City Life – Oh How I missed You

July 23rd, 2011

We’re back! Finally moved back to Seattle from North Bend. I can’t believe how much of a difference it has made in our day-to-day lives! Even though we’re still driving a lot (we’re closer to everything but still doing a lot of activities, so still in the car a lot) we’re happier and feel like we’re spending more quality time with each other and at home. So life is good!

We’re living a in a tiny, but beautiful apartment. We have a great view of the city – although I can’t really see it! We haven’t unpacked except what we need (clothes and bathroom stuff and my laptop, of course) since we’re planning on moving again in about a month (to a much larger two bedroom – I’ll keep you updated this time, I promise!) So I am slowly, but surely, going insane in this tiny place.

Update on Titan: Poor dog. He has gone through SO much lately! We found out he ate something he shouldn’t have in October/November. In November, we ended up having him X-rayed twice and eventually, in December, he was diagnosed with ulcers. He started off on 4 different medications for ulcers, then eventually tapered down to 3 medications plus his anti-anxiety meds. He eventually (TWO MONTHS LATER threw up the foreign object he ate!) and was still getting sick. We took him back for regular check ups, and finally the doctor said that Titan needed to go to a specialist. Before we took him, Titan started having infrequent seizures. When we saw the specialist, he said he couldn’t do any procedures on Titan because of the seizures – they didn’t want to put him under. (He also said to take Titan off of ALL meds – including the anti-anxiety) So – enter the neurologist. We eventually (and I know most of you are shaking your heads in disbelief) had an MRI and an spinal tap done on him to ensure that there wasn’t a mass growing, causing the seizures. It seems that either the combination of medications was causing the seizures, or perhaps he has late on-set epilepsy. He has not (so far) had any seizures since he’s been off of the medication (no seizures since April!) Scary times, but he’s healthy and happy and no longer shows signs of the ulcers, either!

In other news – we have FINALLY chosen a wedding date! Things are starting to roll and we are officially making plans. In one year and five days, I will be married! Wow.

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Let’s Catch Up.

November 14th, 2010

So, it’s been a while. Too long? Not long enough? What say you?

Here’s a quick synopsis of what I’ve been upto lately…

Sounders FC: We are season ticket holders. It was a great season – although I was sad that we lost Freddie Ljungberg, it would have been awesome, I think, to see him and Blaise Nkufo play together. Chris has often said that Freddie was making the passes that no one would run for, and sometimes it seems Blaise is making the run, looking for the pass. But overall, fantastic season boys! I love seeing Montero and Fernandez play together, it seems that they have some chemistry! I can’t wait for next season.

Soccer: We’ve been playing outdoor, 8v8. Improvement? Not much, although I can finally dribble a few steps, but not enough to play anywhere near forward. We’re planning on continuing with 8v8 and I’m hoping to play indoor as well. Maybe I’ll get some more touches and more practice running with the ball!

Work: That’s about all I’ve been doing other than soccer and going to the matches.

Other: We did head out to Sno Casino to celebrate the end of my youth! It was a great night.

I’ve started my Christmas shopping – I’m late this year. I usually start in September and it’s already mid-November. But it’s coming along.

Sorry, not an interesting post this time, but I’ve gotta start somewhere

Posted in life | 176 Comments »

I’m Smad at You.

August 26th, 2010

I made a new word today.

At least I think I made it up. I googled it, and it wasn’t on the first page of google for what I am using it for…

Oh the word, you ask.

Smad.

It means sad+mad. As in, I’m smad at you.

Clever, eh?

Posted in Uncategorized | 136 Comments »

Fall Favorites

August 25th, 2010

: Jessica Simpson’s Capry Boots

I’m completely in love with these boots for fall.

I have been looking and looking for a new pair of boots (I’m actually in the process of building my boot wardrobe) that would be my go-to pair for fall. I think I found them. They’re simple but sexy, sleek and sophisticated, and, in my experience, Jessica’s heels have been comfortable. I’m about to find out how comfortable her boots are. (My mother bought them at the Nordstrom sale for my birthday – the catch is, I can’t have them UNTIL my birthday…)

This sweater? So adorable! I’m so into the ruffley accents I’m seeing everywhere! I’m really loving cardigans, and the zipper detail on this is great. I love the sweaters at espritshop.com. Every winter, I hit their site around the holidays, and I get some screaming deals on sweaters. (And, I love that their sweaters stay shaped – you know how sometimes those “lay flat to dry” sweaters don’t hold their sweater-shape? I’ve never had a problem with esprit sweaters!)

But what I love the most about the fall and the winter…are coats. I can’t get enough of Soia & Kyo. I own two coats and am already eyeing the Fall/Winter 2010 with coat-lust.

Their lines are so simplistic but eye-catching.

Even their down, puffy coats are feminine and unique. I want them. I want them all.

Excuse me while I go check out their sale section.

Posted in Fashion | 119 Comments »

Bear-aware

August 23rd, 2010

So, as you now know, I live in the middle of nowhere. Trees, plants, creeks, and more trees surround me. While I’m not a big fan of these things, guess who is? Our new neighbor, Mr. Black Bear. (Technically, he probably lived here first).

Now, I’m convinced that Mr. Black Bear is at heart harmless, and wouldn’t approach me unless I offered him honey and a smile. Unfortunately, @ragingpandabear is otherwise convinced and has since banned me from running by myself. Solution? Getting up super early, running with me, as far as I want to go. He’s going to regret this I think. Especially because I think that Mr. Black Bear would not be any more intimidated by Chris than he would be by me.

This article tells me that black bears will climb trees and fiercely protect their young. These things are just fine with me – I don’t like to climb trees and I don’t want to mess with their young…even those I’m sure that black bears are really cute when they’re babies! Other than that, the National Geographic article makes them sound rather harmless, as long as we leave them alone.

However, this wikipedia article tells me that the black bears sometimes stalk and hunt humans. That’s sort of frightening, considering one of the bear sightings that happened today was actually in our apartment community! But, hopefully, there are enough dumpsters to keep Mr. Black Bear occupied and full, so that he’s not feeling the urge for some, err, fresh meat.

Some of the suggestions I’ve received to distract Mr. Black Bear, if I run into him:

Throw a chicken at him

Knock over a friend, so I have time to run away (Unfortunately, said friend may not have enough time to escape a hungry bear)

Carry an AK-47 or a very large handgun

Cover an unsuspecting stranger in honey, and run away

Get a tiger

While all of these suggestions are entertaining, they don’t seem very realistic.

Better suggestions:

Run at a track at a local school

Run inside (I don’t like this suggestion for several reasons)

Bear spray (Is this cruelty to animals?)

So, I don’t think we’ve come up with a true solution to this problem. Suggestions are welcome, but I think we’ll end up running together at the local high school track. With a tiger, if I can find one!

Picture courtesy of: www.wildlife.state.nh.us

Tags: Black bear, wildlife
Posted in Wildlife | 167 Comments »

B.o.B

August 19th, 2010

If there’s one album that I could listen to over and over (that came out this year) it’s B.o.B – The Adventures of Bobby Ray.

Via www.bobatl.com

At first, I had no idea who Bobby Ray was. I bought tickets to Lupe Fiasco’s Lasers Tour for a friend’s birthday, and B.o.B was one of the opening acts. I had heard “Nothing on You” on the radio, and it’s catchy, so I was intrigued. I bought the album on iTunes and I am still listening to the album, sometimes on repeat.

I didn’t know this until AFTER the concert, but B.o.B is really, really talented. While I enjoyed his music before I saw him in concert, after I saw him in concert I have a better grasp of what this artist can do. And he is an artist.

Some of my favorite songs on the album: “Nothing on You,” “Lovelier than You,” “5th Dimension,” “Fame,” “Past my Shades” and “Magic”.

He does his own singing. If I remember correctly, I saw a video of him and he says that his sister taught him to play the piano, and he plays the guitar. He writes his own music, in his head. He obviously has a lot of motivation and drive and a creative soul. This is a strong statement, but I think in a way, he’s right: “I’m really focused on painting a picture of myself as a musician and an artist and not just a rapper,” says B.o.B “I feel like I’m not just making rap music; I feel like I’m changing music, period.” (via bobatl.com) He’s not doing what’s expected of him by the masses, he’s doing his own thing, he’s doing it well, and it’s working for him. I’ll buy his next album, and I hope he comes back to Seattle soon.

Posted in Music | 55 Comments »

The Beautiful Game

August 18th, 2010

I started playing rec league soccer about, oh, I guess just over a year and a half ago. There were a few reasons why I did it, one was to keep in shape. It’s so much easier to be motivated to run when you have a team that expects you to do so. It was something that @ragingpandabear and I could do together. Another reason? I enjoy competition.

At first I was terrified. I didn’t know what to do – I played soccer for a year when I was about 12…that was over 12 years ago! (And, back then I hated it. I didn’t like running…boy, how things change!) Since I didn’t like soccer when I played, I never really bothered to learn all of the rules, so coming into it now — it’s been a journey.

I started playing with a great team that played on Tuesdays up in Redmond. They were very patient with me, and they taught me a lot. Unfortunately, after a couple of months I was unable to play with them as their games started coinciding with the classes I started taking (Japanese, for those of you that don’t go that far back in my blog readings). A friend of mine told me his brother’s team was always looking for girls, so I looked him up on Facebook. Sure enough, they were willing to have me, and Chris and I started as subs. (I’ve since earned a genuine place on the team – I pay and everything! *wink* ) We started with outdoor soccer, and have since played indoor as well. Currently, we play twice a week, and I love it!

We play at Starfire. We’re not a high level league, but I think our team is improving all of the time! (Of course, they all are much more skillful than I am, being a newbie and all…) There are still things that I need to learn…and some of them are pretty important. Which things, you ask? Oh, minor things like dribbling and shooting. My ball control is mediocre at best, but I’m getting better and better at defense, which is where I am most comfortable. I’d like to eventually get up top and score though! (The one time I did score was indoor, and it was a shock to everyone…including me!)

I’d love to get more practice in, and that’s something I’m working towards. I also need to actually become more disciplined about running, so I can get faster and stay on longer! I’m all about the contact part of the sport. If you bump me, I’m going to bump you back, but harder. If you trip me, I’m on you. If you think tackling me or pushing me down will stop me, I will get back up! I’ve gotten a little bit better in controlling my outbursts, not being so angry as I’ve gotten a little bit better. I hope to become better still, but I don’t know if I’ll ever lose that competitive edge. In fact, I hope I don’t. If I do, I’ve lost the love for it!

Now, for the guys I love to watch:

There is nothing we like better than to be able to go to the Sounders FC matches, or to watch with friends. I am very excited about the new additions to our team: Nkufo and Fernandez. I didn’t post everyone that I love to watch – we’re missing a few. But that would be a whole picture post…and that’s probably not why you’re here. (Why are you here, anyway?) For a blog that is all about the Sounders FC…check out this site. Happy reading!

Tags: Rec Soccer, Sounders FC, Starfire
Posted in Fun | 62 Comments »

Hawaii: I fell in love again

August 17th, 2010

So last week @ragingpandabear and I went to Hawaii on our first (and last) vacation for a while. Our friend Blane had invited us to his wedding, so what better reason could we find to head to the tropics?

We stayed in Waikiki, about a block from the beach. We couldn’t actually see the beach from where we were staying but it would only take us about five minutes to get to the sand! I love Waikiki.

Blane got married in Ko Olina, and it was a beautiful wedding. It was, by far, the most grandeur and decadent wedding I have ever been to. But that’s not why it was lovely: You could see the love they had for each other…it was clearly visible.

What else did we do? We went to the beach. We went shopping (@ragingpandabear got crazy deals at Express). I discovered a new brand that I’m completely in enamored with. I found souvenirs for my nephew, and we walked for miles on Waikiki beach. We drove up the eastern coast of Oahu, and saw some of the most breathtaking sites that I’ve ever seen. We didn’t get a lot of relaxing time, but the day we drove along the coast was something we both needed! You’ll feel refreshed too, just check out these pictures:

I can’t wait to go back. Last time we went to Hawaii, we did a lot of nothing: eat, sleep, relax on the beach, shop, eat, sleep, relax on the beach…etc. This time, we has so much going on, we didn’t get a chance to relax. I could use another 2 or 3 days to just lounge on the sand, or walk through the waves. If you’ve never been to Hawaii, I suggest you go…I’m looking for an opportunity to go back!

I had another purpose for this trip…I’m trying to convince @ragingpandabear to get married in Hawaii. Yes! For those of you who didn’t know, we recently got engaged! How and where is a story for another post, though. He is pretty much set on our upcoming nuptials to take place in our hometown, while I’m pushing (and begging and stomping my feet) for a destination wedding.

My first thought was that it would actually be less expensive to have a destination wedding. If we get married here, we’re looking at about 350+ guests…and probably 250+ are just family! That’s a lot of people! I don’t know if you’ve ever priced out weddings in the Seattle area, but I’ve discovered that it isn’t easy to save money while wedding planning. I’ve also discovered, for what I’m looking for, I’m not going to really “save” money getting married in Hawaii…but…

Anyway, I’ve found the place where I want to get married. We toured a couple of different places: Turtle Bay, The Marriott, JW Marriot/Ko Olina, and the Royal Hawaiian. I thought that I would love Turtle Bay and that would be the end of it. In fact, that’s what I expected. But that’s not what happened.
I fell in love with this room and its view. It’s called the Monarch Room and it’s in the Royal Hawaiian. It has a terrace that wraps around the building, and those windows you see? They are floor to ceiling and open up, to bring the ocean into the room. The floors are sand, pale pink, and a sage but tropical green. The lights that hang, oh the lights! They remind me of spun sugar in deep jewel colors. The room literally made my heart stop for a moment. I didn’t know a room could do that. I know it sounds ridiculous. But this place? I didn’t know I had a dream wedding, but I do now. And this is it.

Tags: Hawaii, Pacific Ocean, The Royal Hawaiian
Posted in Fun, life | 133 Comments »

Lately.

July 18th, 2010

So an update on the small town move………

We recently moved from Urban West Seattle to a Small Town further East. I capitalize Small Town because that’s exactly what it is. Very small. And the mentality is the same.

In some ways, that is good, and in others, not so good. It takes three minutes to get to the grocery store, another twenty to get to a Target. There are ups and downs to living out of the city.

We’ll start with some of the good:

It’s quiet out here. Seriously quiet. After living so close to the fire station in West Seattle (literally two blocks!) and hearing sirens non-stop, I’d forgotten what “quiet” actually is. I sleep better out here, and I don’t hear my neighbors very much.

Our place is much bigger. Instead of about 950 square feet, we’re in almost 1500 square feet. We still don’t have a place for everything, but that’s coming.

Once you pass the last city (when I say city, I mean, say something big enough to have it’s own Target, Bed Bath and Beyond, etc.) you can go 70 miles an hour. So it doesn’t take that long to get back to civilization.

We have a very pretty, very private view. We used to look out at the Puget Sound – I do miss that – but now we look at the forest. It’s beautiful and tranquil.

Our dog LOVES it here. All of the trees, wildlife, grassy areas…he’s in doggie heaven.

Now for some of the bad:

Looking at the forest means lots of bugs. Spiders, ants, weird beetles, and more. I hate bugs. I fear bugs. I despise them.

It takes about 40-50 minutes to get to Seattle. So much of what we do is based in the city – I take a dance/fitness/yoga fusion class and it’s about 45-50 minutes out from our place. We play soccer very frequently in the SouthCenter area. We are staunch supporters of the Seattle Sounders and are going to Qwest all of the time. I abhor filling my gas tank.

I’ve found that some of the people here have an odd small-town mentality. There is not a lot of diversity, which I find very odd, and it really makes me miss bigger cities. All I can say about it though, is that it’s an experience, and we can all use more of those!

All in all, this has just shown me that I knew myself all along. I’m a city girl at heart. Pretty sure it’s going to be staying that way, even though it can be lovely out here. I miss the noise and bustle of California Avenue. And running downstairs to the deli. Or walking down the street to get an awesome steak. But as much as I love the city, this is good for now. And, it’s an adventure at the least!

Posted in Uncategorized | 156 Comments »

So I moved to the wilderness

May 31st, 2010

@Ragingpandabear and I moved from an urban neighborhood to the middle of no where.

When we tell our friends we moved, they say, “Why?” – it’s about 40 minutes from the big city (there are a couple of small cities around us, but not what we’re used to) and I’m still commuting back and forth for school. I can’t tell you how glad I am that the quarter ends in two weeks! (I’ve always hated filling up my gas tank, but even more so now. Two to three times a week is just too much.)

We moved for work – my job took me from a friendly urban neighborhood to a huge sprawling community in a tiny town. I’m a city girl at heart and this has been the strangest adjustment. I no longer hear sirens, instead I hear birds. I no longer have my choice of twenty restaurants…instead I have a choice of five. No more unique, amazing bakeries around the corner, but stunning views and wildlife. (We’ve caught two mini frogs since we moved!) So we traded convenience for peace…which isn’t necessarily a bad thing! Just…well…different.

We need to take the time to check out the local hiking trails and walking trails…we haven’t done that yet. I know that Titan will love them, but I’m not much of a hiker, so I haven’t really pushed on that, yet. But we do need to do it, and we just might be doing it soon! Hopefully the PacNW will start clearing up so we can enjoy it. I hear there are a lot of great running trails, but I haven’t really explored enough to find them. I’m pushing myself to start running again, even though it’s been so rainy! (A neighboring city gets 104 inches of rain on average…)

Anyway, I’m going to be here a while, so I better make the most of it. Open mind, open heart, and it’ll be great…right?

Posted in Uncategorized | 180 Comments »