06-29-03

Me & Arlene
Hawaiian Luau!
Saturday night my Starbucks customer, Arlene, had a Hawaiian Luau.
There was a band and a full bar with all the fruit and silly straws and drink toys you could ever need. It was awesome.
The band taught some dancing techniques, there were kebobs on the grill all night, girls were wearing coconut shell bikini tops... it was incredible. There must have been about 100 people there - and she had the back yard to hold it all. If Arlene ever invites you to her party... go.
Tomorrow night Tim Tahara comes over for dinner, along with Emily and Josh, the Germans, and Jon.
This weekend I saw The Hours, Devil's Playground, and Punch Drunk Love. I recommend all three.
I'm still craving sugar so bad I want to kick you all.
P.S. Six Thumbs win again! (By forfeit! Okay!)

06-27-03
Whenever I slam my hand into my car door, I wait for a Scientologist to help me along. And when Sean beats me and passes out at parties, I always hope for a Scientologist to show Sean a painting on the wall so he can gather himself together. They can find poison in restaurants! (Are they required to eat raw meat?)
I think we could all learn a thing or two from their fabulous signage.
(Thanks, Poundy!) [2004 UPDATE: This was a church of scientology pamphlet from the 1970's - but alas, it's no longer on the web. Sorry for the dead links - I can't find replacements anywhere.]
Tonight is a trip reunion with the Germans to go over trip pictures and watch the Amish documentary Devil's Playgound. Tomorrow, a Hawaiian Luau at a Starbucks customer's home. Sunday, Six Thumbs softball. There's more but I'll stop there, because it just keeps going each night.
Kamikaze Lunchbreak sent me a CD and the first song was Martin Scorcese by King Missle.
I had a friend since I was six, and then we parted ways in our pre-teens. We hooked up again at age 22 and it was a Very Good Thing. Then, on one of our visits together, I played that song. The next I heard from her was a two-page letter explaining that I had become too crazy and scary and she couldn't handle it. Or me.
I still think the song Martin Scorcese is hilarious. HILARIOUS. And I am not afraid. Thank you, Scott-san. (Also, I think I lost that one last Bolshoi brain cell about 12 years ago, and now it's back! Miraculous! Maybe it even replaced a C+C Music Factory lyrics brain cell!)
I have not had sugar since Wednesday. The headache finally went away this morning after I got up. Since I was knee-deep in school this spring, I picked up a nasty habit of eating EVEN MORE sugar than usual, which is atrocious, because it was pretty constant before. Thirty-two years old with a daily Pepsi habit. Anyhoo, in school it got so I would need a candy bar from the drug store down the street to keep from keeling over. Then sugar at night, in the morning. Working at Starbucks I would eat pastries at 4 a.m. I swear I was making myself diabetic.
So Wednesday I stopped eating sugar and had a headache since then. Yes, I'm eating carbs, and yes, I'm eating some fruit. It's the candy bars and pastries and Pepsi and tea (I put two spoons of sugar in a mug of tea - and we drink TONS of tea)..... my levels are off. If I chew your head off for no reason this weekend? That's why.


06-26-03
Check out this commercial and then read the article about it. Neato.
Three whole people from my class showed up for graduation. I'm still glad I did it. One of the graduates was a 91 year old man. He got a standing ovation.
I got a business license today. I got a business license today. Wow.
And I get to celebrate at Six Arms tonight!


06-25-03
As promised (pictures from Taking Jon and the Germans to the Midwest!)
And graduation is tonight!


Trip pictures coming soon - I promise!
06-24-03
kirsten and heidi
 Sorry it took me so long to post today - I've been editing tons of pictures from our trip. I also had a nice lunch with Kirsten and Heidi, who I worked with at Starbucks. I am now officially up to date with all the store's gossip, which is important.
I've been pacing the house with web design energy that has nowhere to go. I cleaned, did all my laundry from the trip, organized paperwork in my office, then, nothing.
Tonight Sean and I had a lovely dinner at Bick's, where we got into an argument about money and what-the-hell-are-we-doing-with-our-lives, which is an argument we have three times a year for fifteen years now. The server packed up our full meals for us so we could turn around and leave. Bliss.

*I'll be back Monday night! Bye!*
06-18-03
Was it on my list? No.
Did I get anything done on my list? No.
I went and got a haircut. Now that I don't work at Starbucks anymore, I can cut the back shorter (I had to cover the tattoo on my neck for Starbucks policy). The haircut matches my micro bangs better now.
I sent this picture to my Mom and she said I should add it to the site.
So I did.
(It's hard to take a picture of the back of your own head!)
 
A week ago (with Jason)
With Hobbes....
today
Today I was thinking of cool dog names. Dad and Kay have the daunting task of naming dogs who weren't identified from their owners. They have a book of baby names to help. But at Starbucks I met this dog that looked like a mix between a wiry gold terrier and a pot-bellied boar. His name was Leroy Brown.
I always thought that a good name for a bull mastiff or great dane would be Huge. My great aunt had a basset hound that they called Face. Pam & Dave had a pug named Nugget.
A bulldog: `Bama. Whippet: Sting. St. Bernard: Malcolm. I had a bunch of others in the car today but now I forgot. Anyway, for the shelter's sake, let's hear your dog names.

(Oh, and another picture of Jason? You're welcome)

06-17-03
The trip to Indiana has snuck up on me. I'm taking Jon and the Germans Thursday morning.
I still have a few things to do:
• Find sushi restaurant in Seattle that holds a party of 20 for Tim Tahara (yay! Tim is coming to Seattle! He taught me how to ride a bike when he dated my aunt Nancy when they were in High School!)
• Scan old family images to CD for Grandma.
• Burn CD's of Dad's website and video and all the animal images.
• Wrap Dad's Father's Day gift.
• Buy Dad another Father's Day gift which is totally worth the trip because it's such a good idea. I hope he has a DVD player....
• Find and print a chicken marsala recipe for Grandma because she isn't internet savvy and the restaurant she goes to always serves her chicken marsala in a pool of butter.
• Go to Value Village to buy shorts because I am a size bigger than last year. I went through the same thing last summer. Weight gain is expensive. I think we bloggers should have a giant clothing exchange. I need anything size 8 or 10 and pronto.
• Does my bathing suit from Florida still fit? Hmmm.... highly doubtful.
• Sort through Outlook to find flight information.
• Pack.
• Somewhere in there, work a shift at Johnston Architects.


06-16-03
Wow. I thought I lost my entire 06-13-03 entry and I was *not* willing to type it all out again.
Lo and behold, I found it in my recycle bin! Technology is SO cool!

06-15-03
How the Dayments behave at a gay bar at 1:30 a.m.
...we sit in a dark corner and take pictures of ourselves.

 Matt & Fernanda's Wedding Reception got it's own page. I swear there's pictures of others......

06-13-03
I feel as though I haven't slept all week. Though I have. Sometime in there I know I did.
Fernanda's Bridal Shower was Tuesday, in a house overlooking the bay along Sand Point. It was a beautiful setting. And she loved her gifts!
<-- Here's Julie cutting the cake so she can practice for her wedding in September....
Thursday I worked at Starbucks and annoyed my coworkers even further.
That afternoon I hung out with Alexandra and we saw a matinee of Love Come Down (that 60's spoof movie with Renee Zellweger and Ewan McGregor). It was just cute, but the set design and clothing design were fantastic (which is why we chose to see that movie anyhow).
This was our group for Six Arms Thursday night - a few more than usual, including Matt's parents and Fernanda's Mom and family friend. (I forgot to ask permission if I can post names). Everyone is excited about the reception Saturday night. The plan is to dance, then dance some more, then when the reception is closed down, hit the streets to find some clubs to go dancing. I am basing my outfit for the night on what goes best with comfortable shoes.
And knowing me, I'll end up in a food coma from eating too much food, just like I ended up after Nanda's shower. Oh, but it was worth it.
The second that Sean got his glass of wine, it spilled on him. Kolja told him to hold still and dumped a bunch of salt on it. I forgot to get an after
picture, but it really did take out almost all of the wine stain.
It's always nice to have some science projects going on at Six Arms. Never a dull moment with architects.
On to the gig that night....

With Travis, DP singer/guitarist.

When the audience jumped onto the stage to dance

With Gabe's chin

With Gabe from Juno

John & his flashlight

Fred the bartender

Dismemberment Plan

Joe, DP drummer
I went to the show by myself, which usually means that I'll be hanging out with the bands all night.
Which is what it meant last night. I sat in the band room and read the Stranger and chatted with Toko. I think I'm getting old.
Enon was fantabulous - and Dismemberment Plan did an all-request set. Travis is doing some solo recording.
Oh and hey before I forget!

Gabe, Jason, John from Enon

Niiiiiice boots
HUGE thanks to Styrofoam Kitty for the first CD in a series. I listened to the CD all day yesterday while driving all over the place!

06-11-03
I need to write this all out, then maybe later I can do a normal update with pictures and, well, the usual update.
I quit Starbucks yesterday.
It was a long time coming, and some things have changed that made me realize that my time there was limited.
When Truly and Soo left, I lost my partners-in-crime. We knew every customer and their kids, their dogs, their drinks. I'm not saying we were the only ones, it's just that we worked well together, and for a long time. When they left I didn't have the same bonds with my coworkers. And then - the article in the newspaper last month. I think that's what made me realize that I didn't have the support of my coworkers that I thought I had.
See, I'm really close with my customers. Like, stupid close. These are people that I've said "good morning" to for over two years. We exchange e-mails. I go to their parties. I go to their kids' parties. They give me pictures of their family. I see them outside of work.
I think this became an annoyance to my co-baristas. I'm an attention monger. Being in the newspaper made it worse. A request was made to no longer have to work with me. Our store manager was told by another manager that I was "a problem." I told Heather I would make it easier on everybody and just leave instead.
The timing is uncanny. This occurred mere hours after my final presentation for school. I had planned on starting a web design business on my own this summer, probably July/August, and now, well, it's starting now. I have to get a business license and figure out how to get my ducks in a row. I'm so ready to jump into the design part - it's the paperwork that scares me.
I only worked at Starbucks 10 hours (two mornings) a week, but I will miss it incredibly. I spent most of the day feeling sick. I have about 200 customers to say good-bye to and I just wasn't ready, but I know this is for the best. I'm leaving the Starbucks Page up, because I started it quite a while ago, just before the September 11 attack, actually. Another thing that you may find entertaining (or pathetic?) is a list that Truly and I started and never finished - it's when we were first learning customers' names. The very first name is "Diane and Daughter (?)" which is downright historical to me. The "Daughter (?)" is Amy (she's also on the front page of this site today), Voula taught us Greek, which I still use at Central Market when the Greek checker girl helps me, Robin started her own business, Stretch used to go fishing on the weekends and bring us fish on Monday, Christina is still sassy, Rose had a baby, I have a picture of Elaine's family with Santa Claus. There are so many people on that list I forgot about. It makes me laugh that we started this list so long ago as this private page that we could add names to. But there were too many - we couldn't keep up.
That's how much fun I used to have at Starbucks.
I hope that I put this as gently as possible.
P.S. Anyone need a website designed?
P.P.S. This is not Amy's fault. I want everyone to know that it wasn't Amy's fault, nor would it ever *upset* me that she wrote a fabulous letter to the Seattle Times, nor do I think that *anyone* is going to think that I'm *blaming* the end of my employment with Starbucks on the article itself. That would be silly....

06-08-03
Mom sent me this bamboo for a graduation gift! Actually it's a "Psyche Me Out" gift for my final presentation tomorrow. The card said "Dazzle them!"
The project is done and it was weird finally calling Dad and saying "Okay, it's done". After the initial few questions regarding fonts and colors, I stopped showing him anything, and only called with questions. I did this for my own sake as well, knowing I had to do it "my way" until school was over, and then worry about what Dad and Kay thought about it. They seem happy with it - had some suggestions but they weren't regarding the design, which is good.
Oh! And the garden page is updated. We picked some veggies today! And see the comments on that entry to see how the veggies were!
The heat died down a bit today so we did some great work in the back yard.
We've had this terrible wood wall around the pool, which is legally required, but now that the pool's gone, we were able to rip it down in one section to have a view of our
yard which we never had. So whenever we were in our new back patio, it had this nasty wood wall on the side which looks into the pool area (but the gate was always shut), and now it's all opened up!

before (well, during actually)

after, looking south

in the process (the yard that the wall hid)

Joe being manly

This is the view looking north (the wall we ripped down is behind the patio). For the first time since we lived here, you can see all the way through to the other side wall. It's hard to tell from this distance, but trust me, it *really* opens things up! And by doing this the pool area (which is a decent sized lot) will no longer be the bastard step-child of the property. Meaning now maybe we'll keep up on mowing the pool.
I just love saying "mow the pool".
And can I say again just how awesome our weed-whacker is? I tell ya - it's got Ginsu powers. The back yard you see to the left was about three feet high just before the picture.
And remember last week I had Truly on the front (index) page asking her to come visit? It worked.
And she was CRAZY enough to visit us on one of the hottest days on earth. From TACOMA.
She is doing very good - she has a job with a consultant firm, and Chris is still selling drugs to veterinarians. (For those of you who don't know Truly - she was my partner-in-crime at Starbucks, along with Soo, who also left Starbucks and moved back to KOREA. I am so sad). So it was nice seeing Truly. And SOO! If you're out there! My e-mails keep bouncing back so send me your real address.
Hey, do any of you nerdy ones have a site stats program you use and like? I'm looking for under $100 a year. Thanks.
I'm going to play Settlers now (big surprise).

06-06-03
This is the first moment that I've dared to sit here and type today's entry, as my office is still stifling hot. I have a comfort range that fits nicely in about, oh, three degrees. Anything above or below that, and I'm a nuisance. Today was 91 degrees (or 32, depending on where you are). Those of you in Vegas may be rolling your eyes, but Seattle was not meant to get this hot. We don't have air conditioning. It's frightful.
We have this shock only about once or twice a year, and it never gets any easier.
We've been in this house for four years+ and I already know what happens when the heat goes up:
 • I make a sorry attempt to cut my poor cats' hair, leaving them with chunks missing from their fur. They don't mind, though. Their coats were just fine a week ago when it was in the 60's, so they haven't really shed their winter coat. They don't need to. They live in Seattle. So this heat is such a shock to them that they lay spread-eagle in front of the fan and bark "meh" when I walk by. There are now chunks of cat hair all over the bathroom and the back patio. The cats look like homeless junkies but they don't care.
 • Sean will get a carpentry bug up his butt and start his yearly fan set-up. It varies year by year. It basically adds up to a fan somehow geniusly perched in one of our windows that don't open all the way. We have those stupid pointless quaint cottage-style windows that just prop out a bit. They are a tease. So Sean will use wood, rope, pulleys, anything to come up with a way to put our fan in front of these tiny windows and not fall off the tiny windowsill onto our heads while we sleep. He will also maneuver a similar system for the front screen door, involving a fan precariously hoisted up with some such manly materials, making it a life hazard to walk through the front door. This year, he has threatened to call Jon for architectural advice. I envision drawings on bar napkins....
 • The fish will start staring at me. Their tank is hot. I look at them and nod a sympathetic "I know". They splash when I walk by and catch my attention on the way to the kitchen. Their tank is hot. I nod, knowingly, "It's okay. You're fine". Finally, I will notice that my fish are all facing me with their staredown - I no longer see fish profiles, only the long thin fish faces, unblinking (okay, they don't blink anyway, but still, it's creepy). They're hot. They are ready to jump. It's not an easy process - you can't just dump ice cubes in there. The temperature actually rises at night. I know I will have to do this again tomorrow evening. They are staring at me.
 • Bugs. The windows are open and we're talking 1953 windows so the screens aren't exactly fitted well. They aren't the crispy bugs of Palm Desert, thankfully, but instead those mutant mosquito/daddy-long-legs things. They used to be a treat to the cats. Back when they could get airborne. But now I see one of these guys and yell "Kittykittykitty! Look! Look!" and the cats only reply, "meh".
 • The water comes out of the taps at about 85 degrees. Running the water for a long time does not help.
 • I will complain. About anything. I'll even complain for you. ("Babe you are so hot you're roasting. You look so uncomfortable". Glare response.)
 • Ghettotastic window coverings. My office/work area is against a sliding glass door that faces southwest. This outside area used to lead to a lattice-covered outdoor patio, which was topped with green plastic (ugh), and a concrete block wall that was covered about five feet deep in ivy. Now, it's our beautiful, bright and airy screened-in patio with no ivy and a clear roof. Meaning: it's about 117 degrees where I sit at my computer. And the sun hits me in the face. Having less manly materials than Sean, my window covering is what you see on the right. This year, I chose some pages from the Stranger, and ended up with some cool club ads on the inside, but from the outside, you are beckoned in with the Stranger's Escorts Services page. Yes! Crack whores with strategically-placed stars covering

My greenhouse

Welcome!
their nether regions! Come in! Come in!
 • I will kill at least two plants with death-by-crispy-crunchification. I will throw them in the yard for a few months
before disposing, in case they change their minds.

So really! Come visit! The weather's great!

P.S. Truly! Look! -->

06-05-03
One giant leap towards Hall & Ass. Architects!
 Our dear Jonathan Hall has completed and passed his final NCARB licensing exam.
It seems like just yesterday he was swimming in oodles of paperwork to begin his 937-easy-steps process towards licensure. And now, he just has one essay to go, which we know he will do supremely, as he is a fabulous writer. Okay, maybe that's not the best example. You'll just have to trust me.
Some of Jon's architectural beauty: Press Apartments, University Village, Site 17 North, and Alcyone Apartments.
So if any of you need an architect, lemme know. I'm like an architectural agent out here.
Congratulations, Jon.

06-03-03
From the Seattle Post-Intelligencer:
The LEIU is a group of intelligence agents from police departments across the country. This year's conference marks the first time federal intelligence personnel have participated. Tom Ridge, head of the Department of Homeland Security, is scheduled to address the conference.
 Scheduled seminar topics included bioterrorism, the current state of criminal intelligence, cybercrime, protecting U.S. borders, hate groups and outlaw motorcycle gangs.
Luma Nichol, 50, of Seattle, a community organizer for the Freedom Socialist Party, called the LEIU an organization "that acts basically as a secret political police in the United States.
I could go on and on about how I feel regarding this situation, the protesters, what the hell they think they're protesting, how annoying it was to see 100 kids wearing black hoodies smoking cloves and screaming obscenities at the cops and picking fights with onlookers for sport, but I won't because it would just put me in a bad mood again. Let's just say I felt much older last night. And I was just there because these children protested on the same street as my class. Tonight they have another protest scheduled - this time to protest their treatment by the police last night. Bah.
And look at this kid - he's re-using his No Iraq War sign. Recycle!
These cars were parked in front of me when I left. Don't they seem a bit close? It just seems so ballsy to me - and justification for a car getting keyed, no?
I worked a massive three hour shift at Starbucks this morning before I was defeatedly sent home because we were so slow. Krispy Kreme junkies. All of them. After my morning nap, I spent all afternoon working on the video-to-flash dealies that I'm making for Dad's site. Marc is coming over later to visit, as are the Germans later tonight. I need moral support this week. The crying started last night - right on predicted schedule.
I think my graduation gift to myself will be the new Radiohead CD. Tower Records will be selling it at midnight the night of my last class.
And now to cheer myself up, pictures from the Juno show at the Vera Project Sunday night. I am just so thrilled that they are together and making new music again. They put on a GREAT show.

06-01-03
Saturday morning was Matt & Fernanda's Engagement Shower. It has it's own page.
Welcome home from Saudi Arabia, Osama! He brought us this candy bar from Starbucks, even though he hates Starbucks, so I appreciate it. He said on one corner there was an Applebee's restaurant across from a Starbucks. He meant to go back and take a picture for me (with the Applebee's sign in arabic) but he forgot. So any of you bloggers in Jeddah, please get a picture of it for me! It's on Al Andalus Street, beside SACO Hardware. Thanks.

About to watch a two-hour fight scene

Me & Going Canuck
 

Germans hitching a ride home
Very cool thing Saturday night. Going Canuck is in Seattle briefly, and he mentioned this in his blog. So I told him (on his blog) to meet us at the Cinerama and he did. He did a very good job picking us out from all the the Matrix viewers. He joined us in celebrating Kolja's 32nd birthday with beer and pizza at Bill's Off Broadway.
The next morning was Six Thumbs softball. We lost 11-4.
But I met a cool dog....

Josh & Sean
This is Walter.

Noah
Wally made me laugh through the whole game. He is a very cool dog.
The weather here in Seattle is supposed to be in the 70's and 80's all week. This is, of course, the week that I'll be banging my head against my keyboard trying to finish my final presentation for school - Dad's animal shelter website. It's due June 9th.
After that, I'm free to make websites for ALL OF YOU!  STEP RIGHT UP!
Best wishes to Matt & Fernanda, and see you two next week!

Mrs. & Mr.