Repairs and rentals

We heard back from the body shop where we took my poor Mazda and so far the damage is $4,500, not counting possible damage to the rear suspension. Yikes! I am so grateful the other driver had insurance or we’d be out our deductible, which isn’t exactly low.

In the meantime, Enterprise has rented me a silver Hyundai Sonata, which looks surprisingly similar to my own car. I went to go pick up the car yesterday but got stuck on the bus in awful traffic on the way back to Seattle. I called Enterprise when I arrived downtown to tell them I wouldn’t be able to make it before they closed – there was no way I’d be getting up to Capitol Hill by bus in only 15 minutes since I had to get out of the bus tunnel and up and over a few blocks to another bus stop.

Luckily for me, Enterprise delivered on its promise to pick up potential clients and offered to meet me at the Seattle Hilton, only blocks away from the bus tunnel. I had to spend an awkward 20 minutes standing outside the hotel at the corner of University and 6th but Enterprise made it there. In fact, the whole exchange probably looked quite odd to any onlookers. The Enterprise guy zoomed up to the curb in the Sonata, rolled down his window and half-shouted, “Heather?!” I yelled “Yes!!”, ran into the street and jumped into the car. At least I was standing next to a car rental sign…

Midweek Tidbits

Happy Wednesday everyone! I got lucky today and didn't have to take the bus because Mark already had to go to a work site in Tukwila so he dropped me off at my office. I really appreciated my extra hour of sleep!

A crunched back end


Sunday began like any other day. I grabbed my keys and walked outside to my car. A Mazda hubcap glared at me from the sidewalk. I thought, is that hubcap mine? A quick once-over of the curb-side of the car revealed both hubcaps in place but as I rounded my car's rear left corner I was greeted with a vision no driver ever wants to see.

Gardening 101

After two months of discussing the possibility in my head, I've decided to give this whole gardening thing a shot! We have a garden plot in the back yard of the house we rent, so I got permission from the owner to dig it up and put in some veggies and herbs. The plot is perfect for a beginner - about 8'x10'. Big enough for a sizable crop but small enough to manage (I hope).

Mark and I dug up the ground cover and weeds that had taken over the plot on Saturday. It was a harder job than I imagined - I haven't wielded a shovel in a long time! I started out digging up the plot myself but Mark came down after seeing I wasn't making much headway. The ground cover plants were Spanish lavender (or so the buried plant markers told me) and I felt bad pulling them up because they were so pretty!

I don't remember the last time I was that grimy - or the last time I'd handled earthworms. I felt like I was a kid again in my aunt's and uncle's garden on the outskirts of Greeley, Colorado. Only our garden is much smaller than theirs was!

Before we went to town with the shovel

First Mariners game!

Last night we went with some friends to the Mariners/Orioles game. Our friend Maile is from Maryland and we were positive she'd be the only Orioles fan in the stadium, but the biggest Orioles fan in the northwest happened to be sitting a row behind us. He was a benevolent trash talker and his banter was hilarious! That's what I like - if you're going to talk trash, at least be nice about it! And he even kept the great attitude when his team lost to our M's. Great job Mariners and thanks for organizing the game, Maile!

(Click on the link below to see more pictures)

Midweek Tidbits: On Hiatus

With the vacation behind me and a crazy apartment and work to catch up on (yes, I do have a job), Midweek Tidbits will have to wait until next week. Sorry peeps... but Heather just has too much on her to-do list. Bear with me - I'll get back to my regular posting soon.

In other news, we're going to our first Mariners game of the season tonight! It's pouring right now but hopefully it will let up before 7 p.m., and if not then they can always close the roof on Safeco Field. Go M's!

Back from Hawaii


Mark and I returned from our vacation to Maui on Sunday. It was glorious to be away from work and the daily little stresses of life for a while. We stayed in Kihei at Mark’s parents’ condo – we all crashed the end of Mark’s sister and brother-in-law’s honeymoon and turned it into a family vacation. Kelly and Jesse, you both were so sweet to hang out with us on your honeymoon! :)

Paul and Della’s condo was basically a revolving door during the trip. Kelly and Jesse started out there and were joined by Paul, Della, Mark and me (and a stray gecko). When Kelly and Jesse left to return to Seattle, three moved in to take their place: family friends Gerald, Wendy, and Diane. We had fun sharing the condo with them for a night before we had to leave! Paul and Della, thank you so much for your hospitality – we had a great time! Now if I can only find some mahi mahi fish and chips somewhere…

Peanut chicken with a side of Goose

No, we didn't really eat goose with our dinner tonight. Goose is my longtime friend Jessica, who joined us for a dinner of chicken satay with peanut sauce. Jess and I have been friends for about six and a half years - we met as college freshmen on the third floor of Hill Hall at Seattle Pacific University and have been great friends ever since. Some time freshman or sophomore year, we decided to start calling each other Goose and Mav, after Tom Cruise and his friend in "Top Gun", and the names stuck.

I tried to find some good pictures of us from the dorms but the only one I could find of just the two of us is extremely embarrassing. So... Jess, don't kill me.

Oh college. Those were the days - we had nothing more important to do than style our hair all crazy, put on eyeliner and take pictures of ourselves. Besides writing essays and being upstanding citizens and such. Love ya Goose!

Midweek Tidbits

Good thing this is a four-day work week for me. I've been swamped at work trying to get all my ducks in a row before we go to Hawaii and the past two days have left me oh-so-ready for a vacation! I might have to forgo next week's Midweek Tidbits on account of white sand and blue ocean, so sorry in advance!

Five more days

We're leaving on Friday for Maui. Gotta get my head in work mode so I can get everything done before we go.

Too late.

Torture device a.k.a. the food processor

After almost a year and a half of ownership, I'm proud to say that I finally used one of my kitchen appliances for the very first time: my food processor.

I was intimidated by its sheer heft (probably equal to the Kitchenaid mixer if not heavier) as well as its many attachments. I opened the accompanying box with its many blades and add-ons and thought (somewhat morbidly) that it looked like some kind of torture kit that bad guys bring out in movies when they want the tied-up good guy to tell them THEIR SECRETS. Anywho, I made this chicken curry recipe last night and chopped up the chicken marinade with the processor. If I was a big salsa-eater, I might use this machine every day. But then I'd have to haul it out of the credenza... I guess I could always use some exercise.