Saturday 8/31, We woke up and watched Amelie for a while before getting ready for the wedding. Dylan heard us talking about the nasty magazine in the downstairs bathroom. Whoops. We thought he was still at football practice. Aubrie and I headed to Dick’s and had caramel rolls and I had a piece of quiche. Soon it was time for all of us to caravan to the wedding in Big Lake. Beau and Molly were getting married. We rode with Mark and Kelly and talked about Aubrie and Z*ch. The wedding ceremony was a little odd but they looked really nice and it was nice to see everyone. Afterward we headed to the hotel to check in and freshen up. Next we went to Chatters to meetup with family and the wedding party. We went over to the reception a little after 5:00. The party was full of food, dancing and lots of laughs. There were some hilarious one liners from Kelly, most notably the comment about the 17-year old who, as rumor had it, had a huge wang, said that unless it touched the floor she wasn’t going to be all that impressed. Aubrie asked him about it and he asked where she heard that and she said the red-haired kid and he just turned around and walked away. Later I saw him ask Reed about it and he was cracking up. Aubrie was determined to dance with him and she ended up doing it a lot, much to Mark’s chagrin. His name was Keegan and he was so nervous and didn’t want his three older sisters giving him a hard time. We had fun. Kassie was wasted and Sky was not around for a lot of the night. The lights came up at midnight and we headed out. On the way out Kass hit Danny in the jaw after he tried to grab her boobs (she grabbed his nipple first). Kass, Sky, Aubs and I drove back to the hotel and we went to bed. I got out the itch gel, which I didn’t realize how much I’d need it later that night.

Friday 8/30, I slept in until almost 9:30. Yikes! I was like, we need to get up! Aubrie reminded me it was 7:30 for us so I didn’t feel so bad. We had some breakfast and game-planned our day. Us girls all got ready then took off for our errands (sticky bra!). We went to Target first so Aubrie could get Beau and Molly a present and they also had the bra I needed so I got it there and saved forty bucks by not buying at VS. With our chores done we headed back and Mark was shocked to see us. He started trying to pack and get ready and we were all just waiting for him and he was flustered. We went and dropped Fred off at Gaby’s and met her (cavalier). We got on the road but stopped at Bunny’s for lunch. I got a veggie sandwich that was very good. Finally on the road to Litchfield which took over an hour. We talked about Aubrie and Christian moving in and Mark was in shock and said he had to talk to Dad. When we arrived there was no one in the house. I grabbed a bar and went out to the deck and saw Derek on the speed boat. I yelled to him and he asked if we wanted to go out and that he’d wait while we put on our suits. He was towing Brett and Brice and it was the five of us on the boat. It was a beautiful day and not too hot. We sped around the lake and I felt so happy. Sun, family, out on the water. I don’t know if I’ve been that happy for a while. We parked and dropped anchor then Uncle Dick and crew came on the pontoon and we tied up. Aubs and Kelly got into the water on their floaties, Dad and Roxy swam around, Pete got in and was going to try and get me wet but wisely thought better of it. We sat out there for a long time then decided to head back in. We sat and talked outside on the deck for a while. Aubrie and I went on a walk and talked about Ryan Gosling and making out with him. It was fun. When we got back there was more snacking and eating. Kass and Sky arrived later in the evening. For dinner we had the most delicious ribs I’ve ever had along with a bunch of other stuff. I was stuffed and of course more bars for dessert. We made our way down to the campfire and all stayed down there for a long time. Mark and Kelly want to set up Aubrie with Z*ch Shim*ta, Mark’s protégé. Mark was so excited he was day dreaming about it and couldn’t stop saying how excited he was. We finally decided to head to Clint’s for the night and followed Stacy and Derek into town. From there I knew how to get to Clint’s. We went upstairs and bunked in Casey’s room for the night. We were tired.

Thursday 8/29, We were up super early, I got ready and threw everything in my bag and we were off for the airport by 5:30. I checked my bag quickly and headed through security. I had time to get a yogurt and banana for breakfast to tide me over until my arrival in Minneapolis. I went to my gate and they were already boarding so on I went. I read for most of the flight (my Russell Brand book) and laughed enough that the woman next to me said she was going to get that book because of how often I was snickering to myself. When I landed I texted Kelly and talked to Mom on the phone until she arrived to pick me up. She brought Fred and he sat in my lap for the ride home. When we got there I freshened up and we headed to Yums for lunch. I got a delicious blueberry and chicken salad that I ate all of. For dessert I got a chocolate chip cookie. We went to wash the car but the wash was broken. We stopped at the cat clinic and played with the kittens and they were so cute. I took some pictures and they were climbing all over us. I wanted the one that hadn’t already been adopted, dubbed ‘Fatty’. Gray and white female. I loved her. I knew Eric would kill me. We went to the store and liquor store and the grocery store lets you drive up to pick up your groceries. It’s hilarious. Kelly never carries her groceries out herself, she always drives to pick them up, and they load them into your car. It was only two bags and I offered to carry but she said even if she only buys two things she does the pick up. We went home and hung out talking for a few hours until Aubrie called to say she was on her way with Pete and Alishia. When she got there we got ready and headed out for dinner at Psycho Suzi’s. We decided to just get appetizers so we got the tater tots with sausage gravy, the pickles wrapped in cream cheese and ham (they had those), cheese curds and lastly little smoky type of weenies, wrapped in bacon and cooked in brown sugar and bourbon. It was super hot and humid, but sitting by the river was nice. We talked about relationships and making out and other boyfriends and going to Mexico to just get it all out of the system. We headed home and Mark was still not home because of a big new client and all the extra work associated with it. They’re not doing too bad though; a nice house, lake cabin and newly built corner unit condo in PV paid for in cash. We were all tired and went to bed a little after 10. Mark came home after 11.

Wednesday 8/28, I had a facial after work and it went well other than the products they use are tested on animals. I got home at almost 7 and called Dad back and coordinated plans for MN. Eric made a salad for dinner and I had two helpings plus some bread with balsamic and olive oil. We ran out to the bank and Super Supplements so I could take care of some stuff then home where we had our pear tart that Eric picked up from the French bakery. Next I wrote an email to an app and started packing. It took me a while between the clean laundry and getting everything together. We needed to get to bed early since I had to be to the airport by 6:00 the next morning for my flight to MN.

Tuesday 8/27, I went to the bank after work then home where Eric was feeding the dogs and getting dinner ready. We walked the dogs around the block and Fae is still all over the place and an anxious mess on walks. Back at home I changed and got everything ready for our final spa night at Stef’s. I ate some dinner and soon we were on the road to Office Depot to pick up a memory card for my camera and case. We got to the hotel first and waited for everyone. Peter was home so we went up to their room and talked for a bit then down to the pool and hot tub. We spent a couple hours down there then needed to get going since Eric had to be up early the next morning for work. Said goodbyes and drove home. Got there a little after 10 then to bed.

Monday 8/26, Long day at work and P asked if I would stay late. I stopped to pick up my dry cleaning on the way home and didn’t get home until after 6:00. Eric was making dinner and I tried not to be too negative (effects of being tired grumpy) so I shuffled some laundry, cleaned off the bottom of my orchid pots and brought them inside and hung the new Bergstroms in the living room. I laid down with Fae on the bed and Eric brought in my dinner. I watched tv for a little bit then Eric and I started talking about Tim O’Brien and I talked him into reading “The Things They Carried” which I think he’ll like. I showered and shaved my legs in anticipation of spa night. Afterward I painted my toenails, took out the dogs and climbed into bed.

Sunday 8/25, Eric was off to work early again, so I got up all the dogs, had breakfast and put on a movie: Tenure. It was okay and Luke Wilson looked half-way decent in it, so that was a bonus. I went out into the courtyard and repotted the orchids and gave them their fertilizer. I got a call about a car but then the guy never followed back up. Fae was still not great but Eric told me to give her some banana and after that she was like a different dog and the vomiting stopped. I finally got an email about the collages and suggested meeting at 5:15. Eric came home and brought me flowers, little roses, all colors. They were beautiful. I told him the plan and we prepared also for the Sounders game. We set out for Maple Leaf, got the pieces (they are tiny!) and went to Sky and Chrystol’s. We chatted for a minute then piled into Sky’s car and drove down to the game. We found parking pretty far away and walked forever to get to the stadium. We got some kettle corn outside then went in. We were way up top. The sunset was great up there. I wasn’t very into the game and had to be talked in to even going. Chrystol and I talked and joked through a lot of it. The boys were enthralled. I got some garlic fries in the second half. The Sounders won then we had a long walk back to the car. We navigated back to their house, picked up our stuff and headed home. It was almost 11 so we were into bed and asleep quickly.

Saturday 8/24, I was all excited hoping I’d have a response on the pieces, but no luck. Eric was off to work early. I lounged in bed for a little bit then got up and ready. I went to an estate sale where I bought five new wood hangers for a buck then headed up to Bothell to pick up more of my tile to get the bathroom remodel back on track. I went home and ate lunch and relaxed for a little bit before my next project. I went out in the courtyard and brought the dogs out with me and started to repot one of the orchids, but I needed a new pot so I put that on hold and did some pruning and dead-heading. Fae was not feeling good and kept vomiting so I would only give her a little food at a time throughout the day. I went to Fred Meyer to get an orchid pot and had two keys made. Back at home I was feeling very sleepy so I closed my eyes a little and waited for Mary to call. She did and let me know they were on their way. The pick up of Pop went well and afterward I laid down and relaxed. I tried to do some cleaning up so Eric wasn’t coming home to a mess. I spent time on the computer while Eric watched tv in the den. I asked if he wanted to go up to Crossroads so I could sell some dvds so we headed up. I didn’t get much for them, but I got some credit and the new Moondoggies album. We went and got some lotto tickets next and people-watched as we made our way back to the car. We put on Eric’s new cd (Electric Guest) and we drove around on side roads slowly so we could listen to it. It was a beautiful night and we had the windows down and chatted. At home we stayed up late each doing our own thing.

Friday 8/23, Rio was picked up after I got off work. Everything went well and suddenly I was feeling pretty good. I had all kinds of energy. I found two Bergstroms on craigslist and inquired immediately. I was all pumped up so I went to the bank to deposit my condo insurance refund and took out some cash. When I got back I was still feeling restless but eventually calmed down and did something, like maybe I watched a movie or something. I didn’t hear back from the Bergstrom people that night. Much to my dismay.

Thursday 8/22, In the morning Rio was dropped off. I worked a few hours again as well as watching some SatC. I did something else, but I don’t remember what. Susan and Jon came over and dropped off a “fucking 20-pound bag of rice” and a new little lunch bag. We hung out and talked for a long time then they took off. I showered and went to bed.

Wednesday 8/21, We were going to Stef’s to go swimming and have dinner and Eric was making the delicious tomato, cucumber salad. I walked Poppy around the block and he peed on a plastic wrapper which made me laugh. I showered and we took off shortly after, arriving right at 6:30. We had an all vegan dinner which was really delicious (except I had feta on my salad). We sat and talked forever then started the process of getting suits on and heading down to the pool. Chrystol had lots of taffy so we took that down with us too. Stef and I got in the pool first and did some working out in the deep end and ate taffy. Eventually we moved to the hot tub and stayed there for a while and eventually back into the pool. We were down there until 9:30, maybe. We went back up, changed, chatted more and eventually took off for home. Let the dogs out for a while then to bed since it was late.

Tuesday 8/20, When I got home Eric and I made up the bed and started some laundry. Susan arrived in the middle of it and shortly after we headed out to run some errands. First up was Fred Meyer where I picked up some produce and Susan wanted to use up a $20 gift card and managed to get her purchase to $20.01. It was crazy. Next was Goodwill where we dropped off our stuff then went in and looked through cds, dvds and clothes. I got Go and Sam’s Town. We went to Taco Time next and I haven’t been there for a million years. We took a trip down memory lane and were really laughing it up talking about the old Neighbs regulars. We headed home and chatted there for a bit. Susan took off a little after 8. I worked for an hour and watched SatC and also texted with Chrystol and Stef about the next evening. Into bed after 10 and to sleep by 11.

Monday 8/19, Worked for three hours and watched Notebook after seeing a hilarious buzzfeed list about why it’s the worst movie ever. Went to bed afterward.

Sunday 8/18, Eric was up early and out the door to work. I got up as he was pulling out of the driveway. I let the dogs out, read some Den / WA group stuff, including Suri having to be put down, wrote an email to Genie saying how sorry I was, texted Stef to see if she wanted to go to Costco and eventually got up and dressed. I headed out so that I would be there right as they opened. I picked up a few things then over to the bank then home. I started some laundry and vacuumed out my closet by my shoes and discovered two pair of old adidas I had and completely forgot about. Oops. I called Mom to give her the dimensions of the fireplace and we talked for a while about the revised house plans and other stuff. When we hung up I turned on SatC and worked for a while. I had lunch and went outside with the dogs a few times. One of the episodes wouldn’t work so I put on Drive and watched that. RG is so hot. Still. Eric came home right as it ended. We talked then took off for some errands. We went to Goodwill to drop off some stuff, but the line was too long so we headed up to the GO but on the way passed Haagen and apparently the store is closing so we stopped in there and got some stuff before heading over to the GO. After our shopping trip we headed home and I kept going on my laundry and started watering plants while Eric whipped up our greek salad, per my request. I sat down to keep working and popped in Elvira. After it was over I put work away and hopped in the shower. Eric was reading a book about Horiuchi, which was lent to him by a man who is friends with Horiuchi’s son. One of Erika and Ernie’s pieces is in the book. He followed me around the house as I put away my laundry then into bed for me and I updated this.

Saturday 8/19, Eric got all the dogs up and fed and let me sleep in. Mary texted that they were running late, so I got up and dressed. We did the Poppy exchange and settled in. I had some breakfast then got to work. I watched SatC until a little after 10. Eric was out in the yard cleaning up so I headed out and worked on the blueberry patch and transplanted the mint. We talked with the neighbors quite a bit, who had a bunch a navy and coast guard volunteers helping them with their deck, yard and inside their house. I didn’t get a ton done, but I at least got that part weeded and cleaned up. We went in and cleaned up to go to Mom’s. We got to her place at 1:00 and looked at her new floor plan, which moves the master into where the living room is and moved everything else into the kitchen, eating nook, den and pool room for one giant kitchen and living area. It’ll probably be 900 square feet, just in that area. I like the design, but we’ll see what happens. We headed home where I laid down and tried to nap and eventually got up and kept working and watched Wedding Singer. I showered and got ready for Kristel’s bachelorette party and eventually headed out by 8:45 to Vin’s. I talked to Alix on the way there. When I arrived at Vin’s it was just him and Beth. We chatted and had some drinks. Kristel and Michelle arrived next, then Lesley, Mat and Haley. We talked, took pictures and toasted. We stayed for a while then headed out for the Hill on foot. We went to Unicorn and hung downstairs. I hadn’t been down there before. I made friends with a couple short guys. One asked me if I was a model. I laughed. It was very sweet, but no. We got a table and sat for a long time. Beth and I did a lap to see who we could see. Good people watching. By 12:30 most of us girls were ready to head home. Kristel and the boys had other plans. I caught a cab with the girls and we walked together to our cars and I drove home. Eric was asleep and didn’t wake up when I came in.

Friday 8/16, Eric let me know Jojo had gone home that morning. I thought I’d found a car I liked online but then realized it was the wrong edition. I had the idea to go down to Ikea after looking at the catalog and Eric was game so we decided to do it. We went to Super Supplements first so I could grab a few things, then headed down there. We walked through and while some of the stuff is super cheap, I didn’t get anything and wasn’t really all that tempted anyway. We drove home and took it easy for the rest of the night. I think we went to bed early, since we’d have to be up early for Pop’s drop off.

Thursday 8/15, I brought work home and did a bunch of that for the evening. I started SatC and got through a few episodes while I worked away. Eric went to bed early and I eventually went to bed after I finished up my project.

Wednesday 8/14, Eric was home when I got there but I was annoyed because of the tabs on his car so then we got into an argument which wasn’t even what I wanted. It was cleared up quickly. I got some administrative stuff done and I mulled over going to Dirty Dancing at Lincoln Square. I decided against it. We took Jojo, Clancy and Fae on a walk then I made myself some dinner. I put on Silver Linings Playbook and laid with the dogs. Showered then went to bed.

Tuesday 8/13, The tv and internet weren’t working when I got home so I called Comcast and they were no help. Eric made dinner again and we sat in the dining room and he said he was glad nothing was working because now we’re eating together every night. I asked Eric if he wanted to go down to Nordstrom Rack and he agreed to go with me. I needed a new pair of shoes to go with my dress. Luckily I found a good pair and also picked up some socks and underwear. We went home and talked for a little bit until it was time for bed. Slept like shit because Jojo would not just lie down and go to sleep. She was up and down all night.

Monday 8/12, Jojo arrived and was funny as ever. I did some reading in the bedroom and hung with some of the dogs. We went to the store for a few things then home. Eric made dinner and we sat at the dining room table for once. I brought home a bunch of kitchen stuff from Peggy’s so we worked on cleaning it and putting it all away. I relaxed for the rest of the night.

Sunday 8/11, I had plans to go get a new car, but ended up chickening out and did other stuff instead. I went to Nordstrom to try on the two dresses I found the night before. One was a small and the other a large and I was worried that neither would fit, but the small one did so I got that one. I went home to grab a quick lunch then headed off to the auction at Pacific Galleries. I previewed for 15-20 minutes then found a seat. I bid on a few things but not high since I wasn’t super crazy about anything. I didn’t win anything and I was fine with that. I stopped at Mom’s on the way home and ended up spending two hours looking at plans and rearranging walls and doors. I really like what we’ve come up with. I headed home and Eric was there. We went to the store but got into a “disagreement” so when we got home I made my own dinner and holed up in the bedroom. I watched Away We Go and after it was over Rio went home. I showered then it was into bed.

Saturday 8/10, I was up by 7:45 but was very tired from a late night. Eric took off for work early and I spent part of the day on the computer and finished watching the Bachelorette finale. I washed the rest of my delicates then mom came over and we talked about the pool room remodel.  She left after a couple hours and some taping off of dimensions. Eric came home from work and I took a nap for two hours. He was making lasagna when I woke up. I decided I wanted to see Blue Jasmine so I ate dinner then took off for Lincoln Square. I had some time so I went to Nordstrom to see what they had in the way of dresses for Beau’s wedding and found a couple but didn’t have time to try them on. Over to the theater and it wasn’t very crowded which was good. The movie was good, but also sad. I got home before Eric who went to see Elysium. We talked about our movies, into bed and watched some tv before going to bed. It was late.

Friday 8/9, I was so happy it was Friday and was in a great mood when I got off work. Rio was visiting for the weekend. We hung out at home for a little bit then got changed and headed to Kirkland for the art’s fest. It was kind of a bust so we walked back to the car and headed into Redmond. We couldn’t decide where to go so we went to Whole Foods and just hit the salad bar. We went home after and I had the rest of the cheesecake. We relaxed for the rest of the night and I think I tried to watch Bachelorette. We messed around and kept the dogs in the other rooms. Around 12:30 the thunder and lightning started and had me and the dogs up until after 2:00. Eric moved to the back bedroom so he could get some sleep and I moved all the dogs into the bedroom. Once I fell asleep we didn’t have any more problems.

Thursday 8/8, When I got home I started boxing up the auction luggage and got three out of four of them done. Kristel arrived and we talked for a long time, including about Eric’s knee and his ACL tear and pending surgery. We took off for Kukai for dinner on foot. We had a 15 minute wait, then it was time to eat. We got the traditional style and the food was great. We talked for a long time and then took the party over to Menchi’s .We talked about travel and I told her our Kauai stories. We walked home in the dark and I showed her the pictures when we got home. She took off at 10:30 and I got ready for bed.

Wednesday 8/7, I got a call from Monique at 4:00 saying the condo closed and I was so relieved and excited. I went home and we got ready and headed to Mom and Dad’s to meet up to go into Seattle for Jake’s birthday. We went to Kassie’s new place on Capitol Hill and got the tour then headed to Poquitos for dinner. The food was good and afterward we walked back to Kassie’s and had tikoi (however the eff you spell it) for dessert up on the rooftop deck. We stayed up there until the sun started to go down. We headed home and Jake couldn’t believe that Elton John is gay. We got home and it felt late. Into bed and to sleep.

Tuesday 8/6, Susan was at home when I arrived and also the cable guy who was trying to fix the connection, but there were several problems. Mom had more plan designs and ideas for the addition, which I liked better than her originals. Susan and I took off pretty shortly after I got home, for the condo. It took forever because of traffic, but once we got there we took a trip down memory lane. As much as I’ve been looking forward to having the condo close, it’s also really bittersweet. Every guy I’ve slept with, I slept with in that house. Crazy. It was a great place and I’m going to miss it and am sad I won’t go there anymore. I left little notes around the place explaining how to work things or what to do if something isn’t working. I left all the keys and the garage door opener, we loaded up all of my stuff and then locked the door and said goodbye. It’s literally the end of an era. We headed back to the house and I heated up some leftovers from the prior night and showed Susan the plans for the pool room. She left around 8 and I talked to mom for a few minutes. I showered then into bed, updated this and went to bed.

Monday 8/5, I worked until noon then was off for the rest of the day. Dad called first and we chatted for a little bit and filled him in on the weekend and on my bday plans. When I got home from work Eric had lunch waiting for me which was so sweet. Mom called several times wanting measurements of the pool room and asked if we would come over to see her floor plan. We headed over a few minutes later and stopped at the bank on the way there. We spent a little over a half hour with Mom going over her ideas and made a few updates. I wanted to see a different layout, but she’s opposed to it. Next we rushed to Bellevue so I could sign the docs for closing. Two more days! That didn’t take long and I was really happy to see what I’m netting because I can get closer to paying off what I owe Dad. After that we headed down to Kirkland to walk around. The sun was out and it was gorgeous so we took our time and wandered. Stopped to get some frozen yogurt and also into a few galleries. We drove home and relaxed for a few hours and I took a nap. Mama called and woke me up so we talked for a little bit. We got the dogs settled then went to Black Bottle for dinner (in Bellevue). I’m pretty sure the portions are bigger than the Seattle spot. Everything we got was very good and we skipped dessert because we had cheesecake at home. When I got home I turned on Bachelorette but the tv wasn’t working so we called Comcast and it basically went in and out of working over the next hour and a half. I saw the end but I need to go back and watch everything I missed. We went to bed around 11:30.

Sunday 8/4, We got up and ready and went to the Maltby Café for breakfast. It was delicious, of course, and since we got there early there was no wait for a table. I did some things when we got home instead of taking a nap. I feel like we did other stuff throughout the day, but I can’t remember what. We went to MI to meet Mom, Dad, Kass and Jake for Thai food for my birthday dinner. The food was good and we went to Mom’s for dessert afterward. She made cheesecake with a blueberry sauce thing. We sat and talked for a few hours about house stuff and other things then we took off for home.

Saturday 8/3, I got up and Eric brought in breakfast. I fell back asleep for a little bit and woke up in time to see Eric off to work and to get dressed and head down to Bellevue Square before it got too late and crowded. I went down, got some wine glasses for Kristel’s bridal shower and then back home. I put on Mini’s First Time while I organized my credit card statements. The movie was terrible. Like, really, really bad. I took out the dogs but still had some other receipts to file so I put in The Other Woman and kept going. Talk about a depressing movie. I felt a little blah after that one. I showered and got dressed and headed out to Kristel’s shower. I was the first one there but it wasn’t long before Kristel and her Mom arrived. We did the toilet paper dress game with two teams. My team won; I think it helped her future MIL and SIL were on my team. We ate a lot and had dessert which was all great. Stayed outside talking for a long time and I was one of the last to leave. Made plans for Thursday to hang out with K. Eric had just gotten home from Sky’s house when I got home. I was tired and fell asleep watching tv.

Friday 8/2, We had plans for dinner with Sky, Chrystol and Stefanie. Eric and I went to the store when I got home and picked up stuff to make portabello mushroom burgers for dinner. I talked Eric into making potatoes since we have so many of them. They turned out to be a crowd favorite. I helped with dinner and getting the potatoes all ready then showered before everyone started showing up. C and S arrive first and we all chatted and had some appetizers (hummus, gluten free crackers, peppers, tomatoes, etc). Stef arrived and we started dishing up and having salad. We had a nice dinner and conversation. After dinner we went into the living room and watched Eric’s video and everyone thought it was cute. We just sat and talked in the living room for a long time talking and eating dessert. Chrystol had made a gluten free, vegan cobbler with coconut ice cream that was delicious. Everyone started peeling off around 11 and we went to bed shortly after they left.

Thursday 8/1, I don’t remember what I did after work, but maybe I watched a movie. I know it rained which made me happy because the plants needed it and I was sick of watering.