Reunited :: We are in the midst of welcoming some extended family members to the USA! It’s pretty amazing to be part of the reuniting of sisters, cousins, and grandkids after close to a decade of being apart.

Run :: These days my weekly runs include this view. Sometimes I can’t believe how used to this city I’ve become.

Turning 8 :: This little one turns 8 today. I had the privilege of spending his last day as a 7 year old with him. We had tickets to the UW vs OSU men’s basketball game(courtesy of my lovely workplace). The game was really close which made it pretty exciting. The 2 of us(neither of which are regular basketball watchers) clapped and screamed and willed the purple team to victory. Magic of all magic was when the cheerleaders flung t-shirts into the crowd and one fell straight into the hands of the birthday boy. Pretty special. We ended the day with a trip to Borracchini’s. I love that place. Birthday boy got to pick out his cake and we watched in wonder as they assembled, iced and decorated it before our eyes. Then, in a moment of weakness, I was suckered into buying a Transformers piñata. The delight it brought was well worth the twenty bucks. Perhaps even priceless 🙂 Happy Birthday Sweet Asalli.

Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree :: I know, Christmas seems like a million years ago. However, up until last weekend my Christmas tree was up and I was still thoroughly enjoying it. My very own tree was a wonderful little treat for me this Christmas season! I own a total of one Christmas ornament so to add some decor I made a paper chain for my tree, a friend gifted me an angel for the top, and my grandma gifted me a tree skirt she had made long ago. Such special things all in their own right. Oh little tree you were good to me.

The City of Seattle picks up Christmas trees curbside for free until the middle of January. So, my plan was to keep mine up until the very last minute for maximum enjoyment and then to take it out to the curb mid-January(which would have been this past week). SO, last Sunday, after a full day of snowshoeing – IN THE RAIN – I came home and decided to take down the tree and get it ready for the curb. Now, taking a down a tree that is bigger than you is not an easy task. Just picture me undoing the stand while simultaneously making sure the tree doesn’t fall on me. Living alone has its upsides, taking down Christmas trees is not one of them. Anyways, I get the thing down only to realize I’m one day too late as the last free pick up day has actually passed. I guess there are multiple definitions for “mid-January”. 

At this point the tree is laying in the middle of the room, pine needles are everywhere and I just want the thing out. So, I attempt to break it into pieces small enough to fit in the yard waste bin. That was wildly unsuccessful, but one of the perks of living alone is that no one sees you when you attempt things like breaking your dried up Christmas tree in half(keep in mind I do not own a saw). So, I decided to smash the tree into my car so that I could take it to disposal station the next day…OR sometime that week.

I did get myself together one day and dropped off the tree this past week, but I also spent a good part of the week driving around with a Christmas tree stuffed in my car – which is one thing if you have a giant car, but quite another thing in my little Civic. I think it’s going to smell like Christmas in my car for a very long time.

Giant paper chain for my Christmas tree = So much happy.

Come Together :: http://www.cometogetherpetition.com/

The Puyallup Fair + My New Vacuum Cleaner :: A friend had 2 free tickets to the Puyallup fair. I hadn’t been in literally a decade. We rode the ferris wheel, ate corn dogs and scones, looked at award winning chickens and goats and ducks, saw a mama pig with its 12 4-day old baby piglets, viewed pumpkins that weighed over 1300 pounds, went to a show where a hypnotist hypnotized 10 people on stage. It was actually super entertaining.

New to me was the “As Seen On TV” section where booths (with live sales and demo people) are set up for all the infomercials of the products you can usually only buy on TV. As we walked through this section I was making my usual commentary and laughing, “Humans are so weird…This is so funny…”  Then we get stopped at the booth selling super powerful vacuum cleaners that only weigh 2 pounds because we ran into my friend’s old boss(who had just purchased a vacuum!) As she caught up with her friend, I watch the demo and started thinking  – “Ya know, I actually need a vacuum cleaner” (which is true). And before ya know it I’ve been sold. I watch this tiny vacuum pick up a bowling  ball and suck up piles of rice and turn to my friend laughing, “I think I’m going to buy this vacuum!”  And I did. I bought a vacuum at the Puyallup Fair. I hope it’s a good vacuum cleaner.

My only regret from this weekend’s fair festivities is that I didn’t run to the stage when they called for volunteers to be hypnotized. Next year.

Flamingos :: This photo was taken at the zoo way back in March where I learned this fun fact: Flamingos are pink because of all the shrimp they eat. Who knew! Kind of makes them less beautiful and just kind of gross, but nonetheless fascinating fact.