Tuesday 9/9, I stayed late at work in order to print my boarding pass but the damn site insisted on my passport info so in a flurry I sped home and logged on and still got a decent seat that will hopefully be conducive to sleeping through most of the flight. I ate some food and half watched WoF and read gossip then called Susan and chatted for a while as I packed. I was starting to freak out but just kept forging ahead. Eric called and we talked and he was going to arrive in about 20 minutes then Kay-See called so we talked for a little bit and she wished me bon voyage. Eric arrived and I acted all frantic, playfully, and he told me to chill out and we talked in the kitchen for a bit before going upstairs while I still packed and we talked. Finally I was pretty good and hopped in the shower then invited him in and he accepted and things progressed nicely for me then we got out and things progressed nicely for him, back in the shower for a rinse and into bed. We talked for a while then fell asleep and luckily I slept much better than the night before.

Monday 9/8, I worked until 6 then went to the bank but they couldn't give me pounds so I just took out cash. I called Eric to make sure he was still coming over that evening and he said he beat me home which surprised me because I didn't think he was coming until later. When I walked through the door I knew he was cooking and when I came upstairs he was in the middle of preparing gorgonzola stuffed bison burgers with Portobello mushrooms and homemade french fries and a salad chocked full of tomatoes and yellow and orange peppers. We talked in the kitchen for a long time about our respective days and my jury duty irritation and he told me about the octopus divers from Scripps. We sat on the couch for a while and looked at plane tickets then booked one for him to come to San Diego for Thanksgiving. He got back to work so I called Dad to tell him and he was excited then asked if Eric was wearing a skirt because he was making me dinner then said he's a Renaissance Man. We talked and joked for a while then he wished me happy travels and hung up. I got the table and SatC ready then dished up and he wasn't far behind. We watched an episode then he cleaned the kitchen and I started packing and doing laundry until he was done then we polished off the second disc of Season 3 and ate big bowls of ice cream. We went upstairs and I showered and got ready for bed then we talked for a while then he was drifting off and my stomach hurt so he rubbed my back until he fell asleep.

Sunday 9/7, We woke up and were being lazy and Eric brought me some cereal while I laid in bed then he talked to Schuyler and we started getting ready. It took us a while to get going and we were finally out the door around 10. They told us to come straight to the market so we parked and walked over and perused the used Saabs in the lot and we may have found a winner. We found Chrystol then Schuyler found us and we walked up to Highlife for brunch. Schuyler and I were being anal and the other two were immersed in the game until we were seated. They were out of the coffee cake which mildly irritated me so I ordered soup instead. We had a nice brunch with lots of laughing then headed out and back down into the market where Eric and I watched a kid unable to figure out how to get his drink out of the cup. We continued walking and headed back to my car and looked at the Saabs again and they put their stamp of approval on the car. Back at their house we sat around talking and I texted with Kassie about meeting up. We left and met Kassie by her old house and the four of us walked down to an open house that was cute then another one just a stone's throw away and it was the favorite of the day. We drove all over Queen Anne and saw quite a few houses but none rung our bell like that one. We dropped them back at Kassie's car at 3:30 then I called Kay-See to see if she still wanted to hang and she did so we went over to her place and decided to go get something sweet. We walked to Victrola but they didn't have anything so we continued up the hill and saw Ky standing on the corner with Rach-ho's dog and he joined us up to Tully's. The dog got spooked and insisted on going back so we continued up and Ky said he would meet us in a few minutes. I ordered a piece of yogurt mandarin bread and it was delicious and tasted like a twinkey. We talked for a long time about Jim then Ky joined us and stayed for a while but had to leave to meet people downtown. We stayed for a while longer then went over to Bartell's so I could get Jake a card and passed a guy wearing similar sunglasses to mine and I almost died and Eric almost died as a result of me almost dying. Then I told them how I throw things away in public trash cans. Picked up what I needed then walked back to K's where I laid on the floor and got into an argument with them about "Bigfoot" then almost fell asleep. K confirmed the dates of the cruise and I prayed it wasn't falling on the date of one of our biggest client's meetings. We left a little after 6 and talked more about Skylar and Kassie and I was surprised they'd beaten us there. We sat around waiting for Dad and Jake to have dinner and looked at more houses online. We had dinner and it was really good then the boys went down to the court and played basketball for over an hour while I watched a little, looked at houses with Kass and went stir crazy because I wanted to go home. Finally they came back up and we sang, everyone had dessert then we took off. I vented to Eric in the car and he said I should have told him because he was ready too. Back at my house I got ready for bed and was able to download Kassie's pictures but that was about it before we turned in.

Saturday 9/6, We woke up at about the same time and started messing around and ended up both getting off and it was another new one for me and he liked that I went to what I liked. Ok, enough of that. I noticed Kassie's car was behind mine and I needed to get gas so I woke her up and moved it and back at home I started getting ready and went in and said hi and told them we were going to Kingfish for brunch and they expressed wanting to go so I told them to get up and at em and they did and we both left at the same time. They had to get Kassie's car checked out so we went ahead to get a table, got one no problem, but in the back with a waitress who didn't want to move us by giving us a simple "no". They arrived and we perused the menu and Eric settled on the Chik n Waffle and I got a buttermilk pancake with a side of biscuits and gravy and it was all delicious. We talked about Skylar's fishing trip and some other stuff then settled the bill and said our byes. Eric and I took a long walk up to the Volunteer Park Cafe and back around to the car and worked up a sweat, but more because it was muggy. We drove down to Madison and by Trevor's house and some other little neighborhood streets down there then back up and through the arboretum for a while talking about school his change in course. Next it was down to REI and Vivace with a stop to say hi to Teal then next door to the furniture place where I picked out some stuff I liked but didn't buy then over to REI where we ran around laughing and trying to find the special Sigg but apparently it's only available online. We found the Eagle Creek stuff and Dad's picture and Eric suggested we buy all of them and ship them to him to get them off the shelves. At the other EC stuff I started saying, "I'd buy the Eagle Creek ones, they're the best. Everything they make is so great!" and Eric almost died. The people shopping next to us left. At least I tried. I told Eric about the lecherous man as we left. He briefly stopped in the snowboard shop then went for a walk and perused the community garden and sat in the park for a long time talking about sea planes, Seahawks and horse drawn buggies. It was so warm sitting on that bench but I was tired and started getting cramps so we went back to my house but stopped at QFC on the way so we could pick up groceries for dinner Eric was going to make. At home we relaxed as he watched tv and I started falling asleep after opening a magazine. He started prepping and Chrystol called asking what we were doing and I told her staying in and Eric was making multiple stir frys and egg rolls and asked if they wanted to come over and they did so we set a time and I continued to be lazy while Eric worked. Finally I got up and started cleaning and tidying and they arrived by 6:45 after we had sampled some of the fare. It was all really good. We all talked and ate and they were impressed with his skills. Chrystol and I looked at house clippings and she would try to guess which item I liked on each one. We talked about having a group make out on the couch then the Hunks book was cracked open and we decided to look up where these guys are today but instead found this awesome website with all the nudie pics of these guys from their Playgirl days. We were all laughing hysterically. It was great and we all had a couple of the same favorites (guy running down a sand dune - naked, guy dressed up in many outfits, guys in squatting / pooping position, skill saw with duct taped cord near junk) then came up with our own ideas for photo shoots. I really want to make it happen. After 10 they packed up and took off and we talked about brunch the next morning then we cleaned up a little more and went upstairs where we went to bed.

Friday 9/5, I worked an hour late then couldn't hear Susan because her phone was acting up. At home I started eating a ton of cheese Peggy gave me and they were very good. Susan and I hung out for a bit and she watched as I attempted to accomplish some cleaning. We decided to have dinner and she was generous enough to bring an avo and some rice and I steamed some carrots so it was a fairly complete dinner. We sat and talked and went upstairs where we talked a bunch too. She had plans with A so she left before 10. Eric wasn't there by ten so I was a bit concerned but just as I picked up the phone to call him I heard the front door open. He came up and I was so happy to see him and we talked about our days then we started in on politics and he got me very riled up and I didn't even want to look at him. I wanted to tell him to leave but then he apologized and I told him I hate getting so angry but that I also don't get over it quickly and that I had originally been really happy to see him. He apologized again, which he noted was the second time that week. I felt bad but also still irritated. I showered and got ready for bed and we made up so that was good, went to bed.

Thursday 9/4, I went straight home and showered, ate a salad and got ready for First Thursday. I called Chrystol as I was walking out the door and it surprisingly didn't take me more than a half hour to get there. I talked to Eric for most of it but didn't follow his advice for getting into Ballard and he totally knew it. Chrystol and I chatted for a few minutes then headed out the door into Seattle and talked about Schuyler's Grandma passing and death in general and perspective and it was kind of a downer but soon we were down on the waterfront trying to find parking while talking about Eric and his ex then Chrystol urged me to break the rules and turn where I wasn't supposed to. I scored a parking spot because of it. We walked over and Kass called to say she was having dinner with Kate and wondering if I wanted to meet up, told her I'd call her later. We checked out a new sneaker place, then the gallery next door and picked out which suggestive painting our respective bfs would like then headed upstairs. Not much to note, I was bummed by my favorite artist's offerings and hope she'll return to her former format. It's fantastic people watching and the art's not half bad but most of it isn't my taste. I loved the cookies however, which are generally depleted by the time we usually get there. Johnny W's room was fantastic as always and he had a Katrina series and the honey one was our favorite. This guy was staring at me then tells me I must be a volleyball player then repeats it after I tell him I'm not, so I say "I hate sports" then he insisted I was 6' tall but I corrected him. He said how beautiful I was or something then guessed I must be a dancer and again I corrected him. Chrystol was going to helpfully add that I was a pole dancer but I answered him too quickly. I saw Chuck on our way out we continued to wander. We saw the lech in another room and I hid and snuck by him but yet again he found me about 5 minutes later and started telling me about his step daughter and how she was a dancer and he'd put her hair in a chignon and how he dropped her at college and how there were so many beautiful freshman and he was in heaven for two days and all this stuff and I must have just had my mouth open because he quickly adds "I swear I'm not a lecherous old man" and I said "Well, the proof is in the pudding" then told him to have a good night and walked off as he told me again how beautiful I am. We went across the street and watched a video of elephants painting and I was shocked and amazed. I called Kay-See on the way back to the car and told her we'd pick her up at her place and arrived shortly after. We drove up to Broadway, found parking easily and went in to enjoy a slice of pizza. We grabbed a seat in the back and started discussing all manner of subjects but it eventually turned to my jury duty and all the things I may do, like pee myself and make sure to eat asparagus that morning then drool on myself then start crying. No bodily fluid will go unutilized. They both think I'm ridiculous. We stayed until 10:40 then I dropped K off and drove into Ballard to drop Chrystol off. Back home and to bed by midnight.

Wednesday 9/3, I got in early after having nightmares about being late and work moving. I stayed two hours late to get some stuff done and on my way home I called Chrystol to see if she wanted to do the art walk the next day and she did so we firmed up plans. I called Susan and went grocery shopping then made some dinner and watched the first half of ANTM while trying to update this. Eric called shortly after 9 so I didn't really watch the second half because we were having a serious discussion about the night before and how his program helps him in ways I can't and how important it all is. After 10 we hung up and I finished getting ready for bed and showered and crawled in while watching a bit of Seinfeld and reading gossip online.

Tuesday 9/2, We woke up at 6:30, got ready, packed up and headed down to the car for the airport. Dad dropped us off and we were in the slowest ticketing line ever but finally got through and decided to have breakfast at a little french place. I had oatmeal that was ok but the fruit served with it was good. We went to our gate and waited to board and Kassie had to go to the bathroom and came back out with a hilarious story of farting loudly and having a woman look at her when she came out and Kassie being like "Yeah, that was me" which also made these guys standing next to us laugh. Kass got the woman next to us to switch with Aubs and took pictures of the baby on the safety card. We all read our magazines and I fell asleep and Aubs did next then we landed. We walked to the next gate and took pictures and Aubrie showed Kassie how to work her camera then it was time for them to go so we hugged and saw them onto the plane then went to our gate. It wasn't long before we boarded with K talking to Chels about her relationship. On the plane we watched Steel Magnolias but didn't finish it because the battery ran out on the player. We landed shortly after and got our bags pretty quickly. Mom picked us up and I called Eric to tell him that I got his messages and would like for him to come up and spend the night with me. Back at Mom’s I took off right away to head home to eat some yogurt and magnesium then off to work texting K and A about my progress and K wanted me to take a picture. I only worked two hours then home where my stomach was killing me and I laid on the couch and fell asleep. Eric knocked on the door and scared me and I didn't want to get up but had to because he couldn't hear my feeble yells for him to enter. We sat on the couch for a while talking then headed over to Mom's for dinner. She made chili and I picked out the beans and added cheese and some Beecher's crackers. We talked about the trip then childhood then I got ganged up on and overreacted (the rare, for me, PMS side effect I think) and sat in the bathroom for a while. Mom and K came in and we talked for a long time then we left and Eric was very apologetic in the car and said he was a jerk and Alan enlightened him while I was in there. We talked all the way home and I kept having to wipe my eyes because I couldn't stop renegade tears. I got ready for bed and showered then turned on my computer to show Eric all my pictures. We talked for a long time in bed then I had to turn the light out and my stomach hurt so I tucked into the baby yoga position or whatever.

Monday 9/1, I woke up at 9 again and texted Aubs to see if she wanted to work out and she came down and we watched House Hunters and more 80's music and reminisced about LPC because of the Africa song. I did 30 of the ab reps she showed me and some extra little exercises then we split to get ready. I showered and got ready and found Ty under Dylan's watch and took him upstairs to motivate Kassie. I packed and got everything upstairs then held Ty again. We congregated in the living room and eventually took off with Kasey with us over to Dick's. Breakfast was being prepared and served and we all dished up and sat outside talking to Danielle and her bf AJ who seemed terribly uninterested in us. We talked about GG and how she was ditching us to go to the mall. We had pictures in the living room and played with Ty and people slowly trickled out. Jamie, Tom, Sydney and Taylor then Larry and Rosemary, Danielle and Kelly. The remaining crowd loaded onto the pontoon and out we went leaving Danny, Derek and Stacy on shore watching the kids being pulled behind us. I kept getting wet so I eventually moved to the back and we cruised around the lake until Beau had to go and we dropped him off and refilled the supplies. Derek and Stacy joined us with Brett while Danny watched the boys and we joked he would be tied to a tree by the time we got back. We went all around the lake and flirted with boys and Kassie asked if we could jump on their trampoline and they were like "YEAH!!" and Derek was like "Did you really think they would say no?" and I told him he was a real rule follower and I know because I'm one myself. He gave us the low down on everyone on the lake and it was fun and relaxing but we'd been out for a long time so we headed in. Danny wanted to go and I told him to stop being such a hard ass then we raided the gum closet. Stacy got the grill going for the venison dogs and Kassie started on a batch of guac and had to keep expanding because apparently everyone there (except the P*nk boys) loves it. We ate lunch and I ate too much but it was all really good. First time trying venison. Danny and Jackson left but he now loves rice chips and avocado. Kassie called Dylan's hot dog a rat dog and we all laughed until we weren't making any noise. Dad managed to get all our stuff into the trunk and cut his hand open. We rounded up our stuff and said our goodbyes and loaded into the car on our way to the city. Kass got offended because we saw Danny's point and stayed quiet for most of the trip because she felt misunderstood. The rest of us laughed and listened to Dad's stories about childhood and Uncle Jerome being a good older brother and taking him and the younger boys for an ice cream treat. We told Dad to hurry so we could catch the GG premier and also because Aubrie had to go to the bathroom really really bad. We unloaded the car and were checked into the Republican Convention-themed Hilton by the mall in no time. We went up to the rooms and I used the bathroom first then Aubrie and we found GG and I think got Kass hooked already. We only watched like 10 minutes while we changed our outfits then it was off to the MALL of AMERICA. Labor Day sales and no sales tax = fun for each sister. We hit shoes first and Kassie put a pair of $500 shoes on hold while we continued to peruse. We went upstairs and found a whole bunch of fun things to try on and I ended up with a James Perce collared button up shirt for London. Upstairs on the way to the bras we started discussing our "olive" situations and Aubrie was horrified. Kassie was relieved as we traded stories. We went into the dressing room while the lady fitted Kassie in some new bras and found out her boobs haven't shrunk that much. A few bras later we went back downstairs where I bought a pair of cute gray flats then over to get mascara for Aubs then over to the watches and K dropped $600 on a new watch that does all sorts of crazy stuff like change the frequency of your body...or something. We shut the place down and went to get gas and ended up in the ghetto with Kassie turning guys’ heads with her aroma-producing pastime then headed back to the hotel and in the elevator upstairs this guy was like "Are you enjoying the convention?" and K was like "No, we're Democrats" then he like, ran out of the elevator when the doors opened. We went down to the hotel restaurant for dinner, despite it being 10:00 and ordered a bunch of stuff and our waiter told us about the marathon he ran in Seattle and gave Kassie some French books to check out. Dinner was good and we went back up and packed and went to bed.

Sunday 8/31, I woke up and went upstairs to ask Clint if I could work out so he showed me how to work everything and got the tv going then texted Aubs to see if she wanted to work out and she came down a few minutes later. We watched George Michael and Fresh Prince and she showed me a few new exercises then we went upstairs and had some breakfast in the form of healthy cereal and very unhealthy cinnamon rolls. I showered and we all got ready and eventually headed over to Dick's. I can't really remember what we did but I know we went out on the boat and Taylor couldn't stand being more than five feet away from Dad. Danny, Kelly, Beau and Jackson came over along with Clint and Derek and their families. Out on the water we went over to the farmer's place and played in the water and eventually he came out and chatted with us for a while and we eventually headed back because people had shown up. We all got ready and left for Stewart to go to Cactus Jack's in a big caravan though there were a few interesting turns along the way. We arrived but the place was packed and it was extremely interesting to see all the people in there. We decided to go back toward Litchfield but some of us stopped at the cemetery to see Grandma and Grandpa and looked at some other family members buried there then took off for Bonfire and Casey and Aubs fell asleep in the backseat. We took over the place and three huge tables. It was fun and Kassie played "Trot trot to Boston" with Beau and Sydney quite a few times and it made us all laugh. I went outside and called Eric and we talked for a bit. We took a lot of family pictures then dispersed and I'm sorry I didn't spend more time talking with Jerome and Ilene but got a few sentences in as we were leaving. We all drove back to Dick's and got a bon fire started but first Aubrie and I hoisted Kassie up into a window so she could moon the birthday party next door and we all laughed hysterically even though I'm sure no one even saw her ass in that tiny window. Down at the campfire I talked to Clint for a long time and heard some funny stories about Dad getting arrested for necking in a ditch and other amusing stories about a guy having sex with a pig (not related to me) and other town's folk gossip. It was getting late and we eventually packed up and I drove Clint's car home because he'd had too much and it's a bit nerve wracking to drive on those roads at night with no bearings and no lights anywhere. Went to bed not long after arriving back.

Saturday 8/30, I slept and slept and finally saw someone come in my room and it was Kassie and Aubrie with baby Tye. I woke right up and held him and goo goo-d over him. I asked what time it was and it was 10:30 which shocked me into getting my ass up. There are no windows down here, no natural light! I exclaimed. I jumped into action and had some breakfast with Dylan then got dressed and played with Tye in the living room for a long time. Eventually we got him upstairs and Kassie was dressing him when Mom and Dad and Uncle Larry and Rosemary came over to say hi. Soon we were on the road with Kasey who took us to the natural grocery in Litchfield and Kassie cleaned up then over to the regular store where we ran around laughing about boys and we whispered about Tony the produce boy. We headed to Uncle Dick's and found lunch being served when we got there. We med Sidney and Taylor and said hi to everyone else then dished up and started loading up on bars. I ate some of Kassie’s fresh salad. I think we ate a bunch all day and went out on the pontoon and saw a woman riding a horse bareback in her bikini and Clint was like “Let’s get a closer look!” and eventually we picked up Kelly and Mark and Aubs and I floated with her a long time and talked about Eric then we were pushed out by Clint who we told only a little girl push. We eventually went back after yelling at the kids who were trying to kill snails and clams. Back at the house we probably ate more and hung out talking but I don’t really remember. Went back to Clint’s and called Eric but he was at the wedding and called me back when I was sleeping.

Friday 8/29, We arrived at the airport and did curb side and waited in a long line at security with a lady cutting in front of us. On the way to the gate we got a snack and waited to board. We watched Me, You and Everyone We Know and Kassie thought it was quirky but good. We landed just after it was over and received multiple texts from Dad about how Denver was and if we'd found Aubrie and what we were doing and I was getting irritated. Texting is Dad's new favorite thing! Kass and I hid behind a giant column at Aubrie's gate and jumped out to scare her and scared another lady as well in the process and all these people around laughed. We walked around to find a place to get a snack and settled on some place upstairs where we all ate something. We sat there forever since our layover was a little over three hours. After sitting for a long time we walked to get a little exercise then to our gate to board. We were separated so Kass convinced two gentlemen to trade with us so we could all sit together. We read our respective magazines and talked and laughed at the airline safety card kid. We landed and it was fairly late, like 9 maybe. Aubs and I got the luggage while Kass picked up the rental car. I called Dad for directions and Clint ended up on the phone with me because there were too many people in the kitchen so to speak. Kass and I got into a somewhat heated debate about drugs and perspective and experimentation and her somewhat cavalier attitude about it all. It was fine in the end I just didn't want Aubs to get the wrong impression. We stopped so Kassie could use the bathroom and she confirmed Kassie's nonchalance then two boys came out of the convenience store and we were looking at them and the one was like "Wahoo!" and kept looking back and Aubrie was mortified. We told Kassie when she got back in and we drove by and she said something out the window to them like "Have a good night sexy boys" and we all laughed hysterically. We kept on and eventually made it to Litchfield and Clint directed us from there. We arrived without using the odometer and everyone was up waiting for us. We sat in the kitchen talking until midnight and eating "white trash" a yummy treat made of rice and corn chex, cheerios, pretzels, m&ms and almond bark. So rich, but so good. We snuck up to take a look at the baby then down to the basement to see how they remodeled and where I would be sleeping. In the hunting room with a bear on the wall and no less than 20 guns and birds mounted and a rabid squirrel to watch over me while I slept. I made him put the bear in the closet and still had to sleep with the light on in the rec room. Pitch ass black down there. I called Eric and we talked about Palin and how her views are fucked. I'll leave it at that. Went to bed at like 1:00.

Thursday 8/28, I forgot to write this day and it is now 9/14. I think I talked to Kassie who told me to come over to Mom’s after I ate some dinner. I went over and we watched Obama’s speech and I thought it was very good and we stayed until it was over then headed to Best Buy so Kassie could get a new camera. We played with a bunch and loved the color switch feature on the one that made us look like we had beards and laughed so hard we weren’t making any noise. We asked the guy what he thought, and clearly he didn’t know what to say. We left with Kassie yelling in the parking lot about me peeing in her bag to get people’s attention. At home I probably packed to go to MN for a long time and set my alarm for not as early as I had previously thought.

Wednesday 8/27, I texted Eric back to call me if he needed something and that I'd be in Seattle at 10. No word back. I went to my appt and heard rather disappointing news and am now on a slew of meds and treatments trying to rid my face of this mess. I opted against walking because I was tired and headed straight home to my computer and bed. I updated this for a while then Eric called and said he was looking at a house on 15th and thought he would come by and I agreed that was a good idea and expected him around 8. I called Susan and we talked for a long time and I told her about my face and the Eric texts. She was just as clueless as I was. I continued writing trying to catch up and finally went downstairs to pick out mags to take on the MN trip. I ate dinner and flipped through some magazines then back upstairs to watch the DNC. Just as it was ending Eric showed up so he came and sat on my bed with me and we talked about our respective days and he listened patiently as I ranted about my face then he told me about his (day, not face). We laid there for a long time talking and laughing and discussing Eric and how no matter if I call him or not he needs to learn to get himself help because nothing I do will really help him. Mom called at 9:05 and said they'd landed so we took off for the airport and waited in the cell lot for them to call and it took way too long. We picked them up and they told us about their trip and Alix's school and what a phenomenal institution it is, especially the engineering school, which Alix is in. We dropped them off and went back to my house where I hopped in the shower and got ready for bed. We messed around for a while and I can add two more to my list and some new stimulating positions. Went to sleep, probably around midnight.