Rumors Dispelled

Well I would like inform you, Internet, that it is not always a disaster when you meet someone in person that you knew only through blog entries, comments, and emails! I did it! Today I had lunch with Carole. I recently stumbled across her blog on Heather’s “What I am Reading” list. I was laughing out loud as I read down Carole’s site. She was hilarious! But she only recently started her blog, so in a short period of time, I had read her entire site. Thirsty for more, I opened her “About” section just to discover that she is also from the Oregon Coast, Warrenton to be precise (which is just a hop, skip, and a jump from Seaside!). As my world slowly got smaller, I discovered that she went to school with Heather’s husband, Barney. As Barney and I were friends in High School, I actually attended his graduation. Which means, I attended Carole’s graduation! So while we did not know each other at the time, the world has been trying to get us together! So I did the only thing I could do: I gave into destiny. And it was totally worth it! Carole is even more entertaining in person. It was fun. (Thanks Carole! We have to do it again some time soon!)

I hate it…

…when I have a cold sore the size of Mt. Hood on my lip and everytime I smile, speak, or even move it cracks and really, really hurts.

…when I am wearing my new angora sweater my Mom gave me for Christmas (thanks, Mom!) and it leaves “hair” all over my black pants like I just rolled a cat up and down my legs.

…when it is my first day back to work after a long (super, wonderful, fantastic) weekend and I never got a chance to play with my new Dyson vacuum cleaner*! It’s 150,000 times the force of gravity! Who wouldn’t want to play with that? 150,000 TIMES, PEOPLE!!

*After we “ruined” Christmas by opening our presents a week early, Simeon decided to surprise me on Christmas morning with a present under the tree. Isn’t he the sweetest thing in the whole world? (And for those of you who think getting a vacuum for Christmas is archaic, you must know that I have desperately wanted one for ever. That and this is me we are talking about. Hellooo!)

The door! THE DOOR!!

Ok, I am all a flutter. My face is flushed and my heart is beating really fast. What is causing this to happen to me? The door is open again on J.K. Rowling’s site! And this time with the help of my IM buddies (thanks Simeon and Nick) we figured it out! I don’t want to spoil it for those of you who like to figure it out on your own, so I won’t tell you what to do unless you ask. (Feel free to ask anytime you need help!) I just have one more thing to say:

OH. MY. GOD.

(What are you waiting for? Go! GO!)

Weekend Update

Simeon and I started out the weekend Friday night with a lovely dinner at our favorite local Mexican restaurant, Amigo’s II. Then stopped by Blockbuster and rented a few movies. Our final stop before retiring to our couch for the evening was Best Buy to pick up a new television for our bedroom. We desperately needed to replace the one Simeon has had since he was 8 years old. (Dead serious, it was that old.). We ended up getting a sweet 20″ flat screen TV/DVD combo. Now I can control the volume and turn off the tv without getting out of bed! How cool is that?!

Saturday morning Simeon and I decided to celebrate Christmas! Yeah, I know, we are really lame for having no self-restraint and not waiting another week for the actual day. (Thanks, David!) I got Sim some cool new clothes and some super soft wooly moccasins. And he got me TiVo!! Thats right!! I never have to miss a tv show again!! I can pause live television!! I can do an instant replay!! I can even tell my tv to record something from someone elses house!! Can you even believe it? It is amazing beyond my wildest dreams. As I write this I am watching last nights Saturday Night Live WITHOUT A TAPE!! I am so excited!! Can you tell?! Did you think I could have so many exclamation points in one post?!?

After we hooked up the TiVo and let it do its thing, we did some work around the house. Sim coded and played with his computer while I cleaned the house and did the laundry. Then I made my first Chocolate Rum Cake for Simeon’s Office Christmas party. We all had a great time. There was plenty of great food (thanks Mark and Jeanie!) and great company. Oh and don’t forget all the wine! You can see all the party picture here.

Today Sim and I slept in, watched I, Robot in bed (on my new tv, thankyouverymuch). Then we met David and Kris to see Spanglish at the new Century Theater in Beaverton. It was a good movie. It’s refreshing to see Adam Sandler in a dramatic role. We ran a few last minute Christmas errands and wound down the day at my friend Tricia’s open house. It’s always fun to hang out with co-workers outside of the office setting. Everyone loosens up quite a bit. I guess all that wine didn’t hurt any! You can also find more information here if you want to know the best kinds of wine.

So now I am getting ready once again for another work week. Thank goodness this is a short one. I only work through Wednesday! Wahoooo! Hope you all have a great Monday.

Too tired for a title.

I am getting sick. Just in time for the holidays. Bah! I woke up this morning feeling quite phlegmy (sorry, TMI) and my throat is feeling super sore. I instantly gargled some Listerine to kill whatever was trying to attack me. Then slammed my vitamins with a Pumpkin Chai Tea Latte chaser. Mmmmmm. So now I have been trying to maintain conversations with co-workers and convince everyone that all the synapses are firing. I don’t know if they are. But I am nursing my lemon herbal tea (with honey!) and praying I caught things in time.

Things were kind of hectic here at work yesterday, so I forgot to tell you all about my brush with death. Well maybe it was more like a good scare, but it did involve metal flying at me. I was very innocently sitting at my desk working away when I happen to look up toward the ceiling and see a man looking back at me. Nothing new. Goes hand in hand with construction. The man says, “It’s gonna be a little loud here for a bit.” And I smile and thank him for warning me. Then all of a sudden things start falling from the ceiling. What is this?! He mentioned nothing about particles! Only sound! So I kinda scoot to one side and try to ignore the cloud of residue residing on my desk. The voice inside my head starts saying Resist all urges to clean the desk. It will only keep getting dirtier. Put down the Pledge Grab-its. With any good voice in your head, you have to listen. So I did. Then all of a sudden the particles start getting bigger. One hits me. It hurts. I recoil and push by chair back as far as it will go and nearly collide with my desk neighbor. The particles are no longer soft dusty pieces of ceiling but sharp shards of metal! I am now painfully aware that my job description did not mention anything about dodging shrapnel! I grab a few of the metal shards and go back to visit my friends in the back of the office and share my latest construction presents. (Apparently they think we have been together for 11 years, because steel is the anniversary gift for that milestone.) When I returned to my desk the Rain of Steel was over but my desk had a nice sprinkling of metal, which the voice in my head SCREAMED at me to CLEAN UP. NOW! So like I said, I listen to the voice. Now my desk is clean. But I keep looking warily up at the ceiling. Who knows what kind of treats they have in store for me today.

So busy. Must blog.

Ok, I have been so busy lately. I swear that every day I have had one social engagement or another. So lets hope that the old saying, “A picture is worth a thousand words” holds up here. Enjoy!

Fears

I don’t know if it’s due to my over-active imagination or the fact that I am addicted to scary movies, but I have this thing with elevators. And it’s not even the obvious fear of being stuck for hours at a time or even plummeting down several floors. No, I am actually afraid every time the doors open what might be inside the elevator. Usually just after I push the button and right before the doors open an image flashes in my brain. It’s totally out of Stephen King’s The Shining. I don’t want to totally freak you out and tell you what I imagine, because then I would thoroughly convince you all I’m crazy. Well, that and I am really worried that it’s a premonition and one of these days it may happen.

So what scares you?

Busy, busy girl

I have been quite busy over the last few days. Yeah, I know, you are all thinking, “it’s the holidays, we are all busy!” but Simeon and I have been particularly popular lately. On Thursday we were invited to dinner at Phil and Chelle’s. I don’t was to jinx it (if you are reading this, hello guys!) but we are all getting along fabulously. Sim actually met Phil when he was at the conference in New Orleans. Silly boy traveled across the country to meet someone who lives across town. We all have a lot in common, in fact it’s been said that they “are us, just two miles down the road.”

Then last night Simeon and I went to dinner with Lisa P. and Jeff at Marrakesh. It was authentic Moroccan food complete with sitting on the floor, eating with our hands (utensils are available upon request), rose water hand washes, and belly-dancers for entertainment. I had a lot of fun. The B’stellela Royale appetizer was my favorite. It is chicken, egg, and almonds in puff pastry, dusted with powdered sugar and cinnamon. I know it sounds gross, (I was afraid at first too) but I was trying to be open to new things, so I tried it. And I loved it! Very highly recommended. Even though our legs killed us by time we were leaving from sitting on the floor for so long, and the dinner was a tad pricey, it was a great experience and I’d be open to do it again!

Finally, today I met Lisa P. and Lisa M. for some Christmas shopping at Pioneer Place. I got most of my shopping done today and discovered a new favorite store: D’Lish. It is the most fun bath and skin care store I have ever seen. Everything looks and smells like it’s from a bakery-they even wrap the products up in little pink bakery boxes! I cannot wait to go back and buy some things for me….well, more than I already did today. Who could resist a pink “cupcake” bath melt with “cocoa butter “frosting?” Certainly not me!