The Little Anger Bear: driving in the passing lane

 

Enough is enough! I have had it with these mother-f-ing drivers in these mother f-ing passing lanes. Everybody strap in!

Can't it just be as simple as appointing the right lane for any drivers and the left lane for those who want to go faster? Then you can go from right to left, pass, and back to right. You will always be driving slower than someone else, so just get over it.

I frankly don't get why people feel so damn entitled while driving. Whether it’s driving slow, driving fast, lane jumping, or randomly doing whatever pops into their heads.

Let's break this down into 2 simple scenarios.

1. You are on the freeway in some traffic. There are some cars to the right that are slower than you, but there is space to move freely between left and right lanes as you pass and drive at a steady pace.

Do you :

(A) Stay in the left lane because it's easier than moving around. Anyways, your pace is fast enough, and if anyone wants to go faster that's their problem.

(B) Stay in the right lane and use the left lane only to pass one or a few cars a a time. Sure it's slightly inconvenient, but it allows faster drivers to use the left lane and still the left lane is available for you if you need to pass again in a few miles.

***

2. You are in the left lane and need to take a right turn. Both lanes are full of cars.

Do you:

(A) Continue with traffic and find a lot or street where you can safely turn around and safely return to the street you need to be on.

(B) Screech to a stop until some schmuck lets you merge right so you can make your turn without being inconvenienced.

***

There are so many incantations of these entitled drivers. “I'm lost and   confused, so let me go 10mph on this arterial and stop at every street to check my directions.” Or, “I'm in no hurry, why should you be?" or "I can't miss this turn! If I don't do what I need to do and get my way, surely I will die"

Frankly, I can't stand it. People ought to learn to share the road, follow expected rules, and inconvenience themselves before inconveniencing others. I can check myself and note that I should be more forgiving, because mistakes happen all the time…but I get so bent out of shape when people think they are the center of the universe when they’re in their car.

 

Birthday boots, cake, and surprises!

July was a nutty month for me and Rob. We planned a trip to Spokane and Los Angeles, in addition to working long hours. The whole month turned out to be a whirlwind of planning, packing, unpacking, cleaning, working, and not sleeping for both of us.

Our two trips were to visit family. In Spokane, my sister was celebrating her recent marriage to her long-time partner, and wanted to throw a party for the family. She and her husband put on a huge barbecue with plenty of beer, meat, veggis and snacks to have us all asking: What?? There's more food?? But, it was nice visiting with everyone and congratulating the couple...even though it was a bit of a hectic few days. By the way, these were early photos, the food kept piling up, and I became too busy putting it away to take more photos.


In LA, Robert's sister had a traditional wedding ceremony and reception. We were there for pre-wedding festivities (including the rehearsal ceremony, rehearsal dinner, and just for the girls: mani-pedis and sushi for lunch). I was nervous to get my nails fixed because I thought it would be uncomfortable and that my nails were too ugly to fix. Not so! It was fast, easy, and I feel oh so glamorous! We had a great time at the wedding, there were formal speeches, toasts, dances, and so on, but there was also some spontaneous salsa dancing, karaoke and plenty of silly songs for Robert and I to improvise ingenious choreographies.

But, with all this excitement, and my birthday right in the middle, I didn't expect that much. I had already arranged my parent's gift to me. Yes, the coveted Fiona Frye boots (which went on an awesome Amazon.com sale)

A few times I have worn them with a casual summer dress, but they'll really prove their worth in the fall. I can't wait to pair them with skirts, leggings, and under jeans for extra warmth.

But, I didn't bother planning a party or anything. Luckily Rob and our friends stepped in and arranged a fun surprise party. With cake, snacks, good friends, and balloons, how can you go wrong?

Oh, and another thing? Everyone chipped in to get me Goodwill Gift Cards, so I can splurge without depleting my fun account. Hizzah! I already got to work on those with a new pair of shoes! Only $5.99 and they really tied my comfy airport outfit together.


So, many cheers and congratulations to the newly married couple and happy birthday to me and thanks to everyone who made my birthday very special this year!

P.S. As a question to any readers out there, what do you think about the leggings? Yay or Nay?

Red, White, Blue (and yellow and purple too!)

Rob and I have been wanting to get away for a while now. Not a major trip or anything, just a night or two away from the demands of to do lists, chores, hobbies, etc. Since it was a long weekend, we decided to drive to Portland, stay over night, and then do a nice hike in the area. We definitely made the most of our little roadtrip.

We arrived in Portland in the early afternoon and relaxed in the Pearl District, not too far from our hotel. We browsed in some of the ecclectic shops, grabbed some inexpensive happy hour eats, and tested our stamina at Powell's Bookstore. In the evening we enjoyed the blues festival, watched the fireworks, and gobbled some late night food at one of the (many) street vendors.

The next morning we drove to the Columbia River Gorge in the South Cascades to hike Dog Mountain. It was a pretty difficult hike for both of us. It starts steep, takes a break from being so steep, and then at the end it's steep again. Mercy!

It was also a bit chilly that day, and the wind was whipping all around us, getting stronger the closer we got to the summit.

But the views at the top were outstanding! You could see panoramic views of the river, the cascade mountain range, and rolling meadows of wildflowers.
I thought that all that hard work hiking up the mountain was worth it for such a view, Rob said he loved me anyways.

So, we had our luscious reprieve from all those to do lists and now feel much relief! But, we're not on holiday anymore...so it's back to the same old busy shenanigans!

Although, I have to say that last month ended up being a heavy-spending month for me. There will probably be no Goodwill Hunting posts until August at the earliest! My goodness how time and money flies when you're having fun!

A Novice to Gardening

Last year I had my first ever deck garden. Due to all the wedding plans and chaos of the summer, I didn't get much of a chance to sit out and enjoy the atmosphere of the flurishing flora, and I only had minimal opportunities to harvest my herbs.


This year has already been different! Robert and I enjoy sitting out there with breakfast on the weekends or taking a break for a few minutes to get some fresh air. So far we have our rosebush from last year, which is bursting with buds and smelling heavenly, two kinds of sage, Italian parsley, cilantro, basil, marigolds, petunias, a begonia, a fuchsia, some catnip that my non-junkie cats avoid, and Rob's Japanese Maple.



I've already managed to use the herbs already in caprese salads, focaccia bread, and a homemade balsamic vinaigrette.


The only downside this year is that my plants are getting ravaged by insects ... particularly aphids. Late this winter I also had an indoor aphid outbreak, which ended up claiming more than half of my most robust plants and really jeopardized a few others.



Even though I loathe insecticides and chemicals, I felt like I was running out of options. I tried to get the most environmentally friendly product, and then I staged an aphid apocalypse.

All in all, it seems to be effective, and my little bundles of joy are really blossoming in the late June sunshine we've finally been blessed with.


All these hobbies and crafts in the summer! My goodness, I think it's time for a cat nap...

Sewing with the "Albatros"

I decided many months ago that I wanted to teach myself how to sew. Despite my tendency towards absent mindedness, I figured that with enough determination, I could succeed.

But, it was daunting when I received my sewing machine. It's an old Singer from the '70s that belonged to my Grandmother Mary. My mom had it tucked away in the attic all these years, and after a tune-up at the sewing machine shop, it was here just waiting to be used.


Yet, I was nervous to use it, and I kept thinking about my past attempts and failures to sew. It didn't help that the machine didn't even come with a manual. So, I procrastinated, I looked at it, I dreaded it. It became The Albatross.

"Ah! well-a-day! what evil looks
Had I from old and young!
Instead of the cross, the Albatross
About my neck was hung."

But, I couldn't harbor resentment and superstition against my contraption. Just remember what happened to The Ancient Mariner! This machine could signal good luck, clear skies, and beautiful handmade textiles ahead! Well, I had to try! And, unfortunately, due to low enrollments at school, I was laid off. For a month, I had nothing but time to struggle through a few sewing projects. It also gave me a nice way to distract myself from my disappointment with the current job market.

"The selfsame moment I could pray;
And from my neck so free
The Albatross fell off, and sank
Like lead into the sea"

The first thing to do is set a long-term goal. I want to make a beautiful, detailed dress. I drew a few sketches and tried to figure out how many pieces of fabric I would cut, and how it would all fit together. I plan to use some of the fabric I had bought while traveling in Mozambique. But, the dress that I want is an ambitious project. I decided before I could achieve that goal, I would have to do a few smaller projects to get the hang of my little Singer called Albatross.

I need to practice: straight stitching, curved/diagonal stitching, button holes, zippers, shaping textiles, linings, and how to take my ideas from a drawing and make them work. I prefer not working with a pattern, and instead trying to reason out a pattern and plan of action in my own mind. Furthermore, I constantly have to remind myself not to get too frustrated with my current lack of perfection. Mainly I've just been using fabric that I've found at Goodwill, so it's not too expensive or irreplaceable.

My first project was pillow shams for the couch. Two matching ones with button holes and two matching ones with zippers (and a few other touches that are TBD). It seemed like a good place to start -- I could practice some straight lines, a few diagonal lines, button holes, and eventually zippers. Since I only got the proper zipper foot today, the other two pillows will have to wait a few more days at least.

"Sometimes a-dropping from the sky
I heard the skylark sing;
Sometimes all little birds that are,
How they seemed to fill the sea and air
With their sweet jargoning!"

Despite the imperfections, it was a thrill to see my ideas literally take shape. I was ready to gradually tackle a more difficult project: the purse. I really wanted to work on sewing different fabrics together, creating something that keeps it's shape, and improving my attention to details.

.
I can look at these projects and note most of the mistakes, but I feel like I've learned and improved a lot in the process. Next on my to do list is to finish the other two throw pillows, a poofy slip, and a top. And that's not even considering the jewelry projects I have in the works as well! She's crafty and getting busy!

And most lucky? I don't have to suffer through death, being lost at sea with a zombie crew, and seeing all sorts of ghastly sights through an opium haze because I've learned a thing or two from Sammy Coleridge and my own redemptive imagination!

"He prayeth best, who loveth best
All things both great and small;
For the dear God who loveth us,
He made and loveth all"

Black, white and everything inbetween

The June rain has been really bumming me out. I've been in dress-mania! Case in point, I just picked up a really simple brown dress, and a pretty little green one from Goodwill yesterday. All these summer dresses and no where to go but rain puddles.

To somewhat console myself, I've taken to planning my summer outfits and doing a little mixing and matching, so no matter what occassion (really formal to super casual and everything in between) I will be dressed for success!

Enter the formal outfit. I love this fitted bustier style top. It's so comfortable, flattering, and classic. My favorite combo is with the black skirt, but I think it also looks smashing with a pair of black slacks.

The skirt and pants are both from Goodwill, and I've had them in my closet for a while now, as they are good classic pieces -- the best part is I paid $5-8 for each of them. The shirt was a little pricier as I got it at a consignment shop, it was $25, but this seems like an investment piece.

I had wedding attendance in mind when I purchased it, but it would also be suitable for nice dinners, the theater, and other places where I want to look crisp and classic. Oh and the shoes! Another Goodwill find, at $9.99, they were a bit of a splurge for me, but they were unworn and I love the little front strap.

But, what if there's an event that's sort of fancy, but you don't want to look over-dressed? Enter the sun-dress with coordinated shrug and heels. I was disappointed with the pictures of this dress, you can't see the beautiful navy color of the shrug and shoes -- they match amazingly well.

I'm picturing a busy day: tidying the house, going to the grocery store, getting an oil change for the car, shopping at Goodwill for more dresses, etc. But, after this busy day I'm meeting with a friend for a nice dinner. Well, I'll wear just the dress and flat sandals during the errands, and throw the shrug and heels into my purse. When it's time for dinner all I need is a quick change and voila, I'm ready for an evening out. One of the best things about the outfit is everything is from Goodwill: shrug: $2.99, dress: $5.99, shoes: $4.99.

As I've said, I love dresses, it makes getting ready so easy. There's just one piece: the dress and maybe a few accessories and a sweater. Wham-bam-done. When you wear a shirt-pants combo, you have to make sure your pieces match, fit, and look good together. Dresses are simpler in my opinion except: (A) It's hard to find one that fits properly (B) They can be chilly. At Goodwill I always make a b-line for the dresses, because no matter how many you have, they almost always come in handy.

Case in point, I found this blue dress on the same day that I found the dress just pictured at Goodwill. Two dresses in 1 day? Is the price right? Is the fit right? Then sold! It was mid-winter, so I had to tuck them away in preparation for summer, but at $5.99 each I can't really complain. Plus, I found this shrug on the same day for$3.99.

I like to style this one a bit more casually. Oh, and I love my big clunky wedge heels. (Yes, another Goodwill find at $5.99) They are surprisingly comfy and I'm not kidding. I walk around in them for hours without a murmur of regret. Plus, my Napoleon complex is soothed as I am almost as tall in these as I am in Matilda.

Some variety and experimentation in the wardrobe is a good thing. My friend found this very funky skirt at Goodwill one day. I don't have many high-waisted items in my closed, and the few I have are rarely worn because they are so hard for me to pull off. But, I loved the colors, the poofiness, and the unique look of it (even though it's just a run-of-the-mill H&M skirt).

I think when I wear this skirt I'll wear more bangles, and more beads around my neck. The skirt was $3.99, so I nabbed it. I've had these sandals for along time, they're Paolo's that I found at Value Village, and they are really comfy and versatile.

The frequent wardrobe changes and running around the house made Lexi confused. With all this discussion about Goodwill hunting, penny pinching, dress hoarding, accessory coordinating, and wardrobe changes...I'm sympathetic....

Giddy-up, let's hike!

One of my goals this summer is to do a lot of hiking. I'd like to average at least 3 hikes a month (but hopefully there will be more!) From May through September, that means 15 hikes.

Living in the Seattle area means there are so many mountains, with so many trails, it won't be hard at all to find places. Maybe a little harder to find the energy...especially for my Rob. But, as an infinite benefit to me, I can experiment with a new category of fashion and to layer, layer layer: grungy tank tops, flannel, windbreaker, and hard core hiking boots. I feel so...so...RAWR!


So far , we've been going strong. We did a minor hike on Tiger Mountain near Issaquah. I can't even remember which trail we took as it wasn't a terribly memorable hike...it was just a way to get out and get used to trecking up a hill.

Also, Rob and I bought some fancy hiking boots (thank you REI sale!) and did an epic 3 hike weekend.

We did a quick and easy hike on Saturday to Twin Falls. It was a nice hike with rewarding river and waterfall views. Unfortunately, we didn't take a camera, because it was pretty rainy that day. My primary goal was to break in our hiking boots for two more challenging hikes on the next day: Lake 22 and Heather Lake in the North Cascades.



Robert was not particularly pleased with being brow-beaten into two 5-mile hikes, but I did a lot of cheer-leading to get him onto the trails, and a little bit of groveling on the way home as we nursed our sore feet. I still think it was worth it. I always love a good challenge, and we saw some amazing sights!


I would recommend either the Lake 22 or Heather Lake hikes to just about anyone. Both are very well maintained trails that feel safe and organized, but still outdoorsy and natural. Lake 22 is a bit harder, but in my mind it's a nearly perfect hike. Along the way you're treated to stunning old growth forest, waterfalls, rivers, and then the crystal clear lake and snow capped mountain view at the top.
The main con with Lake 22 is that it got to be pretty crowded by late morning/early afternoon. Heather Lake is a little easier -- it's shorter and the terrain is less rocky. Also, it's less crowded than Lake 22.

While we saw some hikers, we mainly had the trail and the view points to ourselves. We even saw deer on the way back!

Spring Cleaning and Getting Settled

Robert and I are wrapping up meshing our mutual possessions. It has been a slight challenge to meld our different tastes into something that is cohesive and mutually satisfying. For the past several months we have been living in a tentative compromise of piles: this pile *might* be bound for Goodwill, that pile is electronics we don't know what to do with, that pile is laundry, that pile is under another pile and we forget what they both are, etc...

Maybe it was the early spring, maybe it was my hours being cut at work, maybe the piles finally pushed me over the edge, but something got me to decide that we were going to do some painting. If I could just get some color on the walls, it seemed like the piles would be an easy second step to domestic bliss.

Now, I'm not one to spend too much time mulling over a decision once I've made it for myself, and once it's made, I tend to go all out. Case in point, I decided I wanted an unusual red-orange color for one wall, and then I wanted to balance it out with blues on the other wall, and then I wanted to paint a simple mural behind the TV. And I wanted it NoW. I probably spent all of 2 or 3 hours picking out the colors, sketching the mural, and looking at a few websites. Not one to test out my colors, I went whole-heartedly for my whimsy with color selection.

The mid results were some grumbling from Robert (he afterall had not decided to forfeit a weekend to painting, it was thrust upon him by his impulsive wife), general exhaustion for us and general disarray for the house, a diet of take out food, angry cats imprisoned int he bedroom...all in all, more than I exactly bargained for...

However, the end results were fan-tabulous! I couldn't be more pleased with how my whims came together to make a warm and cozy kitchen and dining area:



Note: the funky table cloth was returned to value village because the fringe was just **too** interesting for the kitties.

And on the other end of the room, the color is balanced by two shades of blue. I read in a decorating site that painting the fireplace unit a lighter shade of the same color will really make it stand out.


Plus, the wall behind the TV always looked so barren, I think the art really dresses it up. (imitation is the best compliment right?)


The reds and blues really tie together a lot of our wall art and knickknacks. Plus, I think both colors look nice with our plants. I'm really proud of how our painting project came together and really happy that Rob believed in me when I started talking about a "Poppy red wall..."

Oh and those piles? Vanished into their proper hiding places...

The Newest Member to our Family: Matilda

A few months ago, a very special package came in the mail. It was my belated Christmas present from Rob…my once in a lifetime boots!

During the weeks leading up to Christmas, I found myself searching the thrift stores for some boots. My old brown ones were beat up and abused, and I wanted something new and fresh. But, I was disappointed by all the boots I found, at both the swanky mall stores and the thrift stores. They all looked cheap, ugly, were made of fake leather, and felt uncomfortable. So, I got a Christmas poem from Robert promising to buy me once in a life time boots. To prohibit me from scavenging for these boots, he set a rather high minimum price. I knew I had to get a pair of Frye boots.

It was fun and nerve wracking looking in the swanky stores and online for these special boots.

For a long time I was going to get a basic pair of Frye boots, like the Fiona:

But, my mouth fell open when I saw Matilda!I ordered both pairs from Endless shoes to do a bit of at-home-comparison-shipping. When they came in the mail, I experimented with a few outfits. Matilda's neo-victorian style and luscious red leather demands a very simple dress or skirt to pull off the look. Fiona easily went with just about anything. It was a tough choice to make, especially because it really boiled down to practicality versus whimsy. Fiona felt instantly comfortable, but Matilda helped me reach new heights (5'8), which presented some initial walking challenges. Ultimately, my Napoleon complex won out, and Matilda has a special place as my most valuable piece of clothing.


I've successfully paired them with a simple brown or black skirt combo. For one night on the town, I did a little color/texture clashing with a bright green lacy tank and Victorian choker with a form fitting skirt. It was funky, but I felt good in it and confidence can make anything fabulous!



Admittedly, these aren't the best pictures, but the fact that spring has sprung has led my mind to wander towards warm weather fashions, and I think Matilda has a decidedly fall-winter look. I'm sure by next fall I'll have all sorts of Matilda inspired fashion breakthroughs! This week I'm feeling more excited by summer dresses, sandals, light jackets, and bright colors!