You Know it's Been a While...

...you know it's been a while since you've blogged when:

1. a whole THIRD of a year has passed since your last dated entry.
2. you've bought a house on the course and switched jobs since the last time you blogged
3. you can't remember your password to sign in.
4. you freak out that you don't remember changing your login to what it now is.
5. people randomly post your posts as comments to be moderated because they want you back
6. your best friend's BEG for the work distraction you once provided
7. you sign in to blogger and find blogs on your profile you didn't know you owned
8. you've seen love plant, blossom, grow, get blown away and come back again strong
9. facebook has constantly told you that you're over limit and should probably get a blog already
10. you have so much to say and know that if you write it all in one post, no one will come back

I'm just saying.

A LOT happens in my life in 4 months. Most folks wouldn't care, but you're here on my blog so, I presume you're not most people.

There have been 113 days since I last blogged. Pre and post stalker, I was a normal blogger about every three days. Even that means that I would have had something like almost 40 blog posts since then.

My Christmas gifts to you folks who love to know everyone else's business? A faux preview of what I WOULD have written about in those 40 blog posts. Numbered, but really in no order of any kind of importance:

40. Pulled a Salahi photo op on Barney Frank - photo to prove it!
39. I WAS invited to the White House and all I had to endure was an "awesome" Capitol tour
38. Why procrastination is good: aka how I missed Sotomayor's Senate confirmation hearings
37. I'm scared to go there alone: Part I of my trip to a Health Care Townhall (Everett)
36. Sometimes, being "that black girl" is awesome...especially when you're in Everett
35. The best Mongolian BBQ ever with the worst service ever
34. I didn't MEAN to take that Solstice parade picture
33. I'm going to miss West Seattle so much...
32. ...that I will take a job an hour from home to be close to West Seattle
31. What do you mean YOU quit?! I was going to quit today!
30. They are non-alcoholic of course...this is the Girl Scout office you know?
29. Yes, but can Pam's hold a candle up to KingFish? I'll purge a little to do that test
28. There's a REASON why everything should be slower in Mexico...remember Wal-Mart
27. Is this appropriate behavior?
26. Yelapa, Mexico is where I want to retire
25. I don't care about the runs, just fill me up with more Chunky Monkey please
24. Are you sure we're on the right bus?
23. Down with Washington Management Company!
22. Up with good credit
21. Wait. I KNEW that cop-killer!
20. Wait...that other guy was a "nice guy" too who just did really terrible things?
19. Why sometimes, this colored white thing leads neighbors to dial 9-1...oh...it's just a discussion.
18. I always call it cause I "get visions" like that. "Minor" accident my hiney...
17. Where the angry people at? Part II of my trip to a Health Care Townhall: (Seattle)
16. Uhhmmm...where DID I park my car? Maybe *I* should be a million dollar realtor
15. Not like our thousand dollar realtor did all that much work, but the place looks GREAT!
14. What?! Our neighbor's sister was foreclosed on? That explains why they won't talk to us.
13. Our other neighbors sure are friendly. Did he just ask what we use to clean up the stains?
12. Tether ball WAS awesome. I can't wait to have kids that are easy to entertain
11. Why yes, there are three levels. Uhmmm...two of us. Yes, just two.
10. Because I want her to move into the bottom level. Or heck she can have the top. Just move.
9. It was funny but then I cried. Cujo was a scary movie mom.
8. Colorado isn't that far away, but then neither was Las Cruces either.
7. You can't have Thanksgiving without Turkey just cause your wife is odd. Turkey tacos?
6. And yeah we shopped at Mike's on Thanksgiving day...and what?
5. Someone is trying to tell us something - flat, cards, trash, anything else you want to say?!?
4. Half a clue would be nice, but then again, so would a watch battery
3. Penguins. I know. Just stop waiting (aka procrastinating) already
2. I NEED to get my house in order. And find bulk push pins on the cheap
1. Three trees. I've got one, just need Ikea to call a sister back already.

today was the day i knew

I am not sure WHAT I knew. But he gave me this look. And I don't proclaim to be psychic or to have visions but that look (and my response) flashed me back to october 2008 when he proposed. More specifically the look he gave me when he picked me up from SF0. I didn't know then that he would propose that night, but I had the same "I know something feeling I have today.

Just saying.

We are nomads. Up in Bothell which is actually NOT as bad a commute as I thought it would be.

Waiting on the close of our old place so that we can move on our new place. Didn't happen Monday. Our agent bet on today which means not only did it not happen today, but it won't happen tomorrow either. Uhg.

Otherwise, getting reaquainted with my nintendo dsi. Still brainy in brainage but about to polish off all the suduko puzzles so might have to get a new game or two. Still eyeing the walking one since I'll have miles of trails to walk to here shortly.

Health care townhall tomorrow.if you support reform get there! I know you are probably gainfully employed and want to stay that way so 5 will be hard. But do it. The rest of all stay home. Or at least promise to use our indoor voices.

My fave person in the world is home now.

I'm out.

Life Catchup

Oh where to even begin?

Jump right in right?

Just got back from Mexico. Go. To. Mexico. Puerto Vallarta is a good start. Once off the plane, hop a blue bus to downtown (preferably one rolling on spinners - no joke!) or the Romantica District. Same thing. Stroll the boardwalk and go to PiPis when you get thirsty. Take a friend who will share your tub of margarita. Order the best chicken fajitas you will ever have. Do this the first night so you can enjoy them BEFORE the humidity melts your brain. Once you are done, go back to the boardwalk, watch the guys spin down the poll and then walk down the beach to the water taxi. Don't pay the dudes trying to sell you tickets. Pay the driver directly. It is 50 pesos cheaper that way. Ride the taxi to Yelapa. With the 50 pesos you saved, check into Hotel Lagunita. Pay a little extra for the beachfront room and take extra bug spray so that you can befriend Charlie. Take a nap until 3:30 and then come back outside. I PROMISE you will not be dissapointed. By the private beach or the amazing pool like no other pool you've seen before. Definitely use the mosquito net. Oh and make sure you order the tortilla soup for dinner.

DC was amazing! I really like Anne. I just got to meet David and I like him too. Small world? When we checked into Yelapa, there was a couple from Louisiana who was making their third trip to the fishing village. The wife was from your little piece of heaven. Hang in there. All things in due time. Besides getting lost a lot with GPS, David driving and Robert backseat driving, I got to see one of my fave cities in the world with the one person in the world I've wanted to see it with. And he (and the city) lived up to expectations. Congress was in session so we got to sit in on the House. On the never ending "Sorry, I mean this way" treck to the House, we made lemonade out of lemons. Robert and I got a very coordinated photo with Barney Frank - he in his purple tie, me in my purple tank top, Robert balancing out the whole lot of shortness going on (smile). One of the most awesome photos I've ever been apart of. ALMOST makes up for not getting to have lunch with Michelle. She was out of town and all. Speaking of which - on the awesome boat wedding with amazing fireworks to cap off the evening, we saw Marine 1 and escorts flying over. Talk about a day late and a dollar short. I DID get to go to Michelle's house though...and Sunjay's mom's cooking (and yes, I followed AW's ghetto fabu lead and packed leftovers...AND WHAT??)...all told DC was just as awesome as Mexico. Almost.

Don't Jinx it. There are things I don't speak about. Because I am of the crazy inclination that if I talk about things I am excited about, then they won't happen or they will fall apart. All I have to say is that it has been an interesting week. And I need to call Ryder back. And do you have a couch I can sleep on? Because neither of us really wants to become work a holics for these next 3 or so weeks, but we can make that happen I think. Fingers crossed really hard on the most amazing piece of amazing you'll ever see if it goes through.

I cried my heart out. My sister called me just before work on Monday to tell me my mom was in the hospital. After spontaneously busting into uncontrollable tears for a good 40 minutes, I finally got it under control to figure out what the heck is wrong. We still don't know. We should know more tonight and surgeries are being scheduled and as my sister told her 12 year old son (I quote) "Grandma is going to the hospital and all you can do is pray for her". Now. some folks would call that crash and cold and callous. it's just my sister and her son knows her well. He's okay, she's okay we're all okay. No use worrying over what my uber religious sister has more than got covered. I'm just saying is all.

I miss you terribly. And you know who you are. Hope your sister is well. I need a good laugh and I've got more than a few to share. You know you miss me too. Just admit it. Don't make me fly to Fairbanks...

My husband is better than your's. mine saved all the emails we've ever sent to each other. Including the original missive I sent to him that started this all. Something about wondering if he was REALLY all that atypical of a white boy. To which he responded with a request for a list of crimes I had in progress that I might need assistance with as he perfected his plot for world domination. I'm just saying...at least it wasn't in our vows (smile...that was cute S&C). But I digress. With those emails, he created a book for me with all our correspondence leading up to our wedding. He's amazing with the cute little thoughtful gifts he gives me. Cause Lord knows I can go and just buy the expensive stuff (smile). All said, I need to take him to dinner and get our cake. With the finger crossing gig above...we're holding off on that a little bit.

In a nutshell.

A week in a life - 2008 via 2009

A year ago. Yesterday. But on a Sunday.

I'm still trying to figure out why a guy like you loves a girl like me, but it makes me think of that Beyonce song and I start to tear up and then I cry uncontrollably at how incredibly lucky I am to be on this ride with you and you think I'm hyperventalating or at least that something is wrong and really, I'm just crying because it is so right and I just don't know what I did to deserve this. To deserve you. You are my favorite person in the world. well...tied. With Quantae. And probably my mom too. And my sister and I have this weird kinda thing going on. And we don't want David to feel left out while he's fighting for our freedoms. And Liisa, well she's a special different kinda love.

Okay. You're the most favorite person to commit unconditionally to. How's that one? And a few other non-bloggable reasons most having to do with that "are you crazy" look you give me about 3 or 4 times a day when I say things like "I think it would be fun to have a tail to wag." I'm just saying. I kinda miss Charlie. Probably not as much as you do though (smile).

This year that same week - Yelapa trip of a lifetime (well, the whole Puerto Vallarta thing...and DC too with a picture some of you will love to hate *smile* I know who I hang with). House hunting (SMILE!!). House moving. HELP! More later...I should get back to that work thing that makes things like our awesome wedding photography (and cake - I need to call Jen...where did my to-do list go??), our awesome Jamaica honeymoon, our even more awesome (is that even POSSIBLE??) anniversary honeymoon, our house sell and our house potential purchase of the most amazing house ever...

All that is possible only if I get up and go to work. Right. Now. Just like he did.

* Amazing amazing AMAZING wedding photo by Airika and Gerald Pope of Gerald Pope Photography. Who also share an amazing day with us as our wedding anniversary is their anniversary as well. Happy anniversary to some amazing role models of fantastic love. *

Nintendo Rocks the House (aka, the party you missed)

So perhaps I should just commit to blogging only once a month. Or maybe if I switched to a better platform it would be half as frustrating as having to type the same post over and over (and over) again.

Remember back (like one post ago, but in real time, forever ago) when I hinted at the awesomeness that is Nintendo? Well, get out the kleenex to dry your eyes and wipe your drippy nose (or the drool from your mouth) because here comes the recap.

Look at those chics get their game on!

flickr set

Four score and seven years ago...or about 2 blog posts ago, I had a birthday. Okay...it was longer than that, but less than a year ago when my hubby threw me an awesome Wii-themed birthday party. Everyone who came had to bring a gift that was wii related (not to imply that they all had to bring a gift, but if they did...and who am I kidding...they all had to bring a gift or they were run off the front porch. not). Even Liisa - the love of my life keeper of my frying pan secrets - who couldn't make the party got in the grove and made me an awesome mini-album, fold up card, all scrappalicious holder for my AWESOME Gamestop giftcard to get my wii game on.

Fast forward 17 or so days and the novelty wore off. Aka, Bernadette kicked in and I lost interest.

A little over a month ago (or was that really like two months now - my how time flies), Justine contacted me out of the blue. So out of the blue that I was like "Is this my stalker posing as a new girl in my life or does this woman really have something to say to me?"

What I say next should in no way reflect badly on the strong independent woman that I am. I read other women type stuff like this and I cringe. But the truth of the matter is that I turned to my Microsoft X box game testing hubby and said "Hmmm...check this out. What do you think?"

To which he said "You know...that Nielsen thing didn't work out so well."

Quick digression - Neilsen sucked the LIFE out of me. It made grocery shopping unfun and most folks know I LOVE to shop...even for groceries. But when most of your goods are from the produce or bulk section (or, worse yet, from Costco and in bulk - oh the horrors!), Nielsen doesn't like you so much. I stuck with it for MONTHS of agony. And finally just couldn't take it anymore. Though I did get a healthy appreciation for what it must be like to check me out at the grocery market. I'm so sorry.

Back on track. I replied that Nielsen was work and this would be fun. To which he asked me if I even knew what a Nintendo DS was. Which of course I replied "Yes, it is that little game thing that my nephew threw around the living room in his fits of rage when he visited."

Uh huh. But Justine ALSO forwarded me a link to another chica who was working out the Nintendo Enthusiast BlogHer deal and I thought to myself "Hmmm...this would net me a free electronic device (which I, evidently collect lots of), a great party that I don't have to do a thing for (that part is what you're waiting for me to get to) and, it just might get me to blog more often."

I did get the niftiest little DS in the mail a few weeks ago. And it sat in my box. Well. Actually, I opened the shipping package and this cute little DS box was in it. I opened it and it was the coolest packaging ever. I'll have to upload a photo. The packaging was so cool (little mirror on the box lids, flashing lights, applause audio when you open the lid...the lining is red velvety stuff - very red carpet awesome) I just couldn't bring myself to actually use the friggin' thing. I know pitiful. But then...came the party.

I have to tell you, I was sweating bullets. My people (yes, I'm talking about you) are skitish like that. We live in an alternate reality where last minute invites lead to last minute yes/no/maybe/can-i-bring-my-entourage rsvps and because Nintendo is local, I wanted to show the place up. Then I was notified that awesomeness would be coming not only from Nintendo -Seattle, but also from NYC and I was about ready to fly in my girl Rachel from the city to make it happen too. But then I calmed down and thought 6 degrees of coolness. Which ended up rocking out my party because I met folks who were related/bffs with folks I personally know and it was good to see people out of my normal context of knowing them.

So the party.

Off. the. chain.

Full disclosure here - Nintendo paid for every last thing. From the awesome loft that I actually ALMOST rented for my wedding reception (no kidding!) to the complimentary valet parking that made travels to Pioneer Square for a bunch of young women at night safe to the fantastic spread of snacky foods and beverages that filled our tummies (including the wine cause, it was like happy hour...and hour...and hour...you know). And yes, to the awesome Nintendo DSi's that everyone got to keep (yes KEEP) and the awesome game with their DS as well.

Grown women were jumping up and down screaming and I want to say I also saw a tear drop fall, but I wouldn't hold me to that last. It was definitely a blurry eye...that was for sure.

The service was great for the party part but the awesomeness was honest to goodness in the DS's themselves. I mean really. I'm the queen of gadgets and multitasking but even I was a bit dubious about how you might have a "party" with a bunch of folks sitting around playing individual games. Well, Nintendo can show ya how.

The loft was broken down into 4 zones. Each zone had a different game that you could play (Brain Age 2, Mario Kart, CrossworDS, and Rhythm Heaven). Earlier today, I spent a good hour researching the cool wiki and official sites for each of those games. Now you get to do it because blogger is a hot mess tonight and I'm not trying to break another laptop.

Throughout the night, different areas had different levels of popularity but I'd rank them as such:

Quietest Least Party Interactive - Rhythm Heaven. You had to wear headphones to hear the beat so there wasn't any superflous convo to mess up your game.

Most Studious - CrossworDS. I hang with a bunch of bright women. They were working out the word finds and crosswords like their next raises depended on it.

Most Boistorous Party Central - Hands down Mario Kart DS. Especially when gamers were tagged into each other and racing against each other. Of course this could have been because two of my co-workers in particular were particularly keen to this game - one who specifically mentioned "I would have NEVER bought a DS and I'm so not a gamer but this is so FUN!". Admittedly, I almost didn't invite her because I didn't think she'd want to come. Love ya Kate!

Biggest Line Ego Buster - Brain Age. Awesome game and most folks have heard of it before. Everyone wanted to check their Brain Age. On the system they had set up there, I was like 71. Really now? When I got home after the party and finally set up my DS (I also got Brain Age), I was 36. Awesome. Seeing as I'm thirtysomeodd anyhow. This one had a line I think because beyond testing your age, it has suduko. Had some law folks/financial analyst types present so you knew that was going to be popular with an average finish time of about 15 - 20 minutes for the digression to play Suduko.

The party was really hopping. There was a 5th station where you could start or end up at where you got hipped to all the neatness of the DS and specifically the "i" part. The DS has built in digital cameras (which, I might add, are better than the ones on my flippin' crackberry) and so everyone was spending time customizing their DSs. Everyone cept I cause I left mine at home. Alas.

As each lady went around to the different stations, there were Gamer Chicks (all dressed in black, all gorgeous) helping us get set up and settled in. They were also keepers of the gold coins.

Most guests didn't know WHAT gift they were getting at the end of the night. I had told them (cause they're my people and sometimes they need a bit of a bribe) that they would get an awesome gift. Originally, I thought it would be a charm bracelet with charms they collected at each station. That gift was their very own DS and a DS game (BrainAge for the most of what I could tell). The Nintendo hosts did an excellent job of reminding folks to collect their coins and towards the end of the night, when the cat was out of the bag that the coins were for systems, people stopped camping at their fave games to get up and collect coins.

At the end of the night...with the place cleaned, the music stopped (awesome music with attentive hosts who would skip songs, adjust volume as necessary), and the Gamer Chicks ready to leave, I had to walk up to two last stragglers and tell them I'd never invite them to another event if they didn't get out now.

I think I made about 4 or 5 new best friends that night.

All in all, it was the most awesome party I've ever had my name so prominently attached to. To this day, I still get tons of emails and most of them are no longer "I can't believe you got us free DS's" so much as "What's your brain age now?"

And so you're wondering. I didn't actually open up my DS until after the party. And it was actually my hubby who opened it, took a picture of me napping on the couch for my profile picture and recorded a "song" (if you will) that I get to listen to every time I open up my DS and laugh my butt off to.

I would say that last weekend, with great weather and a moment in the park to wait on him doing his bike ride was the first "real bonding moment" I had with it.

I am ADDICTED to Suduko. That's all I do on my DS and I admit it.

I'm not a fan of Rhythm Heaven (one of the games I got with my DSi) just because I have no rhythm and I don't like to be reminded of it each day. Interestingly enough, it's like Wario Ware Smooth Moves on my Wii (which I LOVE!), but I just can't get into it. Yet. Maybe on a plane with my ear buds in, but at the party I couldn't grove with it.

I'm also not a fan of Mario Kart (another of the games I got with it) because I LOVE Mario Kart on the Wii. I like to race people, not computers and the Wii is designed to be played in community. With the DSi, if I know someone else with a DS (which, now I do) we can get together and play, but alone...it's not as fun to me as Mario Kart on Wii by myself is. That and I've kinda convinced myself that playing Wii is more than just a workout for my thumbs so...

To that, games I'm looking forward to getting at some point:

I totally want to get Mario vs. Donkey Kong March of the Minis for fun and I could totally see using the Personal Trainer: Walking And anything Sims related you know I'm game...My Sims at lunch anyone? Goodness that's a whole other addiction to address. Both My Sims Kingdome on Wii and Sims 3 on the comp.

Perhaps it isn't blogger I should be hating on. Ever since installing Delicious and Windows Live (particularly the latter) my comp has been a hot mess. Totally need to uninstall WL. Used to love WL Blogging. Now it is just too much hassle when Facebook is so easy.

Holy goodness

So...

Evidently, all I have to do is a giveaway on my other blog to get ya'll to come out of lurkdome and even sign up to follow me through the gates of...well...I'm not so sure that hoarding is really a sin. Okay. Justifying ridiculousness IS so...we'll move on.

Since the giveaway fun worked so well on the other blog, I figured I should use this whole "social liberal media" thing (giggle...I'll stop, I promise) to promote an even MORE AMAZING opportunity than The Great Thicker Hunt of 2009. Yes. I am done with the scrap references. Now let's move on to technology. Fun technology at that.

I admit it. I loved a Wii. Like no other. Heck, I had a Wii themed birthday party for my thirtysomethingcoughcoughahem last year. Cause my hubby is a huge gamer (xbox in his case...he wouldn't be caught dead playing Wii which is why we have to play DDR2 in the friggin dark with all the windows shuttered), and he wanted to share the love. But get that I said loved. As in past tense. Because aside from blogging and scrapbooking (and we know how regularly I blog) I don't really stick with much of anything for more than about 24 days. I know.

However, Nintendo is determined to change that for me. And for you too.

If you're a local gal, hit me up with your email address if you want in. There will be an amazing shindig in Seattle (including valet parking, tasty adult beverages and fun like you never knew you could have - again...) on June 18. I know, short notice for you busy busy people, but because I do nothing but melt silently away most nights, I figure it should work out.

Trust.

Because I'm a tease, I leave you with this. You have to send me your email addy to get on the list and space is a tiny bit limited, but hey...for you...I'll make an exception (smile).

Exactly a month ago...

...I blogged. And that is attrocious. Really attrocious since it took me still more days to actually update this blog from that realization. I realize this. And you know it is either my will or my wont to do a list or a really (really) long post to get caught up. I'm fighting it. But don't say you were not warned.

First things first: I ROCK! Level 14, 100+ club (that's 100K+ point...I stand corrected). yes. In one sitting. yes. That is an hour of my life I will never get back. But it felt so dang GOOD! Not that I've ever been a crack dealer (or an enabler for those that prefer gentler terminology) but

Bejeweled 2 is really addicting. I'm doing very scientific research to determine if I make it farther when the sound is turned down (aka, I'm trying to hide from my hubby the fact that I'm waisting my life away on java script games when, yes, he sits downstairs playing xbox. whatevs). I'm also trying to determine if earlier morning play helps. Or if early morning play paused while I go to work and resumed when I get home has an impact. I don't think I've played nearly enough to figure that out yet. All in the name of science though.

In the name of COOL however, stay tuned. Potentially really exciting, cool, girl, games, tagalicious post coming. Not that I EVER tag posts. Well I did during the election. but then it got boring. And too bloggy. and I got bored. And moved on. Kind of like now. But in the long time it has taken me to write this post I have confirmed that exciting coolness will be going down June 18 and you will NOT want to miss out. Promise. This is HUGE! Well, for local gals that is.

So you're curious just what in the heck I do with my life when I can't bother to check in for a month? Well, aside from the Bejeweled addiction. Oh and the blackberry tampering trying to figure out why in the heck I don't get work emails anymore (answer = crappy server, imagine that). Oh yeah and tagging Pandora goodness. There. I do play tag. Just not on my blog.

For the longest time, I've wanted to update my blog. but I'm a creature of habit (and apparently, of lower case letters). That and start a couple more. Yes. I know that is crazy because I never update the Photo Blog (surprise surprise! Bet you weren't expecting THAT! lol) and if you're savvy or internet gallery addicted like I am, you don't necessarily get much special from the Scrap Blog (well, another surprise...I'm FULL of them today!). And never mind that I had an election blog, a wedding blog and one other blog that no one shall speak about. All said, I think it is time. I cannot believe how long I've actually stayed committed to this blogging thing. I think I keep doing it because it is an easy enough way to remember how long I've known my better half who refuses to live his life on the internet. I started this here blog right before my toilet exploded at Capitol House (this will be relevant below) that one fine Thanksgiving weekend.

My how far we have come.


Anyhow. That list. 30 or so things I've done in the Month of Sundays since I last blogged:


* Created a TON of pages from those gorgeous wedding photos by Gerald and Airika.

* Managed to get a NON wedding photo page picked up for publication by Scrapbooks, Etc (okay, but it was an engagement layout full of photos taken by your’s truly).

* Debated the merits of progressive/regressive tax structures with Miranda and Erick

* Attended an amazingly inspirational breakfast (900 folks!!) and dreamed of consulting again.

* Got a text (or two) from a crazy woman on her way home who ain't fraid of no hands free law.

* Got a call from a crazier woman (aka my sister) wanting directions to the Las Cruces Wal Mart (just in case she needs those again...I got her back and yes, that is Las Cruces...New Mexico...and no I have not lived there for…oh…5 years??)

* Won a bet about how long it would take to walk approx 4 miles (over 45 minutes)

* Realized that you CAN teach this old dog new tricks because my Sushiland is so much better than YOUR Sushiland. Kirkland has promise.

* Turned my Swag On and realized that My President is Black (parental advisory) before putting my Halo back on and realizing I need to keep it clean (and that maybe she needs to remember she is married...just saying).

* Missed Fred and his cousin and started to wonder why we were naming certain visitors to our pad.

* Realized that I'm too old to attend Summer Jam because all the teeny boppers will be out to impress yet, somehow, I am not too old to attend a Green Day concert. GA. In the pit. With my ex-security 6'6 hubby. That should be the last concert like that we do. But then again, we said that before with Sean Paul, JT and Modest Mouse. I'm just saying...

* Started a twitter account. Which I have a (relatively) lot of followers wondering why they've never heard a peep (or is that a tweet) out of me.

* Managed to STILL not call my mom (I love you mom, miss you too...and Q too...I wish I lived in El Paso. Okay. Well. Not really. I wish you guys lived here. But it rains a lot here. Especially lately). And in the months since I started this post, I’ve REALLY missed them even more. And I’ve wished for the rain to come back. No such thing as global warming though. Nope.

* Found a million dream homes on zip/redfin and realized why I never want to live in El Paso again (try to find homes on either of those sites. Yeah...I need a city...and Seattle is barely a city by these standards).

* I prayed really hard for Robert's sister's hubby. And that is saying a lot since some folks believe I'm the anti-Christ and...

* I got called out in church because it had literally been a month of Sundays (might have been a month in a half) since I had been to church. Specifically, Father Paul looked me dead in the eye and told me I was NOT to dip my cracker into the wine. Something about swine flu. Whatevs.

* Went on the great hunt for thickers. Found said thickers. Had to contain my habit over said thickers. Now the hunt is over and I’m being altruistic with those thickers.

* Almost melted off the face of this earth. Jury is still out on that one. We have a genuine heat advisory in effect. We’re shattering records. But remember, there is no global warming.

* Watched half of Earth 2100. If I could stay awake in the heat on my couch, I’d watch the whole thing.

* I of course watched all of Inside the Obama White House. Come on. That was a given. I still watch West Wing (much better than the official site) reruns.

*Rescue Me is still my fave boy soap opera. I still cannot stomach cops and everytime I hear Operation Repo on in the other room, I swear I can taste just a little bit of throw up in the back of my mouth. And you know what THAT means (taste it, hear it, see it, smell it = do it…or think really hard about strawberry cheesecake and smell a handful of baby powder to calm my stomach down). I do LOVE Southland though. To pieces. Which means it will be cancelled. Alas.

* I need new shoes. Apparently, not as bad as I needed those thickers.

* I’m so totally nesting (but totally NOT expecting). I bought a book on 99 ways to not lose it when teaching your kids manners. While I do want to have kids, I’m about 99 percent convinced that there was subliminal messages channeling from that screaming kid’s mouth who was running through the store when I picked that up. And I got the book on 99 ways to not lose it when dealing with your kids’ food issues because, well, I was hungry.

* My favorite snack lately? Well, since perfect margaritas don’t really count as a snack. Especially when you’re NOT having them on a Tuesday night. What was I saying? Oh yeah…perfect snack. I cup light French vanilla yogurt, two jumbo Costco strawberries sliced thin and two tablespoons of Cascadian Farms granola. Heaven. Oh dear sweet Lord thank you.

* Speaking of Costco. Aside from it being ridiculous to shop for a family of two there, you know what else it is ridiculous to do at Costco? No, I’m not talking about the fitness pass thing again. I’m done and over that one. I was going to say that it is really ridiculous to buy a tub of humus from Costco. No matter how much you love humus and have co-workers who do as well, there are just not enough wheat thins in the WORLD to eat a whole Costco sized tub of hummus. Not that I am speaking from experience or anything like that.

* Oh the toilet. Finally just have to act on that. which means I should follow up with my lawyer. Yeah...I'm big time now. "My lawyer". That's a trip.

And on that note, this post has reached ridiculous proportions and really, you should just hit me up on facebook where they limit the characters I can type. Yeah Twitter does too, but I don’t have a cool twitter ap for my crackberry so Facebook wins. For now. Until someone so politely hooks me up.

Flowers, Firearms, Funny Boys...and no...not Guns N Roses

So do you remember this cutie reporter?

You know where he's from? He's from the land of firearms evidently. Tivo and all...watched a 20/20 special tonight "If I only had a gun" and vowed to never have firearms in my house and when I learnted that 1 in 3 folks have firearms in the home, I vowed to have sleepovers galore. I'm not a fan of statistics like that.

20/20 special clip - check it here

My hubby is the best. And no, not just because he brings me beautiful flowers.
But partly because of that (smile).

Funny boys...have you ever watched Rescue Me? I stand my ground. That show is totally Novella for the boys. I used to say it was a boy soap opera. But it has surpassed even my expectations into the realm of Novellas.

hot. mess.

Like Jamaica...but with no AC

Let me tell you. My honeymoon was the bomb.

Some of my fave memories?

** 27 minutes on site and the welcoming "refreshment" was a Bob Marley.
** Air conditioning
** the smell of Jerk chicken
**Alfreds
** ATI/RTI
** Air conditioning
** late night beach walks
** Hobie cats
** Did I mention air conditioning?

I'm married to a wanderer. He likes to wander off places. Like Tibet. And Everest.



While yes, Jamaica is VERY much on the beaten path...especially since you have places in Negril that very much advertise that they are the party capital of the world for the just passed teeny bopper spring break set (ahem), it is definitely on the beaten path.



But here's the thing.



When we think about "where next" a lot of folks are on the "You'll never top Everest" tip. Duely noted. Competitive as we are, we don't feel a need to one up every trip we take.



So for the honeymoon, it became what is the best deal we can get for a long time away from crazyville (preferably right next door to Margaritaville - check) but with the option to see/experience some "real life". Remember...I got to experience rural Chinese toilets on our last big trip before the honeymoon and all.



All said, I loved my honeymoon so much that the ONLY (and I do mean ONLY) issue I had was really a non-issue rendered moot because, as I mentioned, one of my fave things about Jamaica was the air conditioning. Mostly, because that place was hot as a MUG. I mean come on.


I lived in Ujamaa at Cornell and I attended my first and last sweatbox only to get a cool glimpse of what visiting any of the island nations my pan-African people had come from. No joke that the university was really good about making sure the habitat was kept hospitable for us. I'm not saying...just cause, you know...I'm from Texas and we got heat too. Just not like island heat.



So.



Earlier this week, when my better half in all of probably 7 minutes (cause he's fast like that) forwards me an email to a place that shall not be named, I'm game. I mean really. Any place that I need to sleep with a net and be mindful of the lack of reliable electricity sounds like the trip of a lifetime to me. (And it was honey...it was).



This morning, he wakes up (well not really since he doesn't sleep anymore) and asks me:



"So...you do know that this place is like Jamaica right?"

Of course I do...that is why I want to go.



"But it is like Jamaica with no air conditioning"

[silence]



[more silence]



"Oh...and did I mention that they say you need a flashlight to go to the bathroom at night so that you don't step on the crabs in your room...I mean we're THAT CLOSE to the beach."

[really silent and then]


"Well, it's cool that it is on the beach."


"Oh yeah about that. We should also watch out for scorpions."

I'm from the desert. El Paso to be exact. I quit Girl Scouts the week after my troop leader came screaming out of her garage because she had been stung by a scorpion. I've never seen a real live one (well, because the one I saw that day was squished dead) and I'd like to keep it that way.

For the record, my troop split right after that because the leaders didn't get along. But I like to tell it as I do above because that makes it a bit more dramatic and special.

Oh Jamaica.

but have you REALLY been to Seattle?

Ahh...spring in the PNW. What's that mean? We're not the land of the midnight sun, but we DID have sun pretty darn late last night. So it meant:

Trip to the best people watching place in the city for the best fish and chips in the city.

No. I'm not talking the piers. Unless you're a tourist. And you're scared.

I'm talking Alki Beach...on the first sunny day of the season. With all the hoopties out. And some of the...well...I should behave myself. But it is fascinating. There are the slow rollers. The guy in the ski mask (shout out! please don't shoot out). The gorgeous cars raised and lowered. The rims that cost more than my Ivy League college education (I got off cheap remember...all of $6000 because of that other thing I'll mention a bit later). The girls stopping traffic. The old folks honking at the girls stopping traffic. The endless search for parking. The two trucks pulling folks left and right. The dreaming of "I want that house right there". The realization that a quick summer sale could very well end us in temporary housing on this very strip. But best of all?

You guessed it. Spuds.

Though...I have to say...last night they needed to fire up the grease a bit hotter.

So many folks swear by Ivars little tiny strips of things that are supposed to be fish and stringy fries. And I'll bite (literally).

But if you want the best fish and chips in town, fight the crowds (well, DON'T take me literally on that front) and hit Spuds. The handcut fries (skin on) are to die for. The REAL pieces of fish are worth the price. And the garlic vinegar...oh my sweet saviour.

Of course no trip to Alki is not complete without a stop "on the way home" at the ice cream shop. You'll be proud to know we stuck to the sherbert. Which is good because now that every place in the world wants to let you know how many calories you are sucking down, it's probably pretty important to note it has half the calories of my old standby Reeses Peanut Butter Cup Swirl. Oh the sacrifices we make.

In other news:

Looking like May will be rather litigious
Looking like May will also be rather muddy
Finally figured on a plan B and I totally like it. Totally!
Mexico anyone?
Okay how about DC then?
Scrapping is good - join the 50/50 challenge with me
Pandora still rocks even though I now have not one, but two iPods
Powder Puff Pine Wood Derby rocks my world
Burst pipes don't float my world
Busted brakes do try to stop my world

Drama. Hope the Portland drive is going well for you. I think it's time for another lunch date since it's been like...what...half a year or something?

Drama 2 (or maybe you're 1 since I knew you first and all) can I be your wedding planner? I love planning weddings.

Drama 3 (or maybe one because you are just off the HAM meeter). I'll save it.

House hasn't sold yet (the HORROR! Not.) so you still have time to take a guess on this post.

Happy sunny day.

Who? What? When? Where? oh and Why?

lots of questions and emails to this last post. So let's see what we can get to.

I know it is a bad habit to not respond to the direct comments and only take to responding to emails here, but hey...if you take the time to comment, I figure you're kind enough to take the time to read and I try to really be all "interactive" so...theoretically, I answer comments in subsequent posts (or edits).

If you comment, and it goes unchecked, unanswered, just let me know. Imperfect and all. I'm thinking of doing the comments gone wild version of the blog again (aka, unmoderated) because we do live in an instant gratification world and all.

Only problem is I'm pretty anti censorship and I feel all like "the man" when I have to delete obnoxious, non-sense that really, has nothing whatsoever to do with the price of tea in China. Or anything else I remotely care to have my rare and few blog readers read about. But I've reconciled that inner-conflict with these small nuggets of widespread knowledge:

Blogger blogs are free. You can start your own and have your own soapbox.

Even my frail, wannabe tech savvy father in law can figure out how to google me and find my email address. And that is where he sends me spam. If he can figure out my email addy, so can you. Some things are better addressed (or ignored/deleted) via email.

That said...let's play "did you notice".

Did you notice that in the above photo, there is a gorgeous shade of green on the wall? Gorgeous because it used to be this "interesting" shade of texturized golden/yellowish/orange (see dining photo, think darker). Gorgeous because I cried tears in trying to figure out what color to paint the man cave (aka bonus room). Gorgeous because I "settled" on this ugly color at Lowes (or Home Depot...I get them confused) using the handy little "pretend this is your room" computer monitor and thought it would come out more gray/brown than it did. Was DELIGHTED when it came out this color.

Did you notice in the photo above that there is a bowl of something on the table? That "something" is popcorn. Being that it is a bonus room with a gigantor screen (we watch the SuperBowl on it for the annual party because the tv itself is just not big enough...evidently), the smell of popcorn really helps to solidify that you want to curl up on the couch previously known as "The Make Out Couch" to watch a movie like...oh...The Reader.

Did you notice in the photo above that there are three bottles (on the windowsill) of oils with various goodness in them? If you thought not eating the popcorn in the photo before this was hard, you have no idea the will power it takes for me not to pop open that red chili seed oil with some baguettes. Yes. I said/typed baguettes. Behave...my name IS Bernadette you know.

Did you notice in the photo above that the walls are red and yellow. Well, really they are this really great color of red and yellow. But remember the bonus room/man cave photo? Where I referenced the dining room yellow? Well, picture it darker...and textured. It made it a pretty dark man cave. All said, that mirror on the wall? Costco. By my better half. It makes me look thinner and I love it every day when I'm looking tired and getting read to go to bed and loading up the dishwasher. Oh yeah. I don't load the dishwasher. There's a reason for that.

Did you notice that there is so much to love and notice in this room? But we NEVER (as in EVER) use this room? Kinda obvious, I know. So my three fave things to notice about this room: the photo above the fireplace was taken by my better half; the chess set was a craig's list alley deal; you really should not come down the stairs in just your towel because those curtains stay open ALL. THE. TIME. Just saying She Who Shall Remain Unnamed Who I Love For Putting up With My Wedding Obsession (and yes, I will skype with ya).

Did you notice that this room is also green? But it is actually a MUCH lighter shade of green than downstairs. And I actually used to hate it (we called it the Thin Mint room. Okay. *I* called it the Thin Mint room). But then accessories made all the difference. Especially those REAL wood logs for our FAKE gas fireplace (well not fake, but it doesn't burn real wood...bummer).

Did you notice that the big blue star and the bowl of starfish are holdovers from another time. Another day specifically. July 19, 2008. They couldn't make me get rid of ALL my wedding decor.

Did you notice, barely, that piece in the front, right corner? Our TV lives in there. The tv I kinda scraped up in the move. But more importantly, that cool piece was my first indicator that my man was more than handy AND frugal. The piece is a Craigslist find (sensing a pattern here) left on the side of the road. He stripped it and stained it. I love it to pieces.

Did you notice that this room used to be my scrap room? And that the transformation is awesome?

Did you notice that there is a bunch of orange throughout our place? Could you tell that orange was my favorite color?

How fun! Okay really though:

Why move now, why not wait?

Because, as I mentioned, we can. We could wait until the market starts to go back up but guess what? The market will start to go back up on the other end too (the end where we're looking to buy another place). And since we're buying up as all good, responsible Americans chasing the dream are want to do, it makes more sense to sell now while the market is down so that we can buy while the market is down. It would make MOST sense to have sold while the market was up, waiting with our crystal ball for the crash to come and then capitalized on both ends. Alas, there is now bigger pay off for us to sell now and at the least, capitalize on the end which will be a better bang for our buck - the buy side.

Where you going to girl and why you gotta leave like that?

First the second part. We don't "have to" go like that. We like where we're at and like the peoples. We do, however, both work on the other side now. And by the other side, I mean we float to work (cause the 405 would make me homocidal). When we first started here, he worked downtown and I worked on Cap Hill at SU. Now we both work in Bellevue. On the East Side. So it makes more sense to live on that side closer to work because we're both slaves to our jobs and our jobs predicate how we will live our lives. To that, there's the answer to the first part. Where we're going is closer to work. Likely NOT Bellevue (cause I'm married to a banker at his core and I work in the non-profit sector and that's working out swimingly financially right now but not Bellevue style swimmingly). But east of the lake definitely.

It is so pretty! Why would you want to leave?

Again, not so much want or have to. It just is what it is.

Townhouse again? Or a real people's home this time?

I DO declare! But funny enough to make the cut because I've heard my hubby refer to moving to a "grown up house" too. I don't get it. Mostly because it is a pretty UNIQUE townhome I guess. As I was educated last night, it isn't a zero lot line so there's an HOA. Which is actually GOOD because there is uniformity to what very similar looking units look like. Not that you have to all be the same (don't go there...I was the Director of Diversity & Equity and a Diversity Columnist so I appreciate difference well enough - just not when you want to drape your place in purple gauze and my other neighbor wants to keep the multicolored Christmas lights flashing year round), but I do like coming home and not worrying about the yard. But now I DO want a yard to worry about. And grow a pea patch in (smile...sorry...it was called for).

I'm a visual learner. Show me.

Me too. Some links for your vicarious pleasure.

This backyard

These windows/walls of light

This whole house

beach park location

That shower is to die for

Hardwoods and built ins - a girl's best friend

Windows, windows, did I mention I love windows?

And no. We have not found where to next. We're not officially looking (the links above would make me a liar to say "we're not looking") until after we sell. One time per marriage of signing on the dotted line only to say "but wait" is enough for us (smile).

Happy house peeping.

Home for sell (Guess the Offer/Sell Date)

Need a new place?

Holy crap. I just typed a long post and lost it. So that's a sign.

The gist?

We put the house on the market this Monday.

5 days. Guess.

Guess on what day (ie, day 92,978) we will get our first offer. After that, we'll play guess the day we'll actually close the sell (ie, on day 938,298 you will close) and we'll make it a good contest.

The prize? You get to say you won!

Actually, you get to brag that you know when the Seattle area real estate market turned and we were able to sell. And I'll throw in a $25 GC for the poor folks who can't afford to shop for groceries anymore. Grocery Outlet anyone?

Okay...really...it will be to like Target or Barnes and Noble or a charitable gift in your honor to your choice of screwed by the economy charity/non-profit. Whichever one you prefer that hasn't gone out of business by the time this place sells and you win.

"Winner" will be the person (or first person) who guesses the right day. If you guess something more optimistically close to today, you can guess again (on this post only so I can find it please) after your day passes.

This should tide us over for 5 months eh?

*** ETA: Man ya'll are researchers. It's really just a guessing game. No need to research TOMs and market trends (smile). We're selling because we want to (and can afford to) not because we have to. I'm a bit partial, but I'll do another post about this all. Soon as I figure out how to link up some of my faves without inadvertently telling the free world exactly where to mail their pipe bombs when we move. ***

But isn't it April?

Today we went driving. To prove a point, draw some tears, talk and get back to the heart of it.

I love that dude like nothing else (and no one else) i've loved in all my life.

But isn't it April?

We went to the ridge today. Well, a couple of ridges. But the one where I was pouting half the way is what I'm talking about. And yes. It was snowing. In April.

Okay...so it isn't yet April. But it IS Spring. And snow is ridiculous!!

For the record mom, Snoqualamie =/= Seattle. As in no it was not snowing in Seattle, yes it was snowing in Snoqualamie.

Also (for the record since we're being honest), that IS where I would like you to move to.

Please. And thank you.

Peace out.

Day n' night

No lonely stoners but I can for sure say that when I drove into the car wash, I was squintin through my windshield like I was tunnel driving (and for the record, I hit TWO tunnels each way to work e'ryday so and what??). On the way OUT of that carwash, I was like "since when did the sun hit Seattle?"

Day n' night

And since I've clearly forgotten how to blog (lack of stalkers will do that to you...just not inspired anymore), I'm going back to my repeat button (maybe I'll hit Pandora...probably not) and going to snap some pics of that other stuff I do.

(hint - yes, that is not one, not two, but THREE links in one two paragraph post. WHAT is this world coming to??)

8:30 and 8

If I were a good blogger, this is what I would have blogged about in the 8 or so months since I last blogged:

* I miss iTunes. Like sugar misses kool aid. I'm just saying.
* While we are on the subject of kool aid, let's talk about all the OTHER ghetto fabulous things I no longer do since marrying up:
no more law and order marathons
I now have to hide my mid afternoon afterwork naptimes
white bread is so out
* That pizza joint in Oly...by the cap, now THAT is the bomb. Of course because Liisa was there, but in general too.
* I've adopted a girl. And I'm selling cookies to support her
* someodd years ago (2004? '05?) I was a case study queen
* Scrapbooking is cutthroat, but friendships are forever
* settle settle settle...SCORE!
* since when am I so gosh dang OLD?!
* I think it has been about 800 plus days. So what? Wash the dang thing yourself if that concerns you. Priorities.
* I HATE Fidelity. My husband thinks I'm nuts but he's never had a 403b which is the bane of my existence. Great that you don't have to put funds into your accounts, sad that you have to up and die and revert the funds and let your heirs duke it out to get to actually take CARE of the money you've stashed away. Bogus. I have a stronger B word, but I'm an active girl scout again so I'll refrain.
* VAN conference for Volunteer Managers was off the hook. Fun times had by all.
* Liisa totally rocks my world--she's so thoughtful and great and puts up with my utter thoughtlessness and really dimming greatness...love her for not taking it personal.

Oh...I totally forgot...let me look it up. Oh yes...this gem because Liisa is my shining, guiding light:

"Are you sure it ain't my air freshener?"
"Not unless your air freshener smells like wet hound and hash"

Oh my goodness. I couldn't stop laughing to type that. And I get it. Ya'll will be all "what in the HECK is she talking about?" But you know what...that's okay. Liisa will be pissed I wrote it, but she'll laugh too and at this moment, it's the Liisa show.

And...moment over. Now I need to watch Rob's Fantasy Factory. I'm thinking it will never match Rob and Big, but you know what...it sure beats Nitro Circus. Uhg. Craziness with a capital "c".

On Marriage: Good Reading

So I was over at Black Girl In Maine's blog. Aside from getting me to thinking about how I still have not been to Maine (Vermont and New Hampshire...gorgeous...Maine is still on the list) and how I would almost certainly be odd woman out up there...and the fact that her post got me cause she (like me) is also hitched to the oppressor (oh sweetie...I love you, those was my Cornell black power roots coming back out)...I was of course compelled to not lurk but to post. Mostly because her hubby chimed in on her post and I know that my hubby, the one that won't join Facebook because he might have to eternally be friends with me, also checks in on my posts, though, he never comments. Maybe because I would block his comments anyhow. All said.

Her post (link above) was about the work of marriage.

I posted a comment. The full unedited version was this:

***

Thanks for keeping this real enough to be cross posted on big man's blog which got me to here. And really got me to thinking.

I just passed the half year mark. On my second marriage. we took our sweet slow time to get to "here" not out of fear of failing again, but out of an understanding that life isn't all fairytales and princess dresses. That said, I very much know that I'm STILL well in the "he can do no wrong" phase (just check out my blog to read all the gag me sweet posts that one of his ex's was quick to hit with the "wake up stick") but in a very different way than before.

During my starter marriage, it was all about the fact that he was my first everything just about. First real love, first boyfriend, first long relationship and neither of us had really had ANY opportunity to explore who we were as individuals, let alone who we were together. That was a magnificent crash and burn with a summer of party like a border girl to test out just what it meant to be fun. I didn't like it. So I settled (keyword being settled) for another long relationship and almost married a guy the complete opposite. I went from the guy that was all I wanted but nothing I needed (adoring, younger, carefree, free spirit) to a guy that was all I needed but nothing I wanted (responsible, way older, eternally dedicated, stay the course).

One morning, I just couldn't work anymore.

All the heart ache and giving and doing and just not being anywhere at all came to a head. Honestly, the hardest work I've ever had to do in a relationship was the end. Putting the period on it. Mostly, I think looking back on it, because I really wasn't relating.

I've never been in real relationship until now. Yes, I impacted and was impacted. But in a real committed relationship, be it via marriage or not, I wasn't there. I was always placing semicolons in between people and times and moving in between and among and always waiting for something better.

Like I said, only 6 months or so into marriage, but almost 5 years into this relationship. No kids (I'm sure it will ALL change then), no struggling to pay the bills, only one night on a couch but it is just so different. What scares me most is not the day I'll want to think about exploring something else, that happens, we giggle, we talk about it and there is no threat.

It is awesome.

What scares me is the day when he or even I feels uncomfortable bringing that up.
When the conversation stops.

I believe with all my heart that as long as you can talk through it, be heard, be felt, anything can be worked out.

Anything.

But like I said...I'm only 6 months into it this time around.

***

I know a lot of folks close to me are struggling. Struggling with the economy, with kids, with relationships. Talk about it. Not just a surface "counseling" session, but a real heart to heart talk about it. Talk about you, how you feel, what you need. I promise, when you're honest with yourself you start getting what you need.

In my case, that would be sleep. Half passed midnight and all.

Keep it real. Unless you're stalking me because really...life is just too short. Well...unless you comment before 11:02 am. Because well, I've got a meeting with Liisa for lunch and not that we're ever short on stuff to talk about, but stalker stories tend to be the most entertaining types.

Oh yeah, that is code for "incoherent post coming soon" when I say "I have a meeting with Liisa". Don't say I didn't warn you.

The Best 2009 Grammy Commentary Post ever

***DISCLAIMER*** I have since learned lots of new info since creating this last night. I was going to fine tune spelling and research people I had no clue about, but I DO have a life so I'm just going to post this as is.

Dive in, have fun.

Okay. I'm on the west coast. And I have tivo. So to be able to skip commercials, here I sit at 9:45 pm starting to watch this hot mess of a show.



So we start off with U2. honestly. I'm not a fan. Have never been. Not a hata, but I actually had to say to the paler member of this twosome "You know...I'm just not a fan of u2" to which he replied "well, yeah, not this crap."



Performance one: u2. Crap. Visually interesting and I knew the words and so did Bono because they were on a gigantor screen for us all to sing along. but they've done better. And we all know I'm all about the dance, not the special effects. unless you mix special effects with dance like Usher did that one year at the BET Music Awards. I'm just saying.



Then out of the blue, Whitney "I don't do crack, that's lowclass" (or something vaguely similar to that) came out and proved to the world that she really was on something to marry who she did. And that something was good enough to toke, I mean, tote along to the Grammys tonight.



Now. You know you have a damn good chance of winning your category Ms. - I Stopped By the Restaurant and Forgot I Was Supposed to be at the Grammys Tonight But Since I Had That Role of Duct Tape in the Car and This Handy Napkin From the Table, We're Good to Go - Hudson when everyone in the audience is like "What? I didn't know they had an album out this year...". And as usual. I was right.



Then they brought out the Rock. Who goes by like his mama's birth name now. And is still really not funny. But not as painfully unfunny as JT. Well, unless you're talking about the suit he had on. It is the Grammy's I guess. Who had to prove to everyone how not black he was yet again in a collabo with Al Green...and Boyz II Men. Except no one knew Boyz II Men was part of this collabo (including one of the dudes...I'll have to research that...there were only 3 of them...where the 4th dude go?)



Performance 2: Justin Timberlake, Shake a hip but don't break it Al Green and Boyz II Men minus one of the Boyz. It was okay. Not whoa. Not a hot mess. I might have sold my JT tickets if I had seen that performance before going to his concert. Luckily, he was worth the drive to Tacoma.



Simon Baker beer goggles don't make YOU look better. And I thought you were kinda cute in the Mentalist.



Coldplay. Who I actually like. Ever since I thought I saw an Obama patch during a Saturday Night Live performance last fall. And tonight, Jay Z did a cameo collabo...so now I LOVE Coldplay. Even though they are British. Not that I have a thing against Brits. But I did just watch a back episode of wifeswap and there was a BASTARD of an angry european on. Yes, lowercase. Because he was that much of a meanie. No matter...still loving Coldplay.



Performance 3: SCORE! Coldplay and JayZ, good vibes, people loving what they do. I love it too.



Performance 4: Carrie Underwood. WHAT is she wearing? How do you take such a cute girl and make her look so...well...uncute? Her mic is blinged up and is about the cutest thing on that stage right now. Unless Whitney is nearby...she had some cute earrings on. And, aside from the boob piercing top half, was rocking that little thigh slit in her dress. She did leave a bit more to the imagination than boyshort and flesh colored sheers (duct tape must be the theme tonight), taped up Underwood. Anyhow.



Sheryl Crow--I miss her...LeAnne Rhymes too. Country music award. And it is going to be sad that I know more of these songs than I did the R&B folks. I actually dig Rascal Flats. Sugarland a bit too. No clue who the rest of them folks were. Which is good that Sugarland won. For Stay. And they look pretty excited and shocked which is just too cute. And mom was her date. So country...I love it...think she digs Paul McCartney.



Estelle and Kanye are coming up. Lil Wayne and TI too. And JT is coming back again. Imagine that.



Really...performance video My Grammy Moment to KP's I kissed a Girl? Really. Okay...this show is more than a hot mess.



Coldplay is coming to the Gorge! July 11...I totally need to do that. Except the Gorge is out there. And I don't drive back (sleep is good). So we'll have to see.



Duffy and Al G are presenting together. I'm a symetry girl. So Duffy's one shoulder, half boobie hanging out dress is distracting me. There seem to be a lot of British people at this awards show.



Song of the Year--lots of good songs in there. Lots of Brits. Coldplay won for Viva la Vida. I really like this song. As I mentioned...enough to drive to the Gorge to see it. I'm thinking they're going to win Album of the Year. That's 2 for 2 so far tonight.



Kid Rock is nominated tonight? Clearly I don't like music nearly as much as I proclaim to.



Performance 5: Kid Rock. I miss the little guy. Everyone has a message tonight don't they? Interesting message from KR though...white guilt and Iraq flags in the background. Full of Amens. Long as the elbows are not flying, I suppose we're all safe. Folks seem entertained. Another okay performance. Still looking for whoa. I'd probably put it up there top 3...of 5. Not bad. Not good, but not bad.



Performance 6: Taylor Swift and Miley Cyrus together. Taylor is pretty...fresh, innocent...great voice for it too. All I can think of Miley is Fly on the Wall and my feet are killing me. Standing in line for one last ride at Disney on New Year's Eve, she was blaring out of the loud speakers. Not in person (it was a DJ) but still, I'm so not feeling her voice. Not for this soft performance. I give her the kid rocker title of the year. But Taylor should have done this one on her own. Song in and of itself rescued the performance. Miley lovers, I'm sorry, but she was about the only neg to this performance.



Pop Collabo Award: WTF?!



Robert Plant Alison Krauss?? WTF?? Really...the ONLY set that I was like "who are they" and they win it? Over: Alicia Keys and John Mayer; Madonna, JT, Timbaland; Rihanna, Maroon 5;

Jordin Sparks & Chris Brown (so old, my FAVE song in the world though). Really. That induced some silence.



Performance 7: Jennifer Hudson, hope she took off the napkin. She's a pretty girl. Not a size 2, with some tatas so she is a fave of mine. But those earrings...girl...those earrings. Gorgeous voice, no need to blind us with her entrance. She still needs to work the stage presence bit...unless she wants to be Miss America someday. Problems with her earpiece? she was fiddlin' with it some and still belted the HELL out of this song. I can't even imagine...I think of her nephew...I'm getting tear eyed so I'ma stop. And she just started crying on stage too and got a standing ovation. I just got tears. My fave moment of the evening so far.



Performance 8: Jonas Brothers and Stevie Wonder on the boards (the latter with the record for the most performances at the Grammys--that is cool). Nice 5 piece brass band on stage. And Stevie belted it too. Nice energy. Admittedly, I don't know the words. Psyche. Who doesn't know the words to Very Superstitious? Bit less energy for this song, but I was jammin'.



Is it just me or are these sets just going a tad too long? When I WANT them to be longer collabo sets, they never are. I ended up fast forwarding the end of the Kid Rock set. Almost did the same for Al Green and had an itch to do so for Jonas Brothers.



Blink 182 going to do it again eh?

Rock Album:

Coldplay going to go 3 for 3? Yep.

I like them, BUT...is it necessary to give the same album/record five billion awards at the same show? who knows...they're going to run out of stuff to say before the night is over. Who wouldn't though?



Got bored with all the Brits so they threw in a Scott to announce Katy Perry.



Performance 9: okay. Cocacabana phalic banana Katy Perry wearing the ice skating outfit with crappy choreography. She is totally NOT a dancer. Or a singer really for that matter. We can finally stop making fun of Britney I guess. Talk about marking your steps and stage stare. Oh my goodness. Is this a joke? The audience shot AFTER the performance summed it ALL UP. WTF?



Performance 10: Kanye will bring it back. With Estelle. She lipsyncing that? HE lypsyncing? Again?? really come on. And I liked that song. Nothing special performance wise.



Best new artist. To Adele. Is this the friggin' British Grammys? I missed that memo. My fave was Jazmine Sullivan (Lauryn Hill reincarnated).



Tempted to fastforward to the hip hop collabo. But wait...is this Morgan Freeman I spy? Talk about swagga like us. And he's tight with Kenny Chesney. Who knew. But then who knew that MF had a little something on the side. Stranger things have happened.



Performance 11: Kenny Chesney. I'm Texan. I get a free pass. I fastforwarded. I've got a bedtime to get to. Sorry.



Sean P. Combs walked out chained up Natalie Cole. She's still alive? I guess if you stay locked in the basement, you might also still be alive. She's still gorgeous...even in that hideous outfit.



Record of the Year:

Adele, Coldplay, Leona Lewis (Beyonce rehash), MIA, Robert Plant and Alison Krause



Coldplay did NOT win all 7 this year because Robert and Alison pulled out yet another WTF award. They don't even know who is going to talk. "Good things happen out of nowhere." says TBone. No kidding. Sean in fly purple is standing back there thinking "You think??"



Queen Latifah looking cute. Sexy fine. Cute earrings in their own crazy way. Looking royal in purple.



Performance 12: Swagga Like Us - MIA (preggers and all...how cute is THAT?!) Black and white and what is she wearing? The black and white is actually kinda cool. Kanye, TI, Jay Z, Lil Wayne. Honestly, I love this song. And play it way too much probably for my neighbors. Love the beat. The message, probably not the best. And Hova gets better with age. His woman with that Diva song...I thought she was beyond those crazy kinds of songs. But I digress. First time I saw Lil Wayne, I was like "really?" That's what he looks like? Now that I don't watch BET (or MTV since really, the latter doesn't play music videos anymore), I don't know what any of these people look like. Now we have color. The black and white was getting a bit annoying. Is this the first obviously pregnant Grammy performance? She was due to pop today. Holy crazy. Sometimes I wish I lived in LA.



Performance 13: another Brit. imagine that. I want to say that they have like the Caribbean Grammys and I KNOW they have the Latin Grammys. Maybe. Just an idea. Maybe. We need an American Grammys. Oh come on I'm kidding. Relax. Paul McCartney. Sir. Everyone loves him. I admire longevity. And that was good. He's popular for a reason and standing ovation...deserved. I could leap for that bandwagon.



Male Pop Vocal: John Mayer. I love that song! Say. Beautiful. Gotta feel good in that company to win that. The first (that I recall) real "thank you" speech. Someone who actually expected he had a real chance to win.



LL Cool J and some dude I don't know and couldn't/was too tired to properly google introduced the next performance. NOT funny when your co-presenter has to clarify for the confused folks that when you scream out "Farmer's Boulevard" (not Cool James, the other dude) that that is a reference to Queens. I mean...half the folks watching are from the heartland (aka, NOT NYC) and the other half are from somewhere in England. Nice to have a clear understanding of who your audience is.



Performance 14: Sugarland and Adele together. Tempted, but because I'm multitasking and the song is pretty (Stay), I'll leave it. She has a great voice. Fluffy flyaway hair, but still. And now Adele. More lack of stage presence Adele - to the point that she's almost like "who the hell are these other people on stage with me?" But an onstage string section. Reminds me of my string bass playing nephew. And brings a tear to my eye because of the song so...she's forgiven for the lackluster performance. Sugarland takes this one. Even on Adele's song.



Gwenyth is way too skinny. And too pale for off black pantyhose. And a discoball dress. I don't get it. I DID love Perfect Murder though.



Performance 15: USC Trojan Marching Band (at least the percussion section and some brass) and Radio Head. Okay. I'm not cool. we know this. And I was a band geek. Yes, head drum major in Texas band geek. And it is different. And probably fun for them. But I'm so not feeling it. Like I said, I'm not cool like that. Which means they will win album of the year. Automatic.



Sam Jackson...to Shaft intro really? Collabo award. "Am I right people? Damn right I'm right". I love him. Watch Lakeview Terrace. That was quite a movie. He didn't have any man love for his neighbor in that movie.



Performance 16: JT and TI. I admittedly love this song. And JT. And TI. And this song is powerful. Love this unplugged version with JT at the piano, strings in the back. Mics of course are not unplugged, but you get my point. And yes. The Justin Timberlake concert was one of the best I've been too. Musicians, dancers and all. This performance, they have street drummers on the stairs. Love that touch. This is my fave performance of the night. Cut to Hova...what's he thinking? Yeah right punk. Just saying...



Yes we can political speeching on the academy and copyright protection (traditional radio...uhhmm...who listens to "traditional radio" anymore?) and Music Cares foundation and a Secretary of the arts cabinet position proposition. Really? Okay...change, yes we can, Grammy winner in the White House...sure that wasn't planned.



Performance 17: Four Tops Grammy Lifetime achievement award (there have been others, but, this one is obviously significant). Jaime Fox, Ne Yo, last remaining survivor and presenter do Reach Out/I can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch). Bernadette! Yes. I've heard the song. No. I seriously doubt that a song out when my mom was 9 inspired the name of her first child. Just saying. Another good performance. Everyone kept up with each other...it was totally cute.



Performance 18: Neil Diamond performing Swwet Caroline. Sorry. This is what tivo is for. This is where Robert rails against the financial woes of the music industry. The comment was "Are we really so hard up for new stuff that we're digging up every dead song now?" This is always a fun conversation about how Clear Channel is going down without a government bailout and the music industry business model being dead. And then there is the merger coming between TicketMaster and LiveNation. lovely. $290 concert tickets for everyone. Here's to Apple and 79 cent downloads. Totally holding on to my gift cards. I can wait. I download mostly dead songs anyhow. Mostly.



Performance 19: Collabo in keeping with the theme of the night. Jam session really. In memoriam of the folks who have passed so a Bo Diddly song. Tech issues? No intro of who was who. Dead tired to look it up.



Performance 20: Tribute to New Orleans (Lil Wayne), Alan Toussant (on piano) and Robin Thicke. First heard this song on NPR. Yes. NPR. Some strong images of New Orleans/Katrina. Like the collaboration. The words are touching. Like this one too...because I LOVE this song. The images are crazy powerful. Great New Orleans flair with Toussant.



Best Rap Album: Lil Wayne. Another of those where it's like "must feel good in the context of all those names". and he brought his whole family up (including mama and kids).

Hova...and that wasn't Beyonce next to him. And Nas is back? One Mic. All I gotta say.



Performance 21: Robert and Alison. Tivo is handy. I'm sorry. I'm a horrible reviewer. Or non-reviewer. Which is too bad because you know...



Green day looking kinda uhm. Final Grammy presenter for Album of the year.

They've won every other award tonight with a WTF so why not this one too?

Robert and Alison with everyone basically muttering in the audience WTF? I think I might actually hear some boos. Or maybe that is just everyone clearing out. The murmer won't die down. I saw a special on this collaboration. On like Frontline or something. Robert is like "In the old days, they would have called this selling out."



Today too. And the music industry wonders why they're dead on arrival.

Or is that too harsh?



Performance 22: Stevie Wonder takes it out.



We discuss why new, innovative wonders who sell songs (not albums) don't go all out because of the music industries garage sale of late. When is the last time you saw the Grammys go to anyone who hasn't redone something they first did 20 years ago? I'm just saying.