For the Record

I don't like drama. I don't invite it to be a part of my life. I understand some people thrive in highly emotional states of being and welcome the angst.

Me? Not so much. I'm one of those folks who continuously tests as an ESTJ.

I try to keep at the forefront of my mind we are all different, feel and see things in a way that is real to us, to our situations, to our upbringing, to our current state of being.

Your interpretation of a situation, a conversation, even an article or newscast can be way different than mine simply because we are different. And that is perfectly fine by me. In fact, I celebrate we are not all the same and welcome different perspectives.

I try to speak from a place of truth, candor, honesty and respect all the time. It is never my intent to hurt or be mean spirited. I feel if I get it out there, misunderstandings can and will be avoided. If I'm going to say something about you to someone else, before I say it, I will ensure I'd feel comfortable enough to say it to you or to have it repeated.

With that being said, you might be wondering why I'm riding my horse so high right now.

This is not intended for any one particular person. I simply want to put it out there in the universe. You know the whole law of attraction thought process.

It is a fact a situation from two weeks ago came very close to crossing the boundaries between my professional and personal life. Naturally this has been weighing in the recesses of my brain matter for a few days.

As a result, I woke up a tad irritated because the actions of this other person have resulted in my making the decision to either change locations/days of my Cheers or stop doing so for an extended period of time.

I've moved on from said situation and did what was needed given the circumstances but I'm not happy with the impact it has had. When you mess with my me time like that, I start to feel slightly pissy. So for now I am going to ride my horse, feel good about putting this out here, thank God for keeping it real, and be very thankful drama is not a part of my life. Well, most of the time that is.

Oh how I wish I could...

Peace and Love Peeps.

In My Slumber

I have been experiencing vivid dreams and remembering them lately.

I'm being visited by all sorts of people in the most random situations.

I'm trying to figure out exactly what messages I am supposed to be receiving.

I've consulted my dream book for symbol interpretation but so far it I'm not able to make much sense of it all.

I am sure one of these days it will all come together but for now, I'll just keep on dreaming.

Peace and Love Peeps.

PSA: Text Messages

Make sure you have the correct recipient selected when you send a text message!

When you are tired, slammed, and meant to send a text to your best friend but send it to the man by mistake all sorts of misunderstanding can ensue.

The message, if received by your best friend would have made perfect sense, but when received by the man leads to questions, it is no laughing matter.

So, if you text like I do, may I suggest checking the to or chat log thread before pressing send?

It will save you time in the long run. Trust me on this.

Peace and Love Peeps.

Happy Monday

Hope you and yours have a great Monday.

My day? In a word, crazy. Nothing I can't handle but lots and lots of stuff going on personally and professionally. Not just today but all of this week.

There are parts of me that like to ease into a new week and another part of me that wakes up, stretches, and says "Bring it on!"

Today is a mix of those mindsets.

Whatever you have going on today, and this week, my hope is you are happy, healthy, and enjoying life.

Peace and Love Peeps.

Weekly Challenge #40

This week's challenge may be a sensitive one for some.

It deals with relationships; having a potentially uncomfortable interaction and quite possibly engaging in a difficult conversation.

Is there an elephant in the room no one is speaking about, to, or of?

Are there eggshells being walked upon?

Is your tongue being bit while seething internally?

This week I challenge you to speak with candor, truth, respect, and sincerity. Do this in the spirit of love and with the intent to clear the air if need be.

Peace and Love Peeps.

Today

I have a total domestic day ahead of me.

My place is a total and complete cluster.

Seriously.

It is project laundry time folks.

There is cat hair in places even I didn't think possible.

The slipcovers need to be washed as well as all of the bedding. I mean all of it.

The good news is Princess has been playing with me since we got up and she didn't get sick last night. That's a good sign, especially considering we have to delay her appointment until next week. Keep those vibes and prayers coming please!

Other than the domestic chores, I have plans to "memory book" ticket stubs and receipts from the last six months.

Whatcha' you got going on this fine weekend? Hopefully something much more exciting than my agenda.

Peace and Love Peeps.

Hmmm, Prayers Please

Came home for lunch and afterward I laid down with Princess for a bit of lovings in the sunshine.

I found an open sore on her neck and left leg.

She is an inside kitty. No fights between Jasmine and her of late so I have no idea what or how she got these.

Guess who is asking for your prayers and vibes? Yea, that'd be me.
We go to the vet in the morning.

Please dear lord, can my babies be in good health? I hope you've made sure she is not in pain.

Peace and Love Peeps.

You're Not the Boss of Me

I just saw this on the news and couldn't stop laughing.



If only I spoke chimp. I'm sure he was giving it to them good!

Fiwa's Friday Shuffle

It is that time of the week again!

This week my iPod decided the shuffle would be more new school than old school.

I'm beginning to think the shuffle may be directly tied to the most recent music selections played.

Anyway, this week my random 10 are

1. Stronger by Kanye West

2. The News by Jack Johnson

3. FutureSex/LoveSound by Justin Timberlake

4. Complicated by Robin Thicke

5. In the Ayer by Flo Rida

6. Y.M.C.A. by The Village People

7. Fly Away by Lenny Kravitz

8. These Words by Natasha Bedingfield

9. Take a Bow by Rihanna

10. Feeling This by Blink-182

Didja' play? Didja'?

Peace and Love Peeps.

I'm a Believer

Usually I laugh and then wonder do those "As Seen on TV" items and infomercials really work?

If I am to buy these products am I simply going to be throwing money away?

I took a chance on Debbie Meyer's Green Bags and let me just say I'm NOT throwing money away.

Nope, not on the bags or on fruit and produce.
I didn't do a test like the above picture reflects but I can safely say my spinach, blueberries, cherries, grape tomatoes, and especially my mushrooms are holding up fresh as the day they were purchased.

So, if you're in the market for saving your produce too, may I suggest you get some green bags of your own?

I found mine at Bed Bath and Beyond. 10 bags for $10.00.

I’m a believer.

Peace and Love Peeps.

In a Word, I'm

I love you Jasmine, really I do.

I don't love when you wake me up at 1:00 AM, 3:45 AM, and again 5 minutes before the alarm goes off.

I loved on you. I played with you. I got up and fed you, even though you have dry food available at any time for your dining pleasure.

Momma has had a very long two days and today, today being hump day, is going to be more of the same.

You must have been making up for letting me sleep the other night. Peacefully and all the way through the night.

At least you, your sister, and I are healthy, alive and well.

Tonight I beg of you to let me sleep.

Peace and Love Peeps.

Beach Party in Review

Saturday J, Maricel, and I headed over to one of my co-worker's homes on South Whidbey Island for an informal get together.

I believe it was Cheryl who asked if this was nearby, close to where I live. The answer to this question is yes and no. To get to there it is at least an one hour drive north on I-5 and a 20 minute ferry crossing over to the island. To me this is not a long way away but to some it is.

Off we went Saturday afternoon. We were treated to glorious weather. Upon arrival at the Mukilteo ferry dock, one of the first things you notice is the Mukilteo Lighthouse. You can read about it here. Quite fascinating history in my opinion.One of the not so good things about glorious weather in our neck of the woods, at a state park, ferry terminal, and boat launch area is the parking situation.

We first parked in a vehicle/trailer section and were going to wing it. Then we thought better of it and J drove around the parking lot for at least fifteen minutes before we scored a free parking space along the day use, fence line.

Of course Maricel and I followed the couple all the way to their car and we were prepared to stand in the spot if need be.

Naturally a picture was taken to mark the occasion. It was that memorable y'all.

After the car was parked we grabbed some grub at Ivars. We didn't do the dining room but

rather opted for the outdoor Fish Bar because that is how we roll.

On a warm summer afternoon, after a some fish 'n chips, you just gotta' indulge in some ice cream right?

Here is J showing you how it's done. Washington state walk on ferry in the summertime style. Go J, go!

Of course you give me twenty minutes of downtime and I will use the restroom and start taking pictures. I won't bore you with the other random shots of the water and scenic byway stuff. Instead I give you Mo and Mars for your viewing pleasure. You can take the girl out of Texas but you can't take Texas out of the girl.

Once the ferry arrived, we had a short walk to her house. Her place is nothing short of a slice of heaven, both inside and out.

I just gotta' say who would not want this for their backyard view? File away the image of the boat you see out in the water for a minute ok?
You can sit and watch the tide roll in or out. You can watch the ferry boats go to and fro. You can just listen to the sound of the water. You can pick up shells. You can hunt for sea glass. You can watch the neighbor do his thing with his crab loot for the day. You can play in the sand. You can gaze at the mountains in the horizon on a clear day.

Simply put, you can JUST BE.

The above picture is mostly for Tina. I said I lived near a beach, which I do, not this one but another one, and wanted to show her it is not the beach she likes so much. Ours is filled with rocks, shells, and much darker sand.

Call us crazy but we still walk around barefoot. And even though it is not soft sand, I think it is pretty in it's own right.

Above is what I like to sum up as the quintessential Pacific Northwest image. A man, his dog, a beer, and boat.

Ok so the boat is a dinghy on the way to the bigger boat and the beer is for the guy helping get Lena in the dinghy. But hey, this is part of what you will see all up and down the waterfront this time of the year.

Speaking of the bigger boat. Remember the image from before? Can we say we sunk the boat by the end of the day? No joke peeps.

I present to you Captain B. He was gracious and took us out for a ride near the end of the day and was going to drop us off at the dock afterward. We were trying to go meet his friendly seal, whom by the time we made it to his resting place, was nowhere to be found.

On the way back, in addition to encountering a red tide, we encountered mechanical difficulty.

When I say red, I mean red, and when I say mechancial difficulty, we're talking about the kind where you're taking on water, you're calling the neighbor for a tow, and we are all thinking the water is plenty cold but the shore is close enough we can swim to it if need be because she's going down.

Luckily, we were towed back to Captain B's place in one piece. The boat was beached and the neighbor took us over to the dock on the Mukilteo side.

Thank goodness J is a strong man as the dock and the boat were rocking. If he hadn't been there to hold the boat while Maricel and I jumped onto the dock, I would have been in trouble. Trouble with a capital T.

We set out for adventure and good times. I believe it is safe to say we definitely found both along the way.

Peace and Love Peeps.

Hey blogger, I don't like you effing up the spacing on my posts. Mmmmkay?

Weekly Challenge #39

This week's challenge will be an ongoing one for me.

I take a lot of pictures.

However, I am not very good about passing those pictures along to friends or family in a timely fashion.

Nor am I the best with organizing them.

Don't get me wrong. I organize them but not the way I used to back in the day of film.

I'm not as disciplined with digital files.

With that being said, if you have any pictures you've been meaning to organize, backup, or pass along to a loved one, this week I challenge you to start the process.

Peace and Love Peeps.

Weekend Plans

Friday we tried the new sushi place in town. I know, I know. Again with the sushi Mo? This place is far fancier than the other place. Prices are about the same. I'm still deciding which one I like better.

One thing this location has over the other is ordering something you don't see on the conveyor belt is much easier. Oh, and the water is fancy too. So is the decor.
That thar is edible art peeps. Oh so good!

After sushi, a few errands were taken care of, a bit of shoe shopping, and then an early evening showing of Dark Knight.

Heath Ledger was amaaaaazing. It was sad to see him on the screen for the last time.

The movie is good. When you think it is going to end, another twist comes. This Batman movie above all others is philosophical. It gets a thumbs up from me.

Today we are going here. Fun, food, boats, beach, good friends, and family. I think this is a great way to spend the day.

Tomorrow is adult field trip time. What's in store? This.

What do y'all have going on?

Peace and Love Peeps.

Fiwa's Friday Shuffle

Can y'all believe it is Friday already?

Parts of this week dragged by and others flew right on by for me.

All I can say is Thank God It's Friday!

Friday also has come to mean Fiwa's Friday Shuffle.

Here are my ten for the week.

1. Body on Me by Nelly

2. What I Need to Know by Kenny Chesney

3. Don't You (Forget About Me) by Simple Minds

4. Spoiled by Joss Stone

5. Time by Sarah McLachlan

6. New Moon on Monday by Duran Duran

7. Tattoo by Jordin Sparks

8. One by U2

9. Number One by John Legend

10. If I Had Eyes by Jack Johnson

Did ya' play? Did ya'?

Peace and Love Peeps.

When It's Good, It's Really Good

We are in for more fabulous weather around these parts in the coming days.

I go to the doctor today to find out about the toe.

Wish me luck!

Peace and Love Peeps.

Earlier Is Not Always Better

Forgive me while I whine.

I'm one of those people who has a water cooler and home delivery service.

I pay close attention to my scheduled deliveries.

Not only do I not want to run out of the 5 gallon bottle supply on hand, I like to receive the credit on my bill for the returned bottles.

Last month I didn't say anything when the delivery was a day early.

This month, and you can probably see where this is going, my route representative decided he wanted to deliver today instead of Friday.

It was a blessing in disguise that I was home, sitting at my desk working, and heard the air brakes on his truck. Something told me to get up and look. That it was probably the water dude and not FedEx or UPS.

I was right.

I met him at the top of my stairs and said/asked, "I didn't think you were coming until Friday?"

He replied, "Earlier is better!"

Really dude? Really? I don't think so.

Y'all should have seen the look on his face when I told him I wanted another bottle and had 3 to return.

I know he didn't want to walk back down 25 stairs, grab another 5 gallon bottle off of his truck, walk back up the stairs, and take 3 empties down but hey, customer service my friend. Customer service. If you had made your delivery as scheduled, I would have had the bottles waiting and the form filled out for how many I wanted this go around.

I'm debating whether I want to call on this. I won't say anything about his attitude. I just want to know if this is going to be on going thing.

My other whine for the day is did you hear Gil Grissom is leaving CSI? Leaving the show to pursue "other things". Not a sabbatical. A total departure. Best of luck to you Billy. My only fear is the show just won't be the same without you. We've already lost Sara and Warrick. Catherine, are you next?

Peace and Love Peeps.

State of the Economy

As I am eating breakfast this morning, which consisted of juice (juiced spinach, carrots, maters, and an apple today), an egg white omelette with cheese and salsa plus two pieces of turkey bacon, I decided to forgo the usual music and turn on the news.

I shouldn't have strayed from my normal routine.

One of the first things I hear is consumer prices shot up in June at the fastest pace in 26 years with two-thirds of the surge blamed on soaring energy prices. The Labor Department reported Wednesday consumer prices jumped 1.1 percent last month, much worse than had been expected.

Our prices have taken the biggest price jump since 1991 according to some reports. We all know about the gas prices (paid $4.28 last night) and have you noticed a jump in your food bill too? Heating your home may be higher this fall and winter too.

What a depressing way to start the day.

What I do for a living necessitates keeping an eye on the economy. To pay attention and watch the trends; forecast and proactively take measures to head off what possibly could happen.

It's normal for the Dow to take dives. Some stocks are continuing to rise despite inflation worries. It currently is 10983.95.

Oh and let us not forget about banks. Most all of us should be safe with FDIC protection. But still. Makes you wonder. Ponder. Feel a little bit of anxiety.

I already try to live beneath my means. Bargain shop. Save. Clip coupons. However, I believe I have some additional tightening up I can and will do.

Today I add an extra prayer of thanks to the man upstairs for ensuring my basic needs are met, for having a job, and for my health among many other blessings I have been graced with.

I should have left the TV off this morning.

Peace and Love Peeps.

Feet, Fish, and Fun

Maricel, Melissa, and I met tonight for pedicures, dinner, and a spur of the moment trip for ice cream. I know you're already tired of the summer hair look I am sporting these days. Trust that I am. It was cool enough after dinner where I could have worn it down but when I left the house for our nail appointment, it wasn't so I rocked the ponytail and my Bvlgari black and green glasses which matched my black top and green shorts to a T.Mel calls her feet Flintstone feet. I think they are very pretty. Don't you love the disco ball flip flops? Such style! She had her nails done to match too. Not to match the solid gold but french just to clarify.

These are Maricel's feet. She can totally pull off this color. Sadly the picture doesn't even come close to doing the justice real life does. It's fabulous!

I'm thinking you don't have to guess whose toes these are.

The tape gave it away didn't it? Hopefully I get the news Wednesday I can stop being one with the tape. They feel much better so I think it is time. And gasp, I went with a different color than my usual I'm Not Really a Waitress color.

I picked up a tiny bottle of T.K.O. from Sally's over the weekend on a whim. I wanted to go for something a little more summery this go around. Maricel is proud of me for doing so but I am not sure how much I like it just yet.

As is usually the case, we bring the fun where ever we go. I bet the nail techs thought we were a bunch of crazy women and I have a pretty good feeling the lady who was sitting across from us thoroughly enjoyed our conversation.

Our sushi place is a few storefronts down from where we had our nails done so naturally this is where we went for dinner.

It was Mel's first time with us. And hey, this is my first attempt at taking a picture of the conveyor belt. I'll get a much better representation one of these days.

I did tell you we went at least once a week right?

After we snarfed on the sushi, Mel said she wanted to get ice cream. She was about to order from Blue Island when I suggested we hit up Cold Stone.

How can you pass up Cold Stone? So many choices and even though ice cream and I don't necessarily get along, how could I pass it up? We each selected the I like it size, which was perfect. I was unable to finish all of mine as it was too rich. Maricel ate almost all of hers and Mel devoured hers. She is a true ice cream lover like that.

This was a perfect ending to the day. I've said it before and I am sure I will keep on saying it.

I am so very blessed to have such good friends in my life.

They make my life that much better.

Love you. Mean it.

Peace and Love Peeps.

Monday Fog

Monday morning.

It always comes too soon for me.

Being the night owl that I am, any morning comes too soon but Monday mornings? Definitely way too soon.

As I sat down to do my morning routine today and took notice, I realized I like brown leather. Then I looked around my space and noticed I like dark brown. When did that happen? Weird the things you notice huh?

In case you're wondering, breakfast today was a red apple, a cranberry apple fiber muffin from Trader Joe's (it's been too hot without ac to bake), and chai tea with a bit of light soy milk and water.

The book in the background is my bible. I start my day in quiet time, with exception to Jasmine meowing, with the man upstairs.

How about you? Do you have a morning routine? Notice anything in your space you dig?

I am interested . Really I am. So don't hold back.

Peace and Love Peeps.

NOTE: Dang if I haven't figured out the spacing thing yet. I've got my grrr face on. Can you see it?

Prayers and Vibes Please

See that sweet kitty face? You may remember when I introduced you to her last year.

Her name is Christie. She is one of T and Snookum's fur babies. Right now she needs you. She is sick. Really sick. To the point of having to be force fed and if you know Christie, you know this is not normal at all.

Y'all have come through for me in regard to Jasmine and Princess. I'm asking for the same love, compassion, vibes, and prayers for them. Every little bit helps in my opinion.

Please and thank you.

Peace and Love Peeps.

Weekly Challenge #39

This week's challenge finds us in the bathroom.

It's time to scrub the bathtub and shower area.

Make it sparkle!

I'm not talking about a wipe down folks.

I'm challenging you to get down in there. Get in the grout, the caulking, scrub the fixtures, and don't forget the drain.

While you're at it, change the liner or curtain if need be.

Peace and Love Peeps.

Fiwa's Friday Shuffle

Fiwa hasn't posted her ten/game this week yet, which is completely understandable as she is dealing with some personal stuff this week.

Go by her place and let her know you're playing. Leave me a comment if you play too.

My random ten this week from the shuffle are

1. Get Up Stand Up by Bob Marley

2. Don't Forget About Us by Mariah Carey

3. You Rock My World by Michael Jackson

4. The Prettiest Thing by Norah Jones

5. Lenny by Stevie Ray Vaughn and Double Trouble

6. Air Force Ones by Nelly

7. You & Me by Lifehouse

8. Back Where I Come From by Kenny Chesney

9. Cyclone by Baby Bash

10. High by James Blunt

Peace and Love Peeps.

End of a Good Thing

I had a very nice break in my day today. A break I didn't think was going to be possible as I was scheduled to be on 8, yes 8, separate conference calls today.

I was thinking I was going to be lucky to even make it to the bathroom throughout the day. Never in my wildest imagination or dreams did I think I would have time to eat, let alone go out to eat.

Someone was looking out for me today (thank you baby Jesus and Mom) as not only did I have time, I actually was able to enjoy lunch with one of my favorite peeps who happened to be in the area. I love when the unexpected like that happens.

Lunch was scrumptious, the company was outstanding, and I had mucho left overs.

Good times y'all. Good times!

If you put a mason jar of iced tea with lemon in front of this girl on a day like today, I will drain it faster than you probably thought possible.

Give us the chance to snarf on some peanuts and throw the shells on the floor with reckless abandon and be certain we will take full advantage.
Don't even try to deny with a name like the Original Roadhouse Grill we won't be ordering hunks of dead cow.
I balanced it out y'all. I added some surf with my turf. I love grilled shrimp. Oh yes I do.
Unfortunately this will be the last time I eat at this location. It's closing in a week due to lack of business. Location really does make a difference in the success of an establishment.

Let us all take a moment to say happy trails to this location of the Original Roadhouse Grill. {moment}

I'll get my tri tip from the Everett, Washington or Medford, Oregon location going forward.

Peace and Love Peeps.

On the Agenda

First of all, that is not a picture of any of our conference rooms.

It is some random picture I grabbed off of the internet. I know. I am such a slacker. Technically I could have walked upstairs and taken a picture for you so you could see the real deal but I'm not feeling it right now.

Why is that? Because I get to spend some hours in ours today.

Yup, back to back meetings/training sessions.

At least I get to look at pretty presentations on the screen right? Oooh, let us all be mesmerized by the pretty colors.

It's not all bad. I just don't like sitting still for that long in one place, especially after a lunch of Olive Garden.

The men I work with decided they wanted to carb overload for this set of meetings.

It may sound like I am complaining but really I'm not. I'm just saying.

Good work times y'all. Good times.

What's going on in your neck of the woods?

Peace and Love Peeps.

Got Sushi?

We do.

That's the usual sushi crew. Maricel, J, Drea, and me. Oh yea, Spanky too.

On average we hit up our local sushi place at least once a week. Some weeks you might find us there more than once a week. Other weeks, maybe once or not at all.

Our local place is

The best sushi I've had was in downtown Seattle and downtown Portland but this place?

This place is our place. It's local. It's fresh. It's priced just right. Service is good. Sports are on in the joint and usually the music is hopping too. Don't let the conveyor belt style fool you. I'd give it 3 out of 4 stars if asked.

Being a Texas girl, I didn't do sushi, which typically is a wise choice. Sushi in Texas? Land of the cow? Come on. The further inland you are chances are you're not going to get fresh fish, let alone quality sushi.

Once I moved to the Pacific Northwest, I thought I would give it a try. I started off with the usual, favorite stand by, I'm new to sushi choiceYa' know, California Rolls. Then I graduated to the big time. There is no stopping me now. I'll give pretty much anything a try.

My current fav? A rainbow roll.

Yes, it is true. The base is a California roll so it is not that far of a stretch but it's yummy. I also like the spicy jalepeno thing. I forget the name of it.

Usually by the end of the chow session there would be bits and pieces of rice floating in my dipping sauce (hand mixed low sodium soy sauce and wasabi) but last night? Last night I think I finally mastered the chopsticks. Or at the very least I am on my way there.
The only things floating in there are sesame seeds. Success!

Let's talk chopsticks for a minute. I'm all about being green. It made me sad to think about all of the chopsticks and paper being used each time we went. When Maricel went to Japan in May, she brought us back And yes, I need the chopstick helpers still. Don't hate. Just roll with it.

The great thing about them being in the carrying case is I get to take them with me everywhere. I keep 'em in the inside zipper pocket of my purse. Wash 'em after each use and now I am not so sad anymore.

And not being sad is always a good thing right?

Peace and Love Peeps.