Friday, June 30, 2006

If only I had a bigger kitchen

You Are a Learning Cook

You've got the makings of an excellent cook, and the desire to be one.
But right now, you're just lacking the experience. You couldn't be a top chef yet, but you could be an apprentice.

It's gone!

Mom had an MRI this week and I called Dad yesterday to find out the news. It's gone! Gone gone gone! No trace of the tumor. Now it's all about getting her back on her feet. I'm so so excited! :)
Thank you for keeping her in your thoughts and prayers. They are working!

In other news, Matt is enjoying his second internship with a very awesome script doctor. It's hotter than hell here. I am using the a/c nearly everyday now. It's nearly 90 or just above, and it's only June!

Matt's parents are coming to visit next month which will be fun. They haven't seen our place yet. Oh, and I went towel shopping with Mary the other day. I never thought I'd buy lime green towels but they look great with aqua walls.

Wednesday, June 28, 2006

Famous last words

Your Famous Last Words Will Be:

"So, you're a cannibal."

Tuesday, June 27, 2006

Time flies

There's not much to report! I've been working from home for my Dad which has been great. Did I mention how much I love to go to work in my PJ's? :)

Matt got another internship out in Santa Monica with John Rogers, a well known script doctor. Basically, people go to him to fix scripts and he does it well. This could lead Matt to better jobs after graduation. He also found out yesterday that several people who work as assistants at the production company (his other internship) started off as interns. This is very good news. More job prospects. Woohoo!

Matt's parents called and they will be visiting us for a few days in mid-July. We're looking forward to having them over. They haven't seen our place yet. They will be driving down in their wonderfully quiet Ford Escape. I love that car. So peaceful.

Today I have lunch with Mary. Tomorrow I pick up Rian and Sam at the airport. Thursday I see the chiropractor and then have dinner with the girls. Oh, and Saturday Gina and I watch Eddie Izzard on her wide screen TV. :)

Did I mention that I saw Eddie Izzard at Groundlings? He was wonderful!

Thursday, June 22, 2006

Where Matt belongs...

American Cities That Best Fit You::
60% San Francisco
55% Los Angeles
55% New York City
50% Chicago
50% Philadelphia

I belong somewhere...

American Cities That Best Fit You::
60% San Francisco
55% Honolulu
55% Los Angeles
55% Portland
50% Denver

Wednesday, June 21, 2006

Random pictures

After our wine trip in January, we bought so much we had to go to Cost Plus and buy a new wine rack. :) So, here it is after our trip last month to Santa Barbara wine country, and a few random buys from the grocery store and Trader Joe's. We are SUCH wine-os!

PJ atop the new FREE kitty tree. :)


New FREE kitty tree!

New walls

Living Room


Dining Room


Bathroom


Bedroom


I have the best husband. Ever. :)

Tuesday, June 20, 2006

Painter Schmainter

I have THE BEST husband in the world! :) While I was gone he painted. Walls. With Rian. It is beautiful! The bedroom is now a bright spring green color. The bathroom is aqua, and there are 2 accent walls in the living room/dining room, like a peachy honey color. I have to redecorate. So depressing. :) I can't wait. Shops to go to: Pier 1, Bed Bath and Beyond, Target, and Ikea.

And this week I'll also be applying for a part time job at Barnes and Noble. Wish me luck!

Monday, June 19, 2006

On our way home.

L.A. is home now, but I still feel that I'm needed here in Seattle. I think all those days of wasting time sitting at home, having "nothing" to do, have just been a bit too excessive so I need to get my tooshie in gear. If I'm going to be home more, I should be cleaning, exercising, keeping the place looking good, and reading on the rooftop with a nice glass of lemonade. I should walk to the park more, walk around my neighborhood and explore more. I hope this new found adulthood will stick around. I kind of like it.

Saturday, June 17, 2006

Muah!

One of my favorite actors is Robert Downey Jr. It's just so sad he spent all that time messed up on drugs and whatever else. Have you seen the movie "Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang"? Saw it last night. If you love Mr. Downey Jr, you will LOVE this movie. It's a must see.

Thursday, June 15, 2006

Last days

I leave Monday for L.A. I'm anxious to get back. I miss Matt and I miss my kitties and my friends. But I have gotten to see a few friends up here which has been nice. I got to see Ed yesterday. We went to the Redmond Town Center and had a delicious Thai lunch. We talked about everything under the sun including psychology, the Dead Gentlemen, and career goals. It was fun.

This weekend I'm not sure what's happnening. As I've said before it's hard to make secure plans because Mom's health is in flux. She's really tired, and today, out of the blue, she's feeling nauseated. I have really learned to take each day as it comes while I've been here, and to do what needs to be done. I have implemented my "grown up" personality here in Seattle, and I need to take my "grown up lifestyle" back to L.A. I think I can do it. :)

Tuesday, June 13, 2006

Where everybody knows your name

My parents have a Basenji. It's an african dog that doesn't bark. His name is Johnny and this isn't a picture of him, but it's pretty close. I took him for a walk this morning, like I always do, and at least 2 neighbors approached me asking where my Dad was because they hadn't seen him. They obviously recognize the dog, but had no clue who I was! I thought it was pretty amazing that they all asked about how he was doing and was my Mom okay.

Saturday, June 10, 2006

I belong here...

You Belong in London

A little old fashioned, and a little modern.
A little traditional, and a little bit punk rock.
A unique woman like you needs a city that offers everything.
No wonder you and London will get along so well.

Friday, June 09, 2006

Eh

I don't want to say too much because I know my dad reads this occasionally (hi Dad!) and I don't want him to think that I'm not enjoying myself here. It's just so much to take in all at once while seeming to maintain control of my emotions. Holding myself together during deep emotional struggles is not my strong suit but somehow I've only shed a few tears. Most days I've just been so tired from working and then helping out around the house that I don't have time to think about everything that's happening. But somehow, today, I just feel drained and sad. Ready to burst into tears. But I don't want to because I don't want them to see me sad and confused and frustrated and upset and angry. They don't need negative things. So what do I do?

I miss Matt. I wish he was here.

On a bright side, Nancy (mom in law) and I went to Macy's while Mom was at her appointment and I got several new clothes including 2 really super cute dresses. I am trying really hard to get out of the college "Oh crap I'm late for class" look.

Even better news is that Mom's tumor marker has gone down from 280 to 70 in just one month! So I guess not everything is terrible. But I haven't really dealt yet with the shock over mom's appearance, and how different things are around here. I guess right now it's just washing all over me and I wish it wasn't. I don't want to deal with it yet. I'm just not ready. I need to stay strong for them and then break apart when I get home.

Wednesday, June 07, 2006

Stars


Guess who Matt met yesterday?

Tuesday, June 06, 2006

15 is the magic number

It's a great feeling to walk into the place where you used to work and people immediately say "Oh my gosh, you look great! Did you lose weight? And you look so tan!" Okay, well, I'm tan compared to the Pacific Northwesterners, but it's a great feeling to say "Yup, I lost 15 pounds!" I don't mean to sound totally egotistical, but it was kind of nice being gushed over in that way.

And 15 is the magic number because I only have 15 more to go!

Monday, June 05, 2006

Ohno!

Well, if you don't know who Apolo Ohno is, you should. He's great! And it doesn't hurt that he's quite good looking...HOT is more like it! :)

Saturday, June 03, 2006

Seattle Time

Landed last night at 6 and walked in to baggage claim to find a very happy Dad waiting for me! We hugged and caught up on Mom and Katie (who recently pierced her eyebrow, but that's another story). Then I saw Denise, a woman I had met at the Burbank airport, and we exchanged phone nubmers because it turned out we live less than a mile from each other! Super sweet, super nice woman. I'm excited to hang out with her.

Went home and saw a very spunky, but very different mom. For those of you who don't know, she has a walker now, and the radiation made her hair fall out. She's off the steroids now, which means she's much weaker. And did you know that you can have chemo now in pill form? I had no idea. Well, she took it for a week too long so the side effect is that her face is kind of puffy, like a chipmunk. But she looks beautiful and is doing the best she can. I worry about my dad being the constant caregiver, but that's why I'm here, to help give him a little break. It means so much to my family that I'm here for so long and I am happy to help.

What's really special is that my Aunt Sharon and Uncle Terry from Nine Mile Falls (a little town outside of Spokane) are here! Today we headed over to Bainbridge Island for my cousin Zac's graduation party. That also meant I got to see Uncle Gregg and Aunt Diane and their fabulous house and studio. I used to go there a lot as a kid so it brought back so many memories. Zac's brother, my other cousin Gus, was also there and we got to catch up. The weather held out beautifully - sunny and warm (well, warm for Seattle) - everyone was in a good mood - and Mom got a nice nap. I was just so grateful to see everyone. It just wasn't long enough. I don't know what's happening to me as I get older, but family seems to be more and more important to me. And I always want to see more of those I rarely see...but distance makes the heart grow fonder!

We're home now, and Mom is asleep on the couch. Katie is on the computer upstaris, Dad's talkin on the phone to some guy from Finland, and Sharon and Terry are somewhere around here. Tomorrow Sharon and Terry leave to go back home. :( I may take out my mom's beautiful custom made bike for a ride to the locks and then Steph might stop by to say hi after her acting class. Monday I work from home, Tuesday I go into work and have a dental appointment (I just can't find one in L.A. that I like). Probably Tuesday and Wednesday I'm going to cook dinner for the fam. :) And at some point I'll head over to Northgate to visit friends who recently had twins!

I'll stay busy, but I'm really missing Matt, the cats, and the control over my life in L.A. Somehow things get planned for me here, and I just have to learn to let go. I'm not here for me, I am here for them. And that's a good feeling. :)