Summer Break

Well, for the first time since I've had a full time job I took a little minature summer break. By that I mean I took time off just to sit at home, eat mac n cheese, bon bons, watch soaps, and mostly do nothing. Usually when I take time off from work I'm always bouncing non-stop from place to place, my last two week stint no exception (recall CO-Vegas-CA-Moab-road trip). I must be getting older and changing all the way around because I used to LOVE going places and traveling - I still do, I guess I've just realized that there is a time for jet-setting and a time for sitting on the couch and gaining 5 lbs. I swear I gained at least that. But I'm back on my low fat diet and working out like a mad woman again. It was nice to take a break, but the fun and games are over. Back to real life.

A vacation recap:

Aug 4th - went to dinner with Master Lee and crew after TKD including the new baby Issac. Isaac. Isacc. Iisac. Iissaacc. Whatever - the new baby. It was fun but at the same time I couldn't help but think where I was 6 years ago on that day. I kept my tears on the DL though, no sense in spoiling anyone elses fun.

Aug 5th - Dane, Steven, Ricky, and I drove to Mercer Island and then roller bladed to the highway to watch the Blue Angels. Man, I love those guys! I swear, puppies and Lifetime will never make me cry but every time I see those fighter jets I get all emotional and swell with pride. One of my buddies here has a different take on them though, she said the sound of a fighter jet is no cause for celebration being that in some countries people hear those jets and fear for their lives during this time of war. True. BUT NOT IN THE UNITED STATES! Those men and women in the military fight hard generation after generation to ensure the freedom and rights of American citizens - they are working when we are playing, have some effing respect for your military and the best of the absolute best taking their time to come out and put on a show. Support what our men/women are trained to do and be lucky that when you hear the sound of a F/A-18 Hornet you can look to the sky and smile from ear to ear and be proud of your country!

Aug 6th - I think I sat around doing nothing. Oh - I watched the Blue Angels on tv this time. God bless the Seafair - I can't believe I've missed out my whole life. Dane and I have resolved to sell the Jeep, Montero, trailer, and Banshee and get a boat in two years. We would get it next year, but we are getting married, first things first ya know. The boat Dane wants to get - http://www.yamaha-motor.com/boat/products/modelhome/422/0/home.aspx The boat I want - http://www.stingrayboats.com/products/models06/models.php?model=240cs The boat that we can afford http://www.kennebunkbeach.com/Images/dingy.jpg

Aug 7th - Went camping with LR and crew - whoooo doggy what fun that was! I took the truck because I was going to sleep in it but brought a tent just in case. At a huge 2 scoop ice cream cone AND drove the stick shift truck at the same time- I was impressed. It's weird to take ferries places. I'm used to driving forever, but in WA you have to take ferries to the other side. And the ferry is actually considered part of the highway - no joke. Anyhoot, it was about a 2 hour drive to the camp spot. We drank beers and sat around the camp fire, walked down to the river, ate dinner and drank more beer. Dane was able to cut out of work early and come down on the bike arriving just in time to consume a bag of mushrooms (I was just drunk enough to make that decision) with me. That was fun! I spent the whole night cuddled on the love seat camping chair in my camoflauge capri pants, fleecy thing, and pirate bandana and emergency pirate gold earring with my face painted like a pirate (eye patch and moustache). Since I'm a mental case to begin with I didn't need to get up and frolic in the forest like the others did, I visited two galaxies, Hell, and all my childhood memories right there from the chair. I even visited the future. I thought I had died. Then I wished I would die. Then I saw a Star Wars dude in our camp. Then everyone was a tree stump. I couldn't move my body and I thought for certain I peed my pants. Finally when I could move I forced myself to find the tent even though I was in an animated forest. I must have left live action when I came back from galaxy #2. And the music that Pat played was way cool and everyone was chattering to everyone and Dane! OMG Dane. He was beside himself. He and the other men found an abandoned car and tipped it over, then they scared each other in the brush. Dane refused to go to the tent when I did and physically tried to stop me by getting in my way and hugging me (effing hippy) - I finally had to scream at him to let me go. Then he spent all night f*cking with the flash light in the tent begging me to help him find Reality, like it was a client of his or something. The next day I was shocked to wake up alive. Then I was even more shocked to learn that it had only been one night, I thought for sure I was 45 years old. Drugs* are bad, mmkay.

* I find it a stretch to consider mushrooms drugs since they are natural, but I did knowingly consume the mushrooms expecting some degree of euphoria or what have you.

Aug 8th and 9th - Slept. All day and night. Both days.

Aug 10th - went to the Noc Noc with RB, TJ, MR, and HG. And SS. MR gave his notice at work and needed a pick me up, and what better way to pick yourself up than black opals and pasties.

Aug 11th - I slept in till noon then watched my two Isis videos, one of her on Mother's Day, her 1st b-day, and then a bunch of footage from when Kevin and I lived together. It is weird looking at me back then - I feel like I'm watching a different person. And to see me with Isis, I look like I always looked at her in awe. There's several times the camera catches me staring at her, not saying anything, with the most interesting look on my face. Like I can't believe she's there or something. Anyway, Dane went with Steven to Spokane to help him move so I stayed at home and surfed the net and watched tv and just enjoyed my me time. I played with the cats, ate fattening food some more, assessed my swivel hookah. DUDE - I got a swivel hookah! That's right, this baby swivels on it's base so no more getting the hose caught and passing it around between 5 people and knocking sh*t over. In fact - I think I'll go light my baby hookah. I also got one of those so I can retire my Isis hookah for specail occassions. But not special hookah. Special hookah goes in swivel hookah. This year Dane and I are getting hookahs for all our friends and family for Cmas. I can only imagine what the look on my parents face would be - hee hee. That alone would make it worth it.

Aug 12th - School, last class of Audit I, Audit II starts next week. Aced the test. Then I went to Merle's memorial and lost it everytime I saw Howard. They've been married 42 years. That's as long as my folks. And they are only 10 years older than my folks. It petrifies me to think that I could lose my folks in 10 years. Well I guess anything happens at anytime, but I just can't imagine a life without them and it literally brings me to shaking fits imaging their passing and especially the hurt and pain when the one goes before the other. I actually felt like I could vomit several times throughout the ceremony watching poor Howard and feeling his pain. It was nice to hear the other folks in the crowd though and the funny things they said about Merle and who she was. She really was a tough one - it saddens me that I didn't know her softer side. Additionally I've learned a very powerful lesson from this experience. I've learned how to NOT talk about your co-workers and people who are seemingly stern. I've learned that I could have been a lot nicer and easier to deal with. I made my peace with Merle at her bedside about the tone in my last email to her and secretly prayed that she never read it, but I am still haunted by my actions and naggings that really were unneccessary. Lesson learned.

After that I spent the afternoon dining w/ MR, HG, and RB and then watching tv with MR and HG - I swear they put sleepy dust on their coach. The evening was spent working HARD moving SS in to his new place, which is very nice. After that, D and I went home, watched the boob tube and passed the toot out.

Aug 13th - spent the day at the nudey beach on Lake Washington with LR and crew. We ate BBQ and drank beer and just plain relaxed. I didn't think to bring a suit so when our intertube island (over 10 feet in diameter w/ mesh pool) showed up courtesy of Mog, I had to wear Dane's underoos and my sarong top to swim in. I *could* have gone in the buff, but I'm not ready for that around people I know. Plus I could stand to lose about 50 lbs before I did that. After nude beach Dane and I went home and watched Kill Bill Vol 1 & 2 - such great movies. It was the best way to finish off the week of remembering Isis. I love what Uma fights for in Kill Bill. Rock on!

I got back to work today and it wasn't as bad as I anticipated. I seem to be getting things done on my own time now instead of stressing myself out with unrealistic lists. Dane is in Olympia all week so I'm on my own again with the cats. Dane wants to keep our newest foster, Sharpie (what a horrible name), he is a d*mn cute cat. Our cats hate him. Stinker has some funk on her back that I keep cutting out and it comes back. I swear that cat has the weirdest sh*t happen to her. Unexplainable. The cats are fighting right now. Boo is actually hoarse from hissing and hooting so much. Silly girl.

Well back to homework for me. Then cookie dough. Then I have to work off the cookie dough with Joyce Vedral's workout.