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.