordered myself a hot new piece of jewelery. From Smallthings.com. I've seen their pieces around town and often thought I needed one.

It FINALLY came.

I went to put it on and the link on chain holding it to the jump ring broke.

SADNESS!

I called them and of course they'd gladly repair it and are really super sorry. But shit, it felt like I waited all month for this thing and then to get it and it breaks before I can even wear it once?! Grr.

Cute as hell, no?

more 30.

Continue.. of Kevin's 30th.

Last night we had dinner at Sushiland! Love that place.


We had icea cream at Cold Stone Creamery. By then we were bloated.

Then we came home and watched Ultimate Fighter.

And then we couldn't fall asleep. Yuck.

This morning my couch is covered in dog foot prints. Thank Abigail.

breakfast to go with 30

Today Kevin turned 30. 3-0.

Happy Birthday sweetie!

I got up around 8:30 and he stated that he thought I was sleeping in. After getting up for the past few days at 5:20, 8:30 was sleeping in.

I went out to the Alki Bakery to get him a cinnamon roll. Rumor has it they are the best in the city. And the rumor was right! Cream cheese type icing! No rasins! It was only $2.25?!

(this photo isn't mine)

They also have a location on 1st Ave!?! Holy crap. As Kevin said, it was made with cinnamon and yum. When I said it was a place we could start to frequent, he said we probably shouldn't. True that.

I also took him a breve mocha to go with.

I HAVE THE NEXT 5 DAYS OFF! Why? Because I'm smart and I use my vacation hours, and I have something like 115 of them to use.

And then we went for something completely different...

Arguing with my younger brother is just about as stupid and pointless as trying to convince a 5 year old that broccoli is tastier than ice cream. I didn't really like 25 year old know it all boys when I was 25, and not so much more at 29.

The problem at large is: he is more like my mom and heard what he wanted to hear. Like that time I told my mom a broke a rib and she heard hip. I hung up on her when she started freaking out.

(Not listening is a huge ass pet peeve of mine! I think it has something to do with the fact that I can't hear in one ear and I listen better than a lot of people.)

My parents wanted to get something for Kevin for his birthday. My mom told me to talk to my brother about ideas. We talked about a bunch of Xbox stuff, like games and controllers for the system.

My brother ended up ordering some stupid universal remote thing instead. A universal remote that costs about $70?! Wtf? But see, we have a universal remote that we got from Comcast. It works swell. The stereo and record player are so dinosauric/old school/vintage, you actually have to get off your ass to turn them on. No remote will ever fix that problem.

So when my brother told me he ordered the remote I was confused. When I talked to my mom about it she said my brother said I told him that was what to get. When I told my mom we have a universal remote she asked if I had told my brother that? Um, I don't remember this as being a really strong idea for a present AT ALL. What happened to games or a extra controller?

My mom seemed a little bent out of shape and ordered something completely different. My brother seems to want to blame me for changing my mind on something I never agreed to. That I left my folks with something they didn't want. Um, why can't it be returned? Who buys anything that can't be returned?! Is it used?

Why would you ask someone a bunch of questions about one gift idea and then go with something completely stupid and out of left field?

If you tell me something I agreed to and I seem really shocked with the result, I didn't agree to it. TRUST ME.

I remember EVERYTHING.

He's with the band.

My "little" cousin, Pat, has a new band. They're called Twilight Drive. They rock out in Tacoma but I have yet to see them.

But I've heard them and they sound pretty tasty.

Last night Kevin was yelling at me because I had my shoes on in the couch. "Why are shoes on in the couch?"
In the couch?

Something about being in the couch makes me think that it needs it's own area code. Or that it is possibly a whale that swallowed us?. You can only be in the couch if you are a remote control.



You can't be mean to people as a business strategy.
I read this last night in a recent copy of Elle.

My boss needs to be shown this statement. Although, I'm sure he's one of those people who have no idea what people actually think of him. If I find someone to be really fake, guess what my attitude is toward them? Really fake as well. That and the guy treated me like absolute shit from the moment he stepped foot in the place. Guess what, we can't wait until you leave.

fat stats

235 start
228 current
215 current goal
180 realistic goal
160 ultimate goal

run total 6 minutes p/wo
run goal 5K

quit yur bitchin.

Today was March 28th.
1 week ago was the first day of spring.
It snowed today.
In Seattle.


Stranger things have happened, folks...
Like Christmas comes every summer to Costco starting in August.

Anyway. People were bitching about it all afternoon. I find this kind of silly considering the fact that it also snows in the fall. Seattle gets snow in November and last time I checked, winter didn't start until December. If we get snow early, we can also get snow late.

Shut it.

Popcorn not included

Would you pay $35 to see a movie?
Jackie and Kevin say "naw."

Kevin is getting a 37inch flat screen next week for his birthday, I'm sure we'll be using Netflix more often than we do now.

For $35 the two of us could go to happy hour at Standford's and run across the street afterwards and buy a movie at Best Buy.

mmm, food and people who like them

" What do you want to do for dinner?"

"Not make it."

"Um. Nice."


Tonight, I'm making dinner.


Today I met Gluten-Free Girl aka Shauna James Ahern. She shops where I work as well as teaches cooking classes for my co-op. I thought I recognized her from some place and couldn't place it. As soon as I scanned her employee card I figured it out. I told her I had read her blog and that thought I knew her from somewhere and couldn't place her. She said that that has been happening more in the recent months. Anyway, she was super nice and I thought I'd share that info with you.

The good times are killing me.

If I had a super power today's would have been:

SPITTING NAILS

Or, I felt like I could have been one of those zombie humanoids from 28 Days Later that were infected with rage. Yes.

After I left work I discovered my B-stress complex and multi vitamin in my pocket.

Tonight will be brought to you by the letters W I N E and O.

New socks for a smaller butt?

I love my menstrual cycle. Let's gain 5 pounds at the beginning only to lose it at the end. Yuck.
But, since we lost that five and spring is in the air and I'm feeling kinda motivated.. tomorrow we start back on the whole running and planning for a 5 k bit. Tomorrow, we run, and our butt will jiggle along behind us.

Eek.
I even bought new socks for the occasion. Just so you know, new socks make everything better.

Last night Kevin knocked over my glass of wine. On to my phone. We were saddened mostly by the fact it was the LAST glass.

I had fucked up dreams last night or how about the last 2 nights. But last night I had this dream about acrobat type folks doing stunts on I-405. During rush the rush hours. They had hopes to raise money for charity? Or to pay for their funerals?

A hairy situation.

I find it really entertaining when you talk to someone about dying your hair, to cover gray, they make funny noises at you like you just said the dumbest thing they ever heard.

Especially when they recently dyed their own hair, to cover up their own gray and their old dye job that had grown out over the past year.

Note: The person giving the advice has the oiliest and stringiest hair I've ever seen in my life.

Like a friend said, I wouldn't take any hair product advice from her, EVAR!

I find that Naturcolor 4D is the closest thing to my own hair color.

__________

After switching back and forth between Live Journal and Blogger for the past, oh 6 years?, we choose Blogger. I am after all, an adult.