YES, WE DID!

i'm still in a state of shock mixed with an overwhelming sense of relief. i am still stunned to say that i live in a country that has elected (by an overwhelming majority in both popular and electoral votes) a black president. i look forward a time of healing to make amends for the divisive politics of the last 8 years. i have a huge amount of respect for the graciousness of mccain's concession speech. but obama's speech was just awe-inspiring. (in case you missed it, watch or read it again) i had goosebumps the whole time he was speaking. i am pleased that he acknowledged that change will not come immediately. his ability to set expectations and keep the momentum will be pivotal to his success.

on a sad note, 3 more states decided that i shouldn't be allowed to marry my partner. boo hiss!

so today i'm grateful for . . . the chance to believe and hope again

big news . . .

From 1134 Listing Pics

so the house sold! i signed closing papers this am and it should all be recorded/funded by wednesday. what a relief! now mac and i can focus on our house and getting that to be what we want it to be.

thought i'd share the news.

today i'm grateful for . . . an 11th hour offer that was close enough to get the house off my hands and a great gf that made it look great enough to sell

Food ...

so a friend of mine recently posted this and i had to do the same. mac says i talk about food the way people talk about politics (which i do with some passion too as anyone who's watched a debate with me can tell you ... thank you bd!)

Here’s what I did for the Omnivore’s Hundred:

1) Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions.
2) Bold all the items you’ve eaten.
3) Cross out any items that you would never consider eating.
4) Optional extra: Post a comment here at www.verygoodtaste.co.uk linking to your results.

The VGT Omnivore’s Hundred:

1. Venison
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros
4. Steak tartare
5. Crocodile
6. Black pudding
7. Cheese fondue
8. Carp
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush
11. Calamari
12. Pho
13. PB&J sandwich
14. Aloo gobi
15. Hot dog from a street cart
16. Epoisses
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes
19. Steamed pork buns
20. Pistachio ice cream
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Foie gras
24. Rice and beans
25. Brawn, or head cheese (flesh of a boar)
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper
27. Dulce de leche
28. Oysters
29. Baklava
30. Bagna cauda
31. Wasabi peas
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl
33. Salted lassi
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root Beer Float
36. Cognac with big cigar
37. Clotted cream tea
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O
39. Gumbo
40. Oxtail
41. Curried Goat
42. Whole insects I really cannot see why this is on this list????
43. Phaal - Indian Curry dish - I’ve had curry but not a traditional curry dish, I would say
44. Goat’s milk
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more
46. Fugu (japanese dish, it’s a pufferfish.. no way, no-how)
47. Chicken tikka masala - Ry and I are on the hunt to find and try… hopefully soon.
48. Eel
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut
50. Sea urchin
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi - japanese pickled sour plum, apparently good for whatever ails you, especially a hangover.
53. Abalone
54. Paneer
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal
56. Spaetzle
57. Dirty gin martini
58. Beer above 8% ABV
59. Poutine
60. Carob chips
61. S’mores
62. Sweetbreads
63. Kaolin
64. Currywurst
65. Durian
66. Frog’s Legs
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake
68. Haggis
69. Fried plantain
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette
71. Gazpacho
72. Caviar and blini
73. Louche absinthe
74. Gjetost, or brunost - Brown cheese from Norway -
75. Roadkill - Now that’s just silly
76. Baijiu
77. Hostess Fruit Pie
78. Snail
79. Lapsang souchong
80. Bellini
81. Tom yum
82. Eggs Benedict
83. Pocky
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant.
85. Kobe beef
86. Hare
87. Goulash
88. Flowers
89. Horse
90. Criollo chocolate
91. Spam
92. Soft shell crab
93. Rose harissa
94. Catfish
95. Mole poblano
96. Bagel and lox
97. Lobster Thermidor
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Snake -

So Here’s what I did for Slashfood’s Top 100:

1) Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions.
2) Bold all the items you’ve eaten.
3) Cross out any items that you would never consider eating.
4) Optional extra: Post a comment here at Slashfood’s post linking to your results.

Slashfood’s 100 must-eat American foods

1. New York pizza
2. Hoppin’ John
3. New Mexico green chile
4. Homemade buttermilk biscuits
5. Tasso
6. Whole Main Lobster
7. Calabash-style shrimp and hushpuppies
8. Kansas City barbecue ribs
9. Hot glazed Krispy Kreme
10. San Diego fish tacos
11. Cheese curds
12. Key lime pie
13. Philly Cheese Steak
14. Memphis pork BBQ sandwich
15. Lowcountry boil
16. Huckleberry pie
17. New England clam chowder
18. Boiled Peanuts – makes me homesick to think about …
19. Buffalo burger
20. Eggs Benedict
21. Pastrami on rye
22. Corned beef and cabbage
23. Pancakes with maple syrup
24. Everything bagel with cream cheese and tomato
25. Thin Mints (preferably frozen)
26. Frito pie
27. Potato knish with mustard
28. Silver Queen corn on the cob
29. Soft pretzel from a street cart
30. Fresh-picked blueberries
31. Sourwood honey
32. State fair funnel cake
33. Chesapeake crab cakes
34. Candied yams
35. Oyster dressing
36. Snow cone or snowball
37. Wild Alaskan salmon
38. Sautéed morels
39. Persimmon pudding
40. General Tsao’s Chicken
41. Frozen custard
42. Italian sausage with peppers and onions on a hoagie bun
43. Chili dog
44. Buffalo wings with blue cheese
45. Spam musubi
46. Saltwater taffy
47. Fluffernutter sandwich on Wonder Bread
48. Black and white cookie
49. Frybread
50. BLT with thick-cut applewood bacon
51. Baked beans
52. Pumpkin pie
53. Collards with vinegar and Tabasco
54. Tex-Mex fajitas with skirt steak and sautéed peppers
55. Fried green tomatoes
56. Succotash
57. Shrimp and grits
58. Hot water cornbread
59. Barbecue chicken pizza with red onions
60. Chicken fried steak
61. Carnitas burrito
62. Apple butter
63. Geoduck
64. Soft-serve ice cream cone dipped in chocolate shell (especially Dairy Queen)
65. Pecan pie
66. Catfish supper at a church or firestation
67. Oysters Rockefeller
68. Homemade cranberry sauce
69. Pimiento cheese
70. Moon Pie washed down with R.C. Cola
71. Pickled watermelon rind
72. Cracker Jacks at the ball game
73. Smithfield ham
74. Meatloaf and mashed potato blue plate special at a diner
75. Chicken and waffles
76. Po’Boy
77. Green bean casserole with French’s fried onions
78. Stuffed sopaipillas
79. Turducken
80. Shad roe on toast
81. Sweet potato casserole with or without marshmallows
82. Cioppino
83. New York cheesecake
84.Pan-fried river trout
85.Jambalaya
86. North Carolina pig pickin’
87. California rolls
88. Burgoo
89. Penuche fudge
90. Fried peanut butter and banana sandwich (the Elvis)
91. Scrapple or livermush
92. Elk medallions in red wine reduction
93. Muscadine grapes
94. Cheeseburger at backyard barbecue
95. Open-face turkey sandwich
96. Burgoo Chicago deep dish pizza
97. Cobb salad
98. Peach pie a la mode
99. Macaroni and cheese with Tilla - mook sharp cheddar
100. Root Beer Float

now most people know i'm a food hound. i love to cook, shop for food, talk about food, read about food, you name it. so it should be no surprise that this list looks like it does.

enjoy ... pass it along. and for pete's sake, eat something!

so i know it's kinda ridiculous but . . .

life's been a little nuts. we've spent that last few months settling into the new house and doing some improvements. we're finally getting the yard to where we'd like it and even had a housewarming party a few weekends ago. work's been absolutely nuts and i have a *huge* project going live one week from today. yeah, i know ... and we're still scramblin' to get it done.

this past week we went to tampa for my mom's big 50th birthday celebration. mac got to meet the whole fam damily! as expected, they loved her and she seemed to come out unscathed. it was very nice to be able to show her where i grew up and what schools i went to and have her experience my grandmother's cooking. i think she's got the full picture now and still seems to want to stick around. yay! i get to go meet her mom in a few weeks and we're hoping it goes as well.

we hit our 1 yr anniversary last week before we left. i can't believe it's been that long and it also seems ridiculously short given all that's happened in the last year. i could never have predicted that we'd be where we are today back then but i guess that's part of the good stuff. it took us both totally by surprise and it's been a very nice ride so far.

the house still sits on the market. i'm about to pull it off & rent it. i need to start making the $$ stretch a bit more and just can't afford to have it sit empty any longer. anyone know of someone looking to rent a cute house send 'em my way pls.

so today i'm thankful for . . . an amazing year with an amazing woman and a great life to boot

my newest love . . .

so this morning after a short night of sleep we were awakened by the delivery guys bringing our new range. isn't she pretty? i know, i know. only a total nerd would be excited at 730 in the morning when someone brings a new range. we've been debating about getting a new one since we moved into the new house. there was a new one there but we didn't like it. it was huge and just not *us*. so when it turned out that mac's house needed a new range, we decided to get ourselves the one we wanted and take the one in the new house over to her place. worked out nicely given that we finally sold our wolf cooktop and wall oven we'd bought at christmas. they were beautiful and our *dream* appliances. we found a slamming deal on 'em on craigslist and took a gamble and just bought 'em. turns out there was no way to configure the new kitchen to accommodate them so we had to sell 'em. got our $$ back out of 'em and spent 1/3 on the new range. it's so pretty. this to go along with the new dishwasher we got at best buy the other day.

in other news, my house seems to be getting a good amount of traffic. we'll see what happens. we had an open house last weekend and will have another sunday the 22nd. mac's house is minutes away from being done. the renters move in on thursday . . . yes, *this* thursday. it's really coming together. we're looking forward to being able to focus on our place and start to get settled in here soon. it's been very nice to be able to enjoy doing all these projects together. we just laugh at all we've accomplished and still managed to have fun while setting a kitchen sink at 3 in the morning!

so today i'm thankful for . . . a beautiful house to share with a beautiful woman

i feel so untalented . . .

check this kid out . . .


he's pretty amazing for a 2YO.

the house is officially on the market . . .

so the house got officially listed yesterday (ML#8054351) and today was the broker's open. good reviews and the house is already being shown. phew! let's hope for the best.

thought i'd share the good news.

so today i'm thankful for . . . a great real estate agent and a great stager

it's done! . . . well almost

so we've got the house *done* enough to list. check out the pics. mac did an amazing job of designing this complete remodel. i couldn't have done it without her. as many of you have read, we started this project in the first week of march and, although we - ok well, *i*, have a few things to finish up it looks like we're ready to list the house. yay!

here are some pics of the finished project - i'll post here later when the house is listed so everyone can send it to all their friends & family to find a buyer! i'd love to keep the house *in the family* so to speak ... just too cool of a house to let go of completely. we've put a lot of heart & soul into this project. would hate to see someone come in & destroy the house.

anyways ... on that note ... here are the pics:



today i'm gratefule for . . . an amazing experience

big news . . .

so big changes are a-foot . . . what else is new, right? well, the big news is that mac and i bought a house together and we've moved in. my house is days away from being finished and listed by our fabulous real estate agent and mac's house seems to have rented. we moved in last weekend and are doing our best to settle in as we split our time working on our respective places. the new house is very cool and has a great story. it's only a few blocks from each of our current homes so it's nice to stay in the 'hood. we found it while out on a dog walk one night. mac will tell the long-winded story that makes me look bad but i'll keep it short and say i wasn't pleased to be walking as far as we ended up walking that cold rainy late night. but in the end it all worked out since we, in fact, now the owners of that cute house we happened upon. it's a super-cute 1924 bungalow that has only been owned by 3 families (including us). it was built along with the house next door by a brother and sister with their families in the middle of what was an apple orchard then. most of our neighbors have lived there since before i was even born so it's nice to live on an established block. the dogs seem to be working out their issues in a new space which is nice to see as well. i promise to post some pics soon and for those of you that are local, i'm sure the summer bbq season will be happening very soon.

in other happenings, mac and i took the opportunity to get away for the weekend for some much-needed r&r/quality time. my officemate was nice enough to take the pug for the weekend and boo came along for the ride. a friend of mine scored me *fantastic* seats to the storm home opener and we had a blast at the game. drove up on saturday and explored some of mac's old neighborhoods after having lunch at red mill burgers. after a quick stop at the hotel to shower and drop off the dog, we headed over to the kingfish cafe for a cocktail then off to key arena for the game. one of mac's friends met us for the game and then we headed back to the kingfish for dinner. we had a brief heart attack when boo was nowhere to be found in the hotel room upon our return. turns out he'd been a bit of a noisy nelly and they'd taken him to hang out at the reception desk. he was in his glory and just having a ball. we enjoyed a lazy morning on sunday before heading to meet some of mac's friends for brunch at a mexican place in the fremont 'hood (forgive me for not remembering the name). then headed back to portland.

we're already making plans for our next trip up so we can go to another game and check out the "American Sabor: Latinos in U.S. Popular Music" exhibit at the experience music project. all in all, it was a great weekend and has been a whirlwind of a couple of weeks. the work has been hard but the house is coming out great and our new house is amazing already. we are so pleased.

today i'm grateful for . . . an amazing partner which whom i get to share a home and many adventures

today's distraction . . .

happy popping!

no i'm just drunk . . .

i'll post more about the trip & being home soon but just had someone send this to me and i had to share!



enjoy!

greetings from the land of mosquitos . . .

so i'm finally back stateside although not quite home yet. i arrived in tampa, fl last night after a *long* day of traveling. my flight out of amsterdam was delayed by 4 hrs and that made me miss my connection in atlanta. so then i had the pleasure of sitting in hartsfield for another 3 hrs after going through customs. yay! luckily, in amsterdam i started talking to a cute older gay male couple that were also headed back to tampa. i ended up having dinner with them in atlanta and exchanging contact info. they had been together 23 yrs and were just plain adorable.

today i slept in a bit and got some laundry done and then had lunch with my grandparents before meeting my mom for a mani/pedi. my grandmother is hosting a family get-together on saturday evening so i can see the whole fam damily in one fell swoop. so far the guest list is at 30 . . . and that's just *immediate* family. did i mention i'm latin?

anywho, i'm pretty ready to be home. am counting the hours till sunday night. at least i'm back in cellphone range again and i've been able to talk to mac and send txts again. it's hot as hell here. i think it hit 90 today and of course the mosquitos are out in full force. i've been bitten 6x since i've been writing this post alone! ugh!

so today i'm thankful for . . . making it back safely and being able to go home soon!

almost home . . .

today is my last full day in europe. have met up with the cooleys and the myers in amsterdam and have been having a great time. we're in a coffeehouse . . . actually our third of the day . . . warming up from the chill outside.

went to the anne frank house this am . . . what an awe-inspiring experience. there was a secondary exhibition in the museum called "free2choose". i'll do some research on it when i get back and post a link.

tomorrow i'll spend all day traveling back through atlanta to tampa. on sunday, i'll head all the way home to portland. not soon enough . . . have had a ball but am definitely ready to sleep in a bed for more than 2 nights in a row. and i can't even begin to describe how much i miss mac and the dogs.

today i'm thankful for . . . fun friends to travel with and a great trip.

the tour is finally *over* . . .

so the tour is finally over and, while i had a good time, i am definitely ready for slower pace. the last few days have been quick and we have seen a lot but nothing i have really absorbed too deeply. the day in venezia was nice. the rain seemed to hold out for most of the day and we had a very charismatic city tour guide. we saw the highlights (the rialto, piazza san marco, il doges palace, did a gondola ride) but the highlighth has to be the guggenheim museum. i got to see my first kandinsky and pollocks in person and i cannot even begin to describe how amazing that was.

the next day we headed to lake como and did a cruise on the lake. the rain did *not* hold out that day and most of our cruise was rainy and foggy. we had a quick stop in bellagio for a coffee and then back on the boat and then the bus to our hotel. the tour planners had provided our tour directors with the wrong address for our hotel. so we had to backtrack up a very windy steep mountain to finally reach our hotel at approximately 9pm. it was worth it as we landed in a beautiful family-run hotel that held dinner for us. it was by far the best meal we had on the tour. the downside is that it made our trip to milan for the train approximately an hour longer than we'd expected. so the next morning, groggy and still raining, we headed back down the windy mountain road and hauled ass to milan. we literally *ran* for the train. we got our 27 ppl on board as the doors were closing. 5 hours later we arrived in rome.

the first night in rome we headed back into the city for a night bus tour. then did all the highlights with a city guide yesterday. the vatican was beautiful as was the colosseum and then the pantheon. we headed to the spanish steps then back to meet our group at the trevi fountain. we had dinner near the fountain and then headed back to the hotel as the rest of the group left around 4a today.

i hopped a shuttle from the hotel and then a train and then the subway and finally landed at my hotel around 1030am. luckily my room was ready. it's clean and seems safe enough so i can't really complain. i've spent the beautiful day roaming around at my own pace. found an irish pub and had to hop in (thinking of you ryan as i drank a guinness). am on my way to piazza navonna to get some lunch and just sit.

will try to post tomorrow when more internet cafes are open. head to amsterdam on tues and very much looking forward to some familiar and friendly faces waiting for me there.

i miss mac more than i can say. i've tried to call every day even if only for a few minutes. suki is back home with her and i'm missing her too.

today i'm thankful for . . . the fact that i'll be home in 7 days!

italy is amazing . . .

so in the last two days, we've been to firenze and bologna. firenze was beautiful. we went to il duomo & the ponte vecchio. did some shopping and today we drove 6 hours to jesolo di lido just outside of venice. we stopped in bologna. we saw the oldest university ... the oldest building was built in 1088. have had some fantastic food and wine. have yet to have a bad glass of wine.

tomorrow we're heading venezia and doing a gondola ride. should be fun. the tour ends on sunday the 13th. then i stay in roma for another 2 days before heading to amsterdam.

today i'm thankful for . . . the fact that it stopped raining

greetings from cinque terre . . .

so it is day 3 and we are in cinque terre. yesterday we left nice and made a stop in monte carlo, monaco for a few hours. we visited a parfumerie and then crossed the border into italia. we spent the night in sarzana and after dinner we went looking for the *disco bar* and instead found the bowling alley. it was full of teenagers and there was disco music playing but no dancing. we decided we should play a game. it was fun but i woke up this morning with a sore shoulder. well worth it tho.

this am as we headed out it was raining. felt like portland honestly. it did start to rain harder later but it has now cleared up and the sun is out. we are spending the afternoon here before heading back by train to la spezia to head to firenze tonight.

am having a good time but starting to get a bit tired of the pack mule/tour mentality. am definitely looking forward to 2 quiet days on my own schedule in rome.

have spoken to mac each day and am missing her like crazy. am looking forward to being home with her.

today i am thankful for . . . clearing skies and good seafood.

the eagle has landed . . .

so i have landed in nice, france and it is a beautiful day. have already visited the museum of modern art and am off to kill 3 hours watching the waves roll in from the mediterranean. i could think of worse ways to spend an afternoon. my mom arrives with the rest of the group around 3p and we head to italy tomorrow. i called mac from the hotel this am to let her know i had landed safely . . . of course it took me 30 mins to figure out how to make a call but i worked it out.

more soon ... i will try to post as often as i can.

today i am grateful for . . . a beautiful day on the french riviera

we're ready for liftoff . . .

so i leave for europe tomorrow. have been in tampa visiting family since tues am. has been good to catch up with folks and eat my grandma's food. i can't believe how *hot* it is down here. as soon as i got off the plane, it was like a wave of humidity smacked me in the face! how do people live here?

have been missing mac like crazy. the time is dragging and i don't know how i'll make it another 19 days! it'll be good for us i know but i missed her as i fell asleep last night.

am hoping to get internet access from europe so stay tuned for updates from my adventure!

today i'm thankful for . . . being able to make this trip.

dance . . .

so i've been watching america's best dance crew on mtv lately. i know, i know . . . it's reality tv but i have been a huge fan of so you think you can dance since the beginning so it's not a stretch. i am just blown away by the talent out there. anywho, i was reminded last night about a guy who auditioned for last season's so you think you can dance that didn't make it but they brought him back for the finale anyway because he was amazing. at this point, i'm bummed because i *know* the next season of so you think you can dance will start while i'm gone. hope mac can figure out how to tivo it for me!

here's the video . . . enjoy. this performance made me fall in love with this song and i think of it every time i hear it!


be sure to tune in tonight to catch the finale of america's best dance crew ... you'll be amazed!

kitchen update #4 . . .

the kitchen is coming along and i'm pleased to be able to see so much completed before i go. here's the next round of pics. the lower cabinets and pantry have been installed and the hardware is on them. the passthrough has been trimmed out from both sides of the opening. it looks great.



last night, mac stayed up till 130a getting a first coat of paint on the walls behind the upper cabinets as they get installed today. the color is fantastic! hopefully, the dishwasher will be in today too. the counter installers were out today making their template so that will go in while i'm gone.

the progress is great. am so excited to see so much done.

today i'm thankful for . . . a great designer/lover who can mix the perfect paint color from what she had lying around. now that's recycling!

kitchen update . . .

so the kitchen is coming along nicely. here are some new pics of the work. the pass through has been completed and just needs trim and the drywall is up where the new cabinets will go. the contractor has run the wiring for the new lights and appliances. i can't believe how quickly so much has gotten done. the cabinets go in tomorrow and then it's gonna start looking real. they come to make the template for the counters on thursday am.



mac and i had a nice weekend. friday my office closed early for the easter holiday so i picked up my taxes and ran some errands. also got the good news that the girl who was interested in my car wanted to buy it. she'll be picking it up today. yay! that takes a weight off of me and puts some cash back in my bank account. phew! i ran by rei to use my dividend on travel stuff and then picked mac up at work for an ikea date. we got a few things for the house and then went home to make dinner. saturday i took her to work and then went home to get some work done on the office. i packed up my computer and spackled some holes in the wall so we can paint . . . or rather she can paint while i'm gone. saturday night we had a date to go see some roller derby. we ran into erock oslama and sat on the floor close to the action. was loads of fun but i'll definitely bring something to sit on next time! we went back to my place afterwards so she could see all the work that had been done and we took a soak in the hot tub. was nice to relax after a crazy week.

sunday am we had the opportunity to sleep in and then made breakfast at home before heading to my place to meet up with sarah to do more electrical work at my house. mac starting painting the trim in the bedroom and then we ran by the store to get munchies before hosting the girls for the last 3 episodes of the l word. last night was the season finale and we had a marathon viewing session. was fun. we finally fell into bed around 130a after cleaning up the kitchen and taking the dogs for a much-needed spin around the block.

woke up this morning rather anxious as the countdown is now down to a week to my departure. so much to do, so little time.

so today i'm thankful for . . . the good fortune i have with a great lover, good friends, and a bright future

tick tock . . .

so the clock is ticking on my departure date and it's starting to get a bit overwhelming. the very thought of being away from mac for 3 weeks seems unbearable at the moment ... and then i have the thought of being away from my dog and it all becomes too much. i know it will be a blast once i get there but, to be honest, right now i don't even want to go.

on the house front, there's lots of activity. the floors have been installed. the orange marmoleum was a fantastic choice. it looks great and will look even better once the cabinets get installed on tuesday. then on thursday they come to make the template for the corian countertops. i won't see them installed before i leave but i'm sure the cabinets will make a huge difference. of course, if this were the only thing going on, the stress level wouldn't be so high but it's not! once we finish my kitchen, we'll be starting on mac's. we're suckers for punishment, i know. but hers needs it badly and we figure we'll be in practice.

the car has gotten some interest on craigslist and a woman came by last night to leave a deposit so she could take it to her mechanic today. am waiting for the phone to ring with her answer. it will be nice to have the $$ for the trip and house stuff. i love rosebud (my neighbor, wilson, named her - it fits) but i just can't justify owning a car when i drive all of 2,000 miles in 9 months . . . and that includes a trip to the coast! besides, the bike will get more action if i don't have a car to fall back on all summer. so keep your fingers crossed that her mechanic gives it his blessing and she buys it!

sunday is the season finale of the l word and the girls are coming over for a 3 episode extravaganza. great timing for me. i was worried i was going to miss the last episode. worked out nicely to move the yard sale to the following weekend. was just going to be too much.

almost forgot, we're going to see some roller derby this weekend. neither mac nor i had ever been so we got tickets and it's our big date night this weekend. should be fun. a full report will follow i'm sure so stay tuned.

been watching some march madness but not sure how much of the tournament i'll be able to see. my brackets are already shot so i'm not too bummed.

so today i'm thankful for . . . an early closure for the easter weekend at work (was a pleasant surprise to find that e-mail this am. gonna go pick up my taxes and run some errands ... lookout! i know how to have a good time!)

so i'm selling my benz . . .

i only bought it about a year ago and i'm selling it. she's a beautiful 1979 Mercedes Benz 240D and i loved having her but i just don't need a car. i've put 2000 miles on it since i bought it last june. seems a bit ridiculous to keep a car for that minimal use. besides, the weather's getting better and it's time for the bike to get ridden. so if anyone knows of someone that might want it, point 'em my way . . .

the kitchen remodel trucks along. today we averted a minor crisis. i had neglected to order the marmoleum for the floors and we got a call at 8a from the floor installer that he'd gone to pick it up and they didn't have an order. oops! so we hustled down to linoleum city & ordered it. luckily, they had it in stock and we were still able to keep the appointment with the floor installer for today & tomorrow. otherwise, we'd have had to wait another 3 weeks to get another appointment. basically, we got lucky!

the cabinets are going in next tuesday and we've started to replace some lighting around the house. on sunday, my friend sarah came over to help me hang the new ceiling fan in the living room and remove that god-awful track lighting that was there. she's coming back on thursday to help replace the front & back outdoor lights. it's all coming together.

we're planning a yard sale next saturday to get rid of some stuff before i leave (which is 12 days from now - yikes!) am starting to look forward to the trip but also so buried that i've barely thought about how much fun i'll have once i get there. for now, seems like *really bad timing*.

so today i'm thankful for . . . the universe bailing me out on the floors and friends who are willing to pitch in & help me get this project done.

more remodel pics . . .

day 2 at the kitchen remodel was productive. the walls came down to the lathe. the opening was cut in the wall (it will actually be bigger than in the pics). we also decided not to install the pantry cabinets in the back hallway and instead buy a nice baker's rack/commercial rack for that area.



today i'm thankful for . . . a great contractor who's willing to do a job right!

update . . .

so last night i met up with my lil bro ryan at the mash tun. it'd been ages since i'd been in so it was nice to catch up and hang at the old bar. we enjoyed some concordia cream ales and had dinner. he's coming over on saturday to buy my kegerator. sadly, i'm getting rid of it because it's just taunting me now that i really shouldn't be drinking beer anymore. i know .... it sucks but it was fun while it lasted.

got home around 930 and set up the cable box and made some granola. i found some gluten-free rolled oats with my food club so it was nice to make it again. mac got home around 1030 after a shopping spree at kohl's with her friend. she found some great towels & accessories for my bathroom now that it's got a whole new color scheme (thanks to her painting it, of course). she found some great stuff for a great deal. we sat and had a cup of tea before turning in for the night.

today i had lunch with ames. we hadn't had a chance to catch up in a few weeks and it was nice to get out of the office. we headed to henry's for the usual (sharing a wedge salad and a sandwich). we have been planning our trip to europe and are looking forward to the wild times i'm sure will happen in amsterdam. yay!

work is busy but good. have my first site launch on the friday before i leave for 3 wks vacation. yikes! i really am enjoying the folks i work with as well as the clients. i'm glad i made the jump. definitely feels like the right choice.

so today i'm thankful for . . . good friends and good co-workers

i blame the parents for this . . .

so my office mate sent me this ridiculous video. while the child is more ridiculous than any i've ever seen, i totally blame the parents for this monster.



so today i'm thankful for . . . having parents that gave me boundaries and made me appreciate gifts!

remodel pics . . .

so all of this got done in one day . . . amazing! now the fun part begins . . . .

the kitchen remodel has begun . . .

so the kitchen remodel officially started today. the contractor is there as we speak tearing out the cabinets & the floors. we had the floor installer come by on saturday am to measure and give us a quote. the cabinet installer comes tomorrow to do the same. the floors have been picked out, the cabinets have been chosen, and the countertops have been ordered. we've got the sink and range purchased and the lighting selected (with some purchased). i need to pick a range vent/fan and order the floors. at some point soon i'll go buy the dishwasher from lowe's but we're a ways out from that.

mac & i spent the weekend packing up my kitchen and getting her house ready for suki and i to descend upon. it's been fun and exhausting. yesterday was our 6 month anniversary and also the first night i'd *moved in*. it was nice serendipity that timing worked out that way. i brought some kitchen stuff over and packed other stuff away for revisiting later. we're planning a yard sale the weekend of march 22nd to get rid of some big stuff as we start to consolidate households. it's fun to plan a home together.

of course adding to all of this stress is that i leave for 3 weeks in, well, 3 weeks. i'm mildly relieved that i won't have to be here to witness/live through the mess but wish i could watch the transformation and feel bad that i'm leaving mac to deal with it all ... but i guess as a designer it's her forté to oversee a project without the client around. am starting to get excited about the trip (although i do wish the timing was better) and finally booked my hotel in rome over the weekend. it was the last straggling part of the itinerary i hadn't handled so i'm relieved i finally did.

work is good. am starting to settle in and am getting excited about my first site launching in late march . . . right before i leave of course. isn't that always the way? speaking of work, it's almost time to head out so i should get a few things wrapped up before i head home to see the house.

i'll post pics when i can so y'all can follow the progress with me.

today i'm thankful for . . . 6 months with an amazing woman who's willing to design my kitchen and put some sweat equity in

gotta love new yorkers . . .

i wish i would have been in GCT to see this in person. this is great!

birthdays . . .

so today's my 34th birthday. so much has changed since my 33rd birthday i don't even know how to comprehend it all. the last year has been about change ... almost more so than my 28th year of saturn return (wouldn't go back to that if you paid me!). i don't even know where to start at all the wonderful experiences i've had in the last year. and i can't even begin to think about how amazing the next year will be.

it's been a great day so far. mac made me breakfast before i had to head to work. a group of co-workers took me out to lunch. mac and i are due to go dancing tonight and tomorrow we head to manzanita to celebrate our birthdays. we are looking forward to getting away . . . despite all the work we have to do on the house. the contractor comes over tomorrow at 545p to give us a bid for the kitchen remodel. we're very anxious to get the project going. it would be ideal to get it done before i leave for europe but not sure if that will happen. the house is really coming together. the bathroom got painted last weekend and it looks fantastic. mac mixed a really buttery color and i'm very happy with the result. we're trying to get 2 hrs of house stuff done a day ... not always successfully but we're making the effort.

so today is my friend bd's wedding in nashville. she's marrying a great man (he's a pisces - you know how i feel about them) and i'm very happy for them ... so i'm sending a shout-out congratulations to them on their big day.

today i'm grateful for . . . a year's distance and the prospect of many amazing birthdays ahead shared with the love of my life.

the most wonderful feeling . . .

last night was, by far, the most wonderful valentine's day ever! after a long day at work, i ran home to get my dog and some stuff to spend the night at mac's. i had to wrap her present and run by the store to grab a few items for dinner. the new seasons in concordia was *packed*! the flower line consisted of 15 guys scrambling for the last dregs of the flowers - was just too damn funny! i got some stuff for dessert and a bottle of patron silver and headed to mac's. as she opened the door, of course, the dogs had a scuffle and mac got caught in the crossfire. such a bummer because a) mac got hurt, b) it started the evening with a bang, and c) the dogs were starting to get along . . . or so we thought. luckily we cleaned mac's hand up & finished up dinner. i made the brownies & put 'em in the oven while we ate. before we sat down, we gave each other our cards & gifts. she made me a mix cd and put it on to listen to while we ate. it was beautiful and so well thought-out (as to be expected from my dj). as we ate, she sang to me and it was so sweet. she cried when she read my card and just gave me the sweetest hug ever. we had a nice dinner and listened to great music. after dinner, we took the dogs for a walk to the park and then had dessert when we got back home. was definitely one of the most romantic valentine's days ever. am looking forward to part 2 of our date tonight and so many more valentine's days in our future.

so today i'm thankful for . . . the pure love i feel for her and from her

love is in the air . . .

what a beautiful day it has turned out to be. just had to post to celebrate the day ... i know it's an arbitrary holiday and that we should be giving love *every day* but still ... it's valentine's day. mac and i decided to postpone vday for a day and go out tomorrow. we've got tickets to see a play (federico garcía lorca's bodas de sangre) at the miracle theater and then go see some cuban music. melao de caña is playing at mississippi pizza pub. should be fun.

tonight we're in for a quiet night at home after a waterfront walk with the dogs ... the weather's too nice to be inside. hope y'all have a lovely *love* day ... here's a valentine for each of you ...

today i'm grateful for . . . the love of an amazing woman and the love of amazing friends

inspiration . . .

this video was sent to me by a friend and i had to share. the inspiration that is created by barack obama is palpable. i still have not decided which candidate i plan to endorse or for whom i plan to vote but i had to pass this along . . . enjoy!

weekend report . . .

was a quiet weekend overall but definitely productive. i made it through the first week at the new job and seem to be getting a handle on things so far. i know there's more to learn and i'm getting more thrown at me daily!

on friday after work, mac and i headed home to make dinner and watch a movie. i ended up falling asleep on the couch after a scrumptuous dinner of peanut chicken soup made by my lovely lady. mac had to work on saturday so i took some time to get some scheduling done for lacrosse. i think i'm almost done with the jv schedule and hope to get that out on wed. phew ... so ready for that to be done. we had plans for a date on saturday night and went to nostrana for dinner then over to crush for a cocktail. we had been debating a stop at gaycation over at holocene but the line was ridiculous so we skipped it in lieu of heading home to watch more of season 3 of weeds. i love that show and mac had never seen it so we got seasons 1 and 2 from netflix and got her all caught up. i think they must have changed writers this season because it's even funnier than before!

we had a lazy sunday morning and i decided i was going to try my hand at making gluten-free biscuits for breakfast. they turned out ok and i think i'll tweak the recipe next time to see if they'll rise more . . . although i think i might have had a hand in that since i opened the oven while they were baking. who knew you weren't supposed to do that? we were just getting motivated to leave the house when the hot water heater decided to start draining itself. after a visit from the plumber, the issue was resolved (just a valve needing to be replaced & not the whole water heater - phew!). we headed out to do some shopping at pier 1 and return some counter samples at home depot.

it was an l word night so we headed back to the house to get some food prepped before the girls came over. we watched 2 episodes and are finally caught back up. we decided that watching every week seemed like too much so we opted to host every other week and just watch 2 episodes back-to-back. seems to be working out and the crew is fun so we enjoy it.

now it's monday and i'm at the new job (blogging as i eat my lunch). am getting a new office mate today. she seems cool (as does everyone i work with so far) so we'll see how it all goes.

so today i'm grateful for . . . a nice quiet weekend that felt productive but still fun and a wonderful woman to share it with

no trip for me . . .

just found out that i won't be making the trip to meet the new client on tuesday ... kinda bummed, kinda glad since it means i won't have to be up at the ass-crack of dawn for a 650a flight.

oh well, maybe next time . . .

new beginnings . . .

so i'm on day 3 at the new job and trying not to be completely overwhelmed! the folks are very nice though and i have a nice office that i share with another sr. project manager and i can look out the windows out onto the pearl and the west hills. the office is very cool and well designed. the picture at left is in our main atrium as you get off the elevator ... cool, huh? i have been assigned an account and already have to travel to san francisco on tuesday for a meeting. suffice it to say, it's been a whirlwind.

my new office is only a few blocks from my old one and a 4 blocks from where mac works. so we've been carpooling and it's been very nice. on my first day, the folks took me out to lunch at mio sushi and as i got back there was a beautiful flower arrangement waiting for me from mac. it was so thoughtful and sweet. i am very blessed to have such a wonderful woman in my life.

last night, i met up with mac after work for a nice quiet dinner of tapas at colosso and then was off to meet up with my some former co-workers/buddies at the mash tun. it was good to see lara and todd and, of course, my lil bro, ryan. what's a trip to the tun without ryan? ;-) it was great to see them and catch up.

stopped for a coffee at the new café in my building this am. was nice to write in my journal and have a bit of time to myself before heading into the office. am reading eat.pray.love by elizabeth gilbert and am so sucked in. the book is great and so timely given the year i've had. i highly recommend it to everyone!

so today i'm thankful for ... new beginnings, old friends, and appreciating every day

what if . . .

i've always been a fan alison bechdel and her "dykes to watch out for" series. her political commentary on the world, lesbian life, and politics has always been dead-on.

her latest installment of the strip is just so damn smart i had to share it here. enjoy!

today i'm thankful for . . . smart people willing to use their talents to bring issues to the forefront of their audience's awareness

the internet party . . .

What Happens When Google's Parents Leave Town for the Weekend?

change is afoot . . .

so to continue the theme of change of the last year, i'm about to make another huge change in my life. i have accepted a new job. next week i'll be leaving the world of software to go back to being a project manager at an ad agency. my background is in the agency world and it's time for me to go back to my roots. i'll be sad to leave the great group of incredibly talented people i've worked with for the last 2+ yrs but i feel as if it's the right time and the right opportunity. i'll only be going about 4 blks away so i hope to stay in touch with many of these folks and continue to meet up for happy hours and such. i'm excited to start a new chapter in my career and look forward to the challenges ahead of me. of course, the timing is impeccable as life is super busy right now!

the kitchen remodel i've been considering since i moved in last april is starting to get going. the planning has begun and i'm working on the financing for it. am hoping for it to be complete by the time i leave for my europe adventure at the end of march. it's exciting to think about the possibilities and i'm glad i held off on doing the remodel until i'd lived there for a few months. i definitely have a better idea of what i want now that i've worked in the kitchen for awhile. mac is doing the design and has the contractor lined up. i'm excited for us to work together on this project and i have a feeling there will be many more like it in our future together.

life's also been super busy because lacrosse season is gearing up. once again, i'm the league commissioner for the girls high school lacrosse league. this basically means i'm in charge of scheduling all the games for the state. luckily, i've completed the varsity schedule but this saturday i'll need to finish up the jv schedule. should be a good season as we keep adding more and more programs across the state. i'm still debating how much i'll actually get to officiate any games given my travel and new job. am hoping to at least do a few games ... it's pretty fun to don the stripes!

so today i'm thankful for . . . new opportunities and new challenges

damned if you do & damned if you don't . . .

no sign of intelligent life . . .

the 2008 darwin awards have been released ... i've only read the first one but it's good enough to share all of 'em.

i think it's pretty clear that we are getting dumber and dumber with each passing year.

so i was cruising youtube today . . .

and look what i found . . .




and then i found this . . .



both stunningly amazing

so today i'm thankful for . . . technology that allows me to see such amazingness

they're really thought of everything now . . .

the edible martini

a new year has begun . . .

where did 2007 go? i can't believe that it's over already. it's been a helluva year. in some ways, i'm sad it's over as it's been very good (new house, meeting mac, all the fun i've had) and in some ways, i'm glad it's over because it's been one of the hardest years of my life.

christmas at new year's was great and fun. we started the weekend with massages at löyly spa and a nice dinner at home. on sunday am we lazily packed up and headed out to manzanita. it was a beautiful drive and there was snow falling as we crossed the coast range. was very cool and made it feel very *christmas-y*. we lit the wood stove and popped open a bottle of wine as we arrived and started cooking dinner. we opened our presents after christmas while the dogs snoozed on their beds by the wood stove. what a bounty of loot!

on monday, we headed to the beach for a walk on a crisp, clear day and the dogs had a ball checking it all out. there was some crazy sea vegetables that looked like long ropes. there were mounds of them all over the beach. was very cool stuff! andrée spent quite awhile investigating them and trying to dream up ways to use the stuff. it was super strong and rubbery. we dropped the dogs back at the house and walked into town to do a bit of shopping. after dinner, we decided what better way to ring in the new year so we headed back to the beach for a midnight walk. it was very cool as there were several groups with fires burning and fireworks going off in the distance. we made a list of all the things we wanted to manifest in 2008 and shared a toast before turning in for the night.

we had a great breakfast on new year's day and packed up and headed home. the drive home was much less eventful (read: no snow) but we did stop to take pictures of a wild sight. apparently weyerhauser had the bright idea to clearcut an entire hillside a couple of years ago and not bother to leave any big trees behind to shelter the saplings they planted to replace their destruction. well, a couple of weeks ago we got some crazy wind (the coast was having hurricane strength winds) and the saplings were snapped off the toothpicks. it was a whole hillside of them. the wind was so strong it uprooted several trees - including one with a root ball measuring at least 10 ft across. we continued on our drive home and had a nice dinner before soaking in the hot tub & turning in. today was back to the grind.

am really happy with how the holiday turned out. it's truly been the best i've ever had and am so glad to have shared it with such an amazing woman. if this is how our first is, i'm sure the rest will be great. am starting to gear up for the kitchen remodel and andrée will be doing the design for it. our goal is to do a *kitchen by craigslist*. we've already started and acquired a great brand-new stainless steel sink for a song. let's hope the dishwasher and new gas range show up on craigslist for as cheap as the sink did! should be a fun project and a nice test for the future we're planning together.

today i'm thankful for . . . the best christmas ever and looking forward to sharing the year ahead with mac and all the advertures it might bring