Wednesday 12/31, P let me off at 3:00 so I was able to go home and relax. Eric put up the new light in the entryway and it looked really good. I tried to take a nap but I don’t think I was very successful. Eric made some potstickers to tide us over until we got to Stef and Peter’s for the party. Eric and I discussed a mini-kitchen remodel then I hopped in the shower. I got ready quickly and we took off around 8:30. There were a few people when we got there. We put on hats and Peter put a string of beads around my neck. I started chowing down and had several pieces of bread and cheese, two helpings of Peter’s goulash, some quinoa salad, a bunch of kettle corn and most of the chocolate covered almonds. I mostly hung out with Chyrstol and we talked over by the snacks. H*sam and R*berto showed up and they had a game to play. I sat it out but watched. As it approached midnight we all got our gear on and walked down Alki toward Seattle to try and see the fireworks. We only got about five minutes down then fireworks started from the other direction. We blew our horns, lit sparklers, drank apple cider, then Peter shot the cork out of a bottle of champagne. Stef was like “Geez, you’re wasting it!” which made me laugh. It was freezing out so we headed back and warmed up in their apartment. We stayed until 1:30 am and started packing up to go home. Peter sent us home with goulash and gave me a very long hug. He told me he cherishes my friendship and Chrystol told me days later that Stef was watching. Meh. I don’t want her to think I’m moving in or something. We drove home and it was about 2:00. I watched tv for a little bit before falling asleep.

Tuesday 12/30, When I got home I did my workout video then Eric made me a quesadilla for dinner. I showered and we went to Home Depot to try and figure out which valve I have in the shower but we didn’t have any luck. I assumed we wouldn’t but Eric wanted to check anyway. When we got home I went online and ordered the trim kit and the shower head. I watched tv and did a few things online.

Monday 12/29, I texted Dad and he found my phone in Mom’s car so Eric drove over and got it then brought it to me at the post office. Got my last paycheck of the year and I went over the six-figure mark. That felt good. Who knows what will happen next year, but this one was a good one. When I got home I talked to Dad who completed my Reef order. I went on a walk with two of the puppies, but made it a short one because it was so cold. At home I started putting stuff away from AZ and Christmas. Eric roasted a chicken and made a salad for dinner. We went up to the GO and loaded up then home where I showered and we took an hour out of our evening for just the two of us. I got into bed and updated this and watched Friends.

Sunday 12/28, Eric was up early, like always, but he told me he didn’t want to go on a hike. I got back into bed and went through some magazines. By the time breakfast was ready I was just getting ready to leave on my hike by myself. I took off and hauled ass up to the rock, but decided to go further and even went past the point Eric and I had hiked to the prior day. It was really pretty out and sunny. I only saw one guy on a bike and a group of three women, otherwise I didn’t see anyone. When I got back I loaded up my plate and ate breakfast. I showered and got ready then we pretty much hung out all day since football was on. I didn’t do a whole lot except eat and lounge. The Chargers lost so Christian was disappointed then the Seahawks were on. They stunk up the first half but the second half picked up and Eric was all excited. Kass was yelling and screaming and spiking a stuffed football. I packed up my bags and we said our goodbyes before the game was over. Dad took us to the airport and dropped us off around 6:00. Checked in, through security, and to our gate where we waited for our plane to come in. We took off a little late but made up some time in the air. Eric was anxious but there’s not much I can do to ease it so I put on the movie I started on the way down (Scoop) and finished that, then watched Drive. When we landed it took a while for our bags to come out. Mom picked us up and we went back to their house so I could get my computer and new computer and also get my car. Talked to Dad for a few minutes then took off for home. When I got home I realized I didn’t know where my cell phone was and it turns out it was in Mom’s car but I didn’t find that out until the next morning. We got the dogs settled (just our three) and got into bed. It was about midnight by the time I turned in.

Saturday 12/27, Eric and I were up and decided to go for a hike again. We went past the rock and Eric was all amorous, but I warded him off. Back at home Dad made pancakes and we just kind of hung out for a good part of the day. We eventually went to go see movies. Kass, Becky, and I saw Big Eyes. I enjoyed it and it had the new Lana songs. After the movie we went and got pizza. When we got home we played trivial pursuit again and the girls beat the boys, and Pete said we cheated again. Of course. It was before midnight and we all went to bed.

Friday 12/26, Eric was up early and I was up not long after. We got ready, ate a banana each, and took off across the street to go for a hike. We went up to the big rock, took a picture, then headed back home. It was super sunny, but it was pretty cold (like low 50s). Dad made French toast for breakfast. Eric wanted to do some exploring so we showered and got ready. Sky and Pete took Papa down to Chandler to help get Papa’s furnace squared away. We took Sky’s rental car and headed toward old Scottsdale. On our way we stopped at the Rack where I got a new bra and a bunch of underwear because all the clearance stuff was marked down. Next we went to a juice bar and I got a smoothie. Eric got a disgusting beet, parsley, etc. juice. We continued toward old town and finally made it. We walked around a little but it was freezing and most of the shops were kitschy junk shops. We didn’t stay long. We headed home where everyone was waiting for us because they were going for a hike. We got our hiking stuff on and went to the trailhead down the road. We did the 2+ mile loop and Aubrie and I did extra workout moves throughout the hike. The sun was setting as we finished up. We took a drive down the road to where the national park starts and Dad showed us the other properties they looked at and put offers on. Back at home we hung out and Mom was making dinner. Sky and Pete weren’t going to be back for a long time because the furnace guys got delayed by like 4 hours. We had dinner (ham) and as we were finishing up the boys and Papa walked in. After dinner we played trivial pursuit and the girls ended up winning but Pete always just claims that we win because we cheat. It can’t be because women are actually intelligent too. Nope, must be because we cheat! I think Christian showed up that evening. I think we went to bed by midnight.

Thursday 12/25, We were up around 7:30 or so and ran around the house getting ready. I packed my bags, showered and got dressed. We went over to Mom’s early so I could spend a little extra time with Alix and give her her birthday presents. Kass was right on time and we were all pretty surprised. We dug in on breakfast and everything was good. We started on presents and I got the atomic light for the entryway. Kass got me some tight, high-waisted jeans. We hung out for a little bit then took off for home to do a few more things and let the dogs out. We got the back bedroom taken care of, packed up the car, and went back to Mom’s. The four of us took off for the airport to fly to AZ. We made really good time through check in, security, and to our gate. Kass got a bagel sandwich and we shared it. Her and Sky got upgraded at the last minute and she tried to send her meal back to me in coach. Hilarious. It was not a great flight for two reasons: the guy next to me had four-people’s worth of Burger King that he was making his way through (barf) and second, Eric was having anxiety about the flight so I couldn’t really watch my movie, Scoop. When we landed we got all of our bags and headed the car rental place. The number was at 23 and our number was 47 so I called Dad to let him know it would be a while. I called Auntie Lauryn to thank her for my little cloak. Becky arrived and soon we were off in our enormous suv. We made decent time to the house and everyone was excited when we got there. Sky and  I had some presents left to wrap so we closed ourselves in the office and wrapped. Aubrie helped me. We sat down to dinner and it was a little after 9:00. The food was excellent. We didn’t wait long to dive into presents. I got almost all north face and reef stuff and Aubs got me some new bikinis. We went to bed really late, like 1:00 am. Papa went to bed only a little before that which was impressive because usually he goes to bed at 9:00.

Wednesday 12/24, I was up and to work, but P closed down the office at 12:00 which was great. When I got home I busted ass on chores, trying to get things ready for leaving town and having Stef stay. Eric got home and we both showered and headed over to Mom’s for Christmas eve. Eric made his mashed potatoes over there. There were like 20 people for dinner which was fun but we kind of laid low before dinner and hung out by the fire. For dinner we sat with Julie and David and chatted about how nuts women can be and how Eric should know that by now. After dinner we had dessert and talked in the living room. We made plans for the next morning and headed home. We relaxed with the dogs for a little bit then all headed to bed. Dex slept on the bed with me.

Tuesday 12/23, I rushed home and Dexter had arrived and Eric was in a bad mood due to my behavior the night before. We got into it for a while but got everything sorted in a very diplomatic manner. It was a little late for Eric to run to the store for supplies for the next night because we were expecting Jenny, Vicki, and Plum to pick up Fishy. They were running late so Eric went to the store and got everything. They arrived and we talked for about an hour and caught up with Peanut. She is so funny and it was great to see her. Fisher went home and I was mostly just nervous for him, but they were excited and I tried not to think about it. Eric made dinner and I had a couple pieces of pizza. I scanned the contract in and sent it off to NR. Eric made a cake for the next night’s dinner. I was tired so I got into bed and relaxed.

Monday 12/22, Eric had coffee with Sky and Austin after work so when I got home I got to work. I took the dogs for a walk then put on my running clothes and did my loop. When I got home I fed the dogs and moved the couch and vacuumed. I ate dinner then got started on the kitchen. I pulled stuff out of cabinets to clean and was getting pissed because I wanted to get a lot of other stuff done and instead had to spend the entire night cleaning and organizing. I quit around 8:30, showered, and got into bed. I updated this and wrote some emails about Fishy’s adoption. I watched Friends until 11 then went to bed.

Sunday 12/21, Eric got up with the dogs and I got around 8:00. I put on my workout clothes and went for a walk / run at the park. I was tired so I didn’t rush. When I got home I did my floor exercises and Eric left for work. I wrapped presents, washed the kitchen windows, did a ton of laundry and washed all my bedding, picked up poop in the backyard, took the dogs for a walk, replaced my watch battery, went to the bank, Walgreens for more wrapping paper, Mud Bay to pick up dog food, more wrapping, cleaned off the laundry room counter, loaded the dishwasher, and finally showered and got dressed. It was 4:00 by the time I could lie down for a minute. I fell asleep for about 5 minutes then I had to get up to feed the dogs, and leave to go to Mom’s for her birthday. Eric was there when I arrived and the Seahawks game started shortly after. We watched the game and it was very exciting. I mostly ripped cds onto my computer. Dad went and picked up pizzas at half time and we pretty much went through five pizzas. We stayed until about 9:00 then headed home. I stopped at the store on the way home and when I got home I sent in Fisher’s medical info and wrote to Jenny and Vicki. I got ready for bed and updated this before going to bed around 11:30.

Saturday 12/20, I stayed in bed until 9 then got up and got ready to get some more tile up in Bothell. Unfortunately they didn’t have it so we left and went to Redmond to go to World Market. We didn’t get anything and went to the olive oil place get some for Peter and Stef for watching the dogs while we’re in AZ for Christmas. Next we went up to Woodinville to have lunch at the Hollywood Tavern. We got the ancho tots as a starter and they were fucking delicious. I decided to do brunch and had the biscuits and gravy and Eric got the burger. After lunch we headed home and I was tired so I put on Return to Me. Afterward I tried to fall asleep but Eric woke me up so we could get ready and head to Sky and Chrystol’s for dinner. We got over there right around 6:00 and sat in the living room chatting. They made chicken gyros and a delicious salad. We watched Captain Ron, which I’ve never seen and was very funny. We watched some tv but eventually turned it off and just talked. By 11:30 we packed up and headed home. Watched SNL for a little then went to bed.

Friday 12/19, The tile guy came in the morning to look at the bathroom and go over everything. After work Eric went for a run and all I wanted to do was relax so I did not go on a run. I started doing research on shower fixtures and sat in the living room with the fireplace on, watching Family Tree with Eric. We just did that all night then Jojo was picked up around 10. Went to bed shortly after.

Thursday 12/18, I felt blahhhh for most of the day. Finally heard back from the ACM and Fisher can be adopted by Jenny and Vicki but there were a few more hoops to jump through. Janell went to bat for me and I appreciated her email and the messages I got from Genie and Julee. When I got home I put on my running clothes and while I was stretching Mom and Dad called to chat. I only did three times around the block but I’d done some extra warm up exercises and did my floor exercises when I got home. Anthony died and Nate told Eric. The flags were flying at half staff. Very sad for Sherry and we need to go over and give our condolences. I showered and we ate dinner. Eric made a roasted squash, delicious grilled cheese sandwiches (the best!), and tomato soup, but it had a whole bunch of veggies in it. Healthy and delicious. I wrote a few emails then got dressed and went to Super Supplements to pick up a few things. When I got home I vacuumed the bedroom and cleaned up my bathroom in preparation for the tile guy to come the next morning. I sat down to finish Fishy’s long bio and watched BL. I finished it after 9:00 and sent it off.

Wednesday 12/17, When I got home I showered and had plans to go to Nordstrom Rack. Eric said he’d go with me and we headed down to Factoria. I got a gift card for Jake, looked at some bras and sweaters then we wandered around the mall to see what’s new. We left and went to the Vietnamese restaurant on the way home. We ended up getting into a snit during dinner and I pretty much didn’t want to talk to him for the rest of dinner. When we got home I just got into bed and fell asleep shortly after 8:00 and ended sleeping through Modern Family. I felt exhausted.

Tuesday 12/16, When I got home Eric told me the Saturn was done and it was over $800. Great. We were supposed to talk about it but he told them to just go ahead and take care of a bunch of stuff. There goes a good chunk of our vacation fund! We went to the bank so I could cash a check that had both of our names on it, picked up the Saturn, and when I got home we went for a run. It went well and Eric was all jacked up wanting to run further. I’m sure I showered and did stuff online before going to bed.

Monday 12/15, I went to the bank after work and then to Susan’s. We watched two episodes of X-Files. We finished up season 3 and started 4. I had a ton of emails from the NR NW team about my email to Amber. I was home by 7:45 and sent my email when I got home. Eric made dinner and brought it out to me. I think we watched Thanks for Sharing. Eric was commenting on all of the program stuff and calling out inconsistencies. We went to bed after it was over.

Sunday 12/14, I work up before 8:00 and had big plans for the day so I started it out with a run. Eric made me eat a banana before I left. I felt pretty good. When I got home I put away clothes and was still so angry about the Fisher situation that I used that rage and wrote my email to the NW team and waited for responses. Genie said it was great, and Janell said it was good but I know she wasn’t as thrilled with it. I kind of threw a temper tantrum in it and was a little dramatic, but made my point. I felt better after sending it and went out in the yard and trimmed all the roses and hydrangea, only a month or so late. I ate lunch then took a nap while Eric watched football. When I woke up I went up to Joann Fabrics to pick up more snow for our snow scene. I got two packages then went to Goodwill where I got a house and some accessories (people and trees). When I got home Eric helped me set up the village then I spent a lot of time getting the cords to all run under the snow and down the middle and under the table. It looked good, especially after Eric moved around some items. I’m sure I went to bed early, despite having taken a nap earlier in the day.

Saturday 12/13, I woke up at 7:30 and couldn’t go back to sleep so I was on my phone for a long time and finally went back to sleep after 10, then woke up again at 11. There were all kinds of emails about Fisher’s apps and I was getting really mad about Amber’s emails, but didn’t want to respond because I was on my phone. By 11 Jess woke up and we got out of bed. Day made me an omelet which I ate most of. We got dressed and packed up and took off for Ken’s a little after noon. We got ready and helped set up for the party. People started showing up and I only had about an hour before I needed to leave. We ate and talked to people and sat by the fire. I took off after 4:00 and traffic was a nightmare. When I got home I showered and got ready for my massage. I apologized to Corey for the prior week and he said it was fine. We talked a little bit about Santa pictures and wigs. Afterward I rushed home and Eric was making brownies for the wig party. We both got ready and headed out, finding parking right across the street from their place. I had a white wig and Eric wore mine from the prior year with a hat over it. The wigs were pretty good and the other Erik won the prize which was an Alaska gift card for a couple hundred bucks or something. We talked with Stef a lot and I talked to His*am in the kitchen for a while. He’s so fun. We were there until like midnight and finally took off. We gave Stef a ride to her car then headed home. We watched SNL for a few minutes then went to bed.

Friday 12/12, I got an email from Plum’s adopters letting me know they wanted to adopt Fisher and I was ecstatic. P told me to leave work at 3:30 so I could get a jump on getting to Day’s house to see Jessica. It still took me two hours but it would have taken longer if I’d waited until 4:30 or 5:00. I was only there for about two minutes before Jess and Ken showed up. Day put on a hilarious wig (“Wannabe DJ Wig”) and tried to fool Jessica that it was her real hair. Jess wasn’t fooled for a second. After Ken left Jess and I sat on the couch and tried to figure out the wifi password since Day couldn’t remember it. We snacked on veggies while Day made dinner. I had chicken cordon bleu and Jess had tons of crab. I ate a bunch of salad and breadsticks too. With butter. Lots of butter on those breadsticks. After dinner we sat on the couch and put on Love Actually and Day brought us brownies on the couch. I stayed up and watched the whole thing but Jess fell asleep. I got ready for bed and we slept in Day’s bed. It was about midnight when we turned in.

Thursday 12/11, When I got home from work I showered then worked on Fisher’s bio a little. We had two apps for him but I didn’t really like either one. I spent about 30 minutes then took off for Kristel’s for dinner and chatting. She made yummy veggie udon soup. We talked and talked and caught up and I told her all about HI. She thought it was hilarious. I stayed there until 10 then took off for home. I did a couple things on the computer before going to bed.

Wednesday 12/10, Got an email that Jojo would be going home for two nights then coming back Friday. When I got home I showered, ate a little dinner, then headed down to VM to have my doc look at my foot. He did another freeze treatment but it wasn’t as bad as the last time. I went up to Crossroads again and traded my wig in for the white one. Back at home we waited for Jojo to be picked up and finally she was. The house was relatively quiet. I watched some tv and started falling asleep but woke back up for Modern Family. Went to bed afterward.

Tuesday 12/9, It was like 60 degrees outside so when I got home I put on my running clothes and went for a run. I did two miles then did some floor exercises. We went up to Crossroads so I could look at wigs for the wig party and I got a black one. We went and got Mom a few sweaters for Christmas then home. I don’t remember what else I did but I think I watched something with Eric.

Monday 12/8, I was excited to get home because I had all kinds of things planned for the evening. First I took Jojo for a walk and luckily the rain let up long enough for us to go around the block. Next I changed into my workout clothes and did a new video I got at Goodwill a million years ago. Kathy Smith I think. It was ridiculous and I couldn’t keep up with any of it. I did a lot of improvising because I was so off. Eric left mid-workout to drop something off at work, but he put some nachos in the oven for me. I did a few floor exercises then stuffed my face with nachos. Eric came home and I hopped in the shower. When I got out I worked for about an hour then onto the couch where Eric was watching a football game. I did stuff online even after he switched it to It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Around 9:45 we took out the dogs then I went into the bedroom and ripped some cds and updated this.

Sunday 12/7, Jojo woke us up around 7:00, though I tried to go back to sleep. I stayed in bed for a little bit thinking about all the things I wanted to accomplish. I got up and had breakfast then got started on my credit card statements. Around 10 I went and got a new phone then back home to continue on my statements. I also unloaded all of the xmas houses for the village and lined them all up. I didn’t have the energy to start, plus we need more snow. Eric watched the game and I watched Edward Scissorhands and fell asleep toward the end. His team won and I asked him if he wanted to go on a walk; he didn’t but said he’d go after a recap segment. I took Clancy for a walk around the block then home. We just did one time around the block then I heated up some dinner for myself. I watched something on tv then went to the store to grab a few things. I showered and got into bed. Did a few things online and fell asleep around 10:30.

Saturday 12/6, Eric got up with the dogs while I stayed in bed until about 8:30. I went for a brisk walk at the park and did two times around. Back at home I got going on some chores, including putting my luggage away, changing my sheets, and cleaning up my room. I wanted to watch a movie so I put on The One I Love and Eric left to go to a rally. The movie was good but I was confused by the ending. I read up on IMDB and got some answers. I showered and got ready and we took off to run errands. We went to Office Depot, Super Supplements for more cold stuff, then the GO. Back at home I had a snack and put on Bridesmaids. I got a call that my massage was at 5:00, not 8:00 like I expected. Shit. I felt so bad because I totally missed it. Eric was making breakfast burritos for dinner and we ate by 5:30. I put on the Disney Robin Hood and watched that until 8:00 which is when we left to go to the Crest to see Skeleton Twins. I really liked it and Eric liked it for a lot of different reasons, mainly because there are so many parallels to his life. It was late when we got home and we were talking for a while in the bedroom before turning on SNL and getting into bed. We watched together for a while before I fell asleep.

Friday 12/5, Eric had wanted to go out to dinner but by the time we both got home from work we were both tired and I still wasn’t feeling great and he started feeling not so good. He made dinner instead and we just relaxed. I talked him into watching Fading Gigolo and that was okay. Not great. Went to bed at a normal time.

Thursday 12/4, I felt better but still not 100%. At home Eric and I bundled up and took a walk around the neighborhood. He made dinner and I was disappointed when my BL show wasn’t on. I think I just did stuff online for most of the night. Think I ordered some stuff from Toys in Babeland.

Wednesday 12/3, I felt like garbage when I woke up and had a horrible night’s sleep. I emailed P that I would be in late. I finally got in around 9:15. Got a text from RH Eric that was a picture of us from Deception Falls, so we texted back and forth a little and agreed we need to catch up. After work I got the tabs sorted on the Gold Nugget. It was a lot easier than I was expecting. At home I changed my clothes and we went for a walk around the block a couple times. I was trying to get my legs to not hurt so much and get my heart rate up. I showered and Eric made dinner. I got into bed and wrote emails then he brought dinner in to me, along with some emergen-c with coconut water. I updated this and got ready for bed. Eric brought me in sliced oranges and moved my humidifier. I went to bed shortly after.

Tuesday 12/2, When I got home I took a shower and got ready then we took off for Mom’s. I wasn’t feeling great and I was super sore from my workout the night before. When we got there we snacked a little and talked. Sky was running late so we ate dinner and started on the tree. We had fun decorating the tree and Kassie super glued a bull’s tail that had broken off to a jaunty snowman to give him a huge wang with sparkly tip. We were all dying, especially when she showed Alan and asked him if he’d seen the perverted ornament Mom had bought, and he just sat there for several seconds staring at it. It looked legit. We were laughing so hard Kass had to hold her crotch so she wouldn’t pee her pants. We finished the tree then sat in the family room talking about xmas eve dinner and what everyone was going to bring. At 8:30 we took off so I could get home and into bed. I updated this, talked with Eric for a while, then went to bed.

Monday 12/1, I wasn’t feeling 100% but I felt pretty good. I went home and did my BL video then did some extra exercises and I was already sore which meant that the next day I would be miserable. Great. Eric made burgers with mushrooms and a fancy white cheddar. We ate in front of the tv but I got cold and needed to shower so I cut out early. I took a long shower then hand washed a few things before getting into bed. I thought DwtS was on but apparently it wrapped up the prior Tuesday. I put on some ridiculous Lifetime xmas movie and did a little shopping online. I didn’t really watch it, just background noise. I went to bed at 10:30.

Sunday 11/30, I woke up and hand washed some clothes. Jojo was dropped off and I went to meet Dad at Kukai for lunch. We had a nice time and I had the tonkatsu and wasn’t disappointed. When I got home Eric and I went up to the GO to get stuff for the week and for Sky and Chrystol coming over. Next we went to Super Supplements where I loaded up on my supplements. Lastly to QFC where we got a bunch of stuff, but we were overcharged by $60 for a pack of mushrooms. Got that all sorted out then went home. I started feeling not so good and felt tired. I took a long shower then Sky and Chrystol arrived. Mom came shortly after. We sat in the living room and watched the Sounders. Eric made a quiche for dinner and we also had some salad. After the game Mom left and not too long after Sky and Chrystol took off too. I was tired so I folded laundry and got into bed.

Saturday 11/29, I got up at 8:30 and texted Aubrie shortly after to see if her and Christian were going to go to breakfast with me, Mom, and Dad. Kass and Sky left early that morning. We all got ready and set out for a little breakfast spot. We waited outside in the sun and eventually got a table inside. Good breakfast then we went over to My Sister’s Attic to look for a mirror for Aubrie. No dice, so we went over to My Sister’s Closet but I hung outside in the sun and talked to Christian. We went into the men’s shop and laughed at all the hilarious styles. I found some Brooks Brothers shorts for Eric so I bought a couple pairs. Christian got a Mickey Mouse hat that had me dying. We took off for home and sat in the living room and watched a Fleetwood Mac special. The four of us decided to go up to Carefree (Christian went to see a friend) and check out the art fair. Nothing that caught my eye but we went into a gallery that had some paintings I liked. We headed back so that we would have enough time to pack. Aubs and I booked her ticket to Kauai in January. I sat out in the courtyard reading for a little bit. We all had some leftover turkey and stuffing, packed up our stuff then Mom, Dad, and I took off for the airport. We had a nice ride and talked the whole time. They dropped me off and I made it through security quickly. My flight was delayed but ended up making up some time in the end. I sat in the terminal and read while waiting. The flight was fine and was only about 10 minutes late overall. I watched Clueless and started Austenland. I got my bag and called Eric and we were home quickly. He had the bathroom and bedroom all set up for a good time. We took a long shower then into bed. We finally went to sleep around 12:45.

Friday 11/28, We had pancakes for breakfast and I wanted to go for a hike so I got ready, then there were others who wanted to go so a big group went. Only Kass didn’t go because she didn’t have shoes. We took the trailhead that’s by the house and did two miles up to the big rock. It was really pretty and Christian got some more good photos. Back at home we changed and just hung out for a good part of the day. Papa and Auntie Heidi drove up and we all just relaxed. I did some reading. We had early dinner reservations at Benihana at 5:00 for Aubrie’s birthday. We had a good time and did lots of laughing. Aubrie went through three pairs of chopsticks because she couldn’t hold onto them and kept dropping them or flinging them onto the floor. There were some cute waiter guys but none of them were stationed to our table. After dinner Papa and AH took off and the rest of us went to some fancy mall to get our santa pictures taken. We all changed in the bathroom then went out and took the picture. Back to the car and back home where I called Eric and talked to him for a long time. I also talked to Alix trying to help her decide on a present for Cierra. When I went inside there was a rousing game of Trivial Pursuit in progress. I played for both teams and helped with a lot of questions. The boys ended up winning but only by a hair. I talked Aubs and Christian into watching Austenland and they both thought it was pretty funny. I had to tell Christian it was an action movie so he’d watch it but he soon found out it wasn’t. After it was over Mom, Aubs, Christian, and I went to bed. Everyone else had already turned in.

Thursday 11/27, I woke up around 9:00 and Dad got going on the French toast. I showered and got ready then had my three pieces. I really gorged. A bunch of us went for an after-breakfast hike in the preserve across the street. Mom and Kass were the only ones who didn’t go. Aubrie and I had a lot of fun laughing and making fun. Sky and Christian were pretty funny too. We did a two-mile loop and headed home. There was a lot of food to snack on and we all kind of milled about. There were several rounds of ping pong and I spent some time going through magazines in my bedroom. Dinner was ready by 6:00 ish which is an all-time Thanksgiving record. We had a nice meal and played two rounds of telephone and one was about me juggling bananas and the second was about Pete eating all of Santa’s treats, but Sky changed it to Pete ate the treats and got diarrhea. After dinner we sat in the living room and watched the Seahawks game and ate dessert. I told everyone about my Seahawks bf, Cooper. Sky texted Eric about it and said he had a limp dick. Alishia and Pete took off around 8:00 pm, maybe, because they had to work in the morning. We didn’t stay up nearly as late as the previous nights and probably went to bed around 11:30.

Wednesday 11/26, I woke up at 8:30 and Dad was doing stuff around the house. I got up and Dad started making me pancakes. We talked for a long time and I had several pancakes. Kass and Sky slept in and missed the pancake train. I took a shower and got ready while Mom and Dad did stuff around the house. Dad had to return a mattress and I helped him move it to the trailer. We stayed put and waited for the ping pong table to be delivered, which happened later in the day. For a late lunch we went to a place called Living Room. I had a salad in preparation of the big meal the next day. Mmmm mmm. Kass got a gigantic pretzel and I ate some of that too. Back at home we sat on the couch and talked for a long time then put on Live Aid and went through the various acts, laughing at the fashions but also marveling at the music. Aubrie and Christian arrived after 11 and sat down to watch Live Aid with us. We finally went to bed around 12:45. Alishia and Pete showed up around 2:00 am.

Tuesday 11/25, I left work at 3:45 and when I got home showered and threw the rest of my stuff in my suitcase and Eric and I headed to the airport. He dropped me off and I told him I’d talk to him the next day. I checked my bag and made it through security in decent time. I talked to Mom about sleeping arrangements then hung up and ordered some Beecher’s mac and cheese. As I made my way to the N gates I saw Kass coming out of security. Sky was running late. We went and hung out by our gate and he made it just in time. We boarded and got going. I watched Charlie’s Angels on the way down which made the time go by quickly. When we landed we got our bags and headed to the rental car center and made our way out to Mom and Dad’s. They were awake, sitting on the couch. We ended up staying up until like 1:30 am just talking. It was nice. I slept in the house while Kass and Sky were out in the guest house.

Monday 11/24, A lot of stress at work so I was gad to be home. I went for a run and did pretty well, then did 15 minutes of one of my biggest loser videos. I showered then dished up my soup. It was delicious. I started packing and doing laundry then decided to go up to Daiso to get some stuff for Aubs’ bday. I went to Silver Platters but couldn’t find the movie I wanted to get her (Edward Scissorhands) so I went to Half Priced Books and found it, plus What’s Eating Gilbert Grape. I went home and kept packing. I finally got into bed at 10:30 and got most of my packing done. I updated this and watched Friends.

Sunday 11/23, Eric got up early and went to work and I got to sleep in until 8:30. The contract went out so I emailed Jennifer and Vicki and let them know they could come earlier to pick up Plum if they wanted. They let me know they’d be there by 10:30. I talked to Mom then did stuff around the house and finally got dressed. I was cleaning the kitchen when Eric got home from his work meeting. We prepared for them to arrive and they were right on time. We went over all of their stuff and they liked Fisher too. They left and I said my goodbye to the Plummer. It was bittersweet but I’m happy she went to such a good home. We took off for Office Depot then up to the GO and got all we needed for lunch with Sky and Chrystol. When we got home Eric put everything away and I took Clancy and Nyx for a walk. When I got back Eric was watching the game and lunch was ready. I snacked a little then wrote some emails before Sky and Chrystol showed up. We all sat in the living room and watched the games (Sounders and Seahawks) and ate lunch. We had a nice afternoon and they stuck around for a little while after the games were over. I skipped the auction which I kind of regretted. After they left I called a woman on Orcas who contacted us about watching her RT for 3+ months while her husband recovers from a transplant. Bruce is going to watch her and we’ll be backup so we’re off the hook there. I showered and relaxed for the rest of the evening. I was in bed early since I had a big work day the next day.

Saturday 11/22, We were up early with dogs. I called Genie at 9:00 to talk about Plum’s applicant and the AC interview. It went well so we scheduled the HV for later that day. Susan came over at 9:30 and we went to MI to check out a couple estate sales. At the first one I got a couple towels for the dogs and at the second I got a pitcher and the movie Maverick. There was a cute guy there with neck tattoos (and lots of others), and also a teardrop tattoo. I told Susan and she’s like “That means he killed someone in prison” and I was like “I know! He’s so cute!” Laugh! We made eye contact a few times but nothing lingering since I’m too chicken. As he walked out I noticed he had purchased a chainsaw. Yikes. Susan and I raced upstairs so she could see him as he got into his car. Such stalkers. We wandered around a bit more then I bought my stuff and Susan took a picture of a creepy baby and told Jon she bought it. We went home and watched one episode of X-Files; only one ep left in Season 3. We talked for a little bit then she took off for her appointment. Eric had done a bunch of yard work so that looked good. Eric made me lunch and I pouted a bit for some reason. Eric and I were fake-arguing. I think I was sleep deprived. We ended up laying on the bed with all the dogs and resting our eyes. At 2:00 ish we went down to Georgetown to District to preview an auction with a Bergstrom. I liked it but Eric wasn’t impressed. He’s spoiled now. We headed home and prepared to go do the HV. We drove up and made it there right on time. They were very nice, have a big house for Plum to run around in, and will be great for her. We told them the process and next steps. We took off and I called Genie. She sent in my approvals and got the ball rolling. When we got home I did the HV form while Eric made dinner (burritos). We watched Cuban Fury or something which was not great but entertaining enough for a Saturday night. We were both really tired and fell asleep by about 10:30.

Friday 11/21, I left work and went home, feeling tired. Sky and Chrystol came over and we went out to dinner at Kukai. It was their first time and Chrystol really liked it. I tried something new but I didn’t like it as much as the tonkatsu. We had a fun dinner then went up to Crossroads where we looked around at Half Priced Books (I got a Roxy Music cd and a Noah and the Whale cd) then listened to a bit of the live music. We wanted something sweet so we went down to Whole Foods where I got a cookie. Back at home we sat in the living room and watched youtube videos and talked. They stayed until almost 1:00 so by the time we went to bed it was late and I was exhausted. And in kind of a bad mood for no good reason. Probably just tired.

Thursday 11/20, Still not feeling good, but by the evening felt a lot better than the evening before. When I got home Eric had the heating blanket and heater on for me so I got into bed. I talked with Alix for a long time about her benefits and gave her some advice. Eric brought me dinner in bed and I did stuff on the computer. Got an email that Plum’s applicant is falling through so now we’re moving onto another one. Ugh. Sick of the process on this one. Did some xmas shopping online. Watched Biggest Loser and answered emails.

Wednesday 11/19, I woke up not feeling good and with a runny nose. My cold was officially back. I cancelled on Kristel and got into bed when I got home. Eric waited on me hand and foot and made sure I had everything I needed. He made a delicious dinner and I read for most of the night, finishing my book (again). I went to bed by 11 and slept like a rock.

Tuesday 11/18, Eric and I went for a run when I got home and it was really cold outside. I was bundled up except for my head. I was glad when we were done. I showered then we went to Costco to pick up some things, then the store. At home Eric made dinner and I did stuff online. I started not feeling great and by the time I went to bed my throat hurt a little bit.

Monday 11/17, Busy day at work; I was glad to be off. When I got home I showered and got ready and we headed into Seattle to meet up with Kass, Sky, Heidi, and Papa for dinner at Westward. The food was good and Sky picked up the tab. We had a nice time visiting and it was novel to be out with Papa without Mom there. We didn’t get home until about 9:00. I got into bed and watched DwtS. I think I may have read some of my book.

Sunday 11/16, We woke up early and took out the dogs but then I got back in bed and fell asleep until 9. I got up and ready and we headed to MI, stopping to get bday cards for Dad and Sky. Mom made brunch and we all ate, though Kass and Sky didn’t arrive for another hour and a half. We watched the Seahawks game and ate and talked. We stayed until the end of the game then home. I mulched up the dahlias, scooped poop, got going on Fisher’s bio again, and took some pictures. I did some reading then fell asleep for a few hours. When Eric returned from a run he asked if I wanted to go for a walk so we leashed up the dogs and set out. It was cold so we did a short one and I carried Plum in my jacket for a good part of it because her 12th dog jersey wasn’t keeping her warm enough. When I got home I did more laundry and finally got Fisher’s bio uploaded. After 3 weeks of procrastination. Eric made me dinner while I updated this then he took off for a work thing for Kelly. I read for a while before going to bed. Maybe around 11.

Saturday 11/15, We woke up before 8:00 and I asked him if he wanted to drive over to Plain to check the mailbox and he did but first he wanted to walk up to the store to get coffee. When he got back I got up and ready and we headed out. It was a beautiful sunny day, though it was cold. We stopped at the Sultan Bakery where I got a donut and cookie and Eric ordered a breakfast burrito that took forever. We made it over to the property in decent time and the pass was fine. We got the mail, locked everything up, and took off for home. We were home by 1:30 and I started working on Fisher’s bio. I did some laundry as well. I watched Eternal Sunshine. I took a shower and finally washed my hair which was still all salty from HI. I had a massage with Corey at 5:00 and it was great. I told him to do deep tissue. The chit chat was kept to a minimum. I was so tired and relaxed I wasn’t sure if I was going to make it to my movie later that night. At home I said goodbye to Eric who was going to see a movie with Stef. I made myself dinner and left at 8:00 to go see Magic in the Moonlight at the Admiral. It was cute and the setting was gorgeous but toward the end I started to fall asleep. I was so tired, and since I still wasn’t feeling 100% I think it was my body’s way of saying it was done. I drove home and beat Eric. Let out the dogs, got ready for bed. I started watching SNL and Eric wasn’t feeling good so he went to bed. I fell asleep shortly after it started.

Friday 11/14, I left work early and it was nice and sunny. I was really tired so I couldn’t wait to get home and just relax. I talked to Mom and Kassie and we decided to move brunch to Sunday instead of Saturday. Eric watched Sunrise Kingdom and I fell asleep by like 9:30 in the bedroom so I didn’t have a chance to tell him. He put the dogs to bed.

Thursday 11/13, P told me to leave early but I didn’t because I had too much to do. Eric texted that he had to work late and wasn’t going to go to the movie with Stef and Sky after all. When I got home I took out the dogs and cut down the dahlias and mulched them up, then the canna and peonies, though those don’t need mulching. Back inside I folded laundry and got another load going, fed the dogs, took them out again, washed my sink and vanity, and hand washed several items. I started making myself some dinner and Eric came home and finished it up for me. We trimmed Brizo and Nyx’s nails then I relaxed in the bedroom and updated this.

Wednesday 11/12, I stayed late at work trying to finish up a project. P is off to Spain and Portugal for the next 2.5 weeks. When I got home Eric suggested we walk down to Starbucks for a hot chocolate. It was f-ing freezing so he gave me some of his running gear to keep me warm. We mostly talked about my and Kassie’s trip. Back at home I folded laundry and answered emails while Eric made dinner. He also made a little apple pie / tart thing for dessert. I did stuff online and watched tv. Updated this, took a shower, and got into bed.

Tuesday 11/11, Didn’t hardly sleep on the plane, except I did finally sleep for about an hour and when I woke up I was so disoriented I didn’t know where I was, who I was or where I was going. It came back to me but was very jarring. We were supposed to land at 7:30 am but landed at 6:40. So early, considering it was only 4:40 island time. We got our bags, said our goodbyes and Eric swooped in and picked me up. I was exhausted and freezing ass cold but he had the heater up and the seats on. I filled him in on Kawai and Matt and that entire night. He laughed and asked what I expected. Doesn’t matter if they’re 22 or 42, guys are horny as hell and are going to want a piece of two attractive women. He cracks me up. He totally laughed that Matt tried to kiss me and that I didn’t tell him I had a bf. He was happy that I was so happy and glad that I had such a good time. He said it’s what he was hoping for and that I’d be relaxed and happy by the time I got home. Boy was I ever! When we got home I climbed into bed and looked at my phone for a minute then fell asleep. It was about 8:30. Eric kept most of the dogs contained and I woke up at 11. Bruce dropped off Dex at 12 and we chatted for a few minutes before he left. Eric made me a sandwich for lunch then I took off for work for a few hours since technically I had the day off. I was off at 5 like usual and headed home. Eric was walking Dex and Fish. I got laundry going, and did some adoption stuff. Plum’s approval went out. Eric made dinner and it was delicious. First was a salad with a homemade vinaigrette with some orange juice squeezed in; very subtle. For dinner he made a turkey burger on a potato bun, avo, and cilantro aioli. Afterward I started falling asleep so Eric suggested we start our party. We showered in his bathroom and got nasty (sorry). We took out the dogs, got everyone situated, and Eric retired to his room and I updated this.

Monday 11/10, This is a long one. We got up early for our last day. Kass made breakfast tacos and AL took off for the bank to get some stuff straightened out. We ate and got ready for the beach then AL came home and Jake came over. We talked for about 20 minutes then Kass got antsy and wanted to head out. We put on our favorite Paul McCartney-Hawaii song (Nineteen Hundred and Eighty Five) and headed to the beach, stopping on our way to get a smoothie at our new favorite smoothie shack. It was only about 10 and was already nicer than the day before. It turned out to be a gorgeous sunny, warm day. We went to Pine Trees and decided to post up right next to the rip tide sign by the shore. We listened to music, watched surfers swim out, and did some reading. We went in to get our hair wet and this cute surfer boy comes over as he’s heading out and tells us we shouldn’t go swimming. We told him we weren’t going to, we were just wading in to our knees. He said if we wanted to swim to go closer to the pier where it’s calmer. A couple went in and started swimming and one of the lifeguards came driving over and yelled at them through the bullhorn. We went up and talked to him and he said to not go swimming. We told him we weren’t. We continued to sun ourselves and got some good color. Kass wanted to swim and I needed some shade so we walked toward the pier and we settled by the next lifeguard station. I read in the shade for a little bit but then we were right in the way of the drive path so we moved further down. We sat there for a while and I could feel myself cooking again and I was getting hungry so we packed up and walked back to Pine Trees. We drove into Hanalei, parked, and started looking for a place to eat lunch. We decided on Bubba’s because the pizza place is gone. It hit the spot. I got some coffee for Eric then as we were heading back across the street Kass saw the Jerk. She had texted him the night before about the PB show but he never responded. We gave him a hard time and talked with him for a bit. We’re going to call him next time so we can go on his boat. We went to the river to SUP and the guy there was a weirdo and very talkative. It’s not Web’s spot anymore. The guy wasn’t paying attention and one of the boards fell out of the stand and hit Kassie right in the face. She thought it broke her nose but I told her to let me look at it and it wasn’t bleeding and everything looked normal; just a little pink. She was pissed and just wanted to get on her board. We finally got out there and paddled up the river almost to the Dolphin. We floated back down and picked hibiscus out of the river and put them on our boards. I actually stood up this time and didn’t just paddle from my knees. We talked and laughed and Kass tried to get centered. We returned the boards and we wanted to get in the water so we went by the pier and laid our stuff out. We each got in the water then laid out for a few minutes. I was super thirsty so we went into town so I could get a water from the store. Kass wanted another smoothie but our place had just closed (4 pm) so she went to the health food store. We got back in the car and headed back to Pine Trees. When we got there the waves were crazy and there were a ton of surfers out. We went back to our spot and watched in awe. The old guy from earlier came by to pull the rip tide signs and he was like “You guys are still here?!” but we told him we just got back. He laughed and went on his way. Then the cute boy from before came and talked to us. He’s actually one of the lifeguards, Kawai (w sounds like v). He asked what we were doing later and said he had wood in his truck and asked if we wanted to join him for a bon fire. We eagerly accepted his invitation and asked if he’d have any hot dogs for that fire. He laughed nervously. He asked if we’d still be there when he was done surfing. We said yes but got his number anyway. The sun was starting to go down and it was getting chilly but we sat and watched. Mostly him. He’s very good. Totally hot. Anyway, when he got back in we asked if we could take a selfie for our “Hot Guys of Kauai” book and that he was going to be on the cover. We would use it to recruit all of our friends and siblings. He agreed and Kass made him get his surf board in some of them. We told him we’d see him later and since his friends started yelling at him he took off up to the parking lot. We packed up our stuff, gave Kawai a flirty goodbye, and headed to Auntie’s. We stopped at the store on the way back for sour cream then home where we showered, packed, and started dinner. We asked Auntie if she wanted to come but she declined and said it was more our scene. We ate dinner and cleaned up. We only had about an hour and a half before we needed to leave for the airport so we got going. We went down to Pine Trees and found them on the other side of the lot. They were drinking in one of the trucks and cutting up limes for their tequila shots. Kawai introduced us to his friend Matt, who was incredibly hilarious. I asked them if they were going to do body shots off each other. Then we asked about the hot dogs and Kawai was like “See?! I told you they asked if I had hot dogs!” Kass and I laughed manically. Kass asked how old they were and eventually they answered 22. 22! Oh fuck. You’ve got to be kidding me. Grandma over here feeling like a pedo. They didn’t ask us how old we were but I’m sure our reaction to them being 22 must have at least hinted at the fact that we were older. Much. Older. Like, Aubrie is older than these guys. Shit. I couldn’t stop laughing. We decided we were going to build the bonfire on the edge of the park and the first order of business was to move an enormous picnic table, which Kawai and I did. Kass and I ended up moving it on our own to be better positioned for where the fire was going to go. Next we all went up to the truck and started loading up the wood and there were lots of “big wood” “little wood” jokes. The three of them got the fire going and we decided to call ourselves the bi-scouts, which covers both genders. We sat and talked and joked for a good hour and a half and had so much fun. There was lots of flirting, laughing, and picture taking. They kept trying to convince us to miss our flight and just leave the next day. Neither of us mentioned our significant others, though Kass had her wedding ring on so they must have at least noticed that. I realized that the cute lifeguard from the day before was probably him, so I asked him if it was him who had driven by and he was like, “I drove by you guys like five times!” so I guess it was him. So funny. When they mentioned us staying longer, we asked Kawai why it took him so long to come talk to us and he said it’s because we left before he got out of the water from surfing. Then we were talking about which tower Matt works at and it’s the one toward the pier so we were like, “oh, we were over there today!” and Matt goes, “Yeah, you guys moved around like four times today; you were all over the place” which was totally true but how the hell did he track us?? It’s not like it was an empty beach. We were like, “Wait…but…were you guys stalking us or something?!” then the subject was changed. Matt was talking about wine and fancy stuff then mentioned that he liked coffee, specifically French Vanilla and Kawai was like “What the fuck?!” so we all started laughing and said Matt’s new nickname would be French Vanilla and it’s what we’re going to call him in front of his friends. I noticed Matt kept scooting closer and closer to me and pretty soon his leg was touching mine. I shrugged it off. Pretty soon it was time for us to wrap it up so we wandered back to the trucks to say our good byes. I gave Kawai a hug and he wrapped both of those nice arms around my waist which was a little treat. Then it was time to say goodbye to Matt. Well. So. We hugged and as I was pulling back he got this real naughty look on his face and started to pull me toward him to kiss me, and I was like “Oh no. No, no, no” and pushed away. I felt bad but I can’t kiss this kid. For several reasons. Anyway, we made a real hasty retreat after that and Matt kept saying something about there being nothing wrong except to steal. Or something, I can’t remember. I didn’t know what he was talking about until after he tried to kiss me. Like, stealing a kiss? He kept saying it to us as we walked away. As we hurried back to the car on the other side of the parking lot Kass goes “Did he just try to kiss you?!” and I was like “Uh, yeah”. In the car we were dying. I was like “I’ve hit a new low” and she’s like “You mean a new high! 22! Alright! You’ve still got it!” We cracked up all the way home. When we got there we packed up our stuff and zipped up our suitcases and told AL what happened. I was like “See, Auntie, this is why you should have come with us!” Kawai was sending Kass hilarious texts and we told him we’d be back in a few months to hang out. We said our goodbyes to AL and headed to the airport, stopping for gas on the way. We returned the rental and made it to the airport and checked in pretty quickly. By the time we went to the bathroom and got to our gate they were boarding. We were both in first class again and managed to trade so we could sit by each other, though the guy was kind of a jerk with a lesbian haircut. We settled in and I tried to sleep on the flight, but couldn’t stop giggling like an idiot about how much fun we’d had on our last night.

Sunday 11/9, We got up relatively early, got ready, and headed into Hanalei for a beach day. We stopped at the smoothie place in the King Chung Village (or whatever it’s called) and each got a smoothie. They were good; the best in Hanalei from what I’ve found. We went to the beach and the sun wasn’t really out yet and the sand was pretty wet so we perched up toward the grass and got a pretty good seat. We hung out for a few hours and had a good time just people watching and sunning, even though the sun was sporadic. The rip tide was pretty crazy so anytime someone went toward the water the lifeguards would either yell over the bullhorn for them to get out or jump in their truck and go down to the water and tell them to get out. Every time we heard the bullhorn we’d perk up to see who was getting busted. The truck went out a lot too and on one of the trips out one of them drove right by us and he was cute. On one of the next trips he went by again and this time smiled at us. Kass was like “Whoa, I saw that smile”. We giggled. Ah, Hawaii. There were some boys milling about and finally one of them came over while I was reading. He sat down and started talking to us. Jeremy “the Jerk”. He’s not really a jerk, that’s just his nickname from childhood. He was nice and pretty cute. And has a boat. Kass blew his mind with her little weed stick holder. He stuck around for probably a half hour then AL called and since she didn’t have to take Jay to the airport we made plans to meet at the Dolphin for lunch. He said he was going to the Pato Banton show that night at Coconut Beach so we said we’d probably see him there. We took off and met Auntie and got a table by the river. Some really cute boys emerged from the river from stand up paddle boarding so we had some eye candy while we decided on what to eat. Lunch was very good and afterward we went to the I Heart HI store so Kass could try on swim suits. She got the ones AL picked out. She took off for home and we headed to the river to go stand up paddle boarding, but they were closing up shop for the day (it was like 3:30 or something). I think we went back to the beach for a while. At some point we went back to the house and started getting ready for the concert. I texted Matt to let him know what we were doing but he never responded. AL and I weren’t hungry at all but Kass was so she made herself some dinner. We were running late as usual and headed out for Kapa’a. We stopped to see Corey’s new place. I haven’t seen him since 2008 so that was nice. He’s got way longer hair but looks good. He bought a multi-use space because he’s going to start a cross fit company. It’s pretty amazing. He showed us all around and we laughed at the bizarre electrical jobs. We met his gf and chatted for a few more minutes then took off. When we got to the show we were told we had to get wrist bands and entry was $40 a piece. Kass said she’d pay for all of us; however, as we went around to get tickets this group of three people were all like “Poai!” to AL and started hugging her. It was S*shamon (who had opened for PB), Mercedes’ brother, and Malia. SM asked if we had wristbands and when we said we didn’t he led us over to the green room and we watched from the lanai. It wasn’t really my thing but it was fine. We didn’t pay, so it was fine. We were introduced to a bunch of people, including SM’s dad whom I think is the one “the Jerk” had wanted to set up with AL. Later she told us “Oh sure, he’s like homeless”. Anyway, we stayed until the end of the show then PB wanted to do a prayer circle; I wanted to leave but AL wanted to stay. We went over and I was groaning and when he suggested we all go around and say something, I was like “I will fucking leave right now if that’s what we’re doing”. Kassie and I had the giggles and couldn’t stop laughing. Finally it was over and we went back to the car. On the way home we stopped at the store so Kass could get ice cream and she got some mint chip in honor of Grandma. She fell asleep in the car then when we got home she dished up her ice cream and promptly fell asleep. AL and I also had ice cream but we put on Closer and watched that. Afterward I went to bed and I’m sure she stayed up until like 3:00 am per usual.

Saturday 11/8, I woke up before 8 and was still so tired so I went back to sleep and woke up just before 10. I started reading and Kass woke up. We started stirring and getting ready. We headed down to Hanalei to get some food before going to the beach. As we drove into town I totally saw Amos walking on the side of the road. I went nuts. He grew out his hair and it’s at his shoulders. I called Aubs but she didn’t answer. We went to Hanalei Coffee Roasters but they weren’t serving breakfast because it was 11:30 so we went down to the Taro truck and had pulled pork sandwiches. Back toward town and I saw Amos again and just then Aubs called. We pulled into the Bikini Room and I could see him walking across the street and filled her in on everything. As he was walking back I took some sneaky pictures from a hallway. We hung up and I went into the shop to help Kass with her bikini purchases. Auntie called and while we were talking Matt beeped in and she was going to put him on with me but I told her not to and to just have him text me. We went to the beach and parked by the pier. It was not warm but we laid out anyway and read our magazines. We stayed for an hour or maybe a little more then headed back up to Princeville. We stopped at the store to get stuff for dinner then home. Kass started prepping stuff and I sat and played dj and looked at stuff online. Eric called and I filled him in. I looked at my emails and there was one from a funky address and when I opened it I realized it was from Matt so I texted him and told him we weren’t in Hanalei anymore. I showered and started getting ready since we were going to go into Kilauea for a concert. Kass whipped up dinner and Jay came home right as it was ready so we all sat down and had a birthday dinner for him though he cut out early to walk Czar. We got ready to leave and when we pulled out Jay was on the sidewalk and I was like “Hey, pick up your dog’s poop” and he goes “Pick up my dog’s poop??” and I go “Yeah” (deep voice) then we all start laughing and he’s like “Who is that?” and we turned on the overhead light and he started laughing. He didn’t know it was me. Hilarious. We drove to Kilauea and Matt texted a picture of himself and Kassie wrote back, from my phone, “You look really good”. She’s such a jerk sometimes. So then Auntie texted that it was Kass fucking with him. Then he texts a picture of a pool. I asked him if he wanted to get together later and he did so I said I’d let him know when the concert was over. We went in and walked in without paying, sat down, and the concert started. It was beautiful but made me zone out and Kassie started falling asleep. At the intermission we went up and said hi to Pat and met his new wife. We took off for home and when we arrived Kass just wanted to go to bed despite it only being 9:00. I texted Matt and said he could come over but he said if he did he’d have to stay the night. Auntie wasn’t interested, especially since Jay was staying the night again. I told him Kass was too drunk and asked if he wanted to hang out the next day. We put on Closer and Kass fell asleep within 15 minutes but Auntie and I stayed awake for the whole thing. I updated this before going to bed. It was after midnight.

Friday 11/7, We woke up at 8:00 again. We talked in bed for a long time about Alishia and their dynamic. By the time we started getting ready to go to breakfast it was 10. We walked down to the Westin and had a nice leisurely breakfast by the pool. The food was very good. We talked about me quitting my job and doing real estate and flipping houses for Sky. I’m down. Maybe start on Kauai. We walked back and Kass took off shortly after for her massage with Ocean. I put on my suit and packed up my bag for Anini. I took off on foot and forgot how steep the grade is. I made it down, staked out a nice little spot away from other people and relaxed. I went through some magazines, dunked myself in the water once and about an hour and a half later started my hike back up. It is so fucking steep I had to rest several times. I was so sweaty and tired by the time I got back up. Auntie was outside writing letters so I sat with her and dried off. Kass came back and told us about her experience with Ocean and it was similar to mine from back in 08 with Cynthia. She had Kass crying on the table within 5 minutes. Cynthia did the same thing to me after just meeting her at one of Auntie’s hula practices. Anyway, I asked Kass if she wanted to go to the beach and try to get some sun since daylight was burning. We packed up our stuff and headed down to Pine Trees. We got a good spot and did a ton of talking, especially about what I’m doing with my life and that I need to completely change and move somewhere for 3-6 months and immerse myself. Thinking Kauai if Sky wants to hire me to buy and flip houses. We did some laughing and had serious talks. Kass had the munchies so we packed up and headed into town to Bubba’s. We each got an Oreo shake and one order of fries to dip in the shakes. The fries were excellent. We went to the health food store and got a few things that we didn’t even end up eating. When we got home we showered and talked. Eventually we headed to Hanalei for dinner but because it was approaching 9:00 places were shutting down. Auntie put in an order at Postcards but when we got there they told us we couldn’t stay and eat; we had to take our order to go. Auntie and Kass made a stink because there were other people who had just been served and they were allowed to eat there. I didn’t really care, I assumed we’d be heading back when she called in the order. AL was pissed and as we walked out she was like “Losers!”. Oh my god, we cracked up. We went home and Jay was there making his chef Boyardee dinner. We all ate together and my veggie curry was very good. After dinner we went in the bedroom and put on Crazy, Stupid, Love but I fell asleep about a half hour in while Kass braided Auntie’s hair. It was midnight maybe.

Thursday 11/6, Woke up at 8:00. Nuts. Not a whole lot of sleep. We got ready and went down to the Westin so Kassie could get cream and sugar for her coffee. When we got back Auntie was up and we talked for a bit. We wanted to go get a smoothie, but we got derailed. We ended up going down to Westin again to get breakfast but they weren’t serving any more. We took off for the smoothie place and each got one plus I got yogurt and fruit. We headed back and when we arrived Jay was there. We sat and talked for a little bit then took off for Lihue so we could get a new rental car. We dropped off Auntie at Auntie Nona’s then continued into town, dropped off Jay to get his ID and we headed to the rental car place. Kass jumped out of the car with Czar while I took care of the car. They put us in a Ford Escape which was a little smaller but not completely. At least it looked a little more local. We went to try and find something to eat but Auntie texted that she wanted to be picked up so we headed north, stopping at Mermaids in Kapa’a to get some food then picked her up. We went to her property north of Anahola and sat in the car and ate. Afterward we walked down to this secret little beach and took some pictures. Czar pooped and instead of picking it up she went “golfing” and found a stick and flung it into the bushes. This guy was up on his lanai taking pictures of the view but when I started laughing he looked down and smiled. Cute guy, gorgeous beachfront house. Doable. We walked back up to the car, picked up lemons, and headed home. We hung out and just talked. Jay returned and eventually we all ended up in the bedroom and watched Austenland which everyone seemed to like. The three of us girls stayed up late talking again; this time until 2:00 am.

Wednesday 11/5, I went into work early and left at 3:15. When I went home I jumped in the shower, threw the rest of the stuff in my bag, and we headed to the airport. I checked in, hopped the line using the first class line, and through security. It went very quickly and when I got to the N gates I called Dad and chatted with him for a while about insurance and our trip. Kass arrived shortly after and we boarded. We had a fun flight with laughing, lots of eating (four courses!), and I watched several movies: Other Woman, Way Way Back, and Tammy. Though I didn’t finish Tammy because we were landing. I saw Andrea’s ex husband with another woman. Yikes. We landed at 11 pm and headed to baggage and saw one of Kassie’s friends from Seattle and he was hilarious. We headed to get our rental car but when we got there the only ones they had were minivans. Wah-waaahhhh. We headed north with our big beast and made it to Auntie’s. She was up and we talked for a long time, until like 3:00 am. Which is 5:00 am our time. We were so tired. Went to bed and crashed.

Tuesday 11/4, Before work I was trying to pack a little but Eric derailed me from the job at hand. After work I talked to Alishia and when I got off the phone Eric wanted me to go for a run with him. I had too much to do so decided against it. I started packing, worked on Plum’s long bio, fed the dogs, folded laundry, and answered emails from Genie. I updated this and cleared out my inbox while watching tv.

Monday 11/3, I stayed late at work since I was going to be missing part of the week from being in HI. When I got home I went for a run and when I got back I checked on my flight status and got upgraded to first for the flight to Lihue. Yay! I texted with Kassie and made sure my seat was next to hers. I did some stuff around the house then took a shower and got dressed. I watched some tv then we went over to Sherry and Tony’s for their Monday night mixer. We were there until 10:30 and it was fun, though I needed to get home to go to bed. We got ready for bed and chatted about our evening.

Sunday 11/2, Woke up around 7:30 (day light savings) and did some reading in bed. I texted Susan and she came over around 9:30. We talked for a long time and caught up before starting X-Files. We watched two episodes (Avatar and Quagmire). I think I’d seen Quagmire before. She left afterward and I really hogged down on lunch. I finished my book and thought it wrapped up nicely, though I wasn’t crazy about one major plot line. What can you do? Eric was watching the game so I went up to Super Supplements and the GO. I worked on my credit card statements then watched Cold Mountain and cried through the usual spots. I don’t know what else I did. I think I talked to Dad. Watched tv?

Saturday 11/1, I think I spent the majority of the day reading. I know I took a break to take the dogs for a walk and we tried out the new leash splitters. It went well. We had plans for the evening to go to Justin and Mailen’s house for a post-Halloween evening. We got ready and headed out, made it there as the second guests. We met some very nice people and the food was fantastic. We stayed until 11:30 and headed home. Got ready for bed and watched SNL while reading. By the time I went to bed I think I had about 80 pages left.

Friday 10/31, When I got home Eric was at the store picking up stuff for dinner. Sky, Chrystol and Stef were coming over for dinner and Eric was going to make butternut squash filled with wild rice, mushrooms, cranberries, and slivered almonds. And a nice big salad. And some apps: bread, cheese, apples, grapes. While he was at the store I got out the vacuum, bucket and rag and cleaned the kitchen floor. I vacuumed the rest of the living areas and the couch then fed the dogs and jumped in the shower. I had a little time so I brought my computer into the dining room and answered some emails while waiting for trick or treaters. Sky and Chrystol arrived and sat in the dining room with me while Eric brought the food out. Stef arrived a little while later and we sat talking until Eric brought dinner out. Everything was very good and we talked around the table for a long time before moving to the living room to watch Young Frankenstein. We had about 10 groups of trick or treaters so we didn’t run out of candy. During the movie Chrystol fell asleep and Stef had to go because of work the next day. It was just me and the boys hanging in until the end. They took off after it was over and we got all the dogs ready for bed and went to sleep.

Thursday 10/30, When I got home Eric was about to go for a run, but then we went for a run together. He’s so much faster and had to super slow down since I can’t run fast to save my life. It rained lightly throughout our run and right when we got home it started pouring. I did some extra exercises in the bedroom and milled around. I cleaned out my inbox and Eric made me a pretzel dog for dinner (really laughing it up in the process). I read my book for a little bit then watched Biggest Loser. I uploaded pictures to Plum’s image event so that’s done. I updated this while watching the Mroczek auction online. I had my eye on a few things but didn’t want to tempt myself by actually going down there. Several Horiuchis, Tompkins, Woelffer, Tsutakawa, Russell Hall, and Ivey.

Wednesday 10/29, When I got home we suited up and took five of the six dogs out for a walk. It went pretty well, considering. When we got home we fed the dogs, took them out, etc. I got some rescue stuff taken care of and Eric brought in some dinner. He made a new like brunch-y meal with yummy rustic bread, soft boiled egg, thick cut bacon, lettuce and olive oil. Yum. I read more of my book and took a break to watch Modern Family, then back to the book. I stayed up a little too late reading.

Tuesday 10/28, I got off work a little early and when I got home showered and got ready to head up to Mukilteo to pick up the Plummer. We made decent time up there so we stopped at the store and picked up a few things we needed for the week then continued on. Dan was already there with Plum and she remembered us right away. I feel so bad for him. We went over a few things then we said our goodbyes. It was very sad, though I was thrilled to see Plum. She was not happy about the car ride but when we got home she was right back in the mix. She was running around the house, wanting to play with the other dogs, running up the doggie stairs to the bed, outside, etc. It was hilarious. Her and Jojo chased each other around and wore each other out. We got ready for bed and put the dogs to bed early. I started on the third Fifty Shades book and read about 40 pages. Just enough to get started. It’s a little sappy so far.

Monday 10/27, Dad’s birthday. Work was busy and I was glad to be home. I went for a run and did some other exercises; trying to get my beach body ready for going to Kauai the next week. I folded some sheets then took a shower. Eric made dinner so I ate that then called Dad to wish him a happy birthday. I updated this and watched DwtS in bed.

Sunday 10/26, I woke up at 7:30 but didn’t get out of bed until 8:30. Eric took care of the dogs. I changed the sheets on the bed and washed the bedding. Mom and Dad called so we chatted about Christmas and going down to AZ. I got an email from Plum’s owner that he had a stroke a week after brining her home and she’s just too much for them and Bogey so they have to return her. Our first NR return. So I went through all the hoopla of notifying everyone and making arrangements for picking her up. We also got Jojo figured out and she was going to be dropped off that afternoon. Stef showed up at the house around 12:30 and we chatted for a bit while Eric was distracted by his football game. We took off to get lunch and went to Square Lotus. There was quite a wait but lunch was very good. We headed to Lincoln Square to see Birdman and we were actually a few minutes late but I don’t think we missed too much. We both liked it though it was quirky. It had a lot of funny parts. On the way to the car we did a lot of discussing about what was real and what wasn’t. When we got home Jojo had been dropped off and we all chatted for a few minutes before Stef took off. I decided to put on Cinderella and veg out. Did some laundry. Mom called because their power was still out from the night before and asked if she could come over to sleep because she needs her cpap. She came over at 6:30 and we talked for most of the night. She left around 10:00 because she forgot the cpap. I showered and got into bed; went to bed around 11.

Saturday 10/25, Eric had to work early so he was out of the house by 6:00, while I slept in until 7:30. I took the dogs out then fed them and I had my own breakfast. I put on Legally Blonde and looked at stuff online. After that I put on Royal Tenenbaums. I picked up Eric from work at noon since he didn’t want to ride his bike home. When we got home he made me lunch and I did some laundry. We went and picked up our new foster, Fisher. He’s a return from OR and he has a bite history, though in fairness it sounds like the kids were a nightmare to him so it was a reactivity to lack of boundaries rather than aggression. We’ll find out quickly. He was so sweet and apprehensive when we picked him up. When we got home we did the introductions then settled in and put on Don Jon. We both enjoyed it, especially Eric. It was different than he was expecting. I did some more laundry and listened to Tallis while I did it. I was feeling restless so I watched Secretary. Susan came over and picked up her keys and we chatted for a moment. I finished my movie then half watched an old SNL with Tom Hanks and Aerosmith that was pretty bad. Eric went to bed earlyish and took Fisher in with him. The real SNL came on with Jim Carrey and that one was better, though I fell asleep before Weekend Update. I got through a day without reading any of my series. A true milestone I can be proud of.

Friday 10/24, I was so jacked up to be off work. I’d taken a couple breaks and read my book so I was all jacked up about that too. I was so close to being done with my book but I wanted to get in a run so I got dressed and headed out. I had a lot of energy and felt great, for once. When I got home I did some more exercises then showered and finished my book. I was happy to be done with it and wanted to give myself a break before starting the third one. Eric and I listened to a bunch of Thomas Tallis then I went in the bedroom and started to catch up on my blind gossip. I ended up falling asleep by about 9:00. I woke up at 11:00 turned my tv off and went back to sleep.

Thursday 10/23, I did a couple things around the house while Eric made dinner. We read a couple chapters in our book and I watched Biggest Loser. Well, I half watched it because I was reading my book at the same time. I made Eric watch the trailer and the Elders commentary on the trailer. It was funny. He was making fun of it. After it was over I was able to fully dedicate myself to the book for a few hours.

Wednesday 10/22, I read a few pages before going to work then did some googling and looking around. I’ve got it bad for this series. Barbara Walters called it a love story, though she clarified it’s no Wuthering Heights. At first the sex was intriguing but now it’s the story and the relationship. Again, I know some of it is a little bit of a stretch, but it’s entertainment, and I am very entertained. When I got home I had a list of chores to do again before I’d let myself read. I cleaned my bathroom then hand washed several things and hung them to dry. I got a couple loads of laundry going as well. We went to the GO to get a few things and when we got back I fed the dogs and took them out. Ahhh. Finally, I got to crack open the book. For dinner Eric made me a caprese salad and some steamed broccoli and cauliflower. I made it about 80 pages then watched Modern Family. I showered, updated this, read some Blind Gossip, then read some more.

Tuesday 10/21, I reread part of the end of the book and when I told Eric I’d finished it he guffawed. I had to give myself some boundaries that evening about starting the second book. I told myself I couldn’t start until 7:00 and had to get things done around the house first. I took the dogs for a quick walk around the block then did another lap on my own while Eric mowed the lawn. When I got home I did some exercises and fed the dogs. I took care of filing and my credit card statement. Eric started on dinner then suggested we read our book. Argg. I really wanted to read MY book and it was 7:00. Nuts. I agreed and we got through two chapters. I went in the bedroom and got going on my book. I didn’t have any shows to watch so I managed to make it through about 115 pages. It’s very quick reading. Went to bed around 11.

Monday 10/20, I went to Susan’s after work to check on Pen. She was doing just fine and I changed her water, threw some treats across the floor to her, gave her some wet food, and tossed the toy to her a few times. I called Susan to let her know how everything looked. After I hung up I sat on the couch and read for a half hour or so and Pen lay next to me purring. I pet her and she seemed to like it. Around 6:00 I took off for home and when I got there Eric was out walking Clancy. He took off for the store and I finished my chapter. I got my computer out and answered some emails then Mom called and we talked for a long time. I checked out the next auction at Mroczek and there are a few pieces I’m interested in. Eric brought in my dinner and I ate most of it. I watched DwtS and updated this. I read for a long time and finished the book. While I wouldn’t admit in public that I really like the book, I will admit it here. It’s cheesy and not so believable in some aspects, but the story is interesting, some of the sex scenes are pretty good, and there are a lot of underlying interesting plot points. It was late when I finally got to bed.

Sunday 10/19, I woke up around 7:45 and stayed in bed reading until about 9:00. I got dressed and went for a run. When I got home I vacuumed my bedroom and did some exercises. I read a chapter then got up and did some laundry. Read a chapter then did some filing, read a chapter, did more chores. It’s how I spent most of my day. I’d read a chapter then get up and go do something. It worked well and I got a lot done. Eric was watching the Seahawks game but was so mad that he turned it off and walked up to the store to get stuff for dinner. Mid-afternoon Eric and I messed around then I got back to work and he worked on dinner (veggie soup). We got the house ready for Chrystol and Sky to come over and I read until they showed up. We talked in the kitchen and snacked. Eventually we dished up and sat out in the living room and ate dinner. We watched the Sounders game and chatted. Chrystol and I are both going to be away over the weekend prior to Veterans Day so the boys will be on their own, able to enjoy the stretch pants and thongs of Fremont unencumbered. I had to take off around 7:30 to go to my massage. It was fantastic and I didn’t utter one word, except to answer his questions about pressure and what I wanted him to work on. It was so relaxing, though I had a hard time shutting my brain off from the sex scenes from FSoG. Yikes. I drove home all blissed out. When I got home I got ready for bed and Eric took the dogs out for me. I read a couple more chapters and went to bed around 10:30.

Saturday 10/18, Eric and I got up early and ready to go downtown. We went to Foster White Gallery and found several pieces we liked there then to Greg Kucera which was a little too conceptual for me. We tried to go to one in Pioneer Square but I couldn’t figure out where we were going and then Eric put in the wrong address so we ended up waaayyyy in the wrong place so by the time we figured it out we bagged it and went straight to Woodside Braseth. We knew they’d have several Horiuchis and Tobeys so we wanted to check them out for comparison purposes. I was tired and hungry so we headed home and Eric made me lunch. I decided to start Fifty Shades of Grey. I had shamefully purchased it off Amazon some time ago because I was too embarrassed to buy it in an actual store. I was more curious about the hype than I was about the actual story. It was a very quick read and I got through quite a bit of it before taking a nap for a few hours. Eric went up to the store to get a pumpkin for the evening’s pumpkin carving party. I continued to read until we had to go. Got to Michelle’s close to the start time and we chatted with her, met Chris, and met another one of her friends, Jeanine I think. We snacked and talked and Eric got started on the pumpkin. He was doing the Beatles but only got through three of them. We stayed until about 9:30 and headed home. I wanted to keep reading my book so I threw myself back into it and Eric slept in the other room. SNL was a repeat so I just ended up staying up until 1:00 reading. I was hooked.

Friday 10/17, I got a shitty night’s sleep because Nyx was up and down wanting to go out. Eric knew I was tired so when I got home he told me to relax and just get into bed. I showered and climbed in then put on Mannequin. I haven’t watched it in years but still know most of the lines. I could barely stay awake through the end and went to bed shortly after it ended. It was like 10.

Thursday 10/16, It was a sunny day so when I got home we leashed up C and N and I put Brizo in the sling and headed out. We went around the neighborhood then home. Eric went for a run and I paged through a magazine and took a shower. He joined me when he got home. He made pasta with veggies and sausage. I did some stuff in the bedroom and watched tv.

Wednesday 10/15, We took Nyx and Clancy for a long walk and explored a new neighborhood by our house. I wanted to get up by Spiritwood (?) park so we went all around that neighborhood and evaluated the houses and landscaping. When we got home Eric made dinner: kobe beef steaks, sautéed onions, and green beans sautéed in the beef drippings. Plus a salad. Everything was delicious. We ate in the living room then read a couple chapters from In the Lake of the Woods. I was really tired and started falling asleep on the couch. I went into the bedroom around 9:00 and woke up a little. I looked at a lot of houses on Whidbey Island and found a B&B and showed Eric. I said we could do it with Sky and Chrystol. I don’t know if I could really do it, but it’s a fun idea. Eric went to bed and I stayed up until 11.

Tuesday 10/14, When I got home Eric and I walked to the store and bought a ton of stuff that was on clearance. When we got home I fed the dogs and he made dinner. After we ate we read for about 45 minutes. I got into bed and caught up on my gossip and this. Went to bed before 11.

Monday 10/15, Eric and I took Clancy and Nyx for a long walk. Back at the house I cleaned my bathroom and did some filing while Eric made dinner. We ate then read a few chapters together in the living room. I watched DwtS and talked with Susan for a little bit. I went to bed late and watched Golden Girls. Eric slept in the other bedroom because his back hurt.

Sunday 10/12, Eric got up first and started decorating the house in all of his Seahawks regalia. Susan came over for X-Files and we made it through three episodes. Only one more disc in Season 3. After Susan left I made a little lunch then took off for the GO. By the time I got back the Seahawks were down and Eric was down in the dumps. I stayed in the bedroom. Later in the day we watched We’re the Millers which was okay. Not great. I went to bed at a normal time.

Saturday 10/11, I had grand plans for getting a ton of shit done but I petered out early. I got several loads of laundry going changed the sheets on the bed. Eric put up all the Halloween decorations in the front yard and mowed the lawn. He had to go to work and I eventually sat down and did some stuff online then put on Sleeping Beauty. I closed my eyes for a little bit and rested. I did some corresponding with Kristel and Kyle and we made a game plan for our evening. I showered and did my hair and Kristel picked me up around 5:00. We went and picked up Ky on the Hill. We headed to Brass Tacks and talked about Ky’s new job and his moving to SF. It wasn’t too busy when we got there and we had a table near the back. We ordered fries, candied bacon, and pork fries to start. We got busy working on those and chatting it up. For our meal we ordered the brussels sprouts, brisket mac and cheese and the chicken and waffles. Everything was delicious and we made pretty good work. It was a really fun evening and we ended up getting a nice discount courtesy of my mention of being Kass’ sister. We went to her shop down the street and walked around for a few minutes then headed back to the car and up to the Hill to drop off Kyle. We told him we’d see him later this month when he’s back from San Fran. Kristel dropped me off and we sat in the car for a while talking about work and inappropriate work situations. It was helpful and it was like old times talking with her. It’s been a long time since we’ve talked like that. I had a great night. It was only a little after 8:00 but I was cold so laid down on the bed and ended up falling asleep. I was so tired. Eric came home and we talked for a little bit and I got ready for bed. I tried to stay up for SNL but fell asleep.

Friday 10/10, We picked out a new recipe and Eric went to the store to pick up the supplies. I hung with the dogs and got Chima and Sal’s stuff together. I cut a bunch of dahlias and put vases all over the house. Janell arrived and we talked for a while about the girls and she took off. Dinner was ready shortly after. It was good, but not my favorite. Baked chicken tenders and mashed potatoes / cauliflower, all accompanied by a cilantro, garlic, lime sauce. I went to bed not too late.

Thursday 10/9, Dexter went home. When I got home I showered and got ready right away. I was doing dinner club with Kristel and some other people I don’t really know. Eric was going to a town hall thing and we left at the same time. I found the restaurant and was about 20 minutes early…until I had to try and find parking. I ended up parking so far away. I hate parking on the Hill; it’s so much worse than it used to be. I walked over and everyone was there already. We went to Trove. We ended up getting the modest meat tower along with some apps. The food was very good. We were there for a while then went out and each got a parfait; old school snickers for me. We stood outside the restaurant and ate our desserts then walked to our cars. Kristel drove me to mine, luckily. We chatted for a while as we finished our desserts. We agreed to do dinner Saturday night with Ky. We said good bye and I drove home. I beat Eric and got ready for bed. When he came home he took out the dogs and we went to bed.

Wednesday 10/8, Dexter was dropped off for one night and was already there when I got home. Eric was waiting for me when I got home and we took the dogs for a walk together. I hung out with Dexter and our dogs in the bedroom for the night. It went pretty well. I showered and got into bed early and watched Modern Family.

Tuesday 10/7, When I got home we took Chima and Sal for a walk. I took them for one before work as well. We went around the neighborhood and they did well on both walks. At home Eric fed the dogs and got our dinner served up. We ate then I took off for the Rack to get some new bras, BUT the selection sucked. I’ve never seen it so bad. So I didn’t get any; however, I did get some new Citizens that remind me of my favorite pair, two sweaters and a couple pairs of underwear. I went to Target next and picked up a few little things then home. Eric and I talked for a long time in the den trying to spend some time with the girls. He took the girls on another walk and I showered and got ready for bed. I updated this and wrote Janell an email. Went to bed after 10.

Monday 10/6, When I got home I took Nyx and Clancy for a long walk, which they enjoyed. Eric was watching the game but still served up my dinner. The neighbor came over selling stuff for school so I bought some. Janell arrived with Chima and Sal right at 7:00 and we went over everything and she snuck out while I took the girls out. I spent a good portion of the evening in the den with them, going through magazines and watching DwtS. After 10 I showered and got ready for bed. Eric slept in the other room with Clancy.

Sunday 10/5, We were all stirring and up by 8:00 ish. We got ready for the boat party and headed out to Lake Powell by 9:30. We rode with Dad, Mom, and Corrine. We had a nice ride and when we got out there we had one large party boat (double decker), a speed boat, and two paddle boards. We set off and had breakfast that Kassie had catered. We got to spend about an hour on the boat and spent most of it on the upper level working on my tan. The weather was spectacular. Eric and I had to head to the airport so Dad and Dick drove us back in to shore and Dad went with us up to the car. Papa, Brad, Heidi, Roz, and Jerry met us up there to join the party. We packed up Kass’ rental car and said our goodbyes and headed to the airport. It was about 11:15. We made good time, got to the airport with plenty of time, and to our gate quickly. We had quite a while so we sat down and had lunch at a place that had on the game. On the plane home I watched the rest of Midnight in Paris and Forgetting Sarah Marshall. We landed right on time at 6:00, got the car, and drove home. The dogs were happy to see us. I unpacked while Eric went to the store. I called Dad to see how the rest of the day went and it sounded like they had fun. We went to bed relatively early since we were both exhausted.

Saturday 10/4, We were up around 5:00, got ready, packed up our stuff and headed out to the airport for Phoenix. Security went quickly and we had time to grab something to eat. At the gate I got upgraded to first class, but ended up passing so I could sit with Eric. We had the entire exit row to ourselves, so I was fine with that. Our flight was delayed slightly because the bathroom was leaking. Yuck. We ended up changing planes. The flight was fine and we watched Midnight in Paris. Aubrie and Christian picked us up at the airport and on the way back to Mom and Dad’s we talked about how wasted Dad was the prior night. When we got there Roxy, Dick, Deb (Paul’s wife), Hailey, Alishia and Pete were there. Slowly people came home; Dad and Paul (whom I’d never met; they went to high school together and used to get into trouble), Corrine and Debbie (Nicole’s mom), and eventually Mom. We all had lunch and talked around the table. Eventually we started getting ready for the party and I showered in Mom’s bathroom while she got ready. Eric and I rode with Alishia and when we got to the country club it was chaos with Heidi and Mom running around trying to get things ready. It was so hot outside so I hid inside. People started showing up before 5:00. We ate and stood around and talked. It was a nice party and celebration for Grandma. Things wound down pretty early and most of the older folks cleared out by 6:30. We sat outside for a long time talking and I talked to Dick and Roxy about work and the house. We packed up and headed back to Mom and Dad’s. We hung out in the kitchen and around the fire pits. Aubrie and I danced around and made mom and Corrine laugh. Everyone was tired so we all started getting ready for bed and I think we all turned in by 10:30 or 11. Eric and I slept on an air mattress in the dining room. There were 15 people sleeping at the house that night.

Friday 10/3, When I got home Bruce and Eric were standing outside with Dex. We chatted for a little bit then he left. We got everything together for Plum to go to her new home and took off a little before 6:00. We made good time up to the Mukilteo ferry and walked around the waterfront and lighthouse. We took some pictures and Dan showed up. We went over her stuff and did the handoff and I was so sad. I didn’t want to let her go. For as much of a stinker she was a lot of the time, I will miss her so much. She is such a funny little dog and one I would have considered keeping. She got along with all the dogs, though Nyx wasn’t crazy about her. I’ve never seen Brizo try to play with another dog as much as Plum. It was really a big step for her. I said goodbye and felt sad as we drove home. Eric tried to cheer me up. We went to Rudy’s in Bellevue so he could get his hair cut. We went to Toshi’s and grabbed some yakisoba on the way home and ate in front of the tv. I finished packing and doing laundry and just like that we were back down to three dogs. It felt so quiet. Since we had to get up early the next morning to catch our flight to Phoenix we both went to bed early.

Thursday 10/2, Big meeting at work so I was glad when that was over. When I got home Eric took off for a run and I took the dogs outside, cleaned up poop, and cut a bunch of new dahlias. Eric came home and I started cleaning my bathroom. Michelle came over so we could go over all the dog stuff. She stayed for a little while and it was fun because she’s so hilarious. After she left I had some dinner (P sent me home with kale, celery, lettuce, potatoes, and a giant onion) and watched tv. Updated this, took a shower, packed a little, and into bed.

Wednesday 10/1, P and I had a talk and I kind of dropped some things about not loving what I do and wanting to find something I enjoy more and not being happy with something CC said at one point. I stayed late at work and was tired when I got home. Eric asked if I wanted to go for a walk so we set out and took streets neither of us had ever gone down. We ended up at the cemetery looking at headstones and the crazy plots people purchase for themselves and their families. It was fascinating, but after a while I started feeling really sad. We left shortly after and walked home. We were gone for quite a while and I think we got home around 6:45. We talked a lot and it was nice to spend the time together. Eric heated up some food for me then we got back into our book and did about 20 pages. Right as we finished and were discussing, Bruce showed up with the former-Royal, now Dex. I showered and spent time in the bedroom with the other dogs. Eric took Dex while I watched Modern Family. I knew I was getting up early the next day so I went to bed by 10:30 with Clancy, Brizo, Nyx, and Plum with me.