Heading into the Blues...

...And testing my ability to live blog from my phone. The user interface for which is rather robust. One might even say full-service. Here goes nothing...

A 5k. Me. Ran.

I totally thought I posted this in October, but guess I missed it. That's me, filthified, after running a 5k the morning of the Halloween party.

Did you get that? A 5k. Me. Ran. Race number and everything.

Not only did I complete this feat of strength and endurance, but I did so with a thirty-something. AND a twenty-something. These are my fake sisters. They actually are

sisters, but the two of us on the right get mistaken for being sisters quite often.

The gist of this particular run is that you start in a white T-shirt and run, and volunteers (in this case affiliates of the local Girl Scouts) and people throw colored corn starch (or something similar) at you.

It's "the happiest 5K" or something like that. Our team! Yay!

Safely Back in Boise!

After Winter Girl Party, I packed it up and headed back east. Somewhere between zero and 5 years the terminology goes from "I left Boise and headed home for the week," to "I went to Portland, but heading back home now." This was the scene at the Chicken Ranch before I took off...

I received a text when I was near  Pendleton: "Don't fill up on tacos, I'm making dinner." This was the scene upon my return!! I love a man in the kitchen.

Fresh loin of venison, sauteed mushrooms, baby asparagus, and fingerling tatoes. Uhm, YEAH.

And pie! PIE!!!!  I live like a queen.

While I was in Portland and my husband was in Montana we had our pupils removed and our irises died black. Kinda creepy. But glad to be home!

Winter Girl Party: Pajama Jammie-Jam

Well, we are sorta past the stay-out-clubbing-in-the-Portland-rain age, and more into the warm-dry-hotel-suite-and-fleece-jammies age. Plus, it wouldn't be us if I didn't clomp around in Stacey's high heels.

And play with fire just a little.

Mmm. The birthday girl and the Krispy Kreme birthday cake we made for her.

Sister graciously volunteered to walk to the Rite Aid and got us milk for our donuts. In her real clothes, not her jammies. So sweet, despite the sorta creepy pose goin' on here.

The birthday girl trying out my gift of "Party Lips," in her high heels and Hello Kitty jammies.

And then gifts! What more could we want from Winter Girl Party/Our Stacey's Birthday! YAY! Thanks girls!

Winter Girl Party/Stacey's Birthday...WHAT?!?

Let's see...everyone's in Portland...it's Stacey's birthday...yes, yes, I think the planets will align...yep, yep! Winter Girl Party Stacey's Birthday! Woooo! With graciously donated Marriott points from our Christopher Robin, we were livin' big in a fishbowl suite in downtown! We live like queens!! That CR is such a sweetie.

OMIGOSH! I love your tropical Girl Party get-up, your bright dress and your strappy sparkly sandals...HAHAH! WINTER Girl Party? in PORTLAND? Black...black boots...black coats... Yep. That seems about right.

So fun to be in downtown. These two have birthdays two days apart in the summer, so back when we started doing GPs, it was often also a combined birthday party...including a couple at Kahneeta and one at Lake Shasta...of course we've all celebrated my birthday numerous times together, but a week before Thankgsgiving, Stacey often got the shaft. Not this year!

We were off to Departure, the swankified top-level asian fusion restaurant that formerly was The Georgian Room, or was possibly a floor up from there. Kristin and I spent an MLK holiday afternoon there once, lunched there, bought jammies at Meier and Frank, and then went to the movies. My how times change! Stacey kept calling this restaurant "Destination," which confused our taxi driver.

And then, despite saying we wouldn't, we went back to one of our old haunts, Pazzo. Mostly because I HAD to have another mango margarita with a spicy chipotle salted rim, like the one I'd had with Anita the previouse evening. A little bit of Mexico in November!!

Family Portrait

Well, because of adventures ahead, and busy schedules, the three of us won't likely be all three together again until spring, so we got together to celebrate Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's, my birthday, and dad's birthday, all in one night. I love efficiencies like this.

I had cranberry juice, eggnog, and champagne on hand for cycling through each of the holidays. Hahahah! Let's do a family photo! Sans my husband, of course, who was on his Montana killing spree.

Sometimes I think the test shots are more hilarious than the end result. :)

Hurry sister, hurry!!

Eh. Weird lighting. But I am sporting the BEAUTIFUL scarf Aunt Angie made for me and gave to me during our lovely lunch and visit earlier in the day! So fancy!

Yay! So cute! Happy holidays, family!

Peeps!

After my leisurely days in Longview and at the Mini service center, the next few days were a whirlwind of peeps! First up, a private veterans' luncheon with Uncle Arnie, my grandfather, and Dad! So fun! I loved that the guys up at the bar drinking bought my grandfather lunch!

A quick pop-in to see Space and the kids...this one very precisely walked me through her American Girl catalog...

The boy and I did some wrestlin' and faux-boxing. Pretty spot-on American kid stuff.

And of course, quiet living room chitty-chat with my friend. A quick little visit, but such fun!

At some point Dad and I had coffee and breakfast in downtown Hillsboro. We chatted current events and travels ahead. Let's take a moment to consider where I might have inherited my travel-junkie tendencies. We also enjoyed watching a homeless dude force the barista to give him free tasters of multiple coffees, all eventually equaling nearly a cup. Hahahah!

And then, fun fun fun with my Anita, to celebrate her birthday, catch up, and just hang out. We gabbed and gabbed and gabbed. I think we mostly got caught up. We also had some excellent sushi, which was dirt-cheap compared to sushi in Boise. Oddly, I noticed Mexican cuisine, which is quite cheap in Boise, was ridiculously expensive in Hillsboro. Hmm. I could only fit in so many folks and telework the week too, so i missed some important peeps, but hope to catch 'em next time!

Coffee and Minis

Yeah. So there's Why such a clear shot? I'm mostly sitting still. Good times.

I headed up to Longview to see the in-laws and OMIGOSHTHEIRNEW HOUSEISSOOOOOOOCUTE! I really like it, and though they only moved about a mile, it was a good decision and the new place is going to work out juuuuust fiiiiine. Carolyn and I can still walk downtown and get coffee. Her treat!

Get this. Sitting. In a leather chair. Drinking coffee. Coffee that's in a real cup. Not thrust through my car window in a paper cup at 6 a.m. Gabbing. SUCH FUN! My once-a-year eggnog latte. I could have sat there all day, if they didn't close at 4 p.m. and kick us out. :( 

I selected the chairs for us to sit on based on this little knick-knack. An old school Mini Cooper was under our little table! Love it! My two days in Longview were lovely, but had to move on... 

To the Mini service center in Portland. 7:30 a.m. appointment, thank you very much. I got lots done on the Cooper, and they had all the free beverages and wifi I could use. I teleworked from there for a day and a half, and got a lot done. Sister came in to visit my "office" when she dropped me off then next morning.

I know this will be a huge shock to all of you, but we might have engaged in a wee bit of...how you say..."Horsing around"? Yeah that. Us. Imagine.



Sister's not really sitting in the driver's seat. Hee hee!

Going Coastal

When you're at the beach, you gotta...hit the beach!

It seemed like the weather was chilly slop the whole week, but sister assures me I was lucky, and the weather was actually lovely. This shot makes me think she might be right.

UHM....EXCUSE ME?!? Trucks on the beach? What is this, Long Beach? Trashy thangs.

Dad and Mike weren't so much into sand time.

Let's all pause a moment to consider the man with the green monocular, and then wonder where I get my spy qualities.

Normally I would not post such a ridiculous and unflattering photo of myself but if you click and enlarge, Sister is making exactly the same face. Hahahahahahah!

We popped in to the deli to see Julie, who kept Sister and I employed all through college. She's not much into photography, apparently.

We laughed and laughed, and then she let us take whatever food we wanted. And wouldn't accept payment. Seriously. She said she meant to bring Dad some food when he had his heart surgery, and neglected to. So take some granola and terrine now. :)

Fine, Sister, maybe the sun did come out. Such loveliness, as always!