16/52: The Middle of April

Refocus and regroup....over-think and obsess.  It was an ebb and flow weekend.  They happen I guess?!  

I asked Brian, "what happens if I can't be the ying to your yang"?  Then we take a walk along the waters of Puget Sound, we weed the garden beds, we watch our little boy sleep we grill hot dogs.

Worry does not empty tomorrow of

its sorrows; it

empties today of its strength

Enjoy!
Stacy

32.5/52: Tired...lost faith in mankind (only to have it restored)!

 

Oh dear me......

Such drama in that blog post title, I am bound to have you hooked!  Just a hint.....it has a good ending!

Last weekend was quiet!  We went from 90 degrees to 70 degrees which pleased Brian and Sammy immensely.  We ran errands and cooked a nice dinner on Saturday night and Brian received a surprise in the mail....Dunkin' Donuts coffee from east coast friends!

We were quiet because we were downtrodden, crest-fallen and SERIOUSLY jacked-off!

Brian had a quick mid week trip to Denver.  Upon landing, he got on the Avis rental car shuttle which made two stops....one for the preferred, elite, top-notch (I don't have to wait in any line) customers and a second stop...for the common-folk, proletariat (we'll wait in line hours just to rent one of your stupid cars) customers.  At the preferred stop, a seemingly honest, middle aged business-man preferred Avis rental car customer accidentally grabbed Brian's black Costco computer/over-night bag (probably thinking it was his) and took off for his rental car.  It wasn't until Brian's Avis stop that he realized the bag he picked up was NOT his Costco bag.  His bag was gone!

Of course the preferred, elite, honest-looking business-man didn't bother (being that he was so important to the existence of our planet) to put any luggage/name tags on his bag!  That would have been too easy, right to have his cell phone number and to have called him before he left the airport to ask him to bring back the wrong bag he absent-mindlessly just STOLE!

So here Brian is.....no clothes, no glasses, no toiletries....oh and no Apple IPAD (belonging to his lovingly, supportive and seductively beautiful Girlfriend of 10 long years = me). 

85,000 telephone calls to minimum wage Avis employees later, hours spent riffling through the absent minded businessman's bag (and he had nothing of any value except chapstick and pencils) and NOTHING. Oh, there was a scrap of paper with a disconnected phone number on it...but nothing real substantial.  Not sure what kind of business this elite Avis car renter does, but I am betting it's nothing too successful! 

Finally with Brian, playing the part of a mix between Ellery Queen and Jim Rockford and his steadfast desire to get the bag back, he and another Avis Manager were able to look up all the customers who picked up rental cars on Tuesday morning.  The businessman was tracked down and sent an e-mail asking if he had mistakenly taken a bag.  But, as the clock ticked by....minute by minute....hour after hour...day after day, the absent minded bag stealing businessman never surfaced. Brian left Denver Thursday night with no bag and a small lead.

So.......after a bit of retail therapy on Saturday (replacing summer sandals, work shoes and slacks) we began drowning our sorrows in a fine Zinfandel (thank you Cost Plus World Market)!  Brian's cell phone rang at 6PM and it was AVIS.  The bag had been found....after 6 long days and nights.  Apparently, the elite absetn minded businessman, thinking that he had picked up the bag mistakingly on the airplane, took Brian 's bag back to Delta Baggage lost and found when he flew out of Denver on Thursday! After an hour on the phone with Delta, we found someone who physically had Brian's bag sitting right in front of her.  She verified the contents and then put the bag on a plane bound for Portland where we were reunited with the bag Sunday afternoon!

Whew!  A wild crazy, mentally exhausting week ended up being pretty nice....back in Portland and ready to resume our faith in mankind!

Enjoy
Stacy

Sick......

The blog is sick!  Something that has to do with Picasa (and the possibility that I deleted a file) and unfortunately, I am not that savvy enough to fix it...easily.

Early next week, I'll take a crack at re-uploading some lost photos so until then, please be patient!

Enjoy!
Stacy

Oscar Party Wrap Up!

Chick and I had a fabulous Oscar weekend at Rebecca Lane.

Last Wednesday night we caught an evening showing of Lincoln.  Fabulous!  I'll admit that I thought it was a bit long, but the acting was phenomenal.  I am very happy that Daniel Day-Lewis won the best actor award.

On Saturday, we squeezed in one final Oscar nominated movie, Silver Linings Playbook.  What a great ensemble!  I am not entirely convinced that Jennifer Lawrence's performance was Oscar's best, but she was amazing and the movie is a must see.

As for Argo...this year the academy made the right choice and I was thrilled to see Ben pick up another trophy.

On Sunday, it was all about our Red Carpet Party! 

 

We had our own little celebration, glammed up a bit (I bought a vintage hat off Ebay) and oooh'd and ahhhh'd over the dresses, jewels and shoes!

Here is a wrap up of my favorite highlights/lowlights from the 2013 Oscar telecast.


Best Dressed  

My pick is Amy Adams!  Her Oscar de la Renta dress, which she paired with Moa jewelry was fabulous.

Biggest Disappointment 

Seth MacFarlane!  That stupid adolescent humor....well....it's just not funny.  Who opens the Oscars with a song about boobs?  This is the best thing you could come up with when you had 6 months to prepare?  Also, your performance bombed because you thought it would bomb!  Ever heard of a self-fulfilling prophecy?
 

Favorite Moment 

I love, love love, Adele and the fact that in addition to her many Grammy's, she is now an Oscar winner is awesome! Next stop, a Tony award?!  I was a bit perplexed that her song was NOT included in the 50 years of James Bond segment?  Wouldn't this have been the perfect timing?
 

Biggest Comeback 

I must say, I got a lump in my throat when Barbara walked out on stage to sing "The Way We Were" and honor Marvin Hamlish.  One of the evenings highlights!  Welcome back, Babs!

 

Enjoy!
Stacy

Stacy's Favorite Things (Oprah eat your heart out)

Okay, so I am not Oprah, but it's the holiday season and I have some favorite things of my own to share with you.

Here is a list (in no particular order) of some of the products and ideas that I have come across this year. Some of the items you may have heard of before and some not, but they are fabulous and they are my 2010 favorite things!

Sansa Portable MP3 Player People.....put the IPODS down! You don't need an IPOD to listen to music, in fact...thanks to a co-worker I am saving a boat load of money on downloads by subscribing to a music service (see below).

My SanDisk Sansa Clip (8GB) holds 2,000 songs along with FM radio, pictures and a voice recorder....plus the capability of adding a memory card for additional space. I take it everywhere and I love it!

Rhapsody
All the music you want for $10 a month! Let me repeat......

Rhapsody has 10 Million songs, apps for your smartphones and unlimited downloads. This is the greatest thing since sliced bread!

Dare I say....I may never buy another CD again? I can also bring this ultimate music collection into my home using my wireless Internet connection. A must have for the music lover in your life.

Logitech SqueezeBox (Wi-Fi Music Player)

It wirelessly streams what you want to hear—your digital music library, Internet radio, and online music services right through your computer or existing music system. It doesn’t matter if your library includes 100 tracks or 100,000...or if you rip your own CDs or buy your music from services like Rhapsody. The Squeezebox lets you browse, organize, and play your digital music collection anywhere in your house. I bought this for my birthday in April and it is still BLOWING MY MIND!


The Amazing Feline Fisher - America's Favorite Cat Toy/Exerciser

Thanks to our cat sitter, Carla, our newest family member, Blondie can't get enough of this cat toy. It's like kitty crack! She begs to play every second of the day. I don't know what it is about this toy, but cats do the craziest jumps, spins and flips....it's unbelievable!

The Amazing Feline Fisher is so unique. Check out the website for some amazing video. Buy one for your cat for Christmas!


KIVA

Kiva's mission is to connect people, through lending, for the sake of alleviating poverty.

Kiva empowers individuals to lend to an entrepreneur across the globe. By combining microfinance with the Internet, Kiva is creating a global community of people connected through lending.

My world has been enriched through the power of this opportunity. While I have only lent out $25, I've already received my first partial payment back of $2.75. How cool is this? Does this not make the most perfect gift for those who are hard to buy for?

Betty Crocker Gingerbread Cookie Mix

I whipped up a batch last night and didn't even break a sweat! If this is a seasonal product then watch out....I am going to buy a BOX of mix and bake cookies all year round! Yummy and easy to make and they are especially good with heaps of cream cheese frosting on top!

Make some of these Gingerbread Cookies for your co-workers, neighbors and friends....wrap them in a tin with a ribbon on top and they will love love love you forever!

Enjoy and Seasons Greeting!

Stacy

Freedom of Speech...Do Bloggers have rights?

Please allow me just one brief rant post about blogging and rights to FREE speech. Where does it cross the line?

I found this story in today's news a bit disturbing? What exactly is Freedom of Speech in this country? What about something called a sense of humor? Has everyone gone off the deep end when it comes to political correctness? Are we becoming a generation of people who are "thin skinned"?

Did this person cross the line with their comments? (please note that his post has been removed) Or has he verbally expressed the mounting frustration we are experiencing in our community regarding bicyclists and drivers? He does in fact pen a blog regarding his work as a TriMet bus driver, which I find unique and very funny.

I'd never write anything on my blog to intentionally hurt someone I know or didn't know, but opinions are like elbows.....every body's got one. Perhaps death threats or at the very least some form of bodily harm should not be considered allowable. This person in my opinion did cross the line in a fault of expressing the inexpressible. Think it....just don't tell anyone what you are thinking!

Should he be suspended from his job for his off-work blogging activities? If we change the names to protect the innocent, can't the story still be told?

If I announced I hated my job, my boss, my co-workers and wanted to quit (throw myself and them off the roof).....could I be fired? If I review a restaurant and call the chef's food a concoction of crap, could he sue me? If I write a review of a concert by a well-known artist and call his music overindulgent and ear piercingly painful, could they hunt me down and demand I write a retraction (on my tiny little blog that no one reads)?

The right to freedom of speech is recognized as a human right under Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and recognized in International human rights law. Freedom of speech is stated as "the right to hold opinions without interference. Everyone shall have the right to freedom of expression" Furthermore freedom of speech is recognized in European, inter-American and African regional human rights law.

What do you think? Perhaps I won't be writing about my job or anything that goes on between the hour of 8-5 in the near future.

Enjoy!
Stacy

Patrick Swayze

We lost another great 80's icon this week and another to cancer. I think Chick and I saw "Dirty Dancing" at least 3 times in the theater and I own the 20th Anniversary DVD. It's one of my favorite "feel good" movies of all time.

Rest in Peace, Patrick.

Enjoy,
Stacy

John Hughes (1950-2009)

He made some of the most successful comedy films of the 1980s and 1990s, including National Lampoon's Vacation, Ferris Bueller's Day Off (which he wrote in 2 days over a July 4th holiday), Weird Science, The Breakfast Club, Some Kind of Wonderful, Sixteen Candles, Pretty In Pink, Planes, Trains and Automobiles and Home Alone.

Known as the "Brat Pack" – a term coined in a 1985 New York magazine feature on the then-rising Hughes and the cast of his coming-of-age comedies – the writer-director-producer's stable of fresh-faced performers included such now-household names as Sean Penn, Steve Carell, Macaulay Culkin, Matthew Broderick, Jon Cryer, Charlie Sheen, Rob Lowe, Molly Ringwald, John Cusack, Emilio Estevez, Andrew McCarthy, Anthony Michael Hall and Ally Sheedy, among others.

I own many of his movies and to this day The Breakfast Club is one of my all time favorites. His interpretation of the 80's teen shaped my adolescence. Rest in peace.

Enjoy!
Stacy

Give me an "H"

Kamalie posted a meme/tag on her blog last week so I jumped at the challenge to name 10 things that begin with a certain letter. She gave me the letter "H" so here goes:

1. Homes: I am so lucky to have two places that I love so much, Rebecca Lane and our new home in West Seattle. Most people do not understand our routine, but to be honest, it's something that has always worked right from the start. I'd rather be in my homes.....cooking, cleaning or just hanging out than any other place on this planet.

2. Heat: Something the new house didn't have over the weekend (must be the pilot light). It was 57 degrees with a steady drizzle all day on Saturday. Just couldn't get the chill out of the house. Perhaps a precursor to the winter months ahead.

3. Haiku: I wrote one earlier this month and posted it on Rocks In My Dryer website. She was having a back-to-school haiku contest. I didn't win, but it was a fun challenge.

4. Halloween: For the first time in 11 years, Rebecca Lane will be closing it's doors on the 31st. No candy, no lighted pumpkins. Instead, Chick and I will travel up to West Seattle together on Amtrak for her first look at the new house.

5. Hamburger: This recipe sounds wonderful. Perhaps a few more opportunities this year to grill, if our Indian Summer holds. I just didn't get enough burgers on the grill this year.

6. Hawaii: My favorite vacation spot, Maui to be exact. I've been there three times, twice with Brian and now that his brother lives on Oahu, I am hoping to show Brian Pearl Harbor on our next visit.

7. Hemoglobin: My Doctor informed me that my hemoglobin is low. What does this mean? I started taking a daily multi-vitamin so hopefully my hemoglobin count will be in-check.

8. Hotcakes: I am going to get the griddle out this Saturday and cook up some hotcakes (pancakes) for Brian.

9. Housewarming Party: Trying to decide if we will have one or not?

10. Hummingbird: I don't think I saw one hummingbird in our backyard at Rebecca Lane this year.

Let's ban plastic shopping bags

Starting January 1st, 2008, Rebecca Lane stopped carrying home our groceries in plastic bags.

Just recently, the nation of China banned free plastic shopping bags and called for a return to the cloth bags of old -- this action largely welcomed by merchants and shoppers alike. Such a ban is already in place in San Francisco, the first city in the U.S. to take action against plastic bags.

Tell me, when do we here in the United States get the picture and follow suit? When will there be a time when the plastic shopping bag is history?

We understand how much oil it takes to make the bags and their negative impact on the environment. It's time for the United States to ban the plastic shopping bag and do it now.

You can do your part by demanding paper bags at the grocery stores and bringing a canvas tote bag with you to other retailers. There is a strong push for this action in California and if this is done on a nationwide basis, retailers will get the picture and perhaps legislators will do the right thing.

Aside from Albertson’s and Fred Meyer - who are currently selling their own canvas bags, here is a list of websites where you can purchase unique canvas bags.

Reusablebags.com

Cottontotebags.com

Do your part for the environment!

Enjoy!

Stacy