Friday 11/30, I went home and we did a few things around the house before taking a shower and getting ready to go to Stef and Peter’s. We took off and made it to their place right as Sky and Chrystol pulled up. We went up and it smelled great. We sat and talked and dinner was dished up not long after we arrived. Peter made goulash and it was very good. We had great conversation and did plenty of laughing. Sky and Eric are going to go to one of Peter and Stef’s international expat meet-ups and pretend to be Dutch and Greek, respectively. Stefanie made a gluten free apple pie for dessert that was delicious. We stayed until almost midnight then headed home. Last night before getting our next foster dog.

Thursday 11/29, Susan came over after work and we sat talking in the dining room for awhile while she showed us the ropes of OK Cupid. She admired our Christmas village and I explained each establishment. We decided to get dinner at Szechuan Chef and had an evening filled with delicious food and gossip. I filled her in about RH Eric and we discussed the intricacies of relationships. Went home after dinner and Susan left and I promised to send an update on Saturday’s events and help with windows possibly on Sunday. Inside Eric and I chatted for a few minutes before I hopped in the shower. We got into bed and I updated this while he continued with his book (Working Poor). We watched Office and Parks and Rec. I continued to read the RH Eric era blog posts, updated this and we went to bed before 11.

Wednesday 11/28, I texted RH Eric and finally got a response (I’ve texted and fb him a couple times trying to see how he’s doing) and we decided to meet up for dinner Saturday night. It’s been almost two years since I’ve seen him. Driving home I was so pumped up and singing along with my Lana cd. I was singing and dancing around for Eric and he asked me why I was so worked up. I had some errands I wanted to run so we went out. Up to Bartell’s first so I could get contact solution. On the way up there he told me he wouldn’t be going to Kassie’s open house on the 13th which irritated me because I told him several times the date and times. Oh well. We went to Goodwill and dropped off some stuff and also picked up some Christmas village items: ceramic painted trees, high school and a bookstore (that was supposed to be a beautiful house but was in the wrong box). We went to the store and picked up a few things then home where Eric made dinner and I started to set up the village. I called both Moms and made plans for Sunday tile-perusing with one, and discussed Christmas presents with the other. We had dinner after 8 and watched Modern Family at 9. I showered and got into bed then we watched one episode of Big Love and went to bed at 11.

Tuesday 11/27, Eric was out running when I got home. I felt tired. Eric heated up leftovers shortly before 6 and also fed the dogs. I got to reading my blog from 2006 and carried away with the month of August. The RH Eric period. I was feeling very nostalgic and started from the point I met him and kept on going. Eric came in so I closed it and we put on Big Love and watched two episodes. It was 11; Eric watched something on PBS and I updated this.

Monday 11/26, Eric was home when I got there. My neck was really bothering me so I skipped running. I rearranged some of the xmas houses and presents then put up the new RT bust in the entryway. Eric and I went to the store to get stuff for dinner. We decided on some veggie enchiladas that were delicious. We talked while Eric cooked which was a nice change. I watched some more of the Bond special features but it was over pretty quickly. We put on Big Love (season 4) and watched one episode before going to bed.

Sunday 11/25, Eric got up early and went to work. I got up shortly before 9, took the dogs out, fed them, ate some breakfast and got back into bed. I continued watching the James Bond bonus disc features. I did some other stuff online then finally forced myself to get out of bed at 11:30. I made the bed and took Nyx out to the pool room to give her a haircut. Next was a bath and ear cleaning. Her ears look much better but still a lot of gunk coming out of the one. I had some lunch, cleaned up the kitchen then gave Brizo and Clancy baths. They wanted to run around the house for a bit then it was time for a nap, for all of us. Eric got home at 3:45 and we all got up. We went out to the front yard to move the daphne odora, lavender and blueberry bush, all to plant the new peony tree. Hope it makes it after sitting in the garage the whole time we were gone. Back inside I took all the Christmas houses out for setup then we both relaxed and Eric made dinner. I showered and continued on my Bond-kick by putting on the Casino Royale bonus disc. Eric didn’t want to watch so he went out in the den. Went to bed.

Saturday 11/24, Eric was up at 7 and I was up a half hour later getting ready to go to breakfast with Grandma, Papa, Mom and Dad. We went to Bobby’s and had a good breakfast. Back at home Eric and I jumped in the car to head down to the Design District again so I could get the RT bust using my Small Business Saturday funds. We headed home and started packing and stripping the bed. We decorated the tree and took pictures and Aubrie burned me the Paradise cd. We took off and we were running a little late. Traffic sucked and I was worried we might not actually make our flight. There was a line at the ticket counter of course, even though there never is. The security line was long too, which it never is. We got to the gate right as they were calling all rows. I checked my bag at the gate and we boarded. The flight went quickly and we arrived 20 minutes early, got our bags, shuttled to get the car and headed home. Made it home before 6. The dogs were very happy to see us. We decompressed and headed to the store around 7 to pick up stuff for dinner. Eric made his delicious vinaigrette, a rustic bread-y grilled cheese and tomato soup. I watched Quantum of Solace and watched the first part of the bonus disc until I started falling asleep.

Friday 11/23, It was Aubrie’s birthday. Dad made pancakes. They were delicious! We went to Mom’s 10:30 Jazzericse class at a different center than we usually go to. Grandma came too. Dad and Eric went in the Corvette and Aub, Grandma and I took the Acadia. Eric and Dad were cracking everyone up. Close to the end Grandma started having an episode and not knowing how she got there and didn’t know where her purse was. She knew she was having one and told us she was losing it. Dad took her outside and talked to her. We continued working out but didn’t really know what to do. Mom finished her class and went out to find out what was going on. Grandma’s not supposed to exercise but wanted to do the class. Apparently she’d had one of these episodes before, that was triggered by exercise. Mom and Aubrie took Grandma to Urgent Care, Dad drove the Corvette home and Eric and I drove Mom’s Cadillac with the top down. We followed Dad and he kept burning this Bentley off the line and the tail end was being real squirrely. Eric floored the Cadillac too and it was quite a ride. At home we showered and hung out, waiting for news. We told Papa what happened and Eric and I made him some lunch. They came home and Grandma kept asking the same questions over and over again and would cry when we told her she’d been there three days already because she thought they’d just gotten there that day. It’s some form of amnesia. Mom put on a funny movie (Blast From the Past) per the doctor’s instructions and we urged her to relax. I watched a little of it. She gets too worked up and combined with the exercise it sets off this weird amnesia episode that lasts several hours and even days later she can’t remember what happened. Aubrie wanted to go to Peppertree so Dad, her, Eric and I all took off but it was closed. It was fast becoming the worst birthday for her. It was the only thing she wanted to do that day. We went to Cold Stone instead. We went home and watched a few minutes of Rookie of the Year then the three of us took off to pick up Christian at work. We went to his parent’s house so he could give her her birthday present. They have a very cool house, though the floor plan would probably make it difficult to decorate. Back at home we watched some more of the movies Mom put on for Grandma. I wanted to exchange my Lana del Rey cd because it didn’t have the bonus tracks so Eric and I took off for Spin and took the back roads. We arrived back home and Aubrie opened her presents then took off for a party. Eric and I decided to go see the new James Bond (Skyfall) and asked Dad if he wanted to go. He said no, but told us later he regretted it as soon as we left. It was so foggy as we drove to the theater and we had to go super slow at some parts. The movie was excellent and made me love Daniel Craig even more. We got home and went to bed by 12:30.

Thursday 11/22, Eric took off in the morning with Dad and Aubrie for the Turkey Trot in Oceanside. They picked up Alishia who was still sleeping and not answering her phone. Eric threw things at her bedroom window to get her up then Tyson came downstairs barking and knocked over a box fan. Eric was very pleased with himself but was not pleased with Alishia. They did the race and Aubrie was super proud of herself for running the whole thing and finishing strong (in a sprint). I got up at the time that they were probably half way done. I talked to Grandma inside while I ate a donut for breakfast then went and sat out on the front doorstep because the sun was out there and felt soooo wonderful. Christian came out and talked to me for awhile before taking off to go get Aubrie’s birthday present. Dad, Aubrie and Eric came home as I was sunning and filled me in on the race. We relaxed and took it easy for most of the day and ate lots of snacks. Eric helped Mom and Grandma all day in the kitchen. I was feeling restless at times so I took a lot of timeouts in the motorhome. Christian’s parents came over so then I felt even more restless. Eric asked if I wanted to go for a walk so first we walked down to the main road (Melrose? Meridian?) then back up and by the big mansion (Villa Vista) and tried to figure out who lives there and what the deal is. We went pretty far down the road and looked at all the houses with crappy landscaping and huge lots. Back at home we played a rousing game of Trivial Pursuit and the women came up from behind for a win (major upset). We had dinner around 8, maybe? It was good but I wasn’t all that hungry. We had dessert in the family room and continued to chat. Christian’s parents left not long after and we said we’d see them the next night. I think we went to bed around midnight.

Wednesday 11/21, We got a little bit of a slow start to the day. Aub, Christian, Eric and me were heading to Temecula for the day. We left around 10 and made decent time. The weather was gorgeous and warm when we arrived. We walked around town and popped into shops. By 11:30 we were ready for lunch and went to the Public House and sat out in the back patio area. Lunch was very good and relaxing. We continued walking through town and stopped in to get some ice cream in the candy shop (huge scoops) and Eric got some hot sauce for Uncle Brad then some Virgi’s root beer from Germany at the root beer shop. It was very good; it had nutmeg in it or something. We headed back by 1:15 and arrived home at 2. We changed and headed down to the outlet mall to have our Santa pictures taken. They went very well and Eric wore one of the sister shirts for our photo and had a hilarious look on his face; real eager. Alishia left to go to Benihana while the rest of us went into Old Carlsbad to Spin where I got the new Lana del Rey double album. Aubrie and I were so excited. I got her some dvds for her birthday and talked the guy into one for free. We went over to Benihana for Aubrie’s birthday dinner. We had a very nice meal and Dad was his usual enthusiastic self. Alishia was her usual flirty / forward self with the chef but he had a gf. We went home after dinner but did not have birthday pizza because we were waiting until Friday for her actual birthday. Went to bed not too late.

Tuesday 11/20, Eric was up early and I got up a little after him and went inside. Dad was just about to leave for work. I had some cereal, showered and we got ready to go. We took a drive and headed for the 101, with a detour to get Mom’s car washed. We went south to the Solana Beach Design District. We popped into shops and browsed and I found a paper mache rat terrier bust that I fell in love with but couldn’t justify buying. I bought some Christmas ornaments, one for me and one for Mom. We ended up at a little café to have a snack because I was starving. Eric had coffee, I had a pain au chocolate. We sat in the sun and it was amazingly nice outside. I talked to Court and we agreed to meet up a little after 12. We stopped in a kitchen / bath design center and I found a bunch of stuff I liked, especially some textured white tile which would be beautiful in the shower. We headed for La Jolla to meet Court and Pat at the Day School where we saw Court’s classroom. It was very cute. We went to Rock Bottom for lunch and had an ehh lunch, but I had salad so I didn’t feel too guilty. We were there for a couple hours then headed home. Mom, Grandma and Papa were there. Mom, Grandma, Eric and I took off to do some errands. We went to the store for dinner supplies, picked up the 5k stuff for Eric and the girls and lastly to BB&B so Mom could get a new fondue set. Back home and Dad had arrived from work. Alishia came over after work and Aubrie showed up after class. We got ready for dinner and Christian arrived mid-meal. We had fondue, fries and salad. After dinner we all sat around and talked. Slowly people peeled off and we made plans for the next day to go to Temecula and do Santa pictures. Eric and I went to bed.

Monday 11/19, P was back in the office so we had a long, busy day. I was in early and stayed until my normal time. At home I showered, packed up the rest of my stuff, had some dinner, fed the dogs and Eric showed me everything he’d done that day to clean up. Dad called and we chatted for a few minutes. It was pouring (2” of rain that day). We headed to the airport shortly after 6 and made it there with plenty of time to spare. We went to Dillatante before going to our gate. I got an oatmeal cookie. Our flight left at 8:45 and was pretty much on time. We landed at 11:30 and we had some turbulence, which Eric hates. Mom and Dad met us out on the curb and we had a nice chat on the way home. Mom and Dad showed Eric around the house then we went out to the motorhome to bed. It was about 12:30 and Mom and Dad both had to work the next day.

Sunday 11/18, Eric headed to work a little after 8 and Mom arrived by 9:15. I had a ton of chores to do but also wanted to work on the design of the bathrooms. I dug up the dahlias and did some tidying while Mom worked. She stayed three hours and we didn’t have anything concrete, though there were a few ideas out there. I vacuumed and mopped the kitchen and den. Did laundry and tried to get the house ready for when Stef and Peter watch the dogs. I got quite a bit done before Eric got home. I packed my bag and tried to get everything as ready as possible for our trip to San Diego. We had pizza for dinner. We didn’t stay up late because I was going into work early the next morning and Eric was going to drive me so he could use my car to run his errands.

Saturday 11/17, We were up early and getting ready. We left the house at 9:30 to go meet Sky and Chrystol for breakfast. We met at their house and chatted for a few minutes before taking off and deciding on a place down from the Rusty Tinman or wherever Randy used to go drink. They do crepes and I got one with bacon, peppers, potato and other stuff. I didn't finish it. We walked up to a little chocolate place and I got a hot chocolate that was delicious and rich. We went to the All Aboard train antique place kitty-corner and there were some really cute things but not in the budget. Back to the car and decided to go to the Rosellini estate sale. I didn't get anything but tried to convince Sky to buy the Cadillac. We went back to Ballard and talked in their living room and had a divided conversation about semi-open relationships (Me and Sky on one side, Eric and Chrystol on the other). We talked right up until the point where we needed to leave so Eric could get to work on time. I dropped him off and headed home. The dogs were happy to see me and we ended up relaxing for the rest of the afternoon (it was after 3). I wanted to watch Project Runway, from the beginning, but they only put two episodes online. So scratch that. Eric was home late that night and I took it easy that night. Watched 48 Hours and went to sleep.

Friday 11/16, Eric decided to go see a movie with Sky and Chrystol. Susan was waiting at home when I arrived. We sat and chatted in the living room for the evening. We read old blog entries from our Thursday night escapes and simultaneously laughed and tried to remember who some of the characters were (Moose? Hot Derek?). She stayed until 8ish then headed home. I had something simple for dinner and did stuff online. I went to bed after 10 and Eric came home shortly after. I was already asleep.

Thursday 11/15, Woke up to an apologetic note on my bathroom counter. I was still irritated. We didn’t really talk before I left for work. I stayed late at work and brought some work home. I finished my credit card statement when I got home then did my work. Eric apologized again and we talked about it for a minute. He made dinner and it was finished just as I was done with my work. We ate in the living room and watched tv. I went into the bedroom to watch the prior week’s Office and Parks and Rec, then this week’s episodes were on tv. He came in and watched them with me. We cleaned Nyx’s ears since they’re still bothering her and Eric did Clancy’s nails. I got ready for bed, updated this, watched a little Seinfeld and went to bed.

Wednesday 11/14, I was off work a little early and Eric was home when I got there. I scooped poop then started in on organizing the bills and filing. I did a little cleaning out of drawers in the buffet and looked for my Visa statement. Eric made dinner and brought it into the bedroom for me. I caught up on my online gossip and watched the prior week’s Modern Family, then the current week’s Modern Family. Eric and I got into a tiff right before bed; I showered and we went to bed without saying anything to each other. He drives me crazy when he picks fights and won’t let me finish a thought without jumping down my throat.

Tuesday 11/13, Janell sent pictures of our next foster dog; still deciding on a name but leaning toward Isi (deer in Choctaw). Got home a little early and Eric and I ran a mile and a half through the neighborhood then took the dogs around the block for another half mile. Ate dinner when we got back. I had plans to organize but ended up doing more Christmas shopping and purchasing of elf costumes for the murder mystery party. Talked to Mom about sweaters and not sure what I’m going to do for her gift. Not sure about the fireplace either. I keep flip flopping. Showered and into bed to update this and other stuff by 9. Went to bed after 11.

Monday 11/12, I technically had the day off but decided to go in to get a jump on work. I was up early so headed in. I worked four hours and was done by 11. I went home and ate lunch (leftovers) then headed out to learn about fireplace inserts and pricing. I went to three places and the first was by far the best (Rich’s). I got a quote and if I end up doing it I’ll use them. I stopped by and got four loaves from the bread outlet. On my way home I went to Super Supplements to get dishwasher soap. At home I brought all my bills and things out to the living room to organize, but ended up just doing stuff online and listening to music. I talked with Cherry for awhile in the backyard then inside. Eric got home shortly after. We talked about the bathrooms and remodeling versus putting in an insert. I’m torn. Not sure what I’ll do. I didn’t do much for the rest of the night, except a ton of Christmas shopping online because I want to be done by the end of the week.

Sunday 11/11, We were both up early. Eric took the dogs out and stashed them in the den while we cuddled, etc. We ate breakfast and got ready and organized all Perri’s stuff. We took off for Burlington and made good time. I stopped at Haagen to get a snack then over to Maiben Park to meet the potential adopters. Perri was so friendly and rolled over almost immediately for the Dad (the one who needed a little convincing) and Sue did an immediate about-face and was like, “Ok, I’ll go get the contract”. It was funny. I knew that would happen. They loved her and took turns holding her. We chatted for a bit but the husband and kids were cold so they were ready to go. We said goodbye and off Perri went, bound for Canada. We drove back down and listened to the game for most of the ride. Eric was all excited. I dropped him off at home and went to the bank. At home I ran around doing stuff and researching fireplace inserts. We went to the store to get stuff for dinner. Eric made tater tot casserole. Delicious! Went to bed early because I was tired and exhausted.

Saturday 11/10, I had insanely hot dreams about Ryan Gosling. Ok, not that hot. It was more that we had an intense connection (like Driver and Irene) without a lot of talking. And our knees were touching while we sat waiting for a production or show to start. I woke up at 5 something and went to make sure Alix had made it up and out; she had. We were up by 8, packed up, called the bellboy, checked out, checked our email then over to Starbucks. I got a muffin, Kassie got coffee. We went down to the beach and sat out for a few hours, trying to soak up the last UV rays possible. At 12:30 we headed up to the hospitality suite to shower and get ready for our flights. We caught our cab right at 1:30 to the airport. I got through my line quickly and over to wait for Kass. We went through security without issue then walked through all the duty free shops and also looked for a souvenir charm for her bracelet; couldn’t find anything. We got some pizza for lunch (ehh) then waited by her gate for her to board. We said goodbye and I went over to my gate. Our flight was running late, but luckily I was able to board in the first wave for first class. Since it was a longer flight we got more food, drinks and digi players (Kass hates that term). I watched Descendents and Due Date. The first one was a tear jerker the second I laughed my ass off. We landed a little late; I texted Eric letting him know. I made it down to Immigration very quickly, was about the fifth person in line, breezed through Customs because I didn’t check my bag, onto the train to the main terminal and out to the curb to meet Eric, all in about 7 minutes. It was the fastest I’ve ever gone through. I know that probably won’t happen again. When I got in the car I called Sue to firm up plans for the next day to meet up for them to meet Perri. Eric and I talked the rest of the way home. I was a little worked up when I got home; kind of a mild franticness. I tried putting most of my stuff away from my trip. Eric was looking to get lucky but I was totally not into it. I went to bed early since my internal clock was two hours ahead of Seattle time. Last night with my Per-Per.

Friday 11/9, We spent the day down at the beach. Kass came down to the beach with me for awhile before her massage then left. Alix came down and I went up to have lunch while she watched the stuff. After her massage Kassie came down. Kass and I went in not too deep. I finally finished my book and the second to last chapter was very disturbing (Cherry). Alix was up in the room for part of the day because she didn’t feel good. We went to get her a smoothie, but ended up getting ours first then to get some soup for Kassie at the bistro. She almost peed her pants at lunch but I don’t remember why. I know part of it was when she was going to give a shitty tip and I made a horrified face. There was something else that started it though. She was holding her crotch so she wouldn’t pee her pants. We stopped at the store to get Alix some bread, got her smoothie, then up to the room. The three of us went down to the lobby to check in for our flights. Kass and I both got upgraded to first class so that made me very happy. Kass also bought me the peony tree I wanted so I’m really excited about that. We asked concierge for a dinner recommendation and she suggested La Dolce Vita. We went up to the room to hang out for a while before dinner. We all started packing and I felt really well organized. We got dressed up and headed out to dinner. Everyone was very accommodating and over and above helpful. The food was wonderful. I had a caprese salad to start then some ravioli with fresh tomato. We were stuffed and headed home. I had some ice cream. Alix went to bed because she had to be up at 4:00 am. Kass and I watched Drive and I drooled over the Baby Goose. We went to bed afterward. I had a wonderful dream.

Thursday 11/8, Alix and I got up earlier than Kass, ate breakfast, got ready, went down to check our email then out to the water taxi hut to check the fare and schedule (it was expensive!). Decided to beach it for the day and rescheduled Kassie’s massage for the next day. Got a decent tan, went in the water for awhile but the waves were insane and we kept having to dive under them. Back on dry land I read my book and went up at 2:45. Got ready, booked our tour, met Kass in the lobby to go over dinner options then down to the pier. We were early so we went up to the yacht club for a drink and chips. Kass was wearing high heels and as we walked down to the boat a guy was like “Hey barbie, don’t fall; because if you do I’m going to help you up” and she was like “Uh oh, I don’t want that!”. He gave a skeevy laugh. It was very funny. Our trip into Old Town PV was hilarious with crazy waves, water spraying everywhere, an old lady’s wig threatening to fly off, etc. We were all dressed up and our hair and clothes were wet, then in a final twist there was no dock in Old Town PV so we had to jump off the boat into the water where we got all wet and sandy. We were like, “Are you fucking kidding?”. We wandered around, found a spigot to wash off our feet, said bye to gay friends (from Denmark we were guessing), perused shops, found the beaded shop with gorgeous creations and bought a ton of shit. We got dinner recommendation from the shop manager and ended up at Joe Jacks which had excellent food and atmosphere, as promised. We were serenaded by a local group who were very enamored with Kassie. We loved the place. Kass dared Alix to hit on the table of Asian guys next to us for $200. She didn’t. After dinner we walked around, found another shop with great art and accessories, bought a piece (chubby girl with doll), watched an impromptu Jazzercise class in a town square at 10pm, walked into downtown over the bridge, heard someone say to Kassie, “Hey Princess”, then caught a cab back to NV. I went down to the lobby to check email and back to the room for bed.

Wednesday 11/7, Woke up by 10ish, went down to check emails, then to the beach. Spent the day down there and spent some time in the water with Kassie. Back up at our chairs she offered me hundreds of dollars then up to $2k if I would get my hair braided, wear it for the rest of the trip and until the 14th when she got up to Seattle. Then I would have to go out to dinner, in Seattle, with her and still wearing the braids. I declined. Alix thought I was crazy. For lunch we to the Mexican place in the mall. It was better than the resort but still not fantastic. Kass went to her massage and Alix and I walked out to the jetty then down the beach past the Hard Rock, which was swarming with barely-clothed gay men. We were hanging out back at the room when Kass came back from her massage. We hung in the room for most of the night. I was down in the lobby a lot checking email, etc., and Alix went to bed by 9. Kass and I watched Hall Pass and she ordered room service that almost made her vomit. She was being a little dramatic. She watched About a Boy on tv after it was over and I went to bed.

Tuesday 11/6, Woke up and went down to the beach to soak up the sun on Alishia’s last day. She packed up and left by 2:15. We went to the store for more supplies then went back down to the beach until sunset. I alternated between being under the umbrella and in the sun. I didn’t want to burn. I was making my way through my book at a leisurely space. We ordered pizza to the room for dinner which took forever and was terrible. It was election day so we watched a lot of the results throughout the afternoon and evening. Kassie and I watched “Rebound” which was hilarious. We flipped between the movie and election updates, while Alix watched non-stop coverage in her room. I went to the lobby to check email and fb and the election was called for Obama. Stayed up super late waiting for Romney’s concession and state results. Gay marriage and pot were still up in the air with no clear winner.

Monday 11/5, I was up by 9ish, had my breakfast and sat out on the deck. We all got ready pretty quickly and went down to the beach for the day. We got decent seats and stayed down there for a few hours. I was in the shade most of the time and read my book. Kass and Alishia went in the water for a long time and when they got back we went and got lunch. It was like 1. We went to a little bistro in the mall, starts with a J, can’t remeber. My soup was good but the veggie panini left something to be desired. It was like stir fry vegetables on a warmed up ciabatta. Ehhh. We changed back into our suits and went back down to the beach. Kass and Alix slept for most of it. Alishia and I both fell asleep but then some loud lady yelled and woke us up. We were irritated. We chatted about Desperate Housewives and other shiz while the girls slept. Finally Kass woke up and was a real grumpy dumpy then went and got some ice cream. We got the bill for the drinks and went back up to the room. I showered and soon we were preparing to go to dinner. We decided on Tulum. The food was pretty good and our conversations were hilarious. We walked by the fiesta on the way home. Alishia and Kassie went to find the stuff to play bocce ball but they were closed. Alix and I checked our email and such. I wrote to Eric to tell him he'd have to do Perri's vet stuff for her app and Genie let me know we're all set with the meetup on Sunday. We checked Alishia in for her flight and she got upgraded to first class for $50 just like me! I updated this and watched Jerry Maguire with Kass in bed. Went to bed after 11 sometime.

Sunday 11/4, We slept in and when I got up I sat on the deck and read. Alix joined me and we had our breakfast out there. Alishia got up next and joined us and finally Alix woke up Kassie so we could get going on our day. We all got ready and went to the lobby to catch a cab to PV. Our driver took us to Old Town to get some tacos. Most of them were fish but he did up some beef for me. I had three, hoping it would keep me full for the rest of the day. They were like a dollar a piece. We walked up to a little store where Kass bought us each a new shirt and one for Aubrie. We caught a cab back to downtown and went to Starbucks so Kass could get a coffee fix. Next we walked up the boardwalk along the water where a guy said to Kassie, "Hey, moviestar" and we all died. We sat down for a little bit and people watched then headed back, got a donut that wasn't that great then to Roberto's for some gelato. We went to a candy shop where Kass got a bunch of non-candy and I got some of the bird seed treat that Quickie fed us in Playa. We stopped in a slipper store and I got a pair of nautical style slippers. We caught a cab back to NV and our cab driver was super into weed and wanted to get us some. Kassie did a lot of recording in the cab; I just kept rolling my eyes wanted the eff out. When we got back we changed into our suits and went down to the beach. We sat out there for a few hours and Kass got some food. We stayed until it got chilly and headed back up. I wasn't hungry but Alishia and Kass were so they went to the fancy restaurant while Alix and I stayed behind and watched tv in bed. They came home hours later after shutting down the restaurant. I fell asleep shortly after.

Saturday 11/3, We were up at 4am and out of the house a half hour later. Made it to the airport and got upgraded to first class for the LAX to PVR leg of the flight. Gave Eric a kiss and hug goodbye and headed through security. I got some yogurt and a scone for breakfast at Dilettante then to the gate. We were on time and I watched Crazy, Stupid, Love on the way down. I had a pretty long layover but talked to Alishia for awhile to pass the time. Boarded at 10:30 in first class and was so excited. I sat next to a nice lady who vacations often. Had lunch, watched part of Sarah Marshall and soon after landed. It took awhile to get through immigration then I found the sisters in baggage claim. Alix and I went through customs together and she got the red light. Out to the curb and caught a cab to the resort. I checked us in and all was good and up to the room. It was a smoking room and really stank, so I went down and requested another one and got a non-smoking with a view of the canal and marina. Major upgrade. We got settled and relaxed. We did a tour around the grounds and decided on one of the restaurants for dinner. The food was ok and afterward we went to the store and picked up stuff for breakfast and other snacks. Got stuff for Alix's infected leg and back home. We took it easy and went to bed around midnight.

Friday 11/2, I went to work super early so I was able to leave early which was good because we were going down to Federal Way to meeat with Pip's adopters. The contract was sent out in the morning and I arranged with Annette our plans to meet. I got home and Eric had most of everything set to go; I had to do a few things like put together feeding instructions and all that then I called Annette and we took off. The rain started when we left and was pouring by the time we got down there. It took awhile with traffic but we arrived at the same time as Annette and husband. We chatted with them and I'm so glad they adopted her because I think they'll be a great family for her. I left feeling relieved and we got home much more quickly than it took to drive south. I packed and did stuff around the house. I wanted to go to bed early but didn't until about 11. We had to be up super early to go to the airport.

Thursday 11/1, More packing in preparation for the trip. I talked with Genie about the Pip situation and also about Perri's applicants (slam dunk). I was trying to pack and get other stuff ready for the trip as well. Eric and I went to Super Supplements where I got honey for Pip's cough and travel size toiletries for my trip. At home I ran around while Eric made dinner. Got a lot done but I was stressing about Contracts getting Pip's contract out and getting the adoption finalized. I was checking my email every 5 minutes. Didn't get it that night and continued freaking out.

Wednesday 10/31, I stayed late at work even though I’d planned to leave early. I went to the bank and got some cash for Mexico. Got a ton of emails throughout the day about Pip’s adoption and Genie gave her approval quickly. Scheduled the HV and hopefully she’ll be going to her new home before I leave for Mexico. At home Eric was in a bad mood about the dogs because Pip keeps peeing on everything. I changed and took off for a run. When I got back we leashed up the dogs and did one time around. Cherry gave me some cookies that looked like fingers that were delicious (Halloween). She told me to give Eric the finger for her. Har. It was cute. I talked to Genie, set up the HV, filled in Pip’s medical stuff, prepared the email for Debbie, ate some dinner, fed the dogs, cleaned up multiple pee spots in the den, took the dogs out and took a shower. Pip then peed on our bed. I was so frustrated and put her in a crate. I don’t know what’s going on with her but she’d just been out 15 minutes prior and had peed multiple times in the den. I think she just needs to be out of our house with all the other dogs. I watched Modern Family and updated this. Went to bed by 11.

Tuesday 10/30, At home I showered and texted with Chrystol to figure out when we were going to meet up at the show. Still working the apps all day for Pip and Perri. Got a lot done. Eric heated me up some pasta and we took off a little early for the mall so I could exchange my mascara. We left for Seattle and made good time. We went in (Fremont Abby) and Chrystol and Sky were already there. I saw Sam right away and said hi and gave him a hug. We chatted for a minute before going across the street to get coffee. We went back across the street to look at the furniture while the boys looked at the meat shop and this drunk guy started chatting us up telling us how he was going to marry Linda Ronstadt and how he gave her advice about fame before she was famous and he slow danced with her. He was really having a moment. Then he told us about the Beatles show and how they got the better of the audience by sneaking out and faking an encore. There was more, a lot more, but those were the highlights. He loved Chrsytol’s red pants and sang, “Chrystol with the red pants on” (like Devil with the red dress on). We told him we had to go and went back inside after talking to Michael Spal*y. Shelby Earl was playing and she was amazing; Eric loved her too. Sam took the stage and I really like all his new stuff. There was some acting from a guy in the audience and it really confused me; I thought it was real then fake then real again. I didn’t know what was going on. Sam confirmed after the show it was supposed to be ambiguous. We did a lot of giggling throughout the show and immediately afterward Sam came over and said it was just like old times how when he would look over at us he would see us laughing and whispering. We’d been found out! We chatted for a bit and Sam said we hadn’t seen each other since Sky and Chrystol’s wedding, two years ago. I just can’t believe it. We hung for a bit, then said our final goodbyes and walked back to the car in the rain. Headed home, let the dogs out while Eric went to the store and got ready for bed. Stayed up a little late (midnight) doing stuff for the adoptions and a few other things.

Monday 10/29, I got home from work a little early and put on my gear to go for a run. I did two times around which is a mile and I ran the whole thing. I was tired. Eric and I took four of five dogs around the neighborhood and Pip loved it though she was totally having party time for the whole walk. I showered when we got home, Eric fed the dogs and we went to Costco where I got a bunch of stuff I didn’t need. Nuts. We went to Mud Bay next to see if we could find some mini diapers for Pip; no dice. When we got home I ordered a couple off etsy (the belly bands arrived today – they’re so cute!). Eric made some pasta and we watched tv. I did stuff online and waited for Genie’s emails to the two apps for Perri and Pip. My email was down, I assume due to hurricane Sandy. We went to bed after 10.

Sunday 10/28, I was up at 8:00 and Alishia texted that she was up. We all got ready and went to Ruby’s on the pier for breakfast. It was ehhh, as expected. We took some pictures on the pier and headed home. I packed up all my stuff and said my goodbyes to Mom, Dad and Alishia. Aubrie took me to the airport and we talked about going on a trip just the two of us; maybe to Kauai. We got to the airport right at 12:30 and I made it through security fine except they almost took my salt for Cherry. We boarded soon after I got to the gate. The flight was fine and I watched Life Aquatic. We landed shortly after and I let Eric know I was on my way. He met me on the curb and we went home. I unpacked my stuff and we took off for the mall so I could get some new mascara. We went to the store to grab a few things and took it easy for the rest of the night. The apps started rolling in throughout the evening for both Perri and Pip. Some looked good, others no so much for the girls and were passed on to other dogs. Went to bed early after a full weekend.

Saturday 10/27, I woke up before 8, but was still tired. I got ready and waited for Courtney to text that she was on her way. She arrived by 9:30 and we sat in the living room chatting. Abby Lynne finally wanted something to do with me and engaged, yay! We talked the whole time and I showed them around the new house. We played upstairs with Aubrie’s stuffed animals and took a picture that Courtney posted on fb. They left by 11:30 and we tried to get a hold of Alishia for our trip to Temecula. Finally when we were getting ready to leave she called; we went over to her house and picked her up and off we went to Temecula. We went to lunch first, Public House. The staff was all dressed up for Halloween and our server, Andrew, was a hipster and a very good one. I didn’t know he was in a costume, I just assumed that’s how he dressed. The long ponytail was the only thing off, but it made sense once he told us that in real life he’s metal. I would have made out with him. The blue eyes and dark complexion. We went to the olive oil company next and tasted all of them and I bought a bottle, a sample vinegar pack and some sea salt for Cherry. We walked back to the car, went back to Alishia’s and on the way home stopped at the store. Aubrie was home when we got there, with Christian, but Dad wasn’t home yet. We chatted then Dad got home and debriefed us on his birthday-day. I went upstairs and called Eric to let him know all was well. We had dinner: fondu, fries and veggies. We watched Lost Boys after dinner and Dad and I had pie and ice cream. After the movie was over we all headed to bed. I called Eric and we talked for awhile then I had to cut him off because I had a large splinter in my foot and I wanted it out. Aubrie and Christian did some surgery and got it out. We talked for 20 minutes or so then I got ready and went to bed.

Friday 10/26, Eric picked me up from work and we went straight to the airport. Eric dropped me off and I went through security easily. I had like three hours to kill. I went to my gate and called Mom and Dad to see who was picking me up and to chat about the weekend. I called Court next and we agreed she would come over the next morning. I went to find something to eat and walked all the way down to concourse A. Fleet Foxes and Blitzen Trapper played back to back over the airport loudspeaker; it was wonderful. I got a veggie bagel and on my way back to the gate picked up a half-off cookie at Dillatante. I ate my dinner, hit the bathroom and boarded after. There was no one sitting in the middle seat so I got to stretch out. We got a late start but made up some time in the air. I watched Scoop and it ended right when we started our descent. Mom met me out at the curb and we chatted all the way home. She showed me around the new house and we ended up staying up until 1:30 talking in the kitchen. I stayed up for a little bit and did stuff on my phone then to bed. Probably around 2.

Thursday 10/25, We took the dogs out in the yard again and let them burn off some energy. They’re all getting along so well, which helps when you have six. We watched the Thursday shows then to bed.

Wednesday 10/24, Eric wanted to watch the last segment of LotR. We took the dogs out again and played with them in the backyard. Blair came over and inserted Pip’s microchip and stuck around and talked for a while. Out in the backyard the dogs ran off a lot of energy together. We put on the movie and it ended right at 9 when Modern Family started. Watched our shows, showered and went to bed.

Tuesday 10/23, We took the dogs out and watched them run around and took pictures. I got Pip’s petfinder and image event all set up and submitted. We ran around and played with the dogs, which I think helps a lot in the evening. I watched some of DwtS and we had dinner in the living room.

Monday 10/22, Stayed late at work and when I got home Eric was making dinner and the dogs had eaten. We ate dinner and watched the first part of the third LotR. We had some dog issues and ended up being irritated with each other.

Sunday 10/21, We were up at 8 because Brizo started barking from the den. I was up and ready to get going for the day; however, I tuckered out quickly. I did a few things in the morning but laid down again by 10:00 and wanted to go back to sleep. I finally willed myself to get up and get going. I put all the dogs into the den with Eric and started cleaning the bedroom wing of the house. Clancy stayed in the bedroom while I vacuumed and washed the floors in the bedroom, bathroom and hallway. I vacuumed the rest of the house but skipped washing the rest of the floors. Eric was outside cutting up the pine and stacking it in the pool room. He told me Chrystol and Sky were coming over for dinner. We showered and got ready then set out to run some errands. We went to Office Depot then had to skip the bakery because it was closed and on to Mud Bay for bullies, more food and pee remover. We stopped at the store and picked up stuff for a salad then home. I watched Project Runway with the dogs on the bed and felt sleepy again. I didn’t sleep but closed my eyes for a little bit. Eric worked on dinner and I fed the dogs. They showed up and it was a dog party, but with no barking. It was insane. Our house is more calm with six dogs than with three. We chatted and Chrystol took turns holding each of the dogs. She wanted to take home both Pip and Perri and Sky liked Rudy. We ate dinner at the dining room table and it was delicious. Sky and Chrystol brought it: sweet potato stuffed with brussells sprouts, nuts, blue cheese and cranberries and maybe some other stuff. Eric made one of the best salads ever. For desert Chrystol made apple pie brownies which we had with vanilla ice cream. We sat in the living room and I sat in front of the fireplace and we played musical dogs. We relaxed for a bit in there and they left around 10. We packed up all the dogs and went to sleep.

Saturday 10/20, We were up early and out the door to go meet Julee. Pip was so cute and sweet but very hand shy and submissive. We talked to Julee for awhile then took off for home. Pip was pretty good in the crate and only whined when we first started driving. When we got home we slowly introduced her into the house and she met Clancy first. She wasn’t thrilled with him and gave him a couple growls. She met Brizo next and they just stayed away from each other. Throughout the day we took it easy and juggled dogs. Perri wanted to meet Pip so bad but we knew she wasn’t ready for that yet. Eric didn’t want to do chores and decided we’d do them the next day. I spent the day doing laundry and doing some chores here and there. Peggy dropped off Rudy at 5:00 and he wasn’t so sure about all the dogs. She left and we were up to six dogs. By the end of the night they’d all be mingling and Pip would be trying to get Rudy to play. We decided to watch the second half of the second LotR. Eric went to the store and got some chicken and made rice. I came up with a brilliant plan for remodeling the bathrooms and was so excited to tell Eric. I was asleep before SNL came on.

Friday 10/19, The transport bring up Pip and three other fosters was running late so Janell kept me updated via email. We decided to go down to Factoria so Eric could get some jeans and I got some underwear and socks at Nordstrom Rack. We stopped at the store on the way home and picked up stuff for him to make dinner. He made a big taco salad and we put on LotR, waiting for the call from Janell. At 10 she called and said she was going to do the pickup and overnight them and I was going to meet Julee in Southcenter at 8:45 the next morning. We went to bed not much later.

Thursday 10/18, P left for Vegas. I’m not sure what I did at home but I know I watched Office and Parks and Rec. I showered and probably got into bed early. I did that a few times this week.

Wednesday 10/17, When we got home I noticed the neighbors were home so we got stuff ready for Halloween decorating ready and went over. Sam wasn’t home yet but we talked with Sherry and Anthony for a while and joked that Sherry had “Ratt concert hair” from her nap. Sherry went and picked up Sam and we decorated the courtyard and front yard. It looked pretty good. Eric made dinner and we watched the Wednesday night shows.

Tuesday 10/16, When I got home it wasn’t raining and I wanted to take the dogs on a walk so Eric and I took three of four (Breezy stayed home) around the block and visited with Cherry (who wants Perri), her daughter and Peach then on the other side of the block we talked to Pam and her son while out doing yard work and Perri has quite a fan club. Inside we fed the dogs and took them out in the backyard for awhile. We went to the store to pick up fixins for dinner and when we got home he started while watching the presidential debate. I wanted to do the Halloween decorating but Samantha’s dad wouldn’t let her until the next day. I did some stuff online while Eric did dinner then joined him around 7:15. He made a cream of mushroom chicken over rice with my favorite squash zucchini medley. I ate most of mine. We had brownies and ice cream for dessert while watching DwtS. I got ready for bed at 9:30 and updated this. Bed after 10.

Monday 10/15, I was nervous all day to hear about how they took the rejection of their app / home for Perri. I was forwarded the email exchange and it was better than I’d expected. I think the fact that multiple times I voiced my concerns to them helped them know what had happened. At home Eric was getting started on putting up the new curtains in the bedroom and replacing the rod. The new setup looks much better and brighter. I suggested pho for dinner so we went to the one in Overlake. I tried something new and it was pretty good. Back at home I watched DwtS and did stuff online. Found out about Julee’s next dog, who was attacked by a bigger dog and has puncture wounds on his back and neck. Poor boy. He’ll be on the same transport as Pip, Teo and Nevaeh. Went to bed after 10.

Sunday 10/14, Eric had to be up early to be at work and I had Perri’s home visit up in Edmonds at 10. I was hoping he would be back before then so he could come too, but he wasn’t. I showered, got ready and took off shortly after 9. I had visions of a nice house with beautiful sunroom. What I walked into was very different. I was overwhelmed when I walked in and couldn’t believe how much stuff and shit was covering every wall, covering every surface. Not garbage, just stuff. Everywhere. I just tried to focus on Perri and not even look around because I was so horrified. It could have been worse, I guess, but definitely not what I would wish for my Per-Per. Their dog was too much for Perri this time and she was growling, baring teeth and snapping constantly. It just was not good. I let them know my concerns, but didn’t indicate it wouldn’t be a fit. I thought I had to make this work even though I was so depressed leaving. I called Eric on the way home and he was like, this isn’t going to work and I don’t think she should go there. We talked more when I got home and I called Genie. We talked for 45 minutes and she had my back and gave me some perspective and the more we talked the more clarity I had. I called Janell next and she was totally with me and told me about experiences she’s had. She asked if we still wanted Pip to come up on Friday so I said I’d ask Eric. She fired off the first email to the Apps Manager letting them know. I filled out the HV form and sent it on, exchanged some emails with Genie and started working on Perri’s petfinder bio and taking pictures. I put on LotR and worked on it. I had most of it done by the time part one was over and took off with Perri for MI to see Eric. We visited with him at work for a little bit and I got a toy for Perri and some canned pumpkin for her upset tummy. I asked about Pip coming up and he said yes, so I let Janell know. I went to the store before going home. I made some dinner, put on part two and finished up the bio and image event. I sent it off and felt good that it was done. The movie was over just as we were going to bed. I was feeling so bad about these applicants not getting Perri especially since they thought it was going to go through, but the guilt of placing her with them and knowing it was not the best home for her would have been a way worse feeling of guilt. I was dreading hearing the fallout from the rejection email the next day.

Saturday 10/13, I was awake by 7:30 and took out Perri; then back into bed to try and go back to sleep. I did stuff on my phone until 8:15 then woke up Eric because the roofing guy was coming at 9. We took care of the dogs and got ready; the roofer was a little early and gave us the lowdown on everything. He took off and we both headed outside to work in the yard for awhile. I transplanted some small plants in the courtyard while Eric chopped wood and cleaned up the patio, roof and gutters. Inside we each had some lunch and waited for Peggy to bring over Rudy for a visit. He did pretty good considering all the dogs and how pushy Perri is. After she left we went up to Crossroads to get some new curtains for the bedroom and other things. Eric got a coffee from the French Bakery and I got a palmier. We went home and I was exhausted so I took a nap for a while and Eric watched football. When I got up we went to get the pizzas and dessert for our evening with Sky and Chrystol. They arrived right on time at 6:30 and Chrystol loved Perri and wanted to kidnap her. We talked for a little bit then it was time for dinner and Goonies. Neither of them had ever seen it and I think Sky liked it better than Chrystol. Too much boy-yelling for her. They left before 11 and we both climbed into bed and watched some SNL before falling asleep. I had dreams about J. Guthrie and Eric having secret phone conversations with Veronica.

Friday 10/12, Up at 5:30 (wayyy to early) and went to work to pick up P, then back to work and off early. Eric had gone up to the Russian / eastern market during the day and picked up perogis and a bunch of other random stuff. For dinner he made sausage, the perogis and broccoli. I was very tired but managed to stay up decently late, like 10:30.

Thursday 10/11, Eric was working late so I took care of the pups when I got home and took Clancy, Nyx and Perri around the block then took just Perri up to the street we like to see the progress on my favorite house they bulldozed. She did ok, but was a little skittish with the cars. At home I made dinner for everyone and for myself. I didn’t watch the debate; instead talked with Aubrie, then Genie for awhile and Aubrie again. She was upset about Kassie and not coming to Mom and Dad’s for Thanksgiving, and by default, her birthday. Genie and I chatted about the applicants for Perri and everything looked good so we were moving ahead. When Eric got home I told him about Aubrie and he wanted to make sure she was ok and said he’d call her the next day. I didn’t stay up late because I had to be up super early the next morning to take P to the airport.

Wednesday 10/10, When I got home Eric wanted to go up to Crossroads to get some more Halloween decorations so I got some rats and a spider and he got more tombstones. I wanted to decorate that night but he didn’t so we decided to wait for the weekend. Some of our shows were on so we watched those and off to bed.

Tuesday 10/9, Stayed a little late at work. When I got home Eric was cleaning. I went out in the backyard and cleaned up poop and watered the plants. Updated Perri’s file. Emailed with Janell and Genie about Perri’s app. Watched DwtS and updated this. Went to bed not looking forward to the next day’s meeting and getting the dogs all set before work.

Monday 10/8, I brought work home and reviewed while watching DwtS. When I got home I took Nyx and Clancy for a walk and put Brizo in the sling. I gave Nyx a bath and we did her nails and ears. I went out in the front yard and watered the plants. Eric made a wonderful dinner: steak with wine reduction and mushrooms, sautéed asparagus and squash, roasted fingerling potatoes and a caprese salad. Delish. After finishing up work I got into bed.

Sunday 10/7, Nyx woke me up at 7:20, needing to go out. I got back in bed for 15 minutes then up and packing. Nyx and I shared a banana and soon I was all packed up and ready to head out. I said bye to Mom and Dad and that I’d probably see them in a couple weeks since I was thinking about flying down for Dad’s birthday weekend. The trip home went pretty quickly and I made it home a few minutes after 10. I don’t think Nyx was happy to be home. She had so much fun at the property and is like a puppy out there. Eric said Clancy was pouting and depressed all weekend; I think it’s all the other dogs invading on his baby time. I changed my clothes and before long we were heading out to Schucks for the tail lights and got that all sorted out. Eric and I went over to Stopsky’s on MI for some coffee and pastries then to Luther Burbank for the rat terrier meet-up. There was something like 30 rats there. It was a tri-color bonanza. Perri did awesome and ran and played with all sorts of dogs. Clancy did pretty well too, peeing on everything and checking in often with us. The couple interested in Perri came and we hung with them and their dog for about 45 minutes, talking about Perri and letting the dogs interact. It was a very good meeting and hopefully they want to move forward. It was great to see everyone and to meet some of the new pups. We left by 1:15 or so and headed home, where Eric made me a roast beef sandwich before taking off for Seattle on his bike to meet Sky. I watched Project Runway and Parks and Rec online and relaxed with the puppies until I heard from Mary about picking up Pop. She picked him up but Cam let out Pop and Perri who went running across the street to sniff in a neighbor’s yard. Luckily both came to me as I chased them down. They left and I updated Perri’s long bio for the potential adopters. I took off for the store and made it back by 7. I made some mcclusky noodles for dinner and watched AFV and finished P’s bio. It looks like we already know our next little foster; Pippy, 9lbs, tri-color, type-b and very cute. Her best friend is a giant tortoise. I fired off some emails, showered, got ready for bed and updated this. Eric got home at 10; Sky dropped him off.

Saturday 10/6, I woke up at 9:30 and couldn’t believe how long I’d slept in. I took out Nyx, fed her and had some breakfast, myself. Dad and Brad were running around doing stuff to pack the place up and winterize. I took Nyx for a walk down to the first property on the county road, which is for sale. Two 1.1 acre parcels, $440k. A bit high. We walked down to the river and I snapped a few pictures. Mom, Heidi and I took off around 11ish for Wenatchee. The drive was nice and the weather was gorgeous. We went to the Public House first for lunch and I got the BBTA (bacon, basil, tomato and avocado). We walked down to the farmers market but we were a half hour too late to get a sweet treat from Sweet Kitchen Café. We walked the strip and I got a couple xmas ornaments, while Mom got a day of the dead apron for Aubs at Gilded Lily. We stopped at Napa for brake and turn signal lights for my car, Costco for a heater and gas, Walmart for antifreeze then Home Depot for dcon. We started back to the property but took a detour to Anjou Bakery. I got a chocolate chip cookie and tried a bite of mom’s marion berry pie, which was delish. We sat out on the back patio which is so fun. We drove back to the property, gabbing the whole way. Uncle Brad had already left and Heidi packed up as well. Dad helped me with the tail lights but they gave me the wrong turn signal light so that was a bust. Had to drive home with a tail light out the next day. Heidi left and we hung in the motorhome watching tv and relaxing. We ended up staying in and Dad made popcorn for dinner and we watched Pawn Stars or something. We watched until 9:30 then we all headed to bed. I called Eric upstairs and read a magazine until it was lights out.

Friday 10/5, I went home after work and started packing. Eric ended up not going to Greek fest in Tacoma so he was home when I arrived. We went to dinner at the French Bakery and each got a panini (I got the croquet monsieur). He bought me a strawberry croissant for the drive to Plain. When we got back I packed up my stuff and Nyxie and we hit the road. She wasn’t thrilled with the ride but for the most part she was quiet. We made it in two hours thanks to no traffic. Mom and Dad weren’t there when we arrived, so we relaxed upstairs and I showered as we waited. They pulled in 40 minutes later with Uncle Brad and Auntie Heidi in tow. I couldn’t believe it. So fun! We went in the motorhome and they drank and ate candy and we all chatted until almost 1am. I talked to Eric a few times after I left because he wanted to check on me, which was sweet. When we all decided to go to bed I headed up with Nyx and we settled into bed. We slept very well.

Thursday 10/4, Poppy arrived in the morning and settled in easily. Perri loved Poppy and couldn’t wait to play, play, play. I went home after work and Mom and Dad checked in that they were waiting for Kass to pick them up. I showered and we took care of the dogs and waited for their call to meet up for dinner. We went up to Calcutta Grill to enjoy the beautiful sunset. We had a bit of a wait for our table and the one we got wasn’t great. Dinner was excellent as usual. Kass broke to Mom that her and Sky might not come to Thanksgiving so Mom was in a bad mood for the rest of the night. We had a nice dinner otherwise. We headed back to our house so Kass could meet Perri. Mom and Dad were staying with us for the night. We sat in the living room and talked. Kass left around 9 and we stayed up talking until after 10. Mom and Dad said the dogs are well-behaved and I was like “Huh?”. I think their expectations keep getting lower. Got all the dogs settled and went to bed.

Wednesday 10/3, I stayed late at work to finish something up. P was out of town for the next couple days. At home I started right away on chores and laundry. I watered plants and made up the bed in the back room. Folded sheets and towels and Perri kept me company the whole time. She is the sweetest. I talked to Kassie briefly. Watched Project Runway online, updated this, showered, took Perri out and went to bed.

Tuesday 10/2, Susan was in Bellevue so I told her to come over to hang. I started doing some cleaning and laundry in preparation of mom and dad coming Thursday. Perri is still doing great and she is so sweet. Susan and I chatted about her weekend with Andrew and also about the email she sent about our Neighbours adventures. Eric made us dinner and we sat and watched WoF and Jeopardy. DwtS came on and we watched a little of it before she took off for home. I stayed out and watched and did stuff online while Eric watched tv in the bedroom. I showered and tried taking Perri out multiple times. That dog never pees. We finally went to bed without her going out again. Luckily she didn’t go in her crate over night. She can really hold it, which I don’t necessarily think is a good thing. I was asleep by 11.

Monday 10/1, Perri was up around 4am (she hadn’t pottied the entire evening before) so I took her out and she pottied which made me feel a lot better. In the morning I took her on a short walk around the neighborhood then she was crated all day, which worried me. When I got home the blanket had been chewed, so now I know she gets bored, understandably. Eric got home at the same time and we took all the dogs outside. We stayed out there for quite a while and introduced her to our dogs. Everyone did fine but no one’s impressed. Eric took off for the store and I stayed and chatted with Cherry and introduced Perri. She loved her too. I fed the dogs, started some laundry and worked on some emails and paperwork. Eric made some dinner and I ate in the bedroom with Perri. Watched some tv, did stuff online and updated this.

Sunday 9/30, I was so tired and woke up around 8ish because Brizo was making all kinds of noise. Eric got up at 6:30. I had a slow start to the day. Eric left around 9 for work and I went to get some gas then stopped at the store on the way home. I had some breakfast then laid down to look at some stuff online and me and the dogs all took a little snooze. I watched a bunch of Lana del Rey videos and finally forced myself to get up and do something. I took the dogs out and finished planting the last plants and moved one hydrangea. I composted a bunch of stuff and was glad I’d gone outside. I did some things inside and went up to the bank. Eric got home early and I heard from Janell about Perri’s arrival plans. Stef and Peter came over right before 3 and we took off for Rattlesnake Ridge for a late afternoon hike. It was gorgeous. Stef and I were way in the back and huffed and puffed slowly up the mountain. I saw Bob Rivers as we were going up and I was like “Hey! Bob Rivers!” so he turned around and I told him I loved him and that I listen every day. He said he was sure 50% of that statement was true. I assured him I did and we kept going. I told Stef who he was because she had no idea. I told the boys, who were way in front of us. At the top we sat for a long time and talked and basked in the sun. It felt so good. We made our way back down and to the car then home. We chatted in the car and Janell let me know she had Perri and we agreed to meet at 7:30. It was 7 when we got home, we fed the dogs and took off for Southcenter. We picked her up and OMG she is so sweet and cute. I was like, “Uh oh, I’m in trouble with this one” because I knew I’d want to keep her. I bathed her when we got home while Eric went out to find dinner. He cleaned her ears then I followed up and we both got a ton of stuff out of them. Ish. We were both exhausted so Eric was out by 9:45 and I was asleep by 10:30.

Saturday 9/29, Eric and I worked out in the yard with him hauling and dumping compost and me planting most of the rest of the plants. I worked mostly in the backyard. Eric took off at 11 or something and I kept going in the back. I talked to Cherry about some of the plants I got and Darryll gave me the bill for my share of the fence. It was half of what I thought it would be. That was exciting. Eric and Sky went hiking and came back here afterward. Eric made his roasted veggie dish which Stef requested. We hung here for a couple hours then took off for Stefanie and Peter’s for their party. Peter was home for a few days. We were there right on time and sat and caught up with Peter. Chrystol arrived shortly after we did. They had lots of snacks and I filled up on those. We met Eva, from Slovakia like Peter, and her husband Kenny, who’s American and works for one of the news stations and gave us the lowdown on all the anchors. Diana came too. We ate dinner and had good conversation. Most everyone took off but Stef and Peter asked if we were going to stay so we did, for another 45 minutes or so. We planned to go hiking the next day and packed up. I was tired and Eric had to be at work by 9:00 the next morning. I think we went to bed by 1ish.

Friday 9/28, I came home and continued to read through all my old myspace messages from forever ago. I was laughing so hard and reminiscing. Eric would occasionally ask me to read him whatever I was laughing at, so I’d have to give background. He never thought they were very funny. Ahh, the good ole days. I finished after 9 or something and relaxed for the rest of the night.

Thursday 9/27, Susan came over after work and we finished watching SatC. We laughed at how bad it is. We started talking about the old days and all the trouble we used to get in. We were laughing so hard. The old cast of characters. She left later in the evening and I reminisced for the rest of the night. Eric went to bed but I wanted to read old myspace messages so I did it on my phone while he slept. Laughing and having tingly feelings about LPC again. Uh oh. Ridiculous, I know.

Wednesday 9/26, Sky’s birthday. Eric went to see Sky and got me Chinese food for dinner. I did a couple minor things then hopped in the shower and got in my pjs. It was 6:45. I ate dinner then worked on my visa statements and watched tv. I talked to Mom for a while then jumped off and watched Modern Family. Eric came home at the end and we talked about his night. He went out to watch tv at 10:30 then I updated this and watched Seinfeld.

Tuesday 9/25, Eric wasn’t feeling good and he relaxed while I vacuumed the house. When I was done he went outside to empty the compost out of the truck. He got it all done and because Kristel hadn’t arrived yet I started helping by arranging some plants. We talked to Cherry in the backyard and moved some of the hydrangea to pots into the front yard. Kristel arrived after 7 and I showed her the yard then we went to Super Supplements and talked about Troy’s job options. At home we ate chips, pizza and a caprese salad. We sat in the kitchen and talked for a long time then moved into the living room where we continued to have discussions. She left after 10 and I got ready for bed.

Monday 9/24, I stopped at Costco on the way home and Eric beat me home. The big Seahawks game was on so he’d stopped to get pizza. I ate some chips, guac and salsa then a caprese salad awhile later. Went out to see the fence had been knocked down and talked with Cherry. I had a piece of pizza then retired to the bedroom to watch Charlie’s Angels 2. I showered then into bed to update this.

Sunday 9/23, Eric slept until almost 8; I was awake at 7:30 and laid in bed looking at stuff on my phone until he woke up. I wanted to get going on the day but ended up taking my time getting ready. Finally I headed out after giving Eric a hard time for not coming out with me. He wanted to watch football. I was out there for a while trimming lavender and other plants then he came out and said he felt guilty and wanted to show me up by planting all the plants. He started with the canna then I went around and placed plants and he put them all in, including moving plants around and putting on fish fertilizer. I went in to have lunch and Eric left not long after. I called Dad and we talked about the foster pups, yard and free plants and their plans for next week when they’re up here. Afterward I went out and cleaned up, placed some other plants and planted one heuchera. Back inside I cleaned up and watched Project Runway. Eric was home by 8 and I had a simple dinner since it was late. Went to bed not too late.

Saturday 9/22, I got up around 8 and took care of things with the dogs. I called Mom and she was interested in going to T & L but it wouldn’t be until after 10. I took my time getting ready and started laundry. Mom arrived and we took the truck. I had a list of plants and we found most of them. I took it easy and ended up with two Canna (Pretoria), three saxifraga crustata, three acorus gramineus (miniature golden sweet flag), three Magellan wheatgrass, three armeria pseudarmeria, a dahlia (Vancouver) and two hosta (lemontini). After checking out a woman working there confirmed we could go through the piles of discarded plants, so we drove around picking up aurea, heuchera, tons of euphorbia (like 25, 4 varieties), a bunch of hebes (tri-color), a bunch of ground cover little vines (for the rock wall), dianthus (coconut surprise and shooting star about 20 of them) which are not really my thing but they were free and I’ve got space in the backyard that needs filling. We stopped at the French bakery on the way home and each got a veggie panini. At home we unloaded and Mom took off. I kept going on laundry then bathed Otto and put together all his paperwork and go home items. Eric came home and I showed him all the plants and we walked around with Otto. The Clinks arrived and we talked outside for a while then inside. It all went well and we went over everything again. They took off and we relaxed. It felt good to be down to three dogs again, even though we only had him for under three weeks. Eric left a few hours later to go to the Sounders game with Alan. I watched Velvet Goldmine which I haven’t seen in years and years. Some of it is so ridiculous, but still an interesting story. It brought back a flood of memories, both musically and visually. Good times. Eric was home by 10 but I didn’t last much after that. Eric stayed up and did homework.

Friday 9/21, While I was at work Eric did a lot of yard work in preparation for the new fence going in. When I got home there were a dozen blush pink roses and a card. Very sweet. I took a shower and got ready for our evening out with Sky and Chrystol. We left at 6:45 and made it to their place pretty quickly. I went down Mercer for the first time. We didn’t chat very long before leaving to go to dinner. They picked a new little Mexican place on 45th right across from the Guild. Dinner was good, but there was so much food; I was full even though I didn’t finish my dinner. Chrystol helped me choose a name for our new foster pup: Perri. She’s one year old, tan and white and 11 lbs. After dinner we walked down to Molly Moon’s, which they love that I hate. I got the Baracky Road and it was pretty good. I joked that I was going to fall on the floor and curl up in the fetal position and groan to everyone in line that the ice cream was rancid. After that we walked back to the car and Chrystol and I commiserated about before-bed activities and how not efficient it can be when you just want to get things taken care of and off to bed. We both can get ourselves ready in no time. Those boys slow everything down. We went back to their house and talked for a long time. I think it was after 11 by the time we left. We took the dogs out when we got home then into bed. Eric had to be up early the next morning.

Thursday 9/20, When I got home Susan was there waiting for me. We took the dogs out and chatted, fed them then took off for Crossroads. I had to get some hair stuff then it was off to pick up a pizza from Papa Murphy’s. Back at home we talked some more about her potential new job and the building she’d be in. We put on Sex and the City 2 and ate pizza. We made it about an hour and 20 minutes into it then turned it off and she went home. I watched Office and Parks and Rec, which were new. Eric came home about 45 minutes later from work and we chatted a bit before I went off to bed. He was off the next day so he stayed up.

Wednesday 9/19, Otto’s official approval and contract went out so I had to prep the health info when I got home. I was a little stressed and just trying to get it done, but was being kind of a bitch and had a short fuse with the dogs. Eric kept the dogs out until I was finished. I set up the timing with Otto’s adopters for when they can pick him up. Saturday late afternoon. I watched a little tv then into bed. Early.

Tuesday 9/18, Eric had everything ready when I got home to go down to Spanaway for the Otto meet and greet. Traffic was bad and it took us a little under an hour and a half. It went well and it would be a great home for Otto. We were there for probably 45+ minutes then took off for home and made it back by 9:00. Got the HV and FP passes out to Genie then the apps manager. Glad this one went so smoothly. We went to bed awhile later.

Monday 9/17, I was tired from work and feeling a little blah as I got home. I showed Eric some pictures Sos sent from the weekend. He left to go on his run and I took Clancy and Nyx around the block and chatted with Cherry about her pumpkins. I fed the dogs and when Eric got back we made a salad. I had a ton then some chocolate. I hung in the bedroom with the dogs then showered and updated this. Scheduled Otto’s meet and greet and home visit for the next evening. Fingers crossed all goes well and that Otto’s got his new home.

Sunday 9/16, We woke up at 8 because there was quite a bit of noise from our neighbors; it sounded like there about 10 of them in that room. We all got up and ready and called Sos. We decided on Mother’s and walked down from the hotel. The wait was an hour. Jake and Sos were having trouble making it past the Komen walk. The wait took forever but finally we were seated. The food was excellent. We got a pecan cinnamon roll for the table then I got the omelet of the day (spinach, bacon, caramelized onion and gorgonzola) and substituted the toast and potatoes for biscuits and gravy. I didn’t finish it but I was close. On the way out we got chocolate chip cookies. Us girls walked back to the hotel while the boys got the car and drove over. The hotel gave us a late checkout thank goodness. We all went up to the room and hung out for 20 minutes then checked out. We took some pictures and said our goodbyes and Eric and I headed back to Seattle. The drive felt like forever. When we got home the dogs were so excited and we split our time. I watched Project Runway and called Genie to talk about her AC interview. I took a nap until Brizo woke me up. Probably only 20 minutes or so. Eric went on a run and when he got home we went to the store. Went to bed by 10:30.