I Can NOT Win.

Dave has this annoying habit of talking to his phone. He has voice capability (but not access to that bitch Suri thank God) and so I'll say "Google what President Harding died of" and he'll say it in his phone. It is the most irritating thing EVER. Really. So this is how it went down last night.

Dave-I have good news

Me-Did you get a raise?

Dave-pause....No, I mean good news.

Me-A raise would be good news

Dave-I got an e-mail from Direct TV.

Me-(thought bubble-this can't be good)

Dave-and they have informed me I can now use my phone as a television remote.

Me-(not fully understanding the implications of this yet) Well, bully for you.

Dave-So that means..

Me-(holy crap...)

Dave-that I can speak a TV selection into the phone and the TV will change to that channel.

Me-silence

Dave-Yes, I can say Psych and it will go to Psych. I can say GREEN BAY PACKERS and we will be watching football. This is going to be great.

Me-Great? No. There are no words to describe my feelings right at this moment.

Dave-I KNOW it. I was a little overwhelmed by it too.

Me-I don't think we are overwhelmed for the same reasons.

Sometimes I think I should live alone.

Nordstrom and the Mountain

It’s been a busy week here in the great NW. The weather has been fabulous, by the way. 70’s-80’s. Dry. Perfect.

And we’ve spent a lot of time outside in it.

But in order to be outside in it, you have to dress for it.

So, on Thursday last, (a week ago today) my sisters and I took a little trip to the pre-anniversary sale at Nordstrom-personal shopper and all.

Debbie was a little overwhelmed at first-

I mean, seriously cute clothes-and a lot of them.

We tried on many of the same outfits-

 

We didn’t buy the sweaters-too hot and acrylic feeling.

Same shirts, different colors. I don’t think either shirt was purchased.

However, we all bought those boyfriend jeans we have on, and we all purchased  three identical sweaters in different colors. We plan a sister identical dress up day very soon.

Friday Dave and I went to see Paula Poundstone at the Pantages.

   

It’s a beautiful theater. This was our view-

And this was Paula.

She is so smart and funny-and she can play the audience is like no other.

And of course, our new thing, the requisite selfie

OK, it’s still new to us and I am not yet proficient- but at least this one is a little further out than the last.

Of course, sometimes it takes a couple of tries….

Moving on.

Saturday was another big day-

Got up early and picked up the G-pa and Carol, and off we went to Mount Saint Helens.

I haven’t been up there since she blew. Well, you couldn’t get up there right away, but it’s been since before 1980 that I have been this close.

The day was beautiful and so were the views.

  

That’s Mount Rainier peeking out behind the hill.

 

You might have to click to make this next picture bigger, but if you look closely in the middle of the crater, that mountain is still smokin’.

And of course, all of us-

Yep, there we are. At the mountain at the Johnson observatory (click the wiki link). I think it’s named for Dave Johnson, who died while observing the mountain.

Anyway, it was a glorious day.

Topped off by the best lunch ever at Patty’s Place, Mile 19, with a view of the Toutle.

Everyone had a good time, and we topped it off with another selfie-to demonstrate how it’s done-

OK, not the best and that lady in the background-total photo bomb.

We wouldn’t be forced to take so many selfies if we had any friends at all that would take our pictures. But sadly we don’t. So it’s up to us.

Our hydrangeas are looking well outside the bedroom window-better than my St. Charles flowers looked.

And inside the bedroom, well…..

  

Yep-it was a glorious week all in all. And this weekend holds more promise-stay tuned-

And try to pay attention. 

To The Beach, and step on it.

I’ve been wanting to go the beach for a while now.

So last weekend we did just that. I was treating Dave to a trip because the weekend before, our anniversary, we didn’t do too much. Well, I did a lot, but since Dave doesn’t run, or exercise much at all, he didn’t do so much with us.

We took a little trip to Westport. After a rocky start (as Dave gets nervous when I don’t give him step by step directions-for example, stop now, red light. No, seriously, he knows the way to the highway……I didn’t think I needed to reiterate that one) we crossed over to the other side and took off.

Nice day, beautiful mountains, no U turns.

We went to Westport. It was sunny most of the way there-

I saw this in Aberdeen. Not sure why he’s riding in front of Taco Bell but there you go.

Almost there….

When we got to the beach it was still a little foggy/overcast-

But as the day went on, it got sunnier and really quite pleasant.

We went crazy with the camera.

Sand Dollar….

Me holding a Sand Dollar….

Heart Shaped Rock…..

 

Weird Beach Organism……

 

Sun coming out…fog burning off…..

Someone with too much time on their hands at the beach

 

It’s a cow. More accurately a bull. (I am thinking of Laura for some reason-this would get a HUGE eyeroll-you can’t escape a bovine, even at the beach)

Dave, wearing my Spring Classic shirt (I did have to correct the girls who made my cheesecake ice cream cone that Dave did not run this race like they assumed since he was wearing the shirt. I ran this race and gave him the shirt. They were a little speechless about that. The cheesecake ice cream cone was delish, by the way)

Us doing a scary selfie. I don’t know why I’m putting this picture in here because it’s incredibly non flattering. But there it is. (And not as non flattering as some pictures I put in here-but read on)

We had a wonderful lunch here-right on this very deck. But there were umbrellas because it was kinda sunny.

And of course the ice cream.

We walked along the piers and saw a charter boat that had sunk at the dock. I didn’t take a picture-don’t know why. But note to self-don’t book that charter (shades of Gilligan’s Isle)

 

 

We got home in the afternoon and it was HOT. Last weekend upper 80’s, low 90’s. We had to buy a fan at Big Lots. Just sayin’.

Now, to go backwards in time, just because it’s how this post is rolling, before the weekend we went to Stitch and Pitch on Thursday the 27th at Cheney Stadium.

I didn’t have my camera, only my phone so these pics aren’t the greatest. But that’s Martha and me knitting, watching the game and posing with the mascot, whose name is Rhubarb. Really. And although it makes a delicious pie, "Rhubarb," is baseball slang for an on-field argument or fight. (Thanks Wikipedia-and thanks for also pointing out it’s a 1951 movie too).

And no stitch and pitch is complete without some vendors-fiber shopping was mandatory.

That was a very fun time. I think we might go back and watch another game in the near future. My sister said we can do our own stitch while they pitch. So be it.

I participated in a swap and my friend Jill sent me a nice box of goodies.

That’s a little project bag under the yarn, and she made the wrapping paper with pictures of her cats. And made me a book to record my projects in. Very clever!

Yesterday was the 4th of July. (Quick subject changes-best to keep up if you want to follow along)

We got up early and walked at Chambers Bay-

I was technically beyond that point. Nice hair. (No there are even more unflattering pictures-but this is the last one of me)

Hello Kitty came out with Creepy Guy, her boyfriend, or something, and they took a little stroll.

I only add this to the blog roll because please, I beg you now, please tell me, if I ever dress this way in public, that I need to go home and rethink my whole life. Fashion tip #147-do not let your stomach roll over your tutu. Ever. (I guess you could call this unflattering, but I think this is the look she was actually going for….)

Jack got out and ignored me.

My bee garden is crazy, by the way-

I know.

In the afternoon (we are still on the 4th, by the way) we went over to the apartment and had dinner.

I took some pictures of a few things-like this--

Little bonsai guy sitting under the bonsai tree next to the bonsai rock…

This scary thing-not sure what my motivation was

Why is his hand so giant?

My sister Martha hung the flag

 

and the lake was busy, but you can’t really tell by this.

and where the rich people live-they were busy in their yard and on their open air patio-but you can’t see that very well here either. Maybe if you make it bigger……

Martha and I were checking it out by looking through the binoculars of voyeurism curiosty (at least that’s what she calls them-I’m thinking maybe a little too curious-but still within the law. At least I’m pretty sure it’s within the law. No, it is. Really.)

Dave played cards and lost. I was happy that he lost because he seems to win all the time when we play, so much so that I won’t play with him anymore. Ever. I guess this time he couldn’t make up the rules fast enough to win.

And of course there was cooking going on. Always that. With Grampa in the background.

And then we went home. It was like world war three until about 2 AM. Being from small towns the past 20 years or so it’s usually fairly quiet after the big fireworks show ends. Living in the city is a whole other story. I found a bottle rocket in the pathway to our basement-which is a pretty small space to be hitting with a large bottle rocket.

But I suppose everyone had fun-even if they made me just a little bit crazy(er).

I have today, Friday off, and plan to go and do nothing at all until Dave gets home-

Carpe Diem**

** “Seize the moment. Remember all those women on the 'Titanic' who waved off the dessert cart.”
― Erma Bombeck

Carpe Diem: Seize the day
Carp e denim: There’s a fish in my pants