R is for Ronnebeck!

I try really hard to be a positive person. Even more so, I try really hard to keep this blog positive, because really, who wants to come here every day to listen to a negative Nelly (or Debby Downer if you’d rather)? I think I haven’t been posting as much because I’ve had kind of a negative attitude lately. I’ll snap out of it, I promise… eventually. This morning got off to a rough start… there was some puke involved, not mine, but still… rough for a Tuesday morning! I am going to do a “Slice of Life” today to keep my mind thinking positively… Hopefully that will help! Outside my Window: a foggy Seattle… when did the fog roll in? Oh well – I’m glad to have a day without disgusting hot weather! The heat doesn’t get me too bad till I get on the bus to ride home… 80 degree temperatures + Vinyl seats on the bus = Discomfort. I'm Thinking: that my feathered headband was a good choice this morning, it makes me feel cute. I'm Thankful: That my husband let me watch TLC last...

Weekends traditionally go by pretty quickly around these parts. Friday night we went out to dinner with our friends Ivan and Dawn. We were raving about "Full Tilt" with them and so we decided to have IceCream first and then find dinner if we were still hungry - that's right, we're adults we can eat dessert first! Eric and I both had full cones of Salted Caramel and Ivan and Dawn were pretty impressed. I can't imagine anyone NOT being impressed by Full Tilt. After Ice cream we had full intentions of going to get some snackers from KFC or something like that for dinner. We made our way back to our car when we passed Proletariat Pizzaria . We had heard rave reviews of this place from the same people we heard about Full Tilt - Jay and Sonia. So we decided to share a pie! You should check out Proletariat Pizza sometime... they're good people with a great idea for their community - and their pizza rocks my socks! Not to mention they're really passionate ...

Last night I missed my bus by about 3.5 seconds. Even by running at full Abby speed (which isn’t that impressive), I missed it. I grumbled, and then got the idea to just got hop on the light rail, because I’d rather be actively moving towards home with the promise of my Husband picking me up than stuck standing at the bus stop for the next 45 minutes. I got on the rail and read the entire smooth ride home, it was a beautiful thing – have I mentioned how awesome the light rail is?. Eric picked me up at the station and we ran a few errands, Post office, library… etc. As I was walking out of the library I couldn’t help but to notice how big of a dork I am. I had my black commuter tennis on with my brown pants with my ORCA (Bus) pass hanging around my neck in a commuter style badge holder, with a library card in one hand, my library book tucked into my arm and my greasy hair in a ponytail; the only thing I was missing is my oversized wrong prescription glasses I wear around the house befo...

Today was a screaming busy day at work. I don't know if I could have gotten more done if I tried. At one point I found myself wondering if 8 hours was long enough to work today, because I just had so much to do! As I was sifting through the mail I had recieved for today, this came up. A little yellow envelope with "Abby" written on the top. Inside the envelope was this beautiful little note card from a rep's assistant I work with often. It was just a few words of encouragement, and thanks for the hard work I do for her. It melted me on the spot. Sometimes a little bit goes a long ways. It made my day; left me with a smile on my face as I continued to sift through the piles of paperwork on my desk. Thank you Kari, you're a sweetheart!

So... Remember this post? Inspired by an invention that should be called... STUPID CELL PHONE . Well... a few months later I posted that I had dropped my New Nokia Twist in a mud puddle , and had to start using my old Voyager that was throwing fits! I have had my Voyager working pretty well for the past few months up until this afternoon, when it just dropped dead even with a full charge. So after letting my Twist dry out in rice for a couple days it works... kind of. I would just buy a new phone... but they cost lots of money ... that I don't have... to blow on a STUPID CELL PHONE. Or maybe I'm just holding out on principle. Either way... after work I'm off to reactivate my twist with my fingers crossed that it will last until I'm available for an upgrade - or at least till December. But here's where the "Something New" comes into place. I used to just buy up a new phone when the old one even started glitching. I have been using two old / broken cell phon...

Saturday alone seemed like an entire weekend all wrapped into one. I started out in the morning gallivanting with Katherine in upper Seattle, and then in the evening Eric, Aquaman and I went over to Jess and Lee's house for some burgers and a little bonfire action. Aquaman didn't really get along with their dogs Pickle and Melba otherwise I'd have a picture to share of our adventures in Tacoma. He's never coming along to visit ever again because I ended up holding him the entire time because he's such a big baby. Lee made us burgers out of chorizo sausage with walla walla sweet onions and red peppers on a ciabatta bun. It was a really simple burger, but quite amazing. Sunday we took off to the various grocery stores in our area in search of deals on food. We now have a stocked fridge for under $100. We're pretty proud of that. We spent some time together and were a little lazy, but we like our Sundays like that! A few happies for the week... I love that the bus ...

For some unknown reason I've been really attracted to these hairpieces recently. I've googled 100 times over again where to buy them at and how to make them. They retail for about 20 bucks online, and maybe I should start my own business making them, because I made mine for under 5. I am in LOVE with it! I think I'll probably wear it every day. Okay maybe it's a little too big of a statement to wear every day, but I just really like it. It's big debut was today as Katherine and I had an excursion planned to go to the Theo Chocolate Factory up on Phinney ridge in Seattle. A little background (That I learned today) about Theo. It's an all organic and fair trade chocolate company. They are the first and only organic and fair trade chocolate. And the chocolate is simply wonderful! Kat and I had wanted to go last weekend, but it turns out their tours book up a week in advance, so we made reservations for this weekend and after a pit stop for breakfast at Starbucks ...

I love my job, oh do I love my job...! If I had a job like this... I would lose my mind and end up glued to the window all day. Thanks window washers for making my veiw cleaner, bless your heart. and BE SAFE!

When I was in grade school I started my first collection. My brother had won me a stuffed frog at the school carnival and I really loved this frog. I snuggled with it at night and it sprung what became a very massive collection of everything frog! I had soap dishes, gazing balls, stuffed, plastic, games, socks, pj's, folders, calendars, pens, pencils, picture frames, cups and more! By the time I was in college I was pretty much done with the frog collecting thing. I took a few of my favorites to college with me, and packed the rest of them into 6 (yes I said 6) Rubbermaid tubs. I was very particular of my collection often losing my mind when my 2 year old niece thought my collection was fascinating and I didn't really want her to touch anything. Hindsight, I could have let her play with anything she wanted; sorry about that Erica! In the summer of 2008 I spent an entire week in South Dakota, and it was time to clean out the 6 tubs of frogs that had been sitting in my sisters...

When I saw this Book being made into a cake on "Ace of Cakes" I immediatley wanted to read it. I had no clue what it was about, but the books were fantastically put together and the premise of a young girl (13 or so) dying in school by choking on a gummi bear just as she's about to tudor the boy of her dreams totally swept me. A few months after reading the first "Rest in Popularity" I found the second "Homecoming" and just Monday the 3rd book was released "Lovesick". Eric went to Barnes and Noble yesterday and picked me up the third book. I am so excited to get to the bus so I can read it! There's something about a new book that makes Metro bareable. I've never been a reader, but since riding Metro daily I've kind of had to become one or I would slowly lose the small sliver of sanity I still have. Thank you Tonya Hurley for giving us Ghost Girl !

Remember the Great Grasshopper Feast of 2010 ? I never EVER thought Eric could talk me into eating at the same restaurant he got the grasshoppers at ... but... he succeeded... Something New... Right? Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you possibly the best Mexican food I've ever had, El Sabor De Oaxaca. I was pretty hesitant to eat at a place where fried chili grasshoppers were on the menu let alone *GASP* cooked in the same kitchen as my food would be. But Eric assured me that I would find something I would like. So, after a little staring at the menu I pretty much picked blindly and as we waited for our food I realized that I had never been to a resturant and ordered a dish as blindly as I did tonight. I really didn't know what I would find on my plate once it got there. I was sure I ordered chicken and mole, and beyond that - it was a mystery. I wish I would have taken a picture of my meal before I devouered it. It was fantastic. It was so spicy I happened to talk Eric into a...

BEFORE Aquaman went in for a much needed bath, haircut and nail trim today. I'm SO excited! He's been looking like a mongrel lately ; his bangs and beard are all orange from the pumpkin he's been eating though you can't really tell in these pictures. He's a scrubby looking dog when his hair is long and I always love it when he comes home from the groomer you can barley recognize he's the same dog. So like the good photographer mom I am. I take before and after pics every time! Here's "BEFORE" - and he was not enthused for this photo shoot at 6 am... but it had to be done! ** Eric just Texted me this pic. He's all ready to go to the Groomer... On his way... Here we go! He Looks WAAAAY more awake in this picture... and you can see the pumpkin! AFTER See? I told ya... a completley different dog; and incredibly homely in this picture!

I'm thinking - How awful I've been at blogging recently. I guess I've hit a drought in all this heat that we've been having. It will come back. I know it will. I'm thankful for - My Job. I have been so flipping busy this week (yes it's only Tuesday) and I have loved almost every moment of it - I'm also thankful for this 15 minute break which I'm using for blogging goodness. From the Kitchen- Leftover heaven! We're having Chicken sandwiches tonight on leftover Brat buns, We're crafty like that. I'm wearing- My "mail room clothes" and feeling yucky about it. I'm Going- to go crazy ... seriously though... I'm going to get a move on my scrap booking , I'm really behind - first step? Printing pictures. I'm Hoping- Mindy gets her new kitty this weekend. She's picked him out and is just waiting on some cleara nce from the vet(s). I'm hearing- Oldies pumping from Pandora. I'm pretty sure my Pandora station wen...

Aquaman HATES going to the Vet, but we found ourselves in the waitng room at 10:30 yesterday morning after the past 24 hours of bloody stool. Probably too much information for you, but 2 hours well spent, he's doing much better and LOVES to eat Pumpkin in the can, I guess it "regulates" things for dogs. Caused by anxiety I'm open to all and every remedy you could offer for anxious dogs. Eric had a friend over yesterday and I spent my time organizing my space in the bedroom. It was a good day. I got to see Baby Kyle on Skype with Mom yesterday, that made me happy! I think I'm going to LOVE this skype thing! Just wanted to post the picture of my pathetic dog at the vet - he hates the vet. Hope you're having a good weekend!

Abby: Mom ... you need to get a webcam this weekend so we can Skype. Mom: Yeah, I have a note around here somewhere that is reminding me to do that, maybe I'll do it after dinner with Grandma tonight. Abby: Okay ... call me if you need help * three hours later* *the Phone rings* Mom: Okay so I am in Wal*Mart, I don't think they have webcams - I can't find them, where do I look? Abby: I don't know I haven't been in a Wal*Mart for the better part of a year... try the camera department Mom: Oh wait I found one! ... $45 dollars! Oh Wait ... here's one for $18... *Reads back of package to me outloud* Abby: Sounds like that one will work! *One and a half hours later* Mom: Okay, so How do I download SKYPE? *Twenty Minutes later* Mom: I CAN SEE YOU!!!! *Laughter ensues* and about 30 minutes later... Abby: I CAN SEE YOU TOO!!!!!! Skype is a beautiful thing. I can see my Mom... she can see me. We can't hug, but we can blow kisses... cyber kisses! Aquaman got to wave t...

Leilani is a Big sister! Please welcome her little brother Ikaika who made his grand appearance this week! I can't wait to get down and love on thoes little baby toes! Congratulations to Meg & Keaka on their 9lb 14oz baby boy!