catching up

I did a few really cool things since I last posted in September (coincidence? I think not). First, I climbed Mt St Helens. Amazing trip, and I'd do it again. I had essentially zero practice or training, and still did pretty well. Not setting any speed climbing records, but it was a great time. I was joined by my friend Brent and his friend Heather, who was on a flight layover between Nova Scotia and Australia. Most folks I know bring a book or knitting for layovers... this woman climbed a mountain.


just getting started



the fog is clearing



the climbing route: Monitor Ridge



on top of the world, but not yet on top of the mountain (Brent, Heather and me)



making progress



getting closer (the horizon line is the top)



looking north from the cornice -- the 1980 eruption blew the top and north side of the volcano off.




at the top! known to the mountain's climbers as half way


============================


Next up, my parents went on a long road trip that included a visit to Seattle and British Columbia. I loved having them here and I loved the time we spent exploring Vancouver and Victoria, BC. We ate well, laughed much and saw new things.



My mom and me at the Vancouver Aquarium in Stanley Park....



Here are my parents on the ferry from Vancouver to Victoria....



My dad, Finn and me canoeing at Green Lake, Seattle.


============================


Then, just as they'd done some 23 years earlier, my parents dropped me off for my first day of school. My first quarter of full-time grad school went wonderfully, and was as much fun as I've had in a long time. Drawing and coloring, cutting and pasting, showing and telling -- I tell you, this is all the fun of kindergarten with all the perks of adulthood. My classmates are awesome, and my grades are good. I am having a blast.


==========================


Lastly, a note from Mr Finn. He gained a little fame when the doggie day care we take him to selected his image to paint on the side of their doggie transport truck. How awesome is this?



thanks, Great Dog!

thankful

I could write about the silly things that I am thankful for (yarn overs, autofocus, the smell of crayons, a house-trained dog), and I could write about the not-so-silly things I am thankful for (my home, good friends, a steady income, my wonderful family, a house-trained dog). And while I am thankful for these—and many, many other things, both tangible and not—the one thing that keeps coming back to my mind during this season of thanks has entirely to do with my wonderful husband, Eric. While I can’t say that I am thankful that he took that out-of-state job, I can say that I am thankful for our strong relationship. I am thankful that I know that I can trust him, while he’s far and away, to support me, to be faithful to me, and to call me every night to wish me sweet dreams. I am thankful for the years he and I have spent together, for the years that we will spend together, and that during this time apart, I am thankful that I am strong enough to feel secure without him. I am thankful that he has taken a job that, while away, is not dangerous. And since I don't worry about him in his new job, I am actually a little thankful that I will have a year alone, to get to know myself without him. But I'll be so much more thankful when he comes home.

(I’ll also be really thankful when the GRE is over with, around noontime, December 27th.)

getting it overwith already

Yesterday, Eric packed a small truck of essentials, and early this morning, he started south, on his journey to San Diego and a new, promising job. He's excited about the job, and I've been very supportive (I think sometimes he wished I wouldn't be, so he could use me as a reason not to go). We'll see each other as often as we can, but for now, while tears are frequent, I am determined not to wallow around the house feeling sorry for myself.

Ergo, my to do list for today:

Farmer's market to get ingredients for thanksgiving dinner (potatoes, mostly)
haircut (I had an appointment yesterday, but completely spaced it)
IKEA & REI
plant crocus, snowdrop and narcissus bulbs
walk Finn (it's a lovely crisp autumn morning)
laundry and general house cleaning

=================================

Before he left (as in, at about 11pm last night), Eric finished our new bed....

The details: solid oak head and foot boards, and side rails. Queen size bed, pine slats. As yet unstained, but in the interest of using it (and getting it out of the garage), we assembled it last night and will stain it later.

WIP Monday

The term paper is nearly done! Fill in a few blanks, get my references in order, add a photograph here, a map of Golden Gate Park there, and voila! A term paper! I think it's pretty good, too! Now to study for the exam....

But since you can't just work on a term paper all weekend, I finished this scarf yesterday....




And not a moment too soon, because it is going to be chilly today!



And as is usual for this time of year, the crafting table is a pig sty....

rain day

My office building was evacuated this morning due to the storm we're in. What's more, I have a carpoolmate who works in the call center of an area energy provider. She had been expecting to work late tonight due to the storm, but that building was evacuated too! So don't expect a prompt answer when you call to report an outage tonight!

I am always torn on what to do when I end up at home due to weather conditions (snow , ice and and wind storms in both Portland and Seattle). I didn't have time to prepare any work to bring home, which would have been my normal plan, so here I am, lunched (on the aforementioned leftover stuffing) and with a mug of tea, tempted to curl up with a book or some knitting.... but my term paper isn't exactly writing itself, either.



here are a couple of photos from Northwest Cable News website of flooding near my office...


totem lake area near kirkland, no photo credit, collected from nwcn.com


woodinville flooding, photo by Bob Brothers, collected from nwcn.com

ps: what did I end up doing with my free afternoon? I fell into a vortex of unlabelled photos on my computer. they're all labelled now, though not any more organized. I thought I'd been at it for just 30 minutes or so when Eric came home...

I am thankful for...

...Eric. I am thankful for having Eric in my life, and for the opportunity to share every day with him. He is all I could ever dream of in a partner, and I love him with all of my heart.

Eric and I had thanksgiving dinner at the Spiral Farm with Frank heading up the cooking with a menu of Indian food, and Matte deep frying a farm raised turkey. Company was enjoyed, nearly full moon on a cloudless evening was admired and we went home stuffed and happy.

turkey a-fryin'....


two pages of Indian recipies!


baby naan....


and by the time we headed home, it was pretty chilly out....

Corporate Executive Witch

So I got to thinking.... what would happen if the traditional witch went mainstream corporate?

Well, even with EEO policies, she'd probably have to do something about that green skin -- turns out those tanning bed shops you see in every strip mall do wonders on green skin. Also, she'd need a sleek new wardrobe -- no more tatty robes or striped stockings. And the hat and wild hair would have to go. Trade in the broom stick for a carpool, and voila! The Corporate Witch!


Andrea
Corporate Executive Witch
Toyle & Truble and Associates
Andrea@bubblebubble.hex

dogs in the mist

More fog this morning, and Matte joined us with Micky and Boo at Marymor Dog Park. And I just love taking pictures of how high Finn jumps....











Finn let his good buddy Micky have a shot at the tennis ball too...



I just love this pic -- "hi mom!"

autumn has arrived

Since I've moved to Seattle (the first place I've lived where I really noticed and appreciated true fall colors) I've felt compelled to try to capture the colors somehow. My photography skills just aren't up to the task, so I've started taking pictures of the other things that say autumn to me.

We awoke on Saturday morning to dense fog which condensed on the many, many, many spiderwebs we have around here. We explored a little in the morning by heading out to Mukilteo for breakfast, and stopped at Sky Nursery on the way home, where we loaded up on bulbs, cover crop seed and a couple of houseplants.

Soon I'll be putting bulbs in the ground: garlic and shallots, as well as tulips, narcissus, muscari, stargazer lilies and calla lilies. Eric planted some bearded iris recently that his mom sent us from San Diego -- they seem to be doing great in the dark soil and with the rain we had last week...

And the end of autumn brings a massive garden cleanout. The last haul brought in carrots, swiss chard, corn and a couple late tomatoes. We harvested some green beans and red onions for planting again next year.