Shop Hoppin’

Well, this weekend I had an adventure for sure.

Really I had an adventure all this week. And it worked out like this-

I looked at houses Monday but didn’t really see anything I liked. There were a couple of funky ones but in reality, I have to spend more money. I am still getting a pretty teeny house, but at least it isn’t the original 1962 kitchen and carpet, and it’s out of the ghetto.

So Tuesday I went to Portland for work. (Put a Bird on it). This is the view from the offices I was working in.

This would be the Fremont Bridge over the Willamette

I mean seriously. I have a cubicle……No windows anymore. There is a window on the other side of the room so there is daylight, just no window where I sit. So this would be hard to give up if I worked here….

On Wednesday, I looked at a couple of more houses. One I sort of liked and then one I fell in love with. An old funky house that was just too cool. Realtor said there was another offer but they didn’t have financing so it would be mine if I wanted it. Went home, called Dave, sent the realtor an e-mail saying I wanted it and he said great we’d meet the next day. However, the next day, Thursday, he called and said that the house wasn’t mine and the other offer had 3 days, until Monday, to come up with financing. I was crushed and devastated. I had posted it on Facebook for God’s sake, and told everybody. So I told said realtor, we’ll call him Mr. Man, (because we do call him Mr Man) that I was going out of town and we had to get going and I was upset and blah blah. He said go out of town and he’d get me a house and all would be well. Easier said than done.

So, even though I was upset and had a heavy heart, I decided my weekend adventure was the thing to do and I was on my way to the SW Washington Shop Hop with Debbie. We had already done the two Tacoma area stores-I was on my way to 14 more.

Friday I went to Seattle for a meeting, then found my way to Fauntleroy to catch the Fauntleroy/Southworth Ferry.

 

View from the dock. Nice time for a road trip as the leaves are just changing.

 

Boat on the water

And on the Ferry-

It was a bit foggy and rainy, but I love me a good boat ride. What a great way to travel. And it cut about 60 miles off the trip-and countless stops on I-5.

I got to Debbie’s house on the island and the next day we were up and at ‘em to get to Vancouver and start hopping-

She really is paying attention to driving down I-5. Really. No problems here. 

We spent all day going from Vancouver all the way to Orting and then Tacoma. We went 400 miles.

It’s a beautiful time of year to shop hop.

Oh, and we went into a few (9) shops too-

There was a big storm after we got home. But Sunday was pretty nice.

Since we hit an extra shop on Saturday, we only had three on Sunday and headed straight for the beach-

I love the beach. It was warm and not windy at all.

We wound our way back-again a beautiful day to travel-

We got done about 2, had lunch, and headed back to Tacoma to visit and look at more houses, since I lost (yes in the end I lost) the house I thought I bought. I found another one I like a lot, but have a bad feeling there isn’t going to be much I can do about that either. This house shit is going to kill me in the end. But I must say, it’s quite the diet and weight control, since I seem to have lost another 5 pounds.

On the lighter side, the cat came to visit. I don’t really know it’s name but decided to take a picture. And when I did, I though “huh, what d’ya know.”

See that? Or do you….?

Here’s to finding a house.

The Long and Very Short of It

I was going to apologize for the delay (again) in posting but I thought-hey-it’s my blog for crying out loud. I guess I do have the option of when to post. But because of my schedule, and never getting home much before 7 anymore and NEVER eating before 8, it’s been a wee bit hectic.

But, here I am, at 0530, posting a little bit to get something, anything, on the boards.

The first thing is that I was in Olympia for two weeks, as I mentioned in the last blogging. I only stayed down there for one week as the drive to Hartstene Island is murder. But what I didn’t mention is that my first day at the job, I wore this on my feet-

Does anyone see a problem here? Not only that, but I didn’t realize it until about 1:30 in the afternoon. Jeesh. No one said anything. I wonder if they noticed. I would have been happier if they would have said anything because I will always wonder if they were just being nice and laughing at me later, or they didn’t notice either. Sometimes things are just too much.

I really didn’t have too many pictures or much news this time, except that my mother is getting much better and my dad and I have both voiced grievances at the nursing home where she is at. They must be doing something right because she is improving…..no, I think what is happening is that there is a lot going on, she is active everyday, and they are regulating her medications better. Otherwise, not sure I would board my dog there. But after raising my voice last night, they were oh so attentive. Yesterday wasn’t that great of a day.

But it was great at lunch when I took a nice sunny walk and decided to take some pictures so at least I’d have something besides non matching shoes…..

My noon walk through the woods next door.

 

I spotted a little cairn I thought was kind of cute.

Anyway, this weekend is a knitting event  with Martha and friends, and next weekend is a shop hop that is going to take all weekend but Debbie and I are up for the challenge (although I don’t think there will be any ditch hopping this time….which is disturbingly disappointing)

So, there will be more news in the next few weeks. Until then, I am going great guns here in the Pacific Northwest. Up to my usual tricks and barely keeping under the radar. Barely.

 

Really? Has it been that long?

So very sorry. There is nothing I dislike more than looking at a blog and have it be outdated. I’m only a few weeks behind-that’s not as bad as clicking on a blog and having it be from March 2010. Do not even have a link to your blog if that’s all the blogging you do.

OK, so where were we. I believe Tacoma, Federal Way, and parts unknown.

I arrived here in Sept, as you all know, and started work one week later. One week!

Oh wait, I already blogged that. But I didn’t blog this-

Here’s where I work and here’s my huge cubicle-

Really, when I am sitting at my computer (giant screen which I am trying to replace with two small screens) I can’t reach the desk drawers!

Here’s my little friendship box that sits by my phone-thanks Nancy P. Every time I get a lost and found I look at that little box and think of you. (PS-There’s a bunch coming your way-don’t despair).

And the woods off in the distance are where I walk everyday at noon. Fabulous. Especially since there has been no rain since I arrived. Actually no rain since August. Which could be why the state is slowly burning up.

(Mason Co on fire….)

I am staying with my BFF Nina, whom I have known since age of 10. We are March 5th girls.

This is my room where I stay. There is a bit of Red Sox love here-can you tell?

Got all the important stuff here-

Our weekends are filled with excitement. Tonight, for example, we had a hot date grocery shopping at the Fred Meyer (my totally favorite store)

Last Friday we did this-

We painted Rosie’s room! There’s Nina-

 

And our Rosie girl! Pictures say it all.

Then on Sunday I went knitting with these fabulous girls-

Julie (next to me) and Nancy. They have been so supportive of me since I arrived. We are in Lake Forest Park (is it a Lake? Forest? Park?), by Third Place books and a most delicious bakery. Very much enjoyable.

After knitting, I took off for my sister’s house on Hartstene Island as I worked in Olympia all of last week. I have learned so much I have brain fatigue-but all worth it.

The island is beautiful.

View from my window

Awesome sunset-

But a looong drive to Olympia to work. So I am back to Nina’s as of yesterday (Friday). I’ll take my chances on I-5 as opposed to over an hour each way to and from the island. It would be nice if you didn’t have to leave for several days, but the daily trip is a fatigue builder for sure.

I tried to get a view of the window I am by at the office in Olympia, but my camera was all whacked about it.

It focused on what was near, and not the capitol building that is the cool focus of my pictorial study. I’ll try it again next week.

Mother went to the hospital last week, and is now in rehab for PT/OT. I don’t think she’s too happy about it and it certainly doesn’t help her confusion. But she needs the strength, that is for sure.

So, needless to say, I am a wee bit tired. Between going to a new place (again), the long commute all week, and Mother, it’s been a hell of a week. But I got some sewing in today, a great run through the forest, and a bit of knitting too. Off to bed for some rest. Still haven’t sold the house and am missing Dave and the pets. Hopefully soon.

The northwest is treating me well, and I am truly happy here. And will be even happier once we are all together again.

Oh, and Nina told me today, it hasn’t rained for 77 days. Or has it….? I’d hate to think we’d lie about it not raining when everyone knows-it rains here ALL the time.

Have a fabulous week and more later.