Just Shoot Me!

We opened a new office this week as I mentioned yesterday and it has caused an entire level of stress and chaos to occur.  Numerous requests for things that they would like oh yesterday.  Additionally, I have had to look over 150 resumes that came in for the position for the Chicago Event Manager. OY!

It is exhausting to read through all of the resumes and so many are horrible. Typo's galore and all this excessive color, graphics and seriously, do you really need to send a photo. Heck, one guy sent a shirtless photo of himself - not very professional. It is amazing what people send in. It is a position for event planning and yet I have seen resumes that do not have a single thing to do with events, but they think they are the perfect fit. Not going to happen. 

Alas, the day ended and I drove home to enjoy a simple dinner.  Tonight I cooked shrimp and then flash chill them and serve them up on a bed of cole slaw. It is fun seeing how creative I can be with what I have in the kitchen. Trying to use up a lot of stuff that has been lingering around and thus open up for new and exciting food experiences.  Amazon Fresh will be delivering an order on Saturday morning to take me through  the next couple of weeks. 

Michael arrived from Long Beach just before 7pm as I woke up from a nap.  With the sleep study and then the tush still giving me challenges, I was just exhausted when I got home this afternoon.  We ended up watching The Colbert Report and also The Daily Show with John Stewart and both are shows that make me laugh.  He is still recovering from his flu bug and is at about 80% and thus he went to bed early as I enjoyed watching The Rachael Maddow Show.  Oh am I a happy camper that tomorrow is Friday!

Humping the Hump Day

Today began with a text message from the owner in Chicago at 4am my time requesting something that I specifically asked about two days ago and was told not to worry about it. Then poof - time to worry. This is how the opening of the Chicago office has gone. It was too rushed, too soon and now there are glaring mistakes that have to be addressed. Oh, like the fact that we don't have a business licence in Chicago yet!! It only gets better.

I have had to really let go of this whole thing and only laugh harder. I refuse to let it get the best of me and I surly do not wish to get crunchy!  Alas, it is Wednesday and I look forward to having Michael arrive on Thursday evening. It will give the weekend a bit of an early kick, even if I do have to come into the office on Friday. But then, the weekend.  Jodie and Rob will join us for dinner on Friday night.  Will likely either be Japanese or Chinese. 

Got my haircut this day and was quite amused that all the other people in the shop were talking about was the Super Bowl and if there was going to really be a chicken wing shortage this weekend - SERIOUSLY! Please, help me. I am not a sports fan - yes, I know it is hard to even think that way - but really, I just do not see myself sitting there for all that time. Yes, the commercials do may one laugh, but I fear I will not be among the masses who rush to a bar or head to some one's house for a party. Just really do not care about the game that much.

Now that my oxygen reading test is done after two days I do think I should have a good night's sleep. Who knew that a device on your finger all night could keep you waking up, but it did. I look forward to a full and restful sleep. Dinner will likely be chicken or tuna, not sure which way I am going to venture forth. Likely by the time I get home I will have a better idea. I have been a home cook all week for all my meals and it is just fine. When I looked back and saw how much money I was spending on dining out or ordering food in - my GOD! I have saved hundreds of dollars this month and that is a good thing. What are you having for dinner?

The Power of White Noise

Last night and tonight I have to have this oxygen meter thing on my finger for a test.  The sleep doctor just wants to be sure that I am sleeping and getting enough oxygen.  Hey, not a problem, except for the fact that I am so not used to having anything on my hands and thus the rubber cap on my finger kept waking me up all night.  I am hoping that tonight will go better.

White noise sure plays a role in my sleep.  For the past week my air filter was off due to getting replacement filters.  I noticed that my sleep was not as sound or deep.  Well, Sunday it was back up and running and makes a simple sound that is not overly loud or invasive.  It does zone out all the outside noises and makes for better sleep.  You would think that a steady noise would disrupt and yet quite the opposite. 

I know of people who use various sounds of nature and such, but those do not cut it for me.  Now, a wonderful rainfall hitting the windows sure does help in getting me to sleep.  Love that sound.  But it is just not the same when they have it on those nature CD's to play.  I know, have had a couple over time.  But you know sometimes it just takes a steady "drone" in the background and sleep comes quick and solid.  Now, just get rid of that dang rubber meter on my finger...only one more night.

Monday, Monday

Sleep came quick and easy last night and it was a good sleep with one notable exception, a pain in my right tush.  Painful and not sure how it happened, must have slept wrong.  It is still bothering me and I keep walking around and doing stretch exercises.  Tonight I plan to put the heating pad on it.  Glad that tonight will be a simple dinner of leftovers and to bed early. 

The morning started early with first stop at the sleep center for six month check-up and it all looks good from what the doctor had to say.  Seems the CPAP machine is doing wonders for me.  Then on to the dentist for six month check-up and it seems my teeth & gums are in the best shape they have been in years.  So overall, I am in pretty good shape with the exception being still working on losing more weight, but compared to a year ago, it is pretty awesome.  Now, if only I could just walk away from this work situation I would be a happy camper.  But all in due course.

Somehow, when I saw this cartoon, I just felt I needed to share as there are so many Mondays that feel like this.  At the same time, I am feeling quite content right now in that my blog is now caught up and I can look forward to only 4 more days until the weekend.  Michael arrives from Long Beach, WA for a couple of days and then it will be Super Bowl weekend.  I must confess that I am one of those people who watch it for the commercials.  Oh well, at least I am being honest.

A Very Full Yet Relaxing Weekend

Weekend Chores & Clean Apartment 
Plus Ferry Ride...

I kicked off Friday by heading to the doctor's office to get results of the heart monitor I had in December. You have to laugh when the doctor walks in and announces "Are you here to get off Rat Poison?" I did not know that the chemical formula for Warfarin is the same as rat poison, but just smaller dose. Well, he did remove me from it after announcing that I was no longer AFIB, which was one of the main things that put me in the hospital. He was teasing me that I am making him look bad in that he thought I would never get off oxygen and that I would never be fully removed from AFIB. It is nice to be able to prove him wrong and in the end, he was quite pleased.

Got home and celebrated with a big salad and a quiet night of unwinding from the work week. Decided to call it an early night as the weekend was going to be one that was filled with chores and relaxing. But who knew that Saturday would kick off so early as I woke up at 4am and could not get back to sleep. So decided to go ahead and get up and begin packing away Christmas. It feels good packing it up and getting the house back to base point. Little did I realize it was going to take me two days to get it all packed up. Did pause to make some scrambled eggs and bacon plus enjoy coffee and some toast with Nutella. Then back to chores and got laundry done and garbage/recycling done. Taking it down to the garbage room was the only time I ventured out of the apartment all Saturday. It was fun being a home body for the day. Dinner was leftovers from Friday's dinner which was ground turkey, cut up asparagus with an Alfredo sauce over pasta. Pretty tasty and filling. The phone was pretty busy as I had calls from several friends around the country to break up the day.

Today has me finishing packing up Christmas before Moonsong arrives to clean. Then I will be out the door to mail letters, get gas, pick up prescriptions, and then drive down to Tacoma in order to catch the ferry and drive Vashon island before coming home via another ferry. Once home, with everything done and a clean apartment, it will be time for a much needed nap. Oh how I love my Sunday afternoon naps. But need to be up in plenty of time to make pork loin with roasted root vegetables and then had cole slaw on the side. Markie arrives around 5:30pm so we will chat a bit as we had not seen each other in a few weeks. Cocktails preceed dinner and he is to bring a bottle of wine from his wine shop. He is a funny guy and at times I love him as a dear friend and at other times I want to hit him so hard.  He can be a challenge.

Phantom Celebrates 25 Years on Broadway

The Phantom of the Opera is a musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber, based on the French novel Le Fantôme de l'Opéra by Gaston Leroux. It is considered by many to be the most successful musical of all time and is also the longest running show in Broadway history.

The music is composed by Lloyd Webber, with lyrics by Charles Hart. Additional lyrics are by Richard Stilgoe. The book was written by Lloyd Webber and Stilgoe. The central plot revolves around a beautiful soprano, Christine Daaé, who becomes the obsession of a mysterious, disfigured musical genius.

The Phantom of the Opera opened in London's West End in 1986, and on Broadway in 1988. It won the 1986 Olivier Award and the 1988 Tony Award for Best Musical, and Michael Crawford (in the title role) won the 1986 Olivier and 1988 Tony for Best Performance by an Actor in a Musical.  It is the longest-running Broadway show by a wide margin (celebrating its 10,000th performance on Broadway on 11 February 2012), the second longest-running West End musical, and the third longest-running West End show overall.

With total worldwide box office receipts of over $5.1 billion (£3.5 billion), including a record-setting Broadway gross of US $845 million, Phantom is the highest-grossing entertainment event of all time and the most financially successful theatrical show in history.  It had been seen by over 130 million people in 145 cities in 27 countries by 2011.

TGIF - Let The Resting Begin

Tonight I am going to make a casserole of ground turkey, chopped asparagus with Alfredo sauce plus noodles. Simple and yet warm for the winter months. It will tie me over for a couple of meals. Weekend brunches are fun in that I usually make eggs and a breakfast meat on Saturday while Sunday will be lox & bagels with whipped cream cheese and capers. Sunday night Markie will be coming to dinner as I make one of my signature dishes which is roasted pork loin over root vegetables. Likely going to make coleslaw with that. Using up a lot of the leftover veggies in my frig and cleaning out the shelves a lot of stuff that has been sitting around a while. Yes, it is all about the move coming up and I want to have it be as easy as possible.

So today, we hired a new person in Phoenix to do events. Our website went down yesterday for over an hour and that was not a good thing. The job is just not fun anymore and thus I have taken time to begin updating my resume and also, starting next week, I am going to begin taking some items home from work. I have a lot of stuff there and figure I can start and just take a few things a week so it is not as noticeable. All about thinking forward and moving on.

Last night I realized that there are numerous items in the kitchen I have not used in ages. Yup, they are going to be going out the door as well.  As I was consolidating more Christmas stuff to the dining table last night it hit me just how much stuff I have and so it will also be going through a trimming down process as I pack it all away tomorrow. I have enjoyed the process of slowly moving all the decorations to the one central location. It is really making the rest of the space seem so much more simple. I need to touch base with my dear friend Helene who now lives up in Vancouver. She gave me that fabulous queen size bed frame and I want to know if she would like it back or if I should sell as I am going to invest in a king size bed in the near future.

Yes, I do like my drive adventures and the one I will do this Sunday is a favorite. Other than winter, I enjoy driving up to Mt. Rainer. The car now has 26,000 miles on it after having it about two and a half years. It is going in for routine maintenance on the 6th. Try and keep it in good working order. It is a comfortable car to drive and zips along just fine. May have to make a trip north to Canada soon as well.  There are several items that are going to be gifted to various people prior to the move. All about making it as simple and stress free as possible. And so I send you big hugs and wish you all a great weekend.

Is It The Weekend Yet?

I did enjoy the trip to Portland last week, but I shall also enjoy my weekend at home this weekend - ALONE! OK, so Sunday morning Moonsong will come to clean and I do believe that is when I shall do one of my favorite mini-adventures. I drive down to Tacoma and board the ferry down there for Vashon Island. Then I drive the length of the island and take the ferry back to West Seattle. May see if my friends are in town who live out there and stop by to say hello. It is quite relaxing and a great way to enjoy a few hours of zoning out.  Sunday night Markie will be coming over for dinner.  He will see just how much the apartment changes when Christmas gets packed up.

Saturday will be a day of packing up as I mentioned and seeing how things stand in the large closet. I am feeling quite good about how I have let go of so much stuff and yet there is still a lot of crap to go through. A move is good for the soul. You can really refocus on what is important. As for the books, there will be travel books and biographies, Christmas books and a few fiction, but not a big fan of fiction. There will be some others for sure. They will all be heading to the library.  I am so enjoying bringing a sense of simplicity and manageability to my surroundings.

These actions actually open up time for me and allow for me to reach out to friends and reconnect with people who have been out of touch for a while. Life changed completely last year and it has made me realize all the more how much I need to refocus. It was jump started last fall when I cut my vase collection by more than half. It was getting out of control and the top ledge around the kitchen was growing full. Now, it is completely empty and I have selected 10 pieces that I really like and they are displayed on the bottom shelf of the credenza by the dining table.

Moving On With Life's Twists & Turns

I made a big salad last night to jump start getting back into the swing of things. Damon likes a lot of green cooked veggies and not so much the salads and coleslaw of which I so love both. Thus I made a large salad for dinner and drank a lot of water. The past few weeks I had enjoyed some root beer for a change, but in getting back on track I find the root beer is more of a distraction than a help. It is weeding out the little things in the frig and shelves to make the kitchen hum for my food needs.

I also took time last night to begin the process of packing up Christmas. Stripped down the bathroom, kitchen and all of that stuff is on the dining table. Tomorrow night it will be the table by my bed and the computer table. Then I will be ready to pack it up in the boxes and see just how far I have gone in the reduction. The colored lights in the garland finally died after like 15 years so will take those out and get new ones in December. Last year Moonsong had packed everything away to the best of his ability when I was in the hospital and it was fine, but this year it will be good to know where everything is when I go to unpack it at the holiday time in November/December.

I know it is hard to let go of stuff and this has been an ongoing project of mine for years. It is backed up by the deep sense of not letting a lot of stuff into the apartment. I have had to be quite vocal to friends and family about not getting me trinkets and such. Rather, prefer a beverage or food or and experience. The one area that is going to shock people is that I am going to take on my 5 boxes of photographs. They have sat in those boxes for nearly 10 years and I may have pulled them out to look at them maybe once in the 7 years I have lived in Seattle. Yes, I realize the value of photos, but really, they just sit there. I think I will set a goal to reduce it by half, but it might take several sortings to achieve that. As I mentioned yesterday, books are also on the chopping block. It is all about being real to the fact that I just don't use half the stuff I have in my belongings still. There is a certain amount of happiness that comes from releasing. The other thing I find amusing is that three years ago I changed computers and I have an entire file labeled "old computer" on my new computer...how many times have I opened it? Oh maybe once, if that. Sad, but true.

I chatted with my Mom last night for a few minutes and it is getting worse as we just talk over the same thing about 4 times before ending the conversation. Knowing that she will not even remember my calling makes it all the more frustrating, but I have to accept what it is and that it will not get any better. We no longer ask questions as that makes her so frustrated and confused and so when I go to call her, I take time to lay out what will be discussed and make it so it is upbeat and moves forward. And so goes another day at the rat race.

Bye-Bye Damon and Bye-Bye Stuff

Damon is back to Austin as I type this message. We had a very mellow, but fun evening last night. Originally we were going to have a couple of friends over to play Gay Monopoly and have dinner. We realized it was his last night and decided to keep the time to ourselves. Cuddling is one of our favorite things to do and seriously if you are a good cuddlier, life is good. In response to your inquiry, yes I miss him and at the same time I will be glad to have my space back. This is why it is a perfect situation to have. He will be back at the end of March for another visit. That will be the longest stretch of us not seeing each other, but there is no way around it as he has business trips next month and airfares are totally outrageous for the majority of March due to various spring breaks. He has now been up 4 times. He makes me laugh and smile and yup, it is hard to see him go and yet now I get to look forward to his next visit.I might venture down sometime, but Damon also enjoys coming up here and in his multiple visits, he has begun developing clients for future visits. He made over a grand this trip alone. It's a good thing all the way around.

It is wonderful that you have met someone who makes you smile, a good thing indeed. Life goes so much better when you can smile and enjoy life. So tonight will be a time to regroup and see what needs to be done as I have see a hell of a lot of stuff exit these past 10 days. Half the hall closet went to Goodwill and we shipped a big box of stuff to Damon's place plus the tree is now gone. Once I finish packing away Christmas this weekend, it will be time to begin attacking the books. All the cookbooks and what I call Coffee Table books will not be on the chopping block, but everything else will be fair game. All this is in preparation for the upcoming move. When Sandy picked up the tree this weekend, she hinted that she liked two of the chairs and they are two I am looking at letting go. We shall see. It will be all about what the new space looks like. One thing is for sure, I am pondering switching up to a King bed for a change, especially since Damon is visiting on a regular basis. The Queen is just a tad cozy.  Not that that is a bad thing!

What A Grand Day!

Today is not only Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday, but also the second inauguration of President Obama.  For me it is a good day, makes me smile and yet far be it a holiday at our office.  No, Mark does not like giving time off.  In fact, Memorial Day is our next day off.

This is Damon's last full day in Seattle and he flies out just before noon tomorrow.  It has been a fun trip and it will be hard knowing I will not see him again until late March.  He is arriving on the 26th just in time to help finish packing up the apartment.  Then the move will happen on the weekend of the 30-31st of March.  I am bummed to move, but little option with the increase in rent and reduction in pay.  Not a good combination.  While I am sad to see him go, I am also excited at the fact that I will have some much needed quiet time for a change.

Voo-Doo, You Do So Well

After a mellow evening and it was shattered at 3AM as I awoke with a horrific neck ache.  They had just replaced the beds, which was fabulous, but still using crappy little pillows with no support.  Damon was awesome and went down to the front desk only to return with three real pillows!  Yeah!  He also gave me a fantastic neck massage that was sorely needed.  Every pun intended!  Finally a bit more sleep and then up for coffee with an old friend who wanted to meet Damon.  And where else, but VooDoo doughnuts, but we were smart and met up at the location out on Sandy Blvd.

Damon and I arrived first and decided on having their Bacon topped Maple Bars.  They are fun and we went ahead and got a dozen for the office to experience.

While waiting for Lin's arrival, Damon hammed it up on the casket bench and then played some old-fashion pinball machines.  Soon Lin arrived and we got to enjoy a leisurely hour of catching up and he was pleased to meet Damon.

Yes, below is Lin and I actually got him to pose for a photo which he really does not like to do.  After we parted company, it was back to the hotel and got checked out.  Brunch plans got canceled and we were off to see Lisa and Mark so Damon could do some computer consulting.  I was able to make some long delayed phone calls and soon we were headed north.

A quiet night at home watching Southpark episodes and some movies plus enjoyed a tuna, black bean casserole with sun-dried tomato Alfredo sauce.  This has proven to be a favorite of Damon's.  With the new year I have been cooking more and more at home and it is not only good and tasty, but a lot cheaper.  Especially helpful with the recent change in my take-home pay.

Post Theatre - Pre Portland

The weekend is proving to be quite enjoyable.  Book of Mormon was a true delight.  Laughed a lot and yes, was even shocked a couple of times, but all in good fun.  When there is an entire song about "F*#k you God" you know you are in for a wild ride.  My favorite scene had to be the Mormon Hell Dream complete with dancing Starbuck's Coffee Cups.  It was a packed house and they were scalping tickets out front for up to $900!  That is just insane.  We enjoyed a quiet dinner afterwards as today was going to be a full day.  But true to form, within the hour of getting home Damon had downloaded both a video of the show and the original cast recording!

We were up early and got things in order at the apartment, the main thing, getting the Christmas tree packed up and out it went after enjoying a wonderful Chinese lunch at Shanghai Garden.  In  addition to Sandy and Allen, Jodie and Rob joined us and were quite generous in that they surprised us all by treating us to lunch.  Then we were on the road south to Portland arriving in time to get settled at the hotel and then picking up my sister, Janet and friend before heading off to Tad's Chicken 'N Dumplings for dinner.  It is an old time restaurant right on the Sandy River and was a delight to have a leisurely dinner.  Janet was also quite generous in treating all of us and I must say the chicken livers were so moist and delicious plus the oysters were a true delight.  It was a full day, but a good one!

Tonight - The Book of Mormon

No I did not cut off his head, it is the way the poster for the show shows it.  And tonight is the night we head to see this show that has been SOLD OUT for months and does so in every city it goes to.  Several people have told me how good it is and I know Connie has been waiting months to talk about it as she did not want to give anything away.

For me, it is going to a real treat in that I have not seen a brand new Broadway Musical in a long time.  Most of the shows that are touring over the past three years have been reruns of past shows or else something that has not interested me at all and so this will be fun.  I shall be sure to share my thoughts with you and the weekend adventure to Portland.  Bring on the weekend.

Not The Best Of Days

So if you have not quite picked up, this has not been the best of weeks for me.  A couple of bright moments have been Damon visiting plus the good news from Dr. Lindquist and the anticipation of both tomorrow night's show and then heading to Portland for the weekend. 

Only a couple of times in my working career have I EVER slammed the door on my office.  Today was one of those rare times.  It totally shocked the staff, and yet I was livid.  I do not like office politics and yet somehow, I get to be in the middle of them all too often.  I have just about had it. 

Drove home and was in a bit of a foul mood to the point that there was some tension between Damon and myself.  It allowed for us to have a civil, yet heated discussion and in the end we see that we have different backgrounds and thus different perspectives on things.  Not wrong, just different.  We were able to go ahead and enjoy the evening and I must say watching The Daily Show with Jon Stewart as well as The Colbert Report does bring a smile to my face.

Tonight's dinner was a tuna noodle casserole with peas in an Alfredo sauce.  Damon loves tuna and it is the 2nd time this week we have indulged in it.  Tomorrow will be a simple dinner before theatre.  A real treat awaits us on Saturday morning of lox and bagels with tomato, lettuce, cream cheese and capers.  Yes, sometimes food is a great mind break, but in moderation!

I Wish I Was An Echinoderm.

As I try and find time to breath I came across an entry in a blog and thought I would share. At times, it would make life so much more simple...

I wish I was an echinoderm.

That's my dream.

You could think of an echinoderm as a sloth of the sea. Sea Urchins, sea stars, and starfish. They have no brains, just a ring like nerve system. Moving almost motionless across the ocean floor searching for food like kelp and dead things they happen to crawl upon. Crawling along with out a care, just eating and crawling. A sea star, the largest of the echinoderms, will haul ass after a snail at a snail’s pace following the slime trial. I watched on the TV this unfolding of events, in fast motion, the snail slinking along just in front of the sea star, the sea star was ever so slightly faster. Then the snail was just escargot.

Echinoderms don't have to pay bills, or find someone to date, or have the McPherson struts replaced in their car, or code a computer program in Visual Basic, or refill their Loreazopam prescription, or have old guys at the bar ask you if you want to be in a three-way or fourgy with them, or cry out to a God they've never seen, or fix a nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometer with a rubber band.

Do echinoderms suffer the pain of indecision? Do they fantasize about a life that doesn't so closely resemble hell?

But I suppose they can't appreciate how a double butterscotch cafe mocha with whipped cream is a cup of liquid bohemian Zen. Thick and hot, bitter and salty, yet sweet and frumious, like a Bandersnatch. A caffeinated orgasm of art. Each cup made one at a time by the hand of Rob, the hansom coffee monger, thick blond hair, big blue eyes, deep resonating voice, dark ruby lips, smooth pale skin. A little of this. Some of that. Could you make a pentagram with the whipped cream? Fabulous. Best served with an accompaniment of chatter about sex or food or sex with food or whatever. Okay, I really don't know if a Bandersnatch is sweet, anymore than I know if I'd really like being an echinoderm.

-- Brad

The visit to the doctor yesterday went VERY well and had some interesting components. Lost 5.8 pounds and that was a fine transition from the past 4 months. Back on track and moving forward in spite of all that is going on. Additionally, Dr. Lindquist shared that if I had not gotten back in the swing, he feared I would not survive 5 more years. That was a bit of a shock and a wake-up call. I have come a long way, but I have a long way to go. Additionally, I have been asked to speak to the nursing staff at Swedish Hospital and go over the various items that can assist bariatric patients. Should be interesting. Enjoyed last night at Heather & Deb's place and Damon got a lot of work done on their computers. He is developing quite the business network up here which is good in that it keeps him coming back and I get to enjoy the benefit of that. Appears he will be returning at the end of March.

Not Trying To Be A Broken Record, But...

It is so frustrating to realize that you are not valued as employee after 15+ years of service to a firm. He tells me how valuable I am and then turns around and does not do a 5% or even 10% cut, no, let's go for the grand slam. It is going to hurt no doubt and oh how I want to just walk away, but that is not an option right now for one primary reason = insurance. After last year's experience of $1.25 million hospital stay, it proved just how important it really is. Funny, my co-worker who is the controller, and I have a short meeting each day and we realize it is to get each other through the day. She is so ready to walk out the door and yet we both have the same two factors working against us right now = weight and age.

This afternoon I have my weigh-in at Dr. Lindquist and then Damon and I will head over to some friend's house so he can work on their computers. I will go along for the social element. He has been doing some work while he is here and that is a good thing. Always good to earn some money while on vacation per se. Tomorrow we have a mellow evening and the Friday we will go see "Book of Mormon" which I have only heard positive things about. 

 

Saturday morning my friend Sandy stops by and gets the tree and it heads south to Longview. We will head south to Portland after lunch with Sandy, Rob & Jodie. Likely going to do Chinese which is a favorite across the street. Down in Portland there will be dinner with my sister and maybe a friend Darlene. She lost a very dear friend recently and so it will be nice to take her out for dinner. We will spend the night at a hotel and then Sunday brunch with friends and a quick visit with some others before heading back north.

Monday is going to be quite the day with Obama's 2nd inauguration plus MLK, Jr. Day and that evening I am hosting a couple of friend's for dinner and then the playing of the first game on a vintage board game - Gay Monopoly. It was a Christmas present from Damon and it has never been used before. It was made over 20 years ago and had to be pulled from store shelves as Parker Brothers was not happy about it. The gay version was put out by "Parker Sisters" and that really pissed off the original company. Anywho, it should be fun and then Damon heads home on Tuesday morning. The 10 day visit spanning 2 weekends was a tryout this time and works out quite nicely. Just not sure when the next visit will be. Now that Florida trip is canceled, guess I will have some time on my hands.

The Shoe Has Dropped

Well, I knew it was coming, just not how bad it would be. Got the email from my boss, the owner, today:

We are going to do a flat thousand dollars a month; however, I am working on a way to bonus you based upon the new star system and event profit, so based upon increasing customer service and profit. If we do it correctly then you should have the potential of earning more than you do now. Not sure how the new star system works yet, it should be up by Wednesday so we can begin collecting data. I believe even with that you are still making more than anyone in the company other than myself when you look at a whole year (obviously a salesperson or telemarketer might have the potential to make more than you in some specific two week period).

We can also revisit your pay if our leads jump back up and look like we are going to be stable. If we are lucky Chicago will be a great market. If it is similar to Houston and Dallas then it will offset what has happened in Santa Clara.

His bull above will not pan out, I can tell you that. He will expect me to work all the harder and with a pay reduction. I am now making less than when I was on medical leave - how messed up is that? Yes, I need the insurance right now and bills have to be met, but let me tell you, it has lit the fire to move on big time. 

 

Damon was very supportive tonight when I got home, I was not in a good mood at all. 

Otherwise, it has been very low key and I am working very very hard to keep work and home separated. It is just not worth letting it ruin my entire day. Sorry this has not been the most positive of messages so here is to tomorrow being a better day.

Catan & Seahawks

Every other week, I have the joy of having Moonsong come in and clean.  He is amazing.  Today, he and my friend Jeff came over and we played Catan. It was the first time to play for Damon.  He learned quickly.  Great game and it was funny. I play the game for fun and both times yesterday I ended up winning, much to the chagrin of two others. They are cut throat and so it is all the more amusing.

While it was wonderful to win, it was sad to see the Seahawks get victory ripped from their hands in the final 31 seconds of their game.  As they say, there is always next year.

Made an interesting dish this night of black beans, tuna and sun-dried tomato Alfredo sauce over rice. We enjoyed dinner and then watched "Ghost Town" which was a fun and amusing movie, much needed before heading back into the salt mine

The Best Laid Plans...

Awoke this morning to icy conditions plus reports of over 70 accidents on I-5 yesterday due to the cold temps and wet weather.  Not a good combination.  Thus, we stayed in and watched movies for the day.  Seriously, it was a total blah day and that was just fine.  In full disclosure, I am posting a few days to catch u as the week proved to not be a good one and have been distracted.  Keep on going!

Ah, The Weekend Is Here

After a week of rather bland postings, I felt we needed a bit of festive fun to kick off the weekend.  I got this image from a friend's posting on facebook - Thanks Perry.  It is the weekend and there is a lot going on with cold weather, my run down to Portland might not happen, we shall see how the roads are.  If no problem, we (that would be Damon and moi) will head south tomorrow morning and spend the weekend.  Dinner with Janet and a relaxing time showing his the sights & sounds of the City of Roses.  Damon arrives this evening at around 9pm and then we will have a late supper. 

It is brisk up here in the Emerald City and last night I had to turn on the heat for the first time this season.  Yes, it got that COLD!  Boy, for a small heater it sure packs a punch.  But I am so not complaining.  Slept like a baby last night.  After a breakfast today of yogurt with protein powder and some blueberry flavoring, it was off to the office this morning in the cold.  We are talking mid-20's folks and there were some slick spots.  Did see at least two cars spun out and hitting the ditch.  Why do people just slow down and all would be good!

So if no snow we will drive to Portland, but if there is nasty weather it will be hanging out at the apartment and the visit south can occur the next weekend.  I do like having flexibility.  The Christmas tree will also be going bye-bye next weekend as it finds a new home with my friends Sandy & Allen down in Longview.  She has admired the tree a long time and with the upcoming move, it is time for change.  Sure, I am not moving until spring, but folks, that is only 79 days away.  Bring it on.

A Year Ago

Hello to all.  Yes, I made it into the office this day.  It was more of a need, than a desire.  One year ago was the day I ended up starting a 95 days stay in the hospital.  Last night was filled with reliving many of the moments from that stay and more than once woke up crying and thinking back on how fortunate I am and the wonderful people that surround me.  I am so thankful for the angels and the dear friends that fill my life.  It was a rough day at the office and I did not make it through the entire day. 

While the morning was kicked off with oatmeal and a very milked down coffee, once home from the office I enjoyed some scrambled eggs to keep with the calm theme going.  A nap is on the agenda and a very mellow evening.  I am trying to get ready as Damon arrives tomorrow for an 11 day visit and hopefully we are going to make a quick trip down to Portland to see Janet and enjoy dinner at Tad Chicken N' Dumplings out past Troutdale on the Sandy River.  The only thing that might hinder that is the weather forecast and so I am going to keep my eye on what is happening.  It is suppose to be a bit snowy and icy on Saturday and that would be a bad thing.  Will likely get back to some visuals in the near future.  Just did not want to plaster the blog with medical symbols and such, not pretty. 

Ditto Yesterday

Well, it is day two at home and in bed.  Actually tried to get up and make it to the office, but since taking a shower was a chore unto itself, decided to be smart and stay home.  Afternoon television really is bad I have to share.  Thankfully I did sleep a lot, but it just seems that unless you are thinking about going to school, getting a divorce or need an endless list of weight loss opportunities, then there is little to capture your attention.

What was a success was the chance to finally eat some bland eggs and yogurt that stayed down, but wait - it gets so much more exciting as I ate a chicken breast for dinner.  Yes, a complete and naked chicken breast - totally bland.  And some asparagus did join in the dining experience.  Simple and clean and it was a joy to actually taste something for a change.  Did I happen to mention I have been flooding my system with 8+ liters of water a day.  Perhaps tomorrow I will be back among the living to share a bit of different insight on the world.  Cheers!

Hello From Sick Bay

After yesterday's episode I am flat on my back today.  Did not get out of bed other than to head for the bathroom.  Not very exciting to be sure.  I do not like being sick.  But I did have time to dwell on my current work situation, not a good thing.  It is not fun working at E&A and now all the more important that I proceed in making my plans solid on departure. It will not be rash, but there is no staying on for the infinite future. I have to have insurance and whatever I do I will need to be able to maintain a level of livability. So that is why my friends you have not heard from me in a few days. Wish I could make it sound better somehow, but it is what it is. Reality sucks at times. Catch you later.

Not a Good Way to Start the Week

Monday was HORRIBLE! We fired 5 people in outlying offices. Oh, sorry, I am suppose to use the term laid-off. Whatever. I was already miserable at that when Mark dropped the bombshell on me. I am not hosting the Florida trip and oh by the way you can't go on the cruise, I need you here.  The only reason I have hung in for this long was the opportunity to still travel on the company's dime. It makes up for a lot of the crap I have been dealing with. So went home and proceeded to get quite ill. Physically ill. Fever and diarrhea among other things = not fun. Ruled out food poison and that is when I knew it was due to stress.  And that my friends was how the week began!

The 12th Day of Christmas Brunch

Today I hosted 6 people for a 12th Day of Christmas brunch and it was a lovely time for all. They arrived around 10am and we proceeded to enjoy Proseco to kick off the celebration and yes by the end of the brunch had polished off three bottles. There were three different flavors of quiches that Jodie had made and then people had a choice of turkey kielbasa or Andouille sausage.



No your eyes are not deceiving you, the above is a special edition of Seahawk Doughnuts made especially by Top Pot Doughnuts.  There were also other Top Pot doughnuts (probably the best in the city) for people to enjoy. I sent all the extras of those off with people as I do not need any of the extra calories right now. Yes, I did enjoy a maple bar, but then I stopped. Most of the group departed after a bit, but a couple stayed and we talked played a few games and then they departed once they knew the Seahawks game had begun and thus the roads would not be so crazy. In fact, that was why over half the crowd left early was to get to various Seahawk parties. Well, they won and so it starts all over next week as well. Oh joy! The only good thing is that they are on the road for all the games so it is not nearly as bad as it would be if they were playing at home. 

 

I refuse to wear blue and green anything. Yes, it is nice they are in the playoffs.  I will not miss living by the two stadiums once I move. On the various game days it is nearly impossible to get around. So once the house was cleared, by about 2pm, a nap followed that was more than welcomed. But, once up, it was time to prep for dinner as Markie was stopping by and we enjoyed brussel sprouts, salad and Sockeye Salmon. I had never cooked it before and went online and found the following very simple recipe. It proved to be delish and I actually made 2lbs. so now have some leftover for a salmon salad. Here is the recipe... 

Sockeye Salmon

Serves 2
Prep Time 30 seconds, cook time 12 minutes.
1 lb (16 ounces) of fresh salmon fillet with the skin on(most restaurants will serve a 6 ounce portion)
1 tsp of sea salt
1 tsp of fresh ground pepper
2 tbsp of butter

Cut the salmon in two pieces, pat dry with a paper towel and evenly spread the salt and pepper on the flesh. Heat an oven safe skillet on the stove top to medium high heat. Add the the butter to the pan(the pan is slightly to hot if the butter browns immediately). Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the salmon, flesh side down, in the pan and sear for about 1-2 minutes until a bit of a crust appears. Flip the salmon and place the entire pan in the oven for 10 minutes for a piece of salmon that is about 1 inch thick at its fattest point (adjust the cooking time slightly depending on how thick the fish is). Remove from oven, serve with your favourite salad and Enjoy! 

 

Markie hung around until nearly 8pm and by 9pm this guy was in bed ready to sleep the night away knowing tomorrow was going to be a tad crazy.  It is no fun having to lay off staff.  UGH!

A Day of Chores

With the New Year under way and moving less than three months away, it is time to start packing up the closets and weeding out stuff that has piled up for 7 years.  Cannot believe I have been in Seattle that long and now I will be moving to another part of town to gain a different perspective.  I awoke at 4:15am this day and hit the ground running.

Garbage and recycling was followed by loads of laundry and dishes.  The basics done it was time for breakfast of oatmeal and coffee.  Enjoyed reading the NYTimes as it will soon be a memory.  With the price going to nearly $70 a month it is time to let it go.  I still might treat myself to the Sunday edition from time to time.  Likewise, I released my subscription to The New Yorker this past week.  Again, the price had gone just too high at over $100 for the coming year.  There is a breaking point and they have reached it.  Much like the building where I am living now, they are raising the rent just too much, it has become cheaper to move than to stay.

More sorting and getting the big closet in shape and making a huge shift in that when I got out of the hospital last year, my clothes were moved to the hall closet for easier access.  Well, that all shifted back to the large closet this day.  A real marker of life getting back to normal.  I have multiple bags, boxes, etc. ready to go to Goodwill this week.  It is refreshing to let go and release.  Pausing for a light lunch of Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato soup I was back at it after a quick nap.  Yes, I do believe in blending work and pleasure.

By 5pm it was time to wind down and enjoy reading and some news.  As I write this a favorite dinner is cooking away.  A bed of asparagus with Alfredo sauce and on top are two chicken breast.  Cook for about 30 minutes and then poof, a delightful dinner.  Rick Steve's Europe is on PBS as I know I will likely watch a movie tonight.  But it will be to bed early as tomorrow I host a 12th Day of Christmas Brunch and so will need to be up early to get it ready.  For now - Cheers!

Memories of Boxing Day

Why yes, that is a Piggy Hat from the Angry Birds merchandising!  Took it over to Michael's place in Long Beach, WA.  Drove down on Christmas morning and it was such a delight to drive through the snow that I ran into from Olympia until about Edna.  The roads were plowed and yet it was a winter wonderland.  Arrived before dark and we began to enjoy some of the wine I brought.  Thinking I had brought enough, alas, it was not as we had to get a couple more the next day for our Boxing Day celebration.

Here is Michael, a long time friend who is a dear, dear friend and we have had this tradition for years to come together for Boxing Day, but it was interrupted last year (2011) dues to my health issues which made this celebration all the more special.  Christmas dinner was roasted chicken and cauliflower with melted cheese.  It was so good and simple.  Wine flowed freely and we had a great time catching up and exchanging gifts.  Sleep arrived early at 9pm.  There is something about the beach that is just so relaxing.

Michael loves life and his dogs and you might have noticed Missy in the upper photo.  Hank was likely resting on the futon.  He has sure mellowed over the years.  One of my first times meeting Hank years ago is when he got out of the truck in Astoria and ran and ran for who knows how long.  It was a real challenge to find him, but in the end, I think he realized we were not going home without him.  Yes, we were exhausted at the end of that adventure oh so long ago.  He is an amazing cook and while Christmas dinner was delightful, oh what a treat arrived on Boxing day.

Yes, this is just a scary photo, but I thought I would share how long the beard got and today, I got my hair cut and beard trimmed, but I am getting away from the story.  We awoke on Boxing Day, December 26th, and had a very lazy morning followed by a trip to Astoria to get gas and run errands.  On the way back we stopped at one of Michael's favorite haunts, a sports bar called the Lost Roo and it was a delight.  It was back to the house and a nap or two followed. 

Michael cooked up a storm as we enjoyed cocktails and he prepared a fabulous prime rib roast and then made Yorkshire pudding from scratch.  Amazing!  Then add brussel sprouts and he made a heavy cream horseradish sauce which was just divine on the prime rib.  Wine followed and then the fireworks were set off.  We laughed and soon it was off to bed knowing that a trip back to reality was in store when I awoke.  another amazing escape to the beach - Thank You Michael.

Birthday Memories

For my birthday in December, Damon and I enjoyed brunch up on top of the Space Needle on Saturday and then hosted a vodka/latke party on Sunday as I do love vodka and it was the first full day of Hanukkah! A nice turn out and the whole celebration was a lot of fun.  At the brunch, we happen to run into Santa and his helpers.  They were dressed to match the Space Needle.  Who knew there was red, green and silver lame fabric.  Quite amusing.

We enjoyed a lovely brunch and cocktails plus the day was one of the few while he was visiting that it was not raining.  He makes it up for about a week each month. Returns on the 11th of January for an extended stay. We are thinking of making a Portland run for the first weekend.  He does make me laugh and smile and is so not what I have fallen for in the past. Best description I have used is part caveman and part rabbi!  So you be the judge...

Well, now that I have figured out how I have to go about uploading photos I can continue posting them on the blog.  They talk about making things easier and I have to say, what used to be a one step process is not a three step process.  That my friends is not progress!

Ho, Ho, Ho - What a Festive Tree!

Tonight is about doing something rather funny. This year, while the tree did get put up, there is not a single ornament on the tree. I just never got the itch to do it. The lights look great and under the tree I have a small collection of stuffed animals that I have put there every year. 

Well, this Sunday I am having 5 people over for a 12th Day of Christmas brunch. I have decided to take the stuffed animals, in that I counted them last night and have 12 (ok so it is 13 but hey it is all for fun!) and put them up throughout the tree. I think it will be amusing and festive. Hey, it is fun to be a kid every once in a while.  Yes, I do enjoy this time of year.  Happy Holidays!

Welcome 2013!

Hello and I want to wish all who are stopping by a very Happy New Year!  What a difference a year makes.  Last year I was dealing with some pretty severe health issues and today I sit here looking back and counting my blessings and thanking all the angels who made my recovery such a success.  The blog took a back seat for a while as the fall saw me have several things happen that turned my world upside down.  One significant thing has to be meeting Damon in Chicago back in September.  He is a delight and makes me laugh and smile a lot.  While he does live in Texas and I am in Washington we are able to see each other about once a month.  I do like having the time with him and at the same time having my own time to keep moving forward.

Some health issues arose and addressed and we are back on track and that is a good thing.  Did get hit with that evil flu bug that just flew through our office and thought I had escaped it only for it to take me down on my 53rd birthday.  Did not stop the party, but boy did I pay for it the next three days.  Damon was up visiting and was an amazing nurse maid.  He returns in 10 days for another visit and we will be heading down to Portland so I can show him some of the things I love about the City of Roses.

This day marks my re-commitment to the blog and also a new chapter in letting go as I continue to clean out the closets and donating a lot of stuff that I have not touched in my 7 years of living here at the Uwajimaya Apartments.  Alas, that will be coming to an end at the end of March as the management decided to do an obscene rent increase and parking almost doubled.  It is just insane.  When you make it cheaper to move than to stay, you loose people.

And how could this first day of the new year not see yet another edition of the Tournament of Roses Parade.  I watched the 124th annual event and was amused at how interactive it was with some of the highlights being a parade waiving Jesus at the pearly gates which was just odd.  The wedding that happened right on the float from Farmer's Insurance and the float where the service man totally surprised his wife and son in front of the billions of people watching at home and the hundreds of thousands live along the parade route.  I did notice the bottle of champagne within arm's reach to use to celebrate once the wedding was done.  Happy New Year indeed.

Thus, it is good to be back and we shall see how it goes.  I am planning to look back and get some old postings done to share and will reference them as they happen.  Work is changing a lot too and will update as I get more confirmed items that should begin starting tomorrow, but for tonight it is off to enjoy a second shrimp cocktail as I had made so much I could not enjoy it all last night.  Be well and all the best in 2013.