Pictures: Girls' Weekend

Trish came to visit this past weekend! We had a great time doing nothing -- we seem to be pretty good at that. We had all of these big ideas, and ended up just getting pedicures, eating, walking/shopping downtown, and staying up late to chat. No spa treatments, no trip to Vancouver, no chick flick, no stage show...but it was still a great weekend!

Chris was out of town on a rafting trip, so we had the house (and Cowboy) to ourselves. We went downtown both days and took pictures with the various Pigs on Parade that are scattered around the city in celebration of Pike Place Market's centennial. We managed to spend an inordinate amount of time in Sephora, considering that neither of us wears make-up. We also ate our way through Pike Place, enjoying a rather diverse picnic of fried fish, pancit, bread, cheese, donuts, peaches and nectarines while overlooking the waterfront. We forgot to leave in time for Trish's flight out, so we ended up having to speed to the airport, after getting caught in traffic behind a horse and carriage. Luckily, her flight was delayed by 30 minutes!

While Trish was visiting, the infant car seat and stroller that I ordered was delivered. So Trish and I put it together and strapped in my teddy bear (yes, this is the same "Molly Teddy" Steiff bear that I've had since I was a kid and may be recognized by friends who have known me way too long...). We then proceeded to terrorize Cowboy. I forgot how jumpy he is around moving objects! I pushed the stroller around the house for awhile, and eventually Cowboy got comfortable enough to stay in the same room (albeit 10 feet away). I decided that it's OK for him to be a bit wary of the stroller so that he doesn't think it (or its contents) are free for him to bother.

It was great having Trish up for the weekend! I hope she can come up again before the little one arrives. I'm trying to talk her into being my proxy for any public appearances I have to make between now and the due date. She's just so much cuter, especially now that I've gained approximately the equivalent of her entire body weight. Plus she's a black belt, so she can beat up anyone who bothers me or tries to touch my belly (or any other body part, like my ankles...what's up with the ankle thing??).

Link: View pictures from Trisha's visit

Just call me "Bennie"

I took the Personal DNA personality test and discovered that I am a "Benevolent Leader". I don't know that I would have ever chosen the word "benevolent" to describe myself, but hey, it's an online test and therefore cannot be doubted!

Below is a visual map of how I scored in various character areas -- mouse over the colored boxes to see what each color represents. Apparently I am very masculine (I think this is the part of me that Chris calls "Ms. Ones-and-Zeros", although maybe it should be "MR. Ones-and-Zeros"), earthy (does this have something to do with the patchwork hippie dresses I used to wear in college?), and rather unstylish (this definitely has something to do with the patchwork hippie dresses).

I'm also "slightly" functional. Does that mean that I'm considerably dysfunctional?

Benevolent Leader

If you want to read my entire personality report, click here: My personalDNA Report

Margaret

Mirror mirror on the wall

This is really cool. I want one.

Pictures: Point B Getaway

This past weekend was the annual Point B Getaway -- a fun-filled weekend sponsored by Chris' company. I always look forward to it, especially because it gives us a chance to stay at really nice resorts that we wouldn't normally visit. This year we stayed at the Alderbrook Resort and Spa, along Hood Canal.

It feels a bit like adult summer camp. We all wear name tags, as well as bracelets that give us access to free food and drinks all weekend long. There are planned events (such as a comedy show, trivia game, casino night, and team-building event) and Saturday afternoon is left open to pursue individual activities. Normally I like to take advantage of horseback riding or kayaking, but since I couldn't this year I decided to be completely cliché and visit the spa while Chris played golf. It was lovely.

After we took the ferry back to Seattle on Sunday afternoon, we embarked on our first visit to Babies-R-Us. It wasn't nearly as scary as I thought it would be, but it was still a bit overwhelming. We're starting to get this nagging feeling that we should be planning stuff and doing crazy things like buying gear, so we decided to take a look and see what it's all about. We ended up buying a crib, which is a pretty big step for us. We don't have anywhere to put it, but that's not critical yet because it will be a few weeks before it's available for pick-up.

Chris picked Cowboy up when we got home, and we enjoyed a quiet evening watching Cowboy sleep while trying to avoid his fang-pi. The dog-sitter gave him some standard dog food (instead of his super special "I'm a wimpy puppy who's allergic to every single protein source known to humankind" food), so the fang-pi was even more powerful than usual. And the three episodes of vomiting in the middle of the night were pretty exciting too.

So that was our weekend. How was yours?

Link: View Point B Getaway pictures

Pictures: Hot August Nights

Well, not exactly "hot". Seems that our stifling hot summer (in the 90s+) lasted for about two weeks in June, and we've been mellowing out in the mid-70s ever since. It's actually not too bad -- sunny and warm and very comfortable. Especially for those of us who are expanding by the day (me) or covered from head to toe in fur (Cowboy).

It's been a very busy August for me, particularly at work. We're reaching a huge milestone in my project, and I'm excited to finally get there! My team has done some amazing work and I'm very proud. I'm also excited about the celebration we're going to have once we pass this milestone! We were going to go curling, but apparently the curling season doesn't start until October so we will have to put that one on hold. Instead, we may get tickets to the Rat City Rollergirls, several of whom work at our company. I've been wanting to see them for a long time and it will be a great way to spend some stress-free time together.

It hasn't been all work/no play -- we've had a couple fun-filled weekends to enjoy this month too! We had a BBQ in Port Orchard with Ben, Carrie, Vicki and Chuck, we saw a Sh*tkickers/DMQ double-whammy show at the Crocodile Cafe with Noah and Monica, and we went to a BBQ at Noah & Monica's with Margaret. We also finally got to meet Joe at Zoka's in Tangletown, and now we're looking forward to a relaxing Point B Getaway at the Alderbrook Resort and Spa on the peninsula this weekend.

Also, I got my Snoogle and I love it. Chris keeps trying to steal it away from me.

Today, Chris and I met for lunch and decided to try out Pecos Pit BBQ. It's right across the street from my office, but I've never been there even though it's been recommended to me many times. We both got the pork sandwich, and it was really tasty! But in all of those recommendations, someone could have mentioned how SPICY the sauce is! Chris ordered "hot" and I ordered "medium", and we nearly passed out. I don't know how Chris finished his -- I had a runny nose and was crying by the time I got halfway through mine. Next time, "mild" it is.

Link: View August pictures

Doh!

This is what Chris and I would look like if we were characters on the Simpsons. Want to see what you'd look like? Get Simpsonized!

I am...

...Elinor Dashwood of Sense & Sensibility! I am practical, circumspect, and discreet. Though I am tremendously sensible and allow my head to rule, I have a deep, emotional side that few people often see.

Take the Quiz here!

Apparently, I am also blonde and rather waifish, and Krispy is my flighty younger sister, Marianne Dashwood. I'm the "sense" to her "sensibility" (according to this essay).