User:	petit_chou
	Date:	2008-05-15 17:45
	Subject:
	Security:	Public

I've been thinking a lot about high school today, for a couple of reasons. I just posted a couple of pictures of myself on my flickr, and one of my oldest friends (Faith) noted that I look "a lot happier and more self confidant and it totally shows." That's a delightful compliment, and I think she's right. I finally responded to my friend Dora's (locked) post in which she asked what people miss about being a teenager. There's boring stuff like "I didn't have to support myself," but it's the other things that you just don't do or make happen anymore that I find intriguing. A bunch of people mentioned they miss getting excited over/discovering/going to see bands. Lots of people talked about how skinny they were, or how they kissed a lot of people. Also, my high school reunion is coming up this summer and, though I'll be in Seattle, I actually don't think I'm going to attend (it's expensive and sounds lame...plus there's a derby bout that night). So it goes.

Now, unlike some people I know, I loved the heck outta both junior high and high school. They were some of the greatest years of my entire life. College years? Psssh. For me, it was my secondary ed years. Those are the times I look back on with great fondness, those are the times I sometimes get nostalgic over. But at the same time, the Heather of ten to fifteen years ago absolutely pales in comparison to the Heather of 2008. I didn't date. Boys used to make me throw up (really). I dressed to hide my figure which I thought was so chubby and which really wasn't so fat after all. I compensated for my fears with bravado and volume. I tried very, very hard to be both Different! and Accepted!. I've come a long way, baby, and I couldn't be more pleased with the way the last ten years have treated me. But, because it's a fun exercise, here's what I really really miss about my high school days.

THEATRE
I miss working on a project with dozens of other people for months at a time. I miss rehearsals and making costumes and the thrill of performance and the goofy shit that came with hanging out with all those drama nerds. I miss all the stuff that people make fun of drama kids for -- the backstage backrubs, the stupid improv games, the runs for late-night Taco Bell with too many people crammed in the car. I miss this an awful lot and sometimes I try to figure out if there's a way to break back into theatre -- community theatre, nothing fancy -- but it's more of a pipe dream than anything.

SUMMER CAMP
This is a huge one. Every summer for four years I went to Camp Huston. I left my regular life and lived in the mountains with a bunch of amazing people, some of whom had flown thousands of miles to work there. I miss telling time by the train whistles in the distance and having a hard time picking out constellations because there are too many stars. I miss sleeping by a campfire and singing my way up dark trails late at night to keep the boogieman at bay. I miss spending one week with kids who still remember me ten years later. I miss singing every night in a chapel in the woods and swimming in a cold, cold river. Sometimes I think about going back to camp for a summer, but I know that I'd feel extremely old and my life is a little too settled for this now. Still, the prospect of going back there just to show Mike the camp this summer gets me all tingly. My heart lives in Gold Bar, WA.

THE EARLY BOTHELL CREW
While it's true that my friend group back home has remained fairly static, there was a core group of kids who were just inseparable back then and, ten years later, there have been some changes. We always spent time together, and always had parties at the same two houses. Everyone bought one another Christmas presents and birthday presents and we spent holidays together. I miss our parties most of all, before we really grew up. We'd hang out at Adrian's house and play pool and Scategories and make take-and-bake pizzas. We'd watch movies in great big puppy-piles on the L-shaped couch and jam in the basement. High school parties were the best. I don't think I ever went to a party outside of this group of people until I was in college.

MY FAMILY
I miss living with my Papa and my brother, to be honest. I love them both a lot and it's really hard for me to be so far away from them. When I was in high school, my mom was in a group-care facility near my high school and we had a really great bachelor house for a while. It was a tough time in our family's life, but we made it work and I miss watching movies with them and eating meals together and seeing them more often than a couple of times a year.

TV THE FILBERT DRIVE HOUSE
I miss weekly television events at my house. Dawson's Creek, X-Files, Buffy, Real World...we had lots of them, sometimes several in a week. The house was always packed. The fridge was always stocked with soda and leftovers, the freezer full of frozen novelties. No one minded that the place was a dilapidated mess, because it was comfortable and cozy and it was OURS. I love regular events (you know this well, LiveJournal), and having regular teevee nights at my house was the best.

OPEN MIC
Thanks to a small group of students, including Chris Walla (who went on to form Death Cab for Cutie), Bothell High hosted lunch time Open Mics. During my brother's years at BHS, this extended to district-wide night-time Open Mics. They were always packed, always amazing. Sure, there were shitty performances, but there were a lot of incredibly talented, inspiring, hilarious, wonderful kids who got up there and put themselves on display for five minutes. I was heavily involved even before I attended BHS (thanks to Matthew) and I'm so pleased it was part of my formative years. What an amazing program. I've never been part of an arts community like that again. I suspect that I would fall in love with The Salon of Shame in Seattle if I attended, though.

ROCK AND ROLL
Though it was incredibly short-lived, I tell you what: I really miss being in a band. Band practice, filled with sexual tension, adolescent aggression, and flaring tempers as it was, was always awesome. I love to rock out.

What do you miss from your teenage years?

	User:	uvaspina
	Date:	2008-05-15 23:39
	Subject:	We're back!
	Security:	Public

we're back!
We didn't get to see half the places or half the people we wanted to see on our honeymoon (USA is bigger than it looks on a map).
Still, it's been the best trip ever.

Photos will come, but i'll have to catch up with 3 weeks of work. That's what you get when you are self-employed.

In the meantime, enjoy a litle slideshow with photos taken by our guest with the photoboot we set up at the wedding.
It was fun. To whoever was there: thankyou for making it perfect.
To those who weren't: A-HA!


Photobooth Galore from bruko on Vimeo.

	User:	cooking (posted by azfiregirl)
	Date:	2008-05-15 14:13
	Subject:	Steak prep question
	Security:	Public

So I just picked up some nice New York Strip steaks which a friend will be helping me grill (and devour) later. Should I marinate/dry rub them or, because it is a good cut, should I just toss it them on the grill as they are? I have several marinade options (honey smoke, spicy BBQ, hickory mesquite -- though all store bought) and a Montreal steak dry rub. Oh, and I've got some hickory chips I could add to the charcoal. I'll be serving them with rather traditional sides -- cob corn and asparagus (both cooked on the grill) and some twice-baked potatoes. And beer or red wine to drink (will have both available).

Would LOVE some advice/opinions on the best way (if at all) to prep these beautiful-looking steaks!

	User:	majorweather
	Date:	2008-05-15 15:47
	Subject:	worst jobs for me
	Security:	Public

A few years ago, some friends and I had a conversation about the worst possible jobs we could have. Here are the rules: you can't consider things that are obviously totally unsuitable for you--for me, for example, I'm not even considering jobs involving heavy manual labor, slaughterhouses, or anything that's ever been featured on "Dirty Jobs." If you're the kind of person who's more suited to heavy manual labor, you might not put any standard office jobs on your list.

Here are the top three jobs I would kill not to have:

1. Mosquito "Surveillance Specialist" - Take a look at the article in that link, particularly this excerpt: "To measure the problem, the control board dispatched inspectors and 'surveillance specialists' to stand like scarecrows beneath trees and wait for 60 seconds. Then, each inspector and specialist counted the number of mosquitoes that landed on their body... Anything more than 25 landings every 60 seconds is considered bad; some inspectors reported rates exceeding 100 landings a minute."

If I ever made it to the first day of that job, you can bet I'd be wondering if they'd pro-rate me 30 seconds of work before I took off, never to return.

2. Wedding or Party Planner - I'm honestly surprised we don't see more stories of wedding planners going on rampages. Dealing with people who are capable of sobbing if the flowers don't perfectly match their mother's dress, with people who insist on fried chicken at the reception and then wonder why it isn't crispy after steaming in the buffet, with people who insist that all their bridesmaids look, smell, dress, and smile the same (it wouldn't shock me to see a trend in Botox injections and teeth whitening for wedding parties): it's not for me.

Throw in 100k-plus sweet sixteen parties or bat mitzvahs on the side, and you might as well stick a fork in me.

3. Air Traffic Controller - Too much stress. Probably not the best job for someone with chronic insomnia, or for someone who occasionally enjoys playing Grand Theft Auto. Also, Pushing Tin was terrible.

What would be the worst jobs for you?

	User:	midcenturymod (posted by threestarblue)
	Date:	2008-05-15 14:03
	Subject:	mystery solved.
	Security:	Public

thank you for all the help and feedback i received regarding my post about my grandmother's furniture yesterday.
i went back and actually found the stamps just where everyone said i would. :D the manufacturer is a company called Basic = Witz Furniture Industries, Inc. out of Waynesboro, Virginia.
i even found a paper tag in the nightstand with a write up about the furniture and learned it's cherry wood. the drawers appear to be glued.
all in all it's been really interesting. i still don't know how to price them but it's a great start.
thanks again for your help. :)

-suzie.

	User:	pregnant (posted by sballik)
	Date:	2008-05-15 16:11
	Subject:
	Security:	Public

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	User:	pregnant (posted by ineedavoice)
	Date:	2008-05-15 16:13
	Subject:	Buying a Maternity Bathing Suit
	Security:	Public

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	User:	it
	Date:	2008-05-15 15:07
	Subject:	kisses and daisies
	Security:	Public

*swoons*

she grabs the back of my hair and then lunges towards my face and "kisses" it :)
she does this over and over! my little cuddle bug. my affectionate kitten cat.
i'm so in love with her. i have to get a better pic of this because it's so freaking adorable and intense!


strapped into her spacechair, she tries a biscuit quizzically


"green beans? i approve!!"

she is sitting up completely unassisted!

it's so amazing to me to see her become more and more mobile and eating more and more food!
she is rolling all over the floor now.
today i saw her sit unassisted for the very first time!

m's parent's were in town and we went to the restauraunt Heartland
http://www.heartlandrestaurant.com/
i seriously recommend it!
look at their menu (that changes daily) on their site!
lili tried the parsnip soup and even the whitefish consomme and totally LOVED it.
she has a refined palate!

at my mom's she had spinach pesto with a hint of lemon and mahi mahi with mango salsa.
she enjoys good food!
she also enjoys canned green beans.
she is not a picky eater.

she still does not eat a lot of solids, but her interest her definitely picked up so i am going to really try to feed her some every day now.

she has turned into such a little kisser!
i drink it in!

+++

my mom found me a simple little tea length ivory coloured dress for my wedding.

i've decided my wedding bouquet will be daisies.

	User:	pregnant (posted by crazydiamondsue)
	Date:	2008-05-15 14:39
	Subject:	My icon has never been so appropriate
	Security:	Public

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	User:	pregnant (posted by headbangingbabe)
	Date:	2008-05-15 15:52
	Subject:	Stitching your tears/cuts & allergies
	Security:	Public

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	User:	cooking (posted by dragonpurr)
	Date:	2008-05-15 14:57
	Subject:	Looking for suggestions...
	Security:	Public
	Mood:	hungry

Each week, my friends and I do a pot luck dinner... Usually, we try to theme it.
This week, the theme is NY Foods... (Vendor foods, etc)  Anyone have any suggestions?
We're already thinking of  NY Cheesecake, soft pretzels and hot dogs... What else should we have?

	User:	nardasarmy
	Date:	2008-05-15 15:37
	Subject:	Careful. We're coming.
	Security:	Public

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	User:	cooking (posted by wint3rhart)
	Date:	2008-05-15 14:19
	Subject:	Chocolate truffles with molds
	Security:	Public
	Mood:	chipper

For the family christmas party this year, I want to make chocolate truffles again. Although this year, I think I'll just stick to the dark chocolate-raspberry ones. Variety was nice, but raspberry was by far and away the winner! Anyhow, I'd like to make them 'neater', more pro-looking, than just forming them by (very sticky) hand and then dunking them in tempered melted chocolate.

I found some chocolate truffle molds on ebay. They look like the type which you fill with a thin shell of chocolate, pour out the extra, and then fill with the chocolate-raspberry-liquor mixture. I've seen it done on food network, but never tried myself!

So, questions. Has anyone done this? Is there anything I can do to make the candies easier to pop out of the molds? About how long should I wait after filling them before I pop the finished candy out? Any tips would be fantastic; I'm trying to think ahead this year! :D

	User:	zoe_trope
	Date:	2008-05-15 12:25
	Subject:	sure signs of the apocalypse
	Security:	Public

First, the cyclone. Then, the earthquake in China.

And now The Gay have taken over California.

Run for your lives! Before the black hole of nipple-pierced sodomy and hairy-legged women driving Subarus eats you alive! Run!

	User:	pregnant (posted by title_track_1)
	Date:	2008-05-15 14:06
	Subject:	weekend plans?...hopefully having a baby.
	Security:	Public

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	User:	punquin
	Date:	2008-05-15 11:37
	Subject:	Is it June yet?
	Security:	Public

This entry will contain a lot of girly, vanity kind of stuff... So, pass on through if you find that stuff dull!

My most exciting news is that we are going on vacation next month. I can't wait!! We already had to be in California mid-June for Danny's brother's wedding, so we decided to go to Cabo for a few days prior. I'm really excited - I've only been to Cancun (and a day trip to Cozumel) so far. We opted to book an all-inclusive resort for our stay, as we did in Cancun. It is hard to feed me in a foreign country, so having miles of free buffets works well. There is always salad, veggies, etc... Google Maps doesn't have it shown yet, as it is very new. But, there is a photo and video here in the blank spot where the hotel is now. The hotel next door is by the same company (I wonder if we can use their facilities too...) and has some photos posted of the amazing views.

I've bought a couple inexpensive bikinis from Kohls and Target and I am currently trying out a new "gradual tan" daily lotion that actually doesn't smell like dirty shoes. I'm having problems, however, finding cute skirts to wear. I have pretty wrap skirts, but I'd love to find some simple cotton or linen skirts. I can only find short, 80's throw-backs or ones that are way too large. A question: what are some good clothes and shoes to pack if we plan to visit a few night clubs? The dirty hippie in me is clueless about these things.

I have my dress for the wedding, and it is currently at the tailor's being taken in on top. I love it! I was worried that it has too much white to be worn as a wedding guest, but I've yet to have anyone think it was inappropriate. The groom though it was fine, though I never heard back from the bride. I already had silver kitten heels and I have a silver wrap. However, I don't have a clutch that will work. It's an evening wedding, and I assume silver would work best. My only silver bag is way too beaded and busy to work and can't fit both a p&s camera and my phone. I don't want to spend more than $20 and it needs to stand the test of time for a few years (as this dress will). Any suggestions. If I have to order something, it needs to be asap!

One other thing I'm nearly as excited about is my hair! I've had really awful extensions lately. The brand of hair I've used for years on my open-ended braids no longer makes my blond, and the brands I've tried over the past year have been dreadful (literally!) My ends are a disgusting, ratty mess and it all tangles together. So, after much research, I finally ordered some really nice mono-fiber extension hair from Europe. It is still synthetic, but it is supposed to be extremely high quality. I will be able to leave long sections of it loose (I hope!) and even style it on low heat (though I have no rollers). I bought my first hair brush in 8 years in preparation! The hair arrived fast from their Canadian distributor and I am dying to put it in! But, I need to wait till the end of the month so my roots are nice for vacation and the wedding. Must... not.. shave... head... Argh! I am thinking about re-sectioning the front of my hair to add a diagonal side part. That would give me the option of sweeping the front across my forehead fivehead and pulling it back. Here is a picture of me experimenting. Keep in mind, I am probably going to leave double the amount of hair loose at the bottom of each braid, so long as it works out. What do you think?

Since I have questions for you all sprinkled throughout this entry, I shall post them again in an easy, list format. :)

1. Where can I find cute, simple skirts that are around knee-length and in size xs/s or 0-2? Cotton or linen preferred.
2. What should I pack to wear to night clubs? Shoe help needed too! Photo examples?
3. Where can I find an inexpensive evening clutch large enough to fit my phone and a p&s camera that matches my dress? Silver is an option and probably even preferred.
4. Should I bother adding a side-part option to my hair?

	User:	paperthinwalls
	Date:	2008-05-15 11:59
	Subject:
	Security:	Public

mike, me, my mom, my brother chris and my grandmother all went to the farm at south mountain [more pictures of the farm itself to come, eventually] for mother's day lunch [because no one really likes 'brunch.']. this actually served a devious double purpose, as mike and i are hoping [maybe] to have our wedding at the farm next november, so this served as a fact-finding, food-tasting mission as well. mission accomplished--everyone loved the food and the setting, and now we're really really hoping that this will be the place for the wedding. it was a good mother's day! :)

( [ more pictures this way....... ] )

	User:	paperthinwalls
	Date:	2008-05-15 11:47
	Subject:
	Security:	Public

time to clean out my camera--today seems to be picture-posting day!! what has the crafty lady been up to lately, you might be asking yourself?





( [ mother's day gifts! beaded flowers and lace crochet this way...... ] )

	User:	cooking (posted by travelinjo)
	Date:	2008-05-15 13:25
	Subject:	Egg Laws
	Security:	Public
	Mood:	happy

I have a pack of eggs that have a sell by date of 5/8. I used three yesterday and the whites are still very runny (Alton at some point said the older the thicker) so I figured I have a few days left to get through them. A few questions:

How long after the sell by date do you continue to cook eggs before throwing them out?

If you were to hard-boil eggs with a sell by date of 5/8, how long would you give yourself to eat said hard boiled eggs?

If you had 9 eggs to use up pretty quickly, what would you make? Cookies? Brownies? Are you ambitious enough for a ...cake? Suggestions welcome!

	User:	cooking (posted by paygem)
	Date:	2008-05-15 13:17
	Subject:	Thai spicy chicken stir fry
	Security:	Public

I've been trying to perfect my newest favorite thing to make. I first started using white meat chicken and now use thigh meat. I also started using frozen stir fry or asian blend veggies, but have been using fresh now - which causes a bit of a problem.

Our local (small city) grocery store doesn't have that great of a produce selection. Well, they think they do, and I suppose for a city our size it probably is. What veggies can I use that aren't too exotic? Last time I just used pea pods, mushrooms, green onions, and carrots.

Also, I'm finally running out of my dried thai chilies from our garden last year - any idea where I could get my hands on some more? (the 'bigger city' grocery I went to yesterday had habaneros, serranos, and jalapenos, but no small hot chilies - and I've found habaneros tend to overpower the flavors I'm going for a bit too much) I'd prefer fresh thai chilies or small red hot peppers, but dried would work, too.