Cool School

I just have to share with you one my favorite gifts Katie got for Christmas this year. It's a kid-friendly keyboard that attaches to your computer via USB port. It comes with software to teach math, science, art, music and reading/writing. Katie quickly figured out how to use it and it actually keeps her attention. I just found out today that other programs are available so I'm ordering two more from Amazon. Click on the picture above to learn more about it. It's a keeper, for sure!

As Katie Would Say... We Had An Adventure Today!

It all started this morning when it took several attempts to successfully jump start my car. We knew before our trip to Seattle for Christmas that my battery was dead, so it wasn't a surprise. When weren't having any luck getting it started, we began to wonder if the problem wasn't really the battery afterall. It wasn't completely dead. It just wouldn't start. I began processing in my head what my options would be for getting help while Regina was at work today. And then, it finally worked! Katie and I buckled in quickly and made our way to Sears Auto Center while Regina headed to work.

Throughout that whole process, Katie was very curious about this battery we had in our car. Afterall, it was news to her that the car had a battery! She thought only her toys and flashlights had batteries. She wanted to know where it was located in the car, what shape was it, she wanted to touch it, why did it run out of power, what would they do with the old battery - could she have it and she wondered also if it would be girl who would fix the battery for us or would it be a boy. I told her it is possible that the mechanic would be a girl, but most likely it would be a boy. Well, wouldn't ya know, we pulled in and a young woman mechanic came over and helped us! Katie was thrilled. I think that was a first, for me anyway. I don't know if she actually worked on our car or if she just tested the battery, but Katie got to see that there are indeed girl mechanics.

After she confirmed the battery was dead, she looked at my sad, worn out tires and suggested we get new ones sooner than later. This wasn't any surprise, for Honda brought that to my attention last time I got the oil changed. It never really occurred to me that Sears could also do the tires, but it made sense to me that I should go ahead and get that done too. I quickly called Regina to see if she agreed and she did.

I'm sure the conversation I had with the guy about what tires I should get was comical at best. I don't recall most of it, but I do remember he started out by asking me what kind of tires I wanted as far as features go. I really didn't know what to say and just said, "Um, just normal tires, I guess." What kind of features could a tire possibly have, anyway? Don't get me wrong, I knew there were tires for driving in the snow, but that's all I knew about besides the everyday-driving tires. He caught on quickly that I was clueless and he did a pretty good job explaining the options I had for my car and why I might want to choose each different type of tire. Don't ask me to repeat anything he said though. It's all gone now! I'm not even sure exactly what I ended up getting but they are higher end, on sale, goodyear, 80,000 mile warranty, decent traction in the snow, very good in rainy weather. And, I thought the design of the tread was cool. So, that's what I got. Four of them.

Katie and I walked across the street and ate an early lunch at Red Robin. Then we walked over to the mall and bought Grandma Kathleen's birthday present. By that time, the car should have been done so we returned to the auto center. Our car was almost done, but not quite, so Katie got to see it perched high up on the lifts. She enjoyed that.

When the car was done, we got in and just as I was ready to pull out, I noticed that the radio wouldn't work. All it said on the display was "code". I had no idea what was going on so we sat there for several minutes while I fiddled with it. I knew I had never set a code, so it must be a generic on they set at the factory. I tried all ones, 12345, 54321, all twos, etc. I tried too often causing it to yell at me with a big ERR on the display and it would accept no more input. Good grief, I had to pull out the manual. It wasn't easy, but I did manage to locate information about why it needed a code. It's an anti-theft mechanism. Anytime power is cut off to the radio, as it was when the battery was changed, it requires the code to reactivate it. If someone tried to steal it, they'd be unable to actually use it without the code. Fortunately, I found the little card with the code on it. But, the radio was no longer accepting input from me. I thought about asking the Sears staff if they had any suggestions, but decided to go home and call Honda instead.

When I got home, I found some info online about this. Based on what I read, it sounded like I could reset the radio so it would accept input if I could remove the fuse to the radio and then put it back. Then, I could try my code. Well, this is easier said than done. The fuse is located down by the floor on the driver's side. It's dark and hard to reach. So, I wore Katie's new flashlight that you put on your forehead (thank you, Santa). The tools I had weren't the best for the job and the fuse was in there very tightly, so I ended up poking my thumb and got blood everywhere before I even realized what I'd done. Anyway, even after resetting the radio with the fuse, it still didn't like my code. I walked back to the apartment and called Honda in Bellevue. I gave him the serial number of my radio and he gave me the code. It wasn't the same as what was on my card I got when we bought the car. And then I remembered I had trouble with the radio 2 or 3 years ago and it was replaced. But, I didn't get a new code for the new radio. The code the Honda guy gave me worked and Katie thinks I'm a genius now!

It's a Puppy Bank!

Katie got this "puppy bank" for Christmas from Courtney and Mel (thanks, guys - she loves it.) which is exactly as the name implies: a puppy-shaped ceramic bank. This one is extra fun though. It comes unpainted. Well, Katie loves to paint so she had a great time this evening after dinner painting her puppy-bank. Thanks again, Courtney and Mel!

Katie's New Pajamas

Thank you, Grandma Kathleen! Katie loves her new Tinkerbell pj's you gave her for Christmas. They fit perfectly and she's wearing them to bed tonight. Thanks, again!

Another "Beary" Snowy Day

We woke up on this day-after-Christmas, 2nd black Friday (supposedly), to clouds and freezing temps, but no precipitation. Kinda boring, after the spectacular snowy performance of yesterday morning. But, the trees are still covered with snow, which I enjoy.

At about 2pm today we finally got ourselves out of the house. And wouldn't you know it, but by that time it was snowing like crazy! Didn't seem like such a good idea to leave, when the roads could potentially be in worse shape when we return, but we left anyway. We went to the Bellevue Square Mall where we redeemed Katie's Build-A-Bear gift cards she received from her cousins Paige, Katelyn and Matthew for Christmas. She was so excited because stuffed animals are among her most favorite things to play with. Below is a picture of Katie with the pink, rock star, leopard she got there. She picked out a spectacular pink tank for the leopard to wear and also a Hanna Montana guitar so the leopard can jam with her. She's very interested in guitars and dancing and singing, all of the sudden. When we were in line at Build-A-Bear, she was chatting with the kid waiting behind us and I heard her say something about her "studio" ~ so, maybe we have a little budding musician on our hands.


As soon as we were done with "Love" the pink rocker leopard, we immediately headed home, just in case the roads were getting icey. They were okay, by the way. Our own neighborhood roads are the worst we encountered because they don't get plowed. Everything else is in good shape. On the way home we stopped off at Garlic Jim's and picked up a pizza. We just didn't feel like fixing our own dinner tonight. So, now we're safely back home, settled in for the evening. Katie is patiently waiting for me to finish this so I can help her make beaded jewelry with the kit she got from Mel and Courtney for Christmas. You guys were on target with that gift, for sure! Thank you! And thank you Paige, Katelyn and Matthew for the Build-A-Bear gift cards. Katie is thrilled!

We're Enjoying a Very Merry White Christmas Here!

What a treat! I can't remember when I've ever had the pleasure of opening presents on Christmas morning while snow was actually falling outside. But that's what happened this year. It's so incredibly beautiful and even as I sit here writing this blog, I am looking outside the window in our office and I see the snow coming down even heavier than it was earlier. There's no wind, so it's falling straight down, gently, but quickly. It looks to be good packing snow, so Katie will have a great time today building things.

We have friends coming over today, provided they can make their way through all this snow, so Regina is outside right now shoveling the driveway and walkway for them. Katie is all bundled up and is out there too, building a snowman, it looks like. I volunteered for the "inside" job of cleaning up before they arrive. I've got Christmas music playing on my iPod and the fireplaces are going. It's a beautiful, perfect day to be celebrating Christmas.

Opening Birthday Presents

As promised, a video of Katie opening birthday presents.

Thank you, to everyone who sent gifts!

Happy 5th Birthday Katie!

This morning we all slept in until almost 8am! How nice was that?! Of course, the first thing Katie wanted to do was open her birthday presents. So that's what we did. Why not? Of course, I took video and I'll upload that later today, hopefully. For lunch, we had cheese pizza, per Katie's request and after that we enjoyed chocolate birthday cake with pink icing. Pink, because that is Katie's most favorite color in the whole wide world.

It's a beautiful, wintery day to celebrate a birthday, I must say. It's been snowing all day and I'm certain we'll end up outside playing in the snow eventually. The last two nights we've taken walks around the neighborhood, enjoying the lights and playing in the snow. Well, Regina and I walked, anyway. Katie rode on a sled pulled along behind Regina. She (Katie) thought that was pretty great.

Okay, that's it for now. I'll post a video later on, I hope.

Happy Birthday Matt!

We hope you're having a great day!

Love, Regina, Suzie and Katie

Katie's First Mass...

Transit Bus Ride, that is.

This morning when it was snowing pretty heavily, I suggested to Katie that we should go to the mall to finish up our shopping and instead of driving in the snow, we should take the bus. Well, she was so excited about that and I was her hero for even suggesting it. I actually don't know why I was comfortable suggesting such a thing since I've never in my life taken a mass transit bus before. Shuttle bus, yes ~ subway train, yes ~ taxi cabs, sure ~ but mass transit busses scare me. Once I saw Katie's excitement, I knew I had to set aside my fear and figure it out or suffer the consequences. So, I went online and Portland's mass transit system, TriMet, has quite an easy-to-understand web site, allowing even ME to figure out how to get from here to there. Fortunately, all we had to do was get on one bus and it wasn't necessary to transfer along the way.

We walked only a few minutes down the street and waited maybe 10 minutes for the bus to arrive. Katie and Regina got on first and I followed behind to pay our fares. I overpaid, not knowing that Katie was free! Oh well. So we all sat down and for about 10-15 minutes, we enjoyed the ride. It was nice to just sit back and relax, while someone else worried about maneuvering the snow and ice on the roads. Next thing I know, we're sliding down an incline, slipping sideways onto a divider in the middle of the road, which actually prevented us from going further and eventually over a hillside. The driver was able to stop the bus before we entered crossing traffic and none of us were hurt. We did, however, have to wait there for about an hour for help to arrive to take care of the bus and another bus to pick us up and take us the rest of the way. I'm happy to say we did make it to the mall, without further incident. We shopped for a couple of hours and made it home before dark, which was our goal.

Another Snow Day

Katie is home from school again and Regina is working from home again. We woke up to 36 degrees and slushy, almost bare roads. If the snow plow could have just come through to push aside the slush, we'd have been in good shape for the predicted deep freeze for later today, tonight and tomorrow. But, it didn't. Oh well. And now, it's snowing again.

A Walk in the Snow

So, today Katie is home from school again and the word is that if it snows more tonight, as predicted, then she probably won't get to go to school at all this week! And then, of course, her school is closed for 2 weeks, beginning next week for Christmas and New Years. Boy, that sure is a lot of "together" time! Hope we survive it with our sanity...

Regina went to work today while Katie and I hung out here. Eventually we just had to get out of the apartment, so we bundled up and took a walk in the snow. Of course, I took some pictures:

Check out this mostly-frozen fountain
at an apartment complex up the street.
Katie slippin' and slidin' along the path.

The waterfall at the entrance of our apartment
complex is completely frozen over!

Single-Digit Wind Chills Today

Dec 14 8:27am

Dec 14 2:51pm

Dec 15 9:00am

We're all home today. Katie's school is closed and Regina closed her office so that only a few people (who live within walking distance) are there to run the call center. It's no longer snowing and the sun is shining, but the wind is howling and the temps are frigid. Fortunately, we have not lost electricity, unlike some people in the metro area. In fact, we just heard on the news that if we were still living in the Hillsboro apartment, we'd be without electricity right now. Good thing we moved!

We have everything we need, so we won't be attempting to drive anywhere today. It would be nice, however, if we had more firewood on hand. Having a fire going is so comforting and just plain fun on a day like this. We have only a few hours worth of wood left. Oh well. We'll make sure we're stocked up for the next storm, no doubt.

Arctic Blast Hits Portland

Sumpety Sump Sump

Christmas Party

Regina's employer held their annual employee Christmas party this evening. This year they held it at the Oregon Zoo. Katie and I joined Regina there to enjoy a light buffet meal with live music entertainment and complimentary access to the the ZooLights holiday light display. It was a fun time.

If Christmas Has a Smell, This Is It

Oh how I love this hand soap and lotion set from Williams Sonoma. I discovered it last year and just had to have it again this year. It's the perfect hand soap and lotion for the holidays. Go get some!

Garden d'Lights

This evening it stopped raining so Katie and I ate dinner out and then headed over to the Bellevue Botanical Garden to see their holiday display of lights. It was magnificent. Even Katie said several times how beautiful it is. Usually all Katie wants to do when we visit places like this, is run around. Tonight she was too busy looking at everything to run around! I'll post a couple of pictures here, but they don't even begin to give it justice. If you're in the area, you really must go!

Getting In Shape

After the hysterectomy and starting a new job, I gained 30 pounds. I knew eating out a lot would do it. Add to that all the life changes. Then tack on driving back and forth to Seattle from Portland to see Suzie and Katie almost every weekend for months and you get weigh gain.

I started to watch my calorie intake in April and dropped 20 pounds quickly. I then spent most of the summer "coasting" - getting in some exercise and maintaining the weight with somewhat good food choices. Now, it is time to drop even more. To get motivated, I started a Biggest Loser competition at work. My executive team took on any challengers -- starting a month ago and ending on Valentines Day. To our surprise, we got 7 teams (each team ranges from 7 to 11 people) to challenge us. It has been great to have so many focused on healthy eating and exercise throughout the company. Great team building and good fun competition!

Yes, my team is winning - with a month into it we have an average of 8 pounds lost per person. The next team is at 5 pounds lost per person.

I felt like I didn't know what to do with respect to exercise so a co-worker and I decided to get a personal trainer to help us. We work out every Sunday morning with weights and cardio. Here is what I have learned:

• All you need is 20 minutes of cardio with interval training - 1 minute easy, 4 minutes hard x 4 on a treadmill or elliptical machine. Three to five times a week is good. You want to get your heart rate up but in the range of 140 to 155.
• Weights, weights, weights. Women start to lose muscle at age 30. Muscle helps burn calories. You don't need a fancy gym (my co-worker has one), but some free weights and good old fashion exercises (remember Jack Lalanne?).
• Start your workouts with something that gets your heart rate up. We start each workout with jumping jacks (yes, I said jumping jacks). We do 1 minute, rest 30 seconds, do 45 seconds, rest 30 seconds and then do 30 seconds. You are now ready to work out on your cardio or to lift weights.
• "Build your core" is the new thing but it is really about old fashion exercise that works multiple muscles. Push-up are the best. You should be able to do your age in push ups. Women's are fine. Men's are better. "Paint cans" are excellent too. You take a weight (weight ball is better) and pick it up on one side and lift across your body and twist to put it on the "shelf" on the other side at face level - one constant motion with 20 on each side. Works tons of muscles if you squat down when you pick up the "paint can".
• You need protein too. We don't eat a lot so add it as a supplement. I have a protein shake every morning now - cup of non-fat milk, some strawberries (blueberries or bananas work too) and a scoop of protein powder. I like "True Whey" from Source Naturals. The key is low sugar. I also bought at Target a shake mixer (as scene on TV product called Magic Bullet). It is great as you put it in a cup, mix it and drink out of the same cup. Easy clean up.
• Sugar bad. If you are hungry, find any thing but sugar. I am having a hard time with this one because I love the Christmas peeps (trees and snowmen).
• Soda (even diet) bad. Creates sugar cravings. I am down to less than 5 a day and working towards zero! Ugh.
• Water, water, water. They say you should drink your weight in water (oz) but I like about 70 ounces a day.
• Sleep. Get your sleep. We eat when we are tired. To relax before bed (and they say it helps migraines) take magnesium. It relaxes you and your muscles. We take Magnesium Citramate from Thorne Research.

I have also found that a good multi-vitamin is good plus start taking Vitamin D. The studies are now finding that taking calcium is not making any difference. What you really need is Vitamin D. We are not going outside as much as people used to do, and we are wearing sunscreen. The combination of the two means we are Vitamin D deficient. Go outside peek hours (noon to 2:00) with as much skin exposure as you can without sun screen. Since most of us can't do that every day or in the winter, we need a supplement. We take Sun-D3 (3,000IU) daily from Priority One.

With all I take both in supplements and medication (acid reflux and migraine), I also take Milk Thistle. I heard about this from a friend who was a nurse. This helps your liver work better. I think this has helped with the weight loss, too.

I found a website where we can get most of these items, much lower than in the stores. If we order larger amounts by combining what we need with multiple months supply, we hit the dollar amount to get free shipping. So far, we have found the http://www.luckyvitamin.com/ is the best for selection and price.

I also found a great snack with high fiber and low sugar. Katie loves them. You can find them at Target and most grocery stores -- Fiber One Chewy Bars from General Mills. They have three or four kinds, but we love the oats & chocolate and the oats and strawberry.

Hope this all helps! I am closing in on 30 pounds lost and now working on the next 25! It has made for an interesting holiday season. Suzie was a great sport for Thanksgiving - we had turkey, rice and green beans. Katie loved it as did I. We splurged with cranberry sauce and Suzie with gravy. No pumpkin pie :-(

I need to survive the holiday cookies as I am sure Suzie and Katie will make chocolate chip and sugar cookies - my favorites!

Katie Met Santa Today

Katie and I went to the Cougar Mountain Zoo in Issaquah today. We hung out for a couple of hours to check out everything. Our first stop was to visit with Santa and feed his reindeer. Katie was a little starstruck by Santa and wouldn't sit on his lap, but after quite a bit of coaxing, she was willing to stand in front of him long enough for a picture. He gave her a piece of chocolate afterward and she said she got to touch his glove when she took the candy from his hand. It was soft, she told me.

On our way out of Santa's house, we stopped to say hello and feed the reindeer. Katie threw small pieces of apple on the ground near them and they promptly gobbled them up. Rudolph wasn't there, but all the others were.

Next stop was to get Katie's face painted. She got cute Rudolph on one cheek and a beautiful snowflake on the other cheek.

Then we heard quite a noise over in the tiger cage, so we rushed over to see what was going on. We discovered that the two tigers in there together were playing rather roughly with each other. There was lots of growling, hissing, swatting, rolling and pouncing happening. It sure was fun to see such activity from zoo animals. That doesn't usually happen, in my experience anyway.

When we got home, Katie rode her scooter and played with the neighbor, Tyler, while I put up some Christmas lights on the bushes out front. Then for dinner, we headed over to Mel and Courtney's, after stopping off at Home Depot for more lights. Our yard looked dull compared to our neighbors, I thought. Anyway, we enjoyed the evening with Mel, Courtney, Stef, Jack and Avery. Mel whipped up a yummy breakfast for dinner consisting of pancakes, hash browns, bacon and a creamy orange fruit salad leftover from a batch Mel's Mom made recently. Good food and good company. Doesn't get much better than that. Thanks, guys.

Looking North

It's sunny and cold today. Just the way I prefer it to be. This is the view this morning of Mt. St. Helens from the highest point up here near our apartment complex. It didn't show up as clearly in this picture as I'd hoped it would, but it's the best I could get.

Night Splint for Plantar Fasciitis

I ordered one of these to treat the plantar fasciitis that still pains me in my right foot. It arrived today and I'm wearing it now. You're supposed to sleep with it on at night so the foot stays in a stretched position, allowing it to heal properly and more quickly. I'm skeptical that I'll be able to sleep with it on, but I've got to give it a try to get rid of this pain. It's been 5 months now that my foot has been hurting. I'm ready for it to go away!

LOVE those post-season clearance sales

Regina's anniversary bouquet isn't looking so great anymore. It's time to throw out the dead ones. But these lillies are still looking pretty so I decided to save them for just a little bit longer. Couldn't help but take a picture or two of them.

This morning after dropping Katie off at school I ran over to Bed Bath and Beyond to get a couple of neck pillows (as recommended by our chiropractor) and came across a clearance bin of Thanksgiving things. So, for a fraction of the cost I bought cloth napkins, napkin rings, placemats and a table runner for next year's feast. Katie will enjoy decorating the table with these new things.

The Sun Has Broken Through Today!

The sun came out early this morning and burned off all the fog. What a pleasant surprise! We even have some trees still holding on to their fall colors.

Advent Calendar

We decided that this year would be a good time to introduce an Advent Calendar to Katie to help her count down to Christmas (and her birthday). I wanted to get something that would become an heirloom she could take with her when she's grown up and she could pass on to her own kids someday. There were several to choose from on Amazon and this is the one we got:

Christmas 2005 Video Flashback

This morning after I dropped Katie off at school I continued on to run a couple of errands, one of which was to shop around Linens and Things to take advantage of their going-out-of-business sale. I volunteered to get some things for Christmas for two needy families in the area. I figured I might as well save some money while I'm at it, right? Anyway, I was walking around the store and of course they're playing Christmas music now. The Christmas Canon by Trans-Siberian Orchestra came on and I was overcome by emotion. My eyes welled up and I had to pause and listen. Sounds corny, I suppose, but this song immediately brought back memories of when we had just moved to Fall City and Katie hadn't even turned two yet. In my Christmas 2005 DVD I distributed that year in Christmas cards I used that song at the end when Katie was experiencing her first snowfall. I adore that part of the video. As soon as I got home, I put it in and watched it. Seeing Katie, my sweet baby, again at that age filled my heart with such fond memories. I can hardly believe she's turning FIVE this year! Anyway, I figured out how to transfer the DVD to a format I can upload to the blog. Don't worry, I'm not uploading the entire 30-minute DVD. Just the last 3 minutes. So, if you're interested, here it is.

I was also reminded of some feedback I received after I sent out that particular DVD. A family member who does not have any kids said that after seeing all the footage of Katie, especially the end where she discovered snow for the first time, he realized why people have kids.

Where's the Sun?

This is what it looks like outside pretty much every morning lately. I don't mind it, actually, I just wish it would burn off and let the sun in every once in a while! Regina had an eerie experience on Sunday morning when she was driving to her co-worker's house to workout with their trainer. It was foggier than this and she was driving over Portland on the bridges and raised freeways. She could barely see 50 feet in front of her, causing the city and everything else around her to disappear. It was a Sunday morning, so there were hardly any other drivers on the road, causing it to suddenly seem as if she were all alone. It can be quite disturbing, that's for sure.

Zoo Lights Video

Today we decided to walk around the Christmas Bazaar at the Portland Expo Center. It was two huge buildings full of booth after booth after booth of vendors selling their products. We really didn't buy much, just a couple of things, but it was fun. Katie made it a little more difficult than it had to be though because of course she wants to buy everything that interests her, so we spent a lot of time negotiating with her. She did get to buy one special thing, though.

We ate an early dinner at the Hall Street Grill and then headed over to the zoo for Zoo Lights. It was the perfect evening for walking around outside enjoying the light displays. It wasn't too cold and it was rain-free! I took some video so I could share it here. Enjoy...

In Search of Firewood

We have a wood-burning fireplace in this apartment, which is more fun, in some ways, than one equipped with gas. It's been ages since we've had a wood-burning fireplace. If I remember correctly, it was the early 1990s and we lived in Pasadena. I'm sure Regina will correct me if I'm wrong, which I admit I often am.

Anyway, we figured instead of paying $6/bundle of wood at the grocery store, we should buy a larger supply from someone, but who? My first thought was to search craigslist for sellers and that led us to a guy and his kid in a rural area near here who had some for sale. We got a little lost trying to find their place, but with the help of our cell phone, we found it. We filled up the back of the Jeep and now we have several evenings worth of firewood.

But before we did that, Regina and Katie (sort of, anyway) spent the morning watching the Hokies play football. Katie thinks that anyone playing football on TV are called Hokies, even though we've tried to explain it to her, she doesn't get it yet. We'll just let her think that for now, anyway. So while they did that, I headed out to Michaels with my email coupons in hand. Both coupons were valid only today. One of them before noon and the other one was valid after noon. The afternoon coupon was a greater discount, so I saved that one to buy a higher priced item. I was there to buy a scrapbook and scrapbooking accessories. I'm taking advantage of this free time I have during the day in the apartment to catch up on Katie's scrapbooks and I'm starting a new one that will contain nothing but her artwork. It was starting to pile up on me and I needed a way to not only manage it, but make it accessible so we could enjoy it.

After I finished my shopping at Michaels, I headed over to the grocery store and shared with them my story about leaving behind two items I had paid for yesterday during checkout. I was worried that they wouldn't believe me and they'd think I was scamming them to get free stuff. The customer service rep said cashiers usually bring the items to them when that happens. But, my items weren't there. She asked to see my receipt and didn't miss a beat before telling me to go find the items in the store and take 'em. Thank you, Fred Meyers for giving me the benefit of the doubt.

Black Friday

That sounds like such a negative term - black friday. But it's good, financially speaking. Right? Black means positive numbers on the books, which translates into profits while red indicates negative numbers, which represents loss. In this economy, I hope it truly is a black day.

Regina, Katie and I are NOT those (crazy) folks who get up at oh-dark-hundred hours (that's a military term, right?)to stand in line and fight the crowds to get the best discounts. I, for one, just don't have it in me, but I admire those who do.

Regina's company didn't get today off from work, this year. They will get it off next year, though. So, she went to work today. Of course it was a slow day and not many of her co-workers were there. She got her top priority tasks done quickly, allowing her to leave early. She met Katie and me at Red Robin for lunch. We then decided to brave the crowds at the mall, which was just across the street from the restaurant. We chose to walk over there rather than waste time and risk frustration trying to find a parking spot near the mall. We walked around the mall for a couple of hours and it wasn't too bad. It was certainly crowded, but it wasn't completely obnoxious. I'm sure we missed out on some incredible deals by not getting there at 5am, but I can't worry about that.

Of course, we had to stop by the Disney store to see if they had Bolt merchandise in yet. You'll be relieved to know that Bolt is in stores now. Katie got Bolt (the dog who thinks he has superpowers), Mittens (the sassy, street-wise cat), and Rhino (the oversized hamster) stuffed toys. We're thankful they price their stuffed animals quite reasonably.

Regina and I made some progress on our Christmas shopping. I'm pretty proud of our purchases and our savings. Although my favorite purchase wasn't on sale, darn it. I got it anyway because it is the perfect gift for this particular person!

Regina and Katie went home and I stopped off at the grocery store. Even though I was exhausted and my plantar faciitis was extremely sore, we needed several things. The only reason I mention this is because I'm upset with myself for leaving the store without two of the items for which I paid. I'm sure they were sitting there at the cashier's station, unnoticed by him, and completely forgotten by me, as I left. So, what do I do now? I checked my receipt and I definitely paid for them. Will they believe me if I return and tell them what happened? I guess I'll find out tomorrow when I go back and tell my sad story to the customer service staffer.

When I got home from the grocery store, Katie and Regina were already there since they went straight home from the mall. Shortly afterward, Regina put up our artificial, pre-lit Christmas tree. Artificial trees are pretty much taboo here in Oregon, the country's largest supplier of fresh Christmas trees. (I admit I haven't necessarily confirmed that to be true, but that's what I heard, and I find it easy to believe.) Anyway, in our defense, we bought the artificial tree when we lived in Phoenix where we learned that fresh trees don't last long in the dry climate. We also liked the idea of not having to install lights anymore, so we opted for artificial, pre-lit trees. We bought them at Frontgate.com in their after-season sale. So they're really nice and we didn't pay a fortune.

Once the tree was up and ready to receive ornaments, we fired up a bundle of wood in the fireplace, put on some new Christmas music I recently downloaded from Walmart.com (it's a little cheaper than iTunes and I can still load it on my iPod)and we decorated the tree. It was great fun.

Then at 8pm we all watched "Polar Express" on TV. This was the first time I'd seen the entire movie and I loved it. Check it out, if you haven't already.

Happy Thanksgiving

After our turkey soaked in a brine solution for about 14 hours (1 hour for every pound of turkey), I removed it from the ten-gallon zip lock bag, dumped the solution down the drain and had the turkey in the oven by about 8:30am. We ate our Thanksgiving meal at about 12:30pm. While I was preparing our meal, Regina and Katie walked to a nearby park. Katie was bouncing off the walls and needed a release. Fortunately, it wasn't raining, so it was a good time to go outside.

Because we are in an apartment this year with a minimally-furnished kitchen and we didn't want or need all the calories, we didn't have all the traditionally excessive side dishes this year. No stuffing, no mashies, no green bean casserole. I did make gravy though and we opened a can of jellied cranberry. Instead of potatoes, I made a batch of brown rice. We did have green beans, but not in casserole form. We also had a yummy orange cream fruit salad that is actually the perfect companion for the cranberry. The two tastes are so satisfying together.

After we cleaned up from the meal, we got into our matching Christmas pajamas. It might sound corny, but it's incredibly cute and we like it! I set up a make-shift photo studio and we took our family pictures we'll send out in Christmas cards in a couple of weeks.

The next activity on our schedule, we decided should be a trip to the movie theater to see the new animated Disney flick, Bolt. Ever since Katie saw a trailer for the movie about 6 weeks ago, she's been patiently waiting for its release. Today she was out of her mind with excitement. Fortunately, it was a good movie and I get the impression it met all of her expectations. She didn't leave her seat for the entire movie, which is pretty remarkable for her!

Happy Anniversary, Regina!

This week marks the year anniversary of Regina's employment at Epiq Systems here in Portland. To recognize the milestone, the folks to whom she reports sent her this gorgeous, oversized bouquet of flowers. I thought I'd share it with you here...

Pre-K Thanksgiving Concert and Feast

Katie's class invited parents to school today for a brief concert and a Thanksgiving feast put together by the kids. The meal turned out to be more for the kids than for the parents. But we managed to sample a few things on the table before it was all over.

Here is a short video of the festivities:

Weekend Houseguests

This weekend, we enjoyed the company of our friends, Melanie, Courtney and their 8-month-old twins Avery and Jack. They drove down from Seattle on Friday and left today after lunch. We loved being able to spend the entire weekend with them and look forward to the next time. Of course, we had our video cameras out and running. Here's just some of what I got. Enjoy...

No Rain Today!

I could have sworn the weather forecast last night said more rain for today. So, imagine my surprise when we woke up to sunshine this morning! It's been raining non-stop for several days now, so everyone is certainly ready for a break.

Katie was home today due to parent/teacher conferences. We met with her teacher at 11:20am and went to Red Robin afterward. Regina went back to work while Katie and I found a nearby park. I took my video camera. Take a look...

Music: Below Freezing by T. Michael Coleman

Video of Our Apartment

I've been meaning to post a video of our apartment and the surrounding area, but the weather has not been very cooperative for the outdoor shots. Today I went ahead and did it anyway, because there's no telling when this rain will ever stop! Additionally, I was motivated to do it today because the cleaning lady came so the apartment was neat and clean for filming. Anyway, here is a video of our current, but temporary, living arrangements...

Music: Yasmine by Shahin & Sepehr

Get Your Vitamin D Level Tested!

I had a physical the other day and part of the bloodwork included a test to see what my vitamin D level was. I came in at 32 and the normal range is something like 40-75, I think. So, I'm taking 3,000 IU of vitamin D3 daily for the next three months, at which time I'll be retested. I also take a tablespoon of Cod Liver Oil every day which includes 1,200 IU of vitamin D, but I mostly take that for the fatty acids.

My doctor said that most of us are deficient in vitamin D and don't even realize it. There are very few food sources that provide us with vitamin D and most of us don't get the right amount of sunshine (without sunscreen) per day to supply the vitamin D our bodies need. Studies are beginning to show that vitamin D deficiency is major factor in several cancers, depression, heart disease, chronic pain, and numerous other conditions. So, get your level checked! It's just a simple blood test. Do it the next time you see your doctor.

Today we saw Hood River, Oregon

Mel, Court and their family visited Hood River to stock up on local fruit canned nearby. Hood River, we learned, is only about an hour drive from our location here in Portland, so we decided to take advantage of the opportunity to see them. This morning we loaded up the car and headed east on highway 84 through the Columbia River Gorge. Boy, talk about a beautiful drive! The fall foliage is out in full color, but it was raining most of the time, so I failed to get any still shots or good video of its glory. Anyway, we ate lunch together and walked around the shops a little bit before it was time to hit the road. It was such a treat to get to see them, especially since we're now spending most of our time down here in Portland and they live in the Seattle area. I used to go over there every week and spend several hours visiting and playing with the babies. I really miss being able to do that.

Below are a couple of pictures of Katie I took today. In the first one she's modeling this new outfit we got her last night. I just love dressing her. Everything looks good on her slender little 4-year-old body! The second picture is Katie on the foyer floor putting together her new 100-piece puzzle. She really enjoys putting puzzles together and this one is her biggest challenge thus far.

P.S. What do you think... should we get a puppy? And if so, what kind?

Day 19 of 21-Day Cleanse

Well, I guess the cleanse is over. Unless Recees Peanut Butter Cups and Baby Ruth and Kit Kat candy bars are on it! Um, don't think so. I didn't go crazy though. I took them from Katie's Halloween candy, so they were all bite-sized rather than full-sized candy bars. Anyway, I don't know what came over me. I had just finished with my very healthy lunch and I suddenly had an overwhelming desire for a peanut butter cup. After a couple of minutes of contemplation, I figured one peanut butter cup isn't going to undo all the good I've done, is it? So, I allowed myself to have it and then I decided that one little bite-sized baby ruth isn't going to kill me either, right? So I ate that too! Anyway, you get the idea.

I think now what I'm going to do is try to eat the way I've been eating for the last 18 days, most of the time, while allowing a treat now and then. I doubt I'll go back to drinking coffee every morning. For me, once I'm drinking coffee every day, if I miss a day I get a horrible caffeine-withdrawal headache. I'll still drink it, because I love coffee, just not every single day. Also, I'd like to NOT add diet soda back into my diet. Maybe one now and then, but I should really stay away from it. There are no redeeming qualities in diet soda, whatsoever.

Time For Bed

It's time for bed, little mouse, little mouse,
Darkness is falling all over the house.

It's time for bed, little goose, little goose,
The stars are out and on the loose.

It's time for bed, little cat, little cat,
So snuggle in tight, that's right, like that.

It's time for bed, little calf, little calf,
What happened today that made you laugh?

It's time for bed, little foal, little foal,
I'll whisper a secret, but don't tell a soul.

It's time for bed, little fish, little fish,
So hold your breath and made a wish.

It's time for bed, little sheep, little sheep,
The whole wide world is going to sleep.

It's time to sleep, little bird, little bird,
So close your eyes, not another word.

It's time to sleep, little bee, little bee,
Yes, I love you and you love me.

It's time to sleep, little snake, little snake,
Good gracious me, you're still awake!

It's time to sleep, little pup, little pup,
If you don't sleep soon the sun will be up!

It's time to sleep, little deer, little deer,
The very last kiss is almost here.

The stars on high are shining bright --
Sweet dreams, my darling, sleep well...

Good night.

Day 17 of 21-Day Cleanse

I really, really want a Diet Dr. Pepper and a handful of Katie's Halloween candy today! Maybe it's because I was too lazy today to fix myself a decent lunch and now I'm dissatisfied, though not necessarily hungry. Well, maybe I am actually hungry. Even so, I still don't feel like cooking my usual lunch. A snack of apple and peanut butter sounds good though. That's what I'll do...

Day 15 of 21-Day Cleanse

I'm almost done and I can hardly believe I've actually managed to stick to it! Since starting 2 weeks ago, I've lost 5.2 lbs and although I don't really feel all that different yet as far as chronic issues go, I have eliminated food cravings that have been making it difficult to manage my weight. Even Halloween didn't tempt me with all the yummy treats given out so freely. I successfully abstained and don't feel like I missed out on anything. Hurray!

Katie and Me in the Morning

Wearing our matching Christmas PJs from 2 years ago.
I'll never get tired of Katie's hugs!

Happy Halloween!

Today didn't happen entirely how we planned it would. Regina woke up with a pretty bad headache. Thankfully though, I woke up feeling fine. That was a pleasant surprise, since I've been strung out on headaches for about the last 10 days, due to various things - not food, though (I've been very good about eliminating my "bad" foods). Anyway, Regina and I had appointments today with the same doctor at 10:00 and 10:40am. By the time we got there, Regina was feeling worse, it seemed to me, anyway. So, she saw the doctor first. I went in for my appointment later which was just a routine annual exam. The plan was for Regina to watch Katie while I did that, but as it turned out, Regina was unable to do that. So, Katie accompanied me for my (GYN) exam! The doctor was good about not exposing me directly to Katie - thankfully. We also got our flu vaccination. Instead of the shot this year, Katie and I both got the nasal mist. Katie took it very well, although she was not a willing participant. Of course, now after the fact, Katie is quite proud of herself for doing such a good job taking the medicine in her nose!

Okay, so meanwhile, Regina is in the room next to us, having received an injection of pain medicine and anti-nausea medicine, lying down with the lights low. She said later that her pain was almost gone, but she began throwing up and they had a hard time getting that under control. By the time we left, around noon, they thought she was vomitting less frequently so she might be feeling better soon. At home, she went straight to bed. Unfortunately, I heard her throwing up on several occassions after that. Katie and I had to leave and run the errands. When we got back, Regina wasn't any better. In fact, she was getting worse because the pain was returning because the pain medicine was wearing off and she was still nauseous. Argh! Well, there wasn't much I could do for her, so I let her rest and focused on getting Katie ready for trick-or-treating. At a little after 6pm, she and I headed out the door to hit up the neighbors for candy. Since Regina wasn't able to answer our door, I put two huge vats of candy on the porch. Fortunately, they were empty when we returned 90 minutes later. We teamed up with our immediate neighbors who have kids Katie's age and walked around as a group. We all had a good time. And even though it had been raining all day long, it dried up just in time for the outdoor festivities. Here are a few pictures of the kids:

When we returned from trick-or-treating, Regina was just miserable so we took her to the ER. They gave her their "migraine protocol" and she came home feeling much, much better. She even had an appetite for some of Katie's Halloween candy. Not long after that, she went to bed. No more pain, no more vomitting!