Little late - but not by much.

On April 1st, I started a diet plan - a 24-day challenge where I monitored what I ate, took supplements and continued with my normal exercise plan.

After the 24-day challenge was complete, I had dropped 10.5 pounds - so I'm quite pleased with that. There are still more pounds to drop, so this 10.5 is definitely a good start.

Now a week later and I'm still maintaining that weight loss - nothing additional, nothing gained back.

I plan to continue what I've done for an additional 28 days, so hopefully I can repeat the 10 pounds that I lost.

---

Speaking of exercise, my running has slowly been coming back. I've been running a 2.5 mile loop three times a week for the past couple of weeks. Still want to shoot for a 5k in June, 8k in July and then hopefully a 10k in August/September and finally a 12k in December. Yes, this is the same running plan that I had when I started way back when in 2006.

This weekend has been gorgeous! A couple of seventy-degree days - in a row! Yesterday, K, Olive and I walked down to the elementary school so we could all get some fresh air, plus Olive would be able to run around and burn off some of her energy. Some playing on the swings, and sliding down the slide was also done.

Today, we drove out to the dog park since it was so nice. Olive didn't want to play with too many other dogs, so we just walked around and tried to take pictures.


I LOVED how this picture turned out. K took it and I feel it is a good representation of a boy and his little black dog.






Saw this tree today and tried to take some arty fartsy pictures. This one was my favorite of the three.

The rest of the pictures can be found here.

All in all, a great day, part of a great weekend.

Sad day today . . .

After almost 9 years (8 years and 7 months actually,) the ScubaSaturn II is gone. It feels a little strange to know that it will no longer be parked in front of the house or be part of any future adventures that I might take.

More later.

Warning - I'm going to be very negative because that's just the mood that I'm in. And it'll pass.

It's about work.

And yes, this is my woe is me, I didn't get the job entry.

Okay - so yeah, I didn't get the job. Why you might ask? Well, the two things that were mentioned were 1 - I didn't have enough in-branch experience, and 2 - I didn't have enough experience with escalations.

Number 1 I understand - but it's not like I'm 100% back office in my current position - my customers are both internal and external and I deal with them every day, just not in person. Let's also not forget that I come from an in-branch/in-person banking background - I've had people at my desk, I've been threatened, I've made people cry tears of happiness and sadness, I've helped, I've worked with people - it's not a new concept.

Number 2 I take issue with - I call BS on this. I work with escalations EVERY day. It came up in my interview and it came up that I handle them really well. Most people say that I enjoy them actually. I won't go that far, but I enjoy trying to work through complicated issues and to see if we can come to an agreement that will benefit everyone.

Let's also not forget that this department said that they were going to approach me before I had approached them!

The part that I find the most frustrating - and the one that bothers me the longer time goes by - is the manager who didn't hire me wants to meet with me next week to go over my career path.

What bothers me about this is that this is supposedly something that my supervisor and manager are to do with me (and the rest of our team.) All of our organization's leaders went through this coaching training plan that our department doesn't use. Every other department has all sorts of coaching sessions and we don't. Not one bit.

I'm over the "love" that I feel for my supervisor. I used to be impressed by how far she has come, but more and more every day, I see her for what she really is. Plus I'm still sore of the way she backstabbed me in order to get ahead. That still pisses me off.

Plus our new manager (above our supervisor) is anything but impressive. She's more concerned about her old department than the one she currently manages.

And now I have another manager - one who won't hire me - want to help?

Ugh.

I'm in a dead-end job that doesn't make me feel valued or appreciated, managed by two people whom I don't trust and are only do what benefits themselves.

I'm not happy.

Diet update.

Today is Day 16.

I miss beer.

But other than that, it's not too bad. I haven't weighed myself since the first, but I can definitely tell that I have dropped some weight at least because certain clothes are either falling off of me, or are fitting better.

Even though this program can be pricey, I really want to continue it until I get down to my goal weight and then I'll work on maintenance. It is teaching me better portion control and giving the structure and discipline that I need to better space my meals out.

So yeah, it's going good.

Hoping that ultimately my running will improve as well. I was on a pretty good pace before my foot infection, and only last week did I begin running again. Only managed three days - a 1.5 mile, 1.5 mile and then finally a 2.0 mile on Friday. Friday's run was actually really good and it gave me the confidence that I'll be back soon. And then today I did another 2 mile run at a slightly faster pace. Great!

---

New Job Search

The last time I updated I made a mention of the official search for a new job.

I had a phone interview, and then progressed to the in-person interview last Tuesday. They are supposed to have an answer back no later than this coming Friday, so right now I'm in a wait and see phase.

Overall, I felt it all went pretty well. I know that the hiring manager received a lot more applicants than she expected, and I know that she didn't invite some for the first interview and that some didn't make it past to the second interview. Still feel that my chances are pretty good - but I can't get over confident still.

If this position doesn't pan out, I have one other shot for an opportunity that should present itself this year, so I'll be putting all my energy into acquiring the skills necessary for that.

---

Speaking of jobs - K found herself a job today. Very exciting! It's pretty much what she was wanting - a part-time coffee job. Starts out as two days a week (10 hours total) but I'm confident that extra hours will be easy to pick-up. The schedule will be easy to work around since she is in school right now, and still trying to find a job that is more closely related to what she's studying. All in all, good stuff there.

And on the subject of K - it's been almost seven months now and things are still going well. It's just amazing how things can be when you find someone that you click with on so many levels and can maintain that through some ups and downs. I'm really big on making sure we communicate well because those miscommunications can be troublesome.

But yeah, things are really good there and I'm very happy.

Plus now I get to date a super hot barista!

As most of you know - I'm a huge Sounders fan. Been hooked since that first game back in March of 2009.

US Soccer has quite a few lower levels outside of MLS and the Sounders have a handful of affiliated teams.

One such team is the Sounders Women. Yes, we have a semi-professional women's soccer team up here. Last year, they were in the playoffs, and Josh and I took in one of the games one Saturday. We were two of about 50 fans total. It was a beautiful day, and it was fun to support a local team. Unfortunately they lost.

Fast forward to 2012 and there has some BIG moves in women's soccer. The WPS (Women's Professional Soccer) league, home of a number of world famous women's soccer players from multiple countries, has canceled their entire 2012 season due to an outstanding lawsuit against one of their teams' owners.

The Women's World Cup over (the US Women were one PK short of winning the entire thing) and the Olympics coming up this summer, women's soccer is big again in our country.

And the Seattle area just got their first taste of just how big.

The Sounders Women, part of what's called the W-League, made some HUGE signings in the off season.

How huge? How about FIVE US Women's National Team members. We have Olympic players playing in our backyard!

Hope Solo
Alex Morgan
Megan Rapinoe
Sydney Leroux
Stephanie Cox

All famous professional women soccer players - all with ties to the PNW - and all playing for the Sounders Women.

I purchased a five-game pack, and on Monday the 9th, they played their first exhibition game. This was the first time the team played together as a whole, and still managed to win 5-0 against a pre-season Seattle Pacific University team.

The most amazing thing to me is the fact that I saw nearly half of the USWNT's players palying in Tukila. Where else would I be able to see the likes of Hope Solo and Alex Morgan? Probably never.

It was quite the amazing evening!

More pictures . . .

Testing.

Being very geeky this morning and decided to change all of email to
run through google's gmail servers.

---

Well, it worked - sort of. Still have upside down pictures . . . but at least I can send my messages through my domain again (it seemed that LJ doesn't like GoDaddy's e-mail servers.)

I'm alive!

The bacteria infection didn't kill me - and it hasn't yet come back. ::knock on wood::

After I finished my antibiotics, my toes started to look like I had a minor case of frostbite - all of the blister skin started to turn black and was all sorts of flappy. Made walking a bit awkward because it constantly felt like something was always stuck in-between my toes.

The toe that the infection started in still looks a little bigger than the others, but so far, there isn't the same itchiness or burning or redness. Maybe the skin just got stretched out?

---

Big event time. I made a decision a few months ago that the time was right to start looking for a change in jobs. It's not that I no longer liked what I did, it was just proving to no longer challenge me in the way that I needed to be challenged (plus there are some non-public things that had gone on.) I wasn't looking to change employers, just jobs.

A few months ago, there was talk about a new department being formed but I knew nothing about it so I just filed that knowledge away. Well, as things kept going on the same path in my current position, I decided to reach out and talk to some people, one of which was the person that originally mentioned this new department. We scheduled a meeting, she brought me coffee, and we spoke for about an hour. She described what her vision was for this new role and what she was planning on looking for. At this point, while the department was approved, the job description wasn't, but what I was told definitely interested me. Plus, the new manager admitted that while writing the job description she did have me in find and wondered if I had any interest. That has to count for something?

Two weeks ago the position was officially posted. Four new openings in this newly created department. My supervisor even sent me an e-mail asking if I had known about this, and if I would be interested. I had to admit to her then that yes, I knew, and I had even already talked to the manager was planning on applying.

I asked three people for letters of recommendation - I have two of them now - I also have spoken to quite a few other managers about certain areas that this department will assist with to get their thoughts and to get a better idea about certain things that I don't have too much experience with working in my current department.

While I can't get over confident - I feel that this position is in HIGH demand - I don't have a lot of experience in certain areas, but I have the most experience in the lending area than anyone (unless someone from my own department applied - but even then, I would still be more qualified) I'm hoping to leverage my lending background to my favor.

No interviews have been scheduled yet - but I'm busy getting things ready. I want to rock this like never before.

---

Starting tomorrow - no fooling - I'm going down a new food plan. A friend did this program that worked wonders on her, so I'm going to try it. I need help with my food habits because working out alone isn't cutting it anymore. The weight that I worked my ass off to lose a few years ago is coming back, and while I'm still exercising every day, it's not helping much. Almost back to where I was back in 2006 and that is quite depressing. I want to run again like I did before - I want to wear my expensive clothes that I bought a few years ago. My self-esteem is being beat up.

The program is kind of pricy, but looking at it on a monthly basis, when you factor in the fact that my meals are planned out for the next month, I won't have to buy much of anything - it's just weird for me to buy everything a month in advance.

Crossing my fingers - I'm excited, worried and quite interested in how it all turns out.

No more beer, no more Thai foods, I won't even be able to go to Bamboo Garden like I was planning. Boo.

From last night's Sounders match:



Awesome game last night - awesome win. Plus Osvaldo Alonso came over and signed my brother's and my jerseys! (Couple of weeks ago, we got Roger Levesque to sign our jerseys too.)

Update on my foot:

On Thursday of last week, I had spoken to my doctor's office and described to them how the infection has moved further along my foot, up to the very bottom of my leg, top of my ankle, and how the swelling had not only NOT decreased, it had actually increased.

Well, due to whatever communication issues they had, I wasn't called back until after 4:00 with the instructions to get to Urgent Care. Luckily for me, Josh was working in Tacoma this day, and was home by about 4:30, so I didn't have to wait too long for him to take me there.

Urgent Care's wait wasn't too long, and Josh was able to entertain himself with April (who was randomly there too, but for a sinus infection.) When I was seen by this doctor, he just doubled my antibiotics (because sometimes things get worse before they get better - I really hate that explanation) and sent me on my way. The part that makes me mad is that the pharmacy wouldn't refill my prescription because the computer said it was too soon. No amount of logic would prevail - I don't technically see it as being refilled it, I see it as the frequency of my dose just doubled, so my prescribed 10-day supply will last half as long. Nope, I would have to go back later.

Thursday was spent just sitting on the couch with my foot up and weird pains and sensations, and some awkward uncomfortableness trying to walk (like to the bathroom) to just to my room.

Friday was more of that - but worse. My foot was getting so swollen and whenever I'd stand up, it felt like my toes would pop right off, and if I was sleeping, the pain would wake me up throughout the night.

It was Friday evening where K got her first look at my foot - she knew I had an infection, but thought it was on the outside and visible, and not on the inside like this (some have said that my foot was beginning to look like a latex glove that had been inflated.) She also pointed out that under the toes (in the curling part - not the ball of the foot,) that there was a blister. She tried to take a picture for me, but it was difficult to fully grasp how big that blister was getting. She did add on a new line where the infection had moved to, so I could keep a good record for the doctors.

Saturday - a whole new level of pain. Another day left alone at home and it was getting worse. Just going to the bathroom was pure and absolute agony and I was getting very frightened. I had no way to drive, and no one was home, plus my foot was scaring the crap out of me.

After I crawled to the bathroom - the pain as so bad, I couldn't walk, so I had to crawl on my hands and knees to the bathroom - I called the 24-hour nurse line, explained what was happening, and she said to get in immediately.

But who to call? I eventually called Jerome - and probably sounded pitiful - I need a favor, and I have no one else to ask - my foot . . . he immediately said he'd be there. I then crawled around to let the dogs out and to put them in their crates (who knows how long I'd be gone, or when I'd come back, plus they get crazy when someone knocks.)

After Jerome arrived, I hopped to his car and we were off. I don't recall how long I had to wait before seeing the doctor, but I know I was out there in about two hours - not the best, no the worst. The doctor said the antibiocs were working (the infection had receded a little bit, but the pain and pressure were being caused by the blistering.

When I first got there and was put into a wheel chair, I got the first good look of my foot (good lighting, the right sitting position,) and it was gross. The blisters on the underside had grown and were starting to move up between my toes onto the top of my foot. This blistering was putting excessive pressure on my already swollen foot, which is why I was in such pain.

The doctor drained the blisters with syringes, and when I stood up, while it still hurt because of the infection, I no longer felt like I was dying.

I got a ride home from Jeff and his wife Robin. Jeff rides the train with me in the morning, and he was in Urgent Care for a ripped muscle/tendon. Run into some random people there . . .

The next Sunday, K brought over some crutches which really helped me to move around, and allowed me to get out of the house - I was getting stir crazy being inside. We went to lunch, ran to the ATM and then to the pet store. While crutches allowed me get outside, I am not a fan of them - I couldn't imagine being on them for weeks - I used them for a few hours and was frustrated. I'm sure that you'll eventually get used to them and better with them, but for now, nah, I'll pass.

It's now Saturday, and I'll run out of antibiotics today. I have been super busy at work so there hasn't been a chance to call and ask - I'll probably have to go in, which means a trip to Urgent Care today I'm sure. Speaking of work, I missed Thursday, Friday and then Monday. I was all gung-ho about going in on Monday, but I couldn't fit a shoe on my foot, so there was no way to get anywhere, but eventually I had to (prescription refill.) I have to still wrap my toes with gauze because the blister areas are still draining. No pain anymore, just some discomfort (more than likely due to the fact I have gauze wrapped around my toes, and it feels like I'm having to learn how to walk again - my hips and knees hurt a bit at times because of how I've had to favor that foot for so long.)

Definitely on the road to recovery, and the signs say I'm almost there, but I'm not 100% trusting, especially since when I got this the first time, it came back because the antibiotics weren't taken long enough. Yes, I'm taking the same ones, but for 10 days instead of 7, and at a double-dose, but there is some doubting there still.

Oh - and I do have pictures - but I've spared most everyone from seeing them. :)

Ugh.

Back in October/November of 2009 I had this weird toe infection. (You can read the original entry here. Got some antibiotics, but the problem came back a short time later.

And nothing like it was seen again.

Except it has come back again and it's a hell of a lot more painful than it was before. Tuesday morning I had a slight itching sensation on my toes, and by the end of the day I was starting to walk funny. Since everything felt the same as it did back in 2009, I called my doctor's office and wasn't able to get in until Thursday. Since I took Wednesday off anyway, I called a different office and was able to get an appointment for Wednesday.

When I went in, I was barely mobile - I was hobbling around like an 80 year amputee. The doctor was a little freaked out by how bad my foot was looking - especially since whatever it is that's happening started recently, and has blown up FAST. Same diagnosis as before - cellulitis - and I was prescribed some antibiotics.

Now today - the infection has doubled in size (she marked my foot yesterday) and is even more painful than before. I can't stand, I can't walk and I am in pain. The doctor's office called me this morning to check how it's going and I told them it's gotten worse. They're supposed to call back - not sure if I'll have to go back in but this time to urgent care or what.

The pain is so bad, and I'm so immobile, I stayed home from work. I can barely walk to the bathroom, can't imagine trying to drive or walk anywhere today.

And to be honest, it's freaky. It's actually scary looking at my foot. The toes are so swollen it looks and feels like they're about to split open, plus some of the toes are a weird dark color. Freaked out!

I need time.

Three little words.

I need time.

Three simple little words.

I need time.

Three simple little words that make my world want to start spinning differently.

Three simple little words that I want to NOT affect me but yet each word hits harder and harder.

What makes me not want to feel something? But yet I want to feel everything?

Something happened yesterday. I don't specifically remember it or know for sure when or how it happened. But something did.

Sleep didn't come peacefully. I was on edge all night and didn't have a good feeling this morning.

I need time.

Three little words.

Sir Grocible is back home.

So far, the only "power" to surface is an actual audible "meow."



Picture should be right-side up "eventually"

Off to catch up on the reading that I haven't been doing here . . .

Damn it!!

I was writing a super long entry - and had a pretty good chunk written, and then messed with something and it was gone.

Damn it!!

---

Here goes again . . .

There was some whining/conversing about lack of updates and blaming it on not using my computer at home very often, and using Facebook.

And then I talked about how I have been thinking about getting a Bluetooth keyboard for my iPad and how I'm using my brother's computer right now since he's at work, and I'm at home (had a really bad headache this morning.)

Here come the < hr > tags!

---

Work

Work has been interesting the last few months since my manager left in August. One of my fears came true and now I'm very grumpy about my job.

My current supervisor applied for the department manager's job and didn't get it. One of the biggest reasons was that she had very limited project experience because all of the projects that impacted my department were given to me to work on. When I found this out, I was worried that I was going to stop receiving projects to work on.

And that's exactly what happened. But not only that, the two projects that I was involved in, I soon realized that I was no longer part of those project teams. I didn't even notice that happening until one day I realized that I was no longer being invited to meetings and I was no longer doing any of the side work as part of those projects.

All of a sudden, not only was I not being included in any new projects, but the two that I was part of, I was no longer part of them. I was back to being a regular processor again.

This pissed me off - A LOT. My supervisor, stepped all over me in order to further advance her career. And I'm not happy about that. Lost quite a bit of respect for her over this.

I guess my being upset was obvious because before the end of the year I was called into a conference room with her. She wanted to know if there was something wrong because "a few" people have commented to her about me.

After some prodding, I told her that I was not happy because of how my role has changed, plus there was this instance about how a co-worker talked to me about food stuff (whole other issue there.) I was informed that I will basically have to earn the extra responsibilities back. This just made me more upset.

I've been in my department for over 8 years now, and I need to be challenged, and there is no challenge in my position (well, there is the one challenge of having to deal with the idiocy that some people possess in my department, and the constant wonder of how this one person in particular even has a job.) All this does is further my need to get out. So for the time being, I'm going to my nose to my monitors, do my job to the best of my ability, let my work speak for itself, and keep my eyes open for other opportunities within my employer.

Since all of this was going down at the end of the year, I was worried that it was going to affect my annual review, but fortunately it didn't, other than one comment that I need to include myself in more departmental dealings - meaning that I refuse to participate in non-work functions. Fuck that, I'm not going to socialize with my co-workers outside of work. (It's funny, but years ago, I wasn't allowed to, but now that no one is there to tell me no, I have zero interest in it.)

Reviews are done - department goals are finalized - now I'm just waiting for the organization's goals to be calculated. Our department maxed out on every category this year, and I know that our entire organization did very well, so our bonus/incentive should be pretty impressive this year.

Taking my bonus - and my tax return - the plan is to pay off some debts and I should be able to knock out about 90% of all of my debts - and the remaining 10% should be gone in a month or two. All part of my big plan for the year - to move closer to work.

While I've enjoyed living in Tacoma since I moved here back in March of 1998, I've grown tired of the 12 hour days just for work. I leave home at 6:20 and I don't get back until 6:20, it's tiring. Since I get up at 5:30, and try to sleep 7 hours at minimum, it doesn't leave me must time to do much of anything. Work shouldn't take 100% of my time. It's even beginning to make me not want to do much of anything on the weekends.

---

Lawyers and debt

Back in August, I wrote about being sued, and having to hire a lawyer to fight this ridiculous lawsuit.

Long story short - end of December it was settled! The offending law firm decided to cancel their lawsuit against me because their documentation wasn't good enough - it was faulty and they couldn't prove anything.

HUGE GIANT RELIEF to say the least.

---

Holidays

It's no secret - me and holidays don't go well together.

Holidays, birthdays, parties, gatherings - I'm just not a fan of them. At all.

Someone once told me it is because I don't like fun, but I know that it's not that. I just don't know what it is exactly. I just haven't had fun with holidays for a long time.

Christmas has always been hard because my grandfather passed away at Christmas time. Thanksgiving I haven't particularly enjoyed since the days I had to bring my own food to eat. Actually, even before then since I lived with my grandparents who always had Thanksgiving at the VFW - some place I never particularly enjoyed visiting.

This year was different.

Thanksgiving was at my house. With people. Josh was there. I was there. K was there, and her friend Crystal.

Dinner consisted of pumpkin pie, salad, cranberry sauce, turkey, mashed potatoes, corn fritters, stuffing, biscuits, and Tofurky. I am probably missing a few things.

Dinner was actually fun - yes, I had fun.

This fun even rolled into Christmas. K and I got this three-foot tall Christmas tree, added some extra lights, bought a goofy cheap start topper, added decorations - even bought three from Hallmark - one for me, her and Josh - got some monogrammed stockings and had presents wrapped and under the tree.

For the first time in a VERY long time, Christmas was fun. I had a really good time. Christmas's Even was at our house - traditional Mexican food dinner, and then Christmas Day dinner was at her house. Yes, I met family. Huge thing there I now! Seemed to have met with everyone's approval, and was reminded at how difficult family can be.

---

K

So our official first date was Friday, September 23rd. Dinner, drinks. Saturday, October the 1st was another big date - pumpkin patch, beers/dogs, movie, more beers and she stayed over out of sheer exhaustion.

That makes it four months now.

Our time has been amazing. Nothing horrible has happened, nothing bad. Yes, there has been the occasional speed bump sort of things - nothing out of the ordinary for relationships. Every day we go grow closer together and appreciate the other more and more.

I feel that this is how this sort of thing should feel like. It's amazing. Absolutely amazing.

Besides the trip to Oregon in November, we spent a week together house-sitting an apartment, and then another week house-sitting an actual house. All in November. It was sort of like playing house. I would leave for work and return home to find her waiting for me. We'd make dinner, we'd relax, and just be with each other. No stress; just wonderful times together.

It's been a long time since I've felt like this - this happy - this appreciated - this valued - this loved.

Very excited about our future.

---

Grocible

In December, my dusty old kitty cat (he'll be 17 this April/May) got his annual check-up at the vet. He's been looking a little scrawnier, but otherwise still plugging along.

He was down to 6.1 pounds (slight weight loss since the last time,) but his bloodwork showed his thyroid counts were higher (or lower - can't remember what sort of scale they use - worse, they were worse.) The vet wanted to basically double his dose from 2.5 pills a day, to 4. Plus he has this marble-sized nodule on his thyroid.

When the vet was telling me about the results of his tests, she mentioned something that she hasn't mentioned since the day he was diagnosed with Grave's Disease back in 2008 - irradiated iodine treatment. The $1000 treatment.

Back in 2008, this wasn't financially feasible. I didn't have that kind of money, so I elected for the methimazole treatment (pills - approx $30 a month) so for the past three and a half years, that's exactly what I've been doing.

If I had the $1000 back then, I would have spent less, but I also wasn't sure about how long Groc could live. Well, he's lived, and he's gotten better. But this time I have the money - and the prescription will now cost me about $50 a month, which means if he lasts another 18 months, I'll break even. I hate having to factor in financial costs when deciding what to do with my kitty cat, but it has to be considered.

Well, when this treatment was brought up this time, I immediately decided to not dismiss it and think long and hard about it. After no much thought, I decided to go ahead and do it. I'm in a position financially to afford the treatment, plus it'll be better for all of us. No more drugging him twice a day, no more worrying about missing doses or having to find someone to take care of him if I wanted to go somewhere. Plus reading more about the side effects of the pills and how much better off he'll be, it ended up being a no brainer.

Yesterday, I dropped him off at the treatment center and he'll come back home Monday or Tuesday. He's down to 5.9 pounds, so even in a month, he's lost more weight.

He got his irradiated iodine dose this afternoon and now, supposedly, is resting up. From what I've read, the treatment is not very complicated, and the biggest reason they keep him so long is for the radiation levels to drop off to what is deemed acceptable. I kid that my cat now glows in the dark, but that's not too far off from the truth.

And I have to be honest - I'm kind of hoping he comes out of this with super powers.

Having on-demand beer in my own kitchen is mighty addicting.

Ice cold.

SnOMG 2012!!

They actually canceled work today - something they haven't done in the 8 years that I've worked there. So I'm enjoying the day off by being at home alone. Olive and I did walk down to Starbucks just to get out of the house. At least we have power - lots of people don't have power. K is trapped at home with no power which sounds awful. It's been off long enough to start getting cold inside the house.

So while the LA Times makes fun of us - and they do have a point about our area marching into these storms unarmed - they are forgetting at how much SoCal freaks out when there is a little rain falling.

Western Washington is pretty much shut down. Buses aren't running well, light rail is canceled, the trains were either delayed or canceled (last night the first two trains were canceled so I had to wait over an hour for a train in the freezing cold) and SeaTac was closed most of the morning and night due to ice.

Fun times!

Pictures!!

Woolsockaggedon!!

Since we had an hour to wait for the train.

First, we put on chains, and then I made a snow angel for K.

Excuse the upside-downness (my phone does that)

Saw this sign this morning - why the quotes? Why the dash? Right up there with adding apostrophes to words to make them plural.

Phase one of our major snow storm. Tacoma was predicted to get 10 inches.

Christmas present to myself.

15.5 GALLONS of delicious beer. In my kitchen.

(The keg is so beat up it doesn't fit so a ratchet strap is necessary.)

14) Rendezvous At No Man's Mesa - Wayne E Haley (5/16 - )
13) Alpha - Greg Rucka (5/8 - 5/15)
12) The Wind Through The Keyhole - Stephen King (4/30 - 5/8)
11) The Disappearing Spoon: And Other True Tales Of Madness, Love, And the History Of The World From The Periodic Table Of The Elements - Sam Kean (4/16 - 4/30)
10) AWOL On the Appalachian Trail - David Miller (4/10 - 4/16)
9) Ghost In The Wires - Kevin Mitnick (4/3 - 4/10)
8) Ready Player One - Ernest Cline (3/28 - 4/2)
7) A Lion Called Christian - Anthony Bourke And John Rendall (3/26 - 3/27)
6) A History Of The World In 6 Glasses - Tom Standage (3/11 - 3/25)
5) Nothing To Lose - Lee Child (3/8 - 3/10)
4) The Kingmaker - Brian Haig (2/23 - 3/8)
3) The Book Of General Ignorance - John Lloyd - (2/14 - 2/22)
2) Going Long: Legends, Oddballs, Comebacks & Adventures (2/2 - 2/14)
1) Firestarter - Stephen King (1/9 - 2/1)

Books Read - 2007 (Incomplete)
Books Read - 2008
Books Read - 2009
Books Read - 2010
Books Read - 2011