Hello folks, we were robbed last week. Unfortunately Amelie left our back sliding door unlocked the night before it happened and well, I think I was being watched and that whoever did it knew that I come and go a lot during the day. That is the creepiest part. And it sucks feeling vunlnerable in your own home. I have even thought of buying a weapon of some sort to keep around. I hate that I even have that thought! I am trying to move beyond it but I realise that it is taking some time. I thought I could just shrug it off with the very Buddhist approach of non-attachment to my things. And "oh, they need it more than me" and "don't take it personally" and all of that. But the fact is that the bastards snuck into our home and stole our stuff. And while I CAN AND DO put it in perspective, I still feel fearful, violated, angry, and hurt. And I feel even more angry that I feel those things! And then I feel angry because I have failed at being able to forgive the thieves and even bless them and their families and move on with my life. AArrrrggghhhh- the tangled web we do weave in our own minds sometimes. But even as I am totally in the shits, here are 2 things I have learned:
1) Do not judge someone who chooses to keep a gun in their home- you don't know their story
2) The next time you see someone on the street asking for money, think to yourself, "hey, at least he's ASKING for it, he's not breaking into my home and stealing it!"
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Friday, March 11, 2011
Sunday, February 27, 2011
hello people here I am in the midst of buying faucets, sinks, and toilets. I bought this lovely black toilet for the powder room, now I can't wait to find some dramatic, outlandish vanity top, sink, faucet, and wallpaper to completely out fit my boudoir bathroom. Actually I'm not sure I want the "boudoir" look yet- but definitely am going for dramatic and outlandish! The powder room is my clean slate for creative expression, and I plan to abuse it. Will send pics upon completion. I found this cool wallpaper that has bare frames all over it so you can colour or paint them and put photos or whatever you want inside the frames. kinda hard to explain, let me see if I can attach the link here for you to view...this is ridiculously long...
http://www.urbanoutfitters.com/urban/catalog/productdetail.jsp?id=19448885&pushId=A_FURN_WALL&popId=A_DECORATE&navCount=297&navAction=push&itemCount=80&itemdescription=true&parentid=A_FURN_WALL&startValue=1&sortProperties=+subCategoryPosition,+product.marketingPriority
What do you think??? I am thinking it can be an ongoing work of art.
So I recently met this girl who sings. I met her online through the Microsoft network and she is keen to start a small group. She has lots of experience and seems that our musical interests are similar. We had dinner a couple of weeks ago and haven't spoken since. We didn't really connect so I haven't followed up & neither has she, but now I'm thinking more like "beggars can't be choosers", so maybe I should call. It is kinda weird to not be singing AT ALL for the last 8 months or so. My creative world is a desert. Hence the powder room focus.
I am (supposed to be) studying for my personal training certification exam. I keep saying today I'll start and then, well, I can't seem to do it. Yuck yuck yuck is all I can think. I do not want to sit and study at all, but I do want to work so I am in a quandry. I suppose if I go ahead and book in for an exam date then that will make me commit to some sort of study schedule so i can see it through.
One thing I AM going to do is start taking photos of all the ridiculous parking jobs I see around here. NO ONE CAN PARK, wait until you see it, I am not kidding. Admittedly the parking spaces are HUGE here, so I guess people figure there's a large margin for error. But that is no excuse to PARK DIAGONALLY across the space or to pull up halfway with the back half of the car sticking out in the road.
must go and pick up Amelie from school! She is having her friend Fran come over to play today. Fran's family just moved here from Sydney of all things! They only live across the road, what a coincidence. It is a pleasure knowing a fellow Aussie, it is reassuring to share that common ground with at least someone here. I miss you guys! Last night I was listening to Coco's lUnch cd and I got so emotional, missing choir and the Agents and my aussie life! Emotional but full of good memories that I hold close. xxoo be well, I will post some recent photos of our trip to Naples.
http://www.urbanoutfitters.com/urban/catalog/productdetail.jsp?id=19448885&pushId=A_FURN_WALL&popId=A_DECORATE&navCount=297&navAction=push&itemCount=80&itemdescription=true&parentid=A_FURN_WALL&startValue=1&sortProperties=+subCategoryPosition,+product.marketingPriority
What do you think??? I am thinking it can be an ongoing work of art.
So I recently met this girl who sings. I met her online through the Microsoft network and she is keen to start a small group. She has lots of experience and seems that our musical interests are similar. We had dinner a couple of weeks ago and haven't spoken since. We didn't really connect so I haven't followed up & neither has she, but now I'm thinking more like "beggars can't be choosers", so maybe I should call. It is kinda weird to not be singing AT ALL for the last 8 months or so. My creative world is a desert. Hence the powder room focus.
I am (supposed to be) studying for my personal training certification exam. I keep saying today I'll start and then, well, I can't seem to do it. Yuck yuck yuck is all I can think. I do not want to sit and study at all, but I do want to work so I am in a quandry. I suppose if I go ahead and book in for an exam date then that will make me commit to some sort of study schedule so i can see it through.
One thing I AM going to do is start taking photos of all the ridiculous parking jobs I see around here. NO ONE CAN PARK, wait until you see it, I am not kidding. Admittedly the parking spaces are HUGE here, so I guess people figure there's a large margin for error. But that is no excuse to PARK DIAGONALLY across the space or to pull up halfway with the back half of the car sticking out in the road.
must go and pick up Amelie from school! She is having her friend Fran come over to play today. Fran's family just moved here from Sydney of all things! They only live across the road, what a coincidence. It is a pleasure knowing a fellow Aussie, it is reassuring to share that common ground with at least someone here. I miss you guys! Last night I was listening to Coco's lUnch cd and I got so emotional, missing choir and the Agents and my aussie life! Emotional but full of good memories that I hold close. xxoo be well, I will post some recent photos of our trip to Naples.
Sunday, January 2, 2011
HEllo and a Merry new Year to all! Yes, it would seem I have been rather defunct lately as I realise my last post was in October. Alas, nothing incredibly funny has happened apart from listening to my stepfather's laugh for a week at Christmas.
We moved into our new house on Nov 13th. For some reason Chad had it in his mind that this would mean we would FINALLY feel settled and all would be well. The reality was much different- suddenly we were living amidst boxes and brown paper, miscellaneous packaging. Unpacking items and repeatedly asking ourselves "why the heck did we keep this?" or more pointedly: "WHAT IS THIS?".
When we received word that Chad's dad Lou and his partner Nancy were visiting us in 2 weeks for Thanksgiving, we went into overdrive to try and give our house some sense of order before their arrival. That impetus was a blessing since it forced us to unpack and organise rather quickly. Lou is a genius builder/engineer/handyman and so went about giving Chad a crash course in house maintainance, which I quietly watched with glee. So armed with his new knowledge, Chad went about successfully changing light fixtures around the house AND you should see his cordless drill skills! Most impressive. Now he wants to buy an electric screwdriver which is beyond me as to why they would even make such an item but apparently they are very handy soooo whatever. We seem to end up at Home Depot about 3 times a week buying various screws because apparently every job needs it's own kind of screw. I am dubious, but what do I know? Whenever we have a household job, Chad gets out the drill and I stand around nearby and hold the screws and/or other bits and pieces until I am needed. Then I go and knit.
I really do. I have recently taken up the indoor sport after reading "The Friday Night Knitting Club" which for some reason I found inspiring. Currently I am obsessed with dishcloths and am making some in the shape of hearts. They are very cute. And eco-friendly. But I digress...
We had a loooovely wintry Christmas with my mom and stepdad here for a week's visit. We decorated our house with lights and bought a 10 ft tree. Actually it was 9 1/2 but 10 ft. sounds way more impressive. It was big! It just fit in our living room. I loved it. I admired it every day, several times a day, just sitting and looking at it. We were hoping for snow but that didn't come until a few days after Christmas. We went to this town called Leavenworth about a 2 hr. drive northeast of here. Basically it was a gold-mining town and when the gold dried up, the residents of the town made a last ditch effort to save it by turning it into a traditional Bavarian village in the mountains. And they did an amazing job. Everything looks quintessential eastern European, at least to your average American it does. As I am enjoying my schnitzel, sauerkraut, pickled cabbage and potato salad, I could swear I'm in...well, Bavaria! Or Vienna or somewhere like that. It was pretty cool.
This weekend we are going skiing for our first time since moving back. And this means that I am going to attempt to teach Amelie how to ski. This is really something I'd prefer to outsource, but I figure it's also a great way to create some lasting family memories, especially if it goes well. AMelie is not exactly Miss Adventure, so I don't know how she'll take to it. Especially riding a rope tow and a chair lift! It can be a bit scary for a little kid. But If she doesn't, she'll be spending a lot of time sitting in the lodge! Chad and I are keen skier/snowboarders and we're looking forward to regular ski trips.
And while we're on the subject of skiing, We are going to Aspen next week for 4 days to see my cousin Ray. Then we are going to Naples, FL for 8 days in Feb to get a much-needed dose of sunshine! Desperate for sun. We actually bought a light box last week- or a "happy box" as I call it. It's a plug-in box that gives you rays like the sun (not the kind that tan) and you're supposed to sit in front of it for 20-30 mins a day for therapeutic benefits such as feeling normal! The dark and grey can get to you here. I'm not doing too badly with it, but Chad is finding it hard and he uses the happy box every morning. It does help.
oK, I"ll be going now. I'll try to post some photos here too. Hope you all had a Merry Christmas and you received my Christmas card. Think of all my Aussie friends so often and miss you guys! Miss singing with you Agents and Lollies!
LOTS OF LOVE & BIG HUGS
We moved into our new house on Nov 13th. For some reason Chad had it in his mind that this would mean we would FINALLY feel settled and all would be well. The reality was much different- suddenly we were living amidst boxes and brown paper, miscellaneous packaging. Unpacking items and repeatedly asking ourselves "why the heck did we keep this?" or more pointedly: "WHAT IS THIS?".
When we received word that Chad's dad Lou and his partner Nancy were visiting us in 2 weeks for Thanksgiving, we went into overdrive to try and give our house some sense of order before their arrival. That impetus was a blessing since it forced us to unpack and organise rather quickly. Lou is a genius builder/engineer/handyman and so went about giving Chad a crash course in house maintainance, which I quietly watched with glee. So armed with his new knowledge, Chad went about successfully changing light fixtures around the house AND you should see his cordless drill skills! Most impressive. Now he wants to buy an electric screwdriver which is beyond me as to why they would even make such an item but apparently they are very handy soooo whatever. We seem to end up at Home Depot about 3 times a week buying various screws because apparently every job needs it's own kind of screw. I am dubious, but what do I know? Whenever we have a household job, Chad gets out the drill and I stand around nearby and hold the screws and/or other bits and pieces until I am needed. Then I go and knit.
I really do. I have recently taken up the indoor sport after reading "The Friday Night Knitting Club" which for some reason I found inspiring. Currently I am obsessed with dishcloths and am making some in the shape of hearts. They are very cute. And eco-friendly. But I digress...
We had a loooovely wintry Christmas with my mom and stepdad here for a week's visit. We decorated our house with lights and bought a 10 ft tree. Actually it was 9 1/2 but 10 ft. sounds way more impressive. It was big! It just fit in our living room. I loved it. I admired it every day, several times a day, just sitting and looking at it. We were hoping for snow but that didn't come until a few days after Christmas. We went to this town called Leavenworth about a 2 hr. drive northeast of here. Basically it was a gold-mining town and when the gold dried up, the residents of the town made a last ditch effort to save it by turning it into a traditional Bavarian village in the mountains. And they did an amazing job. Everything looks quintessential eastern European, at least to your average American it does. As I am enjoying my schnitzel, sauerkraut, pickled cabbage and potato salad, I could swear I'm in...well, Bavaria! Or Vienna or somewhere like that. It was pretty cool.
This weekend we are going skiing for our first time since moving back. And this means that I am going to attempt to teach Amelie how to ski. This is really something I'd prefer to outsource, but I figure it's also a great way to create some lasting family memories, especially if it goes well. AMelie is not exactly Miss Adventure, so I don't know how she'll take to it. Especially riding a rope tow and a chair lift! It can be a bit scary for a little kid. But If she doesn't, she'll be spending a lot of time sitting in the lodge! Chad and I are keen skier/snowboarders and we're looking forward to regular ski trips.
And while we're on the subject of skiing, We are going to Aspen next week for 4 days to see my cousin Ray. Then we are going to Naples, FL for 8 days in Feb to get a much-needed dose of sunshine! Desperate for sun. We actually bought a light box last week- or a "happy box" as I call it. It's a plug-in box that gives you rays like the sun (not the kind that tan) and you're supposed to sit in front of it for 20-30 mins a day for therapeutic benefits such as feeling normal! The dark and grey can get to you here. I'm not doing too badly with it, but Chad is finding it hard and he uses the happy box every morning. It does help.
oK, I"ll be going now. I'll try to post some photos here too. Hope you all had a Merry Christmas and you received my Christmas card. Think of all my Aussie friends so often and miss you guys! Miss singing with you Agents and Lollies!
LOTS OF LOVE & BIG HUGS
Friday, October 22, 2010
OUR FIRST HOME
well, we have bought our first home! I will post photos later once I take some decent ones. The whole process was basically going back and forth with the owners to agree on a price. Or should I say, our real estate agent went back and forth on our behalf. The whole process is sooooo much more civilised here than in Australia, where you are under the pump and on show at an auction! IT's kinda weird really. And because the market is so slow here, you don't have any competition with other potential buyers. So it's very stress-free really. Just how we like it!
So now we are getting quotes for having the kitchen updated. We looked into refacing the cabinets, and after ruling that out due to cost we are going to re-paint the old oak cabinets in the hopes that they come up good. There is also some crazy vaudeville show lighting in the kitchen which needs replacing. And we're putting in quartz countertops. We are beginning to learn that you can spend a freakin FORTUNE in the kitchen! It's crazy. And since we also have a master bathroom to do we really have to limit our budget, so we're only doing what we deem to be the necessities.
So we are closing on the home on Nov 5th, and we hope to be in the house before Thanksgiving (late Nov) if all goes to plan! WE WOULD LOVE VISITORS if ever you are over this way of course.
We have recently joined an International Supper Club! This is actually the brainchild of our friends Julie & Nick, who we knew in Australia. Actually Chad worked with Julie at Microsoft in Melbourne and they just moved over here last year. Julie is from Seattle but her husband Nick is from Melbourne. Sooooo when they arrived here last year they found it very difficult to rekindle old friendships and/or make new ones. So they decided to play hosts on a regular basis and hold social events at their home, especially since they weren't getting many invites to anyone else's!. They started the supper club with 2 other couples who also enjoy international food and wine. The group gathers 6x per year to share food and wine from a designated region of the world. Last week was our first supper club (theme: Thai) and while the food and drink were great, mostly we are grateful for the opportunity to meet some new people and enjoy good conversation and of course learn more about all-things-Seattle.
We are still hiking nearly every weekend. There are so many areas to explore here and we absolutely love getting out in nature & its beauty. Now that autumn is in full swing the colours are truly spectacular here. So vibrant, some almost fluorescent if you can believe.
So Halloween is coming up next week and we are (well, me and Amelie) pretty excited about an American Halloween this year! Amelie is dressing up as an angel (nothing scary for her!) and she managed to enlist my mom to make her costume. I have already informed Chad that we are spending next Saturday night at home watching horror movies, which he is not thrilled about because of the nightmares I will have afterwards and he doesn't want to be disturbed while he's sleeping. It is weird that I want to do this sort of thing, but I just want to get in the spirit of the occasion. I had forgotten what a big deal Halloween is here. They have all kinds of haunted houses and parties you can go to here in Seattle. There are huge stores dedicated only to Halloween. It's over the top. And it's fun! There is a haunted house here that I really want to go to- it's supposed to be amazing- but Amelie is too little so we'll have to wait a few years.
That is all I can write right now. I told Chad he HAS to write a blog entry about all the crazy coffee orders he listens to while standing in line at the coffee shop every morning. It is truly ridiculous, wait til you hear it....
I will post photos soon! I hope someone is reading this! Please post a comment so I know you are...
LOVE
me
So now we are getting quotes for having the kitchen updated. We looked into refacing the cabinets, and after ruling that out due to cost we are going to re-paint the old oak cabinets in the hopes that they come up good. There is also some crazy vaudeville show lighting in the kitchen which needs replacing. And we're putting in quartz countertops. We are beginning to learn that you can spend a freakin FORTUNE in the kitchen! It's crazy. And since we also have a master bathroom to do we really have to limit our budget, so we're only doing what we deem to be the necessities.
So we are closing on the home on Nov 5th, and we hope to be in the house before Thanksgiving (late Nov) if all goes to plan! WE WOULD LOVE VISITORS if ever you are over this way of course.
We have recently joined an International Supper Club! This is actually the brainchild of our friends Julie & Nick, who we knew in Australia. Actually Chad worked with Julie at Microsoft in Melbourne and they just moved over here last year. Julie is from Seattle but her husband Nick is from Melbourne. Sooooo when they arrived here last year they found it very difficult to rekindle old friendships and/or make new ones. So they decided to play hosts on a regular basis and hold social events at their home, especially since they weren't getting many invites to anyone else's!. They started the supper club with 2 other couples who also enjoy international food and wine. The group gathers 6x per year to share food and wine from a designated region of the world. Last week was our first supper club (theme: Thai) and while the food and drink were great, mostly we are grateful for the opportunity to meet some new people and enjoy good conversation and of course learn more about all-things-Seattle.
We are still hiking nearly every weekend. There are so many areas to explore here and we absolutely love getting out in nature & its beauty. Now that autumn is in full swing the colours are truly spectacular here. So vibrant, some almost fluorescent if you can believe.
So Halloween is coming up next week and we are (well, me and Amelie) pretty excited about an American Halloween this year! Amelie is dressing up as an angel (nothing scary for her!) and she managed to enlist my mom to make her costume. I have already informed Chad that we are spending next Saturday night at home watching horror movies, which he is not thrilled about because of the nightmares I will have afterwards and he doesn't want to be disturbed while he's sleeping. It is weird that I want to do this sort of thing, but I just want to get in the spirit of the occasion. I had forgotten what a big deal Halloween is here. They have all kinds of haunted houses and parties you can go to here in Seattle. There are huge stores dedicated only to Halloween. It's over the top. And it's fun! There is a haunted house here that I really want to go to- it's supposed to be amazing- but Amelie is too little so we'll have to wait a few years.
That is all I can write right now. I told Chad he HAS to write a blog entry about all the crazy coffee orders he listens to while standing in line at the coffee shop every morning. It is truly ridiculous, wait til you hear it....
I will post photos soon! I hope someone is reading this! Please post a comment so I know you are...
LOVE
me
Monday, October 4, 2010
it's raining....
Hello people. I have recently had an eye-opening experience at my local grocery store which I will share with you. Firstly, grocery stores here have sprinkler systems installed in their fruit and vegetable departments. These sprinklers are timed to spray water all the produce at regular intervals- I suppose to keep everything looking "fresh" like it's just come off the farm. Can you tell I live in the rain capital of the universe???!! Aussies will be APPALLED by this
produce-sprinkler-policy. And while I do find it ridiculously water-wasteful, the most annoying part is that all my vegetables are wet when they go in the cart, hence all my groceries get wet when they go in the bags. And what about when you are in the middle of reaching for a bunch of carrots and you get doused all up and down your sleeve?! How bout a warning signal or something???
So I am in the Red Apple (my local grocery) shopping in the fruit and veg section, minding my own business when I hear a roll of thunder. That's right people- A ROLL OF THUNDER IN THE FRUIT AND VEG DEPARTMENT . Then I hear another one- no, it's not my imagination, there is thunder in the produce department. And just as I am trying to figure all of this out- the sprinklers come on! AHA! So there's the warning signal- thunder rolls before the "rain storm" . Whatever dude.
I should also mention that we have made an offer on a house! We are in the throes of negotiation with the sellers and hopefully we can come to an agreed price so we can finally have a home of our own. We are very excited! Well, I'm very excited, Chad is being more objective about the whole thing, which I figure is a good balance. So it is a 3 bedrooms/2.5 bath, one-story home on almost an acre of land which backs up to a greenbelt of pine tree forest with a creek running through it. It is in a beautiful neighbourhood and a great school that Amelie can walk to. It needs a bit of updating- mainly the kitchen and also the master bath which is crazy as it is now. The owners put in 2 master baths - a "his" and "hers"- so we want to knock out the wall between them and build one big master bath. The bones of the home are excellent so we feel we can realise it's potential.
We went to Home Depot to check out all the options for countertops, appliances, flooring, and all things DIY. Another weird thing here is that when you go to Home Depot (which is like Bunings), there are always a bunch of Mexicans hanging out somewhere in the parking lot. ALWAYS. So I finally find out what they're doing there: hoping to get work. They hang out and wait for someone who needs some work done on their house to come along and hire them for cheap labour and pay them cash so they can keep staying in the country illegally. I guess someone must hire them, but it's not going to be me. Pay your taxes like everyone else, amigos.
That's all for now! Miss you all in Oz! xoxo
produce-sprinkler-policy. And while I do find it ridiculously water-wasteful, the most annoying part is that all my vegetables are wet when they go in the cart, hence all my groceries get wet when they go in the bags. And what about when you are in the middle of reaching for a bunch of carrots and you get doused all up and down your sleeve?! How bout a warning signal or something???
So I am in the Red Apple (my local grocery) shopping in the fruit and veg section, minding my own business when I hear a roll of thunder. That's right people- A ROLL OF THUNDER IN THE FRUIT AND VEG DEPARTMENT . Then I hear another one- no, it's not my imagination, there is thunder in the produce department. And just as I am trying to figure all of this out- the sprinklers come on! AHA! So there's the warning signal- thunder rolls before the "rain storm" . Whatever dude.
I should also mention that we have made an offer on a house! We are in the throes of negotiation with the sellers and hopefully we can come to an agreed price so we can finally have a home of our own. We are very excited! Well, I'm very excited, Chad is being more objective about the whole thing, which I figure is a good balance. So it is a 3 bedrooms/2.5 bath, one-story home on almost an acre of land which backs up to a greenbelt of pine tree forest with a creek running through it. It is in a beautiful neighbourhood and a great school that Amelie can walk to. It needs a bit of updating- mainly the kitchen and also the master bath which is crazy as it is now. The owners put in 2 master baths - a "his" and "hers"- so we want to knock out the wall between them and build one big master bath. The bones of the home are excellent so we feel we can realise it's potential.
We went to Home Depot to check out all the options for countertops, appliances, flooring, and all things DIY. Another weird thing here is that when you go to Home Depot (which is like Bunings), there are always a bunch of Mexicans hanging out somewhere in the parking lot. ALWAYS. So I finally find out what they're doing there: hoping to get work. They hang out and wait for someone who needs some work done on their house to come along and hire them for cheap labour and pay them cash so they can keep staying in the country illegally. I guess someone must hire them, but it's not going to be me. Pay your taxes like everyone else, amigos.
That's all for now! Miss you all in Oz! xoxo
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