Prost Cheers Santé

Here is me raising a glass (or two or three) hoping that 2009 will be a great year! Cheers and Happy New Year! Go at it with both barrels loaded!

Snow Happens

I am pretty excited at the arrival of the first snow of the year in Seattle! The only thing I was hoping for was a good view of the Olympics today but they are being shy. Maybe we will get a good snow sunset. I went for broke and got the biggest tree I have ever gotten this year. It looks pretty good, although a little sparse on ornaments. I am okay with that, though, because I don't want just any old ornaments on my tree. I like to buy ornaments while on vacation which makes putting up the tree a walk down memory lane. I also have rules now about what kind of ornaments can go on my tree....glass or shiny only. Only one ornament made the non-shiny cut and that is one J and I bought on August 31, 2001 in Bar Harbor, Maine. It was the first one I got for my tree before I had set my "standards" and is a snowman in a yellow rain slicker holding a lobster. Come on, it is cute! I hope you got a little snow wherever you are and that you are enjoying the season. I just wonder if it is worth doing my open house today. The streets are all frozen so I'm not sure if I can even get there!

Happy Birthday!!!!!

BUG:)

I spoke....

Too soon. The crud is back and it is all my fault for boasting about it.

The Crud

Is almost gone. I am happy to say that I am on the road to recovery. Although it was nice to lay in my bed for a week and pretend the rest of the world and all the troubles it encompasses didn't exist! I am very happy that this is Turkey week, another whole week of living with my head in the sand:) Going to celebrate with the parental units and my brother and sister. Looking forward to some deep fried turkey and my personal favorite of seven layer salad. Taking the rv. Thankful to have the sweetest dog ever curled up on my lap at this very moment, keeping me toasty warm....oh yea, also thankful that I have a date with pupusas tomorrow night for dinner.

80 years and other bits....

This weekend I went to Oregon to help my grandma celebrate her 80th birthday with cake and coffee at the church. It was a good time and it got almost all of my family together which, in my opinion, doesn't happen often enough. We had a nice visit with the parental units as well. The weekend before, I had my dia de los muertos party which I think overall, was a success. I plan on having it again next year, which will be on a Monday. Plan you days off accordingly for next year! Here are a couple of picks from my goings on....

Best Cat Ever

My parents finally had to have Scruffy put down today and I am convinced he was the best cat ever. His nickname was the Dude because he was such a mellow macho man. He was the nicest cat, though. I don't remember one single time when he bit or scratched anyone, even when you had to give him medicine. He got his name because he was always dirty, like Pig Pen, he loved to lay in the dirt. When you patted his back clouds of dirt rolled off of him. He was quite the scrapper, too. Notice the notch in the ear in the above picture. I'm sure he always won:) He must have been at least 15 years old but probably older. We will never know since he adopted us and I am sure glad he did.

Someone Loves You

We got back from our trip to Yellowstone almost a month ago and I can't believe that tonight was the first night we went to our friend's house to hang out with them. They are our friends from El Salvador and the wife, Mariela, makes the delicious pupusas I am always talking about. Anyway, I wanted to put a picture up of the boys in the t-shirts (camisetas) my parents and us got them in Yellowstone.

Back to Reality

Well, we made it back yesterday from our trip threw Yellowstone, Grand Teton and Jackson with the fam to celebrate a couple of birthdays. Minus the truck/rv troubles, we had a great time. I love Yellowstone but as this was my 3rd time in 7 years, I think I am good for awhile. That being said, I'm not sure I could ever get enough of the Grand Tetons. They are so beautiful and peaceful. I also love the town of Jackson, although I imagine it is a lot like Leavenworth...the novelty would wear off after awhile. Either way, I have been to the Million Dollar Cowboy Bar on several occasions now and appreciate it every time. I think my favorite things were the hike we did to Inspiration Point in the Tetons, bike riding around West Yellowstone, and we had a great dinner out for my dad's birthday and then listened to live music at the Million Dollar Cowboy Bar. Check out my flickr page for pictures from the adventure.

My Name Is Earl

Apparently, either J or I have done something to upset the karma gods. Not sure what it could have been. Maybe it was the time I got too much change in the grocery store and I realized it later and didn't bring the extra back. There have been too many things in the last couple months that have happened to mention them all. For example, I went in last week to get a nail hole patched in my tire and ended up leaving with 4 NEW tires. Then, less than one week later I discover that I have a giant screw in the SAME tire I went in to get fixed. This morning we were set to leave Yakima at 7am for our big road trip and of course there was a major mal-function with J's truck that had a major service check this last week. Then, when we were already a couple hours behind, we stop at a rest stop to eat dinner. A kind truck driver came up to the rv and mentioned that there was something leaking out of the back of the rv. Turns out it was the power steering fluid. After some jerry-rigging, we were back on the road. We got into West Yellowstone at 12:20, the rv fun continues....the jacks won't go down, we are having a problem with one of the visors, blah, blah, blah. I hope we run into a bear in the park tomorrow because I am so ready for a brawl. Crap, since I said that it will probably happen:(

My Crop

Although I haven't been entirely successful in the past, I decided to plant some vegetables this year. I have had herbs for a couple of years now that seem to do pretty well, even my basil looks good this year. The problem for me has always been that I don't think we ever get hot enough in Seattle for long enough. Well, things are looking pretty good this year. I planted cucumber, zucchini, jalepenos, and tomatoes along with various herbs and some great smelling lemon verbena. I have been using the herbs in my dishes for awhile now but today was my first harvest of vegetables. Today I picked a jalepeno and zucchini so here are some pics! Also, compare my pond picture to last years(on the bottom, duh).

Beachin It

Yesterday we took Jose and his family to the beach and had a great time. The weather was perfect and the beach was nearly empty. Before we headed down there I popped into Fred Meyer for some beach toys and they were a big hit. This was Diego's (in picture) first time at the beach and he was loving being able to get super dirty. By the time we left, both boys had sand in their ears, probably up their noses, and in their underwear!

Gangus and the Whaler

This week we had a couple of adventures worth mentioning. The other night J, my mom and I went to dinner at one of the houses that J built. He has become friends with the buyers and they had us over for a bbq. The picture is of their darling 18 month old and their dog Gangus. This little girl was so cute and so smart and she loves her doggy. Her dog, on the other hand, loved me and spent the entire evening trying to have sex with my leg. They said that this is fairly common for Gangus but they had never seen him want it this bad. Great, apparently I could ride off into the sunset with any golden retriever of my choice! It got so bad that when I took my shoes off he started licking them. Okay Gangus, now you're just getting creepy.
Yesterday, N was nice enough to take me with her on her first crabbing adventure of the season. This was also the first time taking the Whaler out of the season. At first, it didn't want to start. Of course, all we had to do was ask a guy if he could help us and then as soon as he was there, it started. How Rude! We had a great time out on the open water of Edmonds. We dropped two traps which were baited with roasted chicken and then took a little cruise around. Later in the evening, N went back with C and her brood and pulled the traps up. They got 11 total but only 5 males. That was okay because only N had a crabbing license. Hopefully there will be more adventures to come over the summer.

New Cruisers

Today we went to Camping World and got our new cruisers. They are folding bikes that are going to fit nicely in the bottom of Grover, the Traveling Rover, aka the RV. We even tested them out tonight with The Bandit running next to them. He wasn't too keen on that but didn't seem to mind too much when J picked him up and held him. We will have to figure out some sort of basket system. I have to say I felt like a kid again riding around the neighborhood. Good times! Don't worry, we took the price tags off before we rode them around!

Baby Erickson

The big news is that the filthy animal and Tailgate Tiff are expecting their first child. Technically, it is not my big news but I wanted to post it anyway. I had to wait so that they could tell people personally because believe or not, a couple of them read my blog! She is due February 8th which makes her almost 11 weeks along. When they find out the sex, I will let you know. On another note, J & T had their baby girl Baillie a couple of weeks ago and she is healthy and adorable. I will go and see her again once I am sure that the sore throat is only allergies and I am 100% healthy.

Exciting News To Come.....

I know I haven't posted in a while so I thought I would just drop a quick line for the 2 people who still read my blog! We found out some exciting news the other day but I haven't been released to record (real estate terms)! When I get the green light, I will give you the scoop!

The New Listing

Go to www.saramedford.com for more pictures.

What color is my tongue?

Just My Luck

So, Jason and I were lucky enough to go the Mariners game the other night and sit in the Diamond Club. Someone that he sold a house to got four tickets and decided to take us. If you have never sat in the Diamond Club before, it is a lot of fun. It is right behind home plate but the best part about it is all the food and drinks are included. We had the buffet before the game which was actually pretty good for a buffet, but the real treat is the food you get to order at your seat. We were all stuffed but who can pass up the chance to order mini corn dogs?? No one I know. Anyway, enough about the food. Wouldn't you know, just my luck, I got up to use the bathroom and there was a bench clearing brawl on the field right in front of where we are sitting! Sexson charged the mound but I think the best part about it is he threw his batting helmut at the pitcher. All the while, I am in the bathroom. So goes life.

Reasons to love Seattle

There are many reasons to love Seattle, and right now I am trying to think of them all as I ignore the very chilly weather in May.....so much water around there are tons of places that you can get a cocktail with a view, you don't have to ever get that dressed up to go anywhere, fish & chips, the Pike Place Market early in the morning, the Viaduct, the Huskies in their glory days, and so much more. Oh, and of course, the fact that opening day of boating season is celebrated like a National Holiday....just another excuse to get drunk on a boat, rain or shine.

My new tree

It's a miracle! We made it back from our trip without any problems with Grover, the traveling Rover. On the way home we stopped at Costco in Vacaville and were lucky enough to stumble on lemon trees for sale. We hauled one home in the shower of the Rv and it will be kept in the living room. Here is a shot of it now and I will post some progress shots as the months go on. I know, you are dying in anticipation!

Vino

And good food. Two of my favorite things which we have indulged in these last couple of days. We are rounding out our trip in Napa/Sonoma and living large. Don't worry, so far we haven't enjoyed more than three wineries per day and I don't think it is going to be any different today. We have also had some great food. A couple of times we have popped into Bouchon before our dinner reservations for a drink and some good atmosphere. The first night here we had steaks in the RV which were awesome! Two nights ago we ate at Redd in Yountville which received a Michelin star. We both agreed that it was good but not sure about the star rating. Last night we ate at Bistro Jeanty, which is a quaint French restaurant that also received 1 star from Michelin. The food was great, it was about 75 degrees and we ate on the patio. That always makes for a perfect dinner! The food was great, especially the tomato soup with puff pastry that they are famous for. They have the recipe on their web site so maybe when we get home and I am feeling ambitious I will try and make it. Well, off to shopping and more wineries today! I know, you feel really bad for me.

Sonoran Desert

Yesterday we went to the Sonoran Desert Museum West of Tucson. It was a pretty good time with interesting things to be seen. It is mostly ourdoors, part zoo, part botanical garden. I think our favorite was the hummingbird exhibit. J got dive-bombed an awful lot! We even saw baby hummers. Let me tell you, they were tiny. There nest is smaller than a coffee cup (find the nest in the photo). After a stop at the Cracker Barrel for breakfast this morning, we are on our way towards Napa. Conditions: windy and hot.

Chillin and Grillin in Tuc-Son

Greetings to everyone stuck in the land of gray and rain. At this moment, I am sitting outside our RV in 75 degree weather catching some rays. Yes, 75 degrees and it is only 10:30 in the morning. Today is our last full day in Tucson and we are going to spend it trying to soak up every last ray of sun we can. J is trying to get rid of the farmer tan and I am trying to stop blinding people with my legs. We have hung out a lot with C & S and went to the San Xavier mission yesterday. I got Indian Fry bread with honey. Of course I managed to get the honey in my hair, on my arm and on my toes. I just shouldn't be allowed to eat standing up! Here are a couple shots for you...

Smashing Success!

We had the parental unit's 40th Anniversary party this weekend and I would say it went off without a hitch! If you are ever in Yakima for dinner, I would highly recommend Gasperetti's for dinner. They did a great job. Everyone had lots of fun and we got to see people that we hadn't seen in years. It is crazy how people can look exactly the same to you after so long. I think my parents had a really great time which is the most important part. After all, 40 years is a pretty big deal!

Beach Bon Fire

30th Birthday Bash

Here are some pictures from my birthday party. The last two were taken by E & T. The events got more interesting as the night went on! American Idol, here I come.

Lots of Destruction

This last weekend J, The Bandit and I went to help my Aunt and Uncle move back into their house. They had been displaced by the flooding from December down by Chehalis. All I can say is Holy Cow! After seeing some of the destruction, I can't imagine how people will come back from that. The truth is, some won't. It makes me feel very fortunate to have what I have. Check out the link on the right, "Another Kind of Nerd", and you can see some pictures. It is good to see my aunt and uncle on their way back, but they still have a long way to go.

Pupusas

Today I got my final lesson in making the delisiousness that is Pupusas. This is a picture of them. Hopefully I will be able to make them on my own but I think it is going to take a lot of practice.

Happy Heart Day!

I just wanted to wish everyone a Happy Valentine's Day. If you don't have a Valentine, by yourself something nice and not practical. Cheers!

New Doooo

Well, I went and got myself a haircut and thought I would share some pictures. We'll see how it looks when I try and do it myself.

What a Weekend!

This last weekend I spent some time with some very dear friends and had an absolutely fabulous time. We reconnected at a cabin in the snow filled woods with the lull of a beautiful river in the background. If there is someone that you haven't talked to in a long time but keep thinking you should give them a call or send them an email, do it. Trust me, you will be so glad that you did. These are a bunch of amazing ladies and the only way it could have been better is if everyone invited could have joined us. I hope you enjoy a couple pictures. Check out my flickr site for more shots.