Wholly Un-bready and Not Even Slightly Curranty
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
12:25PM
What I did with my 3-day vacation:
-fixed a flat on my bicycle & got it mostly ready for the summer. Still need to clean & lube the chain.
-Transplanted bell pepper, tomatillo & tomato seedlings outside. I think I should be able to transplant hot peppers next weekend. Maybe some of them can go out this week.
-Did not say "grow you bastards" at the veggie plants. (This is a new development.) I'm not impatient. What? ;)
-Went discgolfing
-Made vegas rolls & tempura bananas for dinner. (I need to figure out what tempura batter to use. The recipe I found was more like what they use on shrimp & veggie chunks instead of what is usually use on vegas rolls.) It was all tasty still, just not what I'm used to from a restaurant for the rolls. I ended up drizzling dark chocolate syrup over the top of the bananas. Mmmm.
-Started thinking about the first camping trip of the season occurring soon.
That's it. We were kinda lazy.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
3:44PM - Tagged!
Rules are easy, just post 10 things that recently made you happy! Tag 10 people and force them to post this meme on their LJs.
1. Ladies night out last night.
2. My honey scraped my windshield for me yesterday morning.
3. Second job doing taxes is going very well again this year.
4. Second job doing taxes is much busier at the new office I switched to this year.
5. Went snowboarding for the first time this season.
6. Meowsir & Kismet. Especially when you get out the laser pointer "buggy".
7. In this environment of mass layoffs countrywide, I am happy to be gainfully employed. Grateful, even.
8. I still have vacation time to use for more snowboarding this season.
9. Having a reason to play with AutoCad yesterday.
10. Realizing that, barring weird things, in 9 or so months I will be debt free! Hooray for making a plan & being able to stick to it!
Bonus Level:
11. Realizing that the more I think about it, the more things I come up with. Now that's a nice feeling. :)
I tag whomever would like to do this.
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
1:08PM
Tomorrow is the "official" start of the tax season for me.
First scheduled shift of the year doing taxes. Here's to April 15th!
Just kidding about the 15th, I'm just twisted enough to really enjoy preparing taxes. The only downside is that the long work weeks, between both jobs, can get a little strange for personal life scheduling.
Anyway, on to my second professionally paid year!
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
8:14AM
We did it. The American people will once again have a president, that I feel, cares about his entire country and all of the people in it. I have grand hopes that he will do what he says he will/would do. That maybe we can all learn to work together better.
Granted, there's a lot to do & it will take a long time. Gears of government move slowly & overhaul of systems that you think need changing doesn't happen overnight.
I've been waiting 8 years for the tide to turn again in the presidential elections. I've been waiting for a candidate who wants to represent the entire country - not just parts of it.
I'm grateful for this chance. Now for the follow-through.
----
The monkeys had to watch the coverage last night as part of their homework. I got to explain how some of the things work & answer questions they had. We talked about how it was important to vote, and by doing so, participate in the formation of your government. Also, they saw something that helped cement one of the basic things we have taught them:
Senator McCain,
Thank you for having grace & respect for our country. Thank you for underlining the need to work together in your concession speech. I teared up watching your speech as much as I did watching Obama's. It's heartening to see members of our government behave with class, honor, and a desire to unite in the end. And thank you for a good example to the boys of how "not to be a poor sport" (in the littlest monkey's words).
Thursday, April 17, 2008
9:55AM
Doing the Tax Season is Over dance. Now I can go back to getting home before 10pm at night. Woo!
Still time to get a snowboarding trip in before the season ends.
I'm very much looking forward to the camping/hiking season starting. I'd also like to see about doing the Tour de Pierce again. Maybe the Emerald City Bike Club ride too. Need to get new tires though. I keep forgetting to buy them & I definitely want to switch to a 1.3, or 1.5 if I can swing it, instead of the current 1.25.
We finally took the time to play Stubbs the Zombie. The gameplay wasn't terribly difficult, but it was full of awesome. I did have a really hard time with the dance off bonus though. It's not easy to track Simon-like button sequences when you're laughing that hard.
I can have a social life again, yaaaaay! :)
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
9:24AM - Tonight!
Folks just call him Buckethead
I don't know what makes me think I can do this, and still go to work the next morning. It'll be worth being a zombie tomorrow. So looking forward to this. Am very glad I went looking at his official site the other week to see about replacing a missing cd. Have to remember to grab cash though. Still need to replace that cd.
Tax season is still running. Looking forward to having time to go back to the gym when it's done.
excitedTuesday, January 22, 2008
4:12PM - Update: In List Form
Still working at the same place.
Now also doing taxes for the season.StillAlways craving sushi.
Have been snowboarding a couple of times this season. Oof. Out of shape.
Never enough snowboarding trips. (I should pack my gear in my car so I can run up to sno-crummy after work.)
Doing water aerobics as schedule allows.
Try to remember to ride my bike as schedule allows. (Which wussy bought an indoor trainer for their recumbent? Yup, me. Hey man, it's cold & icy out there right now. Them's boarding, not biking, conditions.)
Think I'm going to buy a ticket to Ministry.
Keep having dreams about looking for a couple of people I haven't seen in a while. (It's been 1-2 years for one of them, and about 9 years for the other. I'd love to figure out why them all of a sudden.)
Mid-winter "I'm bored!" came a little later this year.
More later?
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
1:35PM - I needed that.
Yesterday, amidst the Monday-ness, there was magic.
I've been craving an escape to the woods. Staring at page after page of pictures, and descriptions of hikes. I've been contemplating campsites I know I don't have time to get to right now in an attempt to throw a band-aid on the need - at least until snowboarding season starts. (Please be soon!)
Then on my way to a class after work, as I'm walking through a parking lot, by incredible chance I was lucky enough to have a small part of it come to me.
A doe and her young one wandering through a busy parking lot in the middle of town - with no hurried or frantic behavior. Amusingly, looking both ways before crossing from one parking area to the next. I couldn't help grinning from ear to ear to see it. The drivers being kindly patient, stopping their vehicles as the duo wanted to cross in front of them. Only pleasant exclamations of surprise could be heard through open car windows.
After they passed, my brain turned toward how sad it was that these creatures were passing through a city. Why weren't they in their natural habitat? Probably typical encroachment by housing developments.
But.
While that is likely true, I told my self, don't deconstruct this happy, circumstantial moment right now - just enjoy it for what it is.
cheerfulTuesday, August 28, 2007
10:17AM - Busy, busy, busy...
It's been a busy few days. Went geo-caching by bicycle this weekend - Several caches & approx. 20 miles RT. Felt pretty good the next day. I was a little stiff but not too sore.
Brought home raspberries from a fruit stand that was along the way & started a liqueur with them. Made more chocolate & almond liqueurs while I was at it. Thought about mango too, but decided to pass on that one this time. I keep thinking I should make kahlua (sp?) & egg again. As I was prepping them it occurred to me how long it's been since I've made so many! I guess before I make any more, I need to be sure I have bottles to store them in once they're finished.
Went for another bike ride, much shorter this time, with the kids the next day. Oldest monkey asked to try my recumbent as he & I are the same height. (!) He didn't do too badly. Only took him a couple of tries to figure out how to get started & then he went up & down the street with no problems. :)
I've also signed up for the H&R Block tax course. We'll see if they hire me at the end to do taxes this year. (That was the the idea anyway as I don't really need the class for my personal taxes.)
Got a really good deal on a new snowboard to replace the one that slid out of a friend's rack while they were borrowing it a couple of years ago. (It was my much missed freestyle board.) REI had an Arbor board on clearance. Now I think I'd like to get a new pair of bindings if I can find a good deal on them. The ones I primarily ride with are starting to get a little worn & loose.
I got up at 3:00 this morning to take pictures of the eclipse. I only stayed up until about 4:30 though. The digital camera seems to have captured some good ones, but I still need to upload them and double-check on a screen larger than what the camera comes with. I'll see what came out on the 35mm once I get those developed.
What's sleep like? ;)
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
4:22PM
We went to Chopstix last night. It was alright. Not very busy though. I hope that's because it was a Tuesday.
I had to be an ass and yell "Freebird!"
To their credit, they jokingly tooled around with it for a minute, but both players twitched visibly first.
I'm claiming a win. :D
---
Also had a me-against-the-zombies dream last night. Was very frustrated that they weren't dying when I would point at their heads and make laser gun noises. Hello, dream world! When I did that, the heads were supposed to explode and the zombies were supposed to die. Get with the program will ya'?
Y'know, I even tried explaining the point in my dream, but one of the zombies looked at me like I was crazy/stupid & told me it doesn't work if I don't have a real gun.
Geez, brains these days...
amusedThursday, July 19, 2007
2:00PM
Ozzfest was awesome. Bloody freaking hot, but awesome.
The campsite we stayed at wasn't bad, just windier than I thought it would be. Went geo-caching while we were out there. (That reminds me, I have to go register the find.)
Lordi's show was rad! It was all pretty much good, but that's the band who's stage show I was most impressed with. What can I say? Sometimes I'm a sucker for elaborate stage presence. Talk about dedication too, it was 100+ degree weather they were wearing all that makeup and prosthetics in.
Lamb of God was good, but what a minimalistic stage presence. I was pretty surprised about that. Maybe I shouldn't be, but I don't clearly remember seeing them before.
Also surprising, was the crowd. Wasn't what I consider your typical Ozzfest crowd.
The only other thing worth mentioning:
Gentlemen! If a woman is in the middle of the mosh-pit, perhaps she is there for a &#$&^*! reason. Don't get me wrong, chivalry can be nice. However, maybe it would be better to ask the woman if she wants you to stand in front of her before you spend the entire bleeping set maneuvering in front of me whenever I moved out from behind you. Otherwise, you might find yourself getting kidney checked by a less patient person. :/
---------
Rush is tomorrow night. Very much looking forward to it.
---------
J & our friend finally got me to sit down and play Warhammer the other night. I beat the pants off our buddy! I liked the fanatics just as much as I thought I would. :D
Just what I need though, another hobby. There's just never enough time for everything.
Thursday, July 12, 2007
8:01AM - Nudged: An update
LJ sent me an email & told me to be a good friend and update. *waves*
Can't say I always do what I'm told... ;)
I've been busy at work mostly.
The little monkeys are visiting their grandma out of state for most of the summer. While it's really nice to have some adult time, we miss them a lot. Reports from the field say they're having fun while they are there, so that's good. We've been laaaaazy about meal times without them here. Kids go on vacation apparently = instant bachelor behavior in our household. *laughs* It will be nice to have them back.
Going to Ozzfest this weekend @ the Gorge & to Rush @ White River.
I bought a shiny new bicycle & I absolutely love it. It does need slightly wider/more knobby tires though. You can see me riding the 30 mile Tour de Pierce on it here (pardon the I hate cameras face):
http://www.photoreflect.com/scripts/prsm.dll?eventorder?photo=06BZ002I020103&start=0&album=0&adjust=-1&d=0&nphoto=06BZ002I020104
The ride was a lot easier than I expected it to be, but holy hell did it ever rain in a couple spots. We're talking nearly torrential. It was a blast though & I'd definitely do it again. The recumbent makes it so easy on my back. Can you tell I love my bike? :D (geekgeekgeekgeek)
Well, I have things to do here at work - maybe more later.
Friday, March 9, 2007
9:58AM
I'm doing this Sunday:
http://www.skiwhitepass.com/schedule/luge.html
I didn't do this last year like I wanted to. I'm doing it this year! No worries if I hurt myself, I have health insurance.
So. Rad. Can't. Wait.
:D
excitedThursday, February 8, 2007
2:58PM - Things I'd Like To Do This Year: A List
In no particular order:
Learn to shoot & spend enough time at it to gain a preference for a particular gun
Ride a mechanical bull
http://www.stevenspass.com/events/detail.aspx?id=141
Ride Whistler/Blackcomb
Visit another country
Visit a state I haven't been to before
Get back into school
Go back to doing Yoga regularly again
See friends more
Talk to my Dad more
Get better about picking up the phone and calling people, even/especially(?) when I don't have a particular reason to call
Tuesday, January 9, 2007
2:38PM - Thanks! & What I've Been Up To
Thanks for the replies to the Indian food post! It was very helpful to get a head start on menu ideas. (I can be really slo-o-ow sometimes picking something to eat at a restaurant I've never been to before.)
Although, I did get laughed at for researching dinner.
What can I say? It's definitely "me" to do so. :D
Gateway to India is a great place with very delicious food. Add that to fine company, and I definitely had a good time.
Un/fortunately, I was a little early, so I stopped into the tattoo shop and finally talked about a couple of ideas that have been in my head for some time. I already have the appointment for one, and will be bringing in art for the other.
Went snowboarding New Years Eve, and hope to go again these next two weekends. I'd also really like to get a couple of night trips in after work since it's only 1/2 hour away (approx.) to the nearest mountain.
Plowed through 1/2 my Christmas books & have been jokingly asking when the next book-giving holiday is. This is why I have a library card. I can't afford my book habit, even if they're used, when I have a snowboarding habit too. :D
Haven't been geocaching in a while. I'd like to start that back up again, but I honestly don't know if that will happen with any frequency until after the ski hills close.
I swear I need 60 hour days. Too many interests & people and not nearly enough time.
I know! Just replicate three or four of me and I'd be set. :)
Hope everyone is well.
Monday, January 8, 2007
1:32PM
In the last few years I've had the feeling that the run-up to 30 would be life and perspective changing. Not because of any belief that 30 is some magical number, but because I've had a sense that many things were on that fine-line edge of resolution.
And so they've been, and seemingly continue to be. Some of these "loose ends" have been cauterized, some tied in a knot, some reconnected as though they'd never been apart to begin with, and some still left to see what happens. Not surprisingly, with each, I find the fearlessness I prized in myself returning. Out of all potential losses tangible and non, I worry about that one most.
I suppose what I really mean is fortitude.
The latest developments have left me with equal measures of joy and sadness. Sadness for then, and joy for the now and future. Ok, that's projecting a little too far. I'm happy for what's now, and I'll be at some kind of peace for whatever's future.
I guess I'm still processing my thoughts since I'm completely unable to satisfactorily close my thoughts on this post. Maybe that's appropriate after all...
thoughtfulFriday, January 5, 2007
11:37AM - Indian Food - Help
Dear Friends List,
I'm supposed to be meeting someone for dinner at Gateway to India. I've never been there, and can't find a menu online. For that matter, I've never had Indian food.
Have any of you been there, know where to find a menu online, or have meal recommendations that one should be able to find at any Indian restaurant?
crossposted to 
tacoma
Monday, December 11, 2006
10:49PM
Dear Livejournal,
It's been 11 weeks since my last posting. that'll be four stickdeath.com's, and five gmail's
Things have been moving along as always. Unfortunately, I haven't gone snowboarding yet this year. (Soooooon.) Saw Placebo, which was well worth the show. Have almost all my Christmas shopping done.
Work's been work.
It's alternately amazing and frustrating how much time children require. I love Monkey's little monkeys to pieces, but kids are like little hoover vacuums. *shooooooop* Hey! Where'd my free time go? *laughs*
I did promise to brag to whomever I could get to listen *grins* that they have been doing well in school. (Mostly.) Little Monkey's about 7.9 reading level, and Littlest Monkey is smoking the pants off his Math. They each have their own areas that need work, but none of it is ability related. Effort, effort, effort. I'm starting to lean towards thinking they're bored, but they still need to focus - bored or not.
J seems to have recovered as much as he's going to. (I didn't post about it due to being caught up with just dealing with it. He cut his thumb while working a couple months ago that was bad enough to warrant a Plastic Surgeon just to regain movement with it.) He's been through the surgery and physical therapy already, and has almost all of the movement back. He's been back to playing video games if that says anything. ;D
It was tough not to worry too much about how it was all going to play out, but dealing with it was so extended that I didn't have "time" to until he was seeing progress anyway.
It may sound over dramatic, but things like that remind you that nothing should be taken for granted.
(There you go, there's yer damn after-school special message from me. :P)
Quit the gym I was going to, and am looking into the Y. I'd like to have the boys be able to go with me on the off chance J has to work late. On the other hand, I found a place on 6th ave that does Bikram Yoga, and the site says the owner started into it herself because of scoliosis. I have to say I got far more positive results out of Yoga this past year than anything else.
Oooh! Look! I'm rambling!
I guess I'm done for now then.
Wednesday, September 20, 2006
9:31AM
The possibility of sushi at nearly two in the morning!? Really!? I am sad for my wallet but oh so happy for my stomach. :D
http://weeklyvolcano.typepad.com/spew/2006/09/twokoi_too_cool.html
I have to remember this.
Friday, September 8, 2006
3:52PM
So let's see...
Went camping a couple of times this summer. Finally got to see the Ape Cave. (It's terrible, born and raised in this state & there are so many things I haven't seen.)
Finally gotten around to using my GPS unit for geocaching. Treasure hunt with electronics = geek.
Some good things have happened. Some really awful things have happened. Not interested in getting into the awful things at all. Though I guess it's worth noting that the awful things, more responsibility at work, and ongoing technical issues with my phone have made me far less communicative. Then I feel isolated & like a heel for being less communicative. (round & round &...) This sounds really whiny but it's not meant to. It's just how things have been. Letting communication go as long as I have, I guess I feel like I owe some sort of explanation. Hence the existence of this paragraph at all.
I keep going back and forth about selling my Squareback. It's not the year I really want, so maybe it would be nice to have a bus for a while. Otoh, it *is* a Squareback and my first aircooled.
I'd like to try to go camping at least one more time this year before the season changes. Interestingly, I know I haven't done enough in a summer when I'm not hopping up and down for the snow by July. *grin* Soon enough.
Under the Currently Feasible heading of the ever-growing list of new places, and things I'd like to try sits riding a mechanical bull. Why? Because it's there and I've never done it.
I've been slacking off on the gym for a while now. This is bad. Yoga was really, really helping my back a lot. I was even seeing a consistent improvement in posture. Not all the benefits are gone yet, but I can tell I haven't been doing it. I really need to go back.
While I could keep typing little mini paragraphs that sound like one of those holiday Family Update letters, I'll stop here. Maybe just starting talking again will get me back into the habit instead of hiding out in my own head.
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