smooshy.com

blog, photos, happenings

My stash

Lolo and I spent a good amount of time in Jersey in August and I had developed a taste for the crack juice they sell out there. Every morning went something like this, "Oh look, Dunkin' Donuts! (tire screech)." Afternoon, "Hey, is that a Dunkin' Donuts? (engine revs, whiplash)." Midnight would roll around, "I wonder if there's a Dunkin' Donuts around here." At one point my head nearly exploded when one of those blue service signs on the road pointed to two in different directions.

So when we were at the airport and I was getting depressed, I saw this magical little bag and I think the clouds parted for a minute.

Alas, the bag is not bottomless.

Polaroid Photobooth

What do you get when you cross a professional photographer, a polaroid
camera, costumes, too much champagne before food, and a wedding?

                 
Click here to download:
Polaroid_Photobooth_tags_weddi.zip (4262 KB)

Dusty

In the late afternoon, one can sometimes see how long it's been since my screen has been asleep. It's time for a cleaning break!

The fog is burning off

The morning fog is burning off and the sun is getting ready to toast us on both sides. Our spending time with friends at this beach house on Case Inlet in the south sound and having a great time is only affected by the fact that my laptop is staring at me with it's pulsing white eye, an unfinished project on the hard drive with a looming deadline that is barely attainable if I put in more than a couple hours of work while on this mini vacation. Two weeks ago my father passed away. I will tell that story when this project is done. The whirlwind that followed the phone call has not yet dissipated. An already aggressive deadline made more aggressive by the need to be with family during the week following his passing and not opening the laptop to do an ounce of work during that first week. While the fog was present this morning, it lifted to reveal the blue sky. I hope that after next week, the fog that has settled over my father's death will lift and allow me to reflect on his life and our relationship.

Orange sky

Because of all the wildfires up in Canada, our sun had an eerie orange tinge to it all day yesterday.

My buddy, Baxter

Every once in a while I get to pretend I have a dog for a week or two at a time. It's nice to loan them out instead of owning one, but one day I will have a buddy of my own. In the meantime, for the next couple weeks, I'll take Baxter out for at least 2 walks every day, have someone excitedly great me as I walk in the door, and have an office mate that only stretches and groans every once in a while.

Last hurrah

Our friends, Derek and Steph are leaving Seattle to live in China for a few years. We had a lot of fun this weekend. 

                             
Click here to download:
last-hurrah-maEzpyIprCxrlxhedomn.zip (14443 KB)

2 weeks without a car

Two weeks ago, I sold my car. I bought the car after moving to the house we bought down south, after being a one-car household for over a year in Greenwood. I spent a bit of money on the car to buy it and to fix it up. It made me happy while I had it and when I didn't have to drive it to the shop for the umpteenth (wow, that clears spellchecker and now I find out it's a real word. mind blown a little) time.

It's been fun getting reacquainted with my bike and the bus system again. It forces me to be more conscious of the plans I make instead of sitting at my desk doing work until it's too late and then need to jump in the car to go the 2 miles to the dojo or to my office up on Phinney. I also get a little extra exercise and a nice warm-up before my massage clients and aikido class (uphill both ways). 

I remember now that I love my bike too. The brand is a Raleigh Cadent 1.0. It's a pretty simple road bike: one of the cheapest I could find that had some quality. I paid $600 for it about 5 years ago and it's been a great bike. I've only had to do a couple of basic maintenance things like change the bar tape, replace the chain, change out the brake pads, fix a couple spokes, and just tightening screws here and there. It's got a rack so I can hang my paniers and carry my gi, sheets for massage, groceries, beer, etc. It's an excellent road bike with a geometry that's a little more upright and designed for comfort. 

And yes, that's a garfield reflector on the front wheel. It came as a prize in a box of Frosted Flakes and I've had it on every one of my bikes since I was a kid. I like to think it brings some good luck.

If you live in Seattle, one of the cool things the city does is called the One Less Car Challenge. You get a bunch of incentives by getting rid of one car in your household. Incentives like $175 Zipcar savings, $200 gift certificate to REI, $100 off Tiny's Organic, and some free memberships to bicycle clubs in the area. I think with my gift certificate, I'll treat my bike and my ass to a new Brook's saddle. 


I think an English saddle in brown leather would go nicely with my English bike (that was made in China).

Driveway greenhouse

Lauren has been worried about her tomatoes with the cold spring and cool evenings, so she architected (that's not a real world) a structure loosely based on the shelter we helped build. I was the braun. She was the brains.

           
Click here to download:
driveway-greenhouse-DhIoqmcfGctvbFpcdCgo.zip (5389 KB)