Hurricane Katrina

My thoughts are with all of those affected by this disaster. Please do your best to remain safe.

Summer: two months late

I was having dinner with some family and friends last night and one of them mentioned that "summer is finally here." Odd, I thought, my calendar shows that it is August, and therefore almost the end of summer.

When I woke up this morning, I understood what she was talking about. I've only been in California for just under a year, but I remembered it was swealtering when I first moved down here last year. The thermometer has risen again, after a fairly cool June/July. We're now back in the mid-80s, but it feels more like closer to 100 with little to no wind. Maybe I'm still used to temperatures in the Pacific NW, so what feels hot here really isn't. Yesterday and today were almost unbearable to be outside. The gardening that I had been planning has yet to be accomplished. Did I mention, as well, how hard it is to concentrate on work when you are sweating profusely?

Of course, further support of my "it's too hot" argument can be found here, where it states that "This year's low snowpack strongly mimics what we expect to be normal conditions in 40 or 50 years because of global warming." No more skiing or snowboarding? I'd hate to see that become a reality.

Going somewhere, coming from somewhere...

I spent the last week in Seattle with the fam for my adorable nephew's baptism. The last time I saw him he was just over 4 months old. He is now almost 9 months old and those gorgeous blue eyes just keep getting bigger. I must say, he looked like quite the cutie at his baptism, decked out in cords, a blue shirt and the little red necktie I made him. (Have you ever tried to find a necktie for an infant? Impossible, I tell you! But this one came out just fine.)



I miss Seattle. It is such a great city with a million little hang-outs, all of which were on my list of "Places to Visit While in Seattle" but none of which actually got visited. (Note: still craving that Anaheim Chicken burger from Red Mill, along with any of their delicious shakes.) I also miss Portland. Haven't lived there yet, but one day.

The travels got me thinking about all of the places that I'd like to visit and/or live. I've just started my list on 43places. Is it just me or does it seem like the Europeans have a much better sense of the coolness in visiting many other places? Or maybe it is just that they have better access to it. Anyway, I need to grow my list of places I've visited and those I will someday visit. Any absolute 'musts'?

Golden Gummy Bear Awards

Let the testing begin...


And the Golden Gummy Bear goes to (drum roll please.....): Kroger! The generic store-brand gummy bear around here, which was somewhat surprizing! Check out our results!

*Note: We were unable to find Black Forest Gummy Bears, but I know they exist. We used worms instead, figuring they likely have the same taste and texture, but different shape.

Anniversary

Today is my one-year anniversary. One year ago, I married the most incredible, supportive, intelligent, warm and loving man. It's hard to believe how quickly time goes by. I hope everyone out there always remembers how precious a day is, the miracle of just one minute, and how life can change in a second.

Happy Anniversary, Peanut! You are a dream come true!

Gummybear-less town

Ok all you Southern California natives, what gives? Did you grow up living a depraived childhood with only generic gummy bears? I know it looks like I've been slacking on my taste test, but you wouldn't believe how many friggin' stores I've visited in search of the grand gummy bear! No Tyroli, no Black Forest, no nothin' but Kroeger (generic store brand). Ugh.

Still, I will NOT go down without a fight. The hunt continues...

Little Bits

(***The Golden Gummi Bear Awards will be coming soon to a blog near you! Stay tuned!***)

I don't have much to say at the moment, as life has been busy working on various projects and getting my line for NSS in order, but I realized that I posted quite a while ago that I would list some things about me. I asked for questions, and the one I got back was from my dear sister:

If you were a cruciferous vegetable, which one would you be?

[For those of us not up on our daily vocab lessons, a cruciferous vegetable is any plant from the mustard family, such as cabbage, radish, broccoli, and many weeds. Don't you love to think about what kind of weed you are?]

I don't know, I kind of like the radish. From above ground it looks fairly normal, maybe a hint of funk with the shape of those lovely green leaves, but then you get it out of the ground and there's this bright pink thing staring at you, twisting around, ready to dance, looking for something a bit on the adventuresome side. Then you cut it open and the sweet, slightly tangy, crisp taste is possibly not quite what you'd expect. The Ravishing Radish.

My sister, on the other hand, would be broccoli. That's just because... well, there are some quirks about family that you really just shouldn't tell on the internet. But for anyone who's eaten broccoli, you might be able to guess.


On to other questions... these are just from my own mind.

What are your food weaknesses? Easy: Jelly Bellys, ice cream and my Dad's calzone. My hubby claims I have a second stomach for ice cream. I have yet to prove him wrong.

Where do you see yourself in 50 years? I've always wanted to own a vineyard in Italy. A small one, but big enough to produce wine for the random dinner party. And I do love to entertain.

What is the ideal number of pets to have? Two cats and two dogs. Already got the cats covered, so now we need a bulldog and a lap-mutt.

What annoys you the most about yourself? When I start to doubt myself or compare myself to how I perceive others to be/do. Its something I have to quit doing if I want to be successful in this biz.

What is on your to-do list right now? Eeek! Too much! Have to get going on NSS, buy a new printer, organize my office, make contacts for possible sales, design more (ALWAYS on the list), send invoices, unpack, have a garage sale, meet with the accountant, get the website up, and the list goes on. But I'm still lovin' this!

What are you most proud of? I'm proud that I have a family and friends who are incredible. They are across the country and across town, but they all mean the world to me. True friends are hard to come by, but I feel quite assured that I have a wonderful selection. Without them, I wouldn't be where I am, doing what I am, and living as out loud as I am.

Got more questions? Toss 'em my way!