grups

yesterday I had a meeting with a retirement planner and we contacted a loan officer and got the pre-approval process underway. yipes. I feel like such a grown-up. Now I just have to figure out what "cash value life insurance" is....

for first timers, we did pretty well

Eric and I went snowshoeing for the first time yesterday. If I may say so myself, I think we did pretty well. The hike was harder than any of us had expected, but the scenery and weather were great (cold and clear). A route map and photos can be found here.

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Schedule for this weekend:
Saturday – quilting & fixin' the jeep
Sunday – snowshoeing

Is that the best of everything, or what?

rite of passage

we must officially be seattlites. today eric and I bought a coffee maker. choosing the machine was daunting enough -- then selecting beans at the supermarket and figuring out how to use the grinder must have been humorous to watch. But we got through it, and now we're enjoying our first cups and a crackling fire while it snows outside (ok, ok, there were just a few flakes earlier this evening....it's dry out now).

status

To Do:
*Download digital photos from the snazzy new toy
*Figure out how to get said photos onto some sort of photo hosting dealie
*Quilt, quilt, quilt
*Make chocolate pixies for Jana and Mike
*Clean the bathroom (wince)
*Laundry (like you wouldn’t believe)
*Thank you cards to folks in San Diego

*Shop for a coffee maker (yes, really)

Currently:
*Reading…The Kite Runner (a gift from Karen and this year’s Everybody Reads book in Portland—I’ll be participating from afar)
*Eating…entirely too much. We just ate and ate and ate in San Diego. Back to smaller plates.

*Crafting…the aforementioned quilt projects, also some jewelry. Really getting close to ordering some real jewelry making equipment (bench pin, saw, etc).

Activities on deck:
*Cross-country skiing with Eric (who has never been, and I who have only been once to speak of—the blind leading the blind), though the weather this weekend is not looking great. Maybe we’ll go for downhill this weekend.
*Geocaching and/or regular old hiking (ditto on the weather conditions)
*Somehow eliminating jiggly tummy in time for Lisa’s wedding in April
*Contact a mortgage consultant and realtor (yipes!)

home sweet home

Before leaving San Diego, we visited with my cousin Kristen, who is in her second quarter at UCSD. She is so mature and intellectually inspired, I can’t help but try to remember what I was like at that age. It was only ten years ago, but I am sure I was not as globally aware as she is.

We returned to Seattle last night to a layer of slushy snow on our street. We were in disbelief at first, instead theorizing that the cherry trees had bloomed and then promptly shed their petals while we were away. The snow (which really more closely resembles a flavorless Slurpy) remained on the cars and on the side of the road this morning, and then it started snowing again as I waited for the Vanpool. Back to February in the Pacific Northwest and a few more months before spring is here.

the sweetest thing...

...is my niece Emma. She is just fantastic. I hadn't seen her since christmas last year, and I don't expect that she remembered me ("Auntie Andi"), but when I followed her out into the back yard, she gave me flowers, let me push her on the swing, and served me some steaming sand soup. Later she was munching on a banana and came to sit next to me on the couch -- she actually scooted herself over and snuggled up on my side. My heart just about melted. She's a tiny ball of non-stop energy with a strong set of lungs, but a load of fun.


That said, I am perfectly happy without kids, thankyouverymuch. I've got it made -- I get my fix of infants, toddlers and other assorted young folk through friends and family and I go back to my childless life perfectly satisfied.

is there a doctor on the plane?

Eric and I are enjoying the near 80 degree weather in sunny San Diego. We're here to celebrate New Year's, which we were unable to do around the traditional time due to Eric's newly minted job and matching schedule. So we convinced our friends to wait and celebrate in February. Celebratory activities include football, a huge meal (which Eric and I are in charge of this year), oodles of good wine and beer, and some sort of game, such as poker. The group is based on a few of Eric's friends from high school (Matt, Jeff and Emily) and their mates (Cj, Amanda and Mike, respectively). This is Amanda's first year with us, and Cj wasn't able to make the journey from SF. As those of us who refrained from playing football lounged on the sidelines (yeah, it was the girls), I mentioned to Emily that it really seems as though we're all grown up (physically and emotionally, not so much mentally). I think that what really brought the idea home is that there are three kids, all aged four or younger. All adorable and well mannered.



But the part of the trip that triggered the title of this post is that on the flight from Seattle to Las Vegas, I wasn't feeling well (and though I didn't feel specifically nauseous, I thought that a trip to the bathroom might help, so I headed to the rear lav. Of course, this beeing shortly after they turned off the seatbelt light, I ran into the line that had formed there. I was feeling very warm and was leaning against the carpeted wall when I started to feel a bit faint. The next thing I knew, I was on my knees on the floor and people were asking each other "what's wrong?" "I don't know, she just fainted". The flight attendants were there and scooped me up and put me on one of their collapseable bench seats, put a cold compress on the back of my neck and gave me a puke sack. I strangely couldn't get my brain to form the words I needed (or any words, for that matter) to describe my symptoms. I almost instantly felt better and soon I had my color back (according to one of the flight attendants). Eric came back to see how I was doing, and after about 10 minutes and an actual trip to the lav, I headed back to my seat. I have no idea what happened (I consumed a crab salad and a large beer at the airport, and one of those might be to blame). But for the rest of the flight, and for the flight from Las Vegas to San Diego, I felt fine. As if nothing had happened. Strange.

rocky mountain bliss

A bit of traveling for me these days. Friend of twenty years (!) Karen and I took our annual trip this year to Denver and Keystone, Colorado, where we proceeded to ski our little brains out. We visited our childhood friend Jana and her husband, Mike. The skiing amounted to three days of Rocky Mountain bliss. The lodgings were top notch, the company was excellent and the conditions were outstanding. A little cold on the second day, but the nothing that a warm drink couldn’t cure.

Then this last weekend Eric and I went to Portland for a look around the old stomping ground. Even in six months lots has changed. I headed to NW 23rd to kick it with my knitting at my favorite coffee shop, only to find it now a white-linened restaurant. Visited with friends on Saturday and then spent two full hours at Powells (felt more like 20 minutes). Headed home, but not without stopping for one last tax-free shopping spree (latest model digital camera….not bad).

Next weekend we’re off to San Diego for a whirlwind visit to friends and family. Quite the jetsetters, aren’t we?