Monday 6/30, We had to get up by 7 and over to Dick’s by 8. We got up, packed and chatted with Jodi for a few minutes before saying goodbye and taking off to Dick’s. When we arrived everyone was already starting to say goodbye and we jumped right in. Mom still felt like garbage. I packed up some bars then we hit the road. We made decent time to the airport and we talked the whole time. Mostly about family and growing up and Grandpa and Grandma. Grandpa was a real grump and never allowed for any lighthearted silly stuff. We dropped them off at the airport then took off for Kelly’s work to pick up Kassie’s jacket. When we got there she put us in the kitten room and there were four babies that were totally unsocialized that had just been picked up by someone on their way through from North Dakota. We played with them a bit and I got to pet all of them when they were distracted. We said goodbye and off we went to the airport to drop off the car and check in. We went and got a little lunch then over to our gate where we boarded. The flight went pretty quick and soon we were down to baggage and off to her car. She drove me home and when we got there she came inside to see the house and we chatted for a few minutes. Afterward I got into bed and laid there and talked to Eric and filled him in on my trip. I read for a little bit and closed my eyes. Eric went to the store for me and made me a salad for dinner. I talked to Dad and he filled me in on their trip home and it sounded nightmarish with a nutjob on board who was mistreating her baby and ended up escorted off the plane by police when they landed in San Diego. I ended up going to bed by 11 and was very tired.

Sunday 6/29, We woke up before 8 and went upstairs and Jodi had heard from Roxy and they had finally gone home around 5:30 am. Kelly and Mark took off over there to try and help Rosemary and Larry get things set up since people were coming for brunch. Kass and I got ready and chatted with Clint and Jodi. I called Eric to fill him in. We rode over with them and Kass was very nervous. Clint took the kids out on the boat when we got there and Kass too. I went inside for the scoop and it was very tense and a bit awkward for the first part of the day. It was pretty quiet since mom and dad were supposed to have a lot of sleep. Dad was up and moving for most of the day but mom was so out of it and slept all day. I called Aubrie and filled her in on everything that happened. She couldn’t believe it. Clint took us out on the boat and we had a pretty full ride. That was fun. Back at the house we just hung out and tried to have fun. We finally got mom up at 5 and gave her meds and got food in her. Eventually we ended up outside on the deck going through a bunch of Dad’s stuff from when he was a high school / college student. There was some pretty incriminating stuff in there. Mark and Kelly left for home and I told Kelly I’d see her the next day. We didn’t stay too late and headed back to Clint’s to go to bed early. It was probably 11-ish when we went to sleep. It was another very exhausting day.

Saturday 6/28, We were up by 6:30 and I was the first into the shower since there were four of us who needed to shower. We all got ready, had a little breakfast and drove over to Dick’s. From there we caravanned to Stewart for Keith’s funeral. We got there before 9:30 and the funeral ended around 1:00. It was long, but very moving and wonderful to hear so many stories about Keith and also I really enjoyed the pastor who talked a lot about depression and removing the stigma. Afterward we had lunch in the church basement. It was a very draining day. I got teary a few times and especially when Derek got up speak and he started to cry. One of Keith’s friends spoke and she was so on about mental health issues and the taboo surrounding them and how mad she was at Keith. One of the pastors did the same thing and I was so glad it was being addressed. We had a nice lunch then some of us headed over to the cemetery to go see Grandma and Grandpa. It started raining just as we walked out of the church and we saw Kassie over there walking around. We said the rain was probably Grandma trying to put out Kassie’s joint. We only stayed for a minute because there was a big storm coming. Most of the family went over to Cactus Jack’s to hang out for a little bit before going back to Dick and Roxy’s. Kass and me went over to the farm house and we went through and found the tinsel tree that Kelly wants. The house looks a lot better since Gin’s been there working on it, but it’s still got a long way to go. We took off for Dick’s and when we arrived there weren’t too many people. Kass wanted me to help with her fight night dip and people slowly started trickling in. Soon the house was filled and while the weather wasn’t gorgeous, it was nice enough for some people to sit outside. Clint and I had a long talk and I told him I’m mildly depressed and that I need to get some help and he started tearing up and after what we just went though with Keith, he kept telling me I need to get help and he is so scared for me. He was begging me to get help and kept telling me how serious he was. I calmed him down and he shared something with me that I won’t put on here, but he needs some help too. We come from a dysfunctional family, all of us. Then I was talking to TK and he started tearing up and Kelly was like “What are you doing to these boys??” That one I don’t know what happened. Anyway, the rest of the day went fine and we were all pretty exhausted as it all wound down. We took off back to Clint’s and we all got ready for bed (Mark, Kelly, Kass and me) and turned in. Dad called just as I as dozing off and Kass had given him something and he and mom were extremely sick. I don’t feel like recounting all of it because it was awful, but they went to the ER and we were up until 2-ish waiting for word of how they were doing. Finally fell asleep. It was late. Or early, depending.

Friday 6/27, We were up at 4:30 and on the road shortly after. Eric took me to the airport and I made it through security and all that quickly. Kass was running late and boarded close to last. She was in the last row of first and I was on the bulkhead right behind her in coach. She shared her breakfast sandwich with me. When we landed we got my bag then met mom and dad at their claim. We went and got the rental car and headed over to Kelly’s. We chatted for a little bit before mom and dad took off and left Kass and me. The three of us girls chatted for a little bit then headed to get some lunch and we went to Yum! We had a fun lunch and went over some various conspiracy theories. Next we went to Byerly’s for groceries then the liquor store where Kass and Kelly did quite a bit of wine tasting. Back at Kelly’s we got the food all squared away and I kept Kass company while she prepped. Mark came home and started packing. I told him I would do his packing for him. Once he was ready we headed out to Dick’s. We had a nice drive out and made it pretty quickly. When we arrived we snacked in the brand new kitchen. We had a fun night and it was good to see Gin for the first time since 2006. I was upstairs for a good part of the night and most of the other cousins were downstairs. We ended up leaving and going to Clint’s by midnight or something. When we got there and there were no blankets or pillows for Kass and me for the couch since Kelly and Mark were in the guest room. We made due with what we could find and made sure to give Clint a hard time in the morning since he was supposed to put it all out for us.

Thursday 6/26, I got my bonus at work and was very happy. I also got off work early and home by 4-ish. I put on my suit and sat outside for about 10 minutes; 5 of those were in the sun. I went inside and did some house stuff and laundry. I picked out the dvds for my trip to MN the next day. Eric was home before 6:00 and made the dogs’ dinner and cleaned up the kitchen. We went to dinner at Garlic Crush, which was good, then over to the mall so I could get some mascara and a cookie. We went home and I finished packing and got into bed. I got all my bill pays scheduled and updated this before going to bed early.

Wednesday 6/25, I stopped at the dry cleaner to pick up some stuff after work. When I got home Eric was setting up the google chrome thing so I got ready for my walk and took off. I did two times around the lake and Eric met me on my third time around and we talked all the way around. When we got home we fed the dogs and got a pizza in the oven. We watched tv and ate dinner then Eric put on some Lana from youtube so that was fun. We went to Super Supplements so I could get some moisturizer. When we got home I went out in the backyard and watered the plants. When I was done I went to get my cup from the living room and slid and skidded across the floor in what I believed to be pee behind the couch. Eric thought I broke my leg. After some additional sleuthing we realized it was actually vomit and oil from the deep fryer and there was more in the bathroom (!). It was disgusting. We spent a while cleaning that up and trying to figure out how they broke into the cupboard. I think it was Violet with Brizo leading the charge. So nasty. That was the end of that! I got ready for bed and watched tv in bed.

Tuesday 6/24, When I got home I watered some of the plants in the backyard then sat on the deck in the sun in my underwear for 45 minutes. It felt great. I went inside to get ready for Eric’s celebratory dinner with Mom and Dad. We took off and got there a few minutes early. We went to Caspian. Mom and Dad arrived and we had a nice dinner, although Eric thought his was bland. Mine was good and the service was very good. We were there for about two hours. We went home and got ready for bed. I was exhausted and fell asleep watching tv.

Monday 6/23, Susan was at the house when I got home and we sat on the couch and talked for a while then started X-Files. Eric brought in some gyoza and noodles with snap peas, then for dessert some of the peach bread pudding with a lot of ice cream. We watched a carnival episode and one with a Romanian grandmother trying to get rid of evil spirits. After it was over Susan left and I showered and got into bed.

Sunday 6/20, Chrystol and Sky were coming over to watch the soccer game at 3:00 so we had a day of cleaning and prep ahead of us. Eric was up early and I was up by 9:00. I started cleaning and did that for a few hours and felt good about my progress. Eric spent the whole day cooking. After I finished I went and laid outside to get some sun for a while. We got a message that they were on their way so I showered and got ready. When they arrived Eric brought out the food, which included a salad with boiled fingerling potatoes, asparagus and fried eggs. The dressing was butter, sugar and lemon juice. It was a hit. Next was the homemade fried chicken. Yuuuum. For dessert we had Eric’s homemade peach bread pudding that was excellent. The game was a nail biter and Sky was very disappointed. We sat around and talked for a while with Chrystol and me feeling very sleepy and closed our eyes on the couch. We all perked up when Wipeout came on. We watched it to the end and did a lot of laughing. They took off and we relaxed and went to bed.

Saturday 6/21, I set my alarm for 8:00 and got up and ready. Susan arrived right at 8:30 and we headed out to Sammamish for an estate sale. I got a metal deer bust with gold antlers and a Cars cd. Susan is trying out the deer at her place and if she doesn’t want it she’ll give it back and I’ll find a place for it. Next we headed to Bothell for the next Girlfriends sale. This is where the cute guy was working. I got two roasting pans, a giant measuring cup and a candy thermometer all for $13. Good shit too. The guy kept reeling me in with lower prices on stuff. We took off and stopped in Kirkland at Homffman’s bakery for a treat. I got a cinnamon roll. We went in Common Folk which I haven’t been to since they moved. We went home and watched an episode of X-Files (Dod Kalm) and it was okay. I still don’t know what happened. Susan took off and I got into my suit and went and laid outside in the sun and looked at magazines. The dogs all came out and enjoyed the sun as well. Later that afternoon I went to the dry cleaners to drop off some stuff then to Ace for 10 more tomato cages for the dahlias. I went inside and laid down and all the dogs napped with me too. I got up at 6:45, fed the dogs and waited for Eric to come home. We went to the GO to pick up stuff for our lunch with Sky and Chrystol the next day. We got most of what we needed but picked up the rest at QFC as well as stuff for dinner. It was almost 9:00 and Eric started dinner. He made portabella mushroom burgers and tots. We sat in the dining room and talked for a while after dinner. I showered and got into bed, watched some SNL then to sleep.

Friday 6/20, P told me to leave an hour early so that was nice. When I got home I sat around for a little bit then went to Goodwill to try and find ramekins. I came up empty but found some decent substitutes and also a totally mid-century nightstand for $15. It needs to be sanded and restained but it’s legit. At home Eric whipped up some dinner including cauliflower, yams and an egg/cheese bake. We watched a little tv then I headed down to Nordstrom Rack to see if I could find some black flats and a dress for the funeral. I tried on a million shoes and about 20 dresses. The second to the last one worked. It was 9:30 and they were closing up so I headed home. Eric and I stayed up for a little bit then I got ready for bed. He slept in the second bedroom since his back was bothering him.

Thursday 6/19, Mom’s birthday. I went for a run when I got home from work and called Mom when I got back. We chatted for a little bit and I told her I’d see her next weekend. I had to work on Violet’s long bio since she had a good app. The next day I found out it was from a nut job who had previously referred to a 9-year old dog (Violet) as a waste of her time. Good riddance. I worked on that for the rest of the evening and went to bed.

Wednesday 6/18, I went to Susan’s again after work and checked in on Pen. She was good and feeling a little more spry than the last visit. I headed home and Eric was making dinner when I arrived. It was one of the recipes I had cut out and we decided on. It was fantastic. Pork tenderloin with sweet potatoes and onion, sautéed cauliflower, brussel sprouts, and asparagus. The sauce had lime, cilantro, and who knows what else but it was fantastic. It was a 10. We will definitely be making it again. We watched some tv then went for a walk around the neighborhood. I showered, got into bed, and watched tv before going to sleep.

Tuesday 6/17, I went to Susan’s after work to go check in on Pen since her and Jon were in Vancouver for a few days. She was lounging on the couch when I got there so I said hi then went to work on her chores. I filled up her food and checked her water, gave her her medication and checked the litter box. I hung out in the living room with her for a while and pet her both with my hand and also with one of her toys. I left a few minutes before 6 and headed home. It took a little while but Eric had dinner ready when I got home. He showed me all the pressure washing he’d done that day (master bedroom patio, pool room, back deck) then we sat down to have dinner. I went up to Silver Platters and got the new Lana cd, an older Andrew Bird and the new Andrew Bird. When I got home I showered and got into bed. I uploaded some new photos for Violet, checked estate sales and talked to Mom. Watched tv and updated this before going to bed.

Monday 6/16, Eric went to Sky’s to watch soccer so I was on my own with the dogs. I thought he was going to be gone for the evening but he texted at 5:45 saying he was already heading home. I started looking at stuff online about Keith and got really sad. I sat outside for a long time then into the bedroom where I laid down and just felt depressed. Eric came home and I started crying. He had some helpful words and went to make dinner. He made the szechuan dish and it was really good. I felt better for most of the rest of the night. I watched Bachelorette then sat in the den with Eric and talked for a little bit before going to bed.

Sunday 6/15, We got up around 8 and Eric went to get his hair cut. I went for my run at the park then had some cereal before showering and getting ready for brunch at Mom’s. We got over there right at 11 and beat Kass. We sat up in Mom’s room and talked because the cleaning ladies were there. Kass, Leslie and Sky showed up and we went downstairs and had brunch then talked for a few hours. Eric and I hit the road and when we got home I changed and went out in the yard for a little bit and it rained off and on. When I went inside I watched Drive since I’d had a hankering to watch it for a while. We decided on two recipes for the week and went up to the GO to get stuff then to QFC. When we got home Eric heated up some pizza for me and I laid low for the rest of the night.

Saturday 6/14, I got up around 8:00 and Susan arrived before 9. We took off and headed to an estate sale in Renton. It was mostly junk but we found a ton of xmas village stuff (I got some accessories) and a fiberglass ladder. Next we headed down to Maple Valley with a detour to a GO we passed on the way. The estate sale had a ton of old cameras so I called Aubrie to ask which ones would be good for Christian. I got a whole bunch of stuff so hopefully some of it will work and he’ll be able to find film for them. Next Susan and I headed into the garage where I got some more xmas village stuff. We took off and headed home. When we arrived we watched one episode of X-Files about some zoo abductions. There were a lot of holes in the episode’s plot and reading the wikipedia entry was not much help. I wanted to take a nap but did chores instead and went through old magazines and cut out recipes that looked good. I talked to Dad about funeral arrangements then Eric got home. I hadn’t had dinner so we went and got a pizza. I watched something but I don’t remember what.

Friday 6/13, Eric had to work late so when I got home I took Clancy, Nyx and Violet all out for a walk, but separately so I got my workout in. I fed them, made myself some rice for dinner and took a shower. At 7:30 I left for my massage and Corey was all ready for me. I was a little scattered and didn’t have much direction for him so I told him I wanted relaxation. Within five minutes I asked him if I could change my mind and said he could go deeper. Jeez, did he. There were a couple times when I was like “Shit, that hurts” but I kept it cool. It actually was really therapeutic and a couple times I started tearing up. Luckily I was on my stomach so he didn’t see. Some of the pressure spots on my back felt like some energy was released and that’s when I started to tear up. Anyway, I asked him about his project and it sounds like it’s going well. He said he’ll be in every couple weeks to massage and be home, then dropped the gf bomb. I figured as much, but it’s confirmed! I told Susan and she thinks he made her up because I told him I have a bf. It was a little before 9:00 when I left and headed home. I called Susan and we made plans for our day of estate sales. Eric came home and we talked a little bit before going to bed.

Thursday 6/12, I felt a little better throughout the day. When I got home I went for a walk and that felt good. Eric made dinner when I got home. I had a message from Kelly that the funeral will probably be next week on Friday or Saturday. I showered and got into bed then updated this.

Wednesday 6/11, I got a call from Mom when I got to work and it didn’t sound good. I figured something had happened with Grandma since she’d been languishing since her aneurism, but when I called her back she told me Keith had committed suicide. She didn’t know much more than that. Ginny has been in MN for the last month+ so she wasn’t even in the same state when it happened. I was so shocked, all I kept thinking was “What?!”. It was just so shocking and heartbreaking. I called Kelly because she hadn’t heard yet so I told her and she had some input since she’d been talking to Gin since she’d been there. I talked to Mom again and then Dad. There wasn’t much new information but I figured by the end of the day there would be. When Mom first told me I was shocked but it didn’t really start to sink in until later that morning and especially after I talked to Kelly and she told me he had been very depressed and had battled depression for many years. I was so sad thinking about Keith being that sad and hopeless that he would do that. He was just the nicest person I’ve ever known and for him to be in such pain made me so sad. Apparently the neighbor found him after Gin called and asked him to go over and check on Keith since she hadn’t heard from him for a couple days. I was glad I was in the office by myself because I felt so down and went in and out of crying throughout the day. I just never would have expected Keith of all people. I talked to my Mom at lunch because she wanted to check in on me and had some good insight. I sent Gin a text to let me know if she needed anything I was there for her. I talked to Kass and we made plans to go to Mom’s for dinner and to see each other. When I got home Eric and I went for a walk at the park and he did a lot of pep-talking. I was teary but managed to refrain from any major crying while we circled the park. It felt good to walk and get some of that energy out. When I got home I called Kelly and she had a lot more information and I felt better after talking to her. We agreed to keep in touch with any new info. I hopped in the shower, dressed and Eric and I headed over to Mom’s. Kass was already there. We had a nice dinner and didn’t talk about any of it until after dinner. I filled Kass and Mom in with the new info and we talked about it a little. Eric and I took off around 9 and headed home. I got ready for bed and finally felt a little more myself, although I was completely exhausted.

Tuesday 6/10, Susan came over after work and we chatted for a little bit before starting in on X-Files. We got through two but then the second one was a two-parter, so we watched a third. Eric made dinner too. After Susan left I showered and got into bed.

Monday 6/9, Eric took care of meeting Jojo’s people for pickup. When I got home I felt exhausted; I think it’s the drive that does it, even though it’s only like 17 minutes. I sat down to do some art research and spent a good part of the night on my computer. Eric made homemade veggie burgers with zuchinni, squash, portabella mushrooms, an egg and breadcrumbs. Then the pistou for seasoning. They were good but next time he’s going to do them thinner and maybe some of the cheese to the patties. We watched some tv together then I showered and climbed into bed.

Sunday 6/8, Nyx was barking at 7:00 and finally I got up and let the dogs out then climbed back into bed. Eric was out (very rare) so I let him sleep. He finally woke up at 9:00 so I got up and got my running clothes on. I went to the park and did two times around and didn’t set any records; I was lagging. When I got home I had some cereal and made the bed. Eric headed outside in the front yard and I was close on his heels. We were out there for a few hours and got a lot done. I mostly worked on watering, deadheading the purple rhodie and trimming up the azaleas and rhodies by the bedroom. They all look a lot better. Eric weeded and pressure washed the courtyard. Inside it was 12:30 or so and I made myself a gigantic salad for lunch. Susan let me know she was on her way over so we could watch an X-Files episode, then I got a call that Jojo would be arriving by 1:30. Susan and I talked until Jojo arrived then we started the show. It was about some parent committee at a school who were all devil worshippers but then this other lady shows up and she’s the real devil and kills them all. We had a lot of questions at the end. Susan took off and I did some art research until I fell asleep. I forced myself to get up at 6:00 even though I was still tired. Eric and I went to the store then he made dinner. I watched tv and did more art research until 8:30 then we went to Menchi’s. It was good people watching. Back at home I got ready for bed and updated this before turning in.

Saturday 6/7, I was up around 8:00, got dressed and Eric made me a little mcmuffin out of the mini-Macrina brioche rolls P gave me. It had a few leaves of spinach with the pistou and a perfectly tiny poached egg. It was very good. We set out for the estate sale and when we got there we were fourth in line. I told Eric our game plan and we were all set. The woman in front of us had two pre-teen girls and literally the girl was in front of me and walked right up to the table where the Bergstrom was and picked it up and walked away. Like she was reading my fucking mind. I was livid. I basically followed her around waiting for her to put it down but no dice. I was so irritated. It was blue; I’ve never seen a blue Bergstrom! Arg. And it was like $10. I was pouting and seething when Eric came over to me and said it would be alright and hands me a small canvas. The Horiuchi. It was a Horiuchi. I totally forgot about it because I was so focused on the Bergstrom. I couldn’t believe it. We just looked at each other in disbelief. It was only $25. I immediately purchased it. I was still mad about the Bergstrom and am kicking myself that I didn’t give her my number if she ever wanted to sell it. We took off and we still couldn’t believe it. At home I updated my ipod and Eric set out to get gas in the denali for our trip to Plain. I called Mom and told her the story and she couldn’t believe it. I sent her a picture. My ipod finished then I set out. I arrived by 12:45 I think and Eric was taking care of moving the cars around. We went and talked with Dick and Linda for a little bit then loaded up the ladder and pressure washer and headed out. We went to Anjou bakery for lunch and I got the butter and ham baguette, my favorite. For dessert I had a brownie that was in a cupcake wrapper. It was so creamy, it was like there was ganache in the center, but there wasn’t. We went into Wenatchee to gas up and I decided against going to the antique store. We headed back and went Blewett and it felt like it took forever. I so prefer Stevens, even if traffic is bad most of the time. At least then I know where I am and how far I have to go. We got home by 4:45 and took all the dogs out. I was feeling a little out of it and had a headache, but I was also antsy so I went to Goodwill and perused the movies and cds. I didn’t find anything I had to have but almost bought a Heatmiser cd. Back at home I had a salad. I put on Tropic Thunder and watered the plants. I was tired so I wasn’t able to stay up much past 10:30.

Friday 6/6, When I got home I let all the dogs out and was in the backyard when Eric got home. He had gone to pick up some compost for the backyard but ended up getting extra so we were able to do the blueberry / huckleberry bed as well. We spent some time in the backyard with the dogs then I went for a run and Eric made me a salad when I got home. He went out and started hauling the compost into the backyard and spreading. I went out and started helping and we talked with Sherry for a few minutes. The doctors have given Tony 4-6 weeks to live so she’s home full time now (ALS). It’s so incredibly sad. We got all the dirt down and I got the eight new dahlias into the ground. Eric moved one from the courtyard back there and I moved one that was by the fence over to the new bed and split it into three plants. We cleaned up and went inside. I half-watched Dateline and moved the sprinkler around in the front yard. I cruised estate sales online and saw one in Bellevue that looked like it had a Bergstrom and possibly a Horiuchi. I called Eric in and he said the one was a Bergstrom for sure, but the Horiuchi-ish one, the signature looked too long. We decided we’d get up early and go down there the next morning before heading over to Eastern WA. I went to bed kind of late.

Thursday 6/5, I beat Eric home and cleaned up poop in the backyard. When he got home he started dinner and I went into the backyard and deadheaded the rhodie and the one on the side of the house. For dinner Eric made a salad, asparagus with garlic and basil and some pasta-y dish that was delicious. I watched a little tv before showering. I put on Edward Scissorhands and worked for almost an hour and a half. Climbed into bed and finished my movie then did some research about the movie. Went to bed by 11.

Wednesday 6/4, When I got home Eric and I talked for a little bit then I stretched and went on my run. I did two times around at the park and did it quicker than on Monday. I showered then we took off for Ace to get yard stuff and then the GO for dinner stuff. At home Eric started dinner and I pounded in the fertilizer stakes by the twisty baby. We put off getting the compost until Friday. Dinner was good and we watched tv. We trimmed Nyx’s and Violet’s nails then I got into bed and watched tv.

Tuesday 6/3, Doug came in the morning and put in the new dishwasher as well as cleaned up some of the plumbing under the sink with new hoses. I headed over to Susan’s after work. We had plans for X-Files and pizza. She showed me all the things they have done to the place since I last saw it and we talked for a little bit before we called in the pizza order. We went and picked it up but the cute guy wasn’t working. Back at her house we started X-Files and watched two episodes: Aubrey and Irresistible. Jon watched the first one with us. The second one was super creepy. The pizza was delicious; the Hawaiian had bacon on it. It was almost 9 so I headed home. I got into bed and filled Eric in on my night.

Monday 6/2, I went on a run when I got home so that felt good when that was done. I watched tv and had dinner before half-watching Bachelor and watering the plants in the front yard.

Sunday 6/1, We slept in until 9:00 then I got up and took out the dogs and fed them. Eric was in the shower. I crawled back in bed and enticed Eric into bed as well and we did all that fun stuff that kids do. We got up and dressed and soon Eric left for work. I was relaxing and doing stuff online, but Mom called and wanted me to go over to her place to see their remodeled master and to get some lunch. I got over there right before 1:00. The bedroom looks good, but very different. We went to the Roanoke for lunch and that was very good. We chatted for a little while when we got back and finally I took off for home. I putzed around for a little bit and I think I went and got contact solution before hunkering down to watch a movie (Chocolat) and work for 2.5 hours. Eric came home part way through my movie. After it was over I watched the behind the scenes then got ready for bed.

Saturday 5/31, I had to get up early because I had to drop off my car for its routine service. It was down there for a few hours and I did some gardening while I waited. Eric went down with me to pick it up and the guy was nicer than when I dropped it off. I called Lindsay to see if she was ready for me to head up. We agreed to meet at a place she wanted to try for lunch, except when I got up there it was closed. She picked me up and we drove down Hwy 2 a little ways and ended up at a cute little tavern-y spot. Lunch was very good and we had nice conversation. We went over to Pat’s and that place was a mess, but we chatted for a few minutes and that was fine. Up next we went and found the girls and they washed the car before we went over to Eric’s. We said hi and talked for a little bit before heading to our movie. We saw The Other Woman and it was funny; better than I was expecting. Especially because Taylor Kinney was in it. He is so hot. We went and picked up the girls then Lindsay took me back to my car and I headed home. It was almost 8:00. I watched Dateline and Eric went to go see a late movie. He was home after I’d already gone to bed.

Friday 5/30, I had a toothache all through the night until I took some ibuprofen and then throughout the day. Just a dull pain in my jaw, but I think it was more due to where she administered the novocane. I took it easy on my mouth and ended up watching 48 Hours and going to bed.

Thursday 5/29, Eric let me know he wouldn’t be missing his appointment. When I got home he was so nervous and just wanted to be done with it. I assumed he would be nervous, but he was over the top. I had a little something to eat then we went down to the dentist. He was so nervous so I let the girls know. I went in to have two fillings replaced while Eric was just having a cleaning and did great. The dentist kept me apprised. He was in a much better mood when I came into the waiting room. We headed home and chatted a little bit before going to bed.

Wednesday 5/28, I had another dream about Nate and this time we were in class together and I wasn’t understanding the subject or something so he surprised me by making a movie to help explain it. So random, but I woke up all giddy. Geez. I had a big work meeting that had P picking me up at 6:00 am and dropping me off at home at 5:45 pm. She came in for a minute to see the house and then took off. Eric and I got into a big fight because he told me he probably wouldn’t be able to go to his dentist appointment the next day. Anyway, we went to the store but pretty much didn’t talk to each other, then at home we had it out. It took a while but we got to a good point and cleared things up. I was exhausted and just wanted to go to bed. I think I went to sleep by 11.

Tuesday 5/27, When I got home I showered and got ready and soon we were on our way out the door downtown and to see Lana. We parked kind of far away but at least we didn’t have to pay for parking. It was soon evident that the clientele were a bunch of middle and high schoolers. Eric was dying and texting back and forth with Sky about all of the insane outfits. We stood in line at will call for our tickets then headed in. We wanted to sit so we headed up into the bleachers and found a great seat in the back. The people watching was fantastic. Pretty soon some young gals sauntered up and sat down the row from us and soon one of the girls was vomiting down behind the bleachers and in between the seats. It smelled awful so we moved seats. Eric told the friends that they needed to get her some water and soon they left. But then they came back and the girl started puking again. Finally some girls notified security and they didn’t come back after that. We watched people go to sit over in the general area and then turn around because the smell was so bad. The show was good and, boy, the girls went nuts. The opening act was terrible. Finally someone came to clean up the puke and two king county sheriffs came to shine their lights so the guy could see. The sheriffs ended up sitting down afterward and watching the show. It was hilarious. We watched as each person around them slowly got up and left. They were two huge black guys and they seemed to be enjoying the show. We took off a little while later because I had to wake up super early the next day. We walked back to the car quickly, laughing about all the crazy shit that happened, and drove home, went to bed.

Monday 5/26, Eric was up early keeping the dogs quiet and getting the floor out of the kitchen. I got up and started getting dressed. Mom and I went to Home Depot to pick up flooring then to the store to get stuff for breakfast, including donuts! We had breakfast out on the back deck in the sunshine then the boys got back to work. I checked in Mom and Dad to their flight then ordered a dishwasher online. Soon Dad and Eric were done so we all went on a walk and went down to the master garden. When we got home they packed up and we took off for the airport and dropped them off. Back at home we probably relaxed. Actually Eric finished the kitchen while I napped with the dogs. Eric wanted to schedule some adult time so we did all that before bed. I don’t remember what else we did that evening.

Sunday 5/25, I slept in a little bit and Eric got up and dealt with the dogs. Eventually I got up because Dad wanted to go into Plain to get top soil and have breakfast. We went to the Sawmill and each had a small breakfast then back home. Mom and I talked then I went upstairs and did some minor cleaning and packing. We had burgers for lunch and Eric and I took some burgers over to Mark. We got all packed up and headed out in the early afternoon. Our drive home was pretty quiet but we made good time. Dad assessed the kitchen floor and agreed to help pull everything out and get it squared away before they had to leave the next afternoon. We looked at the Palm Springs book and surprisingly Dad likes a lot of mid-century features. For dinner we got Szechuan Chef and ate a ton of food. It was all good. We put on Back to the Future III and enjoyed that. By the time it was over it was after 10 and we all hit the sack.

Saturday 5/24, We were woken up early by the dogs of course, so we got up and took all the pups out and crawled back into bed. Shortly after Eric was up and getting ready. Dad made pancakes for breakfast then I got dressed. Apparently Morey died a few months back and it turned out they were having an estate sale over at his place and Dad was hoping that Mark would be there. We all walked over and sure enough, he was there. He looks so much older, but I guess you can say that about anyone you haven’t seen in six years. We got to meet his two daughters (the last time I met his older daughter she was only a few months old). We chatted for a little bit and looked around for a little while then headed home. Mom and I went into Wenatchee for a day of girl fun. First up we went to the farmer’s market and got a little treat and walked around. Next up we went to our favorite antique shop and found some good stuff but I didn’t get anything despite finding a lamp I liked. We went to Target next and I got a couple tank tops and Mom picked up some stuff. Next up was Costco for gas then we started our trip back. We stopped at Anjou and we each got a butter and ham baguette and we were both in heaven. We took some desserts to go and headed back toward Plain. Lastly we stopped at the nursery so Mom could pick up her peach tree and order some pear trees. The little helper guy was so cute. Back at home we checked in on the boys who hadn’t had any lunch so they were hungry. Mom and I were so not hungry. We all got ready and headed to Squirrel Tree for dinner. I had a salad and I was surprised that the quality was so good. I sampled a little bit of all the other dinners and they were all good. We went home and hung out in the motorhome for a little bit and had some of the baked goods we got from the bakery. Eric and I were tired and went upstairs. It was only like 10. We put on Deuce Bigalo for a little bit then went to sleep.

Friday 5/23, Eric picked me up from work right at 4:30 and had all the dogs in tow. The trip over to Plain took an hour longer than it should have due to traffic getting into Sultan. The dogs did okay and Brizo stopped throwing up as soon as I put on her thundershirt. When we arrived we unloaded everything and took out the dogs. Mom and Dad had dinner going and soon we were sitting down to eat. We had grilled chicken, baked potatoes and salad. We hung out in the motorhome for a little while afterward just chatting, but I was so tired we didn’t stay up too late before going to bed.

Thursday 5/22, I think Susan came over for X-Files (either that or she came over Wednesday and I have my days switched) but I couldn’t do two episodes because I had too much crap to do. I cleaned my bathroom and got the rest of my stuff taken care of for our out of town weekend starting the next day.

Wednesday 5/21, We spent the evening doing yard work and chores. I cleaned the den and kitchen floors and got my bags packed. I can’t remember what else; I probably had something to eat and relaxed for the night.

Tuesday 5/20, I took Violet for a walk in the morning and Eric and I still weren’t doing much talking. Things improved as the morning and day went on. Doug fixed the valve problem under the kitchen sink. Susan was waiting at the house when I got home and threw her voice and made me think she was in the garage when I pulled in. When I walked in Eric had pulled up the entire kitchen floor and had the shop vac out since there was a ton of standing water. UGH. He took off to hang out with Sky and we bitched about our boyfriends for a good half hour before starting on X-Files. We only did one episode since I had a shit load of other stuff to do. After she left I went in the kitchen and there was a ton of water on the floor again. I got the shop vac and cleaned it all up, then noticed I missed some and cleaned that up. I went to get the fan from the bedroom and when I got back more water was on the floor. I started freaking out because there was still a leak! AUGH. I was so mad and frustrated I had to calm myself down before I started crying. I called Eric and he told me to just turn off the water under the sink. I finally had my dinner (Eric had made delicious stuffed peppers before he left) while sitting out in the pool room with Violet. I was so depressed I didn’t even want to be in the house. Back inside I cleaned up the remaining water that had leaked out of the dishwasher. I took Violet outside and got some pictures for her profile, which I have yet to write. Inside I stripped the guest bed for Mom and Dad’s visit and remade it, threw the sheets in the wash and started getting ready for bed. I half watched DwtS then showered and got into bed.

Monday 5/19, Eric and I took Violet and Clancy for a walk in the morning before work and I snapped at him because he was lagging while we were passing a reactive dog. I basically told him to hurry it up, reel Clancy in, and that was it. He was pissed. Ugh. When I got home he was still upset, but about a whole bunch of stuff. The kitchen had obviously flooded and the floor was completely coming up. Great. Fantastic. Next time I call the plumber the first day regardless of if he says he can take care of it. The entire kitchen is falling apart and it’s because I coddled his ego. Anyway, he went off about the dogs and about me not helping around the house enough, etc. I told him Doug was on his way over and he took off and told me he didn’t know when he’d be back. Doug came over and assessed everything and gave us a temporary fix until he could get back over the next morning. I fed the dogs, put away laundry, scanned in Violet’s medical paperwork, wrote some other emails then made myself an easy dinner. Eric basically didn’t talk to me for the rest of the night, beyond a few one-word grunts. I went to the store and quickly picked up some stuff then back home to watch DwtS. I showered and brought Violet into the bedroom to clean her eyes and spend some time with her on the bed. She settled down easily, which was a relief. I updated this and semi-watched Bachelorette. Went to bed around 11.

Sunday 5/18, We were up early because the dogs started barking. I was so tired. We went and picked up Violet at the boat launch and Julee said she is really funny and friendly. When we got home we introduced her to the other dogs then bathed her, cleaned her eyes (since Eric noticed she was squinting) and her ears. We decided not to do the nails right away. I was exhausted so I crawled back into bed and Eric woke me up when he was heading to work at 12:00. I knew I needed to get up despite being really tired. I took Violet for a walk around the neighborhood and she did great. When I got back I put up the xpen across the gate in the courtyard and got out all my gardening stuff and continued on the rhodie. I made some good progress then headed inside. I watched Gangster Squad then dozed off. Eric came home and we relaxed for a little bit then took a walk with three of the dogs around the neighborhood. I went to bed early.

Saturday 5/17, Eric was up super early and went on a hike with Sky for the day. I woke up at 8:30, fed the dogs, ate some breakfast, and headed to get my oil changed. I was done with that by 10 and headed back home. I went out in the front yard to start dead-heading one of the rhodies and all the bachelor buttons and weeded by the blueberry bushes. I was out there for a while then went inside to get ready to go meet Susan and Jon for Indian buffet lunch. It was Susan’s official first time and she did really well. We were all disappointed that there was no rice pudding. Jon treated for lunch and that was so sweet. Back home I hit the backyard with the dogs and trimmed up the lilac and one of the hydrangea. I got tired and went and laid down for a while and went in and out of sleep until Eric came home, which was at 5. We were having dinner with Justin and Mailen later that evening so when he got home he got ready then I showered and got ready. We took off and of course we were early so we drove around and looked at some high school that has all kinds of mid-century modern architectural details. We went over to their house and they have this beautiful piece of property that sits way back from the road and is so private. Their house is totally mid-century. We talked and ate until after midnight. We had a fabulous time and there was never a dull moment. It was really fun. When we got home I got ready for bed and we watched the very end of SNL.

Friday 5/16, Eric came to P’s to pick up the planter she was giving me so then I left later than usual. When I got home Eric moved the planter into the backyard and I ran around with the dogs and checked on my dahlias. Eric wanted to go to the store to get some stuff for dinner so we went up to the GO and ended up getting some Amy’s veggie burger patties. We stopped at Ace so I could get more tomato cages for the dahlias and Eric got a new valve for under the sink. Eric whipped up dinner and I watched Dateline. I was tired and went to sleep while Eric stayed up a little later.

Thursday 5/15, Eric had a big day at work and I was waiting to hear how it went, but had to wait until I got home. Before leaving work I dug up two plants P didn’t want and headed home. Eric told me the good news about being offered a job, though there are a few caveats. He filled me in while I got the two plants in the ground. We did some watering and minor deadheading of the rhodies. Into the house and I sat down and finished a magazine. Eric made dinner and I watched tv and some robins start to make a nest in the usual place in the rhodie outside my bathroom window. I showered and got into bed and updated this.

Wednesday 5/14, It was so nice outside when I got home I took the dogs out in the backyard and ran around with Clancy in between checking on all the plants, and especially the dahlias. I heard Cherry in her yard so I popped my head over the fence and we chatted for a half hour or so. Eric made me a salad then served a delicious veggie egg bake thing. I didn’t gorge myself since I had a massage at 8:00. I took off and made it there right on time. The massage was magnificent, but halfway through he tells me that he’ll be gone for the entire month of June and part of July. Noooooooooooooo! I asked him who else I should see and he gave me a couple suggestions. The rest of the massage went very well and I was dressed and out of there before he could meet me with a water. I asked the girl that was standing outside the door if she would let him know. I went to check out, and was sad I wouldn’t be able to bid him a proper farewell, but then he popped his head out and gave me a water. I told him to have a great time and I’d see him in a few months. I made an appointment with another therapist and the girl was like, “Did Corey tell you that he’ll be out in June?” and I was like “Wahh, yes!” and she was like “I know. It’s so depressing!”. She said he hasn’t been telling a lot of clients and then she has to deliver the bad news. Anyway, I got the next one scheduled and headed home. I put on some dance-y songs and since it was so beautiful outside I had the sunroof open and windows down. Music UP. When I got home I was so giggly and hyper, but quickly sobered up when Eric was all cranky. We got into a fight about the leak under the kitchen sink (he claims he told me about it, I don’t recall). It’s been almost a week and it’s just leaking away. Arg. We semi-made up, but I was irritated and tired and went to bed. Dreaming of Corey. Sike. But his hands are amazing and I thought about them before bed, and how much skill and pleasure they must bring some lucky lady out there.

Tuesday 5/13, When I got home we went out in the yard again to admire it and Susan pulled up. We showed her a few things then into the house. Eric left and we chatted a little before watching two episodes of X-Files. We were hoping Mulder would show us his goods, but no dice. Susan left right at 8 and I made myself a salad then ate the angel food cake from Kassie’s birthday. I showered, updated this and watched tv. Eric came home before 10.

Monday 5/12, I was going to go on a walk when I got home because it was so nice, but then I got distracted watering the plants. The yard looks awesome and I’m so happy the rhody that hasn’t bloomed for two years actually bloomed this year, hopefully signaling that we’re out of the woods since Eric moved it. Eric made a delicious dinner and used up some stuff we had from Mom’s. I relaxed and watched DwtS throughout the evening and went to bed a little later than I should have.

Sunday 5/11, Eric was up early and I was up by 7:30 because I needed to get to Fred Meyer. Eric was cooking and doing dishes and I told him I’d be back and asked if he needed me to get anything. I got a couple cards and some tupperware for Mom, as a joke. When I got home I was of the opinion that we needed more potatoes so I went to the store and grabbed a few more and a couple more peppers. I helped when I got home then moved onto to folding laundry and getting ready. We took off for Mom’s and arrived right at 10:30. Mom showed me all the changes she made in the yard and how she wants to change the front of the house. Kass and Sky arrived and we had our brunch. We chatted but eventually Eric had to go to work and took off. We had cake and wrapped things up. Kass and Sky dropped me off so I could pick up my car. When I got home I changed into my work clothes and went outside and did yard work for a couple hours and got everything done that I wanted to. I went up to Ace and picked up some more tomato cages for the dahlias, put them in and finally sat down. I left to pick up Eric and showed him the yard when we got home. I had some quiche for dinner and watched Virgin Suicides which I haven’t seen in ages. I watched some of the special features and updated this.

Saturday 5/10, We were up early and I made a text pass at Eric and he responded accordingly. Eric was out the door to work by 10ish. I did a few things then sat down and watched What Maisie Knew and thought it was very good. I ran to the store to pick up the stuff we needed for dinner that night with Peter and Stef. When I got home I vacuumed, did laundry and did the dishes. I put on Evolution and worked for an hour. When it was over I did another once over and put on my makeup. Eric arrived home and started on dinner and got pretty far. I helped do some chopping. Peter and Stef arrived right on time and they brought some Spanish torta for dessert. We talked in the kitchen and Stef is going to Europe for a month in September to help lead a tour group for R.S. We’re both super excited for her. Dinner was fantastic (taco bar) and everyone overate. They took off by 10:30 and we cleaned up a little then climbed into bed. We watched a few minutes of SNL before I fell asleep.

Friday 5/9, Only day at work for the week; felt really good. When I got home Eric had the dishwasher and under sink all torn apart trying to figure out what the problem is. He called Dad and they chatted for a few minutes. I started to get all blah about the whole thing but Eric gave me some tough love. We went up to the store to get stuff for the next night’s dinner. When we got home Eric made me dinner and I watched 48 Hours. I think we were in bed fairly early for the night.

Thursday 5/8, We work up a little after 6:00 and got ready, packed up, gassed up and hit the road. We made it north of Vancouver before stopping to gas up and use the bathroom. We made pretty good time and made it home by 3:15. I was done being in the car. The dogs were very excited to see us. We both zoned out for the rest of the day and scrounged for food since neither of us wanted to leave the house to go to the store. I took care of some emails and things and went to bed early.

Wednesday 5/7, We got up early and ready to head out on the road. Eric put on Married with Children and Matt LeBlanc was in it. We left a few minutes before 7:30 and headed west. We made pretty good time until we got close to Pasadena, when we hit rush hour traffic. We stopped a little while after merging on I-5. We gassed up and went to the bathroom and kept going. We stopped in Stockton to get gas, then stopped in Redding to go to the bathroom. We stopped in Yreka for the night and checked in to a little roadside motel that had very good reviews. It was dated, but it was cute and had great service. And a wake up call system. We unloaded the truck and went to the pizza place down the street. Dinner was great and we went back to the hotel. It was like 8:00 or so, so I got into bed and we did stuff on our phones and watched tv. Bed early because we were getting up early.

Tuesday 5/6, We got up early and went to Cathedral City to the Sunshine Café. I got the pancakes and wasn’t disappointed. It was fantastic. Breakfast was pretty quick so we went back to the hotel and parked and walked around our neighborhood (Movie Colony). We looked through hedges and fences and it was so quiet. There was a swimsuit photo shoot happening in one of the yards and Eric was peeking over the wall and through the hedge, relaying all the info. We headed back to the car and over to the visitor’s center for our guided architectural tour. We were early but went inside anyway and looked at the books. Our tour guide arrived and it was just us and another young couple, who was from Australia. Trevor was our guide and he was fantastic. We piled into the van and off we went. A lot of stuff we’d already seen, but he gave us so much history about the neighborhoods and how the styles evolved. It gave us a lot of ideas. It was a three-hour tour and I didn’t want it to end. We thanked him and went inside and bought a book. We headed downtown and went to Tyler’s for lunch. I got a turkey burger and Eric got a regular one. Everything was delicious. Eric had brought his shoes and all that stuff to attempt the tram again, but he decided against it. We hit the pool instead and we were the only ones down there. I went in the pool. The clouds started to roll in so after a couple hours we went inside. We decided to head out toward Cathedral City and Palm Desert. I told Eric I wanted to stop at one of the consignment shops. We ended up finding stuff we both liked, but ultimately agreed on a Matisse lithograph-style piece, that was framed really nicely. The lady told us everything was 20% off so that sealed it for us. I wanted the Warhol plexiglass floral piece, but it was more than we wanted to spend. We continued southeast and didn’t find much that interested us, but we did go up into a neighborhood in Cathedral City and that was interesting. We went back to the hotel and relaxed for a little bit. We ended up packing and watching tv, then went to gas up the truck and get some snacks for dinner and the road the next day. I wasn’t terribly hungry but got a caprese salad. We ate in the room and watched tv in bed before going to sleep. We were sad to be leaving the next day and easily could have spent a few more days exploring. Eric decided against the tram but said maybe next time. We didn’t get to see the little western town outside PS, Joshua Tree, the outlet mall with Barneys, see any open houses, etc. Next time. Should be soon enough.

Monday 5/5, Eric was up early, of course, and went to explore and get some coffee. I got up and ready then we went to Cheeky’s for breakfast. I had a very heavy breakfast, so I ended up not being hungry until dinner. Back at the hotel I sat out on our balcony topless and that got Eric all riled up. We messed about then got dressed and went to the visitor center where Eric downloaded the architectural tour app. We went back to the hotel so it could finish downloading and once it did, we took off and did the south Palm Springs tour. It was very informative and interesting. It took us a couple hours and we stopped at Koffi for some mid-day snacks. We found so many places we both loved and neighborhoods we’d both like to buy in. We finished up and went to a section where there are little art shops. We didn’t get anything then over to a consignment shop, but left without anything there either. It had a great view of Bob Hope’s house. We headed back to the hotel and sat out by the pool for a couple hours. Later in the afternoon we went up to the tram and I could tell Eric was nervous, but as we started walking up he said he was out. I told him I was still going to go up and bought my ticket. Up I went and he watched me ascend. It was pretty nerve-wracking, but also completely amazing. I explored when I got to the top and took a ton of pictures. There was an old gentleman up there as well (we’d seen him the day before and called him “The Captain” on account of his wearing a captain’s hat), whose wife wouldn’t join him either. We were taking pictures and chatted a little. I went off the backside of the building and it was all trees and forest. It was gorgeous and all I kept thinking was how much Eric would have enjoyed it. I stayed up there for an hour then headed back down. Eric was waiting for me and watched as I came down. I told him how amazing it was but then we got in a mini-argument about why he didn’t go up. I know he was just upset with himself that he was too freaked out to go up. Back at the hotel we changed and got ready for dinner. We decided to go to Lulu and waited about 10 minutes for a table. The people watching was hilarious. It was an equal parts geriatrics and gay guys. Dinner was very good. I got the French onion soup, Eric ordered some chicken appetizer with mango and pineapple that was delicious. I got the chicken picatta for my entrée. After dinner we walked for a bit and hit the candy shop, but bought nothing. We went to Fresh n Easy, picked up two more jugs of water. We took a drive out toward Cathedral City and hit Carl’s Jr where we got two small oreo shakes. Back to the hotel and we got in bed and relaxed before bed.

Sunday 5/4, Eric was up early and running errands with Dad while I tried to sleep in but ended up getting up by 7:30 anyway. Dad made pancakes for Aubrie and me and we chatted. I was watching the news and Maria Ar-Dunn who used to be on our news, was on their local news. I couldn’t believe I recognized her. Aubs and Christian were doing senior picture photo shoots and had to be out early, but they ended getting delayed by a half hour or so. We got to spend a little extra time together. After Eric and Dad returned from more errands, we packed up the truck and got ready to leave for Palm Springs. We said bye to Dad and headed out. The GPS took us kind of a funky way, but it was definitely more scenic, for better or for worse. We made it and went to check in to our hotel, but we were early so we asked if there was a good restaurant close by and she suggested Trio. We walked over and had a short wait, during which time we discovered that there was something called Blatino going on and Eric saw a guy with a silver thong peeking up over his white pants. Everyone was in white. It was fantastic people watching. We sat outside and it was so nice and warm. Lunch was very good and we headed back over to the Movie Colony Hotel and checked in. We got the room Kass had before so I was already familiar. I unpacked then went down to the pool and watched the new talent arrive. It was so hot and we got a nice spot in the shade. I went in the pool for a little bit. We decided to go to the hotel a couple blocks down for a fancy, refreshing drink. We sat at the bar by the pool and each had a fresh strawberry lemonade. We stayed for a little bit then back to the hotel. Back up in the room we changed then went to drive around the Little Tuscany area trying to find the Edris house but I couldn’t remember how far north or south it was. We went around for a while and enjoyed looking at all the houses. We went over to the visitor’s center to see if we could check some of the tour routes but they were closed. We drove up to the tram but I was having second thoughts after seeing the elevation gain. Eric was rethinking it as well. We headed back to the hotel and both fell asleep but I really went out. Eric tried to wake me up but I was just too tired. He went and got Mexican for dinner and brought it back to the room. I was out of it. I started to wake up a little and we decided to go out and get some dessert. We parked downtown and went to Lappert’s and I got something chocolatey. We walked up and down the strip and there were some squirrely folks around. We had a nice time, talking and laughing and window shopping. We sat outside and people watched. Back in the car we set out to find a store for some water and snacks. We found a Fresh n Easy, got a big jug of water and some trail mix. Back to the hotel and we got ready for bed.

Saturday 5/3, We were up by 4:30 and on the road to the airport a few minutes early. Everything at the airport went very well and we were through security quickly. We walked around and Eric got a coffee before we went to our gate. Unfortunately there was some issue with one of the tire coolers on our plane so we had to change plans and terminals, then there was an issue with a lady who couldn’t find her passport so all in all we ended up being delayed an hour and a half. After finally getting underway the flight was pretty uneventful. I read my book. When we landed in San Diego Dad picked us up and we went to Cardiff to have lunch at the restaurant that’s in the spot of his old favorite place (I think it’s now Charlie’s or something). Lunch was good; I had a salad. We went back to the house and we sat outside in the sunshine and it was so warm that I had to move to the shade after 15 minutes. Alishia came over and we all sat outside and talked for a long time. Dad went up to take a nap and I wanted to get a pedicure so I asked Alishia if she had any interest and that I’d treat. The wait was pretty long but eventually we got our toes done and I picked a deep, sparkly, ruby. Eric went and got some slippers since he’d left his at home. We went back to the house afterward and Dad was awake. We left for dinner not much later and went to Wokery. It was very good. We went home and soon Aubrie arrived. We all just talked in the living room for a while and Alishia was the first to peel off. It wasn’t too late but we were all tired and went to bed.

Friday 5/2, I was off a little early again. At home I vacuumed, finished up the back bedroom, got Colbie’s stuff together, cleaned my bathroom and finished packing. There was other stuff; we were pretty much busy all night. Colbie went home and I was very sad. I hope she’s not too scared and that they treat her wonderfully. Eric went and got gyros for dinner then I showered and got ready for bed. Updated this and to bed early since we had to be ready for the car to pick us up at 5:15 the next morning.

Thursday 5/1, I was home a little early and got started on chores. I got a lot done but lost momentum when Eric got home. He took off not long after to go to Sky’s and I went back and forth between doing chores and relaxing. I made a reservation for a car to pick us up to go to the airport. By the time he got home I was in bed even though I didn’t get everything done. Colbie’s adoption was finalized so we made plans for the next night for Colbie to be picked up. I wanted to read but Eric was already in bed so I turned off the lights and went to bed.

Wednesday 4/30, We kept going on doing stuff but not for long because we had Colbie’s home visit in West Seattle. Traffic was bad so we left early. It went well, though it was a little cluttery and I’ll worry about Colbie and the resident dog, but I have to let go. So, when I got home I hurried and sent off the HV and FP pass and luckily the adoption approval went out that night. I worked on her medical info and putting together her take home paperwork. Only a couple of days left before leaving for vacation and putting all this stuff behind us.

Tuesday 4/29, We did stuff around the house and in the yard. Jojo was picked up before 6:00 so then we had the rest of the night to relax. We may have gone to the store; I don’t remember. I think I started packing for our trip to CA and got into bed early and read before lights out.

Monday 4/28, When I got home Eric was out in the yard working. We took Jojo and Colbie for a walk and Colbie loves to run. Jojo wanted to run too and went to go right around a garbage can but switched to the left at the last minute and made me run into the can. Well played, Jojo, well played. I was laughing so hard I couldn’t run. When we got home we went in the backyard and I planted the dahlias. The dishwasher was acting up so Eric spent time trying to fix it. I had my dinner then relaxed and talked to mom. I watched DwtS and did stuff online then went to bed.

Sunday 4/27, Eric was up early with the dogs but had to take off by 8 to go in for a work meeting. I got up and fed the dogs then ate some breakfast. I did a couple things around the house then went outside to keep going on the yard. I got quite a few more plants in the ground and dragged all the yard waste bins to the curb. One of them had some red butt bees flying out of it, which told me that can had been full of grass clippings all winter on the side of the house and there was probably a bee hive in it. I asked Eric to empty it some time ago, but of course he didn’t. Urg. When Eric came home I was feeling exhausted so Eric made me a breakfast burrito so then I was ready for a nap. We headed down to Pacific Topsoil and picked up some more compost for the front beds. When we got home I was feeling a lot better and ready to get back to work. I changed the sheets on the bed and started cleaning out the back bedroom and closet. I got the bed stripped and remade and got everything arranged and ready for company. I went outside and planted some more plants, trimmed up the rhody by my bathroom and placed a few for Eric to plant. He spread all the compost and it looked good. It was 2:00 and Jojo was coming at 3:00, so we quickly went over to Home Depot, picked up the amber / quartz stepping stones, stakes and ties for the plants/trees. We did the stones when we got home and I think we got the perfect number, then we tied up trees and plants. We went inside and Jojo showed up shortly after. I went back out in the backyard and planted a couple more plants and finally finished up in the yard for the day. I was exhausted but Eric reminded me we needed to go to the store, so we hit the GO and Super Supplements then I got to relax. I showered watched Your Highness while working. Eric made dinner and I watched the special features. I did some research on the red butt bees and determined they’re not bad and that we should put the can back on the side of the house and either call someone or leave it there for the summer since they are bumble bees, not hornets or wasps. I made Eric help me move it back, even though it was dark. I got into bed, read for a while and went to bed not much later.

Saturday 4/26, We were up early and Eric got a ton of yard work done before Mom even arrived. I did stuff around the house and got some laundry folded. Mom arrived right around 9:30 and we took off for T&L. I got everything on my list except the Princess Victoria Louise poppies; couldn’t find them. I gave myself a budget of $100 and spent $99.60. I was very proud of myself. Plus there were a ton of bachelor buttons that they were tossing so I grabbed like 10 of those. I got two bleeding hearts (alba, valentine), five hosta (2 brim cup, 2 so sweet, and one mystery one that may be a great expectations or maybe wide brim?), fuschia (tangerine), three lavender (strawberry ruffles), two Japanese forest grass, two golden wood millet, three salal (wintergreen), three geum (cocktails Alabama slammer), and three golden oregano. I think that’s it. When we got home we unloaded and Mom took off. Eric got ready for work and we got into a fight before he took off on his bike. He apologized before he left and then again when he got to work. Nothing major, just squibbly stuff. I went out in the yard and planted about half of the plants then kept weeding the backyard and discovered a little strawberry coming up. Also, two of my dahlias have little sprouts so that’s good. I spent a good portion of my day outside which felt good. I talked to Candace about Colbie’s app and it sounds good I emailed her to set up a time for the home visit. I went to the store to pick up a few things and had a ramshackle dinner, including an apple and chips and salsa. I baked some pre-made cookies and settled down to work and watch Family Stone. I watched some of the extra features then Eric called so I went and picked him up. It was raining and he was tired and didn’t want to ride home. When we got home I climbed into bed and didn’t stay up too much later.

Friday 4/25, I got to leave work early and was excited to go home and work out in the yard. I took the dogs out and got my work clothes on and headed out to the backyard. I worked out there for a while and watched the dogs play. Eric came home shortly after and was planning to go into Seattle for a concert with Sky. He took off and I watched Dateline until Jojo’s person came to pick her up. I watched tv and made my plant list for the next morning and made a lot of notes. Eric came home after I had already gone to bed.

Thursday 4/24, After work Eric and I both did our workouts, separately. We ended up finishing at the same time and met at the light on our way home. We took Jojo and Colbie for a walk around the block and Colbie did very well considering how skittish she can be in new situations. Eric fed the dogs while I got laundry going then we headed up to the GO. Eric made dinner when we got home and I went through some emails while we watched Parks and Rec. I showered and climbed into bed to update this. I brought some work home but didn’t get to it. I went to bed earlyish because I was exhausted.

Wednesday 4/23, I got a call and Jojo was going to come for a visit sooner (that evening) than the scheduled Sunday visit. Eric and I talked while we waited for the Joj. He started dinner and I worked on sending out Colbie’s long bio. The woman looks a little out there, but we’ll see where it goes. Colbie was not happy about Jojo arriving and had to be put in time out a few times. Dinner was served and he made pot roast with mashed potatoes and broccoli. It was very good and afterward I got my bathroom put back together. I showered and worked a little bit while watching tv. Mom called and I talked to her about Grandma Dixie for a while. She’d had an aneurism and was in bad shape. It should have killed her, but didn’t. The doctors did not have high hopes for her. I went to bed.

Tuesday 4/22, I got a text from Mailen and she said they were about 40 minutes out so I rushed home and we waited for them to pick up Dora. When they arrived we talked for a long time and Eric wanted to look at J’s car so he did that for a while. Back inside I showered and started getting ready for Kassie’s birthday dinner. We left by 7:30 and headed up to Café Juanita where they had the party room reserved. When we arrived everyone was downstairs and there were about 20 people. The food was excellent and I was completely stuffed by the end of the night. Kass and I laughed through most of dinner. We finally left by 11:15 and made it home and to bed after midnight.

Monday 4/21, No clue, don’t remember. I may have taken a walk, or tried to get more Colbie pictures. I know I watched DwtS and maybe worked or did stuff online.

Sunday 4/20, Eric woke me up at 7:30 to go on a walk but I told him to leave me alone until 8:00. I woke up at 8:20 and we headed out for a couple laps around the lake. I needed to get my oil changed so we went down to Rainier but they weren’t open so we went down to the Columbia City Bakery where Eric got some coffee and I got a blondie. We went by the oil change place again but they were still closed, I assume because of Easter. I called Mom to stop by and see the yard, but she wasn’t there. When I got home I watched Mask and worked some more but turned it off to go have my massage. It was a great massage and we didn’t talk at all which was fine with me because I was completely relaxed. I headed home and finished my movie and working. I think the rest of the night was spent taking it easy.

Saturday 4/19, I had a bunch of stuff I wanted to get done so I was up and moving. Eric took the lawnmower in then stopped and got a half yard of Cedar Grove compost, which is twice as expensive as what we usually get at Pacific Topsoil. We spread it in the front two beds and need to get some more for the other beds and backyard. I talked to Mom for a long time and we decided to go get plants the next weekend. We went to Mutual Materials to look at stones for the walkway along the patio. We went next door to Home Depot and they had the same ones there but half the price. We vowed to go back and get some at another time. It was pouring so we skipped going to Molbak’s. When we got home I settled in to work and watch movies. First was Austenland, next was Bridget Jones’ Diary and last was Match Point, during which I fell asleep and woke up like 2.5 hours later. I finished my movie then got up to see what Eric was up to. We watched 48 Hours then SNL, during which I fell asleep.

Friday 4/18, I did my walk after work then we went down to Renton so I could meet someone to sell a purse. On our way home we decided to go out to dinner but on our way there someone had hit a duck in the road and it was terrible because it was still alive but couldn’t stand up and was rolling all over the place. I was so upset when we got to the restaurant that I couldn’t stop crying so we went home. The scene just kept replaying in my head. When we got home I went in the bedroom and cried more. Eric left to go get Chinese food and texted me to tell me that he went and got the duck out of the street (dead at that point) and put his body under a tree by the lake and made me start crying all over again because he’s so sweet. He knew I was so upset and wanted to make me feel better by giving the duck a serene final resting place. When he got home he made me a plate of food even though I didn’t have an appetite. I think I pretty much just zoned out for the rest of the night and went to bed hoping the next day would be better.

Thursday 4/17, We got news that Colbie doesn’t have any bladder issues so that was good. At home I was determined to get Colbie’s bio and pictures uploaded. I also answered some emails before going into the kitchen to see if Eric wanted to do the dogs’ nails. We got everyone set and I had my dinner. We went to Fred Meyer so I could get a shower curtain rod and liner. I haven’t had a shower curtain since living at the condo. At home I had an apple and watched Parks and Rec. I showered then got into bed and updated this.

Wednesday 4/16, Kris came and finished up and it looked great when I got home. Eric took Colbie to the vet to see about her leaky problem and they were going to call us the next day with the results. After work I went and met a girl in downtown Bellevue and she bought the sconces so those were unloaded. Eric was home when I got there. We talked for a little bit before I hopped in the shower. I left to go over to Kristel’s for dinner. I met her new puppy who is very cute but very puppy-ish and sassy. She could have given Viktor a run for his money. We had dinner and talked and caught up but not on everything. There’s more to chat about. I left around 10:30 and Eric was in bed when I got home, but he wanted to chat about Copper. We talked for a little bit then it was sleepy time.

Tuesday 4/15, The tub guy was coming to refinish the hall bath bathtub. Eric talked to him and really liked him. When I got home the smell was pretty pungent but Eric had the windows open and fan going. Susan arrived and we chatted for a while before starting in on X-Files. We talked about Max and wondered what in the world I would have worn if I’d let him take me to that goth club. Mercury? I don’t even remember. We talked about his red leather cod piece and also his see-through back-pocket pants. He had so many different outfits; I never saw him wear the same thing twice. Susan said he would have let me borrow something to wear for when we went to that club. Part of me is still very curious about Max and wants to know more. I looked on Kyle’s fb friend list but there are no “Max”s. We watched the one where Scully is returned from being abducted and also the vampire one where Mulder is all moody and trying to get fresh with a wannabe vampire. Eric heated up leftover lasagna for us and we both had seconds. Susan took off shortly after our two episodes were over and I wrote to Kris about finishing up sealing the tub and putting on the hardware. Into bed.

Monday 4/12, A guy contacted me and wanted to buy the light so I told him we could be down to Renton to meet him by 5:30. Did that then headed home, but stopped at the GO first so we could get stuff for Eric to make lasagna. It took a while and I worked on trying to get some pictures for Colbie’s profile. It took a while for dinner but when it was it was so worth it. Delicious. I half-watched DwtS and went to bed.

Sunday 4/13, I was up early-ish because I wanted to get some stuff done before heading down to the auction. It was gorgeous outside. I took care of a few things then showered, got ready, ate a piece of pizza and headed down. I got there early and the doors weren’t even unlocked yet. I was the third on line. I got a number and went to scope out the crowd. I planned to stay for pretty much the whole thing. I got there at 11:30 and it was supposed to end at 5:00. All the stuff I wanted went for way higher than I budgeted. I did end up winning the piece I wanted the least, but it was also the cheapest. I don’t even remember who the artist is but it is a collograph called “The Seeds Grew!”. Chrystol asked if I wanted to go over to their house for dinner after the auction, but since I got done early I went home. Eric did the Poppy hand off and I had all the other dogs in the backyard running around to keep them occupied and got a lot of pictures. We took off for Ballard and when we got there we chatted about the auction and taxes then took off for Golden Gardens to have dinner on the beach. The food was delicious and the sunset was very pretty but it was a little windy. We walked to the car and drove back to their house and had dessert. More talking and eventually we left because it was a school night. Eric rode up to the store when we got home since we needed a few things.

Saturday 4/12, Eric took the day off to help me with the dogs and make sure I wasn’t going to lose my shit. We got up early to go pick up Colbie from Julee at our usual meet up spot. We chatted for a while and Colbie is so sweet and shy. Very submissive and drags her body along the ground when she’s coming toward you. We went home and did some introductions. I did some stuff around the house and was trying to be productive. I did a little yard work then went to the bank to deposit some money from our dog fund. I went down to PacGal to preview the auction and there was so much good stuff. I decided I was back in and just had to set budgets for myself and started strategizing. I got a call from Alan saying that the people staying across the street just bought our old house on 88th. The house was on the market for one day at $1.1m and they paid full price with two other offers on it. I told mom they should buy it back, but she didn’t have any interest. Back at home I was jacked up and excited about the auction. I game planned my finances and went to the bank to take out the cash for it. The weather was nice so I went outside with the dogs for a little bit. It was our six-year anniversary. We didn’t do anything and didn’t exchange cards or anything but we did go get a pizza and Eric made it. We watched 48 Hours then stayed up to watch SNL. I fell asleep about 20 minutes in.

Friday 4/11, Poppy was over for the weekend. I got bad news on my taxes (to the tune of over $6k). After work I started feeling blehhhh. Eric was trying some tough love on me but that didn’t really do much so he softened as the night went on. Justin and Mailen came over to drop off Dora for 10 days and we chatted for a while. I decided I was going to have to skip the auction that I was planning to attend on Sunday (modern art and furniture). I was not happy since I’d been looking forward to it for a month and had given myself a very large budget for some new art and mid-century furniture. That went out the window with the taxes. Meh. Went to bed early.

Thursday 4/10, I had a dental appointment after work. I have a filling that needs to be replaced so I scheduled that for the end of May and also scheduled Eric a cleaning. When I got home I was feeling good and a little hyper. A complete 180 from the weekend. Maybe I’m bipolar. I took a shower and Eric made dinner: BELT (bacon, egg, lettuce, tomato). It also had cheese. With tater tots on the side. We watched a couple shows together then I read for a while before bed.

Wednesday 4/9, Doug came in the morning and hooked up the new sinks and put the faucets on. I had an eye appointment after work. I think my doctor was flirting with me. He said I was funny and kept laughing at my jokes. When I got home I told Eric and he was like, oh great, and rolled his eyes. He doesn’t like it when my ego gets too big. The girl came over and took the mirror, so it felt good to get that out of the house. The other girl cancelled, but that didn’t surprise me. We went to the store and got a few things. We had leftovers for dinner. I watched some tv and read before bed.

Tuesday 4/8, Eric had the day off so he was able to meet the counter guys. He sent me pictures after it was done and it looked good. Doug came over after work to take a look at what needed to be done. There was a girl who wanted the mirror but she ended up rescheduling for the next day. I didn’t really watch tv. I think I did some things online then read some of my book.

Monday 4/7, At home I fielded emails and talked to a guy who wanted the GPS. He wanted to meet at Walmart so Eric and I locked up the house and took off on foot. We made it there right on time, the guy took it and we walked home through the park. It was such a beautiful day that we decided to walk up to the store next. Eric made dinner while I talked to Mom and Dad on the phone and caught up with them. After dinner Eric took the master bath counter out. I watched some DwtS while doing other stuff that I don’t remember.

Sunday 4/6, I started waking up early and went in and out of sleep from 7 to 9. I had a very vivid dream about N*te C*mpbell and we were seriously making out and we were at a concert, wrapped in a blanket together, with out shirts off. Hmmm. I wrote him on fb to say hi and let him know I’d had a dream bout him, but not the details or anything. I read my book for a little while until I was paged to come down for breakfast. After breakfast we all took a walk around the property and Sky showed us the bath house and the two other cabins. We walked down to the river then over to the neighboring properties which Sky is most likely going to buy to expand the compound. When we got back we all started to pack up and said our goodbyes. It was about 12:30 when we took off. I made good time and tried calling mom and dad on the way. When I got home Eric had already pulled out the vanity countertop and sinks. Since that was done I just relaxed. I got a bunch of stuff on craigslist and waited for the offers to roll in. Sike. Eric and I got into an argument about something and I couldn’t stop crying. I took a shower and just bawled. He came in and we talked and I think I have some chemical imbalances in my brain or something. He brought me dinner and we smoothed things out. I was exhausted. Not sure when I went to bed.

Saturday 4/5, I woke up earlyish and started getting ready to head over to Index. I showered and packed then took off around 9:00. I swung into Whole Foods for some cheese and a baguette. By the time I got into Index I had to pee so bad and the directions Kass gave me weren’t clear and I had no cell service. I parked in front of the post office and called Eric, who got online trying to find the address. Apparently my text to mom went through and she came and met me. I followed her back then hit the bathroom, which was like a sauna. Kass was making breakfast and mom and dad were sitting on the couch relaxing. I looked around and it was a super cute little cabin. Sky came in from one of the other cabins and we sat down and had breakfast. We ended up sitting around the table talking for a long time. We looked at magazines and landscaping books for a few hours. Mom made a delicious salad and I put the cheeses out. Eventually we put on Mud and mom went up to take a nap. All of us except dad liked it. It rained all day so I didn’t go outside. I went upstairs while Mom put dinner together and I sat in the big chair under the skylight. We ate dinner and ended up talking in the living room, mostly about Eric, for a long time. Eventually I went upstairs and climbed into my loft bed. I listened from up there but fell asleep. When I woke up everyone had gone to bed and some of the lights were still on so I got up and turned them off then back to bed.

Friday 4/4, I was feeling meh all day; however, I did verify with the counter top company that they had everything right then talked to Doug and he’s going to come over the next day to get the water all hooked back up, so I felt better about that. On the way home I started feeling really not great. By the time I pulled into the garage I was crying and just sat in my car for a while. When I went inside Eric was concerned and asking me what was wrong. I told him I feel depressed and frustrated and overwhelmed. I laid on the bed and cried for a while. He sat with me and just put his hand on my arm. Eventually I calmed down and got some perspective. Eric was going to go to the store so I told him I was going to go to the park for a walk. I went around the park three times and listened to music and fought off tears a couple times. Luckily I wore my sunglasses. At home Eric was cooking and I showered while he finished up. I ate dinner then asked Eric if he wanted to go to the mall so I could return the towels I bought. We sat on some of the beds while we were there so now I have an idea of what we’ll be getting soon. Back at home I started in on my tax stuff but hit a road block when I couldn’t find the closing documents from my refi. I didn’t get everything done but got it mostly completed. I went to bed.

Thursday 4/3, I talked to Jean on the way home and I was irritated by how the conversation went. Susan met me at the house after work so we could get started on X-Files again. Eric wasn’t home yet, but had implied we were doing nachos for dinner. I was telling Susan about my taxes and she was giving me her official tax advice. Eric told me to calm down and talk to Julie if I wanted additional guidance. The three of us ended up in the living room talking for a long time. Eventually Susan and I went to Papa Murphy’s and picked up a half Hawaiian, half pepperoni pizza. Eric made it for us and we started in on Season 2, disc 2. We watched two episodes and Scully has been abducted and Krycek is revealed as a bad guy. We talked for a while between episodes. Susan left and it was about 9:30. I showered and Eric was irritated that I’d been a brat about the nachos.

Wednesday 4/2, Finally got an email on the crate that was legit and made plans to meet after work. I rushed home and she let me know she was running late. Eric and I talked in the bedroom until she arrived and when she did she loved the house and was like “Lake Hills, who knew?!”. After she left I changed into my workout gear and set out for the park. I did my laps quickly and saw Eric on my way home and he was leaving for the evening to meet some people for a meeting. At home I ate dinner then took off for the GO and Office Depot. Back at home I showered and watched tv. I called Mom and talked with her for an hour then lights out and to bed.

Tuesday 4/1, I stayed late at work to talk about the new business. I left around 6:00 and headed home. Eric pulled dinner out of the oven right as I walked through the door. I got several emails about the crate but none were panning out. Eric had everything ready for Tulpen to go home. I dished up my dinner and had double helpings. Tracey showed up and picked him up and thanked us. She was surprised by his eye as well (cherry eye was gone). After she left I showered and got into bed for the night.

Monday 3/31, Doug put in the new bathroom windows while we were at work, then I talked to the other Doug on the way home to coordinate his coming to the house to look at the bathroom project. When I got home Eric was in the yard cleaning up and it looks great. I went inside to look at the new windows and I was so happy with them and the fact that I can now see out them (not opaque). Doug and I discussed the project and went over pretty much everything and I’m really excited. He’s a few weeks out, but that’s fine since the tub will be refinished in two weeks and the counters will go in after that. I went outside with the dogs after he left (6:20) then remembered the lady who wanted to buy the little entry table and mirror was supposed to be there any minute. I put them by the door and waited. She picked them up and I helped her to her car then went in the bedroom to answer craigslist emails and take down the one ad. Eric finished dinner (veggie burritos with sweet potatoes, mushrooms and squash). I ate then took a shower. I climbed into bed and watched DwtS and did some stuff online while all the dogs kept me company.

Sunday 3/30, Brizo let us sleep in until 8:00. Eric got up with the dogs and I got up a half hour later. Eric took off for work and I started organizing and putting together Ruby’s take home information while watching Station Agent. Ruby’s new fam texted asking if they could come early (they were supposed to come at 5:00) and I said sure. They arrived before noon and we went over everything and they had a lot of questions. I’m going to miss her so much; she’s just the sweetest dog. After they left I had a little lunch and showered. I took off for my massage. It was an 80-minute session and it was magnificent. It’s been so long since he’s been able to work on my back and it felt so good I actually was able to mentally check out a few times. The sun was out and it was beautiful when I left. At home I did some stuff on my computer and ended up starting to fall asleep by the time Eric came home. I took an hour nap then went through a magazine. Eric went to the store and for dinner he made one of my favorites: ground turkey patty with zucchini and squash, on top of a lettuce leaf topped with a taziki sauce (usually it’s an aoli). It was excellent as usual. I half-watched Crazy, Stupid, Love to get my RG fix.

Saturday 3/29, Brizo woke us up around 6:00 and Eric got up and took care of the dogs. I fell back asleep until 9:00 maybe. I got a slow start but Eric was on top of it and vacuuming and dusting. Mom called and wanted to see the bathroom tile so she came over to see it and we talked on the couch for a long time. After she left I started getting things listed on craigslist to start to clean things out. I showered and got dressed and we went to the store to get stuff for Eric to make his famous roasted veggies for Stefanie’s dinner party. I relaxed until it was time to go. We headed over and got there right on time. Sky and Chrystol were a little late but we talked until they arrived. Stef made a bunch of veggie dishes and they were all good. We had a really good time and we stayed until 11:30 or something. At home we watched SNL for a little bit and went to bed.

Friday 3/28, At home we went to the store to get stuff for dinner and we got stuff to have steaks and broccoli. I did stuff in the bedroom while he cooked. I watched Dateline until 10 and Eric slept in the bedroom with me and Tulpen.

Thursday 3/27, I stayed home for a few hours in the morning and worked because a guy was coming to do the templates for the bathroom counters. He arrived right before 9:00 and was done about a half hour later. He gave a lot of compliments that he liked the updates I had done to the house but still kept the feeling of mid-century modern. I’m glad it translates. I stayed late at work and still beat Eric home. I took the dogs out then he came home. He agreed to stay home with the dogs while I did my park-workout. I did it pretty quickly then home and into the shower. Eric made me a quesadilla again and it was excellent. Tulpen and Ruby kept me company while I worked on my computer. I went to Super Supplements to pick up some toothpaste then into bed. I watched some Friends then went to sleep.

Wednesday 3/26, Tulpen slept through the night just fine and took Eric’s spot. Eric and I were talking a little more and texted a little throughout the day. When I got home my new credit card had arrived so I called and updated my earthquake policy information then filled out several other expired card notices and mailed them off. We went to the store to get stuff for dinner then when we got home I started pulling out the stuff I would need the next morning for the bathroom counter template. I got all three sinks out, but I could only find two faucets. I went back and realized I only ordered two. Great. I ordered the third faucet then worked on this. Eric made quesadillas for dinner and they were go-oood. Tulpen slept on Eric’s pillow throughout the evening.

Tuesday 3/25, When I got home Eric was in the backyard and when he came inside we were civil. Jojo was going home and another dog, Tulpen (NR alum) was being dropped off. Joj went home first then a little bit later Tulpen arrived. He’s got a lot of energy but he’s a good boy. Eric made quinoa with a ton of veggies and a cucumber sauce. Tulpen hung out with me in the bedroom while I did stuff online. Eric slept in the other room again.

Monday 3/24, Jojo was dropped off in the morning for a one-night stay. The weather was beautiful and warm so when I got home we changed and decided to walk down to Phantom Lake. We talked the whole time and had a really nice time. Until we got home. I noticed that one of the daphnes was gone. He pulled it. I was so mad so we got into a big argument about him pulling plants before spring has even kicked in. He thinks he knows best about all things horticulture and I don’t care what he knows. So, basically we didn’t talk for the rest of the night and he slept in the other room. I worked on my taxes in the living room and finally finished right around 11 and went to bed.

Sunday 3/21, I believe we were actually able to sleep in because Brizo kept it cool. We went out in the yard and got more of it cleaned up and it looks really nice now. Back to the best yard on the block. For most of the rest of the day I worked on taxes and going back to 2004 to track down all my improvements on the condo ($30k+). I watched Harry Potter and got everything together. I worked until 11:00 or so then to bed.

Saturday 3/22, Brizo had us up before 8:00 of course. I got up and ready, but my neck was hurting so I did some stretching and exercises. I went on my walk at the park and when I got home I showered and got ready. Eric made me a breakfast burrito. He took off to go do some stuff and I got started on my tax stuff then Courtney called. We talked for a little bit and caught up. Mom called next and I talked to her for over an hour. When I got off the phone Eric and I took off for Lowe’s because I had an appointment to get the bathroom countertops figured out and ordered. We went home, got the dogs settled and headed into Ballard. We went to Sonic Boom so Eric could use a gift certificate. We walked around a little then decided to get something to eat at Skillet. I got the biscuits and gravy and it was delicious. We headed home and it took a while because of construction and general Seattle traffic. I watched Harry Potter and looked at shower curtains and towels online. After it was over I went up to BB&B for towels, found nothing, then down to the mall. Macy’s had nothing then JCP had what I thought was just right. I bought all the stuff but when I got home I wasn’t so sure about the color compared to what I’d been looking at online. I watched some Dateline and 48 Hours.

Friday 3/21, I left work a little early and when I got home I looked at the bathroom and it looked fantastic. I was so happy. Eric came home an hour later. I was online trying to figure out the colors I wanted in the bathroom. I decided on coral but was trying to track down just the right shade. Eric went and got us dinner (chicken katsu for me) and afterward I showered and got into bed. Stayed busy for the evening doing stuff online. Eric went to a late movie and I went to bed before he got home.

Thursday 3/20, When I got home Benny was working on the tile and since Eric was working late I was in charge of the dogs. I took care of them then changed into my workout clothes and took off for the park. When I got home he was gone. I heated up the dinner Eric had made for me. I talked to Eric about Liz and Sucia and we were both frustrated. I watched Parks and Rec and was in bed by the time Eric got home. Went to work early.

Wednesday 3/19, Eric was all worked up so I knew I’d be in for it when I got home. Talked to Liz after work and she wanted us to bring Sucia over that night. When I got home I talked to Eric about it and he agreed. I gave the tile guy some instructions then he took off. I got ready to go on my walk then we took off. It was cold out and I never warmed up despite really pumping my arms. At home I had a quick dinner and we took off with Sucia. We wrote up a bunch of instructions about feeding and her exercise schedule and went over everything with Liz. I felt bad leaving Sucia there, but it’s her home and she’s not our dog. We headed home but stopped at the store on the way home. When we got there I watched tv for a few minutes then we got down to business. Afterward we watched tv in bed and I was asleep by 11:30.

Tuesday 3/18, I met Susan up at Crossroads at Silver Platters. I didn’t get anything because the plumbing in the bathroom had totaled $800 and I had to buy an additional $70 in bullnose for the shower. We went over to the GO and I got a bunch of stuff I didn’t need instead. We went to Chipotle for dinner and got it to go so we could watch X-Files and really have a double delight with burritos and Mulder. Back at the house I fed the dogs and took them out then we finally settled down to watch two episodes. We finished the first disc of the second season. We talked for a long time before Susan took off right before 10. I showered and got into bed. Eric came home right at 10:30 and told me his night went well. I went to bed not long after.

Monday 3/17, Alix and Cierra left that morning. The tile guys came and we got them all setup before heading off to work. I had PT after work and we decided it would be my last one so I can save my three remaining ones in case I have a problem later in the year. I thanked Austen, Brian and Meghan and told them how much I appreciated all of their help. Jen wasn’t there otherwise I would have thanked her too. I headed home and we went to the store and got stuff to make some rice and veggies. We ended up using cous cous and Eric made squash, asparagus, mushrooms and onion with it and it was really good. I showered and headed to bed later in the evening.

Sunday 3/16, I watched Harry Potter and stayed in bed for a good part of the morning. The girls got ready and took off for the day. Eric and I both got our work clothes on and went out into the front yard to get some yard work done. Eric got more done than I did because my back started hurting. It looked better though. I talked to Dad on the phone for a while then put on a movie and did some work. I had a light dinner then headed out for my late massage. It was wonderful as ever and we didn’t chat much. I did my exercises in the car afterward, per Austen’s instructions. I got ready for bed when I got home. Alix and Cierra were home late.

Saturday 3/15, I woke up late considering Eric was at work and I was in charge of the dogs that morning. He put Brizo in the bedroom with me prior to leaving which I think made all the difference since she’s usually the ring leader in the barking department. I fed the dogs and got them settled then went on my walk at the park. When I got back the girls were making breakfast. I got ready then packed Sucia into the car to go visit Liz. I stayed for a little over an hour then took Sucia down to see Eric and give him a ride home from work since he’d biked in. When we got home I had some lunch and got going on laundry. Later in the afternoon I laid down with dogs and watched a movie. We were going to have dinner with Alix and Cierra but they ended up with other plans so we had dinner just us. We didn’t stay up for SNL because it was a repeat.

Friday 3/14, I thought about watching a movie that night but I think I watched 48 Hours instead. I’m sure I did some farming. Alix and Cierra were driving back from Whistler and arrived at 10:30. We got them all set up in the back bedroom then went to bed.

Thursday 3/13, I came home and Eric wasn’t there because he was out on a walk with Sucia. When he got home he told me there was something going on with the truck and he’d dropped it off to have it looked at. We changed and went to the park for our walk. We did two miles. There was a JRT running around that we helped find his owner. After we got home Eric fed the dogs then we went to Costco so we could get a few things, including a pizza and salad for dinner. I sent out a couple of quick emails then Eric brought dinner in and we watched tv. I showered and got into bed then sent off Ruby’s medical info and updated this.

Wednesday 3/12, After work we took Ruby and Clancy for a walk around the neighborhood then I changed and we went over to the park. We did two times around and had some adult conversations. When we got home we went to the store and Eric told me he’s back on meat so we got stuff to make meatloaf, mashed potatoes and broccoli. We ate dinner late and I watched my shows.

Tuesday 3/11, I got all the stuff for my taxes together and ready to ship off. Eric made dinner then I showered. Eric was all revved up so afterward we messed around then went to bed around 11. He slept in the bedroom for the first time since we got back from Portland.

Monday 3/10, When I got home Eric was making dinner. Susan came over so we could start the second season of X-Files. We did some chatting first then got through the first two episodes. We had dinner and I’m not sure if they were fajitas or burritos. Susan took off then I showered and watched the Bachelor finale which was hilariously terrible. I went to bed around midnight.

Sunday 3/9, We got up earlyish considering it was day light savings. We went to the Pancake Corral for breakfast and I ate a good two and a half of them. We went home and I changed into my workout clothes and set out for the park. It had rained so much that the path was flooded but I went back and forth around it several times and got a good workout in. When I got home I showered and did some stuff around the house. I finished watching Harry Potter and we got ready to go over to Mom’s for dinner. Alix and Cierra had arrived the previous night and Kass and Sky came over. Dinner was good and mom made the delicious chocolate cookies and I ate a bunch. We left around 9:15 and when we got home I got into bed.

Saturday 3/8, Eric was up early and off to work. I got up, fed the dogs and took off for a walk at the park. I did two times around and was really jamming it up with the tunes. I had some things that I wanted to get done and got going. I worked and cleaned for the first part of the day then laid down to close my eyes; Eric came home 20 minutes later. He asked if I wanted to go do anything so we went to this estate interiors place in Bellevue then over to Haystack to look around. We went to the Mediterranean store and picked up some naan for dinner then home. I crawled into bed because I was tired and put on Harry Potter. P emailed me about a new business idea that we’d been discussing so I was all excited about that and started doing research online. I had to turn off the movie to vacuum and get ready for Sky and Chrystol to come over. Eric was getting everything ready for our naan pizzas. They showed up and we talked in the kitchen while we made the pizzas. We sat in the living room and watched some viva diva show in Spanish (terrible) then some Bob Dylan PBS thing where George Harrison wore a terrible checkerboard collar shirt. Eric brought out some yogurt with fresh fruit and agave. They stuck around for most of a rerun of SNL before the real one came on. They took off around 11:30 and Eric watched SNL out in the den while I crawled into bed and fell asleep during Weekend Update.

Friday 3/7, Watched Dateline or whatever in bed and probably farmed.

Thursday 3/6, I had PT after work again and my neck was feeling better but still not 100%. At home Eric made me dinner and we watched some tv and talked intermittently. I updated this and watched Friends before going to bed.

Wednesday 3/5, I had to take Ruby to the vet to have her stitches removed, so I left work around 3:00, headed home, picked her up and headed down to Brown’s Point. Traffic was pretty heavy and it took over an hour to get down there. The stitches literally took less than five minutes and we were back in the car on our way home. It took me another hour and a half to get home. It was such a long day. Eric could have taken the stitches out and next time I’ll let him. Driving all the way down there was ridiculous for that. I showered and Eric brought in dinner: roast chicken, rice and broccoli. I watched a couple shows and went to bed before 11.

Tuesday 3/4, I went to PT and Austen did a lot of work on my neck and we took it easy on the other exercises. When I got home Eric heated up some pizza for me and I really went to town on it. I showered and into bed again and plenty of ice throughout the night. I went to bed early-ish.

Monday 3/3, I did something to my back while at work early in the morning. I had awful pain in my back that spread up to my neck and shoulder. I called my PT on the way out of work to try and get in, but they were full. Austen was going to call me later in the evening. I went home and when I got there Eric took care of me. I showered then climbed into bed with an ice pack, ibuprofen and magnesium. Austen called and gave me some exercises to do, and other suggestions which definitely helped. Eric got a pepperoni pizza for me and I ate about half of it. Yikes. I watched Bachelor and laid in bed all night.

Sunday 3/2, I woke up around 8, but stayed in bed until almost 9. I was reading the wikipedia entries for each of the X-Files Season 1 episodes. I had a little breakfast then started to get ready for the day, determined not to spend the entire day in bed again. I was feeling a little better, but still not 100%. Eric and I went up to the French Bakery and I got a gruyere croissant then we went to the GO and picked up some stuff. I was feeling tired so I got back into bed and watched Old School. Afterward I slept for a few hours and finally forced myself to wake up. I put on Forrest Gump, then showered and watched the bonus features. I started my taxes, but I’ve got a ways to go. Eric made me dinner then brought Ruby in to cuddle. He stayed and we chatted for a little bit. I went to bed by 11.

Saturday 3/1, I was up early to take care of the dogs and get ready because Susan was coming over for X-Files. She came over a little early and we chatted for a while before getting going on the last two episodes of season one. We finished them off and avoided falling asleep on the couch. After she left I got all the dogs and got into bed and we all napped until Eric came home. I fell back asleep and slept for hours. I woke up and was starving so Eric made me a delicious grilled cheese sandwich and a salad. Shortly after he went to the store to get stuff for dinner and I just stayed in bed. He brought dinner in (portabella mushroom burgers and fries). I ended up falling asleep at 9 and he tried to wake me up to get me out of my clothes, but I was gone. I eventually woke up at midnight and got out of them and watched SNL for 20 minutes or so before falling back asleep.