Tricia goes back to the Mother Ship for a week, company's stock price soars.

Okay, so maybe a great earnings call had something to do with it. And belated lame apology to those in VA I didn't contact; I was struggling just running from meeting to meeting to training class to meeting, with much needed family down time over the weekend. I'll be coming back in the next few months and will want to party in Norfolk (not really, but would like to party with Norfolk residents).

2003: The Summer of the Bike

June 7 - 16: Cycling trip from Prague to Budapest with REI
July 12 - 13: STP (Seattle to Portland; I will most likely miss this one)
July 20: Seafair Triathalon
July 26: Seafair Torchlight Run (not a cycling event, but a fun race anyway)
August 9 - 11: Courage Classic: 3 day ride through the Cascades' Snoqualmie, Stevens, and Blewit passes
August 16: Beaver Lake Triathalon

I had a good ride yesterday, 30 miles, flat, in my new clip-in pedals. Only one small fall, so I'm on my way!

What's better than grilled lamb w/ mint sauce for Easter Sunday dinner?

Leftover grilled lamb with mint sauce in a green salad with feta cheese, tomatoes, red onion, and a little cilantro sour cream. Mmm...

Whine alert

I want a long weekend. And a beer. Make that more than one beer.

Sigh.

RIP Dr. Atkins

While I'm on the subject of reality TV

did I mention that my RW/RR BOTS fantasy team score is in the top 3% of everyone who's playing? After my worst performance ever in fantasy NCAA Tourny play, I wish I had a little something ridin' on my BOTS folks.

Budget Beauty

I don't have a personal budget, nor do I really track my expenses. Tracking my expenses is one of my New Years Resolutions, in fact, but one that I have done nothing about. Anyway, I was talking to a friend from work yesterday and this subject came up, and he was appalled that I didn't have a budget. He didn't understand how I could ever know how much money I could spend on things (he later admitted that when he first got a credit card, it was always maxed out. We work for a credit card / financial services company, by the way.) I guess I just spend what I think is the right amount, and make internal assessments about how much the product / service is worth to me (like a good latte is indeed worth $2), and make sure that I always make more money than I spend and invest. I'm not a big spender, and this system seems to work. I would, however, like to have a budget so that I can really know how much to spend, and not just wonder about whether I can afford to go on a certain vacation or get highlights in my hair.

Princess Melissa recented commented about a TV show (not hers) and wondered at how a woman could spend $ 5000 on breast implants, but not fix her teeth. Obviously Melissa sees the teeth as the higher priority expenditure, while the TV woman placed a large value on breast size. This made me wonder what my beauty priorities were, so I've started a list:

Worthwhile expenditures:
Dentistry and orthadonture
Health club membership (although I don't have one because I'd never use it; I exercise outdoors as much as possible)
Clothes that fit well
A decent haircut

If I had the money to spare, why not?
Highlights
Lots of cashmere
A personal fitness trainer

Why waste the bucks
Implants or liposuction
Nose jobs (it's not perfect, but it's mine)

I'll have to keep adding to it as I think of stuff (or find more cashes of money lying around).

I can say I knew him when...

A friend of mine from elementary school / high school days is now starring in a new TV show on UPN. I knew that Jason had gotten into acting, and I caught him in his smallish role on the short lived Spelling show Titans (bad show; very bad show), but didn't know that his resume has grown quite a bit since then. You'd think that we lived in the 'hood based on the characters he's played. (We didn't). I guess I'll have to check him out in this new show; looks like it might do well. (By the way, in addition to being very attractive, he was always very nice and funny and intelligent).

It's Saturday, but here's Five anyway. Happy Weekend!!

1. What was the first band you saw in concert? They Might Be Giants. I'm embarrassed to admit that I was the advanced age of 18, and it was when they came to my college.

2. Who is your favorite artist/band now? I don't really have one. I'll buy anything by Natalie Merchant or Dar Williams, but I wouldn't necessarily say that either is my favorite.

3. What's your favorite song? Right now (I'm so mainstream) it's Coldplay's Clocks. I just can't get sick of that song, no matter how much it plays on the radio or my CD player. When I was a little kid and everyone else's favorite was something by Blondie or whatever else was big in 1980, it was Rainbow Connection as sung by Kermit. Which reminds me, we're watching the Muppet Movie this morning!!

4. If you could play any instrument, what would it be? Well, I took piano lessons for over 10 years, so you'd think I could already play one, but I never practiced, so I'm no good. I've always wanted to play the guitar, because it's portable, easy to play songs just by knowing the chords, and it's easy to sing along to. I've owned one for about 10 years now, and never learrned to play it.

5. If you could meet any musical icon (past or present), who would it be and why? Mozart; he was just so brilliant.

Update: I check went and checked out Dar's website, and ended up buying tickets for a show in Seattle next month!!

Wait, say that again?

John Moe (from the NPR Seattle-based comedy show, Rewind) has a blog! Now I can catch his topical hilarity all the time, not just the occasional Saturday morning when I happen to flip on the radio.

Link found via the equally funny and equally Seattle-based Yeti.

This is why I need to ride my bike tonight.

Warning: this page will soon contain sponsorship requests.

Yeah, baby!


Coop!


Who's your Twin Peaks boyfriend?
brought to you by Quizilla

Thanks to Brigita for finding this very cool quiz!

Why I don't watch war coverage on TV

I turned on the TV briefly this morning while ironing a shirt (there must be a blue moon), and witnessed the live video from Iraq of celebrations and people trying to pull down a big statue of Saddam. I couldn't help but think of the end of the remastered version of Return of the Jedi, where everyone in the galaxy is celebrating the end of the Empire.

Yeah, I'm a geek.

It has come to pass. I want TiVO.

I've always known that the The Best Of Life is in Seattle....

..and that the best of Seattle martinis are at Tini Bigs. Now, I'm not a martini fan, but if I had to drink one, it would be their bloody Mary version (although I can't remember the cutsy name). The food channel has come to Seattle many many times (my favorite was the $40 a Day visit to my favorite neighborhood coffee cafe); now it will be airing it's martini show, featuring the Seattle spot on April 21st. (Info courtesy of Suzanne). The only question now is whether or not to swing by the viewing party.

Extra, extra, read all about it!

We are undergoing a major change in our household this week. We are changing newspapers. After almost 2 years of getting the Seattle Times, we are getting the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. We originally got the Times for the same reason I have always subscribed to the Times while living in Seattle: it's a morning delivery paper while the PI is afternoon delivery, and I just feel that you should be able to read the paper over morning coffee and breakfast (despite the fact that I'm more likely to puruse the paper while making dinner than while eating breakfast). It turns out, however, that the PI does have morning delivery.

At a neighborhood party last September (the one and only since we've lived here) we discovered that one of our neighbors is the editor of the PI business section. In his opinion, the PI is more city-centric, focusing on Seattle happenings, while the Times features the suburban areas more frequently. Additionally, my favorite food blogger frequently references the PI's food critic, which I think would indicate that the PI has a better food section (the linked review is of a neighborhood restaurant). The final clincher as to why I wanted to subscribe to the PI is that their office has a big revolving globe on top wrapped with the slogan "it's in the PI," which looks like it belongs in Citizen Cane, or Superman. (It was recently featured in the film The Ring).

It was surprisingly easy to switch papers. Since they share billing offices, all I needed to do was call and tell them that I wanted the other paper. Billing is exactly the same, and they could make the switch the next day. The only slight hiccup is that for some reason our delivery person seems to think that we want the paper on the driveway around the side of the house (the Times delivery person understood that we wanted the paper on the porch, right in front of the door). I guess the fact that Jeff prefers the PI's weather section makes it worth the little walk through the rain to get the paper. After all, It's in the PI.

The Friday Five (I really can't believe that it's already Friday!)

1. How many houses/apartments have you lived in throughout your life? If you count each year in a dorm as a separate house, and don't count temporary corporate apartments, 18 total (1 HI, 2 CN, 2 VA, 4 NC, 1 RI, 1 FL, 1 NY, 6 WA)

2. Which was your favorite and why? I've lived in some great ones. The house that I'm know is pretty great, and the first one that I've owned (at least half of it), but I think my favorite may be the one in Saratoga Springs NY. I lived in a one-bedroom apartment that was part of a large, Victorian house in a lovely old neighborhood half-way between downtown Saratoga Springs (a very fun little town with lots of cute shops and bars) and the famous Race Track. My friends lived in the 3 bedroom apartment that was on the top floor. We had bats in the attic, an old rock collection in Jeff's closet, and all kinds of interesting nooks and crannys, as befit an old house.

3. Do you find moving house more exciting or stressful? Why? Both, now that I'm the grown-up. It used to just be exciting, and it still is, but there's some work and a little stress, too.

4. What's more important, location or price? Location, location, LOCATION! You can always improve the house, but you can never improve the location.

5. What features does your dream house have (pool, spa bath, big yard, etc.)? My dream house is on the water, with a large kitchen open to the living room. It would have a deck that looked out to the water and lots of windows. Ideally, I would like the house in the country, away from everything, full of family and friends, as well as a condo downtown for just me and the cat.