Thankful

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

This year I am thankful for lots of things... I am thankful for the past eight months of getting to live in Seattle near my family, for the first time in 13 years. I'm thankful that (after lots of health scares in 2008) my family - particularly my dad, my grandma, and my sister - all are doing well. I'm thankful that while many people have been laid off or lost their jobs this year, Steve has been able to get back to doing what he loves full-time, and I am able to continue doing what I love on a more flexible schedule. I am thankful that the Universe has provided us with the ability to take advantage of these opportunities in a place that will allow us to live less expensively, yet maintain our quality of life and still be within driving distance to my family.

Finally, Luna and I are thankful to be back together with Steve and Killer after two weeks, and looking forward to going back to Spokane WITH them this weekend!

Wishing everyone a relaxing, happy and healthy holiday!

Sad

The news of the terrorist attacks in India today makes me very sad. My heart goes out to all the people in India and the families of those killed and held hostage in the attacks.

Having spent such a wonderful evening celebrating the culture of India just last Saturday night, I am especially saddened by today's news. I know this news is also worrisome for people who are in process to adopt a child from India. We have seen so many beautiful Indian children placed into loving adoptive homes, it again brings these sad, global events even closer to home. Please pray for the people of India and the children living in orphanages there.

I am the firestarter....

Okay...not really...

But I did have a hand in hiring the AWESOME fire dancers who opened the live auction at our fundraiser last night!

The agency I work for happens to employ a young woman who dances with (and swallows) fire on the side to make extra money (how's that for a moonlighting career?) She and her fire dance partner gave a great (and safe) performance - no lighting the Hilton ballroom on fire thankfully. Of course we had done a walk thru with fire marshall and the hotel staff prior to the event, so it was all cool.

The theme of the evening was India...aaaaah, the life of an event planner...just when I think I've done it all...I book people to throw fire around in front of my organization's biggest donors!

The event was a great success, particularly considering the current economy. I believe we raised close to $300k last night, which is terrific, and will allow us to continue (and perhaps even expand?) some of our humanitarian aid work on behalf of children in the U.S. and abroad.

My sister Tracy joined me for the event (since Steve was in Spokane). It was a lot of fun. We were seated with the CEO and my VP, so I was a little concerned that if things went off track at any point, I would be expected clean up the mess (or put out any "fires" - LOL - in this case!). But thankfully everything went off without a hitch - HOORAY!

By the way, thanks for all the well wishes from earlier in the week. I finally started feeling better on Friday - thankfully, just in time to gear up for the busy weekend. Now that we've successfully jumped that hurdle, I can really start concentrating on the next chapter of my life and career...the move to Spokane later this week and getting my home office put together and organized. I am so excited to see Steve on Wednesday and finally get to leave WITH him when he leaves town the next time. I'm also anxious to get settled into the new house. I promise more pictures to come! :)

My New Bedtime Partner...

It's sad, but true. With Steve already in Spokane, and me still here in Seattle prepping for my work's big fundraiser this weekend...(not to mention getting all the loose ends tied up in order to move next week!) is it really shocking that I started feeling like cr@p this week?

I don't have a head cold...it's not the flu (I had my flu shot a month ago!) Nope - it's all chest congestion...and brutal coughing. BLAH. So Nyquil (and Dayquil too!) to the rescue. And tea w/honey. And chicken soup. The past 3-4 days have been tough. Today I presented a 1.5 hour webinar and nearly lost my voice altogether. Good times.

Not.

I keep telling myself I just need to make it thru the next five days... Sunday I can sleep. Monday and Tuesday I can focus on pulling together the office elements I will need to work from home in Spokane. Wednesday Steve will be back. Thursday is Thanksgiving with my family. Friday is moving day - everything will come together. Nope, no stress here. The Universe will provide.

...just as long as it doesn't "provide" any more viruses.

19 Months...

...wishing for Lia...

Pretty in Pink

A couple of weekends ago, my family got together for a "bowling day" at a local bowling alley. My Uncle Dave (who has Down syndrome and lives w/my parents) is an AVID bowler...he goes bowling almost every Saturday with a group of disabled adults - and they always have a blast - so my cousin KC and I decided that for our October get-together, rather than sit around and chat and eat (as usual), we would try an "activity" and go bowling together...and THEN eat (of course!). :)

Anyway - long intro aside - here is a pic of me and my grandma from bowling day:

Grandma just finished up chemo in September and is doing well! She said she hadn't been bowling in "at least 40 years!"...bless her heart for coming to the loud and obnoxious bowling alley where the rock music was pumping and her thirtysomething-year-old grandchildren were acting super GOOFY. It was a really fun day!

Early Voting...

Okay, so this wasn't *QUITE* the scene at the King County Election Office this morning at 9 a.m., but it's a fairly decent representation...

Since Steve was back over in Seattle this weekend (where we are both registered to vote) and today was his only opportunity, we headed over to the election office to get it overwith... We got there at 8:55 a.m. - five minutes prior to when they were going to open (supposedly). Apparently, we weren't the only ones with voting on the agenda for Saturday morning. The parking lot was already full, and "organized chaos" was in full effect.

I'm happy to report, that after nearly two full hours in a variety of different lines, we made it through, cast our paper ballots, had them dated stamped and deposited them into the locked ballot box. Please Universe...let them COUNT!

In other news - looks like our house in Seattle is officially RENTED - yeeeehaw! Our landlord called and told us to pull the ads off Craigslist because she has a deposit in hand for Dec. 1. YAY!

Halloween was quiet for us last night. We had dinner out at one of our fave Italian joints, so we missed the majority of trick or treaters...by the time we got home at 7:30, it was tapering off.