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.

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

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.

Hate it, hate it, hate it.

I’ve never been diagnosed as OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder), but it has taken me up to 20 minutes to leave my apartment. During the time that it takes me to leave – I’m checking and re-checking EVERYTHING. Making sure that all of the heaters are off (even though we only used them twice this last winter), that everything’s unplugged (hairdryer, straightener, iron, toaster, tea-maker, etc. — even if I haven’t used any of them), making sure that the oven is off, double checking, triple checking Titan’s crate if he’s home. Then, once I finally get out the door, I usually pop back in to re-check Titan’s crate, then I usually have to glance again at all of the outlets…and it goes on and on.

Once I’ve suffiencently checked everything and convinced myself that it is OK TO LEAVE, I close and lock the front door, then check it again. I usually end up walking about 10 feet away, and then coming back AGAIN to check it one final time. It’s easiest if I have someone on the phone who can listen to me check everything, so I have reassurance that I DID check everything. And everything is off.

I don’t have a routine – like I don’t have to lock and unlock and lock the front door 3 times.  Or not step on any cracks, or bring my own silverware. (But I am obsessive about getting veins out of meat when I’m cooking. It freaks me out when they’re in there, so I have to cut them out when I am preparing food).  I’m also kind of obsessive about washing my hands, especially when cooking. But I don’t think that’s a bad thing.

I guess I could go see a doctor. Or people have suggested making a list that I can check off each time I leave the house. But I don’t think that would help…I just need to be more confident in myself, making sure that I check everything, and trust that I did. Cause I always do, I can’t leave without checking. So why do I have to re-check, and re-check again?

I think this is my dad’s fault. Honestly – I remember being a little kid and we’d leave the house and my dad would say, “Did I close the garage?”  And we’d have to drive back around the block again, and check….So the seeds started early!

The Course!

I’m not going to be breaking any records, but I’m doing it. Even if I end up walking it. (Which at this point, I might!)

*When I was about 15 I fractured my pelvis playing basketball. Apparently it’s a common runner’s fracture, so I’m afraid I might be easily susceptible to it happening again…wish me luck – that it DOESN’T happen again.

• Raging Panda Bear’s Birthday 
• Vacation
• Lily Allen
• Britney Spears
• Seattle Sounders

Raging Panda Bear’s birthday should be fun: even though I’ll be the DD, I’ll get to watch plenty of drunken debauchery. 

Vacation starts on Monday, and I’ll be going to the Lily Allen Concert that night.  It’ll be fantastic! We’re meeting up with @katsutom & friends…I believe doors open at 8PM, so I will insist on being there before that! 

Thursday is the Britney Spears concert, and one of my best friends will be returning to the good ol’ USA from Europe.  Now, I’ll be one of the first to tell you that I don’t think that Britney is one of the best or strongest singers out there. That doesn’t stop me from being a fan! Her songs are catchy and fun, and she’s really a performer at heart.  I haven’t been to a Britney concert before, but from what I’ve heard, they’re all fantastic orchestrations of dancing, acrobatics, effects and more. I’m really looking forward to it.

Later in the month, I’ll be going to the Sounders game, where I’ve promised Raging Panda Bear that I’d get him a jersey (a RAVE GREEN home jersey) as a belated birthday present. I think he’ll enjoy it.  I’ve found that I enjoy soccer games way more than I do football games. The energy is a completely different feeling, and it’s a lot more positive. (I hear it’s different in the rest of the world, that the teams are a lot more competitive and…violent.) So far though, at the Brazil vs Canada game and the Sounders games, I’ve found that it’s a much more enjoyable atmosphere, and it’s a lot of fun! I’m hoping to get back into soccer in the summer, if I can find a co-ed team.

April 2009: I’m looking forward to you being one of the greatest months of the year! Don’t let me down!