Sunday, January 25, 2009

I am so...


very, very sleepy. I am going to go to bed now.

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

sunshine breakfast time

I went to bed early and woke up late. And when I woke I opened my eyes to sunshine, for day number three in a row. Stretch, yawn, and then the realization that I had today off. Hmmmm....what to do with myself. Jesse, even in his two million day long sickness managed to clean the house on one of his days off. So I don't have to do that. There is the business of the craft/spare/little bedroom but I can always just close that door. Plus here in Bellingham when the sun is out you are legally (i believe) obligated to go outside. Even if it is to just stand on your porch and stare off into the cold winter sun.

The only decision I could make while I was still lying in bed was that I wanted a smoothie for breakfast. Jesse was already up playing on his computer in the dining room and knowing his state of health he wouldn't have already made himself breakfast. So this smoothie had to be filling, delicious, and not some weird concoction only I would like. I began checking off ingredients we had on hand in the house, frozen blueberries, check, bananas, check, ice, check...well, it was a start. And what a start it was, they turned out delicious. And here are the amazing Baby's Been Sick Blueberry Smoothies, or the Reason to Get out of Bed Vanilla berry Smoothies, or the Sun is out/Cabin Fever Banana berry smoothies, or the My Weekends are on Wednesdays Yogurt Vanilla Smoothies....whatever we call them they made our morning.

(Your name here) Breakfast Smoothies

Frozen Blueberries
Banana
Ice
Vanilla Yogurt
Vanilla
Orange Juice

Blend until satisfied, drink until full.

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

At last.


At last, my love has come along
My lonely days are over
And life is like a song
Oh, yeah, at last
The skies above are blue
My heart was wrapped up in clovers
The night I looked at you
I found a dream that I could speak to
A dream that I can call my own
I found a thrill to rest my cheek to
A thrill that I have never known
Oh, yeah when you smile, you smile
Oh, and then the spell was cast
And here we are in heaven
For you are mine
At last

The Hills have Eyes.



I'm just saying.

Sunday, January 18, 2009

A wonderful note from my mom...

This email from my mom really struck me as an important note to our whole generation from her generation. It is compassionate and intelligent and a wonderful sentiment that I thought might inspire you all.

My mom has always been a concerned parent, worried about our success and happiness. My brothers and I have been going through a funny period of indecision and unemployment as of late, and I know this is true of many of my friends. No matter what our fancy college degrees are in we aren't sure of where we are going or really where we want to go. My parents have both had to take all of this on from all three of their kids, ages 29, 27, and 24. I can't even imagine how stressful this could be from a parents perspective. What I do know is my parents have always thought very highly of us, thought we could all three own the world. When we reached this strange point in our lives I think it was confusing to them. Why are our three unbelievable children finding it so hard to find their places in this world? When I received this email I felt my mom had reached a very peaceful understanding. And by understanding I don't mean a complacent one, I mean an "I get it". And with that came an "I hope". And it is with that hope that we all step forward into the future, it is what we have been trying to make our parents understand for years. For the first time in our adult lives we have hope in our future. A hope for a strong country, a hope for our dreams coming true, and a hope that in our future having ambition will not be met with empty promises.

Thank you to our parents generation for paving the way for change, and thank you to our generation for hopefully completing our parents thoughts. Here is to the next eight years and to making our dreams come true.

And thank you Mom, for always saying the things that need to be said during the right times (like now) and even during the wrong times, I love you.

My mom's email, short and sweet:

My dear kiddos:

I just read this article: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28663645/from/ET/

It’s about how bad the job market is for your age group and the reasons why. Looks like a lot of it is my generations fault, but we didn’t foresee this horrible economy either. Even Daiso is closing! So, I hereby promise to stay off your back unless it is to say something positive or helpful (although I always think I’m being helpful!)

So, gambatte kudasai! (Try your hardest to bring good luck!). I always am proud of all of you, even though I sometimes don’t sound like it. Amy, I am proud that you are never afraid to work hard, Hooter, I am proud of your adventurous spirit, and Greggie, I am proud of your unwillingness to compromise. (Gee, sounds like the classic “oldest, middle, and youngest” child syndrome!) Hang in there, I just know that Obama will turn this ship around for you all!

Love, Momser

Thursday, January 15, 2009

new year...

...new posts, and a new coat of paint.

With the recent addition of my good friend claire to the blogging world I've been inspired to clean up the place a bit. The initial title photo was a shot taken from the window of our hostel in Nice, on our honeymoon. Even smut marts are more aesthetically pleasing in the south of France, no wonder the Jolie-Pitts are calling it home...ahem.

Getting married was such a significant event it felt like it reset our clocks, May 1st, 2007 was our new year. We travelled through Spain, France, and Ireland for our honeymoon and when we came home everything looked, smelled, and felt new. Old friends were now best friends, our little duplex was now a home, our families were closer, and boyfriend and girlfriend were now husband and wife. The "no taboo" was a great image for this last year, but it seemed outdated. To me the last year and a half is all bundled together under the umbrella of "last year". When this new year came around it snuck up and flew by, and now all of a sudden it's two weeks into 2009 and it's just now starting to feel like a New year. For the first time in a year and a half I feel like jumping into the freezing cold water of Bellingham Bay, and joining the gym (which we did), and making resolutions I won't keep. I started a new job, it is simple, I serve coffee, and I am so happy. I want to celebrate the New Year today, on January 15th!

And this is how I celebrate. With a new picture and real live actual posts. The new photo up there, with the bed. It's from Jesse's great aunts home in Iowa. It was such a sad place, with lonely corners that were only visited to be dusted. All of the other pictures in this house feel strange and empty except for this one. This one makes everyone smile, and relax. This one feels like home. I can only imagine which strange lucky relative got to stay in this room, back when people were still visiting aunt weisy. The yellow room, with the blue blanket. The chest of drawers was filled with vintage dishtowels, and on it's top was a vase of plastic Calla lilies. The loneliest of places can have the brightest rooms.

So here is to the new year, my new year, and the hope that it will be filled with yellow rooms, quiet spaces, and soft lighting.

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Ok fine.

I'll do the dishes. geez.

Things that are sad...

The economy has taken another victim under its swift and failing arm...and this time it's personal.

Daiso, the Japanese superstore I and my sisters love so much, is closing on January 31st. As I ventured in today to pick up a few 'essentials' I grabbed my mauve basket and looked up to be slapped in the face by a sad Daiso poster board sign. Written in black felt tip pen and junior high school scrawl it said, Daiso is closing January 31st. Nothing more, no explanation, no cold towel, no stiff drink, just "Closing." Not even the peppy Japanese pop and the $1.50 bento boxes could lift my somber mood after this discovery. It turns out the Bellingham Daiso (the largest in north america per rumors) wasn't bringing in the yen like the others. The staff found out just a couple of days ago and know nothing more than what I have said.

This is truly a huge loss for Bellingham. We have three Asian markets in town that do what they can to provide us with the fixings for a Japanese meal. But Daiso really filled in the gaps, with cooking utensils and service ware and some food products. You need a rice bowl that is not extremely overpriced simply because it's exotic? Daiso. How about chopsticks, just plain old chopsticks for everyday that aren't $15 a pop because they are 'bamboo'? Daiso! Onigiri molds? Daiso! Chirashizushi bowls? Daiso! Bento accessories? Daiso! Not to mention the amazing randomness found around every corner, garden gnomes, art supplies, eyebrow razors, blow up gag boobs! Oh Daiso! What am I going to do without you? How can I call Bellingham my home after you have left? You snuck into my life not long ago and now you try to sneak away, like an amazing lover with a fear of commitment...please, I can change, I promise! Stay!


But alas, it's not me it's you: wicked economy and uninformed town. If only I had spread the word more swiftly. If only I had spent my stimulus solely at Daiso (truthfully, a good chunk of it was). If only...

And I bid a fond sayonara to you Daiso...and in yr dust may a great Mexican superstore rise. One can only dream...

Friday, January 9, 2009

Its Bento, Bitch.

yaki onigiri filled with pickled plum on the left and onigiri filled with spicy wasabi tuna on the right.
my first bento!

Saturday, January 3, 2009

long lonely saturday...

Today's facts so far:

1. Jesse started his new schedule today. 24 on, 48 off. Only today he's 48 on 24 off.
2. I am blogging because I'm bored.
3. I am growing quite sick of the walls in this place.
4. 2 years ago Jesse's overnite shifts meant Girls Night Out! Woohoo.
5. Now Jesse's overnite shifts mean, what the hell am I gonna do with myself?
6. I am very glad I got a job.
7. I am even more excited that my job has so many procedural lists. I love lists. I should make a list right now.
8. Ice skating is rad. Junior High kids on ice skates are dumb.
9. 3 year olds on ice skates with walkers=possible cutest thing ever.
10. Combining dumb Jr. High kids with 3 year olds=close calls and me acting like an old lady.
11. I love pizza.
12. It snowed. Again.
13. I purchased something on Itunes today for the first time. Also out of boredom.
14. I have plenty of things to do and don't really want to do any of them. Well, I want to do them, just not right now. Maybe later. Or tomorrow. Fun things, like blanket making, and closet organizing. I'll just add them to the list.
15. Here's to borging! <--blogging out of boredom.

Blahg blahg blahg...