Tuesday 1/13, Eric's birthday. I called him but it appears his phone has been turned off or something. I sent him a myspace message to ensure he knows I did not forget. At home I cleaned the kitchen and put stuff away and brushed Castor after eating my leftovers. He loved it and I got a ton of fur off. I wiped him down with the wipes and continued trying to get stuff organized. Did a mediocre job. Talked to Eric for a while who was at his Mom's hopefully not getting food poisoning. I watched Biggest Loser then took Castor out and he brought his blanket upstairs without me even telling him to, it was so cute. I got his ear meds in and he didn't squirm at all, finally. Watched the news, tried to call Eric again - same message, went to bed.

Monday 1/12, Eric was up to drop off a resume so he came over and was there when I got home (after a stop at QFC). We talked and hung out for a little bit then I talked to Susan and told her I would leave shortly. I headed into Seattle and made it there very quickly. We walked up to get Thai, put in our orders and headed over to Sonic Boom to peruse. We both restrained, quite easily actually, then headed back over to pick up our food. Susan treated and we walked back. We sat on the old Tacompton couch and ate while watching Jeopardy and sex toy instructional videos online. I'm going to have to look into that rock chick thing. Soon Gossip Girl was on and we were confused right away because of the whole Jack / Blair thing. We each had a gluten free fig newton and Susan was in heaven. I wasn't in heaven, but it was a nice after dinner snack. GG was good and we had plenty of laughs and I guessed quite a few of the storylines, but was then wrong about the apparently not-dead son. I rushed home after it was over to catch the end of Bachelor and Eric reminded me that I had stated over a week ago that I didn't want to get hooked and I told him to quiet down. I took the dog out, then we took a shower and got fresh and he actually hit my g-spot, which was shocking and nice. Went to sleep after talking and cuddling for a long time.

Sunday 1/11, Eric woke up before me and went down and started making breakfast. I kept waiting for him to come back up, but he didn't so I took care of myself then went down and told him about it. It started a conversation and I told him I didn't feel differently because of what he's dealing with so he said that helped him. We ate breakfast in front of the tv. He made some hash of potatoes, eggs, pan fried steak, green onions and gouda with a little sour cream on the side. It was delicious. We went upstairs and started getting ready and talked to both Chrystol and Schuyler and Sos and made plans to go to the falls. When C & S arrived we left and picked up Sos and up to the falls we went. It was so misty we could barely see the falls and there were a ton of people there taking pictures and everyone was wet. We wanted to hike down but the trail was closed so we decided to go into Snoqualmie instead. We walked around and looked in a bunch of little shops and in one store I bought a new murder mystery game, for Mom, that is Star Trek: TNG and everyone was dying. It's super old, but still in the wrapper. We decided to get Mexican and had some lunch. I had like the best nachos ever, but was so full from chips and salsa I couldn't eat much. We had a good time talking and laughing then packed it up and headed home. Dropped Sos, then back to mine where we hung out watching the game and Chrystol and I perused my new Martha Stewart Weddings for cute ideas and to pick out rings we like. Chrystol and I took Castor on a walk over to the trail and Chrystol wanted to explore and we had fun talking and getting a little exercise. Around 5 or so they took off and Eric decided he was going to stay home from Sunday dinner so I took off with Castor to pick Grandma up. At Mom's they were waiting with Tigre to meet Castor and it was going ok, then Dad pet Castor and Tigre lost it and was all snarl-y and Castor was freaked out. Next was Fritz who wanted to sniff but was pretty mellow, until we got inside then he started getting lippy too. Tigre was still snappy so we put those two away for dinner and Dad held Castor's leash so I could finish. He was so anxious, I felt bad. Kama came down and could have cared less about his existence, except in the kitchen where she doesn't want any more competition than she already has. Tigre finally submitted then got snappy with Fritz when he tried to go near Castor. V. bizarre. Grandma was falling asleep on the couch so I decided we should go. She was totally out of it and I figured out that she'd taken double her medication and was falling asleep because of it. I helped her into bed and took Toto out then took off. I talked to Susan when I got home and heard about her weekend then made plans for the next night. Eric and I watched my shows and he let me pick and tweeze at him. We went to sleep not long after.

Saturday 1/10, We woke up around 8:30 or so and had some cereal and Eric took Castor out. We weren't sure if C & S were going to come over and it was eventually decided no, so we took off for lunch and got pho. Back at home Eric took off to hang out with S for the day and I settled onto the couch and watched Tudors and burned some music to my computer. I eventually fell asleep for a long time and woke up with a grumpy stomach so I called Kay-See and cancelled on pizza for fear of being laid up on the toilet all night at someone else's house. I watched some more Tudors and had a little rice and my stomach felt better after that. It was almost 8 and Castor had been essentially cooped up all day so we drove up to the park and ran around the soccer fields for 20 minutes or so for some exercise and fresh air. Back down at the house I decided to vacuum the living room and stairs and felt much better after I had. Picture of Richie fell off the wall and shattered. Weird. More Tudors and Eric came home and was disappointed Cops was over, he got hooked on Tudors though and insisted on watching another one after it was over. So we went upstairs and I showered and we snuggled into bed and watched another one then went to sleep.

Friday 1/9, Peggy met Castor and all was well. She gave him a hug which blew my mind. After work I went home and told Eric all about the day then he told me he'd had food poisoning and felt pretty terrible. I ate some dinner and showered and he almost decided not to go (Harborrats show at the Shanty) but said he would at the last minute. I called Susan on the way to tell her our ETA and when we arrived there were like 6 people there. A bit early I guess. Justin came in and I said hi and introduced Eric then Susan and Andrew showed up and A was hilarious. Soon Chrystol, Schuyler and Sam arrived as well as the first guy (Elliott Smith look-alike) was playing. C was a bit tipsy and hilarious. Justin sounded good but was down a few players so it was different. Susan and I chatted then she sat up by Andrew while the HR were playing and this large lady was all over the place prohibiting good shots, but exhibiting hilarious dance moves. Susan stayed almost until the end then took off and after the HR's set (which had some new songs and sounded very good) and we stayed for a while longer talking with Chrystol who had a hilarious story about a friend in Japan and his "American Jumbo". I was so tired and when the last band went on we headed out and said bye to Sam and Justin who both liked my snake lady shirt (someone else did too, I think I had three compliments on it). We drove home and Castor was excited to see us. Went to bed.

Thursday 1/8, I was tired and so excited for a night at home alone. I did some things around the house then talked to Eric and he wanted me to see if Sos and Jake needed any help, so I said I would ask. He wrote to Tara, I told him I was proud of him. Not much else. Called Sos, she was fine and wants to go to the dog park this weekend. I made some dinner and made some rice for Castor then kept trying to sneak attack him with the ear meds. Didn't work. Watched tv and talked with Kay-See via facebook. Making lots of connections on there. Went upstairs and got ready for bed and cleaned some more and finally got some meds in Castor's ear, though he didn't like it. I read a bit and went to bed by 10:30. Bed to myself.

Wednesday 1/7, Eric went to work so I was looking forward to a quiet night alone. Kay-See asked what I was doing and if she could come over and I said sure, then Eric wrote that his power was out and asked if he could come up. So much for a night alone, but it was ok. Mom came over while I was at work and helped me get his ear drops in then we went for a walk. When I got home I cleaned the kitchen, swept then washed the floor, but stopped short of doing the whole thing. I did some laundry and started making some dinner when Dad called. He suggested making fried rice so I did, except Eric must've used all my soy sauce so I had to improvise. It was edible, but far from a culinary masterpiece. I heard Eric come in because Castor sounded the alarm and he showered while I ate and finished my conversation with Dad. We hung out and talked in the living room until K came over then he went upstairs and hung out up there. K and I went friend trolling on facebook and I impulse friended Zack L. and Warren C. and she did a few UPSers. There are more I want to be friends with to see their profiles like Shannon O. and Scott E. Mmmm. We gossiped and talked about boys and how dumb most of them are and had potato chips and ice cream and candy. Though not much because I just don't have an appetite for any of it lately, which is sooo un-me. I would be worried I'm pregnant, but I so clearly am not, especially since Eric's noticed I've lost some weight (Amy noticed too). K took off at 10 and I went upstairs to a sleeping Eric. I climbed in bed and we talked then I showered and talked some more about why he should reach out to good people in his past and he was being stubborn but agreed I was right. We cuddled until we fell asleep.

Tuesday 1/6, Eric was still sick so stayed home with the dog again. I arrived home a bit early and Eric looked and felt awful. I did a few things before Susan arrived and Eric went upstairs so we could have girl time. When she arrived she was momentarily scared of Castor's bigness but soon she experience what a good boy he is. He showed her his toys, but did not show her how he humps things. At one point he went upstairs and I thought Eric was wrestling with him but it turns out he was trying to drag his blanket out of the room to bring downstairs and Eric blocked the door and took it away, otherwise Susan would have received a full show. I made some carrots and rice for dinner and we talked then ate in the living room and continued talking. I put on Biggest Loser but we talked and ignored the tv. Traffic lightened up so Susan took off for home and I got the candy out to eat while watching BL. Eric came down and we watched it a little down there then went upstairs and watched it together in bed. After it was over we talked and cuddled and went to bed.

Monday 1/5, Eric was sick so he stayed at the house and rested / did a bunch of chores for me (which I scolded him for) and watched the dog. I stopped and got the special dog shampoo at the vet office and started the process of getting Castor ready when I got home. I had to lift him into the tub because he was so opposed to being in there then tried to keep him calm and relaxed, though he tried to bolt a few times. I got him washed for the most part then Eric came in and helped me dry him then held him still so I could administer the ear meds and he hated it but we got both the medication and the cleanser in. Next I cleaned the entire bathroom because it was covered in dog hair and I hadn't cleaned since before Kassie arrived. It was quite a task but it looks good now and Eric kept me company on the bed. Alix came over to spend some time with me before going back to college and off to Grand Cayman for a squash tournament / relationship building trip. Eric heated up dinner for both of us and we played WoF and Jeopardy while playing on our computers. I talked to Court via facebook im for a while then we watched GG and Alix continually rolled her eyes and Eric excused himself upstairs. We watched the last part of Bachelor (I'm ashamed. But not enough not to get hooked) and the beginning of that terrible beauty show then Alix went home. I went upstairs and we watched the rest of the show and those people are ridiculous, especially the guy who was compared to Brad Pitt, but is so clearly not in the same league. We snuggled and went to sleep.

Sunday 1/4, We got up and I thought going on a nice walk would wear Castor out enough so that the vet visit would not be so intense. We walked down to the lake and let him off the leash and he made a mad dash and I ran to see if he was in and he was waiting on the edge and as soon as he saw us he dove in and started romping and we were laughing so hard because he was so excited and so soaking. We walked home and toweled him off as much as possible then went to the vet. He didn't like it very much and it was a semi-stressful situation. There were several things that needed to be checked out so they suggested leaving him there for some tests and procedures. Eric and I went to REI and Target to pick up gifts for Alix's party then home and Kay-See called and I told her to come over. We hung out watching football and eating sea salt and vinegar chips. We continued hanging out when she arrived and talked about dates and NYE and guys and craziness. I finally got the call to pick Castor up so Kay-See went with me and the final bill was $800. Ouch. But at least now he's set and everything's paid for. We went home and noticed he smelled so I gave him a pet wipe bath which helped considerably. K had some macaroni and left by 5:30. Castor was acting ok but we barricaded him in the dining room / kitchen just in case (immunizations may cause upset stomac) and took off for dinner. It was snowing heavily by this time and we stopped at Albertsons for a card and groceries then over to Mom's. Josh and Amy were there with the kids and we all dished up and sat down. Dinner was good and the kids were cracking me up. We didn't stay too long because the snow was quickly accumulating so we headed home and I almost slid into a parked car so that sucked. Stopped in time though and reversed out of it and went on our way. At home Castor was fine and had behaved himself. I brushed him to calm him down and we watched DH then had a talk about things and he's feeling stressed about money and said he should have talked about it with me when he was feeling it and I told him it was ok then he gave me permission to pick at his legs. He fell asleep while I was doing it then I went to bed.

Saturday 1/3, Eric was up before me and headed down to Bill's father's funeral. I started getting ready and talked to Susan for a long time then was going to take Castor for a walk and Sos called and I told her the news. We made plans for later in the day. Castor and I took a nice walk and he got a thorn in his paw, which I pulled out. When I got home I called Eric and he was hanging out with Chris so I told Sos and Jake to come over and we'd do lunch the three of us. They loved the puppy then we headed into Redmond for Indian. It was very good and we talked about all sorts of interesting stuff, including Ian and some of his relationship choices. I tried the rice pudding and it tasted like fruit loops. We headed back to my house and they hung for a little bit and played with the dog then took off. Eric showed up shortly thereafter. I think football was put on and we had a lazy night of tv and leftovers. The dog was good, no humping after leaving the blanket upstairs for sleeping only. We watched some Cops then AMW and went to bed fairly early.

Friday 1/2, Castor was great at work again and is getting in the routine. I beat Eric home and created a completely calm and quiet environment when we got home and there was no manic-ness. I was determined to figure out the cause. Eric arrived and I told him what I was doing so we sat on the couch and started talking and he told me Meghan called him earlier and he started raising his voice and expressing his frustration over the whole thing and Castor started getting all anxious so I'm pretty sure it's when the situation begins to get stressful or arguing is what sets him off. He didn't calm down and we were bored so after eating a little dinner we set out for Best Buy with Castor in the back. We perused cds and dvds and I almost bought Clueless on dvd but put it back, despite the $5 price tag. We drove up through the botanical garden then down 148th and stopped at a park and started running around and him and Eric took off and it was so funny I couldn't stop laughing. They were running so fast there was no way I could keep up. We were the only ones out there running around on the soccer fields. After getting our exercise we went home and he crashed out after not too long and we did the same.

Thursday 1/1, Day off. We got up early and took the dog out, had some breakfast then headed down to the lake on the trail and he loved it and peed on everything. It was pretty wet and we got a bit of mud kickback on our pants but it was nice to get out. Next we headed up 90 to the area Sos and Jake and I went around this time last year after Ian had broken up with me. The road was pretty rough but we made it and started on the bus trail and checked it and got a close look and hypothesized how the hell it got there. We took another trail by the lake and watched for falling limbs and trees because of the high winds. Eric taught me to listen for the creaks. We found our way back and drove home where we had some lunch and rested. We decided to take Castor for another walk so we went up the trail and back through Sunrise and home. Eric wanted to go to B&N so we took off and talked to S & C and invited them over for dinner. We perused books and I looked at a housetraining magazine that was killing me; with tons of pictures of dogs squatting peeing. Like 35 pictures. Ridiculous. We both got some stuff then headed to Safeway where we decided fajitas was a good choice then stopped at QFC for chicken then home to an excited Castor. He was fine then C&S showed up and he started acting all manic again. Still adjusting I suppose. We hung out and talked and laughed and ate a ton and watched tv, though I can't remember what. C and me had ice cream and eventually they headed home around 10. We cleaned up a little then went upstairs to get ready for bed.

Wednesday 12/31, Castor is a natural at work. I think it'll be a slam dunk. Lots of walks and resting. Eric met me at home and Susan decided not to come over, then Schuyler and Chrystol said they might come over and Kay-See too but then they all didn't but it was just as well. We hung out and took it easy and we were both tired. We ate dinner and watched Finding Neverland which was over at 11. Castor was acting all manic and panting and humping his blanket and weird, which ended up stressing me out and finally he settled down during the movie and was fine once we got upstairs. Eric and I started arguing over peanut allergies, which he thinks doesn't exist and is propaganda the media is putting out there. I told him maybe the only other person who shared his opinion was someone from Mississippi with a third grade education. He took offense to that and asked why I went there. I told him he was being ridiculous and had no idea what he was talking about and got the computer up and read off some peanut allergy facts I found, but he still wasn't convinced. It was so bizarre. Finally he admitted that he was half arguing with me just to irritate me, which irritated me even more. We talked in bed until 11:30 and he apologized and we cuddled and fell asleep. Before midnight.

Tuesday 12/30, Castor was much better at work and settled down and slept almost all day. I took him out plenty of times to burn off some energy so I think it will work out well. Eric (RH) texted that we should go dancing this week and that he's got Thursday off and got a new job. I told him I couldn't but perhaps next week. At home I talked to Susan and made tentative NYE plans then watched a little tv and ate some salad while sitting next to Castor on the floor. I quickly got ready and told him to be good and headed out for my hair appt. Sean was running behind but I got to catch up on my reading and talked to Mom for a few minutes. Pretty soon I was sitting in front of the mirror. We talked about my hair then moved onto more interesting topics. Travel and hilarious pet stories and sibling stories and a little over an hour later I had a much more managed looking mane. I got a hug goodbye and headed home, talking to Eric for most of it. When I got home I could hear Castor barking and it's the first time but it was only a couple, and I could barely hear them over the garage door closing. He was very excited to see me and I took him out as I continued talking to Eric. We said bye then I went in and played on the net and half-watched tv until 10:30 then I took C out again to help ensure I'd get a good night's sleep with no pee interruptions. I finished a magazine and went to sleep.

Monday 12/29, First day with Castor at work. I said bye to Kass in the morning and was running a little late because we were taking pictures and video-ing for Sky. He did very well in the car and when we got to work he was a bit anxious. I took him out pretty frequently just so he could burn off some of his nervous energy, which I think helped. Overall it was good. Eric was home when I arrived and C was very happy to see him. Eric wanted to help me with a bunch of house stuff so we cleaned house and got so much done and my house looked so much better after the hurricane of the xmas season hit the main floor. Soon Eric got started on the macaroni and I helped grate the cheese and fed a tiny bit to Castor for being a good boy then added the cheese by the handful to the milk and flour combination and soon it was a thick cheesy sauce. Eric finished the prepping and I got the movie and Castor set up and soon we were watching SatC: the movie. There was lots of moaning and groaning from Eric but he also liked a lot of it and was ecstatic to be done. He took the dog out and we got ready for bed and talked a bit before falling asleep.

Sunday 12/28, Eric and I were up fairly early getting a jump on the day. I went over to Mom's while he watched football. I picked up my xmas presents and printed off some applications while Dad wanted me to adopt a different dog and I kept insisting I was getting one from the Bellevue Humane Society. Off I went and Kassie was getting ready and soon we rolled out. We perused the dogs and Kassie started tearing up because some of them look so sad and I reminded her they're a no kill and that they have a high turnover rate and they'll all be adopted eventually. We checked them all out and wrote down the ones we thought were good matches and came up with two: Jack and Odis. There was a volunteer who asked if I was interested in Jack and I said yes and she said he's the best dog and she'd adopt him if her husband would let her and that she hoped he'd go home with us. We waited for our turn to do meet and greets then the lady gave me hard time about Jacques but I played it cool. She told me Odis was out of the running and to go tell someone to let me meet Jack. There was another volunteer who said all the volunteers have their favorites and Jack was hers. Two good reviews - looked promising. We had him in the pen chasing a tennis ball but he was still wanting to get out but responded to commands very well. We decided yes and I went in to complete the rest of the paperwork. Eventually Kass came in too and said she wanted to buy him his first toy and donated $200 to the shelter. The woman was like "Wow! Thank you!" but to Kass it's no big thing. The first volunteer who had talked to us about Jack came in and she asked what we thought and we told her he was coming home and she started crying and saying he's been there so long and she couldn't understand why because he's so good and that we'd made her day and both Kassie and I got all choked up too. I like that woman. Jack had been there since October 16th. Two and a half months. Poor boy. Too old is my guess, no one wants a 7-year old dog unfortunately. Except me! I picked out a purple collar and leash which Kassie said made him look very regal and I said royal. We loaded him up in the car and he rode with his head out the window the whole way home and loved it. When we got home Eric wasn't back yet (from picking up Schuyler) so we showed Castor (left the old name back at the humane society) around and let him sniff everything. I saw Eric pull in and him and S walk down the drive way and Castor sat in the window watching and I saw Eric fist pumping and both him and S smiling. We held Castor until the boys got upstairs and Eric immediately started telling him he loved him and petting him and Schuyler just laughed, not believing I'd gotten a dog. It was nice. Kassie investigated his tricks and he knows sit, down and shake so that was good. She left some training treats with me then took off. The boys sat in front of the tv watching the game and eating and Castor didn't once try to take anything off the coffee table, very well mannered. I took him out a few times on the leash and he's a marker. Chrystol was coming over but wouldn't be there for a while so I called Kay-See to tell her and she asked if she could come over and I said of course so when she got there we talked for a bit then headed out to Costco for dog supplies. Got a huge bag of dog food, treats, two giant beds and a dog throw. Next to PetSmart where we got booties, more treats (training) a toy, dog wipes, bowls and a stand since he's a big dog and I think that's it. We headed home and Chrystol was there and she couldn't believe it. Kay-See didn't stick around long and the rest of us hunkered down in the living room to chat and rest with the dog. He was pretty mellow and loved his throw, not so much the beds, not used to cushy I guess. They left maybe an hour or so later and Eric and I went upstairs and Castor laid right down on his throw on the floor and went right to sleep. Eric and I had a little fun time and it didn't seem to rile the dog. Went to sleep but woke up around 4:00 to take the dog out for fear of an accident.

Saturday 12/27, Eric was up at 7 or 8 and I followed shortly after and saw Mom was gone but the motor home was still there so their departure was delayed. I found Eric wandering by himself when I came in and we hung out just the two of us. We hung on the couch and I eventually went and got Lish and Kassie up because they were supposed to get going and there was some arguing until Dad told them to shut up. Eric was glad. I had some breakfast and UB made some of the coffee I got them and I hung on the couch some more until Kass, Sky and Alishia took off. We chatted with Dad and UB until it was time for us to head out so we said bye to Aubs and Hailey and grabbed Kassie's stuff she'd forgotten and soon we were on our way. We stopped in Marysville at Kohl's to meet up with Jess and her Mom who were shopping. Eric wandered around while Jess and I tried on clothes forever. I got 3 or 4 new things and Jess ended up dumping everything at the last minute and her Mom got upset. We decided no lunch and said bye and hit the road. We stopped at Subway for lunch and Kass called to say everyone was off with plenty of time. Lish made it on the earlier flight. We drove home and relaxed to the point of each taking a mininap before we needed to get ready for Chris' birthday. I showered and soon we were on our way down to Des Moines. Eric showed me around a bit then we went in and all these people wanted to meet me and Chris' mom told me to take care of him and that she loved him. I was introduced to Michelle and Keisha and a whole bunch of other people. I didn't realize Eric knew so many people. I know that sounds bad; he never sees them I guess. I met Tricksy Ricksy (Gabe) and I know Kay-See would love him and I told him and that she loves red hair. I met Michael and Ryan and Charlie and we sat with Dick and his gf and it was just a loud crazy night. There was a whole bunch of dancing and groping toward the end (Christy grabbing junk everywhere) and when they played Come on Eileen I squealed. I got three (boy) compliments on my shoes and many people saying they loved me so I felt accepted. It was a fun night and I think we finally headed out around midnight and the place was still hopping. We drove home talking about it and climbed into bed to watch the end of SNL at home.

Friday 12/26, Eric woke up really early and was up and out while I fell back asleep until about 9. Breakfast was being made and soon we were all gathered around the table once again for lots of food. Dad showed me a video from chasecam and was still excited we'd gotten him one. I stayed in my pjs for a while but wanted to get going and not wait around all day, but then Eric was all dressed to go sledding so we all watching him trek up a big hill but the snow was so deep we didn't know if he'd go anywhere, and he didn't really. He got going once then couldn't again so he came back down and played with Ryder in the snow. I got dressed and Eric, Lish and I headed out to run some errands. First Best Buy where I exchanged Tudors then to TJ Maxx where I got a new spoon and spatula in cute 50's-ish colors (light green and yellow) and Eric bought me hand warmers. Over to the mall so Alishia could try and find a jersey but came up empty. The other girls called and told us to meet them at Ben Button so we dropped Alishia off at home and headed over, got good seats and Eric got the popcorn. The rest of them showed up during the previews. I loved the movie and wanted to bawl even after leaving the theater. Skylar hated it and railed against it for the rest of the night, spoiling it for anyone who hadn't seen it and might want to. I wanted to tell him to shut up and stop ruining it, but I didn't. The boys were all watching a movie when we returned so I hid out with Aubs in Hailey's room and played on her computer. When it was over we all hung out and talked and Skylar and Eric were manning the grill. We gathered around the table again and us girls were hearing a hilarious story about Hailey and some guy who made her a picture quilt and Dad came in and said something weird and Kassie and Aubrie were really offended and told Hailey to continue even though Dad was interrupting to say how happy he was we were all spending time together. Dinner was good and I hung out with the boys after dinner then we got on the topic of health insurance and I told Queen B and Heidi that I'd talk to Peggy and see if she could answer any questions. We talked about it a bit more in the living room and Kass and Hailey finished up the puzzle and soon everyone started trickling out. Got ready for bed and headed out to the trailer with Eric. Went to bed.

Thursday 12/25, I couldn't sleep and woke up at 4:00 and didn't fall asleep until probably 5:00 then Alishia was up at 6:15 so I was awake again and Eric went and gave Alishia tips for driving in the crazy conditions then came back to bed but we both couldn't sleep so we got up and showered and got ready pretty quickly. Got the cars loaded up and headed over to Mom's. It was a fun morning and a full house and a delicious breakfast. I got 3 lights for my house which was good, though I knew I was getting one of them. Eric bought me a purse and a little piece of original artwork with two crows (me and him) and the Maldives cd. We ate some more, said hi to Peggy when she showed up and set off at 10:15. The drive was uneventful and I didn't get as stuck this time, but still a little sliding. We talked the whole way up and listened to a few of my new cds from Kassie. We made it by 12:15 and there was so much snow down their street and driveway I didn't know if I'd make it all the way down. The driveway was marked with stakes. We unloaded the car and noticed that K&S were in a snit but we went in and happily greeted everyone (Dad had the video camera) with hugs and kisses. We unloaded then the long wait until present opening began. It's the latest we've ever started but once we were underway it went quickly. I got some very nice gifts and Eric liked his and was shocked at the loot he received. Skylar got Kassie a beautiful necklace complete with 1 ct diamond and lots of other smaller diamonds on the chain and surround the big one. Everybody's jaws dropped. Kassie was elated to say the least. We collected our things afterward and ran around the house joking with each other and having fun. Then eating. Then puzzle. As it got dark Eric went out for a walk and I joined him and he took some pictures of the twilight and him and Ryder and I headed down the snowy road. We had a nice dinner with feasting and fun and Eric thinks we're all nuts. After dinner we were all sitting around and I was getting tired then Eric tipped my Sigg and made it spill on me and laughed and I got very angry and got up and told him I was going to bed, then Mom and Heidi and Mom was like "Honey, you're not mad at him are you?" I said yes and that he knows better and went off to sleep in the freezing bed in the 5th wheel. Uncle Brad came in to turn on the heat but I kept falling asleep.

Wednesday 12/24, Aubs and I woke up early and called Mom to get Grandma and Papa's flight info, then got dressed and headed out. They'd landed and would call at baggage claim so I talked to Jess and got gas and we circled and called and they were still in the plane because the de-icer was holding up the plane at the gate, ugghhh. The roads weren't great but we ventured down 99 anyway and found a little market where we picked up some donuts and sat in the car talking. I called Mom and told her Aubrie would be joining us for dinner then we headed back but still not there. Eventually we picked them up after a lot of back and forth and driving and Papa said it was shit when he got in the car and Grandma told him to watch his mouth. Off we went to Everett without incident. Everyone was waiting for us and we said hi to Skylar and Rose and sat down and ordered. The waitress was a pistol. Breakfast was huge and we talked and laughed and had a good time, especially when the waitress flipped Papa shit. Aubrie and I took off in search of a bookstore and found one over by the mall but they didn't have what she was looking for. It took forever to get out of the parking lot then we had to drive back over to Safeway because Grandma and Papa's stuff was still in my trunk. Dropped off then headed back to my house because Jess was already north, but it was just as well since I was tired and just wanted to sit down. Eric was there when we arrived and we decided to watch the last two episodes of SatC and Eric was glad to be done. Kass called and gave me shit about not helping Mom with dinner but I blew her off and Eric started going off. I told him to settle down. We got ready and headed over to Mom's. Chip, Monique and Dane arrived and Peggy and Grandma were there so it was a full table but a lot of fun. Chip had everyone in stitches. Eric's best was that he was with a bunch of people he didn't know a year ago then Peggy raved about me and how much she loves me so that was very nice as well. Dinner was very good and the conversation was pretty good and consistent. LPC texted me while we were at the dinner table (Merry xmas and all that) and Aubrie was amused and alerted me when he'd sent a second one. Kassie picked Alishia up and we continued to talk then there was drama surrounding Alishia wanting to leave then to go up to Bellingham and Kassie and I were adamantly against it. We all went home (I didn't know if I'd get my car out, yikes) and got beds set up and snuggled in and did a few more things around the house and both Eric and I opened one present and he got a kick out of the Sean John boxers and said he's only wearing rappers' boxers from now on. He got me a beautiful bracelet with agates and what looks like chain mail. I love it. We all went to bed. I didn't feel good and my back was spasm-ing or something.

Tuesday 12/23, Texted Nic to wish him a happy birthday and hoped his family was well. Another crazy day at work but got everything done we needed to. Bad news on one client. I heard from Mom and Dad, Kassie and Aubrie. I headed straight up to Everett after work and made it up in a little over an hour. Not bad for rush hour (thanks to shit loads of snow) and made it to View Ridge. The driveway was terrible and I was totally getting stuck and couldn't believe it because the Subaru had yet to get stuck in the snow. Some blokes offered to help but I told them my Dad was right there and I was just turning around. Kass told us not to wait so we went to Arnies for dinner and Dad drove and was having a little too much fun on the icy roads and Mom kept yelling at him. We had a nice table and a nice British waitress and I took her recommendation. She also gave me some vouchers if we come in again so I may drag Eric. We had a really nice dinner then headed back to the motor home where we grabbed Aubs' stuff and hit the road back to Bellevue. It was a fairly uneventful ride. Kass was home when we arrived, wrapping presents, so Aubs hung in her room and I did stuff in mine and we all just kind of hung out and took it easy. Went to bed a little early.

Monday 12/22, Crazy day at work. I actually don't remember what I did. Gave Mom and Dad updates on the road conditions, Aubs got all her shit stolen in Vegas, talked to Eric, probably Susan. Maybe cleaned. Read my book.

Sunday 12/21, Mom's birthday. Eric got up early and finished the glaze then got back in bed with me. We lounged for a little bit then Kass was all over my ass to get ready so we could go over to Mom's and start cooking. We got ready and set out. We cooked and cooked and baked and baked and made a huge meal and the coconut cake was very rich (six sticks of butter) but very delicious as well. It was snowing like crazy and we eventually thought it wouldn't be good for Grandma to try and come down the driveway since we could barely make it down without slipping. Eric was having problems in the snow due to low profile street tires. Mom opened all her ornaments and she couldn't believe she'd received like 10 more. We didn't stick around too long after the birthday festivities because of the snow and Eric and I headed home in a slow and methodical manner. At home we may have watched SatC or we may have taken it easy. I don't remember.

Saturday 12/20, Eric and I hung in bed for a while, though he was up much earlier and puttering around, and eventually Kassie came in and we all talked about Belize and I talked to JP on the phone about meeting up plans later in the evening. Eric and I were being very flirty as he was leaving and he was all excited and wanted to stay but I shooed him out with promises of cleaning up the landscaping. Soon Kass and Eric were gone and I was home alone. I read a lot of my book and just enjoyed my alone time. Weather was getting worse and worse and I talked to Sos, Kay-See, Hakim and JP about plans and ultimately we cancelled on the boys because of the deluge of snow. I was ok with that and had a little food, didn't really eat all day. Eric got back and started the meat and I could tell he was irritated which irritated me so then I was in a bad mood even though I knew I shouldn't be. He kept trying to get me out of it but I was too dumb to just let it go. I kind of did and we were laughing and I think watched some AMW then went upstairs fairly early. We started messing about and he wanted to see the gardening I'd done so that started us on a whole adventure. It was the hottest it's been in a long time. There was a lot of man-handling on his part, which I likey. It was very very good. We showered when we were done and crashed out all cuddly.

Friday 12/19, I woke up at 7:30 and called Peggy but she didn't answer and I left a message that I'd attempt to come in in an hour or so. Jess and I started talking and Peggy called back that she wasn't going in and if I didn’t want to it was ok. Jess and I talked some more then got up and started getting ready to hit the road and Kass woke up and we talked about what her day looked like as well. We took off for Issaquah and no problems. First was Starbucks where we had some treats and talked then into Safeway to try and find some samples. I found guava juice for Eric. We headed to the post office, took care of that and went back to the house. We hung out on the couch and Jess had tea and talked to her Mom. We got her stuff packed up and headed into Seattle and I talked to Eric to see if he'd be around for cookies; he was. We swung by his house first and Jess made the funniest face because of his house then we saw him pop his head up she was like "I guess I should stop making that face" and I continued laughing hysterically. We tried to go in the front door but the x-mas tree was in the way so he came around from the back. He had the remnants of a permanent marker mustache on his upper lip and I laughed manically. We chatted for a second and I introduced him to Jess and I asked to see his new tattoo and I like it. A rainbow trout on his left forearm. I ran my fingers over it. He asked where we were going in my bitch ass car and I told him we were on our way to Northgate for lunch. I got a hug bye and off we went to meet up with Day via 105th. It took us a minute to find parking then over to Azteca to meet up with Mom and Grandma. We had a nice lunch with plenty to talk about then over to my car to unload Jess' stuff then off they went and off I went. I called Eric and Chrystol and was told to come over because they were getting the house ready. Eric surprised me with a book about Belize. We hung out there for a bit then over to the store and Eric and I managed to find the juice finally, but not the right flavor, arrhhh! Back at their house I sat on the couch trying to warm up and played with Lulu. Eric got a call that Bill's father passed away so Eric was fairly upset. We went to Goodwill for some chairs and they totally scored and Chrystol refinished them as soon as we got back with a nice fabric. They started dinner then I talked to Kassie about the Moondoggies and their show the next night with the Maldives. I didn't think I would be able to make it because of the snow and JP. I talked to Sos and Jake and they were heading over and I read the group a story. Food started coming out and Schuyler put up the musical bells. S and J showed up and we all talked and ate and soon we were all sitting down to dinner with Eric's cute name tags. Dinner was really good and conversation flowed the whole time. We had dessert and watched funny videos on the net. We helped them clean up a little then S and J took off since it was after 10 and we stayed a little longer then packed up too and headed out. We drove close to each other all the way home and had no problems. We stayed up for a while talking then went to bed, like midnight.

Thursday 12/18, Got a call from a number I didn't recognize, then Eric and I hadn't set my alarm so it was good he called me. He said it was bad out and to be careful. I told him about my prior call and he said it was a redheaded Brit calling. I talked to Mom who didn't want me to go to work and to call in, so I called Peggy and told her I would see a little later, then Mom called her and told her not to have me come in, so I was off the hook. The mystery number called back and it was Jessica saying she was just leaving London and her parents couldn't get her and if I would come get her and if she could stay at my house; I said of course. I talked to Mom and I told her about the weather then Mom about cookies then Dad. Finally Mom again then Kassie texted me from her room so I went in and laid in bed with her and we talked about our day and the time share and decided to book one in Belize and got the plane tickets and everything so it's all set. Sean called Kass and she told him we were in bed together and that I was topless, which he crudely commented on. Oh Sean! I got ready quickly and so did she and off we went into Seattle to meet up with Meghan and Ryan. We got down to Madison Valley over some sketchy roads and met up with them at Essential Bakery and had some little pastry snacks. We headed over to their house and hung out there all afternoon talking about all sorts of things. We headed over to see Sean for Kassie's appointment and we both got big hugs. We all sat down and talked and joked while Sean snipped away. I made an appointment for next week and off we went to Mom's for cookie making. We hung there for the rest of the evening and had chili and made a lot of cookies. Snow was getting worse so I called Eric and told him I didn't think I would come over to drop the cookies and he figured as much. Jess called around 7:30 that she'd landed so Kass and I dashed to Grandma's to drop off cookies then headed to the airport. We found Jess and she was like "This weather is bullshit!" We talked all the way back to the house and sex was the main topic of conversation and Kassie's shock at what Jess was talking about made us both laugh. She dropped us off and I called Eric to tell him we made it then Jess and I continued talking in the kitchen while I attempted to heat up milk for her, which made us both laugh. We went upstairs and got ready for bed and talked there too and watched Family Guy until we were both too tired to stay awake.

Wednesday 12/17, Went to work and expected snow all day, but none came. My neck was in full hurt mode and I was starting to get insanely irritated. Time to see a dr. I think. Ran a lot of errands and finally home where I basically talked on the phone all night to one person after another. I talked to Kassie right when I got home and she was almost to Olympia and told me she'd see me later because she was going into Seattle for dinner. I called Eric to tell him I didn't want to drive in to give him his cookies and we ended up talking for about 20 minutes then he had to go but said he'd call back (but I didn't expect him to, despite his new policy of answering his phone calls). Eric called and I talked with him for a long time about the night before and his bad mood and Ky and cookie making. Eric beeped in but I didn't answer it. I called him after I hung up with Eric and we talked for another 45 minutes or so and I got so much dirt and he was giving me some good detailed headlines for my blog. There are questions surrounding his current relationship status, I pussed out on asking him about the big question, he made slight reference to regretting breaking up with me and that hind sight is 50/50, told me if I'd been more of a bitch he probably wouldn't have broken it off with me, he hadn't experienced anything near what his and Jennifer's relationship was, my bitch ass car, plasma donation and finding work. There was lots of other stuff as well ("Enough about me, what about you?"). We hung up then I talked to Susan and eventually Kay-See then Mom and at some point I'm sure I got ready for bed, showered and read some of my book.

Tuesday 12/16, I was mostly a nervous wreck all day then up to the courtroom and had to speak, then almost was roped in but got out of it at the last minute. I ran down, checked out, headed to the tunnel, caught my bus back to the park and ride then called Kay-See who told me to be at her house by 5. I called Grandma to see what she was up to and headed over. I sat on the couch and kept practicing breathing deep because I was still so frazzled. We talked about Eric and marriage and Christmas and Kassie coming home. I left around 4:15, hit the store for groceries and stuff for cookie making night then headed over to K's where I got a good parking spot and finished a chapter in my book before receiving a call from Eric. I updated him and chatted with him for a few minutes then told him I'd call him later. Went up to K's and started story telling and looked up the court case I was almost a juror for and felt bad for the kid again, but seriously, how stupid, never point guns at people even if the gun's not loaded. We talked and ate until Mandy showed up and we all talked about exes and those two prefer the older set while I much prefer the younger. I started rolling dough out and making shapes and eventually they started decorating as they came out of the oven. I called Eric to see where he was and if he was ok to receive cookies, he wasn't, so we made plans for the next night. And just like that we're back to talking and answering each other's calls. Ky arrived and was so solemn it was weird and was totally out of it and like depressed. I talked with him about it for a while and we talked about P and his choices and where he wants to be in a year and that he should live regret free. He disappeared for a while and eventually came back as we were finishing up the last of the blow job and penis cookies. Mandy packed up first then the three of us talked and I started getting ready because it was almost 10 and I headed out and called Eric in the car and woke him up. He was cranky about work and tired so I told him to go back to sleep. When I got home I got ready for bed and read before turning in.

Monday 12/15, I was relatively calm for jury duty and mostly sat around waiting all day. At the end we were in a court room getting started then released. I rode the bus back to MI and drove home. I was a little disappointed to not find Eric there but about 2 minutes after I got home he walked in the front door so that made me happy. We hung out in the living room then we cuddled and I fell asleep while he watched the news. I woke up and he made some dinner and we watched some shows while I perused animal shelters for their inventory. We eventually went upstairs, he blindfolded me and we had grownup time for a long time then went to bed.

Sunday 12/14, There was quite a bit of snow so I slowly got up at Eric's insistence and decided to get outside already. He made waffles for breakfast then we got ready and headed out into the snow. We drove downtown and found the courthouse then over to CH to Volunteer Park and my car did amazingly well on the snowy roads. We parked and walked around and had fun in the snow and both made fun of my boots. We walked down to Volunteer Cafe then back to the car because my neck started hurting. We headed home but tried to get teriyaki, then Thai, then into Issaquah for a different Thai place. Went home and ate and watched some SatC then eventually up to bed where we watched Layer Cake but I fell asleep before it was over.

Saturday 12/13, Eric took off early to go help Chris with some trees and I got out of bed a little after and headed out to the mall for some shopping. I got Eric one last present and did some other running around and got Auntie Heidi and Uncle Brad a coffee gift basket that I think they'll like. I headed back home but stopped in Factoria on the way at QFC to find "the juice" and the little shop next door but came up empty on both so I tried the Thriftway up the hill but no luck there either. Eric called me after I got home and I had some lunch and was watching Steel Magnolias and told me he'd be back by 2. I'm not sure what we did when he got back. Later in the evening he wanted to go into Bellevue to check out some parade so we got into his car and drove to the park and watched the ice skaters then walked over to the new Safeway and got a Starbucks and tried to find the juice and eventually found the Ceres but not the correct flavor. Outside it was snowing and we walked toward Belle Square and notice lots of music and people gathered so we waited forever for some parade to come that I think never did. We both got some lollipops from some people on stilts playing the drums. I needed to go inside so we ventured around and I eventually lost one of Eric's gloves and cursed myself and insisted we trace all out footsteps back but came up empty. Damn! We walked back to the car and it was snowing harder and so cold and Schuyler called to see what was up and that they may need help getting out of the snow up North. We stopped at Albertsons on the way home and picked up some pizzas and ice cream for later and went home. We watched the end of Cops and AMW and ate then upstairs to bed.