Tuesday 3/31, Calls throughout the day from Pepper’s adopters and arranging to meet them in Canada on Thursday. The adoption was finalized by the end of the day. I did a few things at home before Susan arrived to watch X-Files. We watched Kill Switch and Bad Blood, which we’ve been waiting for for so long. Luke Wilson is in rare form. Eric brought in stuffed peppers for dinner. After we finished Bad Blood Susan went home. I got most of my packing done. Eric told me he wouldn’t go with me up to Canada because it will be cutting it too close. Having the carpool on the way home would be beneficial, but apparently he’s irritated that I made plans to do it on the day we leave. I showered and relaxed in bed for the night.

Monday 3/30, When I got home I showered and got ready for dinner at Mom’s. The HV for Pepper was earlier that day but I hadn’t heard anything. I emailed Janell but she confirmed she was still waiting to hear too. Dinner was fun and Dr*ohv and Ak*mi were there. We stayed until 8:30 then headed home. I answered some emails while we watched DwtS then Eric went to bed. I did some stuff online, watched some Friends, and went to bed.

Sunday 3/29, We were up early because Bruce was picking up the pups early. We got them fed, out, and I took Pep and Dex for a walk around the block. Bruce arrived and Eric took care of the dogs. I was getting everything ready for Sesame’s adoption and the contact went out before 10am. I watched Bridget Jones’ Diary and relaxed with the dogs. I showered and got ready then started on foster stuff. I got the vet reimbursement requests in, assembled Sesame’s go home package, and completed the home visit form. Rachel and Sarah picked up Sesame at 2:00 and they were so excited. I worked on laundry and cleaning up my bathroom and bedroom. I went down to Office Depot to pick up some toilet paper and paper towels then up to the GO for some groceries. When I got home I put some cookies in the oven and folded laundry. Eric went up to the store to get stuff for dinner and I relaxed. We had dinner and watched Office. Eric made the most delicious veggie enchiladas. I showered and got ready for bed. We watched Last Man on Earth then I fell asleep quickly.

Saturday 3/28, We were up early to take care of the dogs. We got ready and headed into Issaquah to get my windshield replaced. We dropped it off and walked down to Egg and Us and it was better than Julia’s ever was. We walked around Gilman Village and went into the toy store and had some laughs. We went and picked up the car and headed home. I leashed up Pip and Dex and took them on a really long walk. Next I took Clancy and Nyx for a long walk. I went out in the backyard for a while to let everyone run around. Eric worked in the front yard and got everything looking great. I ended up taking a short nap and lying in bed for a portion of the afternoon. We left at 4:00 to do Sesame’s home visit but traffic was terrible because 90 W went down to one lane so it took us a long time to get there and we finally arrived an hour and a half later. Bah. The home visit went really well and we were thrilled that it would be finalized. Back home and quickly fed the dogs before everyone showed up for dinner. Peter made goulash and Chrystol and Sky brought a salad. We talked and ate and had a great time. Everyone left around 11:00 and we cleared the table and took all the dogs out. Got into bed and watched SNL for a half hour or so.

Friday 3/27, I got into work at 6:35 so I could get out early. P let me leave at 3:30 and I took care of the dogs when I got home and cleaned up poop. Bruce showed up a little early with Dex and Pip so we chatted for a little bit then he took off. I got everyone out and settled and Eric came home a half hour later. We took Pip, Dex, Pep, and Ses for a walk to do introductions since Pep is reactive with new dogs. They did well and when we got home we split them up. We just hung out for the evening and managed the chaos. I talked to Mom after 10 and she gave me some not so good news about Dad’s cancer prognosis. I fell asleep feeling really sad and hope the specialist in LA has some better news.

Thursday 3/26, Eric was already home when I arrived so we loaded up Pep and Ses and took them down to the vet to get chipped. They were naughty barky dogs in the lobby so I sat outside with them. We were glad that was done then home. I worked out, showered, then ate a little dinner before taking off for my massage. It was fantastic and felt much longer than it actually was. I went home and got into bed. Slept well.

Wednesday 3/25, I went to Susan’s after work and we got through three X-Files episodes including the Pusher sequel, one where trees are killing people, and then the Stephen King one where the doll possesses a little girl and is like “Let’s play!”. Susan ordered pizza that was delicious! We finished up just before 8:00 so I headed home. We got a great app for Sesame so I was busy getting that squared away and questions answered. I showered and got into bed and went to bed before 11.

Tuesday 3/24, Susan came over after work and we fit in two episodes. She left before it got too dark. Eric heated up dinner for us and shortly after I got Sesame’s bio sent out to an app. I showered and worked for a little bit. I half watched some shows before having a discussion with Eric about a New Yorker article I read about the Lanza kid from last year. I went to bed before 11.

Monday 3/23, When I got home from work I worked out for 40 minutes and dinner was done right as I finished. We watched tv and had dinner then I showered and we messed around. I watched DwtS and worked on Sesame’s bio to send out to an app I wasn’t crazy about.

Sunday 3/22, We were up early taking care of things because we had plans to help Peter and Stef move into their new place. Stef texted that they were running late and to wait an hour before coming over. When we got over there they were still packing and we jumped in and helped. We got most things packed up and into the truck then headed north to Edmonds. Traffic was awful because of the basketball games at Key Arena. It took us a while to get north but when we arrived we unloaded the truck in no time. Like 5 minutes. Their new place is cute and a lot bigger. We went and got lunch at a Korean place and though there was a lot of delicious stuff in the rice pot I ordered there wasn’t a whole lot of flavor. We thanked them for lunch and took off for home. We relaxed for the rest of the day and I did some work. I talked to Genie about Pepper’s phone interview and it went well so we’re onto the next step: home visit, which proved to be extremely difficult to arrange since they’re way out in the middle-of-nowhere-Canada. I watched Last Man on Earth then went to bed.

Saturday 3/21, I got up and did my workout right away and did 35 minutes. Next we were going to do some serious cleaning, but Eric wanted to wait an hour (until 10:30). I got to work on my bathroom with cleaning and getting everything looking great. We started on the den and moving everything out. I worked on it longer and Eric did a bunch of stuff in my bathroom that I didn’t ask him too which made a big mess. Oh well. He thought it needed to be done. I showered in the other bathroom and got ready. Eric had already gone to the store in preparation for Sky and Chrystol to come over for dinner. They showed up right around 6:00 and we had some salad before pizza and watching Tammy. We talked for a while afterward and watched some SNL clips on youtube. They left around 9:00 and I got into bed and watched some mystery show. Stayed awake for a few skits on SNL. It was a repeat.

Friday 3/20, When I got home we did the dog stuff then went out to dinner at a Mexican place we’ve never tried. It was pretty good and I’d go there again. Next we went to Lowe’s to look at heat grates but came up empty. We also checked out formica but they didn’t have much selection. All I’m looking for is black or slate grey. Trying to take this house back to its roots. The OG mid century modern kitchen countertop material. We went to Nordstrom Rack and TJ Maxx in Factoria and ended up getting a couple pairs of pants for Eric and a new shirt that I’m not crazy about. We went home and let all the dogs out to spend time with them before bed.

Thursday 3/19, My new shower enclosure went in and when I got home I was so excited to see it. It was gorgeous. I couldn’t stop looking at it. When Eric got home he was impressed too. I called Mom and Dad and talked to them for a while. They are headed to Mexico for 10 days so we did our catch up. Eric made kale and wild rice for dinner and it was excellent and so satisfying. I may have watched tv before going to bed.

Wednesday 3/18, When I got home Eric had already done a ton of stuff and worked out. We took four of the dogs around the block for a walk and I got some video of Pep doing her hilarious trots. When we got home I cleaned up poop in the backyard then worked out for 30 minutes. I showered and Eric worked on dinner. We watched tv for most of the evening and got into bed around 10.

Tuesday 3/17, Lunch at John Howie with a nice gift certificate to Nordstrom. I got home later than I wanted, but on the way home Dad called to tell me the neighbor two doors down (“EPA-er”) bought Morey’s property and has offered to each on the dirt road, the opportunity to buy the span across the lane for $75k. Dad is going to do it and might buy the neighboring one if the Amos don’t want theirs. I filled in Eric when I got home then I worked out. I upped my level and worked out for 25 minutes. I showered and Eric made waffles for dinner. I updated Pepper’s bio since we had a great app for her up in Canada. I watched tv and fell asleep after 10.

Monday 3/16, I had plans to work out but ended up skipping it. We went to the store to get stuff for the week. When we got home I half-watched DwtS. I showered and got ready for bed.

Sunday 3/15, I got to sleep in until 8:30 and up by 9:00. I ate breakfast and got dressed. I didn’t want to get the Sunday doldrums, but I kind of already had them. I did a few loads of laundry and eventually went out to run errands. We went to the drug store, then to get a donut, then to Best Buy for a cable. Back at home I watched Napoleon Dynamite but fell asleep. When I woke up I worked out for 45 minutes then showered and had dinner. Eric made pot roast with mashed potatoes and mushrooms. I called Dad and talked to him for a while then Eric and I got into an argument over the foster girls and their peeing in the house. Everything was fine, just a moment of frustration, amplified. I watched Last Man on Earth then took out the dogs and got ready for bed.

Saturday 3/14, I woke up at 6:00 when Eric got up to go to the bathroom and couldn’t fall back asleep. I was close a few times but was jolted back awake and pestered by Nyx. I finally got up shortly before 9:00 and Eric was trying to fix the dryer. I ate breakfast then got on my work clothes and got going on painting the bathroom. Eric brought in all my supplies and I did the work. I told Mom she should come over and see so she came and sat on the bed while I painted and the three of us talked. She taught Eric how to do sodoku. She took off and I peeled the tape off and cleaned things up. I had lunch and felt tired, but went out into the pool room and tried to organize the tile a little bit. I sat down and watched Wedding Singer and started to fall asleep. Eric told me he was taking off to hang out with Sky. I eventually got up and took Pepper and Sesame for a walk, then worked out for 45 minutes, showered, and sat down with all the dogs to watch Austenland. I fed the dogs and had some leftover pizza then watched Dateline. Eric came home and I watched tv for a little while before falling asleep.

Friday 3/13, I woke up thinking I should get a stairmaster so I checked craigslist, found one, offered the guy 2/3 of his price, and told Eric we were going to pick it up that evening. I got home first and took all the dogs out. We got them all squared away and Eric wasn’t happy about going to Renton to pick this thing up, but he sucked it up. We found the place and it was buried in the guy’s garage. Apparently his wife has a shopping problem. I’ll say. It took him a while to dig it out but after he did, I fired it up, put in the settings, and said I’d take it. Eric backed in the truck, we loaded it up, and took off home. We moved it out to the pool room, took out the dogs, then headed up to Tutta Bella for dinner since they’d sent us a coupon for $12 off. We sat in the bar and had a very nice dinner, mostly talking about MN. He agreed to attend this year’s reunion. We went to Trader Joe’s for ice cream then home. I brought all the dogs in the bedroom with me and answered rescue emails. I fell asleep but woke up at midnight and took out the dogs, put the girls in the kitchen then went back to bed.

Thursday 3/12, When I got home the house really stunk from the texture and it was so nice outside that I opened up a bunch of windows. I stayed outside with the dogs until Eric got home then went in and checked out the bathroom. Everything looked good but was covered in a layer of dust. He patched the two holes by the shower, put in the medicine cabinet, mounted all the towel bars and toilet paper holder, fixed the shower head, and patched all the holes and blemishes and retextured. We took the dogs for a walk and Sesame did pretty good, but Pepper had no stamina so we dropped her back at home. After our dog walk we walked to the store to get stuff for dinner. Back at home Eric made dinner and I started on Pepper’s long bio. I finished it more quickly than Sesame’s. I don’t remember what else I did for the night, but probably just relaxed.

Wednesday 3/11, I went over to Susan’s after work and we got through the first two episodes of the fifth season. Scully’s cancer is finally in remission. I headed home, stopping at Super Supplements on the way, and Eric had dinner ready for me. After I ate I showered and prepared the bathroom for the handyman to come the next day to take care of all the little projects. We cleared everything out and I marked spots I wanted patched and textured and also where I wanted all of the towel bars. That took me a while. Into bed afterward.

Tuesday 3/10, Jojo was picked up and Susan came over after work. We talked for a little bit then put on the last episode of Season 4 of X-Files. It was quite the cliff hanger, except not because we know Mulder lives. Susan had to leave just as Eric brought out dinner. Turkey burgers, waffle fries, and broccoli and asparagus.  I could only eat half the burger because it was so big. I headed into the bedroom to answer emails and start on Sesame’s long bio. I worked on that for most of the evening, took a shower, finished it and emailed it, then got ready for bed. Looked at my X-Files book.

Monday 3/9, I worked out for 45 minutes on the stairmaster then home. Eric heated up dinner for me when I got home. I did some stuff online then showered before Bachelor started. I was only half paying attention and was looking at FSoG interviews online.

Sunday 3/8, Sky and Chrystol were coming over for brunch so we were up and busy. Eric started cooking while I took care of the cleaning. The girls were still super out of it so they laid low for the day. I had to run out to the store to grab some stuff and when I got back I kept going with chores. Sky and Chrystol arrived and the food was ready. We sat at the dining room table and ate and talked. Eric made a salmon hash (sans salmon for me) with poached eggs and a blueberry dutch baby. We talked for a couple hours then they took off. I seized the opportunity to take a nap. When I woke up and checked the movie times for Fifty Shades of Grey I realized I needed to get up and moving. I showered, dressed, then took off for Bella Bottega. Before going in I got some candy at the store then I also bought popcorn inside. The theater was pretty empty, thank goodness. One couple was old and at one point the old guy was like “I don’t understand!” at some random part. I laughed. I thought the movie was good though I didn’t like all the stuff they left out and the timeline wasn’t quite right, but it was better than I thought it would be. When I got home I got ready for bed and looked at stuff online before turning in.

Saturday 3/7, Jojo was whining from the den at 6:00 so I got up and let her out then brought her into bed with me. I tried to go back to sleep but by 7:30 was unsuccessful and got up when Eric did. We got the dogs settled then took Sesame and Pepper for their spays. Pepper didn’t have mammary tumors, luckily, and we had Sesame tested for a UTI, which was negative. I was not happy with their new pricing structure so I won’t be going back. I’ve always been really happy with them but this trip put me over the edge. At home we took Nyx, Jojo, and Clancy to the park for a walk. It was a beautiful day. We went to the store and picked up stuff for the next day. When we got home we got ready to go pick up the girls and headed back down to Kent. When we got home we took the girls outside to go potty and they were both so out of it. Pepper laid in the dirt in the sun and fell asleep. I held Sesame and she fell asleep in my arms. I sat outside with both of them for a while then back inside and made myself some lunch. I think I took a nap then felt out of it and moped around. We went up to Crossroads so I could see if I could find a heating blanket. I didn’t get anything. We walked down to QFC so I could get an apple then back to the car. It was a busy night and the people watching was great, as always. Back at home I watched some Dateline and tried to stay up for SNL. I fell asleep but woke up right as it started. I watched for a little bit then went to sleep.

Friday 3/6, Before work I had the electrician over to hook up the thermostat for the bathroom heated floors and at the same time the handyman guy came over to look at the odds and ends projects in the bathroom. He was a little squirrely but his online reviews are very good. I headed into work around 9:00. After work I came home and we took care of the dogs and Jojo was dropped off. We got everyone settled before I showered and we headed out on foot to dinner. We went to Szechuan Chef and tried something new: beef ginger and onion hot pot. Except it totally wasn’t a hot pot. But it was still good. Fried rice, too. I ate too much but felt better after we walked home. I watched 48 Hours and went to bed around 11.

Thursday 3/5, I stayed late at work and went straight to my massage appointment. It was a great massage and I was really tired afterward. At home I ate some dinner then showered and got into bed. I fell asleep by 9:00 and Eric came and put the girls to bed.

Wednesday 3/4, I worked out after work then headed home. I was stressed when I got home but did some work anyway, and had just finished it when I went on to something else and wanted to watch my shows. I brought in the girls with me but then Sesame started leaking and it got on the bed and I was over it. I was a raving lunatic and Eric had to talk me off a ledge. I finally calmed down and eventually went to bed.

Tuesday 3/3, I went over to Susan’s after work and we watched two episodes of X-Files. They were both decent episodes. We chatted in between. I filled her in on our visit to Prima and when I checked fb, RH Eric had sent me a message saying it was good to see me and to come back soon. I left Susan’s at 7:15 and made it home quickly. Eric heated up some dinner for me then wanted to talk about our CO trip and things to do, ideas for brunch for Sunday, and yard ideas. I took a shower then got into bed and tried to get Pep (Peeper Pan) and Sesame to calm down and sit. I watched tv and updated this.

Monday 3/2, I did my workout then headed home after work. When I got home Eric handed me a salad and said the rest of dinner was on its way. I took some pictures of Sesame and Pepper then Eric dished up. He made twice baked potatoes and pork chops with mushrooms, shallots, garlic, onion, etc. After dinner I showered and climbed into bed to watch Bachelor and did some work. I went to bed before 11.

Sunday 3/1, I slept in until 8:00. Eric fed the dogs and I got in and out of bed for a little bit. I got dressed and worked for a bit before calling Alix to talk about the dog she wants to adopt. I then talked to the AC-equivalent from the IG rescue she applied through. We chatted for about 45 minutes. I then talked to Alishia and eventually to Mom for over an hour. I did work throughout the day between phone calls. I was watching the transport updates online and it was delayed about an hour. We went to the store then headed to Southcenter to meet the transport. We picked up the new girls: Pepper and Sesame. We got home and took the girls out and got them settled. Sesame is in heat, ugh. I made appointments to get them both spayed the following weekend and also to have Pepper’s mammary tumors looked at. Eric made dinner while I hung in the den with the girls and answered some emails. I went in the bedroom and worked for a while and watched Last Man on Earth. Updated this, watched Friends, and went to bed.

Saturday 2/28, I was awake early and got up and went for a run. I did about three miles and was glad since I knew I’d be eating a lot later that day. Kristel and I had plans to go to Whidbey Island and give RH Eric a visit at Prima. We weren’t leaving until early afternoon so I did some stuff around the house to kill time and eventually showered. I asked Kristel if she wanted to leave a little early and she said sure so I headed over to her new place. While I was gone Poppy went home. Her new place is huge and in a part of Kirkland I’ve never been to. We took off for Mukilteo and I filled her in on all the family drama, which basically took all the way until we boarded the ferry. It was a real quick trip and we went upstairs, which I haven’t done forever. When we docked we headed straight for Langley and parked. We went to Prima and got a spot at the bar. I could see Eric in the kitchen but he didn’t see me for a long time. Finally I looked up at one point and he waved. I waved back. Kristel and I talked and talked, and ate and ate. We got the sautéed mushrooms and some kind of cheese and meat beignet. Both were delicious. For lunch (it was like 3:30) I got the lamb burger and she got the regular burger. Eric came out to say hi but had to go back quickly. After we finished he came out again and we chatted longer and he told us he was sick from his dank house on the lake. I offered to bring him a humidifier but he told me to just send it. Ha. Jerk. We did a quick catch up and marital status update. He had to get back. It was good to see him. I saw his gf too. She seems like a catch. We finished up and headed out and next door to the Star Store. I got a bunch of kid stuff for friends’ kids so that was fun. We walked around Langley and it is just so cute. More of a town feel than Coupeville. We got back in the car and drove around looking at houses and saw all of these rabbits in peoples’ yards. I loved them and we named them (Caramel and Licorice). We picked up a couple listing fliers and I was surprised at the prices of the homes. I thought they’d be cheaper. It was getting late so we headed back to the ferry but stopped at DQ on the way and each got a mini blizzard and hopped in line. I was not disappointed with mine. We waited in line for a while but finally we boarded. I think I dropped her off at home around 7:45 and I was home by 8:00. I was tired but told Eric about our day. I watched a couple shows but was so tired I couldn’t stay awake for SNL.

Friday 2/27, I went and shipped back the rugs that I had bought online. When I got home I told Eric my ideas for the evening and he was on board. He made a delicious dinner: chicken with lemon, garlic, and capers and asparagus. After dinner we took off for Home Depot so I could see if I could find a different shower head that would work better for my shower since the one I bought online was not going to be an easy option. I found one that was okay; none of them were as nice as the one I had, but I was fairly certain that it would solve my problem. Next we went down to Factoria and went to TJ Maxx or whatever and looked at stuff for the bathrooms, didn’t buy anything and went to the Rack. I bought some shoes Eric picked out for me, some galoshes Eric picked out, and some Minnetonka pink slippers that I picked. Back at home we relaxed and I worked for a little bit then went to bed.

Thursday 2/26, I rushed home and Eric was there taking care of the dogs. I had plans to go down to Renton for my auction but I knew it would be late. By the time it rolled around for me to head down Eric wasn’t interested anymore so I just watched online. The Horiuchi went for $8k; the Woelffer went for umm, $4k I think? A lot. More than I would have bid. At the end of the day I wouldn’t have won anything so I was glad I didn’t drive down there in the rain. We watched youtube videos and I went to bed after 11.

Wednesday 2/25, I went over to Susan’s after work and we got in a couple episodes of X-Files. One was Small Potatoes and it was hilarious. I loved it. We did some chatting in between episodes. I left a little before 8:00 and when I got home Eric had dinner waiting for me. We watched some Antiques Roadshow and Cathy was on there doing her appraisals. I took a shower then into the bedroom to watch tv and do internet stuff.

Tuesday 2/24, I worked out after work on the stairmaster then headed home. Eric had dinner ready then took off for Mom’s to drop off some stuff for Kass to take down to San Diego. I spent the evening keeping busy waiting for Eric to get home but he didn’t come back for two hours. When he got home he filled me in on his visit. I was tired and tried to stay up for the Parks and Rec finale but fell asleep in the middle of the episode.

Monday 2/23, I worked out on the stair master then headed home. Eric was making dinner so I stayed in the kitchen with him and chatted / cleaned the kitchen. He made sandwiches with fresh bread from the French bakery, chicken breasts, bacon, pesto, provolone, and roasted peppers. They were very good and he made asparagus as well. I talked to Mom and Dad and they bought a new car (one of the Superbowl transport vehicles that Pete Caroll rode in). They were waiting at the airport for Larry and Rosemary. I showered and did some stuff on my computer. I did some work while I watched Bachelor. Went to bed after 11.

Sunday 2/22, I was up around 8:00 and let Susan know. She arrived around 8:30 so we could get a couple episodes of X-Files in. We watched two of them and did some talking throughout. She left before noon and I got dressed. Eric and I went to Office Depot to pick up some toilet paper and a new little tablet thing. We went to QFC to pick up a few items then home. I had my leftover curry for lunch then started in on chores. Eric got my new bathroom light installed and I did a little helping. I changed the sheets on the bed then sat down to watch a movie and do some work. I watched 16 Candles and Weird Science. Eric went to coffee with Sky so he was gone for a good part of late afternoon and into evening. I didn’t really have dinner because I was full from dinner and snacking. I showered and propositioned Eric. We were both exhausted so we went to bed.

Saturday 2/21, We were up early and took Dex and Pip to the park for a walk. When we got home we fed all the dogs and gathered up all their stuff. Bruce arrived before 8:30 and both dogs were excited to see him. We helped load up all their stuff then they took off. He tipped us an extra $300. Jeez. I changed then we left for Plain. We stopped at the Sultan Bakery and both got an apple fritter thingy. We made it to the property and it was beautiful and sunny. There was snow but not as much as there should be. We grabbed the mail then because one of the tires on the Denali was flat we jacked it up to get it off the rim. We went to the Plain Hardware store, talked to Mom and Dad for a few minutes then Eric got a coffee and we headed home. We stopped at Zeke’s for lunch and really gorged ourselves. We were laughing at the other people there, especially the guy who ordered the cookies and cream milkshake. When we got home Eric put together the new lamp in the living room, I vacuumed and put away laundry. Eventually I went in the bedroom and tried to take a little nap but just rested. I got up at 5:30 and showered / got ready. We went to Sky and Chrystol’s for the evening. When we got there we chatted for a little bit then took off on foot for the Indian place. We had a delicious dinner and lots of fun conversations. We stopped by the Ballard Market on the way back and I got some Justin’s peanut butter cups. We stayed at their place talking until 10:30 then headed home. I got ready for bed and watched a few minutes of SNL. It was a repeat so I went to sleep.

Friday 2/20, At home I showered and Eric took Pippa for a walk. We went to Mom’s for dinner and most of the evening was nice. Alix was home with Cierra so we all got together at the house for the evening. After dinner the pregnancy topic was brought up and that started WWIII between Kass and me. We fought for about an hour and while not all of it was bad there were several moments of yelling at each other. We were there until after 10 then Eric was like “We gotta go”. We made up and I got a lot of zingers in. At home we took out the dogs and hung for a little bit before I got into bed. Eric stayed up a little later with the puppies then went to bed.

Thursday 2/19, I worked out for 45 minutes on the stairmaster and watched Parks and Rec. At home Eric was making dinner. We finished watching the episode I had started at work then we watched some youtube videos. Eric was tired and went to bed while I watched Ryan Gosling and Jamie Dornan videos. Got the dogs settled and went to bed.

Wednesday 2/18, I went to Susan’s after work and we watched two episodes of X-Files. We had so many dogs at home I didn’t want to stay more than that. I headed home and Eric was managing the dogs, but with me coming home I was able to take on some of them. I had some Indian food for dinner and showered. We talked for a long time and I went to bed at a normal time.

Tuesday 2/17, Doug fixed the hall shower and got it so the temperature would finally get hot. I got home from work and we talked for a few minutes then I took a shower and got ready. Eric was meeting Sky for dinner and I had a haircut. We drove in together and he dropped me off. We decided to go short and I loved it. Eric came and picked me up and we headed home. He told me about his day and we chatted about both jobs. I was freezing so I got into bed and updated this.

Monday 2/16, I woke up around 7:00 because I couldn’t stop thinking about Perfect Sense and how awful the premise is. I didn’t actually get out of bed until 9:30, and got ready and went for a run. I did about three miles and when I got home Eric was finishing up the yard and it looked great. I took out the dogs then went to get breakfast but there was no milk. I ran to the store and grabbed a few things. The shower door guy called and asked if he could come earlier, in 20 minutes. I finished up and headed home and cleaned up the bedroom. Eric took care of the dogs while I grabbed some breakfast. The guy arrived and we went over everything and he was out within 15 or so minutes. Eric came back and we took it easy until the next guy arrived at 1:30. That one went fine as well. We went and tried a new (for us) Indian place for lunch. The buffet was good, though didn’t have a huge selection. Afterward we went to the GO for a few things then home. I relaxed for the rest of the afternoon. I did some laundry and Eric made me dinner then took off for his work dinner. I laid low in the bedroom and was glad when he got home a little early. Eric came in and wanted to chat for a little bit. I couldn’t stay awake much later than 10.

Sunday 2/15, I was up early and felt good that I got a full night’s sleep. I did a few things around the house then Susan arrived at 8:30. We went to an estate sale that was mostly junk, and super overpriced junk at that. We headed back to the house and watched two episodes of X-Files. Eric went to the French Bakery and got us some pastries. She left and shortly after another Susan arrived with her dog, Pippa. We were watching her for six nights until Bruce came to pick up Dexy the following Saturday. The drop off went fine but Pip was rather nervous. We divvyed up the dogs and I spent time in the bedroom with the majority of them. I put on Perfect Sense and while it was beautifully filmed, it was an incredibly depressing movie. I love Eva Green and I love Ewan McGregor and I loved them both in it, but wow, such a heavy movie. I felt sad after watching it. I went through the message board on imdb for some closure. That evening a Bachelor marathon was on so I hunkered down and watched that until 11. Went to bed shortly after.

Saturday 2/14, I woke up around 4:30 and couldn’t go back to sleep because I was thinking about all the stuff I wanted to get done that day. I finally got up around 7:00 maybe. Poppy was dropped off at 9:00 then we took off for Home Depot. We got a toilet, shower head extender, bungee cords, a tarp, and a couple of rollers. At home I took out the dogs and Eric tarped up the truck. We went down to the dump and got rid of all the shit from the bathroom demo. Back at home I relaxed and tried to take a nap but was thwarted left and right because my dogs are a-holes and bark at everything outside. Eric started dinner and I did some work to get that out of the way. He made the delicious cilantro, lime pork but he made tacos. It was delicious. We watched Her, which I thought was very good. I was really tired and ended up going to bed by 10:30.

Friday 2/13, Eric’s birthday. I woke him up with a card and a happy birthday kiss. I gave him his present (Neutra book) and he liked it. After work we puttered around and talked just waiting to leave for dinner. We left a little early and took the back way to Kirkland. We arrived a little early and were seated (Lynn’s Bistro). Everything was delicious. We both got the French onion soup and I got the pork as my entrée. For dessert I got the chocolate mousse and Eric got the crepe. We were cracking up at the conversations around us and the characters. We left around 9:30 and went home. We got the dogs all settled then into bed.

Thursday 2/12, I did my workout before leaving work then did a few more exercises when I got home. I showered and Eric made dinner. I cleaned up the kitchen then wrapped Eric’s birthday present. We sat on the couch talking about going to CO in April, and Eric looked at pictures and restaurant reviews. We watched a couple episodes of Inbetweeners while I updated this.

Wednesday 2/11, I went to Susan’s after work for dinner and X-Files. We chatted, ate, and managed to get in three episodes, including the chupacabra episode and the one where Scully gets it on with a guy with a tattoo. I can relate. Laugh. I left a little after 8:00 and when I got home Eric showed me what he found on the shower valve. I did some stuff online and watched Modern Family. I got a call earlier in the day that my taxes were done and it was good news.

Tuesday 2/10, When I got home from work we decided to run some errands and went to Sherwin Williams first for some paint for my bathroom. We got the color mom recommended then went to the light store to see about some bulbs for my new bathroom light. They didn’t quite have what I was looking for so I didn’t get anything. We went up to the GO for a few things then home. Eric made me some little meat nuggets and I had some tomato / veggie soup. We watched some tv, including Parks and Rec. I showered and got into bed, falling asleep by 10:30.

Monday 2/9, I did my stairmaster workout at work then home. We went to Mud Bay in Bellevue to get some stuff and got into a “discussion” about finances on the way there. On our way home we came to more of an understanding and we’ll both be making some adjustments; me with housework, him with finances. We went in the house and he started dinner while I cleaned up the kitchen and folded laundry. Eric doctored up some chicken and root vegetables and we sat in the living room and watched tv. I cleaned up the kitchen and we watched Bachelor together. I got into bed and did a few things before turning in.

Sunday 2/8, I woke up right before 8:00 and texted Susan to come over. She arrived an hour or so later and she brought donuts! Yum! We only got in one episode (Paper Hearts) but did get some extra chatting in. Susan went home and we took off to pick up Mom to go to brunch. Food was good and I got the biscuits and gravy. We were there for a while and saw Alex, Hailey, and JJ. We dropped off Mom then headed home. When we got home the three of us went for a walk to Phantom Lake and took Dex, Clancy, and Nyx. We had a nice chat and we showed her the master garden as well. When we got home Alishia and I got comfy then put on a movie: Clue. I fell asleep first, then Alishia. When we woke up Alishia packed up and we took off for the airport. We dropped her off and said goodbye. Back at home I showered and got into bed. I stayed up for a while then off to sleep.

Saturday 2/7, I woke up around 8:00 but went back to sleep until a little before 9:00. I got up and started to get ready because we had a 10:30 appointment with Eyal so Alishia could get her ring sorted. We got there right on time but had a bit of a wait while he finished up with another couple. We headed home and for lunch decided on Hollywood Tavern. Alishia had limited choices but my omelet was good. After lunch we went out to Duvall to go to the book store there. Alishia got a first edition and first print Harry Potter (American) for real cheap. I got a couple books as well. We went into Redmond and went to Flying Apron Bakery so we could get some treats. I got a real dense chocolate cookie; Alishia got pie. We went to Half Priced Books and Alishia got a ton more books. She was on a roll. We dropped her off at home then went to the store to get stuff for dinner. When we got home Eric started dinner and I talked to Mom on the phone and she filled me in on Alix and losing her job (contract cancelled). We decided to go to Brass Tacks the next morning because Sky offered to treat us to breakfast. Sky and Chrystol came over and we hung out and chatted until Justin and Mailen arrived to pick up the puppy girls. They brought us chocolate and spicy mustard from Brussels. It sounds like they had a great trip. After they left we dished up and had a really fun dinner. We went over baby names and my favorites were Coyote, Chicken Bone (Jones), and Maaven. Which could be either a cage fighter or Broadway star. We ended up in the living room talking and watching videos until 11:30-ish. We all turned in and I watched some SNL then went to sleep.

Friday 2/6, After work I did my workout on the stairmaster for 45 minutes. I watched Parks and Rec which made it go by quicker. When I got home I showered and Eric made dinner. I was very tired and fell asleep on couch while watching tv. I was tracking Alishia’s flight and we left at 10:15 to go pick her up. We talked about going to Denver. We snagged her and had a lot to talk about on the way home. We stopped at the store and I got some apples; Alishia got some oranges. When we got home we sat in the living room and talked until like 1:30 am, then went to bed.

Thursday 2/5, When I got home I took a shower and got ready for Dinner Club at Mamnoon. I took off with plenty of time to find parking and miraculously found a spot right away and without incident. I talked to Mom and updated her, then Alishia. I headed to the restaurant and two other girls had already arrived. Kristel walked in a minute later. There were two more girls that arrived, for a total of six. We ordered a  bunch of small plates to start and all were really good. I got the kebob for my entre and we got two desserts that were both very fragrant. This dinner club went better than the prior one I attended. We said our goodbyes and I went to my car and headed home. I was home a little after 9:00 and got ready for bed. Eric and I talked for a while then to bed.

Wednesday 2/4, Tons and tons and tons of family drama. Alishia, Aubrie, Kassie, and also Lesley was added into the mix. It was already a busy day at work then dealing with all of that was a real bear. Alishia had plans to come up for the weekend to see Eyal and also get an engagement outfit. No one had heard from Kass so I finally texted and said she had to bail on the weekend. Fantastic. Alishia was crying, Aubrie and I were texting our frustration back and forth. So dramatic and irritating. I called Alishia on the way to Susan’s and we hashed out some stuff. The parents are being less than supportive as well. I went up to Susan’s new place and it’s cute and a nice layout. She gave me the tour then we talked about all the drama of my day. We watched one episode of X-Files then I had to go because I had a million texts to respond to and several calls to return. I called Mom first and went over everything with her and asked if we could meet Eyal at her place on Saturday. When I walked in the house I filled in Eric and he just gave me a hug. He made me dinner then I talked to Alishia again. Eric and I watched some wedding blooper videos then I called Kassie. It was a pretty ugly phone call. She’s so out of touch with reality and saying terrible things. She knows it but can’t seem to deal with it. It was so draining. I filled in Eric then hopped in the shower. I did a couple things online then time for bed.

Tuesday 2/3, I stayed late at work and did the stair master for 25 minutes then when I got home I ran one time around the block as fast as I could. Eric had dinner ready for me when I walked in but I was feeling bloated and not hungry so I took a shower first. I had some dinner then literally fell asleep at 7:30 on the couch. I woke up an hour later then got into bed and watched tv until 10:30.

Monday 2/2, I wanted to work out when I got home but I was tired so we walked to the store and took the long way there. We picked up a few things then back home. I had a ton of salad and Eric made turkey sliders. I had two and that was one too many. I felt so bloated and it would continue for days afterward. Ehh. I showered then watched Bachelor and did stuff online.

Sunday 2/1, Eric was up at 8:00 and I was up a half hour later. I went for a 3-mile run and cleaned the tub when I got home. I ate breakfast and showered before starting up on my taxes again. I pretty much finished and sent off my questions to my accountant. I put everything away then sat in the living room with Eric while he watched football stuff. I passed time online and ate some snacks. Chrystol and Sky arrived and I really hogged down and was so full very quickly. The game went well until the end when the Seahawks didn’t win. Eric was disappointed but not devastated or anything. We watched some funny videos on youtube and they left not long after. I was so full that I felt a little sick. We went to bed not much later.

Saturday 1/31, I slept pretty well and Eric got up with the dogs. I finally got out of bed after 8:00 and ate breakfast. I put together Velox’s go-home stuff and got dressed. Amanda came to pick up Velox at 9:00 and it went well. After she left I put away clothes and did a couple other things like filing. We took off for Office Depot and picked up a couple things then the GO. We got most of our Superbowl supplies and finished up at QFC. At home I ate lunch then went into the bedroom, put on Can’t Hardly Wait and worked on my taxes. I had a little dinner then kept going and finished my tax stuff for the night. I put on Moonrise Kingdom before watching 48 Hours then the news. I stayed up for part of SNL then fell asleep.

Friday 1/30, I got off work a little early so when I got home I went for a run at the park. I did a few floor exercises then showered and got ready and we headed to the store. We picked up stuff for the evening and went home. Eric made dinner and I did some work. We sat on the couch and I was so tired. I got into bed and ended up falling asleep before 10.

Thursday 1/29, Alishia texted right at the end of the workday and told me to call her. I left work and called her and she was in the car with Pete and she told me she’s pregnant. My first thought was that Kass was going to shit. She’s due six weeks before her wedding date and I thought she should change the date. She was scared to tell Kass so I offered and told her it would be later that night. She was on the way to dinner with Mom, Dad, and Aubrie to deliver the news. When I got home I filled in Eric and went over all the drama. I showered and Eric made a quick dinner before we were on our way to Kirkland for a home visit for Velox. It went extremely well and will be a great home for him. We left around 8:15 and we were only home for a few minutes before Mailen and Justin showed up with the girls. We were watching them for 10 days. They hung out for a bit and we all talked. When they left I called Kass and finally got a hold of her. Telling her did not go well but no one expected it to. She was upset and I told her to call me if she wanted to talk. After hanging up I called Alishia and filled her in. I completed the HV form online and got ready for bed. I was exhausted.

Wednesday 1/28, When I got home I went for a run. Jojo had been picked up. I did one time around at the park then did one time around the block. I did some floor exercises then showered. Eric made broccoli for dinner and added the wild rice with mushrooms and cranberries. It was delicious! I took off to get gas and go to the post office before my massage. I called Dad and got an update on how he’s feeling since he started chemo. I went into my massage and told Corey I’d just gotten back from HI so he went to work on my back and really dug in. It felt so good. I headed home and talked to Eric and he was all excited about his book. I was trying to update this thing from the trip so I was only half paying attention. Watched tv and went to bed.

Tuesday 1/27, I took care of some stuff when I got home then talked to Aubs and filled her in on our last visit with the boys. We talked about going in May and it could definitely happen. I had dinner then we went to Super Supplements so I could get some toothpaste. When I got home I jumped in the shower since Eric had requested an appointment with me. Around 9:00 I hopped back in to wash my hair then crawled into bed to update this and watch tv.

Monday 1/26, We landed early and I was so exhausted. My bag was the first out at baggage and Kass and I said our goodbyes. Eric picked me up but seemed to be in not the happiest mood and started being argumentative when I started telling him about our adventures. The rest of the car ride was uneventful and when we got home I ate a bowl of cereal and got into bed to sleep for a few hours. I set my alarm for 10:45 then headed into work. I got home a little after 5:30 and started working on Velox’s bio right away and got that sent out around 7:00. Eric bought me flowers and brought in dinner. I took a shower and watched Bachelor, talked to Mom on the phone for a few minutes, texted with Aubrie, and did some other stuff online. I packed up the valve trim and got that squared away to ship the next day. I stayed up a little past 11 updating this then went to bed.

Sunday 1/25, Aubs and I were up early and wanted to make the most of our last day. Her especially because her flight left at 1:10. Kass was taking forever so Aubs and I went and took pictures outside. We started to get impatient and told her we’d be in the car because we had very limited time. We went and got our last breakfast (acai bowl for me!) then headed to the pier. I hadn’t been out there in 14 years, despite seeing it on every trip. We sat out there for a few minutes then headed home to load up and go to the airport. I sent a text to Matt that I shouldn’t have because it was so unnecessary. Ugh. When left to my own devices. He didn’t respond, but then again I told him not to worry about it. We left with 45 minutes to get to the airport but traffic was so awful through Kapa’a and Wailua that we were convinced Aubrie was going to miss her flight, and connecting flight to San Diego. We were game planning alternatives like flying her to Oahu and catching a flight to San Diego from there. We got to the airport 15 minutes before her flight was scheduled to take off. Kass went with her and ran her bag through agriculture while she checked in and ran to security. They were paging her but security wouldn’t let her through to the front. By the time I parked and came over to the terminal Kass was walking toward me and that it was just a waiting game at that point. She texted that she made it on the plane and we couldn’t believe it. She said she ran to the plane with an airport guy who knew she was trying to get through security then slid onto the plane in her socks with her shoes in her hand. She said the flight took off as soon as she got on. We were so excited for her. She texted when she landed to let us know she made it okay. We went to Costco to try and find the coconut chocolate bites, but no luck. I got some chocolate, almond, turbinado sugar treats. We headed home to make lunch and fill in AL. We made a yummy lunch and cleaned it all up then took off for our final walk on our beach. We parked at Pavilion and walked down to the river. No sign of the boys, but we certainly talked about them. At the river we took a few pictures then headed back. We were walking in the tracks of the quad and it felt so good on my feet. We didn’t want to go. Wahh. We decided to drive toward Tunnels to see what we could see. We talked the whole time and by the time we made it to Tunnels it was time to turn around. On our way back we saw a hot guy on a horse walking down the road. My window was down and we were both like “Hel-lo!” We went back to the house so we could take AL to her yoga class. As we were driving K texted Kassie and told her we should come by that evening to say goodbye. Suddenly back in it. We went home and packed our bags and got ready. By the time AL got home with Rod we were all ready to go since we wanted to have a little time there. We rolled out and I had a nervous feeling in my stomach hoping Matt wouldn’t be there from the idiot text I sent earlier that morning when I was convinced I wouldn’t see him again. When we got there Kass knocked and they yelled out the window to come in. Hilarious. They were all watching a movie and there was Matt on the couch, with his shirt off. Of course. They never wear shirts. Thank god. Luckily the movie was over after a few minutes. It was a real tough crowd and I was worried Matt had shown my text to the other guys so I went up into the kitchen with Kass and Kawai. Doogie came up then brought his puppy, Luna, in and she was the cutest. Matt disappeared for a while then reappeared and sat down at the counter to roll joints. He wouldn’t even look at me plus he put his coat on so I couldn’t see him shirtless. Kass was across from him and I was sitting next to him and he was talking and looking at her but not me. I was so mortified. We were there for about an hour then I told her it was time to go. We said goodbye to everyone and got hugs from all, including Matt. K walked out with us and I got my final kiss and hug goodbye. We busted ass to the airport, stopping to gas up on the way. Only went through ¾ of a tank. We returned the car and I was refunded $2. We made it to the airport within minutes, checked in, and headed to our gate which was already boarding. We settled into our first class seats (upgraded again!) and Kass was asleep before we even took off. I had the cheese plate then tried to sleep. I maybe got in a 40-minute session, and maybe another 20-minute one. I was so tired and cold.

Saturday 1/24, It was super rainy and I was awake early, but no one else. I eventually texted Matt and told him we were not going to be getting breakfast in Kilauea and he responded about an hour later that he slept in too. We eventually got up and got ready and headed into Hanalei. We went to the farmer’s market and it was so soggy and wet. Aubrie bought some lilikoi and we sampled some fruits I’ve never heard of, but kind of looked like lychee. Too bad they didn’t taste like lychee. Next we went to Aloha to get breakfast and Aubs and I got acai bowls and Kass got her and Kawai smoothies. We went down to Pavillion to hang with Kawai and sat under the lifeguard tower and just talked and laughed for a couple hours. We tentatively made plans for the evening and took off. We all got our obligatory kisses and hugs. We headed home to relax and warm up. I think we may have napped or just took it easy. Kass was texting with K and she told him to keep it PG then he really cooled off. Just like the weather. He basically stopped responding to her texts for the entire rest of the day. We made early reservations for dinner at Postcards. We all got ready and headed down there. Dinner was very good and the service was much better than the last time. When we got home we all laid around and waited for K’s text since Kass let him know we were done and ready to hang out. No response. I texted Matt and he was off work but didn’t know where K was. I told him he should go out with us and that we were thinking about Tahiti Nui. I told if he came we’d buy him a drink and make it worth his while. None of his friends wanted to come out. He said he’d buy the first round but also said something cryptic about taking a gamble or rolling the dice. I don’t know. We went down into Hanalei and Kass texted K and told him thanks for all the fun and for spreading the aloha. He liked her too much and she’s married. We got down to Hanalei and went in. First time I’ve been in there. We felt very out of place and everyone was looking at us. We went to the wine bar next door then sat outside and talked. It was evident Matt was a no show. After a drink we headed back and got into bed. It was a fairly anti-climactic evening. Last night and a Saturday no less. Woh-wohhhh.

Friday 1/23, I set my alarm for 8:00 to meet Matt for breakfast. We took off around 8:30 and I called him to let him know we were heading out. We beat him there and got in line to order. I was very overwhelmed so I ended up getting what I thought was a mango croissant, but I think was chocolate croissant with coconut on top. Okay by me. We talked and waited, then I went in to get another something and Matt came in right as I was checking out. I was like “Hey!” and he was like “Hi.” (pouty) So weird. Maybe he was tired. He got some stuff and we sat outside and it was just beautiful. Kass started blowing us up which was hilarious because she’s always wanting to sleep in and out of it. We told him we were going to go check out the lighthouse (Kilauea) then to the beach. He said he was going to wash his truck then maybe come down to the beach. We went and got a picture at the lighthouse from up above then headed home. Kass was pretty much ready when we got there so we got our suits on and headed out. We stopped and got our smoothies and headed to the beach. We posted up at Pavillion right in front of the eclectic Victorian. The weather was beautiful and we took turns going in the water. No boys to be seen. Auntie called and wanted to know if we were going to meet at Dolphin for lunch. It started really cooling down by the time we got there. Auntie dropped off Czar after dropping off her car to be worked on. We had a nice lunch but it was freezing because the wind was kicking up. We headed home and curled up in the bedroom. We were all tired from being up too late the prior night. We all dozed off; Kass in the zen den, me on the green chaise, Aubs on the bed. Apparently Mario was blowing up Kass during her nap and she started to get annoyed. We ended up making plans with the boys to go over to their house in Kilauea. Oh boy. Auntie talked to Jake’s mom about us being there but Kass told her we didn’t care to see him. So we set out and made a stop at the wine shop and right when we walked in Jake was standing right there. Oh shit. Aubs and I went straight to the back of the shop, but he spotted us. We made small talk for a minute then he left. The shop guy gave us two big pieces of blue cheese which was super nice. We headed out and found it okay. When we pulled up we were all like “Oh my god, are we ready for this?” They live in a house with five boys, ages 19 to 24. There were trucks everywhere outside the house. We made Kassie go first. When we got there there were all these guys milling about and Kawai’s daughter coloring on a surfboard. She went to bed shortly after we arrived then the party started. The boys put together beer pong and Kass and Aubrie played. I sat in the living room and put out the vibe. The boys that were in attendance were: Doogie, Ian, Sonny, Kaikane, Sean (?) The Carrot (because he grew in the garden, or something), and Kawai. Matt didn’t show up until later. Turns out Ian grew up in Carlsbad and went to the same HS as Aubrie, at the same time. Despite being two years younger. So hilarious. Kass was drawing on the surf board and we decided to put “Hang Ten Inches” at the front of the board. That was the name of the porn we came up with that the boys are going to star in. Kass also drew a hot dog with “Bi Scouts” written by it. Aubrie drew a cake and pineapple. They had some acronym on the surfboard and it was something dirty and I couldn’t remember so I asked if it was “Giant Dick House Party” and they were like “It is now!”. The actual was about something Productions. I can’t remember. Matt had been called into work again and when he got there he was in a terrible mood because he’d gotten into an argument with the head chef at his restaurant. He kept talking and talking about it. He was aloof, but was coloring on the surfboard so I took a picture. He has a nice back. Mario kept calling Kassie and eventually it was like every 4 minutes, then the Instagram messages started but he’d delete them before she could open them. It was so weird. Every time he called all the guys would go “It’s-a Luigi!” Kawai kept trying to get Kassie’s phone to answer it, but she didn’t want more drama to start. The guy is a weirdo and had no idea that his phone calls were being monitored by 7 guys that know him. Doogie was like “You’re gonna get a dick pic real soon” and Kass was like “No way” and minutes later it came in. So disgusting. Aubrie grabbed the phone and texted “Blocked. Bye” and blocked him. So strange. The boys all love The Notebook but thought Drive was a terrible movie. Aubrie and I were like “Are you fucking kidding me?!” It was one of the most backward conversations I’ve ever had. Doogie and Matt were the biggest proponents and Doogie was like “You know you cry. You try not to, but you always do”. These guys watch this movie regularly, apparently. I couldn’t make this stuff up. Anyway, we all talked and laughed and some people peeled off to go to bed. Doogie was real flirty, but a lil shorty. He was cute enough. It was getting late so we started to get ready to go. Matt was lying on the couch and barely said goodbye. So weird. Except to say that he’d be up for breakfast again. I told him we’d call if we ended up going. We drove home talking about the night and we got home around 2:00 maybe. We checked in with Auntie then went to bed.

Thursday 1/22, We got up and got ready to go to the beach but first went to get our smoothies in Hanalei. Aubs got the acai bowl and we all shared it – delicious! On our way home we stopped at Ace so we could get Auntie something for her car. We suited up, Kass texted with Mario to meet up later at the beach. I texted Matt to see what he was up to and he said he’d cruise down, but never did because he got called into work at St. Reg. We went down toward the pier and set up shop so we could get into the water. The weather was perfect and there was a lot of reapplying of sunscreen. Pretty soon Mario sauntered up with a couple of friends – Sean and David. Sean wasn’t staying so the other boys got in the water to surf and we chatted with Sean. He was nice enough and told us about a rap battle on the southside on Friday and we said we might be interested. I got his number and it was like 123-WAVE. So funny. Mario and David came back up and we all talked for a while but David was a little sketch and kept making off-putting comments. It was lunchtime and they recommended the taco truck so we went over and ordered. The boys took off and we ate our lunch which was fantastic. We decided to sunbathe for a little longer and walked back toward Pine Trees and parked by the lifeguard tower. This time we didn’t get nailed with any waves. Since it was closing in on 5:00 and Kawai was off the jet ski we packed up and drove down to Pavillion and set up shop on the grass. He had to wash the jet ski and we wanted a front row seat. We all shared a towel and drooled while he got to work. Aubrie snapped a few pictures which she would then end up texting us after we got home to cheer us up from not being there anymore. After he finished that he was off work and grabbed a coconut and his machete and brought them over to open up the coconut. It was so hot. Aubrie got more pictures, thank god. We sat and talked and drank coconut milk and ate coconut meat. We invited him for dinner and made plans for later that evening. We took off and stopped at the Dolphin fish market to pick up stuff for dinner. Next up was the store where we got all the rest of the stuff to make tacos. I texted Matt and told him to come over after work. Apparently one of his coworkers saw it and told him to sneak out but he got caught and had to stay. When we got home we all showered and cleaned up and I started doing some cleaning. Kass and Aubs took care of getting dinner started. Kawai texted that he was close so I ran out and flagged him down. He got out and wasn’t wearing a shirt, but soon put it on, unfortunately. When we got inside it wasn’t long before it came off and we were all pleased. We introduced him to Auntie and all hung out in the kitchen and dining room. Dinner was ready and we hogged down, though Kawai is a pescatarian so he didn’t have any chicken tacos. We were all fascinated by that. All his friends call him “Mr. Salad”. We ended up moving the party to the “dojo” on Auntie’s lanai. We were all laughing it up and talking and getting real cozy out there. We asked him to text Matt to see where he was and Kawai told him where to go. I ran out to meet him and show him in. He met Auntie in the kitchen then we headed out. We all piled onto the bed and things were super cozy by this point. We talked and laughed out there until about 2:00 am. Matt showed us where a chainsaw fell on his arm and Aubrie watched the hospital video. He started following me on IG and finally saw the picture I posted of him from the last time. He was so drunk he had to go to the ER the next day for alcohol poisoning and dehydration. Matt told us about an awesome bakery in Kilauea and said if we called him in the morning that he’d come meet us for breakfast. So we made plans to do that. Finally we went inside to keep the noise down and they stayed another 45 minutes or so and then we kicked them out because we needed to go to bed. Auntie had taken a bunch of pictures with us all caressing Kawai so he texted Kass when he got home asking her to send him one. She didn’t have them so I sent him one. We all drifted off to sleep.

Wednesday 1/21, The damn rooster was right outside our window so Aubrie and I were up at 6:45 and finally got up and ready around 8:00. We took Kassie’s smoothie order and headed down into Hanalei to Aloha Juice Bar. They didn’t open for an hour and a half so we went down to Pine Trees and couldn’t believe how huge the waves were. We walked out onto the sand and just watched for a while. Eventually we went back toward town to get something else to eat but Aloha was open so we swung in and got our smoothies. We went back to the house and gave Kass her smoothie and prodded her to get going so we could get to the beach. It took a while but we finally got down there. We went back to Pine Trees and headed toward the lifeguard tower that Kawai was at last time. He wasn’t there but we set up shop there anyway. The waves were so huge that no one was on the sand but instead they were on the grass above the sand. We parked high up on the sand and started out sunbathing, though it wasn’t crazy warm. Kass went up to the bathroom and when she was up there this gargantuan wave came up and totally drenched us. Aubrie saw it coming at the last minute, made this horrified face, jumped up and started grabbing stuff and throwing it onto the grass. She was tripping over herself and going a million miles an hour. Meanwhile, I just laid there in shock while the wave enveloped my whole body and like floated for five seconds. Finally I snapped to and jumped up and started chucking shit onto the grass. I was laughing so hard and all these people were just watching us. How mortifying! Kass watched from the bathrooms in disbelief. She said she was like “I can’t believe what I’m seeing” and just stood there. Aubrie and I went on a treasure hunt trying to find the stuff we were missing and ended up recovering all the items, including Kassie’s lighter, her Seahawks cup (which I thought was garbage), my brand-new-never-been-worn slippers, Aubrie’s slippers, and my ray bans. We sat on the grass and tried to dry out a little bit while Kass rinsed stuff off in the shower. The next thing we know Kass is talking to some guy in a Porsche Cayenne. We were like “Of course!” We’re not even there for an hour and she’s already making new friends. She comes over and tells us it’s Mario, Matt’s brother. Turns out later it totally wasn’t. A different Matt; a Matt that was better looking than his brother. Anyway so Kass says he’s a surf instructor and wants to meet up and maybe do a boat trip or hang out on the beach or something. We were hungry so we packed up all of our soaking wet stuff and headed to the car. We went into Hanalei and Kass bought a bag of rice to try to dry out her phone then we walked over to Bubba’s and waited in line to order. When we got up there the girl taking orders for some reason I thought was Matt’s sister. Later on it turns out she is. Spooky. Anyway, we ate lunch and we were really chatting it up with random people in line and as we ate. Aubrie got the Slopper and we could not stop laughing. She wanted the messiest thing on the menu and almost opted for some burger with rice and a hot dog on top. We were dying. We headed back to Auntie’s to clean up and dry out. We were talking inside and the property management lady came out and yelled at her for us having hung the wet towels on the bushes to dry out. We laid around in the bedroom and I flashed the girls and that started an open-faced roast beef sandwich joke that continued throughout the entire trip. We decided to go back down to the beach and walk down to the river. We parked at Pavilion and as we walked by the lifeguard tower it looked like Matt, but we just kept going. Kassie lit up and we walked toward Pine Trees. We heard the quad coming up behind us and it was Matt on it. We were like “Hey, Matt, how’s it going” and he was like “I knew it was you guys!” Apparently he recognized us, then when he smelled the weed he really knew it was us. He asked us when we got in and when we were leaving and asked what we were up to that night. I got his number so we could text him. He asked if we’d seen Kawai yet; nope. He said he’s around. So we say we’ll catch up with him later and kept walking. As we’re walking by Pine Trees Kass says, “there’s a red truck flashing it’s lights at us” and I was like “I think that’s Kawai” from peeping his Instagram I knew he had a red truck. We waved and he hangs out the window and waves us in. We walk up and there’s all these guys in their trucks watching us walk up. He gets out and gives us hugs and kisses and all the other boys are watching. We chat it up for quite a while and Aubrie asks if the big swell out in the ocean is an island but I told her it was a wave. She didn’t believe me so I asked Kawai to confirm and he confirms it’s a 100’ wave way out there. It was so crazy. We told him we got taken out by a wave and he laughed saying that’s the kind of thing the lifeguards wait to see. We said we’d see him after we finished our walk to the river and took off. Aubrie was like “Matt’s cute, but Kawai is fucking hot!” so we giggled all the way to the river. Aubrie got out the camera and took some pictures and we just chatted there for a while. We headed back and sat on the picnic table at Pine Trees (same one from our bonfire in November) and the boys started making their way over. First Kawai (he just got a new tattoo that day) then Matt was off work so he came over from Pavilion and sat down too. We all just talked and laughed and the boys showed us their matching blue watches and both confirmed, separately, that the sunset was at 6:19. They asked if we wanted to go down to Ke’e (formerly known to me as Tunnels as I was tricked by Diva) to watch the sunset. We said sure and that we’d meet them at Big Save after we went and got our car at Pavilion. We took off and giggled all the way. We met up with them at the store and I got a water and a pack of gum, Kass got wine and a bag of ice, and Kawai got a bag of lychee juice candies, and they both got some beers. We all loaded into our rental and off we went to the end of the road. It was a fun drive with Kass doing her wine-cooling trick and us having lots of inappropriate conversation, with Aubrie squeezed into the backseat with the two shirtless, ripped guys. When I asked her later how was it, she replied “Mmm. Warm.” We made it and headed down the beach to find a spot to watch the sunset. They tried to pull down a branch but ended up not being able to get it all the way down and it just hung there. Matt did a time lapse on his phone but it was thwarted by a lady standing in the shot and then by him accidentally knocking it over. We had so much fun talking and laughing. None of us was really wearing much clothing, just swimsuit tops and shorts, and the boys in shorts only, and it was getting late and cooling off so we headed back to the car, which was parked in the special lifeguard parking spot, and ran into some hikers who wanted to buy a flashlight because their friends were stuck up on the mountain or something. We drove the boys back to the store and took off for Auntie’s to take out Czar and Stella, a visiting puppy. We hung out at home for a little bit then got dressed and got Mexican in Princeville. Back at home Kass was tired so we ended up bailing on the boys who were hanging out at a friend’s house having a bbq or something. She fell asleep by like 10 and Aubrie and I weren’t far behind, having gotten like no sleep the night before.

Tuesday 1/20, I went into work early and took off early to catch my flight to Lihue. I rushed home, changed, threw my bags in the car and we took off for the airport. Eric dropped me off and I made it through security quickly since I got upgraded to first class. Kass was just ahead of me and waited on the other side. We headed to the N gates where she got a bagel sandwich for us to share. We boarded and were in row 2 so we could get off the plane quickly to get the rental car and get out to Princeville. Kass was texting Aubs about Rod and she sent us a shot of him from behind but she was being super coy about whether or not he was cute. Our flight was long and I got through two movies and dinner. Kass slept through a good part of it. We ended up landing a half hour early so we were ahead of schedule to get north. We landed at like 10:30. Kass went to get the bags and I went to get the rental car. By the time I got the car she had the bags and I went and picked her up and we were out of there. We made it to Auntie’s quickly and when we got there Aubrie was sleeping. We met Rod and he was cute and had a bun but wasn’t a home run for me. He stayed out on the patio that night. We talked in Auntie’s room for a little while before hanging out in our room and getting ready for bed. I think we went to bed at 2:45.

Monday 1/19, I stayed a little late at work since I was leaving early the next day for HI. I talked to Mom on the way home. The house was busy with dogs running around. I called Doug to let him know I had a few things I needed help with around the house. Eric and I took off the valve trim in the main bath but couldn’t figure out how to turn up the heat. We watched Family Feud then I started packing. I called Alamo about the car, talked to Auntie, called Aubs and told her some guy named Rod was going to pick her up then hopped in the shower. I watched Bachelor and Jimmy Kimmel was on which made it hilarious. I wish he was on every episode. Eric watched the end of it with me and had lots of comments, including getting angry that he was getting rid of girls with thick asses and wanting to see more of those girls. We got ready for bed and I updated this while watching Friends.

Sunday 1/18, I had a fantastic dream about Jay Pharoh carrying me around and I was so enamored with him. I woke up just before 8 and let Susan know I was up. She showed up a little before 9. We watched three episodes of X-Files and left off on two-parter. We watched a plastic surgery rejuvenating devil one, the Cancer Man musings episode, and lastly the first black oil Russian one. After Susan left I was tired and feeling not so hot, so Eric got me the Mylanta and a heating pad, and I laid on the couch until Chrystol and Sky arrived. They brought lunch including chips and dips and chicken noodle soup, with Whole Foods chocolate chip cookies for dessert. And bread and cheese. We watched the game, which was the Superbowl-determining game and the Seahawks really stunk it up. Dexter was dropped off at 2:00. I finally went to go do some chores and as soon as I left they started to make a comeback, so I basically stayed out of the living room until the game was over and the Seahawks won. I got some stuff around the house done plus they won. Everyone was in disbelief. We sat around watching coverage and laughing at Michael Bennett’s comments. I worked on Velox’s bio and pictures and after they left I uploaded them and started some work. I put on Casino Royale and watched in the bedroom while Eric watched highlights all night. He went to bed by 10 and I fell asleep watching tv.

Saturday 1/17, I got up at 8:00 and got ready to do my run. About a mile in I felt a strain in my back on the left side but powered through and finished. By the time I got home it was bad. Eric told me to stretch and take a hot shower. I definitely pulled something. After my shower Eric put Arnica on it, a hot pack, then ice. I went online to see when the Pac Gal auction started and I only had a half hour so I hit the road. When I got down there I previewed and set a limit on the dresser. I bid on a box of snow village houses but didn’t win, then on the dresser but didn’t win that either. I left and stopped at an estate sale on the south end of MI, but all the good stuff was gone. When I got home I was tired so I laid down and Eric brought me lunch. I fell asleep and woke up a couple hours later. I watched The Lifeguard and thought it was very good. I finally got up and Eric made me dinner. I half-watched Just Go With It on tv. Got an email from Vicki and Jenny that they are sticking with two dogs for now so I emailed the ladies to let them know I would be getting his bio submitted. I stayed up for SNL and managed to watch through the end then watched trailers online. I had to finally make myself turn off the computer and go to bed.

Friday 1/16, I had all sorts of ambitions for after work, but when I got home I didn’t want to get off the couch. I browsed through movies on Netflix and decided on Girl Most Likely. It was okay. I also watched some AFV and since Eric fell asleep at like 9:00, I took out the dogs and put everyone to bed.

Thursday 1/15, I left work early to get down to the Mroczek auction because there was a Bergstrom I wanted. It ended up going or $120 which was more than I wanted to pay, but is great news for all of my Bergstroms since most of mine are bigger and I paid a lot less. I stayed for a while to see how the mid-century furniture did and it all went for higher than I was going to spend. If the pieces had been at a retail space they would have been double what they sold for, but since I’m not really in the market for what they were selling I wasn’t tempted. I headed home and called mom and dad on the way. I complained about my bathroom project and Dad said he’d take a look when they come up here next time. Eric had dinner ready when I got home and we sat together and caught up. I watched BL and kept reading this for mileage and sent Plum’s former adopter an update on her in case he’s curious. Showered, got in bed, read this some more then off to bed.

Wednesday 1/12, P let me leave at 3:45 and sent me home with a pizza from the new little pizza place. I changed my doctor appointment from 6:30 to 5:45 and went home and quickly did my workout. I jumped in the shower, got dressed, and headed down to my appointment. I was having that damn planters wart on my foot blasted off again. I think this is going to finally be the end of it. I got home at 6:15 and Eric had the pizza heated up for me. We watched tv then I worked on my taxes for a while. Eric and I had a conversation that turned snippy because he was in a bad mood. I missed Modern Family. He came in and apologized a little while later and we were all good. I was going through this noting all my mileage for foster dogs and dog sitting jobs for my taxes. It’s taking forever. I went to bed around 11:30.

Tuesday 1/13, Irritating and taxing day at work. RH Eric’s bday but I didn’t text him. When I got home Eric showed me the bathroom and Kris finished up all the stuff. I took Clancy, Nyx, and Velox for a walk and V was all over the place. Likely the first leashed walk he’s ever been on. When I got home Eric dished up my dinner and we sat in the living room. I worked on my visa statements a little and watched Parks and Rec. I took a shower then into bed to update this and look at stuff online while watching Friends.

Monday 1/12, Tracey picked up Tulp so that was done by the time I got home from work. I put on my workout gear and did my video. My legs are getting a lot stronger, which feels good. We go back to Hawaii in a little over a week and I’m feeling a lot better. I hopped in the shower and let it steam up for Velox. We had pizza and watched tv. I had intentions of continuing on my taxes but barely touched them. I booked our rental car and watched Bachelor. I held Velox in my arms like a baby. He’s so sweet and I know he’s feeling better from his meds. I got into bed and updated this before going to bed at 11.

Sunday 1/11, Eric was up early to meet Tulpen for his one-night stay. I ended up getting up around 7:15 and she arrived about a half hour later. I cleaned up my bathroom while Eric got the insulation and sheetrock put in under the vanity. I ate breakfast, got ready, then sat down to work for 45 minutes before Mom arrived because we were going to brunch. She came in and we showed her the entry light and the bathroom. She really liked the tile and agreed on the paint color I was thinking about. We took off for the Hollywood Tavern and had a really nice meal. We talked the whole time and all the way back home. I texted Susan and she was going to come over in a little while. I did some more work then when she arrived we got through two episodes. Unruhe and something about a field. I really liked the second one. She took off and I cleaned up poop in the backyard then laid on the couch and fell asleep. When I woke up I knew I needed to take care of some stuff, so I wrote to Vicki and let her know about Vel, got all my tax stuff out and started working on that. I put on Maverick and half-watched that while I organized my visa statements. I went to bed before 11 and had Tulp in the bed with me and the girls.

Saturday 1/10, I got up at 8 and texted Susan. She came over and we did some catching up before starting X-Files. We only got through two episodes, one of which was Home. She took off before noon and I got to work on cleaning and putting away the Christmas village. Eric had cleaned the floors before Susan got there. I started packing up the village and that took forever. I got all of the other xmas stuff put away as well. I dusted and vacuumed the bedroom, and emptied all of the garbages. I took out the excess tile and everything was so dusty. I started feeling discouraged that I wasn’t further along especially since I’d been working for three hours. Eric told me to relax and lie down and recharge my battery before Sky and Chrystol arrived. They arrived just before 5:00 and we watched the Seahawks and the Panthers (I think?). One of the cat teams. Eric made a cilantro and lime chicken crockpot dish. Actually he renamed it the “Hawkpot”. It was good but too many beans. For dessert Sky made chocolate chip cookies. The Seahawks won and Eric was very happy. They left around 9:00, maybe, and texted a short while later to let us know they’d gone down to Whole Foods in Bellevue and saw Michael Bennett down there. Chrystol took a picture and texted it to Eric. I asked if she was going to invite me to the shirtless party they were going to have. It sounds like Vicki and Jenny may be interested in adopting Vel, so we’ll see what happens with that. I climbed into bed and tried to stay up for SNL but fell asleep before it began.

Friday 1/9, I made a vet appointment and asked Eric if he could bring down Velox at 5:00. I met him there when I got off work and the vet thought he had tracheobronchitis, in addition to the kennel cough. He also had his microchip inserted. When I got home I sent in all of the medical paperwork for reimbursement. Eric made dinner and we watched Beginners, which was such a beautiful and sad and happy movie. If Eric hadn’t been sitting there I would have cried like seven times. Got two texts for dog sitting jobs. When it rains it pours, especially in February. I went to bed by 11, I think.

Thursday 1/8, I went straight from work over to an awesome mid-century house in Bellevue to pick up a bench I’d won on an estate auction. It was as good in person as in the pictures. I loaded it up and went home. Eric was on a run so I took out the dogs and did some things and got ready to do my workout. The tile guy left and Eric made dinner. Alan called to let me know he’s had some health issues (I knew this) and he’s been having additional tests and things done and it turns out he’s got a form of cancer (myeloma). Luckily it’s pretty treatable and the treatment isn’t too taxing, but it’s still cancer. I asked some questions, but I’m trying to be really optimistic that everything will be okay after the four month round of treatment. I did some clean up, looked at grout colors, then watched BL. Relaxed for the rest of the night.

Wednesday 1/7, Eric worked from home so he could handle the furnace guy coming to service the furnace and hot water heater. When I got home I was going to do my workout but bailed on it. The tile guy didn’t stay late and we hung out in the living room watching tv with the dogs until then. Eric started dinner while I vacuumed and put a few of the snow village items back in their boxes. I did some laundry then took a shower and got into bed. I half-watched tv and did stuff online. Velox is still all stuffed up and sneezing all over the place. I went to bed before 11.

Tuesday 1/6, When I got home Eric let me know that the tile guy would be there until 6:30. We went on a walk and I vented about my day. We ended up at the store and got butter and bananas then home. Eric started on dinner and I did a bunch of dog-related paperwork. The tile guy left closer to 7:00 and he got quite a bit of the shower tile up and also got the thin set done on the floor. We ate dinner then he took off. I vacuumed because there was stuff all over the floors, and also did laundry. We trimmed the dogs’ nails and then around 9:00 I was able to take a shower. I got into bed and updated this while half-watching tv.

Monday 1/5, Tile work started and luckily the floor and wall spots that were all rotted out were easily fixed. When I got home one of the guys was still working and they got so much done. Eric and I went for a run and went down to the Lake Hills library to return Hobbit. We ran back through the park in the dark. We showered and I upheld my promise to Eric from the night before. When we got out we dressed and took off to the GO to grab some stuff then Super Supplements for some oil of oregano for Velox. At home Eric started dinner and I got ready for Bachelor. I vacuumed on the commercials then Eric brought in quesadillas. He watched the end of the show and kept saying how terrible it is. I told him he’s right. It was over by 11 and I updated this for a few minutes before going to bed.

Sunday 1/4, I woke up around 8:00 and Eric brought me breakfast in bed. I made myself get out of bed otherwise I was going to just lie there all day. I ended up kind of spending most of my day in bed anyway. I got my work out and put on Hobbit, that Susan let me borrow, and spent the next however many hours doing that. After I was feeling tired but I needed to go meet Julee down in Southcenter to pick up Velox, our new foster boy. The handoff went well and we chatted for a little bit. He came right out of his crate for me and licked me on the face. The transporters had said he was grumpy but he was the sweetest boy. Back at home we did introductions and he did so well. He is pretty sick with kennel cough so I let Janell and Julee know and Janell had some suggestions for remedies. He also had some poop problems and was pooping blood and all sorts of other terrible looking stuff. He was very cuddly and I ended up having him sleep in bed with me.

Saturday 1/3, We were up early and I got dressed and ready and out the door to Tile for Less to pick up more tile. Eric ran to the store while I did that. I got the tile I needed then home where Eric was making brunch for Sky and Chrystol’s brunch visit. Kris showed up and we went over everything in the bathroom and he told us what he could do and what we needed to get. After he left I did some cleaning and Eric kept cooking. They arrived and we sat in the living room and had our brunch. We were going to go for a walk but first they wanted us to open a “happy new year” card and inside they told us Chrystol is pregnant! Whoaaaahhhh! We talked about that for a while then took off on our walk. We went down to Phantom Lake and hung out looking at birds and picking out names for their new baby (Chrystol Jr was the most popular choice). We walked back and each started snacking on the extra food. We talked for a little while longer then they went home. Eric started doing demo then I suggested we go to Home Depot to get insulation for the bathroom. Back at home Eric kept going on the demo while I worked. I left around 7:30 for my massage. It was a very good session and I was super tired when I got home. I got into bed and watched tv. Eric filled me in on the bathroom and there was a bunch of rot he unearthed in the exterior wall and under the vanity. I was feeling anxious about it because I didn’t know what it meant cost-wise, but he gave me a pep talk and tried to keep me from going to the dark side. He said he was going to make me breakfast the next morning. All to make me feel better.

Friday 1/2, I did my workout video when I got home and was glad to be done with it. Eric made potstickers, rice, and veggies for dinner and we watched Family Feud. Sky and Chrystol were watching the same thing because C sent me a video of Sky in disbelief over one of the contestant’s names (Pebbles!). I got into bed and end up falling asleep around 7:30, then woke up at 9:00 and watched Dateline. Went to bed after that.

Thursday 1/1, We woke up around 7:00. We both had a lot of stuff we wanted to get done and got going on it. Eric started ripping apart my bathroom and got it all done by the afternoon. I began the process of cleaning out my closets. I did some rearranging so now my filing cabinet is in there and also cleaned out dresses and clothes for goodwill. It looked a lot better when I was done and I felt good. I added some things to my “to-do” list and made a point to call and make an appointment the next day for the furnace and hot water heater maintenance. Eric made me a potato for dinner, which was excellent, then he went to the store. I watched BL and went to bed not long after.