It Almost Feels Like Summer

The weather is still gloomy as ever but at least it's not freezing. It was a balmy 55 degrees yesterday morning and I was able to ride my bike to work for the first time this year. Go me! Although, my entire ride is basically down hill so I picked up quite a bit of speed which increased the windchill factor, which made my eyes water, which made my mascara bleed into my watery eyes, which made them burn intensely. I arrived at work looking like I'd seen  a cat get hit by a car or something...  all puffy and squinty and drippy. bleh. I had no time to fix my face, however,  since work was crazy from the start. Wine Wednesdays: a day of drinking ridiculously awesome wine. Mostly french. Very expensive. Tough life.

Sometime in the middle of Wine Wednesday, Claudia, a wine rep for Mt Baker Vineyards and organic farmer, brought by a huge, one pound bag of greens... yes. GREENS. I never thought I would get so excited over lettuce but this lettuce is bomb-ass lettuce, okay. LOOK AT IT! dandelion buds, butter lettuce, spinach, arugula, other things that I don't recognize... oh man. the best salad you will ever eat ever. Period.

Claudia has to grow them in a greenhouse to keep them warm enough to grow all through the summer. It makes me want to have a veggie garden! I love fresh, local produce. Hands down, it's the only way to eat. Will made an awesome dinner  to go with our salad... spicy apricot chicken and fingerling potatoes... yum yum yum. He made the bbq sauce and everything!! So delicious.

After I ate way too much chicken, Will, Kelly and I all went to the Brown Lantern for game night. Play a board game and get a free beer? Really? So we played Boggle for an hour, which is hilarious when you're drinking because you come up with all the naughty words. "Teats" and "Titties" were popular words that night, despite the fact that titties is not in the dictionary. Kelly kicked our butts in Boggle, proving her English degree to be useful after all. A guy came around and collected all the games after about an hour and a half and we decided we'd all get one more beverage before we called the taxi. Then Will had a revelation: Come up with a clever name for a drink and then ask the bartender to make it according to it's name. After debating over Hepatitis Tea, Chocolate Rain and Unicorns Blood, Will decided on the latter. The bar tenders got really excited and methodically concocted this:



"Watermelon Schnapps on the bottom because it resembles blood" explained the bartender "and then Goldschlager because unicorn blood is shiney, obviously. We added a touch of hypnotic for flavor and, to top it off... Kraken Vodka. 'Cause it looks badass."  Sweeeeet. We let Will take the entire shot because it was already midnight and the cab was on it's way... Will got waaayyy too silly right as we arrived home 10 minutes later, lol. We've decided that we will order one custom drink every time we go to the bar from now on.

To finish off the Deans recap, Will, Penny and I went on a walk around the neighborhood to savour the partly cloudy, early evening sun. And we weren't chilly at all! I took my wine along on our walk... It kind of felt like Thanksgiving, when your whole family is over and you play football in the park with a glass of wine or a pint of beer or something... not that I want to start reminiscing about fall when we are barely getting weather over 62 degrees here. Anyways, We talked about planning a camping trip and how we need to put the bike rack back on the Volkswagen and how silly our puppy is. Good, good evening. And on that note, good night! See you soon, California!

Home Stretch

The sun stays up until 9 o'clock now. For some reason the late afternoon light makes me so happy and motivated. As the light turns shades of orange and red, my little brain tells me it is time to go on a hike or have a photo shoot in the garden. Mostly I want to lounge in the backyard with glass of lemonade in a pair of shorts and sunglasses and listen to pop music. Someday soon, when Will and I have our own place, I will be sure to indulge myself.

It is seriously bizzar how the sunshine makes everyone so happy. Will was in such high spirits that he made homemade oreo-cookie ice cream. Milk, sugar, cream, salt and oreos. Only five ingredients! And it only takes 15 minutes to make with our new ice cream maker. Next time, I hope he uses fresh blackberries or peaches or strawberries. I've been on a fresh fruit kick lately. Probably because everything tastes so good right now! Greek yogurt, honey and fresh fruit could be the only thing I ever eat for the rest of my life so long as the berries are fresh and sweet and as amazing as they are right now.
Despite all the good feelings I get from a little sun exposure, I have been homesick as of late. Along with a feeling of being a rat in a cage. So on Wednesday Will, Kelly and I all went to the Angels vs  Mariners game in Seattle. Baseball reminds me of a simpler time in my life. It reminds me of being in high school and meeting my friends at the movie theater on a Friday night. It reminds me of falling asleep in the back seat of my parents van, listening to am radio.
The Angels lost, unfortunately, but by that time I had plenty of beer and stadium food in my belly so I was happy and content and sleepy. It was a good time. We had awesome seats right on the ground floor behind second base. I felt I could reach out and shake Ichiro's hand... I should have. Maybe that would have distracted him from catching every fly ball. Damn him.

Deans are on the home stretch! We are on the last leg of our journey, people! Soon we will be making new memories in a new home with old friends :)

just enough to keep me going

I feel like I'm letting a lot of things slip through the cracks lately... I feel overwhelmed by my daily responsibilities as a result. Mostly because of a few new obsessions: Blog design, DIY room makeovers and digital scrapbooking. Since Kelly moved in, my main focus is converting a dining room into a guest bedroom. Sound ridiculous? That's because it sort of is. Not only is it completely exposed to the rest of the house, and is it adjacent to the stairwell, it also has a giant iron chandelier in the center that everyone keeps hitting their head on. I fear that Kelly may have a concussion at this point. We  finally finished painting the walls back to a neutral shade of white. Now the room is a blank canvas.

A few snags in the decorating process:

*Doors. Without doors, Kelly refuses to put in any furniture out  fear that the dogs will pee on it.

*Kelly has no furniture to begin with. Henceforth, we've been scouring thrift shops, yard sales and dumpsters.

here is a piece that I was really excited about. I loved its simplicity and felt it would be really easy to repaint and add cute hardware. That is, until we realized just how bad of shape it is actually in. Which is discouraging. It needs some serious structural updating, particularly the drawers, and the wood is actually really  low quality.

so instead of trying to restore the piece, I'm thinking it would be a lot easier and more fitting for the dresser itself to go with a "dumpster chic" look. If you think that sounds awful, stop being so judgmental!Anthropologie is famous for this style of furniture. They mix elegant shapes and patterns and bright fabrics with tattered wood and distressed metals. I think its beautiful. 

so with a little more distressing of the wood via paint, stains and sanding, and a few added pieces of beautiful hardware...

I think we could have something that could belong in a room like this:

I mean, the dresser was only $5 and to get it fully restored would cost a few hundred extra- which we don't have so ... I like this idea. Plus, Kelly and I spray painted some frames we found hiding in the garage to use either as a headboard or something else and they seem more along the lines of shabby/dumpster-ey too so ... we think it will look pretty cool!

All this week we will be playing around with the dresser and getting the frame on the wall. Hope we get it done quickly! Kelly needs a room asap!!!

With love,
jess

Just an Update

This past month has been exciting. Kelly Deans, my sister-in-law, is moving in with the rest of the family. Meaning, our already packed/chaotic house will basically be a Nut-House. But Kelly is more like a friend, and considering the relationship she has with her actual sister, thats pretty much a good thing, lol. So I will have a girlfriend on hand at all times, lol. Wednesday is the day... woot woot.

In Anacortes News: tomorrow is the official Tulip Festival Parade in downtowsn Mt Vernon and my very own Will Deans will be IN IT! He is dressing up as the mascot for US Bank and will ride on a float and dance inappropriately, I'm sure, pelvic thrusting the old ladies who are waving flags and wearing visors. I am NOT looking forward to tomorrow because not only will I be missing the parade, it is also the Anacortes Wine Festival which is basically a drunk-fest. Or Maybe I'm bitter that the weather is supposed to be awesome and I will be dealing with drunkies wishing I was one of them. Either way, I may have to break open a bottle of bubbly before noon just to give the illusion of a celebration, even though I will be forced to stay indoors and sell more alcohol to the already severely intoxicated.

It has been a busy past couple of weeks for Will and I... mostly due to the fact that Will becomes my indentured servant when I volunteer to throw a party... Kim turned 30 last week and I planned the most awesome party... it drove Will insane. He was forced into manual labor while I tied ribbons onto goodie bags and shopped for decorations. He threatens to divorce me if I plan another party. Ever. But all my weekends were spent obsessing over party-planning that I feel like I've had no days off. Not to mention that I had to work on my days off this week just to cover the craziness of  the shop. So this weekend is going to be spent doing things for me... and most likely drinking at the Brown with Kelly.... maybe some karaoke on wednesday ;) Tootles.

The Year That Went

The title of my blog is suddenly meaningless and a little bit condescending. It's a constant reminder that we failed. It's not as if I am blindsided by this reality, I mean, we had a rough start. One year just wasn't going to be enough time and I realized that pretty soon after we moved here. I just wish we could be done with this part of our lives.

Life in Washington goes into hibernation mode during the winter months. Everything slows down and people wait inside their homes until the Farmers Market comes back to town and whale watching season starts up again. In case I haven't been clear about Anacortes, there isn't much shopping and dining, clubs, bars, concerts, festivals, or any kind of gatherings targeted towards young people that exist within our town. In fact, Will and I have to drive about an hour and a half to get to a "real" city. You know, a place with a Trader Joes, and a decent mall and a Chipotle. During the summer, we did a lot of hiking and camping and BBQ-ing and drinking, all of which were relatively solitary activities but at least the sunshine and exercise kept us from feeling as isolated as we were. Now that the sun has been gone for about 6 months now, it is painfully apparent that there is no where to go and nothing to do. Since the day we moved here, people assured us that the weather "Isn't that bad" and the "The summers are spectacular!" But seriously, the weather is REALLY bad. Not because it's particularly cold or even rainy, but it never changes. Its always, partly cloudy, 45 degrees and windy. Even in the summer, the weather was pretty much the same. Sure, we had a week or 2 of sunshine and warmth, but that was it. So I'm hibernating. Watching the wind rip out trees and the rain create lakes in our backyard.

I think the real reason I am so mopey lately is because we've instituted a sticked budget plan to get us back to Southern California by September. I know how important is is for us to stay on track but its really hard. I like shopping. I like eating out and I like getting away from Anacortes.

I am, however, really optimistic about moving in with Kelly Suk this September. Even though we have a long ways to go before we'll be ready to move, It seems close enough for me to start looking for houses and planning  future remodels for my fictitious house. And that is the most exciting part about moving in with Kelly: We can afford to rent a big house. No more sharing walls and laundry rooms and no more carpets stained with bong water. I know that I have been bitching about how much I hate having roommates but Kelly is more like... I dunno, an extension of me. We've known each other for so long now that we instinctively... blend? I mean, we're completely different people who have totally different lives, but at the same time, when our two lives interact, they do so flawlessly. I am not worried about how living together will affect our friendship nor am I worried about how it will affect my marriage. Since Will and I are totally in sync and move together like a school of fish, Kelly fits in just the same. So I've started fantasizing about hardwood floors and a big back yard and a guest room and Thanksmas 2011.

We're looking to move to south Los Angeles or Long Beach because we still need to be close enough to Orange County so Kelly can get to school and work. But we all agreed that we've out grown the OC for the time being and we need to start the next chapter of out lives in a new city. Regardless of where we end up, though, I know that I will be infinitely more happy than I am in Anacortes.

A New Chapter

2011... that looks preposterous in writing. What is even more unbelievable is that it has been nearly a year since we moved here. Almost at the 365 day mark. Insanity. It doesn't even feel like a year has passed. It went so quietly, sneaking around on pointed toes, trying to avoid eye contact as if it were embarrassed. And now we are fully engulfed by yet another year that promises to be equally chaotic. Im not complaining, though. Now that we're down to the wire in our "365 days" I feel incredibly motivated to shape up and get things done. I also feel like we're finally in a good place financially. Before, we were still trying to sort things out and whatever and now it all seems to make sense. I am so determined to make it back for all the fun that 2011 has in store. Even though no matter where you live, life seems to find a way to disappoint you.

I keep in contact with my former life as best I can, trying to live vicariously though the people with whom I associated myself with most. And no matter how much fun they seem to be having in Facebook photos, there is always that underlying drama that never fully settles and constantly ruins your good time. Come to think of it, Will and I look pretty darn happy in all our Washington pics, even if we are lonely. Maybe the key to having a good time is looking good and smiling wide for photos because when all is said and done, photos are all you have left. Maybe if we stop trying so hard to make a memory, we wont be disappointed when the moment passes and you start feeling like a cheap date. Just look at those pretty pictures and remember it being glorious. 

So, the point I was trying to get at is New Years Eve- its never ever super-awesome-good-happy-fun-time. EVER. I spent the majority of the day wishing I was in LA with all my friends instead of making last minuet dinner reservations at a local hotel. It turns out, though, I probably had a better time then my friends in Cali. Mostly because, even if you are spending New Years Eve with people you love, you always tend to have the crazy high expectations, and you always have conflicting interests and you always end up a little bummed out. I had zero expectations. Therefore I pretty much enjoyed myself. And we took some pretty cute pics and I will look back and see smiles and butterflies and sunshine ;)

Now, New years day was a great day for me. i woke up at ten, slightly hungover, had some coffee and then went on a hike with Will and Penny in Washington Park. Gorgeous hike. Its shady and quiet and crisp. All was well until we were 1/4 of the way in and I realized there is virtually no sunlight the entire way... The trees are too tall... It was 27 degrees in the forrest. My nose started running like crazy and my ears pounded and my fingers were numb. Though we tried to keep up a brisk pace, my ears were so freaking cold, it made it impossible to warm up. My only saving grace was the North Bluff lookout that gets full sun a looks out over the channel and harbor. It was brilliantly sunny and a pod of porpoises were playing in the channel below... also, 2 GIANT bald eagles were perched in the trees about a hundred yards below. They may have been the biggest I've seen yet. We took a long nap after our hike and woke up just in time to see Mt Baker blazing as the sun set behind it. It was a brilliant shade of pink. I took it as a good omen for the coming year.

Now, I am on the last leg of my 4 day weekend. We just got back from Trader Joe's in Bellingham and Will is about to make BLT's for his family. I am not going to lie, the pancetta smells amazing in the frying pan. I may have to steal a bite while no one is looking ;) I am looking forward to seeing everyone in 2011... Home seems so much closer now. 

Pie and Happiness.

Will and I rarely have days off together anymore. It sucks. I spend my days off, lonely and introverted and he spends his time off visiting me at work - Which is great but... I still have to work. Yesterday was Veterans Day so naturally the banks are closed (they close for everything) and I already had the day off. Yippee! to celebrate, Will and I spent the whole day galavanting around Old Town Bellingham. It was super cold, cloudy and completely picturesque. Just the perfect day for strolling around in maroon colored tights and flirty dress. But it eventually started to rain so we raced back to our little island where it was surprisingly sunny... well, cloudy/sunny. See I hate it when the sun comes out and spoils my good rainy day and I hate it when clouds spoil all the sunshine. In my opinion, there are only 2 types of good weather: All rain or all sun. None of this "partly cloudy" crap. It is always "partly cloudy" here.

But since the temperature has definitely dropped, I have definitely been craving comfort foods. Anything with a pastry crust or with a rich creamy broth, or anything covered in cheese. Last night we made another veggie pot pie (this time with peas and corn and extra butter) and simmered cider on the burner, and today I made a caramel apple pie which is currently cooling on the stove. I am a little bitter that I have to wait for Will to get off work before I can eat it, though. But I am going to try and be considerate that he had to work all day. Also, I really don't like the idea of eating a huge piece of pie by myself... I equate it to alcoholics who drink alone.
I've been wearing big sweaters and socks all week yet I refuse to close the windows. There is something about the crisp fall air that makes my skin prickle and my lungs feel infinite. And I love the romanticism it encourages. Big cups of steaming coffee clutched between your hands and cuddling under huge blankets and giant scarves and mittens. Pie, whipped cream, fall leaves- all things that are made more vibrant by the freezing air. For now anyway. I am sure that in a few months I will be sick to death of the cold. I check the weather down in Costa Mesa almost every other day and am amazed that it's so warm still. It's hard for me to imagine anywhere being 80 degrees when the high here is 48. I do miss the sunshine, tho. Whoever decided that Florida is the "Sunshine State" is crazy. Florida is the sticky, muggy, old people state. California is the epitome of sunniness.
Well I am off to pick up my hubby from work and then I am going to race back home to eat my pie. I will let you know how it is.