Is it Friday Yet?

Putting a Shine On it All!!

This week has been a whirlwind of activity.  Monday brought the pressure washers to the house to begin cleaning before the painting begins.  Pulling into my garage after work, the washer dude popped in to introduce himself and let me know he'd be done in another hour or so.  As we were talking, he proceeded to turn around and bam!  One whole side of his jeans were ripped out in the back, so much so that his boxer briefs were easily visible.  Now, it's understandable one would wear beat up pants to pressure wash and paint but this was ridiculous! 

After going into the house and changing, I sat in the front room on my computer.  Typing away, the pressure washing began to  get closer and closer until it was apparent the buttless dude was cleaning the front porch.  Soon he appeared in my bay window....with no shirt on!  It was like the start of a bad soft porn movie!  Chuckling to myself, I called Michael, who advised me to report the man's tacky behavior to the company owner.  The owner was appalled and said he would take care of it.

Later in the week, the caulking began then yesterday a portion of the house was painted.  It's looking good.  In addition, come Monday both the front and back yards will begin their overhaul.  Mowing, weeding, edging, and cleaning up will commence by another owner of the painting company.  Can't wait for it all to come together.

On Thursday, my new bed was delivered!  When I arrived home, Michael had made the bed using my new comforter and sheets.  It's beautiful....plus very comfy!  Unfortunately, the sheets were "cotton sateen"....I hate that fabric!!  It slides around, feels funny, and is just not to my liking.  Yesterday after work I browsed the sheets at Walmart, unzipping the packages and feeling the material to ensure it was to my liking.  My sleep last night was oh much more relaxing with my 100% cotton sturdy sheets!!!

And now it's the weekend!!  The sun continues to shine and it's my goal to get some color! 

TGIF!!!

It's Friday!! Here's a pic of a car in front of my as I was headed to work yesterday.  Interesting!!!

The Painted House

The time has come to.....get my house painted!  After getting three bids, I chose the company that seemed to have the most knowledge.  Sunday one of the owners swung by so we could discuss colors.  Although I would love to have a super  bright yellow or even light lavender house, it is not in the cards, especially if I wish to sell the house in the future.   It's best to go conservative, so the colors picked were an almond/beige for the base, dark brown for the trim, and gray for the garage and entry door.  Monday the house was power washed; in two days the caulking will begin.  I'm excited to see the finished product!!

Shoes of the Week!

One of My Favorite Stores Comes to the Boonies!

Driving toward Winco the other day, I glanced over at the empty Sleep Country store and what did I see??!!!  A sign reading "Ulta - Coming Soon!"  OMG - I about crashed into the sidewalk!!!  Obviously I can't wait for it to open!!!

Time to Fly the Nest

Another chapter in my life occurred yesterday.....my first born is leaving the nest.  Over the last few weeks he has been staying at his friend's apartment so we've barely spoken.  The apartment is closer to his job so he can easily walk to work without having to pay a friend for transportation.  Last night Michael and I went grocery shopping at Jordan's job, where lo and behold he was there working.  After grabbing a quick hug, we talked about how he was doing at which point he said he had decided to move out to his friend's place. 

Now, the head part of me felt proud of my son, venturing out on his own as a responsible young man.  The heart part of me felt sad, concerned, and emotional over the fact that the time had come, after 20 years a part of my home, he was leaving my nest to let his wings fly. 

Michael and I then wandered the grocery aisles while I avoided discussing my conversation with Jordan.  At some point in the sugar aisle, Michael said "I know it's hard because you have to let your boy become a man," at which point my tears began falling.  Pulling myself together, we finished our grocery trip, paid and packed the groceries. 

Making our way to the exit, we again ran into Jordan ending his shift.  We spoke again at which point Jordan said "You are upset because your boy is moving out, huh Mom?  Give me a hug."   He gave me a long hug then, after a few more words of encouragement, we parted.  I'm proud of my son, who graduated high school, has held his job for almost a year and now is taking the next step to become a self-sufficient adult.  Exciting for him but a bit melancholy for me as one son leaves and I realize my youngest is on the perch to soon depart as well.  Here's to Jordan's self-sufficiency and, to toot my own horn, my ability to have helped him achieve this goal. 

New Art for the Wall

While printing out my Washington Park pictures at Walgreen's, I decided to have one of my rose prints made into a canvas.  It turned out great and looks fabulous on my bedroom wall!!  Walgreen's always offers a discount on a variety of photo options, including prints, books, and this canvas art.

A Man and His Hats

During our outing this weekend, Michael picked up two new hats.  Mr. Sporty and Mr. Cool - he's workin it!!

Going App Crazy

Now that I have an official Smart phone, I've been going free app crazy. Today I downloaded an FX Photo app that allows you to color highlight portions of a picture.  Fun stuff!!

 



On a side note, if you have a Smart phone, you can receive Macy's discounts.  Making a purchase the other day, after denying the offer of a Macy's card, the clerk asked if I had a Smart phone and if I did, could she see it.  Showing it to her, she then said she could give me the discounts that are shown on line.  Pretty cool deal!!

Roses on Sunday

This last weekend was one of the busiest, enjoyable, and memorable I've had!   Michael and I took Portland by storm, enjoying every bit of the sunshine in the process.  While I'd love to focus on each piece individually, there has simply been no time for me to write at length about our adventures.  Therefore, it must be summed up as follows:

Friday night we enjoyed dinner at Nikolaus in Gresham, sitting outside and listening to jazz music flowing from a bar band down the street;

Saturday we picked up Jamba Juice then hit Dick Hannah for my car's maintenance, wandering the car parking lot while fending off hungry salesmen.  We then cruised on to Woodburn Outlet Mall to browse the shops.  After stopping at Sonic for lunch, Michael made a pit stop at an historic locks site then we headed toward Clackamas Promenade in search of a camera store. 

Unfortunately, Ritz Camera had gone bust but next to the empty shop there was a nails/waxing salon.  I've been so in need of a lip/chin/eyebrow wax so we popped in there to get that accomplished.  The nail gal took me into the back room, ripped my unruly hairs out of my face, then I returned to see Michael sharing food and shopping tips with a couple of the older ladies getting their nails done. 

After the wax incident, we drove to Mor Furniture as I'm in search of a new bed.  The beds were, of course, not in one section but scattered throughout the building so we had to walk all over in search of the perfect one.  It was similar to browsing the car lots earlier.  Finally deciding on one, I made my purchase, set up delivery, and we made our way for home, after stopping to pick up sandwiches at one of our favorite delis. 

Sunday we arose too early, cleaned up, then made our way to Walmart.  Our next stop was the Portland Saturday Market, where we wandered, gazed, wandered, browsed, and wandered some more.  We ate an early lunch of rice and barbecue (not so great) then hopped in the car in search of another camera store downtown.  Parking was a bitch!  We finally found a 15-minute spot, ran in, browsed quickly, then hopped in the car again.  Michael was then driving in pursuit of something, although I did not know what that was.  Surprise!  He had taken me to the Washington Park rose garden!  It was beautiful!!!  After picking up a proper garden hat in the rose store, we then ambled our way around the roses, snapping picture after picture.  The sun was glorious and the view was fantastic!  It was an excellent ending to a perfect weekend!!

TGIF!!!

When a Pick Me Up is Required!

My co-workers put a big smile on my face today after lunch.  Aren't they fabulous??!!!

 

Miles, Mariners, and Midnight

Last night the management team from work loaded up two limos and cruised to Safeco Field in Seattle for the Mariners vs. Red Sox baseball game.  Although stylish, we were crammed into the limo like sardines.  It also didn't help that we hit Seattle traffic, delaying our arrival until 8pm for the 7pm game.  After three hours of cozy co-worker travel, listening over and over to the two video DVD's available - Queen and Michael Jackson - it was a blessing to arrive, peel my sweaty butt off the leather seat, and exit the limo door.

Through connections, we were to score a box suite, which is the ultimate way to watch a game.  Loaded with burgers, hot dogs, chips, fruit, brownies, and drinks, we could eat then mill around the suite or sit in the bleacher area to focus on the game.  After dinner, a few of us ventured to the souvenir store, where I picked up a tee for me and a couple of Mariner's items for my man.

Back to the suite, where the game went on, and on, and on, Mariners losing at every turn.  Around ten we all skipped out on the final inning then walked two blocks to the nearest Krispy Kreme to squeeze ourselves back into the limo.  By the time we made it back to the lodge, it was after midnight; I then climbed into my car and made the 45 minute drive to home.  To keep myself awake, I called Michael and forced him to entertain me as I drove south with the window down and A/C up. 

Arriving home, I tumbled into bed about 1:30 am and fell asleep around 2am. Boom!  The alarm woke me up four hours later and I rose for work, stumbling toward the coffee pot.  It was a rough morning and continued to be a very rough day as my sleep depravity affected my ability to function. 

My pillow is calling me so here's to a wonderful evening of sleep rather than watching the poor Mariners lose so poorly to Boston!

Casino Adventures

It's Tuesday and I'm just about recovered from my wonderful weekend. Michael and I took a post-July 4th trip to the Quinault Casino Beach Resort in Ocean Shores, which was a memorable trip as always.

The Good

• The weather was wonderful - not too hot or too cold;
• Lunch at Alex's Restaurant in Ocean Shores - best clam strips ever!!
• Our suite at the hotel was perfect - lovely elevated bedroom setting, beach view, and even a Keurig;
• The slot machines....for Michael;
• Running into my friend Shelly, who happened to be camping at Ocean Shores - was awesome catching up with her;
• My spa massage and facial on Saturday.....awww....relaxing and just what the doctor ordered;
• Free lemonade in the casino;
• Sleeping in;
• Our free lunch on Sunday...but more on that below.

The Bad

• The lack of great customer service from the staff, especially the front desk.  A smile and a good morning goes a long way people;
• The slot machines...for Diva;
• The unending search for tourist shop in Ocean Shores which wasn't an art gallery or fusion glass boutique;
• The slow service in the bar area, where we ate (or tried to) Saturday night and Sunday morning.

The Ugly

• Receiving such poor service in the bar dining area Sunday morning that we left our food on the table and reported the situation to the general manager, who gave us a free lunch in the restaurant.

As you can see, the good far outweighed the bad.  I'm looking forward to our next adventure!!

Happy 4th of July 2013!!

Green Goo and Veggies

I've tried a couple new items this week that are very tasty....and good for me! 

The green goo

On Sunday I picked up a Ninja blender and am using it to make myself green smoothies for breakfast.  Baby spinach and kale mixed with a varied selection of carrots, apple, banana, blueberries, frozen strawberries, pineapple, juice, chia seeds, and coconut oil.  It doesn't look so hot but it sure is tasty!  I've been eating oatmeal with blueberries for so long it's nice to have something different.

Also on Sunday, Michael and I ate breakfast at Elmer's, where I ordered the veggie omelet with hollandaise sauce.  It was delectable; after studying it carefully, it was clear it could easily be whipped up at home.  Monday night found  me stir frying zucchini, onion, red pepper, and spinach then folding it all into an omelet.  I topped it off with hollandaise from a packet; it made for a very tasty dinner.


Veggie Omelet

In Love and Warmth

It is apparent that summer is finally here!!  Heat in the nineties, gorgeous blue skies....love it!!   Also makes me thankful for an air conditioned home!

This last weekend was spent in Portland with Michael.  Saturday found us at T-Mobile getting new S4 smart phones....I've needed a new phone forever due the fact that my current cell can be very temperamental, turning off whenever it's in the mood.  The new phone is larger than normal but the size of the screen makes surfing the web much easier - no squinting required.

After the phone stop, we cruised to the Nike Employee Store in Beaverton.  My co-worker (thanks Andrea!) scored me a pass to this store, a place I'd never been.  When we arrived, we waited in line then checked in at the counter.  First off, the sales clerk looked at the pass and said "oh, we aren't using this anymore."  Huh?  She said there have been several copies of the card made; we explained that this actually came from their corporate department so it was good.  She turned and checked with a coworker, who said "yes, that coupon is good."  She wasn't happy with that answer so she immediately told Michael "You are wearing an Adidas shirt so you can't come in with that."  Michael said he'd turned his shirt inside out.   She then said "do you live in the same household?  You have to be partners or spouses living in the same household."  It was getting ridiculous. Michael ended up asking for a manager, who said if Michael turned his shirt inside out we could get in to the store.  OMG the process was ridiculous!! 

After going through all of that rigmarole, I expected the discount heavens to sing when we finally entered the store.  Unfortunately, it wasn't too be; perhaps I've been spoiled by the Nike Clearance Store in Centralia, where the prices are rock bottom.  Prices were okay but they didn't bowl me over.  In fact, after the drive, the heat, the parking, the interrogation, and the shirt change, we left the store with....nothing. 

Before leaving Beaverton, we stopped for a sandwich at Garibaldi's, which was a small Italian deli.  Veggie san for me and turkey for Michael; both were delicious but the size of the roll was about three times the size of the filling. 

Back to Gresham where we played with our new phones until dinner.  Saturday evening found us watching a Sandra Bullock movie "In Love and War."  I'd never seen it but casting Chris O'Donnell as Ernest Hemingway didn't actually ring true to me.  Sunday after breakfast we hit the Adidas outlet store in Troutdale, which offered much better deals than the Nike employee store and it wasn't as degrading. 

Returning home, my next tasks were to pick up groceries then I decided to get some sun.  I laid outside on my recliner then decided to clean and wash the car.  Very toasty but the water hose came in handy and dang if it didn't taste mighty fine.

Back to Monday this morning.....sigh....at least we still have the sun.  And three more days until vacation to the beach!!!