The Volvo

My brother just bought an Audi. It's blue with silver trim and suede seats. With a V8 engine in the mix, it's the total package. So when he mentioned that he needed to get rid of his Volvo, I jumped at the opportunity.

My Sentra has been good to me. For nine years it has gotten me to work, dinner with loved ones and even trips across the country. But this last year has seen a decline in its reliability.

Logic and I have toyed with the idea of getting a new, more reliable car. He wanted to stay true to his second love, Honda, while I was hoping to stick to my heritage with a Volkswagen. But when the Volvo hung in the balance, we both knew it was the right decision. So this morning we met with my brother to write a check and sign over the title.

It's official, I have a new car.

Michael

"I'm not superstitious, but I am a little stitious."
~The Office

*Swoon*

Top Ten Reasons I Enjoyed Jury Duty

10) It was more interesting than I expected.

9) I was fortunate enough to share this experience with 11 other fun and interesting people.

8) It was the bailiff's first case so we tried to convince him that it was his job to get us doughnuts and make us coffee.

7) It was the prosecuting attorney's first case, and she was nervous. Some funny things slipped out of her mouth during cross examination.

6) We passed around a baggy of weed in deliberation.

5) The food selection was much better than what I'm used to at my end of town.

4) One old lady fell asleep during closing arguments. Needless to say, she was "randomly" selected to be the alternate and was instructed to leave before deliberation.

3) The defendant dug himself one hell of an amusing hole on the stand.

2) I had enormous amounts of time to read my book: Eat, Pray, Love

And the number1 reason I enjoyed jury duty: I missed work for four days and still got paid!

One Day Down, Possibly One to Go

Logic dropped me off at the courthouse with 10 minutes to spare. I ran across the street and picked up something to eat and then stood in line to walk through security.
Once in the building, I walked down a long marble-tile hallway and entered the jury room with a dozen other people. We were greeted with a winding line that wove through the room. Over 400 people congregated in one small area to do their civic duty.
Shortly after checking in, my name was called and I was escorted to a courtroom where I spent the next three hours answering questions. And just as I was feeling invested in the case, I was excused. I took the walk of shame back to the jury room where I had to check back in.
Surprised and relieved, I was able to leave for the day with instructions to be back at 8:45 the next morning. I couldn't remember the last time I'd been given the freedom to run amok in the city so I took full advantage. I walked to the gym and had a great workout. While on the elliptical, I debated between going downtown to spend money I didn't have or taking the car and going home. I decided on the latter and spent my afternoon putting around the house.
By the time Logic got home I had dinner on the table and the house was clean. He was impressed and none the wiser that I'd also had time to relax. ;)
Today I woke up and decided to take the bus to the courthouse. This gave me time to have breakfast, write a post and get ready at leisure.
I'm not expecting it to be as interesting or lackadaisical as yesterday but I hope I'm wrong.

Here We Go Again - Fark

First of all, do you have any suggestions for what I should post these Fark blogs under? I'm getting tired of my titles.
Second, here's today's interesting article presented through Fark about why we should work 4 days a week instead of 5.

The Meme I Stole from Lach

Whom she got courtesy of Trop, Maria, and a few others.

Hi, my name is Jennifer. (sshhh!)

But you can call me Amaya.

Never in my life have I gone cow-tipping.

When I am nervous my palms sweat.

The last song I listened to was "Kiss Kiss" by Chris Brown.

If I were to get married right now, it would be illegal since I already am.

My hair is finally back to its natural color. That's about 10 years in the making.

When I was four, I called the police when I realized I was home alone with my brother. He was really tall and scared me.

Last Christmas I fell down a flight of cement stairs and tore my pants. I'm actually wearing those pants today for the first time since then.

I should be full by now but I keep eating.

When I look down I see that hole in my pants.

The happiest recent event was reaching the door to the hotel and hearing my sisters talking without them knowing I was there yet.

If I were a character in Friends, I’d be Chandler. Yes, he was a boy but he and I deal with stress in the same way = humor.

By this time next year, I'll be one year closer to leaving Seattle.

My current distress is my lack of interest in work.

I have a hard time understanding French, because I don't speak it.

There are these girls who live in Kalispell that I miss very much.

If I won an award, the first person I would tell is Logic.

I want to buy my brother's volvo.

I plan on visiting Hawaii again before Lilikoi and Ranger move.

If I could spend the night at any house, it would be my parent's.

The world could do without diamond encrusted cell phones.

The most recent thing I bought myself will shortly be returned because it didn't fit.

The most recent thing that someone else bought for me was a muffin from Jill at the airport.

My middle name is Ann.

In the morning, Logic likes to sing me little songs. But I'm usually too grouchy to appreciate them.

Last night I was very domestic. I did laundry, dishes, cooked and cleaned.

There is this guy I know who set the bar really high. I feel so fortunate to have found someone who lives up to the standard he set.

If I was an animal, I would be a monkey so I could fly from tree to tree. Plus everyone loves a monkey. Whooohooo haaaahaaaa.

A better name for me would be jennifurryface (Logic calls me that sometimes).

Tomorrow will be one day closer to my parent's visit next month.

Tonight I am cooking Baked Shrimp with Feta Cheese.

In My Head

When I was flying in from Spokane on Sunday I knew we were getting closer to Seattle because clouds started to form below the plane. And then, as quickly as they appeared, we dove head first into them. Since then I’ve tried to visualize that moment whenever the clouds are bugging me because it reminds me that the sun and blue sky are just above all this. The clouds seem less daunting this way and it’s a reminder that just because Seattle is gloomy doesn’t mean the world is. It seems to be helping so far – we’ll see how effective it is in December though.

Fark - Trip to School

Remember when your parents told you they had to walk to school barefoot, in the snow, up hill...both ways? It still wasn't this bad.

Keith Urban

After the horrible day I had on Thursday I finally got to the Spokane Arena around six o'clock, picked up the concert tickets and headed inside to see Keith Urban.
Laurie and I arrived really early and were disappointed with the size of the crowd. For a minute we even questioned if we'd come on the wrong day. But after an hour of eating pizza and drinking beer we came back to our seats to find the arena nearly full.
The opening act was The Wreckers. They were so-so. Everything felt over-choreographed and their sound tech should be fired - It was impossible to understand their lyrics.
Then the lights came up and they set the stage for Keith. Laurie and I had a hard time watching the lighting crew dangle above the stage and crawl to their designated seats under three large beams. The belt that attached them to the apparatus was only slightly comforting. But our excitement grew the closer those men got to their seats because we knew that once they were situated the show would begin. As soon as the last man was buckled into his dangling deathtrap, er seat, the lights went down, the crowd rushed the stage and the band snuck on.
The next three hours flew by. All I remember is: Keith played every song I wanted him to, his voice sounded crisper in person, his smile was very sexy, he had amazing energy, a fan rushed the stage during the acoustic set, he dedicated a song to his wife, he tamed the hell out of his guitar and I didn't want the show to end.
Even in the nose-bleeds, it was the best concert I've ever seen. Laurie and I will definitely be at his next concert and we're getting front row seats.

Correspondence From My Dad

Me: Hola Papa! Como estas? Donde esta la bibliotecha? Qual es la fetch hoy? Un cervesa por favor. Donde esta las banas?

Dad: As I am going through your spanish, here is what I have come up with.You are telling me that you found BACTERIA when you went to FETCH HAY and something to do with the FLAVOR of the BANANAS. How did I do?

A Series of Unfortunate Events

Thursday morning I flew to Spokane, as I previously mentioned. When I arrived at 12:35 I immediately called the Holiday Inn Express and told them I was ready for the shuttle to come pick me up. Luggage in hand, I sat outside baggage claim for forty five minutes. During that time I tried to convince myself that the hotel was farther away from the airport than I calculated or that traffic must be really bad because it was lunchtime. But after forty five minutes I figured I was safe to check on the shuttle without coming across as a huge bitch.
"Holiday Inn Express. This is Sarah, how may I help you?"
"Yes, I called for a shuttle forty five minutes ago and I was wondering if there has been a delay of some sort?"
"Um. Uh, do you remember who you spoke with?"
"Her name was Jenna."
"Great, thanks. May I put you on hold?" "It seems Jenna didn't tell anyone you were waiting."
"Okay, so what about Paul? I called him this morning to tell him my arrival time and confirm a reservation for the shuttle?"
"Oh, well. Uh, I'll leave to come get you right now."
So I wait. Another thirty minutes go by before I see the Holiday Inn Express shuttle. But as the shuttle approaches and I try to wave it down, it drives right past me. Finally, it slows down at the end of the loading zone and as I run to catch it I notice that the woman is on the phone - calling the hotel for my number. I have to knock on the passenger window for her to even notice that I'm there and even then she doesn't move. She signals for me to jump in the back.
"Oh good. I thought maybe you'd found another ride and I missed you."
"Nope. I was standing right where I told you I'd be."
"Yeah, well it's really busy back there. I didn't see you." (looking back to find 3 other people on the sidewalk)
So I hop in the back, carrying my own luggage, and spend the next ten minutes trying to avoid every question she throws at me in an attempt to calm me down. By the time we got to the hotel I was more upset than I'd been all morning because she continued to make excuse after excuse and never once apologized.
As she pulls up to the front door, I get out, get my own luggage and walk into the hotel. Paul is there with a key and a lack of apology. I finally reach the hotel room and greet my sisters only to walk into a boardroom. Beyond the entrance was a minibar and a large administrative desk. The "suite" also included two queen beds and a bathroom but there was no sight of a kitchenette or a couch, as requested during the reservation.
Frustrated and hungry, we walked across the street to have lunch and decided we should do something about our room. Jill called the front desk and asked to speak with a manager. But of course there wasn't a manager on duty. So she left a message explaining our situation. When she hung up we all joked about how it's too late to get the room we requested anyway because the hotel is full.
Jill spent the next thirty minutes on the phone with Expedia - talking to the dumbest person on their payroll and finally reserved a room at the Red Lion just down the street. Then we went back to the HIE, packed up and checked out. At that point they offered us fifty percent off our stay but we'd had enough.
We drove down the street to check in at the Red Lion only to find we'd been given a room overlooking the parking lot instead of a river front room. Luckily for the Red Lion, they did have a manager on duty and he was more than happy to help Jill resolve the issue and walk Jill around to show her some alternate rooms.
In the meantime, Laurie and I drove to the arena to pick up our Keith Urban tickets at will-call but the window didn't open until 5:00. It was 4:05. Instead of heading back to the hotel, we tracked down a liquor store and bought a bottle of vodka and a savignon blanc. We pulled up to the hotel just as Jill picked up the keys to our new room and as soon as the bell-hop left, we went straight for the bottles.
Vodka was poured for Laurie and Jill and I tried to open the wine. But in the spirit of the day - it wouldn't open. We tried everything. At one point Jill was holding the bottle opener in the cork at one end and I was pulling on the bottle at the other. We tried shoving a straw through, hoping to make a hole and even broke my tweezers in an attempt to dig the cork out. Nothing worked. We would later return the bottle for another one that went unopened.
Luckily for us, the day looked up from there (although, that could be the vodka talking). We finally had a roof over our heads and we were together.

Almost Sister's Weekend

Today I leave for Spokane. My flight is at 11:30 and I should be on the ground an hour later. There I will meet up with two of my three sisters. Paige ultimately decided to spend her birthday weekend with her husband and kids so she won't be joining us. (Can't say I blame her. I'd pick time with her babies over the sister's any day. ;) )
Once we get settled, Laurie and I will head to the Keith Urban concert while Jill meets up with some old high school friends that live in the area. (Laur recently told me "what happens at the concert, stays at the concert." I'm curious to see what that's about.)
Tomorrow we'll all be lounging by the pool, going to the park and having a nice dinner out. Then on Saturday, if all goes as planned, I'm going to surprise the sisters by meeting up with our brother, Tom for dinner. They don't know he's going to be in Spokane for a birthday party so I figured it would be the perfect opportunity to surprise them. Laurie hasn't seen him in over three years so it should be pretty exciting.
Sunday, we all fly home. And start planning the next sister's weekend. Only this time, we'll plan it around Paige.

A Thud in the Night

I sleep with a mask on. It keeps my eyes from wandering so I can get a better night's sleep. Without it, I would wake up and stare at the ceiling - coming up with new reasons to obsess over something. But since it requires my eyes to stay closed, I can make a conscious effort to listen to my breathing and fall back asleep rather quickly.
With my mask on, I usually find George to my left around 4:00 every morning. He sure loves to cuddle with his mama. But as a fluffy fur-ball approached this morning, I discovered it to be Grace. I had to lift my eye mask to be sure. I'm still surprised that she wanted to cuddle, she usually likes her space at night. But since she was willing to love me, I took full advantage. I turned on my side, allowing her to brush up against me and lie down close enough for some scratching.
She began to purr. And then, THUD. Somehow she managed to slip off the bed. And not Gracefully (ha!) either. It was a loud thud proceeded by four paws scampering away in embarrassment.
I wonder how long it will be before she tries to cuddle with me again?

A Thank You

A few weeks back, Lach and Bayou flew to the Midwest for some family time and had our mutual friend watch their dog. He had a few conflicts during the week they were gone and asked me to stop by and entertain Sumi for an hour or two.
I didn't mind because Lach and Bayou are good friends and they are great about helping out when we go on vacation. Plus Sumi and her feline counterpart, Gypsy, are pretty adorable. So I stopped by twice; played a little catch, rubbed some tummies and made sure they had enough food.
No skin off my back. But this morning Lach surprised me with 2 Terrace Club tickets to tonight's Mariner's game. I was speechless.

Funny Fark Headline

"Senator Larry Craig (R - I dunno), who was NEVER GAY, but was resigning, still WASN'T GAY, and was not resigning, is resigning again. But he is still DEFINITELY NOT GAY. Penis"

Happy Birthday Kinlie

My niece turned 17 today. It's like she's a real-live-person with memories and thoughts. And it freaks me out. When did she stop being "my niece" and start being a real person?
She is a manager of the Varsity volleyball team at her high school and will be spending today plus 2 more days in Great Falls with the team. Having learned that over the weekend, I called last night to wish her a happy birthday. Surprisingly, she was home so I actually got to talk to her. In fact, we talked for over 30 minutes. I think that's more than I talked to her when I used to stay over for the summer years back. It felt like an adult conversation. I gave advice, she gave her opinions, we made fun of each other. It was really great. And it made me miss her even more.

Ohanapecosh

The funny thing about camping is that only people with money would find enjoyment in a weekend where it's required that you sleep on the ground, scrounge for food and don't bathe. In other parts of the world I believe that's called poverty.
That perspective aside, camping can also be a great way to retreat to nature when life in the city is too much to bear. Simplicity at it's finest. It is for that reason that Logic and I trekked into the wilderness with 2 dear friends and spent the weekend roasting hot dogs, hiking through old-growth forests and playing poker. When we returned home yesterday we felt rejuvenated. And exhausted. But mostly rejuvenated.