Raincharm’s Weblog

Watching Woodstock right now.
Educating the kids never stops.

Walking, soccer, making beds, dishes, the same old routine to round out the weekend.

Can’t believe it is almost June.
Although having Ashlan home makes it seem like summer already.

And of course the kids keep educating us as well, whether or not we appreciate the effort.
I see more movies than I would otherwise thanks to Ashlan. And Rey keeps me peppered with books to read.

Speaking of which. Work or reading … time to make a choice.

‘Nuf said.
Just brought my timesheet up to date.
I had the necessary hours completed before yesterday.
If only the work products were in the same shape.

I reached a goal today.

My minimum fundraising needed for the Breast Cancer 3-Day 60-mile walk in Michigan has been reached.
$2300 – WooHoo.

So now the fundraising can be for the reason I walk, not just so I can walk.
Finding a cure for breast cancer, and making sure women remember to get “tested.”

From the 3-day web-site

1 in 8. Let’s change that number.
If you haven’t had a squeeze in a while, make an appointment – today.

Thanks to those that have supported me or others.
And it is not too late to continue supporting the cause, and go above and beyond the minimum!

Survivors!

A vacation day for some. For others a day to catch up. And some won’t see much of a difference at all.
For all a day to remember.

Of the first line I think I am in the middle category.

Rey is heading toward game 6 or a 14-game homestand in 10 days. There a two double-headers in two days coming up towards the end of the week. It sounds grueling, but he gets a brief holiday this morning (of course it is probably already over as this is written).

Ashlan, Carl & I have the day to decide what we want to do. Of course that requires that one gets out of bed, unless the decision is to sleep. Sunny and warm in the sun, cool in the shade outside. I ventured out when I realized that despite being a holiday it was still Monday and still garbage day. For now – it is catch up time. I should try a walk later, just because.

Good book alert by Rey – “Pillars of the Earth” by Ken Follett. At 700+ pages it is a book that would take me quite a while to find time to finish, unless I wait for the cabin stretch. I may take Rey’s advice and look for an audio version to commute with.

We have house guests on a beautiful weekend.  So after wishing most of them good morning, I left to go walking.
This walk is with a training group – 10 miles, down to the Ballard Locks and back.

The weekend is beautiful, but the morning started out foggy/overcast. It was downright cold until we warmed up and the sun finally came out. Still only in the 60’s, but I am not complaining. Met a very nice woman from South Africa on the walk. She is about a 1-1/2 to 2 year survivor. She had volunteered and crewed before, but this is her first year walking. 9 of us slogged up and down some hills, cross the locks and then the Ballard Bridge.

Carl, Ashlan and said guests are at the M’s game (currently up 2-0 in the bottom of the 1st inning)
Not sure what the evening will hold, but I will have to be a better, more involved hostess. I feel a bit quilty for taking off like that, but it was too nice a day to not walk.

We got to see the Jim Henson exhibit at the Experience Music Project/Sci-Fi Museum this morning. Great fun. I love the muppets and it was great to see their evolution (or is it Henson’s evolution). We went to the Member’s opening where they had breakfast which we ate, and speakers, which we skipped for the most part and then the exhibit. My favorite Henson show is the Dark Crystal. I loved the Muppet Show, but I never watched Sesame Street as a kid, and only saw it occasionally as an adult.

Carl & I walked to the Seattle Center, around 4.5 miles. Ashlan caught a ride with friends and we met them. After the show Carl & I elected to bus home to get ready for guests arriving later today for the weekend. Got some Challah at the farmers market on the walk between bus and home. Ashlan and the other friends (we have more than two) stayed to enjoy Folklife. I may try to get back tomorrow to enjoy the music. The weather is gorgeous, not hot, but sunny.

Day’s like this make you realize what a lot of things there are that are good about Seattle.

Carpooling is nice. In addition to not paying for as much fuel, declogging roads, and getting to know others better, it allows the non-driver to spend more time sightseeing. I will admit to frequently actually trying to accomplish work in this time. This morning, however, I was enjoying the sunshine and looking around. Starting across the 520 bridge, the Mountain (Mt. Rainier) was out in all its glory. I looked toward the sculptures and there were two birds perched on top. Definitely not herons (wrong shape), too big for crows, I immediately went for eagles in my brain, but had never seen two together. Cormorants contorted slightly? As we got to the point that they were not in silhouette it was indeed two eagles. Too cool.

Kind of starts the day off on a good foot and tempers the bad parts just a little.

That about sums up the way I feel now.
Too many things that are really important and time sensitive.

Then throw in a stormy night at the ballpark. I had clothes and a blanket, but never really got comfortable. I think on a sunny day the game wouldn’t have been so torturous. It was only a 1 run loss, but I was exhausted at the start, and cold and exhausted by the end, and still had to complete one of the really important and time sensitive (8 AM next morning) tasks. This was my enforced 9-inning “vacation” from the real world.

So – it continues at hyper-speed.

Got home a wee bit late from work.
Meeting went late.
Deliver Carl to game just in time for first pitch.
Home – more work not done since meeting went long. (and had to attend instead of just working)
Movie – “Slumdog Millionaire” 

Finally getting to see this gem of a movie. I had to pay attention, and so just now finished work.
Not really finished, just got to a logical stopping point for the moment.

Good Night

We had an interesting day full of different odds and ends

Pink eye diagnosis
Soccer game
Car keys locked in the car at a grocery store
Two walks between the grocery store and home
Mariner’s Game (win over Boston Red Sox)
Usual Suspect movie
Chips raked
Newspaper read