Condo Projects

I've been busy trying to update the condo. Last week I bought shades for the balcony, which I hung myself. Nothing like standing on a ladder, 3 stories up. It was a little scary but as long as I didn't look down, it wasn't so bad. I have a fear of heights (or more accurately, a fear of falling) but apparently my fear isn't too bad. All those years of dance have left me confident in my balancing abilities.

I also put in a skylight shade in the living room skylight. The window allows a lot of heat to come in so I got a shade that blocks the heat but allows the light to filter through. I had someone else come out to install this one; my ladders can't even reach the skylight.

Lastly, I played with tile and grout for the first time today. The corner tile of my shower fell off awhile back and I've been meaning to replace it. Home Depot has an all-in-one adhesive/grout so it was actually pretty easy. Fingers crossed that it will hold.

The projects never end.

Dark Knight at the IMAX

The new Batman movie is playing at the IMAX at the Air and Space Museum. I went with some friends to see it tonight and it was awesome! It was completely sold out (we had to get our tickets a week in advance). The movie was great on the huge screen. I even felt a little sick when it showed Batman on the roof of some 100 story building looking down. I was on the edge of my seat for most of the movie. Two thumbs up.

The Memory Keeper's Daughter

I just finished this book, The Memory Keeper's Daughter. It's about a doctor in the 60's that delivers his wife's baby in a snowstorm and it ends up being twins, a boy (healthy) and a girl (with Down Syndrome). He tells the nurse to take the girl (who his wife does not see) to an institution. The nurse can't do it and takes the girl away to raise her. I won't say anymore because I don't want to give the story away but the book is about how this decision affects all of their lives.

I'm fairly aware of what Down Syndrome is and reading yet another book on the topic didn't overly excite me. However, the book really isn't about the girl having Down Syndrome at all; it's about relationships. The author does an excellent job at conveying what the characters are feeling to the reader. She is able to show how different people view the same situation in such glaringly different ways. A lot of authors attempt this, but this one succeeded. It was almost gut-wrenching at times, knowing what one character was thinking and seeing another character take their actions completely out of context. It's an interesting book that really makes you think about how situations are not necessarily what they seem to be.

Tolerance for Alcohol

Where did it go? I swear, I could drink in college. I know that perhaps this is not something to be proud of, but I could hold my own with the drinking. My buddy Dan and I once finished an entire bottle of Jagermeister in one night. Ahh, Jager...... the memories you and I share.

We had an All Hands meeting for work last night that ran until 7pm. I went out with some coworkers afterwards. I had half of a frozen margarita thing (it was gross so I left the rest there) and then a glass of wine. This occured over almost 4 hours. So there's NO good reason for me to feel hungover. And yet, this morning my eyes and head hurt and I was all dehydrated.

We had a really good time though. My coworkers are a lot of fun; there are so many good people at this company.

Puppy Baths

I took some pictures during bath time today. I love how the pups get all scruffy-looking while they're drying off. Here's Georgie looking very concerned about being bathed and Izzie looking scruffy while she dries. Aren't they adorable?

More Friends in Town

My friends from Phoenix, John, Dacia, and their son Zeke, are in town and we met for lunch today. We went to Tachibana for sushi (of course). Sadly, they are here due to a death in the family. It was horrible news and very unexpected so it was a bittersweet get together. I really am glad that we were able to have lunch and catch up though.

What happened to my Happy Meal?

So I don't frequent McDonald's........... how long has the happy meal box been gone??? I felt a little piece of my childhood get stomped on today as I was handed a happy meal in a bag. A bag!!! Sigh.

Funny story though. So I ate at about 10:30 this morning and then was busy with work right up until I had to leave for a wedding dress rehearsal / dinner. After an hour and a half dress rehearsal (seriously, wtf?), I couldn't wait any longer for food. There was a rehearsal dinner but I was actually shaking from being faint and it was time for a meal. So I drove thru McD's and I got a happy meal.

I am SO not happy! I want my cool little box with the M for handles! Not a bag! What has the world come to when a Happy Meal comes in a bag??? I leave this for you to ponder.

Cleaning the Closet

Another "to do" on my never-ending list is cleaning out the bedroom closet. It has been a mess for a long time and today I was in a purging mood. I spent almost 4 hours in the closet and managed to fill 3 full trash bags with clothes, shoes, and purses for goodwill. I finally parted with all of my early 20's chunky shoes. They are horrible. I can't believe I used to wear some of the things I got rid of, but they were in-style then, I swear.

In addition, I found money! I found a $20 bill in one bag, and I emptied all of my bags/purses in the closet and found another $18 in change. I figure $38 isn't a bad pay-off for cleaning out my closet. I keep walking in there to admire my work. :)

Happy 4th of July everyone!