Saturday 5/21, Got up early and took Clancy for a 2-miler and gassed up and got ready to head south. Eric left for work and I loaded up the boy dogs and headed down to Brown’s Point for the church / community fundraiser. Missed my exit and had to take a detour. Met Julee and she’s so nice and funny, I love her. She helped me with the dogs. Met Cindy, Andrew and Carol as well. We had a nice time talking and laughing and found a few potential adopters so that was good. No one for Clancy but that’s ok. Rose came to come pick up Quincy and she was like “My baby, my precious!” so I was happy that she was so enthusiastic about him and he settle right down with her so that was good. She said she knits a lot and is going to make outfits for Quincy, yay! We talked for a while and I walked with her down to her car and said my goodbyes and told him to be a good boy. I kept it together until after she’d driven away then started crying a little. I got it together before walking back up to everyone else. We were there until after 3 and I was starving by the time I got home. Made a little food and totally crashed because I was so tired. Woke up at 6 and fed the dogs. Eric came home a little later and I watched tv and we hung out for the rest of the night. I was sad baby Quincy was gone.

Friday 5/20, Eric talked me into not taking Clancy on a run and doing three times around at the park with him instead. I agreed and did it. I was glad he pushed me but I was exhausted. I confirmed with Rose that she could pick up Quincy from the event the next day and she told me she’d already bought his food and a new bed, so she seemed excited. I’m not sure what we did for the rest of the night.

Thursday 5/19, Eric apologized. Rose submitted the fee and agreement so Quincy was officially hers. I didn’t run after work because of my toe but talked to Susan I think. I don’t actually remember the rest of this day. Too far behind on updating.

Wednesday 5/18, I got a nice email from Julee saying she would AC my apps anytime based on the extensive email I’d sent the prior night. That made me feel good and that it was worth it. Went on a horticultural tour and history thing at the Locks and had a cute redheaded ranger tour guide in lieu of being at work. At home Eric was working in the yard and I went in to take care of adoption emails. I sat outside with the dogs on the deck and wrote emails, including one to Theresa who had found a pitbull in her neighborhood and didn’t know where to turn her in that would take good care of her. I did some research and sent some suggestions to her. Back inside I fed the dogs and took them out, that kind of thing. Sos called and gave me the HV report and it was good, so Rose will be approved. What a relief. We chatted about getting together this summer and it was so great to talk to her I was pumped. Eric came in so I was all in a good mood and relayed the idea about Crater Lake and he shot it down like he didn’t know about timing. So that put me in an irritated mood then he wasn’t making dinner so I had to scrounge for myself and ended up eating veggies and yogurt. More emails and hanging with the dogs. Eric came in and could tell I was in a snippy mood. I showered and he was falling asleep when I came in. I submitted the HV form and gave a pass on my part, the Foster Parent (FP) part. Kass called and we talked about Matt and that he called her from prison, yikes. She wanted to know if I’d sent the painting and I hadn’t. Eric was irritated because I was being too loud but I thought he was asleep, then Brizo puked on the bed so that really irritated him and he was like “God damn it” and I told him to settle down and I would deal with it. I took them out, climbed into bed, updated this and went to sleep because he wanted quiet. Bad night overall.

Tuesday 5/17, I hit my pinky toe super hard on P’s metal coffee table’s leg. It was purple within the hour. It hurt to wear my shoe so I hobbled around without it. I took my car to see what was happening and they tightened the head gasket and I was on my way home by 5:45. Eric wasn’t going to be home when I got there and I wasn’t going to be able to run Clancy because of my toe, so I felt awful. The dogs kept wanting to go out, and barking and Clancy wouldn’t stop destroying toys and eating stuff because of all his energy so I was feeling very overwhelmed. I almost started crying but managed to calm down. I had a huge email I needed to write to Rose based on questions and information suggested by Julee. I spent 2.5 hours writing this email and included links to supplies, supplements and training, had to do research on a few things to include and sent her our extended bio from when we first had him. I kept hoping I’d be done, but it just went on and on. Eric thought he would be home by 7, but it was after 8 so I called and he was finally on his way and picked up a pizza for dinner. I finally finished my email around 9 and was able to eat dinner. I was feeling stressed and luckily Eric took over with helping with the dogs. I’m not sure I took a shower or not. I didn’t really get to talk to him at all. Took a pain pill for my toe and kept ice on all night.

Monday 5/16, Went for a run when I got home with Clancy. Adoption stuff was the name of the game for the evening and spent about an hour and a half on that. I think Eric was working up on the Plateau so I was on my own for most of the evening and dinner. I watched tv, kind of, and worked on emails between Julee, Janell and Rose. She was looking better and better for Quincy. I’m not sure I even watched tv, I think it was all adoption stuff.

Sunday 5/15, I woke up early and took Clancy for a run. I showered and got ready and Eric left the same time I did. I made it down to Petsmart a little late but that was my plan. It was chaos and I didn’t want to leave Clancy but didn’t think it would help being there. The guy Eric hated was there and giving me lip so I tried to ignore him until Ginger arrived. I talked to her and another lady and expressed my concerns and was emotional and cried as I was leaving. I felt awful and could hear him crying as I walked out. I pulled it together and went to Target, tried on some stuff, bought only a dish washer scrubber then to Lovers where I picked up a little something for Kass’ bachelorette party. Next to some furniture shops (Kasala, Ethan Allen), Best Buy for headphones and back over to the parking lot where Petsmart was. I made some phone calls (Dad, Susan, Sos, Kass) and went and got some lunch at Panera even though I wasn’t very hungry. Sos agreed to do the home visit and I told her I’d send her the paperwork when I got home. Kass and Alissa were hanging out and eventually Dad called me back later that day. I went to Kohl’s and bought a rug for the front door. Back to the car for a while then Nordstrom Rack and looked at stuff but decided not to buy anything. Mom called and I talked to her as I went back to my car and told her about my day and Ethan Allen. I decided to go in early to pick up Clancy and it turns out he cried even more after I left so she tranquilized him. He was totally out of it and this woman and a guy, who kept kind of making eyes at me, both asked if I would adopt him. I said my bf would like to but we’ve already got two and want to keep fostering. We took off and went home, relaxed and unwound. Clancy was home and I was glad. I told Eric to call me but then got on the phone with Dad and Mom and couldn’t pick up and he thought something had happened. I told him and he was pissed. When he came home Clancy was still really out of it. Eric may or may not have made dinner. I’m sure we took it easy and I did adoption stuff.

Saturday 5/14, I don’t think I went for a run, or maybe I did. Mom was coming over so we could go get some more plants for the front. I went out front and met her there and we were off. Went to Molbak’s and got another golden lights and some columbine. Back home and we got them in the ground as well as the grasses from in the planter by the door. The bed looked good but not totally cohesive with the other; good enough for now. Mom took off and Eric and I did some other stuff before getting ready and going to Clancy’s last training class. We had been working on his tricks all week but I was still nervous. When we got there it was just us and another guy. It was so beautiful outside no one wanted to be indoors. We did the agility obstacle course and Clancy did awesome and was way easier than both Castor and Brizo. We talked a lot with Cheri and she wants us to bring Breezy back for CGC but I don’t know. We went home and Eric had to take off for work. I think I relaxed for the rest of the day and was glad the stress of the class was done. Maybe started working on Quincy’s app. Actually, I had already been working on it at this point and called Sos to see if she could do a home visit if it came down to it. Eric worked late and I did laundry and watched tv or something until he got home. I fell asleep right as SNL started.

Friday 5/13, I was feeling great when I got off work, but I was lazy and didn’t take the dogs for a walk or run. I wanted to relax and decided to watch All Good Things. What a depressing movie and so sad. Then I started feeling all sad and was having a hard time dealing with thinking about Quincy leaving and stressing about Clancy’s class and adoption event. Just a lot of stuff on my mind and no real outlet. Eric didn’t want to help with training so that put me off. I took a shower and cried in there, and while I thought I was being quiet, not like I was sobbing or anything, Eric could hear me and came in and asked what was wrong. I didn’t want to talk about it and just wanted to be alone. I never cry because I’m never alone, kind of. He tried to talk me through it, but I just wanted to be in there alone to cry. When I got out he came in the bedroom and then I cried more and we talked about why I was feeling sad. Friday night blues. I felt really lazy for not taking Clancy for a run and everything else I should be doing but am not. I went to bed not long after because I felt exhausted.

Thursday 5/12, Weather was nice. We saw signs for a farmers’ market so we walked in the direction we thought it was but never found it. We had a nice walk anyway and it was beautifully sunny. We found the community garden and walked around for a long time admiring. We jogged back, I talked to Mom when I got home and Eric made dinner. Blue cheese burgers with tots. After I ate and we watched Community I headed over to Mom’s to leave her a check for the bedroom door. I raced back home to catch Office and two episodes of Parks and Rec which has gotten so much better than when it started. I showered and got in bed.

Wednesday 5/11, Eric worked over at C&M’s and was there late after working at MB all day. I was doing some dog stuff when he got home and we started chatting. I missed Modern Family so we kept talking. Went to bed.

Tuesday 5/10, Work is still ok, not like it was a couple weeks ago. We took Clancy for a run after work, which made me feel good. I think Eric made dinner and I watched BL. Nothing exciting.

Monday 5/9, Decent day at work. At home I called Mom to talk about the door order then off for a run with Eric and Clancy. He had already done 6 miles. We did two times around the park and when we got home he started dinner and made a delicious veggie heavy stir fry with tofu coated with flaxseed. More salad too. We got into a mini argument because I was frustrated about dishes piled in the sink instead of next to. Stupid, I know, choose your battles. I worked on training with Clancy and am hoping to make some headway by Saturday. I confirmed to Ginger I would be at the adoption event on Sunday and also typed up a bio and sent it. Other minor stuff and showered then into the bedroom where I folded laundry and half watched Oprah. Went to bed and Eric was still watching tv in the other room.

Sunday 5/8, I was up early again and called Mom to give her the news about Maltby Café and Flower World and we decided to play it by ear. I took off with Quincy for Costco and got some flowers, laundry and dishwasher detergent and trail mix. Next to the vet to see about getting Q’s upset tummy under control. I also had his nails trimmed and glands expressed. We left and went to the bank. At home Mom called and I suggested Lil Jon’s right down the street and to play it by ear from there. She came over and I was still doing laundry and had moved on to our bedding and my own laundry. We went to have brunch and both enjoyed our food. We had a nice time and talked about alternative income sources as well as plans for the house in the future. Back home and Mom took off to go home. I continued doing chores and Eric came home an hour later. I talked to Mom about her day and other things until he arrived. Our plan was to knock down the brick wall and extend the brick all the way up to the house and also for Eric to cut out the rotten wood. I weeded and picked rocks and noticed the peonies were coming up nicely. We loaded the bricks into the wheel barrow and discussed what to do with the space since there was a concrete footing. Eric wanted wood, I still liked brick. Back inside then Eric took Clancy out to the backyard to run him around. Eric made a salad for dinner and meatball subs. We watched AFV. Eric helped me make the bed and fold the sheets and other laundry then wanted to get things going again. I complied and we messed around. We went to bed shortly after.

Saturday 5/7, Quincy was sick in the middle of the night again and Eric was mad and frustrated even though Q couldn’t help it. He slept with us for the rest of the night. Eric apologized in the morning. Eric had to leave before 9 to go to work, I left shortly after to get my oil changed then to pick up the rugs. When I got home is when the real work started. Throughout the day I probably did 5 or 6 loads of laundry and focused on washing all the dogs’ beds and towels. I took everything out of the bedroom and vacuumed and mopped. Next was the dining room and finally the kitchen. I put everything back. Ate some lunch, took the dogs out several times. Al came over to measure the door and I showed him some other things, but I’ll probably just have him do the door right now. When he left I mopped the bathroom floor and put the rug back down. I was exhausted so I laid down and tried to nap but was only mildly successful before Eric came home. The work started up again and I mustered my energy and got up. Mom came over to direct and manage the project. Out we went and we all shoveled and sculpted 10 yards of topsoil. An hour or so later we were done sculpting the big bed and added a new island where the magnolia was and planted all the new plants in the big bed. We moved the large white flowering plant out of the planter in the courtyard into the new big bed. It looked really nice and people were looking when they went by. I went in around 6 and Eric was inside after watering and putting things away at 6:30. We were starving so we went to get pho, yum, then to Fred Meyer to get groceries. At home Eric took some pictures of the yard and sent to Dad and I talked to Mom about the next day. We watched tv and showered and climbed into bed. I couldn’t stay awake until SNL.

Friday 5/6, I was so excited it was Friday, and was planning to run Clancy when I got home but it really started to rain when I got home. We went around the block instead and by the end we were both soaked and freezing. My next task was to wash all the dogs. Eric made dinner and one by one I washed them. They all ran around the house like a bunch of nuts afterward. We ate dinner and watched tv, then Eric was feeling frisky so we messed around and it was very good.

Thursday 5/5, Quincy threw up and shit in his crate in the night so he slept with us for the rest of the night. Ish. He didn’t want to eat in the morning and I think his stomach was still upset. I worried about him all day. P was ok. At home Eric was feeling all amorous and telling me some things that he was looking forward to later. I tried to get Q to eat but he wouldn’t until Eric gave him some prosciutto. Then he ate some pet kind, phew. I had to interview this woman who submitted an app for Clancy, but she had also been the one who I had reviewed for Quincy through NR. She didn’t know I already knew a lot about her. Eric took off for the store to get some stuff for dinner then got dinner finished and dished up. Chicken, mushrooms and gravy, mashed potatoes, broccoli and cauliflower. We watched some of the racing videos then I hopped in the shower, out and updated this while watching Thursday night shows. Eric dished me up some blackberry pie and ice cream then bed.

Wednesday 5/4, I said bye to Mom and Dad before taking off for work and Kass called right when I was walking out the door. She wanted to hang out but I didn’t want to be away from home so she said she would come over after I got off work so we could talk and take a walk. I asked P if she was ok and most of the day was spent talking about things. At home Eric and I took the dogs out and hung in the backyard. Kass showed up and we sat on the couch and talked for a while about the prior night and Kass cuddled with Quincy the whole time. We left for our walk with Nyx, Q and Clancy. It was slow going because everyone was feeling leisurely. At home I made my leftover lasagna and Kass talked on the phone. We talked a little more before she left and Eric left not long after to go to work for an hour and a half. I watched BL, called Alissa about Mexico, more BL, Modern Family, BL and Eric came home. We took all the dogs out and Q kept trying to eat grass which was weird but I didn’t think anything of it. They all got their snack and back into bed to finish my shows. I stayed up until midnight catching up on BL.

Tuesday 5/3, I was all stressed out at work and knew I needed to rush home to clean the shower and get ready for dinner. I beat Mom and Dad home and Eric had already cleaned it for me, thank god. I hopped in the shower and got ready. Kass was running late so we left just after 7 and found great parking and beat S&K. Went to La Spiga. We were seated and things got weird quickly. Dad was being really difficult and eventually Kass got upset and dinner was crumbling fast. The food was good but I would have pissed if it was my birthday dinner. We didn’t stay too late and were home before 10. We continued to talk about things then wrapped it up for bed and went to sleep.

Monday 5/2, I rushed home and was prepared to start cleaning but Mom and Dad showed up like 15 minutes after I got home. Eric had dinner started and prepped. I walked Dad around to show him what I wanted to do in the back and he got all excited about the pool and got his tools out and started cutting into the sides which was hilarious. Kass and Sky showed up and Kassie carried Q around the entire night. He loves her. Sky came out and talked with me and Dad. Soon we were back inside because the batteries died on the power tools. Meghan and Ryan showed up and we got down to dinner pretty quickly and everybody had compliments. Pork chops, broccoli and mashed potatoes. We talked and it was really fun and there was a lot of laughing. I helped Eric clean up the kitchen then it was pie time. Blackberry and apple (separate pies) with homemade vanilla ice cream and homemade whip cream. More talking and milling around then people started peeling off and by the time everyone was gone it was after 11. I was so tired, we got ready for bed and hit the sack.

Sunday 5/1, I was up by 8 and wanted to be on the road by 11-12. I ate a little breakfast with Mom and we got moving since we didn’t have much time. Kass & I helped Mom down by the river break up and burn wood and pine needles. We did that for a long time and got it looking good. Kass went up to make brunch and I finished the piles that were outstanding. When I was done I offloaded the branches and kindling in the tractor bed at the woodpile. Dad got started chain sawing the tree that had fallen but caught in another tree and was really jacked. I watched to make sure if something happened I could react quickly. Kass called us all up for breakfast and we had bacon (super thick cut), eggs, fruit and English muffins. I ate a lot, then Kass and I finished cleaning up the kitchen and went out to watch Dad with the chain saw. Sky and Mom finished the chicken wire on the fence then went to help Dad too. I wanted to get going since it was already 2pm but knew it would be another hour before we would leave. I was packed and stuff in the car, then Kass and lastly getting Sky to get going was taking forever. Finally Dad got the tree down and it was really loud and then he went up, showered and got his stuff packed. We said our goodbyes and that we’d see them in a day and took off. We saw Morey on the way out and he said he has watched us up in the loft getting changed or running around in our underwear or something. It was weird, but that’s him. Traffic wasn’t bad since it’s still a bit early in the year for that but there were a few slow pokes. I dropped K & S off at Mom’s and said we’d be back in a couple hours for Kassie’s birthday dinner. I got home, unloaded everything and my goal had been to clean house but I think I only got some laundry done and minor things before we needed to get ready to leave. Went to Mom’s, we were late, dinner was ready and everyone was sitting at the table outside and we ate out there. After dinner Mom took us around to show us some specific plants and things in the side garden. Next we had cake and ate almost all of it. We sat and chatted and Kass opened her presents and cards then we took off not much later. I can’t remember but I’m sure I crashed early.

Saturday 4/30, Sky was up first and took off to get coffee for everyone. I eventually got up and went inside to talk to Mom; Dad was already moving around working getting ready to work on the floor. Mom and I talked for a long time and I ate breakfast then Kassie got up. When she came in we sat and talked and she massaged my wrist forever and made some headway with the scar tissue but it hurt like hell. Sky came back after a long time and I was getting dressed. He got me a hot chocolate, yum! We set out and Kass and I scooped all the dog crap from the neighbors’ dogs and threw it over the fence. Dad needed some stuff so we went to Plain Hardware and picked up concrete caulk, more chicken wire and pins for the chicken wire. Kassie was warning the guy at the desk that she could make things get real nasty real quick. Next we walked over to the Grocery where we got some stuff for lunch. Back at home Kass got lunch going and Dad asked me to use the sweeper on the tractor to pick up pine cones and pine needles which were plentiful in the yard. I made a couple dumps with Dad’s help then Kass called us for lunch and we sat outside in the sun and ate and it was all good and the weather was really beautiful. After lunch we cleaned up then I started back up on the tractor and soon Kass was riding on the back and helping me dump. We saw Morey ride by with some young guy. We did that for a long time and switched the raking and riding and soon Kass was mowing the lawn and I raked forever. The lawn looked awesome by the time we were done. I went upstairs and closed my eyes because I was really tired and went in and out of sleep. Kass mowed the lawn then came up and yelled down to everyone that it was after 6 so we all got up and got ready then into the motorhome for more socializing and story time. By the time we rolled out of there it was 8ish. We went to Gustav’s and got prime parking right outside the front door, seated right away and got our orders in. We chatted about Kass and Chels’ relationship and how it disintegrated. Soon we were wrapping things up and I went to wash my hands and the entire place was empty, lights off and chairs on the tables. I went back to tell everyone that we should go after I went to the bathroom. None of the staff even said anything to us that they were closed. We went and gassed up and headed back to the property. We were stuffed, said good night and headed upstairs to go to sleep. Kass massaged my wrist for a long time and it still hurt really badly but I could actually feel it working unlike when I do it myself. We went to bed probably around midnight.

Friday 4/29, I took the day off. I was up early and took Clancy for a run at the park then home to eat breakfast. Eric and I went and dropped off two rugs at the cleaners then home and Mom came over. We headed out to Woodinville to Molbaks wholesale where we got several lavender, a climbing hydrangea (pink!) and a few golden lights azaleas. We went to Plants NW next but they didn’t have what we were looking for. We stopped at Chipotle for lunch and ate at home. Eric unloaded the car then vacuumed it out. He liked what we picked. We started the yard talk and it went on for at least an hour and most of the time Eric and Mom spent outside together going over the plans. After a while she left and I hopped in the shower and got ready to pick up Mom from the airport. I packed and soon was off for the weekend. I picked her up with no problems and we were on our way over the mountains, but with a stop at DQ first. We talked the whole way. When we got there Sky and Dad were in the garage and Kass in the motorhome reading her smut. The girls sat inside and chatted until Dad came in. He got ready and we set off for Head Waters for pizza. There were some nutty guys by the table we sat at and the one was an EHS grad from ’69 and told us the best acid is in Winthrop. Gee, thanks, I’ll remember that. Sky was getting mad but the rest of us just sat there and laughed. Finally they took off and we ordered and talked and laughed. We ate and it was very good and I ate Sky’s bacon. We headed home after dinner and it was late so we all headed up to bed. Kassie and I talked for a long time about anxiety and all that and she has a not so surprising suggestion. Sky fell asleep and we continued talking for a while before going to sleep.

Thursday 4/28, The sun was out so I walked Nyx and Quincy around the block and took Clancy to the park and ran / walked two miles. I felt good because it was a three day weekend and no work stuff. Eric made a really delicious stir fry that he said was probably the healthiest thing he’d ever made me. I ate too much but it was super good with giant soba noodles and tons of veggies with some new extract that tastes like soy sauce but is actually really health for you (?). Plus tofu coated in flaxseed. I believe we relaxed for the rest of the night and probably watched our Saturday night shows.

Wednesday 4/27, It was raining quite a bit so I skipped the run and Eric was at S&C’s to watch a soccer game. I believe I had leftovers and hung out with the dogs. I started cleaning out the back bedroom for when Mom and Dad come to visit after the upcoming weekend. Shows were all repeats and I don’t recall what after that.

Tuesday 4/26, Eric and I did another two miles in the park and walked part of it so I wouldn’t push it too hard. I watched some BL on the computer then Eric had dinner done but I don’t actually remember what it was. I showered then BL on tv which was only an hour. Went to bed after finishing my online episode, which was almost midnight.

Monday 4/25, Only day of the week P would be in the office. It was Eric’s 4 year anniversary so to celebrate I took him out to dinner. When I got home he had already run 3 or 4 miles so I suited up and we did two at the park with Clancy. He does really well with running, which is great because you can actually get some running done rather than stopping every 2 minutes to sniff and pee. I still miss Castor even though that’s what he used to do. At home we hopped in the shower and got ready then set out. We went to Tamarind Tree and Eric liked it. I got some pork thing and we got some spring rolls. Eric loved his dinner and we wrapped it up then headed home. Eric asked if I wanted to go to DQ so we swung in and each got little blizzards. I got the old standby: Oreo. We went home and relaxed and to bed.

Sunday 4/24, Up at 6:15, tried to go back to sleep but couldn’t, ate breakfast and outside to work in the yard by 8. I got B-1 on some of the plants, Eric got the grass seed and fertilizer down, we went through the beds in the front and weeded then moved a couple plants. Next into the backyard where I scooped poop and Eric raked through the dirt pile and dispersed it. We filled up the yard waste and then some, unclogged one of the gutters, weeded the back bed, cut all the bad stalks off the hellebores, fixed the rain barrel, tied up a vine and dug out some bulbs. I was tired, hungry and cold so I headed in a little after noon. Mom came over and we talked for a long time then we went into the yard to talk about moving the giant rocks from the back of the pool structure to the front yard, the front bed, bamboo and containers and the new front path to the door. Mom took off after we had a scare with the foster pups getting out through the garage and running down the street. Gave me a fucking heart attack. Back inside I showered and laid down and half-napped while Eric went for a run. Awake and got dressed and started getting some stuff done. Laundry, took out recycling and got the new duvet on the back bed. Eric made our pizza and it was good. We watched tv then I talked to Mom and Dad and filled them in on the dog situation and other stuff. Took the dogs out, loaded the dishwasher and got it going, laundry and into bed. Eric was watching Royal Tenenbaums so I watched the end and updated this.

Saturday 4/23, We were awake by 6:30 and I finally got up a little after 7. I told Eric not to feed Clancy because I was going to take him for a run. We went and did two times around at the blueberry farm and he didn’t even pant at all. In fact, when we got back he did about 8 rattie runs around the couch which was ridiculous but also hilarious. I showered and got back into bed with Eric who had put all the dogs in the den. Morning time festivities for the first time in a long time. We got everything cleaned up and got ready then headed out to run errands. First to Mud Bay for dog supplies then to Trader Joe’s where we got a basil plant and some stuff to make pizza the next night then to Ace. We got some grass seed and lawn fertilizer that is eco and won’t burn up the dogs’ feet. It was an absolutely beautiful day and Eric was feeling nostalgic and suggested we go to Sweet Addition for lunch which is where we went on our first date, so we drove into Issaquah only to find it has closed down and been replaced with a dim sum place. I was bummed and Eric pointed out we outlasted them. We then decided on Noodle Boat but they were closed, nuts. Back toward Front Street and decided on Indian buffet. We haven’t eaten at that one in years and the last time was with C&S and Sos and Jake. It was good and I love their rice pudding! Yum. Eric dished me up a huge bowl and I ate it all. We walked around Gilman a little and stopped into the toy store and spent forever in there laughing and talking about stuff from childhood and other kids. We headed home and took the dogs out, cut up the treats and soon it was time for me to take Clancy to his class. It was fairly frustrating but it was good to see Cheri and she was glad to see me with C and said it will probably be a lot easier for him with me at the helm. His focus is all over the place but that’s not surprising. I went home, took the dogs out, called Kristel and sat in the chair in the window in the sun. All the dogs joined me and warmed themselves. K came over and as I was trying to get them all inside C decided to start playing games and keep away. Drove me crazy but he finally came in. I fed them and soon we were off for Factoria to find some shoes. K was successful at DSW and I needed something refreshing and got a jamba juice then to Nordstrom. We both tried on a ton of stuff and I bought a little blue cardigan-y thing. We went over to the Vietnamese place by QFC and split the tropical spring rolls and I got the same thing as last time which was some kind of crunchy noodle stir fry thing that was excellent. After dinner we hit QFC so I could get a lotto ticket. Went home, took the dogs out and K took off. I had some ice cream and relaxed and before I knew it Eric was home. We talked and watched tv in the bedroom and went to sleep.

Friday 4/22, Kass’ birthday, I sent her a birthday text. I was really glad when work was over and headed home. Eric was over at S’ for the evening and since it was a really nice day I decided to take Nyx, Clancy and Quincy for a walk at the blueberry farm. Brizo was not happy to be left behind. It was an interesting walk and it took forever. I was glad there weren’t that many people there. At home I fed the pups and ate my Chipotle leftovers. I was tired and climbed into bed and put on Lars and the Real Girl and Eric came home a few minutes later. Earlier than I expected. I started falling asleep and looked at the clock and it was 9:37. I let myself fall asleep and Eric came in at 10 and I was out.

Thursday 4/21, Eric took Clancy to Rattlesnake Ridge and said he loved it and didn’t pant once, which means he’s got even more energy than we originally suspected. I asked Eric if he wanted to go to BB&B with me to return the bed skirt. Off we went and perused but didn’t buy anything else. Over to Chipotle to have a night out, whewww! It was nice. We went home and watched Office and all that and I took a shower. Off to bed.

Wednesday 4/20, I got an email that Clancy was being returned to Ginger’s so I got right on it emailing and nailed down that we would get him back to foster. Talked to TS about things with him and now we have a better idea of what he needs and cannot have in a new home. My anxiety started to amp up in the afternoon and by the time I was leaving work I was super worked up. I tried to calm myself down but it wasn’t really working. We were meeting them down in Renton at 6. I rushed home and Eric and I chatted and he tried to get me to slow down because I was going a million miles a minute. He had fed the dogs and mowed the front yard and even packed me a snack for the road. We took off and I had to deal with two different calls from P which irritated me even more and put my stress level over the edge. We met the family after Eric gave me a pep talk and they filled us in on everything and said their goodbyes then we left. I felt bad for the younger son, who sat in the car and quietly cried by himself. At home Eric did all the introductions and they did really well, yay! I called P back and got everything figured out. We took the boys for a walk up and down the street and back inside where I watched them and Eric started dinner. C and Q were trying to play and dominate each other and it was hilarious. We thought Q would hate C but he doesn’t so far. Took the dogs outside and finally dinner was ready. It was great: chicken, cauliflower, carrots and gnocchi with a red wine reduction and garlic sauce. I showered and settled into bed to update this while watching Modern Family. First night with four dogs and it went pretty well.

Tuesday 4/19, I thought Eric was going to be at S’ house, but he’d been over earlier in the day and was home when I got home. We went out in the backyard to take out the dogs. Susan came over and we hung out talking. We took off and found the meeting only after S pointed out I was on the wrong street. It was 90 minutes which at first seemed long but went pretty quick. We talked all the way home and I think it was helpful for both of us. S took off and I went inside and I was starving. I ate leftover pasta from Mom’s and Eric and I talked for a long time about multiple aspects of our meetings. I showered and into bed.

Monday 4/18, We worked in the yard hauling dirt to create a new bed in the front and I got really hungry. Eric didn’t feel like making dinner so I made macaroni but it was terrible. We watched some DwtS but not really and I went to take a shower. We may have gone to bed early.

Sunday 4/17, I thought about going to a movie to avoid the Sunday doldrums but then changed my mind after a while. I decided to stay home and go through magazines and clean instead. I got the shower done but I think I slacked on everything else. I got a ton of magazines cleaned out or filed and relaxed in my room. Went to BB&B and got a duvet cover for the back bedroom and a bed skirt for our bed but it didn’t match. I went over to Mom’s for dinner and brought the dogs. Eric came after work and D&A came over and I was hoping they would want to adopt Quincy, but no dice. Dinner was excellent but I skipped dessert. We left a little before 9 and at home Eric cleaned up my floor mat since B threw up on it. I’m not sure we did anything else for the evening except relax.

Saturday 4/16, Eric had to work early, I took Q and Nyx to the park for a walk then did some stuff afterward. I went through some magazines and in and out of being lazy. I went to BB&B and picked up some stuff then back home. I was starving and Eric made me a delicious grilled cheese and we relaxed watching tv. We both fell asleep but me for longer. Eric started dinner and C&S were there around 7. Two kinds of curry. We watched tv and ate dinner and played with the dogs. They left around midnight and I was so tired I went right into bed and fell asleep not long after.

Friday 4/15, Eric ran from home all the way to the 7-11 by P’s which was 13 miles. I picked him up after work and we went home. He was exhausted. I got my tax return so I was all excited and wanted to go get some stuff. We went to Marshall’s and got some bathroom rugs, pillows and new quilt with matching shams. We went to get a pizza then home to relax. I ate too much. I think we went to bed early.

Thursday 4/14, Eric went over to Schuyler’s so I was on my own all night. I think this was the night Susan came over and we went to Ross but I didn’t buy anything. I think we hit GW next and I didn’t buy anything there either. Back home? I think Susan left not much later? I had leftovers for dinner or something. I watched my shows and hung with the dogs. Eric came home after I had gone to bed. He came to bed later after watching tv for a while.

Wednesday 4/13, Cried a little on the way home thinking about Castor. I miss him. When I got home Eric was vacuuming and had emptied all the garbage. I talked him into running some errands and first up was the fabric store where we picked up a few yards of flannel for foster dog blankets. I picked a cute pattern that Eric couldn’t have cared less about then we voted on the quilts we liked the best. Next, over to Staples to get some folders for the take home information for the dogs. I was famished and suggested pho so we headed up to the place by Goodwill and we were the only ones there. We ordered spring rolls and our pho and Eric’s looked awesome with all the veggies. It’s the one I’ll try next time. We talked a lot then wrapped it up and headed home. I ate some berries and stressed about an application I got from some NR person I don’t know and sent back a response that Q isn’t a girl. It was kind of weird. We were both tired and climbed into bed. Eric fell asleep by 9 and I went to bed at 10:30.

Tuesday 4/12, We missed Castor’s birthday. It was Sunday. He would have been 9. It was Eric and my three year anniversary. We had plans to have dinner and go see a movie. Earlier in the day he took Q down to Janell’s vet to have an xray done of his leg and there really isn’t anything that can be done, short of lots of good supplements and good food to keep his weight reasonable so no unnecessary stress. When I got home I wanted to go on a walk with the pups but Eric was making dinner so I took Nyx and Quincy around the block and saw a dead rat. When I got back I ran around doing stuff then hopped in the shower. Eric had run 3 miles so he hopped in with me and after we got out he served up dinner. Chicken masala, mashed potatoes and broccoli (same as when we had our second date and he made me dinner). It was gooooood. I ate so much I was completely stuffed. We watched a little tv then took off for our movie. There were like 4 other people in there and it was the biggest theater I’ve ever been in. We saw Your Highness and it was really funny; we laughed through the whole thing. That night I had a dream about James Franco but can’t remember anything except I was super enamored of him. We went home, crawled into bed after I checked email to make sure nothing important came in. Eric was feeling amorous so we did stuff for a while then showered up and let the dogs back in. I was tired and went to sleep not long after.

Monday 4/11, Called six vets for xray prices and they’re all through the roof. When I got home I checked email and JB made an appointment for us for the next day. I was appreciative but felt bad to put this on her. We went outside to do yard work for a while and got the rest of the brush trashed, Eric mowed the lawn and we got the lilac tied up. Picked some rocks and talked to Cherry then inside. I made rice to have leftovers and we watched tv for a little bit. I made vanilla ice cream, nutella and banana and it was soooo good. I showered, filled out his medical reimbursement stuff, updated this and climbed into bed. Watched Friends and went to bed.

Sunday 4/10, I had a dream Susan and I were waiting outside some building to get in, like a government building and up walks Leonardo DiCaprio. I couldn’t believe it and totally kept my cool. I said hi to him and he returned the greeting, then I couldn’t stop looking at him and said, “You look familiar; did we go to high school together?” and he smiled and replied, “Something like that”. We were let in and Susan and I got in line for whatever we were doing and Leonardo kept on walking to whatever he was there to do. The woman in front of us in line was like, “He was really looking at you” and that made me ecstatic. Ha, only in dreams. Eric was awake first like always, fed the dogs and took them out. I got up, ate breakfast and we sat in the living room and watched tv. We both got dressed and after he left for work I headed down to World Market for some anniversary gifts and picked up a couple other things for dinners then up to Westernco for a little donut detour, Top Foods to pick up some dishwasher detergent and other things then home. I did some laundry then made lunch and sat down on the couch. I decided to make an afternoon of it so I put on Sideways and ate chocolate covered acai berries. I cleaned up the kitchen a bit and pretty much didn’t do anything else. I wanted to walk the dogs but the wind kept whipping up and rain was on and off. Went through old emails and cleaned out my inbox until Eric got home. When he asked about dinner I showed him some of the stuff I bought and we picked Butter Chicken for dinner with jasmine rice. He added asparagus, red peppers, onions and peas to the mix. Watched the end of the millionaire show, ate dinner and undercover boss in bed. I didn’t really get anything major done unfortunately. Went to sleep while we watched Seinfeld.

Saturday 4/9, Awake at like 6:45 but didn’t get out of bed until after 8. Eric got up with the girl dogs earlier and took them out and fed them, while putting Q with me in bed so he could go back to sleep. He put the other dogs back in with me too after they’d eaten, then he took off for the store. 45 minutes later he still wasn’t home so I called him and he was on his way with a shitload of groceries. I got dressed and we stripped the bed and got the sheets going, went outside, filled up two garbage pails and the yard waste with stuff, planted the day lilies and cut the heather off the sidewalk and back from the roses. We talked to Cathy and she just loves having us in the neighborhood. Inside we ate some lunch and relaxed after Eric cleaned the kitchen. I fed Quincy his lunch and he ate it all. I fell asleep on the couch while Eric watched the Sounders. I woke up a little before he had to leave and we talked in the den until he had to go. I looked at stuff online, talked to Mom about Q’s leg and took Nyx and Q for a spin around the block and everyone was out in their yards working. I played with the dogs for a while and Nyxie hoarded all the toys in the den whenever Brizo would drop one. I did a little recall with Quincy and it didn’t take him long to understand coming when his name is called earns treats! I answered an email to NB about Q and his leg, then responded to an email about transporting a little returned rattie named Pal over to Leavenworth. He’s flying from Georgia and will be fostered in Wenatchee.

Friday 4/8, I was off a little early and Eric and I got home at the same time. We took the dogs out back and ran around with them. Back inside Susan called and was outside. We hung out for a little bit chatting about meetings and all that then Eric took off for his 10 mile run and we left to go to Ross and Goodwill. I made a wrong turn but we eventually made it. Didn’t buy anything then we headed up to Chipotle for dinner. We beat the rush and headed home to eat and watch WoF and Jeopardy. Eric came home and we chatted for a little bit then she left not much later. Eric made himself dinner (veggie burritos) and I think we hung out with the dogs for the rest of the night. We went to bed early to get a jump on yard work the next morning.

Thursday 4/7, Quincy had his neuter today and the poor thing was so out of it. And poor Eric, he had to drive him down to FW and back twice, and in horrible traffic on the way down. When I got home I tried to comfort Q but the cone was totally discombobulating him. I showered and got ready to meet up with Kristel. I left just before 7, found parking fine and headed over, picked her up on foot and we headed over to Six Arms. We chatted the whole way, found a table, continued talking, perused the menu, ordered and kept talking. Food was good, I didn’t finish all of it and more talking, mostly about her new boy. We finally left and went back up to her place and sat on the floor eating chocolate covered pomegranates juice balls. We talked until just after 10 and I headed home. Eric was asleep and I quickly got ready for bed and climbed in. We talked for a little bit then back to sleep.

Wednesday 4/6, I don’t remember but I think this was the day that Eric had to go back to work at 8 to help out. We got into a tiff because he felt it necessary to describe some terrible animal cruelty acts that were on the news and had the position that I should get over it because that stuff happens in the world and in life and I can’t hide in a hole and that it shouldn’t affect me. I completely disagreed and didn’t talk to him for the remainder of the time he was home. He eventually came in to apologize and said it wasn’t his place and he had no right. Things were better after that. He went to work and I half watched tv and I think updated this. He came home at 9:30 and we probably went to bed late.

Tuesday 4/5, I got home a little early, greeted all the dogs and checked my email. No NR emails for 2 days, yay! I got my workout clothes on while Eric fed Quincy who ate all his dinner by himself with no coaxing! It’s the little victories. We stretched then worked out. Felt good afterward then worked on this while Eric got dinner going. I showered and when I got out dinner was ready: broccoli and mushroom quiche and wild rice. Watched some tv and Eric went in the bedroom to watch his show while I cuddled with the dogs on the couch and watched BL. Went to bed late.

Monday 4/4, I stopped at the store on the way home for a few things for dinner and the week. Eric was home before me and had let the dogs out but was on a run. I fed the dogs and took them out again and tried to keep Nyx and Q from trying to kill Peach. He started dinner right when he got home and I did computer stuff until it was ready. He made the most delicious steak with red wine reduction and covered with mushrooms and onions. Then there was the delicious rice and broccoli. I ate all mine. We watched Office and Eric made root beer floats, Grandma Lou style. I watched some of DwtS while talking to Susan about D and the weekend’s events. We talked for almost an hour and a half. Eric wanted to get the party started so I showered and he locked the dogs in the den and we messed around for an hour. Let the dogs back in and went to bed.

Sunday 4/3, Eric made little egg, bacon, cheese and onion quiche tarts with the leftover dough. I ate two of those up! We watched tv for a little bit in the den. I talked to Susan for a nano second. Lazy for some of the morning, cleaned dogs teeth, fed Quincy several times, cleaned up a few little things, did some Quincy stuff including made a vet services cost spreadsheet and watched Forgetting Sarah Marshall. Tried to nap a little and semi-succeeded. The weather wasn’t great. I talked to Dad for a while and he updated me on the funeral and house plans as well as when they’re going to be up here at the end of the month. I told him about the dogs and some of the K&S drama that unfolded in the last couple days. Eric made dinner when he got home and we watched the end of the millionaire show and these people were ballers, finally, and dropped over $400k. Awesome.

Saturday 4/2, I took very poor notes for this day. Apparently we did a lot of yard work and I’m sure filled up the yard waste bin with a lot of brush from the pile in the back and I’m sure Eric mowed the lawn. When we were done we relaxed and each took a little nap. C&S came over for dinner and to watch the Sounders game. C had been cooped up all day and wanted to go on a walk so we took Nyx around the block then hopped in the car to go to QFC for ice cream. We ate dessert, which I believe was Eric’s homemade apple pie. After dessert I fell asleep on the couch. They left by 11:30 and I woke up a little to watch some of SNL then fell asleep.

Friday 4/1, At home I let the dogs out. Eric was working late. I talked to Mom who sounded like she wasn’t going to come over because of Jake’s game but I talked her into coming over beforehand to meet Quincy. She brought curry and loved Quincy. We sat on the couch and talked while he cuddled with her the whole time. She left in the rain for Jake’s game. I relaxed and may have watched a movie (The Gift?) to pass the time. Eric came home and we relaxed and took it easy in preparation for our big day of yard work the next morning.

Thursday 3/31, Client meeting that had us out of the office most of the day. Off work a few minutes late, headed home and Eric was hanging with the dogs. He ran twice around Greenlake and played soccer with Schuyler. He's insane and I need to pump up my motivation because he's leaving me in a trail of dust. I got onto the computer and started fussing around with emails since I had like 59 of them about NR stuff. Before I could respond to any of it I asked Eric if he wanted to do the dogs' nails and we braced ourselves for the challenge of a lifetime, but it went super well. I got a banana out and I guess that's the super yummy treat we will use from now on because we were able to do all of Brizo's nails with no problems at all. I couldn’t believe it. Nyx was next and we only had to do her back feet and she was cooperative but not as distracted by the banana as Brizo. I felt so pumped after we were done. Back to the computer and reviewed an application for Quincy and it looked good but I needed to make some notes. Janell was going to call me later so I asked Eric if he wanted to go to Costco so we took off not long after. We got a couple things including a pizza for dinner and headed home. J called right as we were about to pull into the neighborhood so I started in with my questions and inside made some notes, got a few clarifications. I felt better but there's still some stuff I need help with. We talked for about 20 minutes, then the pizza was done and we sat and ate while watching tv. Mom called and filled me in on some Sky drama, oh boy. I asked if she wanted to come over the next day to meet Quincy. I got back on the computer and did some stuff while we watched tv. Eric was tired so I cleaned up dinner, turned the lights off and gave the dogs their snack. I took a shower, climbed into bed, squared away my earthquake insurance, wrote some emails about helping out with a home visit for a new foster applicant and also about some of Quincy's traits and how they may apply to the application for him. Finally around 11:15 I turned everything off and went to sleep. Chaotic night. Oh, and good news on my appeal of property value, they approved my amount! So happy. Had a dream I got my tax return, hopefully it will be soon.

Wednesday 3/30, I had emails to tend to when I got home. It's my life these days, checking emails, taking notes about Quincy and other general NR business. I don't know how people do it with several dogs, hold other positions in the organization, have jobs and have kids. Eric had made more calls for vetting information for me during the day. I fed the dogs and was hungry but didn't want to cook. After running around doing some things around the house I headed out to go get some teriyaki and pick up a lotto ticket. At home I chowed down but left plenty for Eric because I knew he'd be hungry. My only show was a repeat. I think I worked on more NR stuff. Eric came home and we sat in the kitchen while I tried to get Q to eat his last snack of the day. He's finally starting to look not so sickly, yay! He was 4.8 lbs to begin with. He needs to put on two pounds. We went over the information he found out from local vets. I need to make a spreadsheet of all the vets and prices / procedures which will be this weekend's task. More NR stuff, missed my shower and into bed.

Tuesday 3/30, More dog stuff to handle when I got home as it has been for the past few days and will continue to be for the next few days. Eric is working late every night so I was on my own for dinner then watched BL. When he got home he told me what he found out about various vets and had called around all over to get prices, policies and availability. I missed the end of BL because he wanted to fill me in when he got home form work. More dog stuff before bed then to sleep.

Monday 2/28, Decent day at work. I called Banfield sales department and they don’t do discounted services for rescue dogs in foster care, bummer. It makes me think about reevaluating my vet decisions. I got home a little early and Kass called when I was almost home and said she would come over soon. I fed the dogs and took them out. I was just sitting down to read emails, and I had a ton of them, when Kass arrived. We sat in the bedroom and she cuddled with Quincy and he loved her, while we listened to various bands and harp / string arrangements online for the various parts of her wedding and rehearsal dinner party. A little after 7 we were really hungry and took off for dinner. We went to the new dumpling place at Lincoln Square and it was going to be a 25 minute wait, on a Monday, in Bellevue. It’s gotten awesome reviews and it was evident everyone in Bellevue was there that night. We headed over to Nordstrom to do a quick walk through to see if there was anything the other didn’t have and so Kass could buy some underwear. We walked back over, were seated and ordered. It was so good and we ate almost all of it but left two fish dumplings. I tried a fish one but much preferred the chicken. We headed home and talked about the rescue stuff. We weren’t home for long before Eric showed up and we played some of the bands we liked for the wedding and rehearsal dinner for him to listen to. I showed them some of the dogs on NR’s site and Kass gave me $100 to donate, yay! She took off not much later but didn’t want to say bye to Quincy. We relaxed and I tried to answer more emails before bed. So many of them, all dog rescue related.

Sunday 3/27, It was time to start collecting information for Quincy’s vetting and holy shit it’s expensive. I never noticed because all mine’s covered by the wellness plans. We relaxed in the morning and Eric went to work. Quincy is on a four meal a day diet and he cleans up each meal with some coaxing. I called Banfield and Aerowood and got the rude awakening I wasn’t ready for and wrote emails to Janell and Julee for help. I took off around 3:30 to meet up with Kass to go bridesmaid dress shopping. She met me over by Kristel’s because it’s close to where we were going and I was sure I’d be able to get parking. She picked me up at my car and we drove Lesley and Jet back to their hotel and headed over to Nordstrom. We perused the dresses and brought in like 6 of them. I tried on two of the dresses and she’s decided on those two but needs one more. We wandered around and looked at clothes and dresses for a long time before heading out. She dropped me at my car and I headed home with a gas station stop on the way. I watched the end of the millionaire show in time for the check writing part. I think I was too hungry to wait for Eric to get home so I ate. Went to bed probably normal time. Quincy sleeps really well in his crate.

Saturday 3/26, We were up early and quickly got ready and headed down to Kinkos. We faxed the Foster Agreement form and headed home. We worked out then did yoga for a total workout of almost an hour. We then went outside and worked out there for a half hour filling the yard waste with more brush. Inside we showered and he took off for the store while I was still washing my hair. I got dressed and relaxed and got tired. He took off for work not much later and since I was sleepy I laid in bed and started to fall asleep. Quincy was going to be dropped off that day so I didn’t want to sleep through that. I looked at stuff online and finally heard them come through the gate. Quincy is so tiny and he seemed pretty nervous. I introduced him to Brizo and she seemed mildly interested, then to Nyx who was a little less enthusiastic. I relaxed for the day and kept him in his crate so he couldn’t pee on anything since he was attempting to mark up a storm. I watched a movie and Dad called and I filled him in on Q and I think he thinks I’m crazy. I went to Mom’s for dinner and was the first one there. Eric showed up and Mom fed him all the courses in rapid succession. Kass arrived and Dro*hv & Ak*mi who started right in on making the dumplings (gyoza) YUM. Eric only had a half hour for lunch and had to head back to work. I filled him in on little Q and bid him farewell. We all talked a lot and D&A told us what to put in our earthquake prep kit (make sure you have a whistle!). All the food was delicious and I stuffed myself, especially on the homemade cheesecake. I left a little before 8 and made it home for Cops though I only half watched it. Eric came home and met Q who loved him. He wanted to be in Eric’s lap for the rest of the night. So cute. We hung out until it was time to pick up Sos from the airport. Her flight landed at 11 and we only had to wait a little at baggage claim. We talked the whole way to Issaquah to drop her at her car and couldn’t believe she was going to drive all the way to PDX that night. We went home and watched some SNL before going to sleep.

Friday 3/25, Susan came over right after I got home from work and we hung out for a while and talked before it was time for my training interview. I was on the phone for an hour and a half and there was a lot of info to take in and I know I’ll have questions along the way. Afterward I tried to send some stuff via email but it wasn’t working. Susan had had some macaroni and I had a little too. Yum! We took off for Crossroads and went to Michael’s and wandered around then to the new Silver Platters and saw Jeremiah, looked at cds and dvds and asked about Richrd. We headed over to Half Priced Books and talked all the way over and couldn’t believe how many people were there on a Friday night rocking out to the live band. We wandered around HPB and I had a few movies I was looking for but none of them were there. We headed back to the house and hung out for a while before Susan took off. Eric arrived home not much later and I filled him in on the evening.

Thursday 3/24, When I got home Eric was already home and suggested homemade mac and cheese, so he took off for the store to pick up groceries and I waited for Sue’s call to do the training. She didn’t call. I let Janell know. I helped Eric with dinner when he got home and I couldn’t believe Mom and Alix were late to dinner. It was ok though because we were running late. Mom showed up first and we talked in the kitchen, then Alix and we soon dished up and sat in the living room to eat. We had a nice time and lots of discussions of family dynamics. Mom left after 9 and Alix left by 9:30. We watched Parks and Rec and settled into bed.

Wednesday 3/23, I got an email from the treasurer for the last step which was the foster parent training interview. I read through the materials and let her know the days and times I was available. I had to stay late at work and Alix came over right after I got home. We were hungry so we went to Papa Murphy’s to pick up a pizza. I didn’t put the dogs away and I should have because when we got home Brizo was eating something and when we walked into the dining room there was trail mix all over the floor and she ran to keep eating. I yelled “Fuuuuuuck!” and “God damn it!” over and over while Alix told me to calm down. B had gotten onto the chair and into my lunch bag, dragged out the baggie and chewed a hole through it. I ran to get the hydrogen peroxide and started giving it to both dogs. It was really frustrating and it took a good 45 minutes before Brizo vomited. I was glad when it was over and locked the dogs in the den so they could calm down and if they got sick again it wouldn’t be on the rugs. We ate our pizza and watched tv. Eric came home and I told him all about our evening. We sat and talked for a long time until Alix left after 10. I took a shower and climbed into bed and went to sleep.

Tuesday 3/22, Eric had the day off and did more cleaning and when I got home we put the final touches on the house. We did the BL video then showered. We sat on the couch and waited for the NR home visit people. They were early and the home visit went very well. She said she already had a dog for me who was coming up from CA and Eric picked the name: Quincy. She told me she’d send a picture and some more info later that night. Eric started some dinner (chicken and rice) and we watched the first part of BL together then he went and watched something else. Janell sent me the picture and I’ve totally seen him before when he was rescued from a kill shelter and he was posted on the NR safe list. His name was Peanut and it totally fits him because he’s only 4.8 lbs. We were excited. We went to bed by 11.

Monday 3/21, I had a decent day at work. There was some drama with Sky and Eric and me, but I was kind of a third party. Josh, Kristel and me had a lot of texting and I texted to Josh FTGB and he figured it out (g*ng bang). Kristel changed the name of the album from that night to that. Hilarious. Josh came up with TPGB. Todd Phibbs. I love that one. I stopped at the store on the way home then home to clean the bathroom and some other chores in preparation of our home visit the next day. Eric called a couple times from work to tell me he got work off for the next day and that he’d talked to Sky. For dinner I had a chicken cordon bleu and watched Southland. I was going to shower and get ready for bed when I noticed Brizo had eaten a chocolate covered acai berry so then I had to call the vet and they said to induce vomiting but she wouldn’t throw up for a half hour so I called back just as Eric got home. They told me to do more so I kept doing it but 20 minutes later I was really frustrated and started doing dishes and locked her in the kitchen with me and cursed myself over and over for letting it happen. I looked over and she had started vomiting and puked a ton and in four different spots. There was so much foam it was crazy. We tried to comfort her and I cleaned it up. We washed the bedding that had chocolate on it and when we came back in Brizo had puked on the blue comforter too so we had to wash that comforter and duvet cover as well. I was exhausted. Eric and I talked until after 11 and he comforted me and gave me a lot of kisses then I went to sleep and he went to watch tv in the living room.

Sunday 3/20, The alarm went off at 4:15 and I could hear Sos was up. We loaded up the car and headed to the airport. I was shocked at how many people were already there. I dropped her off and headed back home and into bed to sleep. I woke up at 9 and Eric brought me my breakfast. I got up and followed Eric around until he had to leave at 10:45 for work. I got dressed, vacuumed, cleaned the shower, did some dusting, put clothes away, put velvet discs on the dining room chairs and cleaned up the kitchen. I had the lone leftover spring roll and some other stuff for lunch. I was really tired but didn’t nap; just hung out and relaxed with the dogs. For dinner I ate a chicken strip and fries. Eric came home and I told him all the stuff I did during the day. I watched the millionaire show and went to bed earlyish.

Saturday 3/19, We got up and had a lot of stuff to do to get ready for Sos’ visit. I took off to go to Ace and told Eric to have a good day at work. I got some B-1 for the rhody, new gloves and a bucket. At home I picked rocks out of the flower beds, pulled a couple weeds and dug some dirt out of the courtyard flower bed and moved it to the dogwood in the front. I dumped rocks into the backyard for the French drain. Inside I showered and got ready and read some magazines while waiting for Sos to call. I had some lunch and relaxed. I got my tax return back, signed it and put my W-2 but needed to call to see where the hell to send it. Sos called so I left to go down to Issaquah to pick her up. It was so good to see her and we chatted all the way home. We talked and talked when we got home and she did a fashion show for me. Eric came home at 4 and we all talked in the living room. It was so beautiful outside Sos wanted to take a walk so the three of us set out and brought the pups for a walk as well. It felt great to be outside. Kristel wanted to go to dinner at 7:30 so we hung out until then and continued talking. We took off, found parking and K was already there (Tamarind). We had a hilarious dinner with so much girl talk it was obscene. We were laughing so hard people were looking. We ate a ton of food and it was delicious. Josh called all of us but none of us heard our phones. We called him back and told him to meet us at Tango in a little bit. We made our way over, sat down, ordered the El Diablo and a lot of drinks. The “girl talk” continued and Josh was eating it up as well as dishing it out. We all had so much fun. Tango closed so we went up the street to Six Arms and continued laughing and having a ball. We decided we were going to have a gang b@ng and that it can still be one even if there’s only one guy and multiple girls. I swear, I haven’t laughed that hard in a long time. Josh turned to me and said “I feel like we’re going to dyke out tonight” and I wanted to post it on my fb so bad but didn’t. That is my favorite quote in recent history. Josh loved that it was girl talk. We finally packed it up when it was closing time and we headed to our cars. I dropped K off at her place and Josh texted her FTF which is friends that eff. I was like “Ooohh, Kristel’s going to have sex with Josh tonight!” but she didn’t and then when I got home I saw he’d sent me the same one. Sos and I talked all the way home and she wasn’t feeling great. We had to be up so early, like in 2.5 hours. We went to bed and both set our alarms. Josh texted once more that he’d made it home and that it was the funnest night in a long time and that he loved us. I texted him back and went to sleep.

Friday 3/18, Work was a little stressful but I ended up getting off a little early luckily. I went home and showered and got ready for C&S to come over. Eric had dinner all ready to get going when they arrived. We sat on the couch and watched basketball and ate dinner because we were very hungry. C worked on knitting and I paged through a wedding magazine. We had dessert: pineapple cake and coconut ice cream that Schuyler made, then the chocolate and pecan cookies Eric made from scratch. They stayed until midnight or so then they took off because C was falling asleep. I was tired and ready for sleep.

Thursday 3/17, I had to go to north Bellevue for an errand then home but stopped at QFC first to get stuff for Eric to make dinner. I took the dogs out, fed them and relaxed looking at the computer. Skylar was coming over with Benny to hang out with Eric. He had his final and called me on the way home. I hopped in the shower, got dressed and had some dinner. Watched Office then Legally Blonde and Parks and Rec. The boys left and Eric and I talked about his evening. I got ready for bed and updated this. We watched tv and talked until bed. Eric finally tried a melatonin. He’s also been taking my anti-anxiety pills (non-rx, fyi) and says they’re great and make him super focused. They don’t do anything noticeable for me.

Wednesday 3/16, I had my wrist appointment and it did not feel very good but she said I’m doing great and do not need any follow up appointments. She was running late so I got out of there later than I wanted. I stopped at the store on the way home for groceries. Eric made a delicious dinner of burritos (he’s on a Mexican kick!) and rice again. I talked to Mom for a long time then I showered. Modern Family was a repeat. Eric sent me a text that made me laugh right before bed. He didn’t sleep well and I had nightmares in the morning about not being able to dial my phone and woke up covered in sweat. Gross.

Tuesday 3/15, K was supposed to come over but cancelled which I was fine with because I’d had such a shitty night’s sleep, I knew I’d just want to go to bed when I got home. Eric was going to S&C’s to watch a game but he was so sweet, he made me dinner so I’d have something to eat when I got home. It was delicious, steak with lots of spices baked on with homemade Spanish rice, green peppers and onions. I had cheesecake for dessert then I ate some lavender chocolates. I watched BL and Eric got home not too late.

Monday 3/14, P's bday and also news that we might lose our second biggest client. Surprisingly P wasn't in too bad a mood due to a good weekend. At home I felt motivated to do some yard work so Eric and I changed into work clothes and talked then headed outside. I worked on the huge pile of shit in the back and he mowed the lawn. We talked about the yard after he finished and I continued clipping the branches of Ocean Spray to bite sized pieces that would fit in the yard waste. It was getting close to the time when my foster interview would take place so we started to head in, still talking. Jaime called and I was on the phone for almost two hours so I think it went pretty well. I missed 20 minutes of the Bachelor but it was ok. I talked to Eric about the call on the commercials then after it was over he got into bed and was not happy that there was a special on afterward. Went to bed after it was over but it took a while to fall asleep. I woke up around 3 and had horrible cramps and could not fall back asleep. Finally at 4 I got up and took three ibuprofen and a magnesium. Eventually fell back asleep.

Sunday 3/13, I woke up and had breakfast. I got ready and took off for Cost Plus after Eric left early for work. I picked up some coffee for P’s bday and a bunch of different kinds of root beer and sasparilla for Eric. I stopped at home to drop the stuff off, eat lunch and let the dogs out. I had texted K to see if she wanted to see Just Go With It but I wasn’t expecting she would because she had run in the St. Patty’s dash. She didn’t think she’d make it which was fine. I took off for the Landing and got all settled at my movie. It was a bit long but had some funny parts. I knew Eric wouldn’t have liked it. I went home and relaxed, went through magazines and did laundry for the rest of the day. I may have taken a little nap. I ate a little dinner but then Eric made dinner when he got home so I had some of that too: enchiladas. I watched some AFV and that millionaire show and this guy gave more than the first lady I saw. I went to bed not too late.

Saturday 3/12, We woke up early but I didn't want to get out of bed so Eric fed the dogs and I let them out. Back in bed and he wanted to get frisky but I didn't so I told him later. I told him if he wants me to he's going to have to start really cuddling and giving me better kisses. He's improved already! We got up and got our work clothes on and started moving. It was raining but we hit it anyway. We transplanted a flowery shrubby bush from the front to the back and I started the cleanup of leaves and sticks from Eric's chopping endeavors from Thursday of the Ocean Spray. I went around and clipped dead branches and stems from the plants and noticed the black tulip magnolia is going to be a beautiful shade of deep purple because one little bud is cracked just so. We filled the yard waste and cleaned up the area where we took the plant out and Eric got a huge tree root out of there with the pick ax. It was about 3 feet long and six inches across. We crammed some stuff into the garbage then went inside. Eric made me a fried egg sandwich and Mom called while we were in the kitchen and told me Kim died that morning and that she'd had an overdose of prescription meds. I wasn't shocked but it is sad. We talked for a long time. Afterward I showered then Eric and I laid on the bed and relaxed until he had to go to work at 2. I watched Southland and drifted in and out of sleep afterward. I paged through some magazines that Susan brought me. I called Kass and filled her in and had talked to Aubrie earlier in the day because she couldn't get a hold of anyone to tell her what the hell was going on. I got ready and straightened my hair and set out for Kristel's. I picked her up and we went down to Moe's and perused furniture and she told me some news about work. We didn't buy anything then headed to Costco where we bought some acai chocolate snacks for Stef and I bought some for me. We stopped and each got a piece of pizza then she got a churro and I ate the tail end of it. We were stuffed and I let out a huge burp as I ran to get the car in the rain. I laughed hoping no one heard. Gross. We went to Stefanie's and were the first ones there. She made a ton of food and though we were full we dug in and talked. S' friend Christina (I think) and her bf showed up and we all talked. It was fun but I ate way too much. Desserts were good too. K and I took off back to her house at 8:40 so she could attend another party. I headed home and relaxed until Eric got home. I started getting horrible cramps so he got me some ibuprofen and magnesium. He made himself a late dinner. We watched the news until SNL came on and both fell asleep before Weekend Update.

Friday 3/11, When I got home Eric was at class but when he got home he told me S&C were ditching on Goonies at the Egyptian. We had talked that morning about going to a movie if they bailed and Eric surprised me by going up to get the tickets while I was at work. Yay! However, we got into an argument about something, so that was great. I didn't want to talk to him and told him to stop picking a fight. He apologized then asked if I wanted him to heat me up some leftovers. I told him no and stayed in the bedroom. I was still irritated but we still went to the movie and things got better as the night went on. We saw Hall Pass and it was very funny and we laughed through the whole thing. It was 11:30ish when we got home. I think we climbed in bed and went to sleep.

Thursday 3/12, Susan was at the house when I got home and we talked for a little bit and I checked my email for fostering email. I loaded up the car with stuff for goodwill and off we went. We went to Fred Meyer and I walked out with a ton of stuff that I didn't need. Unbelievable. Susan hardly found anything that was on her list. We were there for a while. Next up, we dropped my stuff at Goodwill and headed up to Chipotle. We had an enjoyable dinner and got a good seat by the window. After dinner we headed back to the house and sat on the couch and talked. Eric watched tv in the other room. Susan took off not much later and Eric suggested we watch Happy Gilmore (one of my unnecessary purchases) so we got ready for bed, climbed in and watched. I fell asleep before it ended.

Wednesday 3/10, Eric was at school when I got home. I fed the dogs. He came home for a few minutes and grabbed some food then headed out for S&C's to watch a soccer game. I relaxed all night and did laundry or something. I didn't think he'd be home before I went to bed since he didn't have to work the next day but he was home right about 10. We talked and went to bed.

Tuesday 3/8, I went to an auto glass place and they said I need a new windshield. Great. Not right now I don’t. It will have to wait. I got home and Eric was on the phone and I was about to tell him he was ridiculous because he spray painted the sticker I got from the pie place and stuck it on a flower pot. I also noticed he put together the composter. Yay! When he got off he asked if I’d noticed the rhody, he’d moved it! It looks great and he did it all by himself. We talked for a long time in the kitchen then I called Chrystol and Sos and got approval. I sent in the application and checked email until I smelled some stir fry being cooked up, yum! It looked like pesto with chicken and pasta, but it was yakisoba noodles, ginger, peanut oil and cilantro. We ate while watching tv then cleaned B’s ears and tried to clip her nails. We got one foot done. That’s enough for one night. I showered, climbed into bed to watch BL and update this.

Monday 3/7, Got in the car and the f-ing ding had spread into a crack. Great. One more goddamn car thing. Work was ok, better than last week. I stopped at the store on the way home to pick up some groceries. At home I cleaned the kitchen even though Eric left a note saying he would do it and that took a while. I fed the dogs and when Eric got home we ended up in the bedroom and made the bed and talked for a while before I hinted that I was ready for dinner. Eric made a broccoli and cheddar quiche while I filled out a foster application for New Rattitude. I watched Bachelor and it was ridiculous. I needed to talk to Sos and Chrystol about references first. Into bed and had pillow talk until almost 11.

Sunday 3/6, I woke up at 8:30 and got up because I could hear they were up. Went out and we spent the morning talking and watching more coverage of Charlie Sheen and continued to roll our eyes. We got ready and headed out at 11:45 to get some lunch. We went to Red Robin and I haven’t been there forever. It made me think of Missy and clucks and fries. I ended up getting the bonzai burger and we had a nice time talking and laughing. We were there until 1:30 and I said my goodbyes and headed home. I made good time and made it home in exactly an hour and a half. My windshield got tagged by a rock, however, and gave me two big dings. I was irritated to say the least. At home I relaxed and didn’t do much. Eric came home while I was watching AFV and made a delicious dinner of his wonderful cilantro rice, marinated chicken in a lettuce wrap with sour cream and extra cilantro on the side. IT WAS SO GOOD. I ate it all. We watched that secret millionaire show and Eric didn’t like that people go on tv to get attention for doing good things and that they shouldn’t get attention; I think it’s a good way to bring attention to organizations helping people regardless of if it’s for ratings. We watched some of the Apprentice which was a train wreck but we ditched it early for some alone time. It was very good. Thanks for the visual, right? We crashed out not long after.

Saturday 3/5, When I woke up it was beautiful outside and I was ready to get going on our yard work project. I needed gas so we ran into Issaquah and got into an argument about the Mormon kid who got suspended for having sex and getting his gf pregnant. Next was the bank and home. We agreed to disagree. At home we got to work and my task was the courtyard. I got the leaves up, rinsed with the hose, pulled a few little weeds and picked up all leaves from the magnolia. Next I moved on to the beds in front of the master bedroom. Cleaned up tons of leaves and clipped dead leaves off the hellebores. We talked about moving the rhody next weekend and putting a big blueberry patch in between the driveways. We went in around 11:30 and had some lunch and relaxed on the couch. I talked to Mom and told her I was going to hop in the shower then I would come up north to meet up with her and Auntie Heidi. She said I could come up to Bellingham but I really didn’t want to do the drive. I packed a bag anyway. After getting ready I made my way up to Lynnwood, parked and went into Macy’s where they were looking at shoes. We perused and I wanted to get some xmas dog sheets but they didn’t have them in a queen. Oh well. We met up with Hailey after she got off work. We went to Claim Jumper for dinner at 5 but had to wait a while because that place is always f-ing packed, no matter what time it is. I enjoyed my dinner (soup and citrus salad) but no one else enjoyed theirs. We wrapped it up, talked some more before saying goodbye to Hailey and headed to our cars. I decided to go up to Bellingham because I don’t get to see my Ma and auntie very often. I beat them up there and had lots of good songs to listen to on the way up. I felt sleepy a few times though. When we got up there we talked for a long time and I talked to Eric who confirmed he was having a big party because I wasn’t coming home that night. We watched SNL until after midnight then got ready for bed and I went to bed at 1:00.

Friday 3/4, Eric went to S&C’s to watch a game so I went home from work and relaxed and watched my stories. I talked to Mom too. I was tired and went to bed after Dateline.

Thursday 3/3, Eric had done a TON of cleaning while I was at work. When I got home I did some filing, showered and talked to Eric while he made dinner. I ate some guac until S&C showed up around 6:45. We dished up and turned on Amazing Buck Howard. It was ok and Malkovich reminded me of P. We had some brownies and ice cream that Eric made and talked. I cleaned up a bit in the kitchen after watching a show where these three guys from Seattle rode their bikes from Shanghai to Beijing, or vice versa. It made Eric want to go to China, me the opposite. No thanks! They left late and I finally went to bed before they left.