I think I'm really going to try to make an effort to start blogging again. There were reasons why I had fallen out of the habit of it. Mostly because there were things happening in my life that I had no desire to share with the world. Now that most of that is over, I should take the time now and again to stop and reflect on what's going on in the world of Jenn and share with my wee little audience (if there's even anyone out there reading this). It's really more for my reference than anything else.
So what's happening now? Well, I work about 30 hours a week at J Street still as the Office Manager. I love my job and the people I work with. I'm very happy there.
I still have the 2 kitties and Ira in our very small condo in Renton. It's easy to keep clean and in a great location. I love living in Renton. We've been there since 2009 and it's been one of my favorite places to live. I got a newish car a few years back and it will be paid off in a year and a half. I love my little Nissan Versa.
The band is still going. We had a member leave last fall but regrouped and are back out gigging and having fun, still practicing every Thursday. Tim and I are also practicing as a blues duo occasionally for his brother's CD release party.
The other thing that is now consuming a huge portion of my time is The Radio Enthusiasts of Puget Sound. I was elected President and am serving a two year term on the board and doing my best to make the meetings exciting, entice new members to join and make next Showcase fabulous.
I was cast in Rocky Horror last fall and we had a great run at the Renton Civic Theater but between UC7 and REPS I haven't had any time left to try and start a new theater project.
Mom is coming up for another visit soon. She got me tickets to see Bette Midler at Key Arena for my birthday. The concert is June 1st. So excited about that. Also going to see Alabama Shakes in August.
Oh and Ira and I are having a small party on our 10th anniversary where we will have a toast and sign official marriage documents. Then we will go spend 10 days in our happy place; Poipu, Kauai.
These are the major updates for now. Maybe as I get more into the habit I can dig deeper on specific thoughts or issues I'm dealing with. For right now it's just time management. I keep myself very, very busy and I'm happy doing it. Life is pretty good right now.
Why I Love Ira So Very Much
This may seem silly or kind of ridiculous but yesterday evening I got a perfect reminder of why I love Ira so very much.
When I got home from work I was already a bit tired and hungry. Lots of different stresses on my mind. The kitchen was a mess and I knew I needed to go to Walmart and pick up a sleeping bag. I have an overnight gig with my band this weekend out in the middle of a town called "Concrete" and I just want to make sure I have a comfortable place to sleep without having to rely on someone else. We've got a lot of new equipment we'll be using and Ira won't be able to come to this gig. We had a rehearsal on Monday and there's another one Thursday. We're out of coffee and bread but there's no time for shopping. Maybe on Friday. I get paid on Friday.
Ira helped me out with the dishes even though his knee has been hurting him terribly. I decided to pull out the tent from our closet and see what kind of shape it was in since we haven't opened it in a few years. I went to the closet and pulled it out, along with a little canvas camp stool and could smell that the cat had pissed all over it. Paul is the culprit as Moses has never gone outside of the box. Now I'm upset and I put the stool in the tub and sprayed this "Urine Destroyer" enzyme over it and hot water to let it soak. I started pulling contents out of the tent bag, sniffing each one in turn. Yep. Pee.
I started chucking the whole mess into the tub and using the hand sprayer to hose it all down. I forgot how big this 4 person tent was. I will just have to let it soak for a bit. When I first opened the tent in the living room, 2 year old dried flowers scattered all over the place so I went back and began to vacuum all of that stuff up. I'm getting more and more frustrated and when I'm hungry and frustrated I just get really pissy. I started yelling at the cats, cursing them under my breath and whining about the camping gear being so nasty and ruining my weekend. Good thing I checked now. Stupid pissing cats. I stepped in a puddle in my socks. I'm going to kill them all.
Ira was in the office on the computer electronically sending his mom some money for physical therapy. He's such a helpful son. My blouse is damp, my hair is a mess and I'm getting more and more hungry and antsy. Ira and I discuss dinner. I'm beyond wanting to cook anything at this point. He needs to go to Walmart too to pick up some more nicotine patches since he's trying again to quit smoking. He suggests the Chinese place and I tell him I've had salmon and cold noodle salad from Uwajimaya for lunch and I'm not in the mood for Asian again. Indian sounds kind of good but there aren't any convenient in our neighborhood. He suggests our favorite Mexican place and I just kind of shrug. I do like their veggie fajitas.
The evening before we had talked about how when a man asks his woman "Where do you want to eat?" and she says "I don't know" or "I don't care" and then proceeds to shoot down all of his ideas. He said he was grateful I didn't do that since all of his previous relationships had that problem and I said "well, I just know what I want!" I tried pondering why a woman would do that and what the purpose would be. We discussed it and Ira said to him it seemed like a test. For the man to know her so well that he could read her mind and figure it out. I said maybe sometimes it's just hard to decide and you'd rather let someone else do it for once. We just laughed about it because it didn't really matter to us. People can be so funny some times.
Well here we are now. Me in an awful mood and needing some food and I just don't know what I want. I go put my shoes on and stand in the office doorway looking at Ira. He asks "Yes, bebe?" and I just stick out my lower lip, furrow my brow and say "Make me not grumpy anymore." He nods slightly, still looking at the screen and says "OK. Put your shoes on."
"My shoes are on." I pout. He stands up and walks towards me. "My shirt is damp and smells like cat pee." I mutter.
"Go change your shirt." he says in an uncharacteristically firm but gentle voice. I trudge off to the closet and peel off my stinky blouse, put a black tee shirt on and throw my green sweater on over it. I go back to the front door to get my purse. He tells me to grab my purple sweater in case it gets chilly outside. I tell him softly that I'm already wearing a sweater. He grabs the keys off of the hook and takes me by the hand to lead me out and to the car. He walks me out the passenger side of my car and opens the door for me. I slide in and make sure my long skirt is pulled in all of the way and he closes the door. I don't say a word or ask where we are going. He's in charge now.
As we pull out I'm surprised that he turns left instead of right towards our favorite Mexican place. He's decided on something else then. Burgers? I hope it's not burgers since that's what we had the night before but at this point I really don't care. Food of any kind is fine. He pulls into the Taco Time just a few blocks from our house. OK. I can do Taco Time.
We get out of the car and he takes me by the hand. I can't think what I want. I'm just hungry. I'm sweaty. I'm frustrated and even though I washed my hands I swear I still smell cat pee. We stand gaping in front of the front counter, a young kid watching us patiently from behind the register. I study the menu fiercely but can't puzzle out what exactly looks good. Ira pulls me forward. I don't know what I want yet!! A pinto bean burrito sounds right. I usually get the pinto salad but I had salad for lunch. Yes. A burrito. And maybe a taco? Chicken or fish? Crunchy or soft? Corn or flour? Does it have sour cream, cuz I like sour cream but the calories... and I just don't know. My eyes glaze over. I'm staring slack jawed up at the menu board when I hear Ira start to order. "Chicken enchilada platter, pinto bean burrito and a chicken baja taco." The kid looks at me. I stutter "uh, yes. I'll have ummm.. a pinto burrito... what's in the baja taco? ummm..." and Ira interrupts me "Honey, I ordered for you."
"Oh. You did?" I'm confused but pleasantly surprised. I don't have to think now!
"Yes. And two small drinks please." He smiles at the kid and hands him his debit card. Tears start to prick my eyes. I blink rapidly as the cashier hands me my cup with a smile. I shuffle over to the drink dispenser machine. This thing is cool. It's got a dozen different sodas in it and each one you can customize with a few different syrups but I know what I want. They have Cherry Vanilla Diet Dr. Pepper and I am so happy. I fill up my drink and turn to look at Ira. He sees I'm about to start crying and points to a nearby table. "Go sit over there." he tells me. I nod and obey without even getting a lid or a straw for my cup. I'm ready to do whatever he says at this point without hesitation.
As I sit down the tears start to spill out of my eyes. Ira sits down across from me. "I'm so happy!!" I sputter. He giggles at me and ducks his head in that cute way he does. "You knew exactly what I wanted before I did!" I bawled. I look ridiculous. Ira sees I don't have a straw or lid and jumps up to get me what I need. As he sits back down I have tears running down to my chin now. I'm still babbling something about knowing me so well and how I wanted a burrito but maybe a taco but I wasn't sure what kind but maybe not and now I need a tissue. He jumps up again to grab me a couple of napkins. He's back in sweet soft Ira mode instead of Mr. Command and in Charge mode and says "I know how much you love pinto beans and you didn't want a salad or Chinese food. You take such good care of me all of the time so now it's my turn and I can do that for you." I start dabbing at my face but really once I get into that state, the crying doesn't usually fully stop until I've had a few bites of food. A server came out and brought our tray to our table (I seriously love Taco Time) and the burrito was delicious. I could feel my mood change and brighten almost immediately. What a sweetheart. I felt fully loved and taken care of. We've been together getting close to 9 years now and it feels so good that I can trust him enough to make decisions for me when I just can't make them myself.
Maybe that's why sometimes when you ask a woman where she wants to eat and she says "I don't care". She's saying "I've had it up to here with decisions and dealing with crap today. Please, I trust you. Just make up my mind for me before I kill someone. I want someone else to take charge for once and just let me go along for the ride. I'm sure you'll make a good choice, I just want the hungry and the bitchiness to go away."
When I got home from work I was already a bit tired and hungry. Lots of different stresses on my mind. The kitchen was a mess and I knew I needed to go to Walmart and pick up a sleeping bag. I have an overnight gig with my band this weekend out in the middle of a town called "Concrete" and I just want to make sure I have a comfortable place to sleep without having to rely on someone else. We've got a lot of new equipment we'll be using and Ira won't be able to come to this gig. We had a rehearsal on Monday and there's another one Thursday. We're out of coffee and bread but there's no time for shopping. Maybe on Friday. I get paid on Friday.
Ira helped me out with the dishes even though his knee has been hurting him terribly. I decided to pull out the tent from our closet and see what kind of shape it was in since we haven't opened it in a few years. I went to the closet and pulled it out, along with a little canvas camp stool and could smell that the cat had pissed all over it. Paul is the culprit as Moses has never gone outside of the box. Now I'm upset and I put the stool in the tub and sprayed this "Urine Destroyer" enzyme over it and hot water to let it soak. I started pulling contents out of the tent bag, sniffing each one in turn. Yep. Pee.
I started chucking the whole mess into the tub and using the hand sprayer to hose it all down. I forgot how big this 4 person tent was. I will just have to let it soak for a bit. When I first opened the tent in the living room, 2 year old dried flowers scattered all over the place so I went back and began to vacuum all of that stuff up. I'm getting more and more frustrated and when I'm hungry and frustrated I just get really pissy. I started yelling at the cats, cursing them under my breath and whining about the camping gear being so nasty and ruining my weekend. Good thing I checked now. Stupid pissing cats. I stepped in a puddle in my socks. I'm going to kill them all.
Ira was in the office on the computer electronically sending his mom some money for physical therapy. He's such a helpful son. My blouse is damp, my hair is a mess and I'm getting more and more hungry and antsy. Ira and I discuss dinner. I'm beyond wanting to cook anything at this point. He needs to go to Walmart too to pick up some more nicotine patches since he's trying again to quit smoking. He suggests the Chinese place and I tell him I've had salmon and cold noodle salad from Uwajimaya for lunch and I'm not in the mood for Asian again. Indian sounds kind of good but there aren't any convenient in our neighborhood. He suggests our favorite Mexican place and I just kind of shrug. I do like their veggie fajitas.
The evening before we had talked about how when a man asks his woman "Where do you want to eat?" and she says "I don't know" or "I don't care" and then proceeds to shoot down all of his ideas. He said he was grateful I didn't do that since all of his previous relationships had that problem and I said "well, I just know what I want!" I tried pondering why a woman would do that and what the purpose would be. We discussed it and Ira said to him it seemed like a test. For the man to know her so well that he could read her mind and figure it out. I said maybe sometimes it's just hard to decide and you'd rather let someone else do it for once. We just laughed about it because it didn't really matter to us. People can be so funny some times.
Well here we are now. Me in an awful mood and needing some food and I just don't know what I want. I go put my shoes on and stand in the office doorway looking at Ira. He asks "Yes, bebe?" and I just stick out my lower lip, furrow my brow and say "Make me not grumpy anymore." He nods slightly, still looking at the screen and says "OK. Put your shoes on."
"My shoes are on." I pout. He stands up and walks towards me. "My shirt is damp and smells like cat pee." I mutter.
"Go change your shirt." he says in an uncharacteristically firm but gentle voice. I trudge off to the closet and peel off my stinky blouse, put a black tee shirt on and throw my green sweater on over it. I go back to the front door to get my purse. He tells me to grab my purple sweater in case it gets chilly outside. I tell him softly that I'm already wearing a sweater. He grabs the keys off of the hook and takes me by the hand to lead me out and to the car. He walks me out the passenger side of my car and opens the door for me. I slide in and make sure my long skirt is pulled in all of the way and he closes the door. I don't say a word or ask where we are going. He's in charge now.
As we pull out I'm surprised that he turns left instead of right towards our favorite Mexican place. He's decided on something else then. Burgers? I hope it's not burgers since that's what we had the night before but at this point I really don't care. Food of any kind is fine. He pulls into the Taco Time just a few blocks from our house. OK. I can do Taco Time.
We get out of the car and he takes me by the hand. I can't think what I want. I'm just hungry. I'm sweaty. I'm frustrated and even though I washed my hands I swear I still smell cat pee. We stand gaping in front of the front counter, a young kid watching us patiently from behind the register. I study the menu fiercely but can't puzzle out what exactly looks good. Ira pulls me forward. I don't know what I want yet!! A pinto bean burrito sounds right. I usually get the pinto salad but I had salad for lunch. Yes. A burrito. And maybe a taco? Chicken or fish? Crunchy or soft? Corn or flour? Does it have sour cream, cuz I like sour cream but the calories... and I just don't know. My eyes glaze over. I'm staring slack jawed up at the menu board when I hear Ira start to order. "Chicken enchilada platter, pinto bean burrito and a chicken baja taco." The kid looks at me. I stutter "uh, yes. I'll have ummm.. a pinto burrito... what's in the baja taco? ummm..." and Ira interrupts me "Honey, I ordered for you."
"Oh. You did?" I'm confused but pleasantly surprised. I don't have to think now!
"Yes. And two small drinks please." He smiles at the kid and hands him his debit card. Tears start to prick my eyes. I blink rapidly as the cashier hands me my cup with a smile. I shuffle over to the drink dispenser machine. This thing is cool. It's got a dozen different sodas in it and each one you can customize with a few different syrups but I know what I want. They have Cherry Vanilla Diet Dr. Pepper and I am so happy. I fill up my drink and turn to look at Ira. He sees I'm about to start crying and points to a nearby table. "Go sit over there." he tells me. I nod and obey without even getting a lid or a straw for my cup. I'm ready to do whatever he says at this point without hesitation.
As I sit down the tears start to spill out of my eyes. Ira sits down across from me. "I'm so happy!!" I sputter. He giggles at me and ducks his head in that cute way he does. "You knew exactly what I wanted before I did!" I bawled. I look ridiculous. Ira sees I don't have a straw or lid and jumps up to get me what I need. As he sits back down I have tears running down to my chin now. I'm still babbling something about knowing me so well and how I wanted a burrito but maybe a taco but I wasn't sure what kind but maybe not and now I need a tissue. He jumps up again to grab me a couple of napkins. He's back in sweet soft Ira mode instead of Mr. Command and in Charge mode and says "I know how much you love pinto beans and you didn't want a salad or Chinese food. You take such good care of me all of the time so now it's my turn and I can do that for you." I start dabbing at my face but really once I get into that state, the crying doesn't usually fully stop until I've had a few bites of food. A server came out and brought our tray to our table (I seriously love Taco Time) and the burrito was delicious. I could feel my mood change and brighten almost immediately. What a sweetheart. I felt fully loved and taken care of. We've been together getting close to 9 years now and it feels so good that I can trust him enough to make decisions for me when I just can't make them myself.
Maybe that's why sometimes when you ask a woman where she wants to eat and she says "I don't care". She's saying "I've had it up to here with decisions and dealing with crap today. Please, I trust you. Just make up my mind for me before I kill someone. I want someone else to take charge for once and just let me go along for the ride. I'm sure you'll make a good choice, I just want the hungry and the bitchiness to go away."
Typing Test
After reading a post on Reddit about how skilled typists don't actually know the keyboard and type unconsciously I got a bit annoyed. Not only do I sit in front of a keyboard day in and day out, I made a concerted effort in my younger years to type quickly and well by really getting to know the QWERTY layout. I did a little test and typed out the alphabet into notepad while keeping eye contact with the screen. I made a couple of mistakes here and there but not too bad. So I did it again. Then I started quizzing myself on the random location of several letters. Then I closed my eyes and typed out the alphabet. It was a lot harder to do than while looking at the screen for some reason but I was able to more or less effectively visualize the keyboard and this was the result.
abcdefghijklmnioqrstucwcyz
Not bad I say! Especially since X and V are just on the the other side of C I'd say I did pretty well. I challenge you to try it for yourself. It might be slow going at first but I bet you know more than you think you do! It's good practice and it makes me very tempted to purchase one of these keyboards:
Sexy! Though I do admittedly still need to look for which symbols are above which numbers sometimes. I guess I'd learn fast!!
Best Butternut Squash Soup
I love butternut squash. I love making soup with it most of all but even if you buy the biggest squash you can find it doesn't make quite enough soup on its own. Here's what I do so there's enough leftovers to go in the freezer.
First take off any labels and quarter your butternut lengthwise. Rub it with some oil and a little salt and stick it flesh side up in a 375° oven for an hour. It'll get nice and soft and just a little brown around the edges. The next part will be easier if you then let it cool down but I don't usually have time for that.
Grab 4 or 5 potatoes and 3 or 4 large carrots. Peel and quarter them and stick them in a pot. Just barely cover them with chicken (or veggie) stock and boil until its all nice and soft. If you have an immersion blender the next part is SO EASY. Don't drain the stock. Just cream it all in the pot. If you don't have an immersion blender (I highly recommend you get one), do what I used to do and pour it in your blender or food processor, trying not to scald yourself or get orange crap everywhere. Blend until smooth and return to the pot.
Heat up about 2 cups of milk in the microwave. Again, if you've got a stick blender this is simple. If not, well its a mess but worth it. Immersion blender folks will scoop their butternut flesh out of the peels and right into the pot of potato carrot goo. Slowly add milk while blending until you get the texture you like. You may not end up using all 2 cups. Food processor folks will blend in that with hot milk until creamy and then pour into pot of creamed potato carrot and stir until it is all incorporated.
Now you have lots of soup! Add salt, pepper, nutmeg and even a few pinches of curry powder until it tastes like heaven. While the pot is warming on low, keep stirring now and then so the milk doesn't scald.
These rolls are pretty easy and only take about 30 minutes.
To make crunchy kale topping take some washed and chopped kale and rub it in a little bit of vegetable oil. Add some salt. Spread out on a cookie sheet and stick in a 375° oven for maybe 10-15 minutes. It was quicker than I was expecting and I didn't actually time it. Some of the smaller pieces were brown but not burnt and it was all nice and crunchy and salty. I would eat it on its own as a snack but it was especially good as a soup garnish.
Creamy Leek and Potato Soup
I'll do the best I can with guestimating measurements. I didn't use a recipe. I just threw this together and it was so wonderful, in that way that a hearty soup only can be.
1 big leek
2 ribs of celery
2-3 cloves of garlic
3 TBL of butter
2.5 Lbs of Russet potatoes
2 Cups of milk
Lots of salt and fresh cracked pepper
Cut up and carefully wash 1 big leek. Sautee it in a few tablespoons of butter (add a little olive oil if it doesn't look like enough) with a couple ribs of celery and a few cloves of garlic. Add salt and generous portion of cracked pepper.
Peel and boil 2.5 lbs (I used about half of a 5 lbs bag) of russet potatoes. I left some just halved since Ira likes big manly chunks in his soup. They won't cook all the way through and that's kind of the point.
When the smaller chunks are soft enough to poke through with a fork, drain off of the water and set the larger chunks aside to cool slightly.
Having an immersion blender helps this part immensely. Take 2 cups of milk and heat it up in the microwave. Then add it to your soup and blend till creamy. Cut your larger chunks into bite sized pieces and add them to the soup. If they seem a little too underdone, pop them in the microwave for a minute or so to get them al dente. You want the bits to finish cooking in the soup and stay hearty but not crunchy.
Add your sauteed leek and celery. Add salt. Taste it. Add more pepper and salt and blend some more and wait. See if it needs more salt. I found this pot needed what seemed like an immense amount of salt. Always wait a little for it to incorporate before adding more so you don't end up over salting.
This soup was really delicious. Firm chunks of potatoes and super flavorful bite from the leeks. Also baked a boule of bread to tear and dunk in the soup. It was perfect on a chilly, damp night!
Moses
Moses came into our lives in such a strange way. A few weeks before Christmas in 2011 I had been talking to mom on the phone when she heard a noise downstairs. She got nervous and while I was still on the phone with her, went down to investigate. She found this scruffy, nasty little kitten crawling about in her recycle bin and licking the old cat food cans. She tried to shoo it away but it just wouldn't leave. My parents live way out in the country, out in the middle of nowhere. Where did this little guy come from? A few weeks went by and he was still hanging around. She'd tried getting rid of him, even squirting him with the hose but he was undeterred. He needed food, love and help. He'd always be waiting there by the back door for her.
She asked around at the country vet to see if anyone was missing a kitten. No one was. This guy still had his fuzzballs and they were huge. He had 2 extra toes on his front feet and 1 extra toes on his back feet. It looked like maybe he was a Maine Coon. He was gonna be a BIG BOY.
When we came down to visit this poor guy was still hanging around. He was smelly and his fur was all matted in clumps. I fell in love with him instantly. While Ira was outside enjoying his coffee, the little kitten hopped up on the railing, sniffed his coffee (but didn't touch it!) and then looked up at him and gave a loud "Myaaaaap." Ira decided he wanted that cat. He had always kinda wanted a Maine Coon but wasn't generally fond of cats. He liked Paul well enough, but that was my cat. He found his.
We weren't supposed to have more than 1 cat according to our lease and I was a little worried how Paul might react. Ira was adamant. So we took Moses (mom told us he said his name was "Moses with the toeses) to the vet to get neutered and get his shots. He also needed to be defleaed and dewormed. When they were shaving off his nastiest hair mats, they found an abscess on his side about the size of a life saver. It was infected and giving off yellow puss. POOR KITTY! No wonder he needed help. So also a round of antibiotics for the little guy. The vet determined he was probably born around May 2011, maybe 6-8 months old. He's had some teeth knocked out that still to this day haven't grown back.
We found him a little harness and leash and headed for home in Seattle, about a 12.5 hour drive. He refused the kitty carrier and I couldn't take the screaming any more. Once we let him out he stayed either in the back of the 4Runner sleeping or in Ira's lap, sleeping. At rest stops he'd go out on the leash and even went potty for us! He was acting more like a puppy than a cat.
When we got him home, we kept him in his own room away from Paul with his own little potty box. Over the course of a few weeks we slowly introduced the two of them. Poor Moses had a terrible, noisy cold but since he was still on antibiotics we kept him warm and fed and he got better quickly.
Then he started to grow. AND GROW. AND GROOOOOW!! According to his age, he still won't be done growing until next Spring.
Moses is quite the opposite of Paul. He loves people food. He only has one meow and that's a hearty "MYAAAAAAP". When fireworks are going off outside and Paul is running for his life under the couch, Moses goes right up to the window to see what's going on. Mo will sleep with us most nights. He goes for walks on his leash. He loves car rides. He loves to run and pounce and chase but refrains from scratching on furniture he shouldn't and has never had an accident outside the litter box. Though with just Paul, we had one box that could be scooped weekly. Now we have 2 boxes that get scooped every other day. What goes in, must come out and Moses eats A LOT.
Moses doesn't care for butt pats. He likes his face and nose rubbed really hard. He doesn't like getting brushed (Paul very much enjoys it) and with all of his fur we must vacuum often.
Moses is clumsy and funny but if you haven't given him proper attention he turns into a hellion at night. He knocks over anything and everything he can find. He'll open and close cupboards just to make them thump. He'll get into the bathroom drawers and pull all of the hair ties out. He's gotten the nickname "Destructa-mo"!
He doesn't seem as smart as Paul sometimes. It took a long time to get him to respond to his name. I think I can get him to "sit" after saying it a few times. That or he gets lazy and sits on his own since I'm standing there talking to him. It can be hard to get him to chase a laser light or a fluffy thing. He'd rather lay on his side and sort of bat when it goes by... and then start attacking the table legs instead with his massive back feet.
He's a good cat. He's Ira's cat. We love him very much but are so thankful Paul is there to "entertain" him while we're at work so we can return to a standing house. Someday we'll get a bigger house with a backyard that he can play in and get some of that energy out. Hopefully before he's done being a young playful kitten. A hefty 15 lbs kitten...
Paul
Paul. AKA "Paulie Prissy Pants" or "Meowmers". Our domestic shorthair born sometime in June of 2009 I acquired him from a cute young couple off of Craigslist around June of 2010. I had been looking for a little kitten and going to the shelters but no one would allow me to take 1 kitten home to a house without other cats. Nothing I could say would convince them otherwise. Plus there was the cost of the rehoming fees. I was getting a little irritated and just needed a companion. The little kitten I saw on Craigslist was adorable and in a wad of plastic grocery bags and FREE.
I took in Paul and it wasn't love at first sight. He made me a little nervous. He was also nervous. Twitchy. Scared. Hyper aware. I've had cats before but never one so high strung. I was worried it might not work out. A coworker convinced me to give it a week to get to know him. After that I was in love. He doesn't always like to cuddle and usually prefers his independence. That's why it feels all the more endearing when he brings his little purring face close to mine and snuggles in.
Paul LOVES plastic grocery sacks. They're his weakness. He'll even pull them out of trash cans and start licking away at them. I'm not sure why... Target bags are his favorite. He also will get into every box, every bag, every cabinet you open. If I'm carrying around a laundry basket, he wants to jump in and get rides. Ira and I stumbled upon a curious game that he loves accidentally. We were folding a blanket in the living room when Paul got really excited and jumped into the middle of the blanket. We bounced it around a little and let him down. He wanted MORE! We swung him around a bit and he just started purring. Now if we're making the bed or folding blankets, he'll usually rush over for a quick couple tosses in the air. For a cat that's so uptight for the most part it blew our minds that he would enjoy that.
He doesn't care for people food except yeasty bread. Especially Subway sandwich bread. He's not big on wet food either. Just likes his kibble. It's really hard to get him to drink water out of a bowl but he'll do it in desperation. Otherwise he'll chirp and chatter at us until we go turn the sink on for him in the bathroom.
He certainly seems to have a big vocabulary with all of his little mews and shrill cheeps. He also seems to understand us pretty well. He'll follow basic commands the first time you ask and responds to his name and a fair number of compliments. His other favorite thing in the world is having his butt pat. Right at the base of the tail he likes to be spanked.
Some of his weird quirks or slight downsides are he only likes to be held and cuddled on the right shoulder. He loves climbing about in clean laundry but if you leave any on the floor or dirty laundry where he can get to it, he's gonna pee in it. Almost inevitably. It helps us to keep clothes off of the floor and laundry washed but it is a serious pain in the ass sometimes. When we had a house with a backyard, he used to go outside when we were home to supervise. He'd scratch frantically at the sliding door and if it wasn't dark outside we'd usually let him out. We've been in a condo where he can't go outside and he still scratches at the big window in the living room if he sees a bird. He used to bring live birds and voles into the living room in our old house and let them go. That was always an exciting treat.
He probably did better in some aspects as an only cat but since we've brought him home a brother to play with he's gotten even more excitable and nervous. When Moses was small they would sleep together but now that Moses is twice his size and loves to tackle and bite him, Paul keeps his distance. Paul doesn't usually sleep with us. He prefers to sleep on top of a leather attache case on top of a bookshelf in the office. I usually try to remember to say "good morning" and "good night" to him. Oh, that's the other thing. His affection for leather and clawing things he shouldn't. Now that we got the new cathouse he's been a little better but he has destroyed a nice cream leather lounge chair that came with our condo (since the previous tenant didn't want it) and my office chair. Also the edge of our bed on both end corners has deep claw marks.
But all in all he's a sweet kitten. He's definitely more my cat and when Ira's gone he's quick to jump on my lap or stick his chilly paws under my neck while I keep hitting the snooze alarm. I love my dear little Paul and am so happy he's in our family.
Kauai Dreams
Once I get the pictures off of my camera (probably in 2 or 3 months, I'm lazy like that when it comes to photos) I'll try to remember to post them. For now I just want to journal real quick our trip to Kauai for my own memory.
On the trip was me and Ira, my parents who had come up to Seattle the day before so we could all fly together and our friends the McNiel family (Andrew, his sister Jennifer and their parents Ben and Cathy).
We arrived Wednesday afternoon at 12:45PM. My initial thought at the semi-outdoor baggage claim area was "Oh my. This place is HOT and no one has AC. I'm gonna roast." It actually turned out fine but it was a bit of a shock coming from Seattle.
We got the rental car, I drove us down to Poipu and we had lunch at Brenneke's Beach Broiler looking at the ocean and having our first drinks. I stuck with water and iced tea most of the time and had a few beers here and there. I absolutely did not want to suffer any sort of hangover while there and the heat was already pretty intoxicating.
We dropped our stuff off at the cottage and checked out our residence. Ira and I had the bedroom and bath upstairs while my parents occupied the bed and bath downstairs. The lanai was the best part. I think we might have taken a quick dip in the pool. Later we drove back to Lihue to stock up at Costco and Big Save for the week. Had awesome grilled fish and salads for dinner on the lanai. I was in bed not too long after dark.
Thursday we woke early. We woke early every day around 5:30AM, just naturally staying on West Coast time. The downside to this was I'd be struggling to stay away every night around 8PM. After breakfast we went to the beach. For an early lunch (and it was raining pretty hard) we went to Puka Dogs and checked out that shopping area. We met the McNeils there and after a stop at Snorkel Bob's for snorkel gear for the week we went back to Poipu Beach for snorkeling and swimming. I ran into a bit of trouble with some lava rock and lost a good chunk of skin from my right knee. We stayed for as long as we could and then grilled some fish for dinner. The McNiels came by to see our condo and we had some fruit and beer with them. I was the first one to pass out. The sun really drained me and my leg was in sorry shape. I thought I was being good about sunblock but boy was I wrong. I was burned to a crisp. It was awfully painful. There was only one shirt I could stand on my skin (no bra) and I just wore it over and over. We had a washing machine at the cottage which helped.
Friday we woke too early. Watched the sunrise again while drinking coffee. We wanted to head Westward and do the coffee plantation tour. We actually had to kill a little time driving around Hanapepe and Salt Pond park before the first tour of the day started. That was a fun adventure. We had an early lunch at the Kauai Brewery. I had a poke wrap with sushi rice that was out of this world. Mom and Dave got some red dirt shirts from the big shop next door. Then we drove up towards Waimea Canyon. It felt good to be in AC. My skin felt like it was melting off. I was in loads of pain, even with the constant reapplication of aloe. We stopped at every lookout but at one point Ira tried taking our picture and I just started sobbing in pain. I couldn't concentrate on anything else. The canyon was beautiful and at the top I was happy it was raining to cool my screaming skin. We drove back towards Koloa to get some fish for dinner. It was close to 4PM and the Hanapepe Art Walk didn't start until 6PM. I really wanted to go but was just sundrained and exhausted from the pain. The McNiels went and it sounded like a lot of fun. We got some fish from the Koloa Fish Market (which actually ended up getting tossed later) and some chicken and veg from Sueoka Store. Ira surprised me with a can of Lidocane spray. What a sweetie peas! He mostly wanted me to stop crying so I could get back to enjoying myself. When we got back to the cottage Mom did the cooking while I sat in the living room in as little clothing as possible while the aloe and cold beer made me feel better. We had chicken for dinner that night. Inspired by all of the wild chickens running all over the island.
Saturday my parents wanted to take the car up and around to Ke'e Beach. The other side of the island where the road ends. We knew that the McNiels were staying with family somewhere near Kapaa so Ira and I asked to be dropped off there at the Coconut Marketplace while they went on their adventure. Ira and I had breakfast at Eggbert's. I got the french toast with coconut syrup and a pina colada. After breakfast I found Ira the most lovely Koa wood and tungsten ring and bought it for him. It looks so good on him! Well turns out Jennifer McNiel was staying RIGHT THERE at the Aston hotel and we met up with them not too long after breakfast. Us girls had a short break by the pool while the boys went off on an adventure. After we got lovely pedicures we picked the boys up, got some poke and went back to the pool area at the Aston. Then it was about time for my parents to pick us up and head back down to Poipu. It was our date night so Ira and I got cleaned up and went back to Kauai Pasta in Kapaa where one of the cousins of the McNiels worked as a sous chef. We had a marvelous dinner! So full on truffle fries, ravioli sampler, snapper pizza and chocolate coconut creme brulee. After dinner we went back to the beach at the Aston to watch the moonlight on the water. Andrew was just coming up from a moonlight swim with a big smile on his face. Out at the pool area some musicians were softly playing guitar and ukulele and singing Hawaiian ballads. Torches were lit everywhere. It was so romantic.
Sunday I was determined to get back in the water. We got to the beach really early after a breakfast of papaya, granola and yogurt. I had to wear a cut off t-shirt under my bathing suit just to allow the straps on my shoulders. Even with breaks every 45 minutes out of the sun, reapplying sunblock every time I got out of the water and wearing another tshirt on top of my suit while snorkeling, I still managed to get a burn on top of my previous burn. OUCH. Also kicked a lava rock with my left foot ripping my cuticle and ruining my pedicure on a couple of toes. That really hurt. Jennifer had lost her wedding right at the beach earlier that day when they came down to snorkel with us. Her and Andrew came back convinced that it was lost forever but somehow with very careful raking the life guard found it. He said he had a knack and man it was amazing. Sunday night the McNiels were having a movie night in their cousins' back yard but I was too sun drained for anything. My parents went on their date night while Ira and I enjoyed the cool breezes and quiet at our cottage.
Monday I was too sun sick to do anything. Ira went for a long walk in Koloa. He had thought someone was going to pick him up but we didn't know that and poor snorkel buddy had to walk all the way back in the mid-day heat since I was laying on the tile floor of the cottage trying to cool off and my parents had taken the car to the beach. They came back a little later than hoped so we missed the boat trip up the Wailua River to Fern Grotto. Next time! We did get a little gussied up for the luau. What a lot of fun!! After touring the gardens and feeding the peacocks there was the imu ceremony. Then the cocktails with live music and the feasting began. I think I was the only one at our table that really enjoyed the poi. I though it went perfect with the super salty lomi lomi salmon. It did hit my tummy kind of hard though. After dinner was the show. Wow! Kind of cheesy but I thought it was a really cool production. It even rained on the dancers but they kept on going! Then it was time to return to Poipu and off to sleep in the cool tradewinds.
Tuesday Ira and I wanted to go thrift store shopping and drive up to Ke'e Beach. It rained more often than not so it was good that we were spending most of the day in the car. The thrift store he wanted to go to had been robbed the night before!! Who robs a thrift store? This was just a little ramshackle place near the abandoned hotel. We did find another thrift store later where I bought a small Japanese bud vase for $2.25. We drove through Hanalei, stopped and took pictures at the bay, drove up to Ke'e where the rain was coming down in sheets. There was no place to park and we were hungry so we went back to Hanalei and ate at Bubba's Burgers. Did a little shopping and headed back south. It was our last night so we wanted to do something special. We got back to the cottage, had a dip in the pool, picked my parents up from the beach and went back to the cottage to get dressed. We went to Kukui'ula shopping center and picked up some takeout from Savage Shrimp. Then we made it just in time to the Kukui'ula Boat Dock to eat our dinner before sunset. We watched the sun go down and water spraying from Spouting Horn. Then the moon came up over the water. It was so beautiful. We went back to Koloa for some shopping and ice cream at Koloa Mill. I had coconut pudding and macadamia ice cream. Wow. We also had a coconut turnover that was really rich. A few more last minute gifts at Big Save then back to the cottage. We drank some beer and stayed up as late as we could on the lanai (I think it wasn't quite 10PM when I started to fall asleep on the couch).
Our last morning we cleaned up and packed. Returned our gear to Snorkel Bob's. Grabbed one last Puka Dog before heading to the airport. We had some issues checking in. Our bag was too heavy, the girl insisted she handed us our boarding passes when she hadn't and my parents had to toss their jam since they packed it in their carry on. It was kind of funny that the TSA agent made me take off my puka shells before going through the body scanner. She held them out and draped them over my head and said "Aloha" before letting me go on my way. Our bags still got completely rifled through by agents but that part made it a little nicer. It was an easy flight home. My wonderful brother picked us up and took us back to our kitties. He did an outstanding job looking after our boys. They were in really good hands :)
Even with the bumps and bruises and bug bites and skin scrapes and wretched sun burns it was a magnificent trip and a marvelous place to be. I really enjoyed myself but looked forward to returning to the cool climate that I'm more accustomed to. Maybe our next trip won't be to a tropical paradise but another place just as beautiful and magical. Chile? Iceland? Korea? Who knows??
On the trip was me and Ira, my parents who had come up to Seattle the day before so we could all fly together and our friends the McNiel family (Andrew, his sister Jennifer and their parents Ben and Cathy).
We arrived Wednesday afternoon at 12:45PM. My initial thought at the semi-outdoor baggage claim area was "Oh my. This place is HOT and no one has AC. I'm gonna roast." It actually turned out fine but it was a bit of a shock coming from Seattle.
We got the rental car, I drove us down to Poipu and we had lunch at Brenneke's Beach Broiler looking at the ocean and having our first drinks. I stuck with water and iced tea most of the time and had a few beers here and there. I absolutely did not want to suffer any sort of hangover while there and the heat was already pretty intoxicating.
We dropped our stuff off at the cottage and checked out our residence. Ira and I had the bedroom and bath upstairs while my parents occupied the bed and bath downstairs. The lanai was the best part. I think we might have taken a quick dip in the pool. Later we drove back to Lihue to stock up at Costco and Big Save for the week. Had awesome grilled fish and salads for dinner on the lanai. I was in bed not too long after dark.
Thursday we woke early. We woke early every day around 5:30AM, just naturally staying on West Coast time. The downside to this was I'd be struggling to stay away every night around 8PM. After breakfast we went to the beach. For an early lunch (and it was raining pretty hard) we went to Puka Dogs and checked out that shopping area. We met the McNeils there and after a stop at Snorkel Bob's for snorkel gear for the week we went back to Poipu Beach for snorkeling and swimming. I ran into a bit of trouble with some lava rock and lost a good chunk of skin from my right knee. We stayed for as long as we could and then grilled some fish for dinner. The McNiels came by to see our condo and we had some fruit and beer with them. I was the first one to pass out. The sun really drained me and my leg was in sorry shape. I thought I was being good about sunblock but boy was I wrong. I was burned to a crisp. It was awfully painful. There was only one shirt I could stand on my skin (no bra) and I just wore it over and over. We had a washing machine at the cottage which helped.
Friday we woke too early. Watched the sunrise again while drinking coffee. We wanted to head Westward and do the coffee plantation tour. We actually had to kill a little time driving around Hanapepe and Salt Pond park before the first tour of the day started. That was a fun adventure. We had an early lunch at the Kauai Brewery. I had a poke wrap with sushi rice that was out of this world. Mom and Dave got some red dirt shirts from the big shop next door. Then we drove up towards Waimea Canyon. It felt good to be in AC. My skin felt like it was melting off. I was in loads of pain, even with the constant reapplication of aloe. We stopped at every lookout but at one point Ira tried taking our picture and I just started sobbing in pain. I couldn't concentrate on anything else. The canyon was beautiful and at the top I was happy it was raining to cool my screaming skin. We drove back towards Koloa to get some fish for dinner. It was close to 4PM and the Hanapepe Art Walk didn't start until 6PM. I really wanted to go but was just sundrained and exhausted from the pain. The McNiels went and it sounded like a lot of fun. We got some fish from the Koloa Fish Market (which actually ended up getting tossed later) and some chicken and veg from Sueoka Store. Ira surprised me with a can of Lidocane spray. What a sweetie peas! He mostly wanted me to stop crying so I could get back to enjoying myself. When we got back to the cottage Mom did the cooking while I sat in the living room in as little clothing as possible while the aloe and cold beer made me feel better. We had chicken for dinner that night. Inspired by all of the wild chickens running all over the island.
Saturday my parents wanted to take the car up and around to Ke'e Beach. The other side of the island where the road ends. We knew that the McNiels were staying with family somewhere near Kapaa so Ira and I asked to be dropped off there at the Coconut Marketplace while they went on their adventure. Ira and I had breakfast at Eggbert's. I got the french toast with coconut syrup and a pina colada. After breakfast I found Ira the most lovely Koa wood and tungsten ring and bought it for him. It looks so good on him! Well turns out Jennifer McNiel was staying RIGHT THERE at the Aston hotel and we met up with them not too long after breakfast. Us girls had a short break by the pool while the boys went off on an adventure. After we got lovely pedicures we picked the boys up, got some poke and went back to the pool area at the Aston. Then it was about time for my parents to pick us up and head back down to Poipu. It was our date night so Ira and I got cleaned up and went back to Kauai Pasta in Kapaa where one of the cousins of the McNiels worked as a sous chef. We had a marvelous dinner! So full on truffle fries, ravioli sampler, snapper pizza and chocolate coconut creme brulee. After dinner we went back to the beach at the Aston to watch the moonlight on the water. Andrew was just coming up from a moonlight swim with a big smile on his face. Out at the pool area some musicians were softly playing guitar and ukulele and singing Hawaiian ballads. Torches were lit everywhere. It was so romantic.
Sunday I was determined to get back in the water. We got to the beach really early after a breakfast of papaya, granola and yogurt. I had to wear a cut off t-shirt under my bathing suit just to allow the straps on my shoulders. Even with breaks every 45 minutes out of the sun, reapplying sunblock every time I got out of the water and wearing another tshirt on top of my suit while snorkeling, I still managed to get a burn on top of my previous burn. OUCH. Also kicked a lava rock with my left foot ripping my cuticle and ruining my pedicure on a couple of toes. That really hurt. Jennifer had lost her wedding right at the beach earlier that day when they came down to snorkel with us. Her and Andrew came back convinced that it was lost forever but somehow with very careful raking the life guard found it. He said he had a knack and man it was amazing. Sunday night the McNiels were having a movie night in their cousins' back yard but I was too sun drained for anything. My parents went on their date night while Ira and I enjoyed the cool breezes and quiet at our cottage.
Monday I was too sun sick to do anything. Ira went for a long walk in Koloa. He had thought someone was going to pick him up but we didn't know that and poor snorkel buddy had to walk all the way back in the mid-day heat since I was laying on the tile floor of the cottage trying to cool off and my parents had taken the car to the beach. They came back a little later than hoped so we missed the boat trip up the Wailua River to Fern Grotto. Next time! We did get a little gussied up for the luau. What a lot of fun!! After touring the gardens and feeding the peacocks there was the imu ceremony. Then the cocktails with live music and the feasting began. I think I was the only one at our table that really enjoyed the poi. I though it went perfect with the super salty lomi lomi salmon. It did hit my tummy kind of hard though. After dinner was the show. Wow! Kind of cheesy but I thought it was a really cool production. It even rained on the dancers but they kept on going! Then it was time to return to Poipu and off to sleep in the cool tradewinds.
Tuesday Ira and I wanted to go thrift store shopping and drive up to Ke'e Beach. It rained more often than not so it was good that we were spending most of the day in the car. The thrift store he wanted to go to had been robbed the night before!! Who robs a thrift store? This was just a little ramshackle place near the abandoned hotel. We did find another thrift store later where I bought a small Japanese bud vase for $2.25. We drove through Hanalei, stopped and took pictures at the bay, drove up to Ke'e where the rain was coming down in sheets. There was no place to park and we were hungry so we went back to Hanalei and ate at Bubba's Burgers. Did a little shopping and headed back south. It was our last night so we wanted to do something special. We got back to the cottage, had a dip in the pool, picked my parents up from the beach and went back to the cottage to get dressed. We went to Kukui'ula shopping center and picked up some takeout from Savage Shrimp. Then we made it just in time to the Kukui'ula Boat Dock to eat our dinner before sunset. We watched the sun go down and water spraying from Spouting Horn. Then the moon came up over the water. It was so beautiful. We went back to Koloa for some shopping and ice cream at Koloa Mill. I had coconut pudding and macadamia ice cream. Wow. We also had a coconut turnover that was really rich. A few more last minute gifts at Big Save then back to the cottage. We drank some beer and stayed up as late as we could on the lanai (I think it wasn't quite 10PM when I started to fall asleep on the couch).
Our last morning we cleaned up and packed. Returned our gear to Snorkel Bob's. Grabbed one last Puka Dog before heading to the airport. We had some issues checking in. Our bag was too heavy, the girl insisted she handed us our boarding passes when she hadn't and my parents had to toss their jam since they packed it in their carry on. It was kind of funny that the TSA agent made me take off my puka shells before going through the body scanner. She held them out and draped them over my head and said "Aloha" before letting me go on my way. Our bags still got completely rifled through by agents but that part made it a little nicer. It was an easy flight home. My wonderful brother picked us up and took us back to our kitties. He did an outstanding job looking after our boys. They were in really good hands :)
Even with the bumps and bruises and bug bites and skin scrapes and wretched sun burns it was a magnificent trip and a marvelous place to be. I really enjoyed myself but looked forward to returning to the cool climate that I'm more accustomed to. Maybe our next trip won't be to a tropical paradise but another place just as beautiful and magical. Chile? Iceland? Korea? Who knows??
Summer days drifting away
It has been a long busy Summer filled with gigs, fun events and family.
The weather was lovely in June instead of the low pressure mass that usually covers us, AKA the "June Gloom". I had a wonderful time performing at REPS and spending the weekends with Ira, Andrew and my brother playing board games and drinking whiskey.
July was extremely intense. Not only did we have a gig with UC7 every weekend, my nephew Vincent was here for the month visiting and I babysat him every Tuesday-Friday evening from about 2PM to 11PM while my brother was working. He is a very sweet and fun little boy but for someone who never spends time with children, it was exhausting! Mom came to visit for a few days so she could see her grandson and hear my band play. We had 4th of July parade at Enumclaw, Kent Cornucopia Days, King County Fair, a private party on Camano Island and the Packwood Carshow. Whew. It was exhausting but a real blast.
What didn't help was I was also going to the doctor and trying out different medications for a huge cyst on my right ovary which was causing significant pain and excessive bleeding. It started in early May and didn't get figured out until the end of July.
August has been fun and also going by in a blink. The band had a big party on the 3rd. There was lots of people, lots of food and we played for a few hours up on a nicely built stage in the bass player's beautiful back yard. It was a good way to end our Summer season. On August the 10th I got my first Saturday off to myself. Ira was very busy that week setting up stages for various outdoor festivals around the Sound so I got a nice relaxing weekend to myself. Even got a chance to play some video games I bought on the Steam Summer sale! Last weekend my parents were in town and it was a ton of fun to play tourist with them. UC7 also had a wedding gig at the Tacoma Outboard Association. We've played for these folks at least 7 times since I joined the band so it felt very comfortable and relaxed. There are some issues with the used board we just bought and I had zero monitors all night. It felt like I was shouting into a wet paper bag the whole time. I couldn't hear a damn thing I was doing. Takes a lot of the fun out of it.
We're having a little BBQ this weekend and then next weekend is Labor Day. I've spent such little time at the house this Summer, I'm thinking of staying in my jammies, locking the doors and pretending I'm not home. Have myself a small staycation reading Game of Thrones and watching Netflix.
It's been super wonderful but I'm really looking forward to chilly nights inside where I can play in my kitchen, make a nice soup and finish a book in front of the fire. I love cool, rainy weather! It's part of the reason why I moved here! This Summer has been far too gorgeous for far too long. Bring on Autumn!!
September should be a little quieter for me but we do already have 1 gig lined up for UC7 the first Saturday. In 3 weeks me, Ira, mom and Dave get to go to Kauai for 8 days!!!!! I'm so excited. It came so fast. It's been ages and ages since I've gotten to take a nice long trip somewhere. This is going to be wonderful. When we get back, Ira has a lot of work to do for Oktoberfest, which I will be taking my brother to for his birthday and acting as his DD. He deserves it! The final weekend in September will be Ira and I's 8 year anniversary. We probably won't do anything too special since most of our money will be blown going to Hawaii.
November I already have a few things going on. I may not get to do a play this fall since I already have a few commitments. There's a gig with the band the first weekend and then mid November I'll be flying to North Hollywood. There's an old time radio convention called SPERDVAC that I have been invited to. They're paying for my plane ticket, hotel and food. I just have to show up and perform! The ticket has already been purchased. I'll be flying in and out of Burbank. My mom is so excited for me, she's going to be joining me on this little adventure. I'm really looking forward to this. I'll be seeing some folks I've gotten to know over the years at REPS and getting a chance to meet some new ones. Before I know it, it will be Thanksgiving and then my birthday!
Then another gig with the band (we're playing the first Saturday in September, October, November and December at Nikki's Restaurant and Lounge in Covington), holiday parties and our annual trip down to CA to visit the family before coming back for New Years Eve. Perhaps I'll having nothing going on in January.
2013 has been quite an exciting, busy and productive year. I did get to be in a production of "Leaving Iowa" and get to see some really fantastic theater earlier this Spring so if I don't get to do a Christmas show this year, I suppose it wouldn't break my heart. It is challenging trying to be an actor, singer, voice-over artist, office manager, spouse, sister, daughter and cat mummy while keeping a clean house and a little bit of my sanity. I do require some peace and quiet now and then and a chance to unwind and get bored. I'll have to block it out on my calendar first...
The weather was lovely in June instead of the low pressure mass that usually covers us, AKA the "June Gloom". I had a wonderful time performing at REPS and spending the weekends with Ira, Andrew and my brother playing board games and drinking whiskey.
July was extremely intense. Not only did we have a gig with UC7 every weekend, my nephew Vincent was here for the month visiting and I babysat him every Tuesday-Friday evening from about 2PM to 11PM while my brother was working. He is a very sweet and fun little boy but for someone who never spends time with children, it was exhausting! Mom came to visit for a few days so she could see her grandson and hear my band play. We had 4th of July parade at Enumclaw, Kent Cornucopia Days, King County Fair, a private party on Camano Island and the Packwood Carshow. Whew. It was exhausting but a real blast.
What didn't help was I was also going to the doctor and trying out different medications for a huge cyst on my right ovary which was causing significant pain and excessive bleeding. It started in early May and didn't get figured out until the end of July.
August has been fun and also going by in a blink. The band had a big party on the 3rd. There was lots of people, lots of food and we played for a few hours up on a nicely built stage in the bass player's beautiful back yard. It was a good way to end our Summer season. On August the 10th I got my first Saturday off to myself. Ira was very busy that week setting up stages for various outdoor festivals around the Sound so I got a nice relaxing weekend to myself. Even got a chance to play some video games I bought on the Steam Summer sale! Last weekend my parents were in town and it was a ton of fun to play tourist with them. UC7 also had a wedding gig at the Tacoma Outboard Association. We've played for these folks at least 7 times since I joined the band so it felt very comfortable and relaxed. There are some issues with the used board we just bought and I had zero monitors all night. It felt like I was shouting into a wet paper bag the whole time. I couldn't hear a damn thing I was doing. Takes a lot of the fun out of it.
We're having a little BBQ this weekend and then next weekend is Labor Day. I've spent such little time at the house this Summer, I'm thinking of staying in my jammies, locking the doors and pretending I'm not home. Have myself a small staycation reading Game of Thrones and watching Netflix.
It's been super wonderful but I'm really looking forward to chilly nights inside where I can play in my kitchen, make a nice soup and finish a book in front of the fire. I love cool, rainy weather! It's part of the reason why I moved here! This Summer has been far too gorgeous for far too long. Bring on Autumn!!
September should be a little quieter for me but we do already have 1 gig lined up for UC7 the first Saturday. In 3 weeks me, Ira, mom and Dave get to go to Kauai for 8 days!!!!! I'm so excited. It came so fast. It's been ages and ages since I've gotten to take a nice long trip somewhere. This is going to be wonderful. When we get back, Ira has a lot of work to do for Oktoberfest, which I will be taking my brother to for his birthday and acting as his DD. He deserves it! The final weekend in September will be Ira and I's 8 year anniversary. We probably won't do anything too special since most of our money will be blown going to Hawaii.
November I already have a few things going on. I may not get to do a play this fall since I already have a few commitments. There's a gig with the band the first weekend and then mid November I'll be flying to North Hollywood. There's an old time radio convention called SPERDVAC that I have been invited to. They're paying for my plane ticket, hotel and food. I just have to show up and perform! The ticket has already been purchased. I'll be flying in and out of Burbank. My mom is so excited for me, she's going to be joining me on this little adventure. I'm really looking forward to this. I'll be seeing some folks I've gotten to know over the years at REPS and getting a chance to meet some new ones. Before I know it, it will be Thanksgiving and then my birthday!
Then another gig with the band (we're playing the first Saturday in September, October, November and December at Nikki's Restaurant and Lounge in Covington), holiday parties and our annual trip down to CA to visit the family before coming back for New Years Eve. Perhaps I'll having nothing going on in January.
2013 has been quite an exciting, busy and productive year. I did get to be in a production of "Leaving Iowa" and get to see some really fantastic theater earlier this Spring so if I don't get to do a Christmas show this year, I suppose it wouldn't break my heart. It is challenging trying to be an actor, singer, voice-over artist, office manager, spouse, sister, daughter and cat mummy while keeping a clean house and a little bit of my sanity. I do require some peace and quiet now and then and a chance to unwind and get bored. I'll have to block it out on my calendar first...
Pacific Northwest Accent
I've lived here since April of 2007 and at first I didn't hear it at all. Little pieces started to pop up here and there sometimes resulting in confusion. Now I hear it everywhere and even fear I'm starting to lean towards the Pacific Northwest Accent.
Here's a great clip from NPR about it.
I hear it every time I go to the grocery store. The lady asks me "Would you like a beg?" as she's ringing me up.
A friend was telling me about Angle Lake and I was googling "Engle Lake" and couldn't find where she was talking about.
I hear about bands going on tore, or toreists visiting the city. Though I suppose I might be the slightly weird one here as I pronounce tour with two distinct syllables as in TOO-er. I blame being taught to speak English by French people. I also get called Canadian sometimes for pronouncing couch like COW-ooch. I do NOT however say Aboot.
People think me profusely when I do them a favor.
The worst was when I was in a play with a lovely woman named Jan. Every time someone would call her name, I would hear "Hey Jenn!" and got really confused when they weren't talking to me.
Now that I hear it so distinctly, it has become a lot easier to pinpoint who is from here and who is a transplant. Since California is the naughty C word I try not to mention too much that I'm from there but perhaps my big wide A's give me away. "Oh Thaaaaank you, I don't need a bAg!"
Who knows, after another decade of living here I might start putting my thengs in begs more often!
Here's a great clip from NPR about it.
I hear it every time I go to the grocery store. The lady asks me "Would you like a beg?" as she's ringing me up.
A friend was telling me about Angle Lake and I was googling "Engle Lake" and couldn't find where she was talking about.
I hear about bands going on tore, or toreists visiting the city. Though I suppose I might be the slightly weird one here as I pronounce tour with two distinct syllables as in TOO-er. I blame being taught to speak English by French people. I also get called Canadian sometimes for pronouncing couch like COW-ooch. I do NOT however say Aboot.
People think me profusely when I do them a favor.
The worst was when I was in a play with a lovely woman named Jan. Every time someone would call her name, I would hear "Hey Jenn!" and got really confused when they weren't talking to me.
Now that I hear it so distinctly, it has become a lot easier to pinpoint who is from here and who is a transplant. Since California is the naughty C word I try not to mention too much that I'm from there but perhaps my big wide A's give me away. "Oh Thaaaaank you, I don't need a bAg!"
Who knows, after another decade of living here I might start putting my thengs in begs more often!
The Democratic People's Republic of Korea
I've been studying North Korea for a few years now. I became obsessed around 2010 and started consuming any media I could find about the Hermit Kingdom. I trolled the internet looking for documentaries, travel blogs and videos, even short clips filmed on the sly. I reserved piles of books at the library. I've spent hours on Google Earth hovering over Pyonyang and the forced labor camp near Yangdok. I am fascinated and horrified by the personality cult of the Kim family. Millions of people have died of starvation or execution in the name of the Juche ideal. It's mind boggling and heartbreaking that society more reminiscent of a fantasy Sci-Fi actually exists on planet earth in this day and age.
I've spent so much time looking at these videos and pictures that I've become very familiar with most of the monuments and landmarks that get shown to every tourist to is allowed to enter the country. The Yanggakdo International Hotel, the giant statues of Kim Il-sung and now Kim Jong-il, Juche Tower, the USS Pueblo, the DMZ, the Arch of Reunification, Rungrado May Day Stadium where they hold the Arirang Mass Games (and you thought the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics were creepy!), the empy Ryugyong Hotel, Monument to the Founding of the Worker's Party, the Pyongyang metro stations, the Children's Museum, the War Museum and the inside of the Koryo airplanes. Even though I've seen hundreds of pictures and videos of these landmarks I'm still curious to see them with my own eyes.
While threats of war with North Korea have been looming large in the news, I thought now would be a good time to share some of the better resources I've uncovered with my macabre hobby.
Books:
Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea by Barbara Demick
The best book I've found so far that really takes you into the lives of citizens who managed to survive the mass starvation of the late 90's and escape the country.
The Aquariums of Pyongyang: Ten Years in the North Korean Gulag by Chol-hwan Kang
First hand experience of what it was like to be a child in a forced labor camp. North Koreans believe that you are guilty by association and relation for up to 3 generations so if your Grandfather commits a crime against the state, you, your siblings and parents are punished as well.
The World Is Bigger Now: An American Journalist's Release from Captivity in North Korea . . . A Remarkable Story of Faith, Family, and Forgiveness by Euna Lee
Do you remember when President Clinton went over to NK to rescue two female journalists that were imprisoned in there? Euna Lee and Laura Ling (sister of Lisa Ling) both wrote books afterwards. I prefer Euna's telling but I still couldn't help wondering "What the hell were you two thinking??" the whole time.
TED/Google Talks:
Born and Raised in a North Korean Prison Camp
Dong Kyuk-Shin tells his story of being born in a prison camp, watching his mother be executed and his eventual escape. This story is graphic and heartbreaking. He shows his scars and drawing of some of the torture he endured. Not for the squeamish.
Hyeonseo Lee: My escape from North Korea
Her accent is thick but worth it to hear her story. I just want to hug her!
Documentaries:
DPRK: The Land Of Whispers (North Korea Travel Documentary) (2013)
(I just started watching this one while writing this blog. It contains the most recent footage it seems)
Kimjongilia
Also available on Netflix. The title is from a rose bred and named after Dear Leader and told through interviews with North Korean defectors.
Children of the Secret State
Undercover footage shot by North Koreans.
National Geographic: Inside North Korea
Lisa Ling (sister of Laura Ling) takes a film crew undercover into NK. They accompany a team of doctors who attempt to give hundreds of cataract surgeries in just a few days. When the bandages are removed the people weep, bow to pictures of the Kims and thank them for their generosity and leadership. Must be seen to be believed!
The Game of Their Lives
Mostly about the 8th World Cup in 1966 but has great footage and information.
Crossing the Line
US soldiers who defected to North Korea.
North Korea – A Day In The Life
In Dutch with English Subtitles. This feels more like state propaganda of how the North WANTS to be portrayed.
Other Blogs & Videos:
The VICE Guide to North Korea
3 Part Videos that you really, really should watch.
The Forbidden Railway
A train travel enthusiast managed to travel by train from Vienna to Pyongyang. A long but incredile journey.
American in North Kora
I just started exploring this one myself but I love the pictures.
Daughter of Google's Chairman on Recent Visit to DPRK
My Travel Adventure to the DPRK | North Korea
A Visit to North Korea
OTHER RESOURCES:
DPRK Website
Yup, they have an official website. Also a Twitter account.
LiNK: Liberty in North Korea
A group that helps refugees escape.
Koryo Tours
Though with current tensions, tourism is currently shut down.
Helping Hands Korea
North Korean Refugees
Chosun Ilbo (English)
I know this is a lot of information to wade through and can't all be gone over thoroughly in one setting... I've been at this for a few years now and have read many, many more books and watched weeks worth of videos. These are the ones that really hit me the hardest. I have my own feelings about what's going on in the news right now. There's a bit of a tide turning and Kim Jong-un needs to prove himself a "tough" leader to his people. The best way to avoid a revolution is to get the people whipped into a frenzy over a common enemy. If you have any questions or want to discuss/debate further, please email me. I've love to talk more!
I really wish Anthony Bourdain could film a trip to North Korea. I so badly want to hear his take on it!!
I've spent so much time looking at these videos and pictures that I've become very familiar with most of the monuments and landmarks that get shown to every tourist to is allowed to enter the country. The Yanggakdo International Hotel, the giant statues of Kim Il-sung and now Kim Jong-il, Juche Tower, the USS Pueblo, the DMZ, the Arch of Reunification, Rungrado May Day Stadium where they hold the Arirang Mass Games (and you thought the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics were creepy!), the empy Ryugyong Hotel, Monument to the Founding of the Worker's Party, the Pyongyang metro stations, the Children's Museum, the War Museum and the inside of the Koryo airplanes. Even though I've seen hundreds of pictures and videos of these landmarks I'm still curious to see them with my own eyes.
While threats of war with North Korea have been looming large in the news, I thought now would be a good time to share some of the better resources I've uncovered with my macabre hobby.
Books:
Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea by Barbara Demick
The best book I've found so far that really takes you into the lives of citizens who managed to survive the mass starvation of the late 90's and escape the country.
The Aquariums of Pyongyang: Ten Years in the North Korean Gulag by Chol-hwan Kang
First hand experience of what it was like to be a child in a forced labor camp. North Koreans believe that you are guilty by association and relation for up to 3 generations so if your Grandfather commits a crime against the state, you, your siblings and parents are punished as well.
The World Is Bigger Now: An American Journalist's Release from Captivity in North Korea . . . A Remarkable Story of Faith, Family, and Forgiveness by Euna Lee
Do you remember when President Clinton went over to NK to rescue two female journalists that were imprisoned in there? Euna Lee and Laura Ling (sister of Lisa Ling) both wrote books afterwards. I prefer Euna's telling but I still couldn't help wondering "What the hell were you two thinking??" the whole time.
TED/Google Talks:
Born and Raised in a North Korean Prison Camp
Dong Kyuk-Shin tells his story of being born in a prison camp, watching his mother be executed and his eventual escape. This story is graphic and heartbreaking. He shows his scars and drawing of some of the torture he endured. Not for the squeamish.
Hyeonseo Lee: My escape from North Korea
Her accent is thick but worth it to hear her story. I just want to hug her!
Documentaries:
DPRK: The Land Of Whispers (North Korea Travel Documentary) (2013)
(I just started watching this one while writing this blog. It contains the most recent footage it seems)
Kimjongilia
Also available on Netflix. The title is from a rose bred and named after Dear Leader and told through interviews with North Korean defectors.
Children of the Secret State
Undercover footage shot by North Koreans.
National Geographic: Inside North Korea
Lisa Ling (sister of Laura Ling) takes a film crew undercover into NK. They accompany a team of doctors who attempt to give hundreds of cataract surgeries in just a few days. When the bandages are removed the people weep, bow to pictures of the Kims and thank them for their generosity and leadership. Must be seen to be believed!
The Game of Their Lives
Mostly about the 8th World Cup in 1966 but has great footage and information.
Crossing the Line
US soldiers who defected to North Korea.
North Korea – A Day In The Life
In Dutch with English Subtitles. This feels more like state propaganda of how the North WANTS to be portrayed.
Other Blogs & Videos:
The VICE Guide to North Korea
3 Part Videos that you really, really should watch.
The Forbidden Railway
A train travel enthusiast managed to travel by train from Vienna to Pyongyang. A long but incredile journey.
American in North Kora
I just started exploring this one myself but I love the pictures.
Daughter of Google's Chairman on Recent Visit to DPRK
My Travel Adventure to the DPRK | North Korea
A Visit to North Korea
OTHER RESOURCES:
DPRK Website
Yup, they have an official website. Also a Twitter account.
LiNK: Liberty in North Korea
A group that helps refugees escape.
Koryo Tours
Though with current tensions, tourism is currently shut down.
Helping Hands Korea
North Korean Refugees
Chosun Ilbo (English)
I know this is a lot of information to wade through and can't all be gone over thoroughly in one setting... I've been at this for a few years now and have read many, many more books and watched weeks worth of videos. These are the ones that really hit me the hardest. I have my own feelings about what's going on in the news right now. There's a bit of a tide turning and Kim Jong-un needs to prove himself a "tough" leader to his people. The best way to avoid a revolution is to get the people whipped into a frenzy over a common enemy. If you have any questions or want to discuss/debate further, please email me. I've love to talk more!
I really wish Anthony Bourdain could film a trip to North Korea. I so badly want to hear his take on it!!
Creamless Creamy Potato Rice Soup.
I should've taken a picture. This would be better with pictures but really, it's not an attractive soup once you're done with it. I made this soup with what I had in the fridge. It might have come out entirely differently had I other ingredients but we were both not feeling well and hadn't done our weekly shopping yet.
~~~~
Peel 3 medium Russet potatoes and chunk them up. Dice up half an onion and smash/grate 3 cloves of garlic.
Toss 2 TBL of butter in a pot and melt it with the potatoes, onions and garlic. I would've added celery too but it was all brown and mushy. Poor celery. I also used a lovely thyme, lemon and bay leaf salt grinder from Trader Joe's. Add salt and some herbs if you got 'em. Also loads of pepper. Let the onions cook down and the potatoes get coated but not browned.
Cover the mess with a carton of chicken stock (you can also use mushroom stock and make a veggie version) and boil until the potatoes are soft.
Grab your immersion blender and puree well. It might seem a little thin but no worries. It will be alright. The color was a little muddy from the darkness of the chicken stock. This is OK. Like I said, it's not a pretty soup.
Grab about a half a cup (I'm guessing that's what was left in my big bag) of rice and just toss it in there. Stir it up a bit. Let your soup boil for about a minute and then turn it down to low simmer.
Add a couple of fresh sliced mushrooms (never use canned. NEVER!) and a small handful of frozen corn and peas. If necessary, add a little more salt.
Put a lid on and wait about 20 minutes or so. As the rice cooks, the soup will thicken up. Let it cool just a little before serving. You may have to stir it a few times to keep it from sticking/burning but it seems the more I took the lid off the longer I had to wait until it was done.
This soup is good for head colds and tummy troubles. Miracle elixir.
~~~~
Peel 3 medium Russet potatoes and chunk them up. Dice up half an onion and smash/grate 3 cloves of garlic.
Toss 2 TBL of butter in a pot and melt it with the potatoes, onions and garlic. I would've added celery too but it was all brown and mushy. Poor celery. I also used a lovely thyme, lemon and bay leaf salt grinder from Trader Joe's. Add salt and some herbs if you got 'em. Also loads of pepper. Let the onions cook down and the potatoes get coated but not browned.
Cover the mess with a carton of chicken stock (you can also use mushroom stock and make a veggie version) and boil until the potatoes are soft.
Grab your immersion blender and puree well. It might seem a little thin but no worries. It will be alright. The color was a little muddy from the darkness of the chicken stock. This is OK. Like I said, it's not a pretty soup.
Grab about a half a cup (I'm guessing that's what was left in my big bag) of rice and just toss it in there. Stir it up a bit. Let your soup boil for about a minute and then turn it down to low simmer.
Add a couple of fresh sliced mushrooms (never use canned. NEVER!) and a small handful of frozen corn and peas. If necessary, add a little more salt.
Put a lid on and wait about 20 minutes or so. As the rice cooks, the soup will thicken up. Let it cool just a little before serving. You may have to stir it a few times to keep it from sticking/burning but it seems the more I took the lid off the longer I had to wait until it was done.
This soup is good for head colds and tummy troubles. Miracle elixir.
Car Shopping Saga
Trying to buy a used car has been such a pain in the neck. I knew what I wanted and that there were many cars available that fit my criteria. I searched online at Autotrader.com and other sites for my new ride.
My most preferred colors would be dark red or bright blue. Something pretty that would stand out without being too flashy. I didn't want white. I'd rather not have silver or gray since here in the PNW so many months out of the year the sky is gray, the roads are gray, the buildings are gray... I feel like it makes me a little harder to see if some dipshit isn't paying attention. I didn't want bright flashy red since that just screams "I'm speeding pull me over!!!" even though I drive pretty conservatively.
I had finally saved enough for my down payment. I secured financing with USAA at a good rate. However, my pre-approval runs out 11/11/12. So there's a time limit. The hunt is on but I don't have a lot of time to go out and sit at a dealership for hours on end.
I made a call inquiring about a Ford Focus I saw online. I got an email saying the car had been sold but they had another Focus in stock. This one wasn't a hatchback and had more miles than I wanted. I emailed back and said "No thanks". Immediately a sales woman called me back and left a message. Then she called again. Then she continued to call and email me throughout the weekend. Then her manager emailed and called me. I was so annoyed at this point I didn't care what they were selling I was having none of it.
Ira and I finally had a Sunday afternoon off together. It was a bright beautiful day and I had a HUGE stack of potential cars to look at that I printed off. Most of the used car dealerships were all within a few miles of each other about 35 minutes north of where we lived. We planned our route to try and hit them all most effectively. I looked official with my folder and pen and paperclips to keep business cards we collected together and in plain view on the outside of the folder to other dealers. I had done my research online so I knew a few things. I knew not to let them steer me towards talking about monthly payments. I had a budget already in mind and I wasn't planning on doing financing with them anyways. I knew not to fall in love with anything and leave the lot first before coming back and making a final decision. I knew that if they tried to play the game with me about "going to talk to their manager" too many times or if they kept me waiting for too long to just walk away.
The first place we stopped an older man greeted us. He walked us all up and down his lot looking for the Chevy Aveo they had advertised. He went back into his office to look up where it went. He took us to another side lot to look for it while showing us other hatchbacks that didn't fit any of my criteria. We stayed at this first lot far too long. After he went back inside again to see if the vehicle was perhaps in their shop we decided an hour wasted with this guy was already too much and left.
The next lot we took our time checking around before allowing a sales person to approach us. We showed him the sheet and he said the Nissan was down the street at their over flow lot but he'd run down and get it. We waited a few minutes and after what felt like too long he returned with a different Nissan. This one wasn't a hatchback and more than we wanted to spend. They had sold the other one already. It was nice to sit in a Nissan but again not what I wanted. He took us around the lot to try and show us more hatchbacks but after he pointed at the Mini Coopers and the PT Cruiser I told him we had other lots to check out. Took his card and went on our way.
The next lot our guy was a lot more laid back. Again they had already sold the car we wanted to look at. He took us for a quick look around and there was a VW Jetta for about half of what I was looking to spend. It was a little older and had a few more miles on it but looked good. Ira told me it was a bad idea and we should keep looking. I agreed with him. We found our salesman, nabbed his card and after thanking him we soldiered on.
Finally we stopped at a place where they actually had the car we wanted to see. It was only a two door but it was a dark red Ford Focus hatchback. $6k, low miles, automatic. It had a few scratches here and there. There was a cubby thing inside that when I tried to open it, the door fell off. We decided to give it a test drive. We had been at this half the day already and hadn't driven anything yet! We took it for a quick spin but I was unfamiliar with the area and afraid of getting lost. It had more power than my past 2 cars. Good turning radius. The engine sounded good. I didn't love it but I could see myself in something like that. I didn't like that the gas cap was not secured in any way. We had an entire tank of gas stolen this Spring when parked downtown. We took the guys card and made some notes.
I was getting pretty tired. We stopped for lunch and decided to stop and look at some other car lots we had pass on the way. I didn't want to continue traveling further North at this point. Other cars we looked at were way out of my budget. The last car on our list we were excited to find on the lot but the dealership had already closed for the afternoon. It was an adorable Nissan Versa with all of the bells and whistles plus a rack on top. It was black with keyless entry, bluetooth, XM radio, nice looking interior, very clean outside and totally in my budget. I made some notes and decided to call the dealership later to schedule a test drive. At this point I was worn out.
I continued to look online for cars. Even considered buying from private owners on Craigslist. Nothing that I wanted seemed to be right in my area. Everything that looks perfect is 40-60 minutes drive away. Not easy to manage with my limited spare time. Then I got busy. After that I got sick. Time has been running out and I just haven't had the time to go and look at anything.
I emailed a few dealerships about cars down in Tacoma and Puyallup. Neither of those places are close to me but maybe in the next week or so I could make some time IF the cars are still actually available. I think I've learned my lesson about printing something off online and then driving there. I found a bright red Chevy Aveo with everything I want plus fog lights and super cool looking seats and power windows, etc. I would consider making time to drive down to check it out if I had time...
I have been calling my mom continuously through this process and she kept telling me I should check out Hertz car sales. I thought about it and did some online research. Most people claimed to have a great experience. Other people say they would never buy a rental car because most people are so mean to them. Maybe they are... The few times I've rented a car they were in pretty good condition and I treated them better than my own because I don't want to be charged for any damage! There are probably at least a few people who think like me.
I decided to find something I like and schedule a test drive. I found a beautiful dark red 2011 Nissan Versa. 4 Door hatchback. 39k miles. Automatic. Power windows. CD player with AUX input. Air Conditioning. Remote trunk release. Secured gas cap. Rear defrost. $10,800. A little more than I wanted to spend but I can manage it. I got excited. Really excited.
I've scheduled the 3 day test drive to begin Tuesday evening around 7pm. I'll pick up the car at SeaTac. They warned me on the website not to go to the lot until someone has called to tell me the car is there and ready. I've received a couple of phone calls already to have the program entirely explained for me. It sounds pretty hassle free.
Immediately after scheduling it I found a bright red 2011 Chevy Aveo for $10,100 that also had everything I wanted plus fog lights, car alarm and keyless entry. Ohhh... maybe I want that one?? But the Nissan has a slightly bigger engine, better safety rating and they still make Versas. The Aveo was discontinued in 2011. I feel like I made a good decision. I get 2 hours to try the car for free. I get 3 days to test drive it as much as I want. If I choose not to buy, I just return the car and whoopity-doo, I just rented a car for 3 days. No biggie. It will give me time to take the car to the Greg's Japanese Auto across the street for a thorough once over. It will give me a chance to really get to know if I want to buy it. I get to sleep on it.
They called me again while writing this post to let me know that the vehicle was due back today, after receiving it they'll prep it but not to show up before they call me to let me know it's actually ready. That's the third time someone has told me that, plus I read it on the website. This must be a huge problem for them. For me, it's getting annoying being reminded so much.
The good (and bad I suppose) part about going with Hertz is that there is no haggling on the price. It is what it is.I've gotten tired of the games the dealers play. It's priced one way on line. I email them about it and they give me another price. Or I see something priced one way on the lot and then go online and it has a lower price. Then you're supposed to haggle over it. I hate haggling. I'm not a good negotiator sometimes. I just don't like the pressure. I don't like sales people. You have a tendency to feel like they're going to pull one over on your unless you really bargain with them. It's a big long game that I don't care to play.
As it was explained to me over the phone, after I pick up the car I get 2 hours to try it out totally for free. If I decide I don't like it right away, I can return it for no charge. If I take it home then the rental period begins. If I choose to buy, all rental fees are waived. If I decide I like it, I go into the online account I made and click purchase. I enter my payment information. Once it goes through they FedEx me the title and license plates. I FedEx back the rental plate. The car is MINE. I don't even have to leave my house. I get a 60 day-2,000 mile warranty with Hertz plus the manufacturers 5 year-60,000 warranty is transferred to me.
Yes, it has quite a few miles on it for only being a year old. Yes, being a previous rental my insurance rates may be a little higher. It probably has some wear and tear on it. But also being in a rental fleet it has probably had the fluids, belts and brakes looked after closer than some other schmoe. I can still get a Car Fax report on it if I choose. I will be taking it to a mechanic for a once over. I'll get a chance to comfortably examine every nook and cranny at my leisure.
The vehicle I've been driving for the past 6 years has had no paint on the hood and roof. A crack running right across the windshield. A horrible whine in the engine from bearings being out on the front belt. Torn CV boots on both right front wheels, making a horrible screeching sound whenever I have the wheel cranked too hard one way or another. Interior lights that haven't functioned in years. AC that goes out when I'm sitting in traffic. No backup lights. Mostly broken cup holder. Medium function on the interior cabin fan is out and the knob that controls the fan is in the ashtray. The seatbelt doesn't always retract like it should. There's a panel held on by tape. It had most of these problems when I took ownership of the car already. I've replaced the radiator, water pump, e-brake and tires. Lately it's had a bad fuel injector leak so it doesn't start right away and you can smell gas in the cabin. It's a 4 Runner but I never take it off road and don't use the 4-wheel drive option very often. It has over 280,000 miles on it. My mom leased it brand new in 1994 and eventually bought it. It gets about 15 mpgs and has been getting worse. I'm so tired of sitting an hour a day in traffic pumping a clutch. My mom gave it to me back in 2006 to drive after my Geo Metro got totaled. She gave me a little money and I'll be giving it back to her. My step-dad wants to put a new engine in it, repaint it and make it nice again. I've kept the interior upholstery in fantastic condition. I don't let Ira smoke in it.The registration is up at the end of the month and it needs to be smogged this year. If I get my new car in the next week or so I'm not going to bother with all of that since it'll be leaving the state and need to get new plates down there.
The point of all that is the car I've had is a hunk of junk and I still love it. I am so happy it's staying in the family and I don't have to sell it to some stranger. I'm not picky. A few scratches here and there, a belt that needs to be replaced or tightened is no biggie to me. I won't be completely draining my savings account so I can still get the brakes replaced or put new tires on it if I have to. Maybe get the windows tinted. I probably won't but there's wiggle room if I'm so inclined. It has the Hertz warranty and the manufacture's warranty. As long as there isn't something hugely mechanically wrong with it I have a feeling I will love this car. It will be just what I've been longing for these past couple of years living in Seattle.
The process so far dealing with Hertz has been very pleasant. I will make another update once I finally settle on my new car just to let you all know how it went. This has definitely been a long and exhausting ordeal. So happy it's coming to a close.
- Preferred models: Chevy Aveo, Nissan Versa, Honda Fit, Toyota Yaris, Ford Focus
- 4 Door hatchback
- Automatic
- Less than 7 years old
- Around $10,000
- Less than 100,000 miles
- less than 25 miles away
My most preferred colors would be dark red or bright blue. Something pretty that would stand out without being too flashy. I didn't want white. I'd rather not have silver or gray since here in the PNW so many months out of the year the sky is gray, the roads are gray, the buildings are gray... I feel like it makes me a little harder to see if some dipshit isn't paying attention. I didn't want bright flashy red since that just screams "I'm speeding pull me over!!!" even though I drive pretty conservatively.
I had finally saved enough for my down payment. I secured financing with USAA at a good rate. However, my pre-approval runs out 11/11/12. So there's a time limit. The hunt is on but I don't have a lot of time to go out and sit at a dealership for hours on end.
I made a call inquiring about a Ford Focus I saw online. I got an email saying the car had been sold but they had another Focus in stock. This one wasn't a hatchback and had more miles than I wanted. I emailed back and said "No thanks". Immediately a sales woman called me back and left a message. Then she called again. Then she continued to call and email me throughout the weekend. Then her manager emailed and called me. I was so annoyed at this point I didn't care what they were selling I was having none of it.
Ira and I finally had a Sunday afternoon off together. It was a bright beautiful day and I had a HUGE stack of potential cars to look at that I printed off. Most of the used car dealerships were all within a few miles of each other about 35 minutes north of where we lived. We planned our route to try and hit them all most effectively. I looked official with my folder and pen and paperclips to keep business cards we collected together and in plain view on the outside of the folder to other dealers. I had done my research online so I knew a few things. I knew not to let them steer me towards talking about monthly payments. I had a budget already in mind and I wasn't planning on doing financing with them anyways. I knew not to fall in love with anything and leave the lot first before coming back and making a final decision. I knew that if they tried to play the game with me about "going to talk to their manager" too many times or if they kept me waiting for too long to just walk away.
The first place we stopped an older man greeted us. He walked us all up and down his lot looking for the Chevy Aveo they had advertised. He went back into his office to look up where it went. He took us to another side lot to look for it while showing us other hatchbacks that didn't fit any of my criteria. We stayed at this first lot far too long. After he went back inside again to see if the vehicle was perhaps in their shop we decided an hour wasted with this guy was already too much and left.
The next lot we took our time checking around before allowing a sales person to approach us. We showed him the sheet and he said the Nissan was down the street at their over flow lot but he'd run down and get it. We waited a few minutes and after what felt like too long he returned with a different Nissan. This one wasn't a hatchback and more than we wanted to spend. They had sold the other one already. It was nice to sit in a Nissan but again not what I wanted. He took us around the lot to try and show us more hatchbacks but after he pointed at the Mini Coopers and the PT Cruiser I told him we had other lots to check out. Took his card and went on our way.
The next lot our guy was a lot more laid back. Again they had already sold the car we wanted to look at. He took us for a quick look around and there was a VW Jetta for about half of what I was looking to spend. It was a little older and had a few more miles on it but looked good. Ira told me it was a bad idea and we should keep looking. I agreed with him. We found our salesman, nabbed his card and after thanking him we soldiered on.
Finally we stopped at a place where they actually had the car we wanted to see. It was only a two door but it was a dark red Ford Focus hatchback. $6k, low miles, automatic. It had a few scratches here and there. There was a cubby thing inside that when I tried to open it, the door fell off. We decided to give it a test drive. We had been at this half the day already and hadn't driven anything yet! We took it for a quick spin but I was unfamiliar with the area and afraid of getting lost. It had more power than my past 2 cars. Good turning radius. The engine sounded good. I didn't love it but I could see myself in something like that. I didn't like that the gas cap was not secured in any way. We had an entire tank of gas stolen this Spring when parked downtown. We took the guys card and made some notes.
I was getting pretty tired. We stopped for lunch and decided to stop and look at some other car lots we had pass on the way. I didn't want to continue traveling further North at this point. Other cars we looked at were way out of my budget. The last car on our list we were excited to find on the lot but the dealership had already closed for the afternoon. It was an adorable Nissan Versa with all of the bells and whistles plus a rack on top. It was black with keyless entry, bluetooth, XM radio, nice looking interior, very clean outside and totally in my budget. I made some notes and decided to call the dealership later to schedule a test drive. At this point I was worn out.
I continued to look online for cars. Even considered buying from private owners on Craigslist. Nothing that I wanted seemed to be right in my area. Everything that looks perfect is 40-60 minutes drive away. Not easy to manage with my limited spare time. Then I got busy. After that I got sick. Time has been running out and I just haven't had the time to go and look at anything.
I emailed a few dealerships about cars down in Tacoma and Puyallup. Neither of those places are close to me but maybe in the next week or so I could make some time IF the cars are still actually available. I think I've learned my lesson about printing something off online and then driving there. I found a bright red Chevy Aveo with everything I want plus fog lights and super cool looking seats and power windows, etc. I would consider making time to drive down to check it out if I had time...
I have been calling my mom continuously through this process and she kept telling me I should check out Hertz car sales. I thought about it and did some online research. Most people claimed to have a great experience. Other people say they would never buy a rental car because most people are so mean to them. Maybe they are... The few times I've rented a car they were in pretty good condition and I treated them better than my own because I don't want to be charged for any damage! There are probably at least a few people who think like me.
I decided to find something I like and schedule a test drive. I found a beautiful dark red 2011 Nissan Versa. 4 Door hatchback. 39k miles. Automatic. Power windows. CD player with AUX input. Air Conditioning. Remote trunk release. Secured gas cap. Rear defrost. $10,800. A little more than I wanted to spend but I can manage it. I got excited. Really excited.
I've scheduled the 3 day test drive to begin Tuesday evening around 7pm. I'll pick up the car at SeaTac. They warned me on the website not to go to the lot until someone has called to tell me the car is there and ready. I've received a couple of phone calls already to have the program entirely explained for me. It sounds pretty hassle free.
Immediately after scheduling it I found a bright red 2011 Chevy Aveo for $10,100 that also had everything I wanted plus fog lights, car alarm and keyless entry. Ohhh... maybe I want that one?? But the Nissan has a slightly bigger engine, better safety rating and they still make Versas. The Aveo was discontinued in 2011. I feel like I made a good decision. I get 2 hours to try the car for free. I get 3 days to test drive it as much as I want. If I choose not to buy, I just return the car and whoopity-doo, I just rented a car for 3 days. No biggie. It will give me time to take the car to the Greg's Japanese Auto across the street for a thorough once over. It will give me a chance to really get to know if I want to buy it. I get to sleep on it.
They called me again while writing this post to let me know that the vehicle was due back today, after receiving it they'll prep it but not to show up before they call me to let me know it's actually ready. That's the third time someone has told me that, plus I read it on the website. This must be a huge problem for them. For me, it's getting annoying being reminded so much.
The good (and bad I suppose) part about going with Hertz is that there is no haggling on the price. It is what it is.I've gotten tired of the games the dealers play. It's priced one way on line. I email them about it and they give me another price. Or I see something priced one way on the lot and then go online and it has a lower price. Then you're supposed to haggle over it. I hate haggling. I'm not a good negotiator sometimes. I just don't like the pressure. I don't like sales people. You have a tendency to feel like they're going to pull one over on your unless you really bargain with them. It's a big long game that I don't care to play.
As it was explained to me over the phone, after I pick up the car I get 2 hours to try it out totally for free. If I decide I don't like it right away, I can return it for no charge. If I take it home then the rental period begins. If I choose to buy, all rental fees are waived. If I decide I like it, I go into the online account I made and click purchase. I enter my payment information. Once it goes through they FedEx me the title and license plates. I FedEx back the rental plate. The car is MINE. I don't even have to leave my house. I get a 60 day-2,000 mile warranty with Hertz plus the manufacturers 5 year-60,000 warranty is transferred to me.
Yes, it has quite a few miles on it for only being a year old. Yes, being a previous rental my insurance rates may be a little higher. It probably has some wear and tear on it. But also being in a rental fleet it has probably had the fluids, belts and brakes looked after closer than some other schmoe. I can still get a Car Fax report on it if I choose. I will be taking it to a mechanic for a once over. I'll get a chance to comfortably examine every nook and cranny at my leisure.
The vehicle I've been driving for the past 6 years has had no paint on the hood and roof. A crack running right across the windshield. A horrible whine in the engine from bearings being out on the front belt. Torn CV boots on both right front wheels, making a horrible screeching sound whenever I have the wheel cranked too hard one way or another. Interior lights that haven't functioned in years. AC that goes out when I'm sitting in traffic. No backup lights. Mostly broken cup holder. Medium function on the interior cabin fan is out and the knob that controls the fan is in the ashtray. The seatbelt doesn't always retract like it should. There's a panel held on by tape. It had most of these problems when I took ownership of the car already. I've replaced the radiator, water pump, e-brake and tires. Lately it's had a bad fuel injector leak so it doesn't start right away and you can smell gas in the cabin. It's a 4 Runner but I never take it off road and don't use the 4-wheel drive option very often. It has over 280,000 miles on it. My mom leased it brand new in 1994 and eventually bought it. It gets about 15 mpgs and has been getting worse. I'm so tired of sitting an hour a day in traffic pumping a clutch. My mom gave it to me back in 2006 to drive after my Geo Metro got totaled. She gave me a little money and I'll be giving it back to her. My step-dad wants to put a new engine in it, repaint it and make it nice again. I've kept the interior upholstery in fantastic condition. I don't let Ira smoke in it.The registration is up at the end of the month and it needs to be smogged this year. If I get my new car in the next week or so I'm not going to bother with all of that since it'll be leaving the state and need to get new plates down there.
The point of all that is the car I've had is a hunk of junk and I still love it. I am so happy it's staying in the family and I don't have to sell it to some stranger. I'm not picky. A few scratches here and there, a belt that needs to be replaced or tightened is no biggie to me. I won't be completely draining my savings account so I can still get the brakes replaced or put new tires on it if I have to. Maybe get the windows tinted. I probably won't but there's wiggle room if I'm so inclined. It has the Hertz warranty and the manufacture's warranty. As long as there isn't something hugely mechanically wrong with it I have a feeling I will love this car. It will be just what I've been longing for these past couple of years living in Seattle.
The process so far dealing with Hertz has been very pleasant. I will make another update once I finally settle on my new car just to let you all know how it went. This has definitely been a long and exhausting ordeal. So happy it's coming to a close.
Heaven on a Plate
I made this Friday night and I have to say I'm exceptionally proud. The duck egg was fried to medium perfection, the potatoes and red bell peppers were creamy and crispy, the asparagus was steamed to perfection and the shredded asiago just melted onto everything in a salty dream.
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