Esprit de l'escalier

Wow! What an amazing hike! We hiked about 10 miles with our packs to Peggy’s pond (we still haven’t figured out who this Peggy is and why she gets a pond…but whatever.) The journey was trecherous. Slippery, rocky climbs along narrow to non-existant pathways hugging the sides of steep cliffs. It was a rush! And most of it was up hill 1800 feet! Ugh. But it was worth it!

I’ll have to post pictures soon to prove that we did more than just feed the mosquitos.

Next weekend…Dallas, here we come. yee haw!

I know I need to seriously update on all that has been going on. But unfortunately I still don’t have time! So here’s a quick briefing:

Trip home was fun. Got to see Grammie and Kyle and I got our hairs cut. I cut mine pretty short! Hopefully I’ll get some pics up soon. 🙂

Canada was amazing! I am such a fan of train travel now. You have more space to stretch out, the scenery is gorgious and access to a bistro car!
Kyle took me to the Art gallery and we got to see Picasso work, Monet, etc. All the classics. I felt so inspired!

This weekend, camping!

Back to work now.

P.S. Does anyone know of custom home or remodeling contractors I could market our flooring services to? If so, let me know ASAP! Thanks!

Kyle and I went to CA last weekend for the family birthday celebration. It was nice to be with my family. Naturally the first thing my mom wanted to do was take me shopping and “dress her Barbie doll.” I didn’t complain. 🙂

We were only able to visit for the weekend (which is never long enough) and it was really hard to be home and not see my friends. Especially on my birthday!

Next weekend Kyle is taking me to Vancouver! We’re taking the train to Canada *said in a singing voice*. I’ve never been to the country of mooses and maple. I’m very excited.

The weekend after next we are going camping with some friends from Kyle’s work.

The weekend after that we’re going to Dallas to see my parents receive an award for all their hard work at ServiceMaster. I’m very proud of them.
We’re going to be staying at this really fancy hotel that is inside this glass, climate controled dome. It should be very awesome…plus, I’ve never been to Texas.

The weekend after that is Kyle’s birthday. We’re going on a cruise to watch the Blue Angels display their airborn prowess over Puget Sound. This too…shall be awesome.

And the fun doesn’t stop there! The weekend after that – I think – we’re going on another camping trip to view a spectacular astronomical show. Literaly we’re going to watch a meteor shower of some sort – details are still in the pipeline. I’m really really excited for this one. The camping team is going to be lead by this guy from Kyle’s work who is an avid star gazer. This, I assume, means that he knows what he’s doing. Add that to the fact that he’s an engineer and it should mean that the trip will be well planned and worry free. 🙂

And…the weekend after that we’ll be heading to -brace yourself- Arizona. I know, you’re wondering why in God’s name would anyone want to go to Phoenix, Arizona in the middle of August. Well, we don’t really have a choice. We’re going to visit Kyle’s family to celebrate something…I can’t remember what now. I think it was someone’s birthday or anniversary or family reunion. I’ll bring a card for each occassion just in case.

Then (we’re not done yet!) the weekend after that we’re headed to Oregon for another camping trip at Canon Beach. The plan is we’re hoping to meet up with Red Sarah and her husband and Luke and perhaps some other friends for a chill weekend on the beach.

Finally, the last weekend of August and the begining of September I get to see Andrea! I’m so excited! She’s coming to visit for Labor Day and we’re all going to Bumbershoot. This weekend should hold some memorable moments!

In conclusion of these summertime adventures, my parents are coming to visit us in September. I think our time together will probably be spent looking at houses. We’re still in the process of figuring out what best fits our living style. Hopefully Kyle and I will have found the perfect home to relax and entertain by the end of the year. 🙂

I just got back from a nice relaxing weekend, but I’m ready for another vacation. This month is crazy busy!

-Next weekend – CA
-weekend after that – train to Victoria
-weekend after that – camping trip

Plus, there are some movies that I HAVE to see. So much to do, so little time!

Went to the Feist concert at the Moore Theater. It was soooo awesome. A delightful evening of vocal and instrumental prowess; cleverly engaging ‘in-between-song’ banter and audience involvement.
She has such an amazing voice and I always walk away from her music feeling energized or soothed. For me, her style seamlessly compiles a rare variety of songs that never fail to astound and satisfy.

Plus, the Moore was a perfect venue for her and Grizzly Bear (opening show). Speaking of Grizzly Bear, their set was equally cool and I’m anxious to see if their cd is as good as the live show. I hope so! If you haven’t heard of them, I should probably let you know that their name in no way reflects their music. 🙂

My rating: Five stars

After a writer’s meeting the other day, my friend told me about this documentary that I “just HAD to see.” I asked her what it was about and she said it was called “The Secret” and it was about this practice that famous and successful people have known about for years. She told me that she couldn’t explain it that I would just have to see it. She lent the DVD to me and the next day Kyle and I watched it.
It was interesting to say the least. We agreed with some parts (like the importance of having a positive outlook on life), but ultimately it didn’t sit well with us.

In short, I found it disgustingly materialistic and possibly damaging. The Secret claims that our thoughts are responsible for what we endure in life. Well, I hardly believe that Jewish people brought the holocaust upon themselves by thinking negatively.

Anyways, that’s just one of many qualms I had and to spare you any more of my ranting, I’ll let you check it out for yourselves and form your own opinions. In the meantime, please view these clips showing the opinions of others that, in some way or another, pretty much reflect my own.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3cJH60oiwY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q__fc7NKwlY

SOS just got these cool marketing gifts. They are these flashlights that don’t require a battery, just a few seconds of winding. It’s like a wind-up flashlight. A couple cranks powers the light for up to 15 minutes.

That was a pretty cool concept to me so I thought about where else we could apply it. How about putting cranks on television sets? For families with obese kids, this could be an answer to prayer! Perhaps little Jimmy could get more exercise if he has to crank the TV every 15 minutes in order to see his favorite cartoons. Or what if they had to crank the computer!

What if our cars were like the old fashion ones where you have to crank it to start it? I’m not sure I personally would want to do that. And maybe this sounds mean, but what if when you went in to get your driver’s license, people over a certain weight limit for their BMI were issued a statement that required them to get a wind-up car? I’m pretty sure that wouldn’t go over so well with the general population.

I should probably re-iterate that I intend these ideas for the health of our society. And in no way do I mean for them to come off as cruel or unusual punishment for what may be the result of genetics or unfortunate circumstances.

On another note…what are your thoughts on the traffic congestion problem? Do you think that taking more cars off the road and amping up our transit systems would help the environment? I have many thoughts on these issues, but I’d like to hear yours.

I couldn’t help but share these:

Best quotes of the day –

“Honestly Eric, you need to listen to what I mean, not what I say!”

“Seriously. Didn’t anyone tell you about our no fish policy? Now we need to set up the air scrubbers.”

-courtesy of Julie in Billing

Best email note of the day –

“Call customer to f/u.”

(*For those who may not know f/u = follow up. It was kindly suggested to the office that we set up a ‘no f/u’ policy.)

A writing friend of mine came to me the other day with a story that she wanted me to help her write.
It’s a really trippy story about a mirror that absorbs the ego of whoever looks into it. It’s a weird, complex sci-fi-ish story that she ‘experienced’ in a dream. haha. My thoughts on that?
If it’s a good story with a captivating plot…I don’t care if you dreamt it, watched it, felt it or ‘experienced’ it. If it’s interesting, I’m game.

My friend is a 50-year-old Brazilian with dyslexia and a firm belief in karmic events and ‘other-world spirituality’. She was raised Catholic which may explain why she rejects Christianity. She hated living in a constant state of guilt. She loves to write but grew up with people telling her she couldn’t (because of her dyslexia).
She believes that the only reason she came to work in our office was to meet me. That the universe was utilizing my presence to guide her toward the path of happiness. Personally, I’m flattered. 🙂

I believe God brought us together to inspire one another.

While I don’t necessarily believe the same things she does, I think we make a fun writing team. I think the Lord brought her into my life to draw me back to writing. We get together weekly and she comes brimming with questions. She’s only taken a few writing courses and in every course the teacher would kind of encourage her, but more often discourage her. I think they thought her dyslexia was just a case of bad grammar.
As I teach her some of the basics I’m overwhelmed with excitement as I introduce her to great material and writers who utilize techniques she’s never seen.

Sharing ideas and concepts with her make all my schooling feel worthwhile. Maybe this is really what I was meant for?

In other news…Kyle is taking me to Vancouver for my birthday! We’re taking the train and staying in a nice hotel for the weekend. So sweet!

It’s that time of year and I’m sooooo excited! CAMPING TIME!

Kyle and I got our first tent together at REI. It’s a cozy two-person tent. Ricochet likes it too. We set it up in our living room because we were so excited to use it. We were going to sleep in it that night but then our lovely kitten dive bombed us. We woke up to see the outline of a cat on the roof of the tent. We ended up just watching a few episodes of Hitchcock and then going to bed.

I’ve been wanting to visit CA for so long now…but stupid plane tickets are so stupid expensive. No matter how many weeks you try and buy them in advance it’s always so stupidly overpriced. It’s STUPID! Plus I don’t get my vacation days until I’ve been in my new job for a year. That’s sooo long! Over $500 for one person doesn’t seem worth it for one weekend.

Kyle and I were talking today about how we miss being students because we had designated vacations and we could visit home or go camping – worry free! So nice.

I also want to get my hair cut short soon. That’s not too stupid expensive, but it’s a big step. I’m taking my time to find the perfect cut. I’m also not looking forward to being bound to a haircut schedule. Whenever you have short hair you are obligated to maintain it. No more lazy ponytail days. That’s a HUGE sacrifice. I need to mentally prepare myself.