Day Three Hundred and Thirty Four

In honor of Leslie Nielsens life and recent death, we watched Airplane during movie night with my favorite Redmond family. I forgot how awesome it was! Surely I can't be serious. Yes I can and don't call me Shirley!

Day Three Hundred and Thirty Three

Today was all about video chatting. Zach contacted me via Skype and then we brought mom into the convo. It was great! It was so nice to see him and talk to him and it was fun to have all three of us chatting like we did when we were all home in AZ.

My mom also called me when I hopped on at night. She was all dressed and pretty and I was still wearing my PJ's and my hair up in a messy ponytail and no makeup. Soon I will have to actually get up and get dressed when I start working again!

Day Three Hundred and Thirty Two

Spent a quiet day not doing much except cleaning, homework, and TV watching. Missing Riley lots today but I got an update last night on her.

So far so good with the cats! we gave her a bone and she curled up next to the fire place with it. u can see one of the cats under the fireplace.

Just got another update with a picture and it looks like Riley is fitting right in with the girls!

Day Three Hundred and Thirty One

I drove to Olympia today to meet a family halfway and hang at the dog park to see if it was a good match and it was! The little girls loved Riley and Riley was on such good behavior. They took her home to see how it goes with their cats and Riley was all ready to try her new family out. She posed with them like they were already hers. I am excited to see how it goes.

I am also super sad and miss Riley already :(  this is for the best. Just have to keep telling myself that.

Day Three Hundred and Thirty

Well after a lot of thought I decided I need to find Riley a new home. With going back to work and the travelling I plan on doing, I really don't have the time she needs to hang out and play with her. I sent a note to her walker to ask her to ask around, but I hadn't heard anything back, but I also posted on Craiglist and got a couple responses back that sound really interested. This is the listing... http://seattle.craigslist.org/est/pet/2080600685.html

I feel super guilty about it, but I think it will be the best decision. I also am planning on moving into the city (Seattle) finally leaving suburbia the suburban life!

Day Three Hundred and Twenty Nine

  

Spent Thanksgiving with Christa and her family again. While it was nice, I really, really miss spending t-day with my family. We always had the best family get-together's.  Next year I plan to go home and definitely have an awesome family thanksgiving.

Day Three Hundred and Twenty Eight

Riley and I braved the cold today and went on a walk. The Burke-Gilman trail looks a lot different with snow covering it. But one of the best parts is that it was totally deserted and Riley could roam free.

Day Three Hundred and Twenty Seven

It was bloody cold today... or as the news said, "bitter cold". I braved the elements to play in the snow with Riley a bit this morning, but I have had to run my heater all day and ended up taking a nap around 3pm so I could bundle under my blankets and try to keep warm.

Riley managed to find some sun and hogged it all for herself.This place has horrible insulation. I put back up the thicker curtains, so I hope that will help some. 

Interesting trivia: On November 3rd it was 74 degrees here and today, November 23 it got down to 25 degrees. BIG difference between a 20 day span!

Day Three Hundred and Twenty Six

Another snowy day and the snow was just pouring down. Riley absolutely loves the snow and was trying to eat it all up. She let me balance some on her nose and then she posed for the camera (of course).

She also ran next door and romped around with Bailey for a bit before I got a little too cold and begged her to come back indoors. It is an absolutely beautiful view from my neighbors yard. Look at those trees! I think it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

Day Three Hundred and Twenty Five

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow! It started snowing a bit today; not enough to really stick around, but it was real fun to play around for a bit in! I am so glad we are getting snow this year, we didn't get any last year!

Day Three Hundred and Twenty Four

I braved the cold today and played catch for a while with Riley outside. It was a perfect morning for a little catch while drinking coffee. The forecast calls for snow (light flurries) the next couple of days, I can't wait!

Day Three Hundred and Twenty Three

Had another phone interview today, I hope I get asked for an in person interview for this position because it would be ideal.  I didn't hear back on one job, like I was supposed to, and received an offer for another one that I am going to give an answer to on Monday. Overall been a busy day in the job hunting!

Day Three Hundred and Twenty Two

Ever since I moved from full time status at school to part time status the unemployment office has been very confused. First they sent two letters each week asking for school status, which I responded with the appropriate paperwork. They continued sending these until they switched over and sent the "your benefits have been cancelled and you aren't getting any money and you owe US money!" letters. As I got more paperwork together to respond to that I was inundated with a bunch of letters today.

The pile in the picture is just the letters today. It started with the same we need proof you are in school. to your benefits have been denied to oops, we changed our mind, you are all good. Hopefully all is well, and even more hopefully I won't have to deal with this soon and will be working full-time! I have another interview Monday and submitted my resume for another position I am waiting to hear back on.

Day Three Hundred and Twenty One

I decided to filter and bottle the blackberry liquor I started making a few months ago and holy cow it is good! I want to try making different flavors now. I am thinking maybe an apple liquor? Or maybe a mint one? Or chocolate coffee?? So many choices. 

Day Three Hundred and Twenty

If I get the job at MS I plan to take the bus. But I won't be able to walk to the bus stop because it gets dark too early and I don't want to have to walk along the trail in the dark. So today I decided to ride my bike to the park and ride to see how long it would take. It was actually a nice ride and took about 20 minutes. I think that won't be too bad to ride home in the dark.

I stopped at the community graveyard on the way back and looked at some of the gravestones. It was really nice and peaceful and a beautiful gloomy day to hang out in the graveyard. :) On a side note. I didn't see any freshly turned graves indicating a recent zombie evacuation.

Day Three Hundred and Nineteen

Christa's kids contacted me on the Kinect Video today and we tested it out. It is pretty fun and I can't wait until my mom can get Messenger installed on her comp or gets a Kinect so we can chat via video!

Day Three Hundred and Eighteen

Went to the library this morning to pick up some books I had on hold and print off some papers. When I got there I realized it was Sunday and the library didn't open until 11am... and it was only 9am. Ooops!

I decided to take Riley to the park for a while until it opened. Even though it was overcast and a bit drizzly, the park was packed. We had a great time like always. 

When I got back to the library there was a bunch of people waiting. It was real nice to see. :)

Day Three Hundred and Seventeern

Went to the movies today with Christa, Callie, and Scott. We Saw Due Date. It was pretty funny. We then played some Dance Central and had a blast!

Day Three Hundred and Sixteen

Went to another interview this morning and it went well. The job would be with a real casual team which might be nice. Took Riley on another run while I rode my bike and exhausted her again. She is conked out on the couch again and not getting up for anything!

Day Three Hundred and Fifteen

Had an interview today that lasted almost three hours. I think it went pretty well, I felt good talking to each of the team members. I have another one tomorrow morning for a different position as well. We shall see!

Also, I think Riley is still exhausted from her run yesterday!

Day Three Hundred and Fourteen

It was a beautiful day out today so I decided to go on a bike ride along the Burke Gilman trail. Riley went with me and ran along side. We went about four miles and then wandered around the park.

First off I saw a pay phone. A pay phone? Yep, they still have those and it looked to be in working condition. 

Then I found some sort of speed bike track. It was gated off but I was tempted to sneak in and take my bike for a spin on it, but I don't think my bike is well suited for it. I then thought it would probable be pretty awesome with skates! 

Last off I went by the rock climbing wall. Sadly during the week it is empty so there was no one to watch climbing it.

Day Three Hundred and Thirteen

Today was a good day. I found out that my phone interview went well and I am scheduled to come in for an interview on Thursday with the team. I am super excited about this job. It is close enough I can ride my bike to work (around 3.5 miles) and it will be with a super cool team. It was also movie night with the Charters. We watch a variety of things before we settled on Sweeney Todd while eating teriyaki chicken and rice.

Oh and I made cupcakes to have with dinner and I baked a variety of things in them from candy bars to ginger snaps. I think the gingersnaps were pretty cool but I think next time I will try layering two cookies!

Day Three Hundred and Twelve

I had a phone screen today for a position that would be really cool to do... but who knows how it went. I haven't had much luck with interviews lately! I have another interview on Friday, this one is with someone I know, so that will be a little weird I think. I am feeling pretty confident that I will have some sort of job by the end of the month though. I hope so! I really want to go home and visit!

P.S. still sick! I just can't kick this cold and it has been a week. :(

Day Three Hundred and Eleven

I made some chicken fingers and they turned out real yummy. I added hot sauce, garlic, and Worcestershire sauce to the wet part of the covering and a bunch of spices to the dry part. Not very healthy but oh so yummy. But I was a good girl and chopped it up and put it on a salad and had some cantaloupe with it.

Day Three Hundred and Ten

I decided to be a bum and watch movies all day and relax and try to heal up. I did take a brief trip to the store to get OJ and cold medicine since I finally decided to break down and get some medicine.

The picture is of Riley trying to steal the couch from me. She would lay on the back of it and slowly slide down pushing me off. She would actually lie there on her back like that refusing to give an inch. I finally had to banish her to the floor.

Day Three Hundred and Nine

Still feeling sick. Nothing to post today :(

Day Three Hundred and Eight

Still sick :( But I did force myself to go for a walk and I also picked up Your Shape Fitness Evolved to play on my Kinect. It was really a workout and I got achievements! I really love the Kinect and it's motion sensing.

Day Three Hundred and Seven

I have been sick all day with a horrible sore throat so we didn't go hiking, but I am going tomorrow no matter what! I also had a stats test tonight and couldn't find where the classroom to take the test was (I forgot the classroom number!). Luckily a nice man helped me, and he ended up being the vice president of student services. I don't mess around when I am looking for help! After about 30 minutes and asking a wide variety of different people I found it!  Oh yeah, and the professor got mad at me for knocking on the door too loud and disrupting people. Sheesh. It wasn't like I banged on it for hours or anything. I just rapped twice with authority!

Day Three Hundred and Six

I made some yummy salted caramel brownies (I baked brownies with a salted caramel in the middle) that turned out awesome. I think that is my new desert thing, baking things inside of stuff. Next week I am going to make cupcakes with KitKat's baked in the middle.

I also gave Christa the gloves I made her and she loved them. She keeps telling me I need to put my knitting on Etsy. I might just do that!

Day Three Hundred and Five

I decided to challenge myself to take a walk every day for the month of November. that's 30 days. So today was the first day and it was pouring rain from the second I woke up. I decided I had to get out there no matter what so I braved the rain and took Riley out.

The picture is the a stream that runs through my yard and across the street. It was going pretty good! We only lasted about 20 minutes before I headed back in. We were soaked!