Sunglasses

There were many many years of my life when I considered myself a good sunglass owner. Sure, I tended to drop my sunglasses frequently so they were always a little scuffed and scratched, but I managed to hold onto them. I could go for years on one pair of sunglasses, life was good.

Then about a year and a half ago something happened. Since then, well, let me tell you the sad story of how I have lost 4.5 sunglasses in the last 1.5 years. It all started at Bumbershoot 2008. I managed to leave my sunglasses in the bathroom. And unfortunately, the thieving degenerate that used the stall after me, decided that rather than turning my sunglasses into the lost and found (as would be polite and appropriate) she needed to keep them for herself. So, when I returned to the bathroom to recovery them a few minutes later they were GONE, never to be seen again. So sad.

Then there was the pair that just disappeared. Really. I was at the gym. I had my sunglasses. I took Otto for a walk before the gym and after the gym. I'm pretty sure I still had them on that second walk, then somehow they were gone. Disappeared. I searched and searched and retraced my steps about 500,000 times, because things just don't disappear. But they were gone, forever. Sad!

The other pairs and a half were destroyed by my almost perfect dog. ( .5 are a pair of cycling glasses that I still use despite the dog tooth marks). Otto has a zone. A zone in which he feels it is fair game to chew whatever I happen to leave within. Shoes, books, pens have all been prey while sitting in his zone. One of the 2.5 fell victim to this zone. My fault, I know better than to leave anything in the zone. However, the second pair was no where near the zone! Otto seems to have a thing about sunglasses. While everything else is safe outside his zone, sunglasses are not. The other night, as I was leaving my house, I noticed that my cycling sunglasses were on the floor. I immediately swooped them up, knowing that Otto would have had his way with them. Then I noticed my good sunglasses on the dining room table and thought to myself, 'hmm, I wonder if Otto would ever take sunglasses off the table'. However, of course, I immediately put that thought out of my head. My sunglasses are ALWAYS on the table. And Otto wouldn't take sunglasses off the table. He's a good dog.

Well, you all know where this story is going. Yes, my sunglasses were removed from the table by my almost perfect dog and when I came home they were in two pieces with lots of teeth marks. So very sad. And I am once again left with the task of buying sunglasses. SAD!

Have I mentioned that sunglasses are expensive?

Oh, what have we here?

Mmmmm.

I like the arms the best!
Ah, the things you can get away with when you're insanely cute!

Lots of Stairs

A not so auspicious picture of me at the start.

Last Sunday I participated in an event called The Big Climb. This is a fundraiser for leukemia which involves climbing the Columbia Tower. Well, climbing the stairs in the Columbia Tower. It's a huge event. I guess 6000 people climbed - about 1/2 were 'racers' (timed climb) and the other half were 'climbers' who just got to the top. The CT might be the tallest building in Seattle. And it's a lot of stairs - 1311 to be exact (69 flights and 788 vertical feet).

I wasn't sure how I would do. I had lofty goals (I thought about 11 minutes would be a good time), but I was afraid there would be serious leg burn and lots of bent over huffing and 'I can't go on' puffing (a frequent Crossfit occurrence). But, in reality it wasn't that bad. I mean yes, it hurt like hell. Yes, there was serious lung burn at the top and I felt really sick. Yes, I was really tired and the entire second half really wanted to stop. But I never had to stop. I made it the entire way at a nice steady pace - taking two stairs at a time the entire way and pulling myself up with my hands. And it went by really fast!

How'd I do? Well. I did not make 11 minutes. I finished in 13:10. Which is 26% overall, 10% of females and top 11% in my age group. But, before I get too excited about any of that, I like to remember that there was a 73 year old woman who finished in 12:53. So, I'd better get practicing if I want to be that fast by the time I'm 73!!

Oh, and should anyone want to donate......http://www.llswa.org/site/TR/Events/BigClimb?px=1379461&pg=personal&fr_id=1110

New Ink

Man, I am going to lose my fan base if I don't get a little more consistent with this blogging stuff. I'm in an 'over thinking it' phase - much like Hamlet, I'm all thought and no action at the moment.

So, I should dive right in and share some pictures of my new tattoo - even though it isn't finished (needs color) and is currently a scabby mess. I have wanted another tattoo for years. And I have wanted a tattoo on my forearm for years and finally decided I needed to just combine those two wants and get it over with.

Tattoos and forearms. It's one thing to want a tattoo on your forearm and think they look really great on other people. And even think they look great on you. It's another thing to suddenly have thick black lines on your arm, on a very visible part of your arm. I spent the first week staring at my tattoo (it was usually uncovered because it was healing and not happy with clothing on top of it). I would sit at work and just stare at this strangeness that was now my arm. And don't get me wrong. I love my new tattoo. It was just very present.

The other issue with tattoos and forearms, especially new tattoos and forearms, is that they are big conversation topics. I have gotten four tattoos now and until this one, I have never had anyone ask me what does it mean? Or, why did I get it? I wasn't really prepared for the questions. This tattoo has a couple meanings, most of which are pretty personal and I feel funny sharing. But, I guess I will share this, for me it's really a reminder that I am just continuing to get better and stronger as I age. And also, now that I'm almost really old, I have decided that if I want a tattoo on my forearm, there is no reason I shouldn't have one!

NO it is NOT a dove.

It's time to JUMPSUIT!

I have friends who throw a jumpsuit party every year. And I have to say it's one of the more brilliant party themes. How can you go wrong with a jumpsuit, they are all (almost every last one of them) funny. It's such useful but crazy clothing item. (Well, useful until it's time to go to the bathroom.) And many many many people seem to have created really unfortunate ones. I just bought a new one for this year's party. And I can't post a picture of it, because it must remain top secret until the party, but I have had requests. So, I'm posting pictures of previous years and that will just have to hold you over until the big day. (I think I have actually purchased two and I'm not sure how I'm going to decide, but more on that later.)

I don't seem to have a year 1 picture, this is the 2nd year of the party. Don't remember the name of the guy, but he looks much better than I do! I look like I have 5 chins!

Year 3 I had two jumpsuits, and outwear jumpsuit 'coat' and a beautiful orange polyester number.

Year 4, lovin' the 80s.

La piece de resistance.
Year 5 was the best jumpsuit ever. I have only worn it once and dream of a chance to pull it out again.

Year 6, this one ended up more fancy and less fun!
Note that tattoo change between year 2 and year 6

Not me, but a memorable favorite from year 5!

Year 5, the hits just keep coming.

Yep, year 5.

Need I say, year 5!

Oh, Otto

Those of you who know me and know my dog (s), know that for the most part they are spoiled rotten. With the possible exception of the amount of time they spend with me, their lives are (or were for those no longer around) pretty good. My current dog is, of course, the best dog in the world. But, there is one exception. He likes to whine, a lot. This morning he was being a little whiny, so I thought I'd give him a nice juicy bone to chew - a real live bone from a (previously) real live animal. Here's what I got as a thank you as I sat trying to read a New Yorker article POST bone (yes, the bone is lying feet from him, completely ignored). Be sure to have your volume up, they lose their impact without volume).

It's True

It's a bird, it's a plane, no, it's True.

So yesterday I learned that everyone may not be as fascinated with my hedge project as I am. How is that possible?? (okay, I knew that, I was just ignoring it) But I also learned that I have a very young reader of which I was unaware. A reader who gets tired of the same old snail and the same old hedge. So, in honor, of my new found fan club amongst the younger crowd, I thought I'd post a few pictures of True from this summer on the North Cascade Trip.

It seems True does some great animal impressions. You've already seen True as a bird, or maybe superman. But, that pales in comparison to his penguin imitation.

A little costume help from mom.

Ready, set....... wait, i just want to stand here and look extra cute.

Go penguins go!

Oops, distraction.

Well, dad's got it anyhow.

The 2010 Hedgehog Massacre

For 8 weekends now I have been out trimming, pruning, battling, cursing, and basically in hand to hand combat with my hedge. And every weekend, I not only have trimmed, pruned, battled, and cursed, but I have painstakingly cleaned up afterwards - making sure (mostly for sanity sake) that I only cut as much as I could stuff in the yard waste bin. Saturday I did the regular but I felt so very close to the end, that I thought today I would just pop out and finish up! Imagine my excitment at the thought of finishing such an onerous task!

Why doesn't she clean up this crap in the yard?

Then, something terrible happened. As I got closer and closer to the end, the hedge started to multiple. I am sure you think I am exaggerating for effect, but it's true. It was like one of those creepy science fiction movies where the vines start growing and entangling and eventually swoop someone up. As I neared the finish, the hedge got thicker and thicker, there were more and more branches and it expanded. Until finally, my theory that has kept me going so far, that if I just cut one branch at a time I'll power through, vanished without a trace, and I abandoned hope.

If this doesn't look like a science fiction horror film, I don't know what does.

I am not sure it is actually possible to finish this project. There is the ever increasing tail end which I still have to overcome. But, there are other issues too. In the middle, there are house tall trees of hedge that are in the green space. I'm pretty sure someone with a chain saw will need to forge into the green space to remove those. Until those are gone, my view will remain forever obscured.

House tall hedge, right out side the window, so sad.

But, let's be positive for a minute. Virtually all the hedge within my yard is trimmed until it is practically nude. And within a week or two, all the hedge crap will be cleared from my yard. So, there's that.

DONE! Except for a couple annoying stragglers I can't quite reach.