It Started with a Journal

I don't know if any of you guys use Tippr or how many cities they operate in, but a couple of months ago there was an offer for 1 hour of handyman services from a particular company for $45, which is half off, and if enough people purchased the voucher, they would up the value to $120. I was one of the people who purchased the voucher (and it did meet the requirement to increase the value), because I was having those problems with the birds in the attic at the time, and thought I might want to use them. Well, I ended up going with someone else instead (through a recommendation K. made), so I still have this voucher. A rep from the company contacted me recently, being like, "So... what do you want us to do?" I've now made up a list of stuff that could be done in my house, and it would be awesome if I could get it all done for that original $45. I'm wary though that I'll end up spending WAY more if it takes them a long time to get a couple of things done!

I finished Into the Wild. I'm still torn about how I feel about the guy and the events. I felt pretty critical of him at the beginning, but by the end, I don't know. Is it really such a terrible crime to be naive and idealistic? It's not really like he caused anyone's death but his own. He did put his parents through some anguish, but I don't think he should have changed who he was to please them, either.

I am starting the process of hardening off my seedlings. I think I'm just going to take it very slowly and do it over the course of 2-3 weeks. Hopefully by then spring will have set in for real. This weekend I need to get more potting soil, I think I am going to repot some of the seedlings as well as some rosemary I'm trying to grow from cuttings. Plus my big aloe plant seems to be having many little pups, so I'll need to get those into their own pots eventually as well.

Yesterday a giant steel pig -- Maximus/Minimus -- came to our work place. They were there as part of another group's event, but stuck around to do some extra business. So nice to have something *different* for lunch. I have to say, their BBQ pork sandwich with maximus sauce was very good, if on the small side.

I have found a new espresso drink to love: the Americano. If you're unfamiliar with it, it's basically the exact same thing as a latte, but made with water instead of milk (so if you're like me, you have to add your own cream and sugar separately). It's got a lovely, strong coffee flavor, and is harder to 'screw up' in case you're not sure of the barista. It also costs less than a latte, but not THAT much less considering there's no syrup and water is much cheaper than milk. Still, it tastes really, really good, especially with pastries.

K. and I went to Mistral Kitchen last night. It was the first night of Seattle's Restaurant Week. She and I are planning to take full advantage; we both have 4-5 restaurants that we're planning to go to. Tomorrow night we're going to Canlis, then on Thursday I'm going to Crush with my friend S., who's in town from Oregon. (I'm actually seeing him tonight, too -- we're going to Bai Tong, which I've heard from a number of sources is the only Thai restaurant in Seattle worth going to -- we shall see.) Then on Monday I am going to Seastar with corianderstem, to Dahlia Lounge with J. on Wednesday, and finally to Union with my mom on Thursday, the last day of Restaurant Week. Whew!! I do so love eating out.

That's also a good segue way to the fact that my mom is visiting soon in order to help K. out with the kids while K.'s husband is out of town. It'll be really cool to see her, of course, but not THAT exciting since I JUST saw her recently. Plus it means there will be EVEN MORE eating (too much of a good thing in too short a time). She's already made me promise to take her to Senor Moose, and she'll be joining me and K. at Spring Hill for their special, by-reservation-only, fried chicken dinner. K. and I have been looking forward to that for AGES. Also I'm planning to cook at least two dinners while she's here -- a Korean-themed meal and an Indian-themed meal. Hope I can pull it off. What IS really cool is that she'll be here over Mother's Day, and while she's here K. can show her how to use her pressure cooker, which is identical to the one I just got her.

If you haven't already seen, a fabulous mystery artist drew this for me as part of the D/G Fic Exchange. Squee!

The newly repackaged (making a number of improvements, and adding one of the movies) Blu-Ray set of Battlestar Galactica is now available, and Amazon is selling it for $149.99 (retail price is $349.99). So... tempting...

I'm in the middle of 3 books at the moment. I've started Breaking Dawn, which is torturous so far. It's somehow even worse than the series has already been. I find myself wanting to throw it aside in disgust every other line. The worst part of the series is how much Bella HAS, that we are somehow supposed to feel sorry for her for having. Her life is SO DIFFICULT. Not. (To be fair, it is sort of like Mia whining about having to be a royal princess in The Princess Diaries, except Mia is likable. You know, to me.) The only way I am getting through it so far is by allowing myself to stop after every chapter, or every few pages because the chapters are so long (at least, it seems like it -- and ugh that the book is as thick as OotP), and reading something else. Which brings me to the other two books that I've started: Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer, a real-life story pieced together about this guy who abandons everything in his life, goes off into the wilderness of Alaska, and is found there 4 months later, dead; and Throne of Jade by Naomi Novik, the second book in the Temeraire series. The latter two are so engrossing that I find myself really reluctant to put them down in order to go back to the dreck of Stephenie Meyer. BUT I promised jade_okelani that I would finish the series, so I will, and plus once I'm done I can list all 4 books as a set on eBay.

Finally, a confession: I have cheated in my garden. I am a total garden cheater. I went to Flower World yesterday, and if you've never been, it's basically like a giant amusement park for gardeners. It is ginormous. There's a map, just like an amusement park, to help you get to different parts of the nursery because it's that big. There's even a part where you can kind of drive through to look at all the big potted trees for sale. Also, there are chickens. ( What I got... )