DTFTB. Vol 8

I feel like I have very little to blog about despite lots of things going on. Lets see

1. Work. This year has already been a doozy. Working for such a small company (and one that has to deal with the realities of biotech finance) is sort of nuts. I wonder how this experience will shape the rest of my career. Check out the sweet plate spinner M and I made!



2. Weather. I am pained that I can barely remember the last time it was sunny. I'd be stalking travel sites like a madwoman looking for sunny deals were it not for three or more things (saving vacation time, saving $, not being able to miss much work). Oh well. I am heading to sunny and warm Boston (in opposite world) for work.

3. Exercise. I've been running. I will shred again in February. Can you carry on hand weights? I'll be in Boston feb 5-9. It will be cold and i can't imagine heading outdoors for a run. But I'll shred in my hotel room.
4. Wedding. I vacillate between feeling chill about getting things done and stressing. I also am giving myself an ulcer trying to figure out how to make our guest's lives happy and easy and help them enjoy Seattle (so they'll move and live here forever, muahhaha). I feel like half a total ass and half the luckiest (do you like how I picked words that both mean 100%?) person ever to have gotten a yes from my two long distance bridesmaids. I will still understand if either of them aren't up for it.



5. Life. My honey and I had the most awesome time celebrating our 105-week-iversary (hi DSF!). It was really mainly a coincidence that the musical I got tickets to fell on such an auspicious day. We went to the Pantages in Tacoma (where we had our first date 2 years and 1 week before). The show was Spring Awakening which I can't recommend more highly! It was just like our first date except he'd gotten us a hotel room for afterward, which I think we all agree would have been a message two years ago. The next day we went to the Glass Museum in Tacoma. It was AMAZING! I am seriously taking up glass blowing. Well, probably not but it was cool.

That's pretty much all I have to report. We are a fee stops from the transit center now, thanks for killing time.


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Wedding post #8: the penmanship conundrum

I write like a 2nd grader with ADD. Basically no one who has seen my handwriting would argue with that statement either. It's awful.

I've learned to live with the shame of it and am decently good at figuring out a workaround solution but all this wedding stuff is putting it front and center.

I'm excited that using electronic invitations will limit my handwritten/handcrafted communications to thank you notes. But lots of little projects that I'm thinking about or have tried require writing and it is depressing.

Probably the most important requirement for DIY chic is how well executed the project is. I want people to like the result, and not because they think it's sweet that my six year old nephew did it.

The obvious workaround is outside labor. Sadly M's writing, while better than mine, is more like a 7th grade boy. I like my mom's but she isn't around when am ready to craft during (for example) Modern Family commercials.

The solution, some things will be written in my scrawl, most will be typed and I'm sure some outsourcing will happen.

On a related note, I am also a crappy typist. So I'm working on that. I figure I need to easily be able to use at least one mode of communication.

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Oh, Amber

What do you do when you're kinda down and it's wintry and snowy and you don't feel like running (even in your nice warm house on a treadmill)?

Attempt to eat your feelings. Which is pathetic right now since we've MAJORLY cleaned up our eating and cabinets. It actually equalled a Clementine and the rest of the dried cranberries from cookie making (a sad little handful), totally unsatisfying.

Finish reading the whole Internet.

Make a half assed attempt to try out your new foam roller.

THEN,
Sign up for a half-marathon.



So, yeah. Mercer Island half in March...anyone in?

According to Hal, I am running a half this weekend so it is a light week with two rest days. I had completely forgotten that he only has the novice plan go up to 10 miles before their race. I am hoping to build my mileage up a lot more before MI. I also need to run some more terrain since MI is relatively hilly.

I have ridden MI many times and it was actually the first ride I ever took on Goldy and my first ride with Team in Training. It is a great bike ride but when I think of doing some of the rollers on foot I shudder a bit.

Oh well. It is three months away and by then, we will have changed our clocks and the sun will shine more and life will be overall brighter!

I'm right on top of that Rose

Movie reference, anyone?

It is a phrase that helped shape my work attitude.

But holy moly if 2011 is not shaping up to be the craziest work year yet. I'm scared.

I know historically when I've felt this way I've just had to keep my head down and keep trying to knock stuff off of my list but I'm certainly in the in-over-my-head realm at the moment.

The additional shame is how much I'd rather look at pretty wedding stuff than work. Especially after hours.

It is so sad how few hours we have each night. After commuting, cooking and eating, running and other BS there is such precious little time. Looking at protocols just seems sad and wrong.

I hope I can get back into control on the work front before I suffer Christina Applegate's fate.


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Wedding post #7: don't the Seahawks know I'm a bride!

I am currently on the bus to meetup with my mom, sisters a fellow bride DSF and some friends for the Seattle Wedding Show.

I ride the bus to work and it is way less crowded on weekday mornings than it is today. I was puzzled until I people boarded wearing green wigs and jerseys. It is playoff day.

I hope the traffic doesn't send my mom over the edge before the expo.

I guess this post really belongs in my bus series...or it could have just stayed in my head.

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DTFTB. Vol. 7

I actually worked on the bus! I'm proud of me.

It was only~5 minutes but that's ok.

Then I lost my mind and drew this fine work of art.



A mockup of potential tables.
Guess I oughtta stick to pipetting.


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Wedding post #6: Unstrap my heart?

OK, I may later deny saying this but...I like strapless dresses.

Humph

This is a startling turn of events that I need to process. I still hate the idea of hiking up my dress and worry that throughout the day my decolletage will head south. But I have liked how they look and am starting to think that straps tend to weigh me down or make me look extra short.

I would post pics of me in a couple of styles but haven't decided my final feelings on M seeing me all bride-y or not (and since I can't make him un-see things I need to decide that first). Message me if you want pics :P

My dress shopping experience has been kinda pitiful to date, mainly because I'm a cantankerous old lady apparently. I find it RIDICULOUS (my Omi's favorite word to use when exasperated) that you need to make an appointment at the mega-chains -looking at you David!- to try on dresses. My experience at one David's Bridal was so strange. I got there and was told I needed and appointment. We wandered the quite empty store a bit looking sad and the host at the door took pity (on a potential paying customer) and said I could try on 3 dresses. When one of the many free employees took me back to the dressing room she was told that I only could do 3. The hostess had measured me and told me my size and between my mom and I we picked 3 dresses. One was lace with wide straps fit-and-flare, one was an A-line with spaghetti straps and the final was strapless fit-and-flare but they only had this one in a size down from what the hostess had suggested.

The first dress was pretty but the straps and heaviness of the lace made me look short. The second dress didn't have any shape and made me think that A-line is a no-go. The caveat is that the first two were too big and without anyone with giant clips they looked kind of dumpy. The third fit great and I loved the shape. Without the straps I felt taller, too.

This is where the trip got really strange/annoying to me. I figured that one of the many employees wandering around would decide to join us and maybe grab a few dresses or offer shoes/veils/general tips, you know, acknowledge our presence. But it was crickets. I reluctantly took off the third dress (it is a good sign that I didn't want to take it off) and got dressed. Then I asked the hostess about pricing on dress number three (I think I kind of loved it) and she pointed me to a sign...huh? Seems like when a customer actually acts like they might buy something you could perk up a bit. Very strange.

 I absolutely feel like Say Yes to the Dress has made all salons feel like they should attempt to take on an air of aloofness and elitism. Earth to David's Bridal... You are the big box store. People go to you for price and convenience.

But like I said I am just an old grouch and have to get over it.
Good news though is that trying on dresses is WAY less traumatic than I thought it would be and I think, in the end, will require less therapy afterwards than I was expecting.

So, I need to do more dress shopping after I get the required licenses and permits and the 3 letters of recommendation. But I'm confident I'll find something now. And, just maybe it'll be sans straps.

DTFTB. Vol 6

Hmm.
Blood?
Food?
Other bodily matter?



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New blog header!

My sweetie made me a new blog header! You like?

You've got to be kidding

Arm chafe? Seriously?

I am currently finishing up nine miles through icy tundra and notice that my underarm is chaffed where it meets my vest. WTH? I trained for the whole marathon without nary a chafe (even wore spandex shorts to protect against the nasty thigh meeting chafe) yet only 9miles and I have an owie.

And I hit the pavement once. Winter running is NOT cool.






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