Stuff I Don't Like to Do - Edited to add: read Comment #13 on how to post here if you have problems

Menu of the Day: 

What I've been doing: Watching the Casey Anthony Trial. And DVRs of Chelsea Lately. I am so lazy!

Music: Graham Nash "Be Yourself". 

In my Glass: No wine today. Just a smoothie. (It's also dinner because we had a late lunch from House of Pho.)

The Best Thing that Happened This Week: Got a haircut that i like! She cut off about 3 inches.

What I'm Procrastinating about: Sending in those warranty cards on my new dishwasher and stove.

OK, here is my list of stuff that i hate to do. Come and add your own!

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1. High Fives. I absolutely hate the high five and i almost wanted to quit bowling because of it. Everyone wants to high five after a strike or spare. Both teams even. This is probably why i don't bowl that many strikes.  

2. Along those lines: The Wave.... OH do i ever hate the wave! Just when i am getting situated in the stadium (stadiums not being a favorite place anyway), i get all settled and damn it i have to stand up and participate and show my team spirit. I HATE standing. It's why i never take a shower. It's why i became a secretary.

3. I do not like shopping. I especially don't like shopping for myself. I buy clothes more and more these days online (sometimes Louie is online and i email her stuff i think i want to buy to get her opinion.... i buy ALL my shoes online because of short fat wide Flintstone feet. Honestly, i think i would rather go to the dentist than go to the mall. 

4. I really do not like washing my hair and if i were 20 years old i would grow dreads. It is so thick and wiry and takes forever to dry (though if you read my last blog post you saw my product endorsement of the Babyliss hairdryer). And it never looks as good when i do my hair as when my stylist does. 

5. I don't like wearing eyeshadow. I do not know how to put it on. 

6. I don't mind washing the clothes, but i hate folding them and putting them away. Same with the dishwasher. 

7. I don't like traveling. I wish i could beam myself places. I do like being someplace away from home. I just don't like getting there. 

8. I hate cooking for vegetarians. This is a well known fact about me if you have been reading here for awhile. 

9. I don't like brainstorming or anything to do with group meetings that involved lots of broad visions. And i especially hate mission statements. 

10. I work for a union but oddly enough, i hate bargaining. I am not a hold back kind of person. I just lay my cards on the table. In negotiating, (i.e. buying a car, buying a house)  i always offer up what i want too quickly. the good thing is that i do walk away if the deal isn't suiting me. It saves A LOT of time.

11. I hate making small talk, another well known fact about me. If you meet me at a party for the first time and we only end up talking about the weather or you ask me if i have kids or where did i go to college (a question i always hate because i never went), I will probably pretend i have to go to the bathroom. Then i will probably head to the kitchen to get more wine.

12. I hate polite talk. The more polite you are, the more i am likely to stick my foot in my mouth and say something inappropriate.

13. I don't like reminiscing about the old days or my childhood.

14. I also don't like hearing too much about other people's favorite childhood memories.

15. I hate going to baby showers. Or wedding showers too. I swear i think i would rather go to a funeral. (as long as it wasn't someone i really liked too much. But then again, why would i be at a funeral of someone i didn't like?

16. I really hate it when people use cute words for cussing. If you are pissed off and say 'oh pickles' you will hear my eyes roll in my head. There is nothing wrong with the 'fuck' word. It's the perfect word, one syllabel, hard "K", easy to enunicate and even if you are hard of hearing you will be able to recognize it. 

Ok, that's all i got for now. Please come add you own. I know you have many!

I hope y'all are able to post. I've had trouble myself, but lately my computer has been behaving. So i don't know what to think. I looked at the settings and they seem okay. Maybe Bill Gates has heard i've been talking smack on him.

Sunday Stuff. Family photos from yesterday's Crawfish Boil.

Menu of the Day: 

Music: I love Mission Bell so much i went back and bought Amos Lee's Last Days at the Lodge

Quote: "We're Louvraks, we're great at mediocre" - this comes from my nephew Brian last night (when we were trying to sing around the campfire at his house for the crawfish boil last night.)

Best thing this week: The weather. FINALLY the weather made it here. We had mid-to upper 70's yesterday and sun and blue sky all day long. Days like yesterday make you forget all the other 325 days in the year.Yesterday was the very first day we put on the air conditioner!

The other best thing: Our remodel. I just have some finishing touches and we're done. My car, for the first time in over a month, is back in the garage. 

What's not so cool: The condo board tells us it's against the law to discriminate against kids by having adult hours at the pool. Those little f*≈#cers are in the pool ALL THE TIME now. I now I will get no reprieve from "Marco Polo"  when i am outside on my patio reading. Sometimes i really get sick of how it's always ABOUT THE KIDS. i think kids get enough coddling and all that shit without messing with my adult pool hours too.We're the ones with the stress and we need our quiet time at the pool.

What I'm going to do: Is look up the law. I don't trust this board. 

Photos: We were at my nephew's house last night for the crawfish boil. That is my mom drinking her chardonnay out of a kid's tippy cup. Thankfully, my brother Troy told my dad (usually it's me taking on this fight, which gets old) he couldn't drive home when they were getting ready to leave. So Dad gave the keys to his big giant 1983 Cadillac to Troy and went to get another beer (for the road) and my mom not to be leaving her chardonnay behind asked for a to go cup and my nephew gave her this kids cup. (Someone else took these photos.) 

Edited to add Kylee's photos too. The first one is the group shot.  The second one is my nephew Brian and brother Troy. After that is my mom and niece Ashley (Kylee's sister) - both are true yayas. Then Ashley with my other niece Jessica's daughter Mariana. Ashley is wearing Jessica's glasses to show how Mari and Ashley look alike!

Book: I just read THE BEST BOOK i have read since maybe "Unbroken". After i read the two Chelsea Handley books i read  "Half Broke Horses". It's written by the Glass Castle author. It's a wonderful book about the grandmother of the author. She was an amazing (however flawed) woman.This book would make a beautiful movie. I wanted to be the character and have my granddaughter write this book about me. I highly recommend it. 

What I'm procrastinating about: I need to send in my warranty cards on my new range and dishwasher. 

on with the randomness....

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1. I can't believe i didn't buy this Amos Lee cd earlier. It's amazing. 

2. We need to get a new computer and we're going to because we have found we like spending money. So far it's working ok and not crashing, but pretty soon it will probably start revving up. It's intermittent how it works these days.

3. Actually the more i think about the loss of adult hours at the pool the more it pisses me off. Why do we make the world revolve around kids? I swear i'm so glad i never had kids. I would have been a terrible mother. (I am the antithesis of a soccer mom.)

4. Actually Brian's quote above is not totally accurate. We Louvraks aren't always mediocre: Sometimes we fail spectacularly.

5. I will be on vacation in three weeks. Then i will have 6 weeks off. I cannot wait. We won't be flyfishing just yet because we had so much snow that is still in the mountains that the rivers will be too high for awhile.

6. I like to look at my iTunes library sometimes and see which songs i play the most. I just did that and i have many songs that have zero plays (mostly Brian's songs!). But "Let it Ride" by Ryan Adams tops the list at 60 plays. After that it's "Master of Disaster" by John Hiatt. After that it's "Can't Seem to Get it Right" by Joe Purdy. I wasn't surprised by Ryan Adams. But i was at the other two. (I figured it would be a Van Morrison song. )

7. I don't have much to say today really. I just wanted to change the blog cause it was time. So please come and tell us what your week was like.

Remodeling is not for sissies

This is the reason i have been somewhat AWOL....(also because we have been having intermittent computer issues, so far so good for now.) I really thought this remodel was going to take about 5-10  days.

After all, we were only doing two small bathrooms with all new floor and wall tile, vanities, toilet and sinks and faucets and new kitchen Corian countertops, new fans to fix our ventilation issues and repair under the house to fix our overflow leak from the tubs. It ended up being nearly 28 days. In retrospect i have no idea why i thought it would be less than two weeks.

But i love it and i love all the guys i hired from Roma Tile and Stone, Fineline Pacific (who did the Corian), Erichsen Brothers (who made our custom vanities to my specs with a drawer!)  and Drywall Paul (as i call him) who fixed our skylight and ceiling issues and redid the plumbing.

The photos don't really do justice because the color never comes out right on the Internet. I decided to paint both bathrooms two different colors so they don't look TOO twinlike. You can't tell but the tile on the floor is different from the tile on the wall. The tile on the wall is a 'linen-y' look. the floor has more colors in it. It picks up that maple from the vanities. 

The first 7 photos show the old stuff and that computer/guest room where we moved all the stuff  really tested my OCD after about two weeks. But i told myself it was like camping, which cracked up my tile guy because i think to him camping at a state park is for sissies. 

We had no bathroom sinks for two weeks and once they were in i still had this feeling that i had to brush my teeth over the toilet or kitchen sink. I lost my birth control pills one day, my blood pressure medication another day and never found my toenail clippers until i was able to put everything away.

I cannot believe that within 12 months i have painted FOUR TIMES in our little bathrooms. If you have been reading this blog you already know about my paint obsession. I swear i have probably lost about 3 inches of my square footage in the bathroom because of how many paint layers i have on that drywall! But when we were done, the blue i had painted last April did not work with the new everything. So i went with a new butter color (same as my kitchen) and love it because the skylight really brightens it. Even looking in the mirror makes my skin and hair look better because of the color with the lighting from the skylight. (If only i could bring that room to surround me all the time.)

I especially love our undermount sinks! And my new deeper kitchen sink. And Brian loves loves loves his new American Standard Cadet 3 toilet! LOL.  And my Corian is a total thrill. I chose two different colors: Willow for the kitchen and Fossil for the bathrooms. I love Corian. I love to run my hands over it. I love it's warmth. I have never liked anything shiny. (Not even patent leather shoes when i was a kid.) I have never been a fan of granite and believe that everyone just asks for it because they think they should. Same with stainless steel appliances. Someday i believe they will be as outdated as the avocado green appliances and the pink tile bathrooms. Plus it shows all the fingerprints which you never see when you are watching the HG Channel!

And speaking of appliances. I was not planning on this but I went out Friday and bought a new range and dishwasher too after much research. And because i don't like shiny, i bought straightforward white appliances. I bought a Whirlpool range (coil cause i can't do the smoothtop either because i have never ever seen one yet that wasn't scarred from misuse). I also bought a Maytag dishwasher.

I have been wanting a new self cleaning oven and our appliances are going on 12-15 years old. I figure if our plan is to sell this place in five years, why shouldn't WE enjoy the new appliances for a while? Plus i can't get those appliance faces that clean anymore and it's messing with my new Corian.

I'm only putting this up pretty much for history purposes so i know it's now a riveting new post and i won't keep it up long. But i know Barbara/eque is busy moving too and i'm wondering what the rest of y'all have been doing on Memorial Day.

Random Sunday Shooting the Breezes

1. My dad always uses the phrase 'shooting the breeze' which means you're just casually talking about shit that has nothing to do with anything really. And that's what this blog has mostly been about.

2. I'm almost done with the bathroom/partial kitchen remodel. It's about time. My OCD is in overdrive. The place is a mess and nothing is where it should be.  I cannot find my toenail clippers and i had to FILE my toenails because they were starting to look like one of those men from India who grow them out really long until they curl up. (Ok, slight exaggeration.) But i HATE filing my nails because of the noise.

3. I have been hiding out in my bedroom when i get home to get away from the mess. In one week i have read THREE books. I read the new Rob Lowe book and the new Chelsea Handly book that Brian got me as part of my bday presents. I also finished another Chelsea book (the "are you there vodka, it's me Chelsea") I haven't laughed out loud at a book since i read Mash.

4. Thank GAWD my partial kitchen remodel didn't make me lose my corkscrew. (Though if it did i could always google that video Julie sent me that showed how you could open a bottle of wine with an Italian loafer. Not that my husband owns any Italian loafers,but i'm sure we could find something that would work besides bowling shoes.)

5. Lately i've noticed that i really like those screwcap wines. I'm getting too lazy i think. McManus makes an awesome chardonnay (I just poured a glass) and i was so happy not to have to open it up. I'm exhausted from all the touchup painting that i had to do today.

6. I think i should work in a paint store when i retire. I can at least get a discount. Because i realize now that my tile is up that my new blue paint in my bathroom (that i painted and repainted last year) is not going to work after all. I dread painting a bathroom, yet again. This will be the fourth time i painted a bathroom within 12 months.

7. Yesterday Brian went out and finished up my bicycle accessories. I wanted a basket and one of those little cheesy bells like little girls have on their bikes. AND fenders. And he got me all that. Plus a Kryptonite bike lock. I wanted the basket and the bells because i don't want anyone to get the idea that i am riding this bike for exercise.

8. I look like a Ninja Turtle in my bike helmet. i hate it alot. it's hard to look cute in a bike helmet. Even if i do have a cute little head.

9. Yesterday i went to our state capitol to help lobby our legislator in our district. His name is T r o y           K e l l e y . I like his name because it is my brother and my sister's name. However i am not sure i like the politician. He says all the right stuff when we see him. But he's a bit of a namby pamby Democrat. And just in case he likes to Google his name i put spaces in between because he knows who i am. Anyway we're doing what we can to be pro-active so that our state doesn't become a Wisconsin and Michigan, and Idaho, and all those others. Anyway, what was really cool was the state capitol! for all my political stuff i have never been inside and in the balcony to see the action. It's a beautiful and amazing building. It was quite a nice day.

10. The legislative session is supposed to be done on Wednesday, the same day as my remodel.

11. Hey, how about that Non-Rapture???? Maybe May 21st really is the true day of the Rapture and God is pissed off enough at all of us so he's keeping us all down here. I guess we all better start worrying about Oct. 15, if that's the case.

12. If i were God. That's what i would do. Say to hell with all of you.

13. I was only a teeny tiny bit afraid that i would be Raptured up. I'm a nice person even though i am not the best  Christian, but i would hope i would get Raptured up before Ted Bundy or Tammy Faye Baker. (I might even be nicer than that Kirk Cameron. I know it might not always seem like it from this blog, but God knows what is in my heart...) But the truth is, I do NOT want to go where those born again Jesus freaks go or any of those people who paid big bucks to put up those billboards, so i was never worried at all about having to be left behind.

14. Besides.....i don't like traveling. Jesus and God know this.

15. Brian told me he put up some photos of me on my new bike where i look like a Ninja turtle but i didn't find them on Facebook. When i do find them, i'll add it here.

Birthday Musings. NOW WITH VIDEO!

It's my birthday tomorrow. I will be 54 years old. this seems old  because I am more than officially beyond middle aged. Nobody lives to be 108 years old really. (Not that they lived to be 106 either...) But somehow this one feels too close to the 55 Alive Senior Citizens group kind of thing. 

Today Dear Abby had a letter from a daughter in law upset about her MIL wearing a bikini and short skirts and spaghetti strap tops while in her 50's because the MIL works out alot and wants to show off her body. I said to Brian this morning, ""Our daughter in law, (that bitch), is writing a letter to Abby about me". (Neither of us have children, so this is a joke)...But it could be true because i do dress younger than i should, though last year at our condo pool i finally quit wearing a bikini, or even a bathing suit at all at the pool. 

But yeah, i can tell it's finally happening. I am not young anymore. But i still refuse to shop at Talbots or Chadwicks or other older lady shopping places. . 

Though i promise not to shop at J.Crew anymore.  :(

Photo: that is me as a black haired baby. I was born with all that hair.  

Video: My other best friend Julie (louie/Sarah and Julie and I are the 3 amigas, though we do NOT call ourselves that) made this video of her music kids for my birthday. It's adorable. She videotaped the kids about friends and birthdays. I love the little Michael Jackson dancer. And the little girl who tells her that she has been best friends with HER friend for they were " i dunno... really young". And i noticed after watching it the third time that she has per eyeglasses perched on top of her head like a little adult. Only i think she must be about 2nd or 3rd grade. (I forgot to ask Julie how old they were.) It's really cute.

Hodge Podge Blog updated w/ more mom conversations

1. I can finally break up with this house by Point Defiance Park but it sorta makes me sad, like a divorce can, even when you don't want to be married to that man anymore. This house finally sold. But i am so very mad at our realtor. This is the house we made 3 offers on last Feb. It's 50% bigger than where we live now and in a better location, plus it's newer and not a condo, but in a place that takes care of your yard, etc. so much like where we live, only better.

But we walked away on the last offer when they didn't accept it because we felt our offer was solid and good without contingency and we were pre-approved. But our realtor failed to make that deal. So we decided to quit looking and remodel and move on.

But Lisa, (who shall be named The Very Bad Realtor/VBR) called Brian yesterday to tell him this house sold. (It has been on the market since last August) AND 'VBR 'thinks it went for about the same amount that we offered, maybe even less. But here's the kicker.....THEN she told Brian that the listing agent of that house had called her last month and said they would drop the price again if we were interested.

ONLY SHE NEVER CALLED US because she thought we would not be interested even though i told her that if they ever called her to let us know we may counter once more. I am still not sure why she called in the first place except that she thinks we might still be interested in looking and having her be our contact. NO WAY.

What makes me really mad is last month i got a call from a different realtor who used to live here who said he heard from our neighbor we might sell our place and he had a cash buyer who has been wanting to move in to our condo community. He said that he knew our place was much nicer than the listing he had. But i told him we had quit looking and were now remodeling. But the truth is if this couple wanted to buy our place especially with the remodel in place at our cost, karma might have worked and it would have worked out so much better for us if that happened in terms of remodeling the new place and the house payment.

But we never got that chance.

I am so pissed. Even though i am really going to like what we are doing to this place and have made room by renting storage. I really liked that house by Point Defiance. Point Defiance is one of the most beautiful parks ever.

2. Ok, thanks for letting me vent. I needed that because i was going to contact her and blast her a new one and then decided it would get me nowhere. So i'm writing it here. 

3. We got a recommendation for this gal too.  It was from my friend Julie's ex-husband who i actually trust. I should probably tell him not to recommend her anymore.

3. Brian says everything happens for a reason and this house was not meant to be. But you know, i still look sometimes online at homes, and i can't find one that i like as much as that one. And probably that couple who wants to move here might not have been interested either.

4. I do think i will love my bathrooms. The drywall is done today in the bathrooms and i hired a good guy. (I call him Drywall Paul.) After this remodel i  think that Brian and i might be able to build someday - something exactly like we want, nothing too big,  and maybe that's what supposed to happen. I now know a good roofer, drywaller, tile guy, hardwood floor company, and my brother Troy is a framer and turnkey home builder and has all kinds of connections to electricians and plumbers. 

5. OMG, like the last post, once again Violin by Amos Lee has come on the cds playing. I really do have to make myself stop listening to this before i ruin it. But i'm addicted to him right now. 

6. I am glad that Obama didn't release the Osama photos. I am also glad that Osama was killed on Obama's watch. I haven't been watching much of the news at all to see how Fox is going to twist this because i am getting very tired of all the talking political heads, EXCEPT for Jon Stewart. I seriously think he might be The Most Trusted Man In News, replacing Walter Conkrite.

7. I just bought the book Faith at Costco tonight. Along with about $150 worth of stuff i didn't plan to shop for when i went there only for seafood. Is anyone else reading this book? I think it sounds like it might be something like that Meryl Streep movie Doubt, a movie i really liked.

8. I watched The Office ending where Steve Carrell left the show. I almost, but not quite, cried. I don't think they were even acting in that last episode. Especially that scene where Jim goes into Michael's office to tell him what a great boss he was. I think they were seriously sad. 

9. I hope that they hire the original Office Michael, Ricky Gervais. He's my pick. 

Ok, that's all i got.What's on YOUR mind? What are your vents?

Donald Trump and other stuff on the menu that you would never order....

Menu of the Day:

iTuning to : Violin by Amos Lee. I have got to quit listening to this song because i will wear it out very soon if i don't. This is an amazing song. 

Book: I am reading, and i can't believe it myself, but i am reading  John Grisham 's stories of Ford County. It was loaned to me. I haven't liked Grisham's books since "The Client" when it seemed he was only writing for money. (Same thing happened to Jodi Picoult). But i like this one. So far.

Disclaimer: If i ever get to be a published novelist i will never write for the money. 

Title of my novel, if i ever write one: Slamming on the Brakes.

Reason for the title: It would be a memoir about my family. My family has always been about slamming: be it slamming people, slamming drinks, or in most important slamming of all, the case of my mom ...when she had her accident in 1967 (i was in the back seat at the age of 11) she slammed on the brakes literally and nearly killed herself in the process and lived in hospitals for over a year and half but came out of it (really a miracle),  but has lived with a slight sort of brain damage that ever since that has affected us all.

The Best thing that happened this week: It's an absolutely beautiful Sunday. Super gorgeous. the kind that makes you totally forget the other 11 months of shitty grayness. Kylee and Brian went out and did a photo shoot today with the camera he bought her for her college graduation last winter so he could teach her some of what he knows since he was a digital photography teacher. Then we all met up for drinks together on the outside deck of Jake's over looking the Puget Sound.

Why this photo: I LOVE that Donald Trump is running for President. I also hope that Michelle Bachmann is running ... You know why? I won't have to work so hard as i have the past two elections. I can finally take a break.

What you should not order:  I just realized that my subject line is about what not to order and i didn't include anything. I would say you should not order: house wine in a Chinese or Mexican restaurant; actually, house wine ANYWHERE; Lady Gaga off iTunes; In fact most of the iTunes Top Songs; whatever the latest new Estee Lauder face stuff that promises to make you younger (doesn't work); a glass of wine while bowling. (Bowling is strictly a beer game.); don't order jeans online; and speaking of online never...ever....ever.... order anything online while under the influence.

What I am looking forward to: Getting the remodel done and painting. Going on a 5 day trip to the ocean with my husband in late June, the condo pool opening up in four weeks, being off of work in July.

What i am going to quit procrastinating about: Getting that freaking will. I told my husband what i want for my birthday is an appointment with the lawyer to get the will finalized. I can't stand not having my ducks in a row. And if we died tomorrow in a plane crash, our families are screwed trying to figure out what we want. 

OK, c'mon yall. tell me your random stuff.