Sunday, July 25, 2010

It's happening...

I'm turning into my mother.

The good news is, if I had to turn into anyone else on the planet, I'd want it to be her. She's smart, fun, generous, a great cook, loves her people, pretty and is in WAY better shape than I am. Go mommy!

The bad news is, I'm only 26.

Seriously though. I find sometimes I glance in the mirror and see her really briefly (sometimes I see my big sissy, sometimes I even see my dad...). I look at my hands and see hers (I do love her hands though). I open my mouth and not only her words come out, but her voice comes out too (which isn't a bad thing except when I try to sing. You do not want to hear either of our voices try to sing - not pretty).

Today though, was a new one. I took the dog for a walk (this isn't so new) but then when I came home I noticed the neighbors hydrangea bush is in full bloom with bright periwinkle bursts of flowers. What did I do? I went inside, grabbed my shears and quickly, while no one was looking, snipped off five or six branches.

Exhibit A: My "borrowed" (okay, stolen) flowers:

Aren't they pretty?

Well done, mumsy. You've raised a botanist-wannabe kleptomanic, taking right after you. (seriously - I've seen her pull over to the side of the road for a good wildflower before!)

Something my mommy doesn't do however, is take pictures of her kitties. In that regard, I'm growing up just like big sissy (who famously dresses up her kitties for their annual Christmas card. One year it was Mary and Joseph with a stuffed baby Jesus.....)

So I leave you with a reminder that I not entirely becomming my mother:


Edited to add:
Oh crap. I just now took another step in the mom direction without even realizing it. Doggie was driving me crazy panting so I walked him outside to the front porch to leash him up so he could cool down... problem was - I'm not really wearing pants. Underpants, yes, pants no. Score one more for being my mother's daughter. My poor neighbors.

Saturday, July 24, 2010

Summer Loves

I can't get enough of summer time in this city, I love it so much. It's hard to explain the thrill of seeing nothing but little sun images on the 10-day forecast and numbers that never get lower than starting with a 7. Yes, it's summer - finally - and with it comes lazy weekends, sunburns, grilled dinners, fresh salads, and the joy of sleeping with nothing but a sheet on to keep us warm.

(Awesome Chicken Skewers from last week - Chicken, Onions and Bell Pepper Kebobs, grilled with a glaze of lime/honey/soy brushed across them every couple of minutes. The spinach was sauteed with bacon and a little lime drizzle, and of course, crusty French Bred)

We woke up this morning on top of our sheets, just holding hands across the void between us. Love these mornings, I wish I could bottle them up and keep them for the period of time from October-May. Oh Seattle. :)

Petesie is in the yard cutting down trees with the neighbors. My wifely instincts went into overdrive when I realized that most likely none of the men working with the chainsaws have ever chopped down trees before, certainly not 30 foot tall trees surrounded by townhomes and houses. Hopefully all the buildings will still be standing (and no legs chopped off accidentally!) when they call it a day. I'd take a picture, but my camera seems to be irreparably broken. Just like my old computer. And my phone. Argh

We have nothing on our plate today but enjoying the sunshine (and chopping trees) and I think we're going to head out to the lake this afternoon to get some floatin in. Must float. I do take my floating very seriously. :)

On a side note - I made this salad last week and it turned out perfectly. Thai Style Jicama Salad with Shrimp. Highly recommend it, and it tasted just like our favorite Som Tam (Papaya) salad from our Thai restaurant down the street.  


Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Staycation!

Petesie was on vacation last week and I joined him on Friday for a long weekend. (Sad, when the only vacation you get for six months is a three day weekend, but it's better than nothing!).

After a quick visit to the eye doctor and dropping some serious cash on some brand spankin' new glasses for Petesie (who does look verrrry handsome in glasses.... ohlala!), we packed up our stuff and loaded the car with the doggie and headed up to the lake ("the lake" for those who don't know is where I grew up - gorgeous, private, small and peaceful, pefect for a weekened getaway). My parents were out of town and graciously left us their house to use... and their dog to watch... which we did with pleasure.

Me, expressing my vacation happy state of mind:

P and I love vacations at the lake, and we really are getting quite good at the whole "staying on our bums and do nothing" kind of lifestyle. Scary good actually...

Friday night we enjoyed pasta with bacon and a creamy gorgonzola sauce for dinner along with some delicious sparkling pinot grigio which I could drink like juice if only I didn't get such nasty hangovers in the morning. We took the doggies for a walk (I started to panic when we were about a half mile away and realized that the family dog Milo is getting a bad hip, and what if walking him for such a distance would result in an immobile and in pain doggie the next day? P humored my paranoia and took Milo and I home, where we rested) and finished the second season of Man Men (I am in love with Don Draper. He has bumped George Clooney off the top of my short-list)..

Saturday morning we ate bacon, potato and egg hash and watched Monty accidentally almost charge a kid of a friend of our parents who had been invited to come by and fish in the early morning. We forgot there were visitors and let Monty out and he took off running after poor little two foot tall Henry. Good thing Petesie ran after the dog in his boxers and introduced himself to the whole world in his "just got out of bed" look. Hot stuff. :)

Saturday afternoon we spent the day reading (both), painting toenails (Sweetie), napping (Petesie), sunbathing (Sweetie), reading more (Petesie) and taking a quick trip to civilization to get ingredients for dinner (both).

We've been talking about making lettuce wraps lately and had dreamed up a dish together - blackened fish, pico de gallo, and avocado served in a nice crisp lettuce wrap. So, we got some snapper and made a faux-cajun rub, grilled it up and made a mango-jalepeno-avocado pico de gallo to top it in a sheet of iceberg lettuce. I made some black beans and chopped up a watermelon and we were set for a delicious, romantic meal. Unfortunately, it was not all we hoped it would be, as the lettuce was still dripping wet, and the mango topping just made a mess. The flavor was good though.
Petesie set up a romantic picnic for dinner:
We ended the night with Will Ferrell and Talladega Nights and a little more wine.

A little tableau in the garden.... We pay our respect to our favorite Mariners. And Hello Kitty:
Apparently, my mom just likes to set up shrines to those she loves. Rocks engraved with the names of all three girls:
All in all, it really was a great relaxing weekend. We came home to two kitties who missed us and a dirty house (which we've since cleaned) and a new appreciation for parents who handle human children - these two big dogs totally wore us out!

Not Ready To Make Nice

How's that for an ambiguous post title?

Read into it what you will, but the truth is that I am revisiting the Dixie Chicks (a staple of my high school days), and am listening to this song loudly and on repeat this morning. This song is SO good and actually pretty meaningful to me on a lot of levels. Including my recent revival of liberal, outspoken, patriotism. Thanks to the Dixie Chicks for making a stand and taking heat for their unpopular political views amongst their fan base.

Speaking of music....

I am no longer the only blogger in the Lacy fam. Head on over to my darlin husband's new project - all about music - introducing The MAXAM Project.

My husband is so cute.

On another note - I have lots to tell about recent days and weekends in the Lacy household. We spent a glorious vacation weekend last weekend at the Lake, and a recap is coming. Also, some great new summer recipes and whatnot. Stay tuned. :)

Monday, July 12, 2010

Monday Thoughts...

Oh I am so tired. Petesie practically had to push me out of bed this morning, and I practically cried when I realized that he (lucky man) got to stay in bed as long as he wants today. Petesie is on vacation all week (lucky man) while I am at work. Lucky man.

I blame the exhaustion on a glorious, happy and sunny weekend.

Because I'm too tired to hammer out an actual post, here are some thoughts:

a) I am so thankful for sunny days. Even though today isn't sunny. We had such amazing Seattle summer weather all last week and weekend, and I have quite the blotchy, painful and itchy sunburn to show for it. I woke up in the middle of the night to rain drops on the gutter, and I was thankful for that too. It means I don't have to water my plants tonight!

2) (you see how I did that, Petesie??) I have finally come around to what the rest of the world already seemed to know - guacamole makes me very happy. Last night I whipped up a batch of fresh guac (avocados, tomatoes, onion, cilantro, lime and salt!) and couldn't stop eating it. Then I cried when I saw my thighs, but I think it was worth it. After all, all those ingredients are part of a healthy diet, and I probably got two servings of veggies in with my dinner. :)

c) Listening to Paul Simon's Graceland is going to get me through Monday morning.

4) When I pulled out of the garage this morning I was sent off by three of the four members of our little family, all lined up at the door waving me off (okay, just Petesie was waving). Petesie, Monty and Puss-n'-Boos (that's her nickname) were all watching me leave, and it was the cutest little goodbye. Especially the fluffy little cat just standing there watching me leave. I wish I had a picture.

5) Similar to #a - Sunny days = Spending time at the lake. We BBQed, watching hot air balloons float overhead, watched osprey fish for trout, hung out with family and friends, floated twice, drank sparkling wine and had a fantastic Crystal Lake style brunch potluck/World Cup Final watching party over the course of the weekend. Weekends like that has to be what Heaven might be like, I think.

6) We made a batch of Starbucks Summer Blend yesterday and stuck it in the fridge for this morning. Even though it is overcast and cloudy today, iced coffee is a great way to start the day in the summer. Also, due to an odd number of vacation hours I have, I will be taking .95 of an hour off early this afternoon and go home to play with my family. Can't wait.

That's all for Monday morning. :)

Friday, July 9, 2010

Lucky Me!

Why working in the same building as your husband has it's perks:


::swoon!::

End of a long (okay - short, only four days!) week and this message pops up.

Right back atcha, Petesie!

Something else that has it's perks on a hot day? Working in the ice-cream department. After lunch we all had little dixie cups of Java Chip Ice Cream on our desk. Yum!

Lesson I Learned Yesterday....

....Don't take your shoes off at work.

You might be reading this and think, "um, duh!" - but here's the situation. I was in a meeting (at this point you are thinking... "what was she thinking?!") and we had about six people in a conference room on a big, hour and a half long call with our customer. The conference room has a big huge window (overlooking the entire Seattle skyline - hard to pay attention in there!) and it was HOT yesterday. 95 degrees! Plus, I was wearing pumps.

So, under the big table I slipped off my shoes so I could wiggle my toes freely. Under the table, so no one would notice.

And then a little while passed and I decided to put them back on. I found one shoe without looking and slipped my foot into it. I then started feeling around for the other shoe with my other foot and couldn't feel it. So I peeked down. Nothing. Scooted my chair back and peeked again. Still nothing. Started trying to inconspicuously search a little harder. Still nothing. At this point, people around me started to giggle, but I couldn't figure out why. Maybe someone said something funny and I missed it due to my search for my missing heel. I leaned over and whispered to the gal next to me, "Um, I can't find my shoe!" and she burst out laughing and so did the rest of the table, and as I glanced around table, I figured out why.

My shoe was on the table, right smack in the middle.

And it had been for like 20 minutes. They all knew, and the whole time were wondering when I'd realize it.

Needless to say, I just about died. And vowed to keep my shoes on.

On a side note - it's lovely and HOT out finally. Yay for Summer sun! Last night Petesie and I went out to the lake and went for a lovely swim after work and I can't wait to get back there tonight. Love it!

On another side note - I am intrigued by this recipe - Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese. I think I'll make it soon.

Lastly - I am also sort of intrigued by this whole US Spy/Russian Spy exchange. If I had a lot of money, I might buy the rights to it and make it a movie. No worries, if I can't, I am sure someone else will.

Happy Friday!

Monday, July 5, 2010

Old Glory!

July 4th has really done a number around here. I swear, for the level of lethargy, you'd think we'd have been waaay tispier than we actually were last night. My mom tells me that even the kids are acting hungover today. Petesie blames the high voltage rock and the gun-powder... I agree. :)

(Lil' Sissy. You wouldn't believe I took her shopping for real makeup last weekend, and this weekend she went and smeared blue all over her face... showing her pride for the good ol U S of A!)

We had SUCH a fun day yesterday. The Fourth of July is my favorite holiday, and yesterday reminded me why. In my mom's neighborhood, the festivities start bright and early with a fishing derby for all the kids, followed by vintage community activities like hot dog roasting, three legged races and cotton candy.

 My parents then have a great big party at their house afterwards for all their friends and neighbors. The house is always perfect - my mom's Martha Stewart meets Americana tastes mean every detail is just right, her yard is an inspiration, the food is abundant and the beer is flowing. And the tequila flows as well, if you know where to look (thanks Jani!!). :) The best part of the night is our great friend Ricardo and his one-man band, which tends to bring the neighbors in from around the hedges and forces us to dance until we can't feel our feet anymore. I am literally sore today from my head to my toes.

Here I am both enjoying cotton candy like a little kid, and beer like a grown up. Love it!
This year the weather wasn't cooperating, and mere minutes after the band's complicated set up (outside of course) of all Ricardo's electronics, instruments, etc.. it started to rain. Just light drizzles, but enough to get a little worried about what to do (you'd think we would have a Plan B in place. Nope!). Needless to say, all the men got very excited at the thought of having to erect a faux-roof made out of bungee cords and tarps, and basically saved the day.

(If you look closely at the top of this tree, you'll see what Petesie thought was an Owl. Nope, that's no owl, that's a Bald Eagle, celebratin independance with the rest of us!)

I'm waiting on my mom to send me pictures off her camera, BUT as I fixed the video player, you can all enjoy some of our shenanigans below. :)

Ricardo's Rocking Star Spangled Banner - a highlight of the night

There was lots of this going on all night:

Lastly, we thanked America for declaring freedom some 334 years ago or so, so we could party on down today!

O' Say Can You See?


We had a great 4th of July. Despite the lack of any summer related type of weather.

So great, that I literally have not moved in the last hour and a half, paralyzed on the couch. Ugh, I am SO tired.

We really celebrate July 4th in a big way. If we are so inclined, festivities start at the crack of dawn and go until the crack of dawn on July 5th. It's crazy how mcuh we love celebratin' America. :)
More to come, recap wise. I think I am going to try draggin my bum off the couch downstairs to the bed for a nap. Then I'll be back, and will do justice to the holiday spectacular.

Friday, July 2, 2010

USA!! USA!! USA!!


I'm a little ahsamed to admit this.
I feel like I am NOT smarter than a fifth-grader right now. Especially given how (lately especially) I've been espousing the virtues of patriotism and country-lovin' to anyone who cares to listen to me (ie, is forced to hear me chatter on...). But the truth is, I don't think I've ever read the full Declaration of Independence.
Sweetie = FAIL.
However, I heard it read on NPR this morning in the shower, and instead of doing my usual quick shower routine, it caught me off guard and I found myself frozen in the warm water, choked up and listening to Thomas Jefferson's words with total reverence and awe. What powerful words.
If you haven't read this text yet, please do so. To make it easy for you, I've pasted it below. :) And, according to the website from which I cut and pasted, the original spelling and capitalization have been retained.
The Unanimous Declaration of the Thirteen United States of America
When, in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the laws of nature and of nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. That whenever any form of government becomes destructive to these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shown that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such government, and to provide new guards for their future security. --Such has been the patient sufferance of these colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former systems of government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute tyranny over these states. To prove this, let facts be submitted to a candid world.

He has refused his assent to laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.

He has forbidden his governors to pass laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.

He has refused to pass other laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of representation in the legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.

He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.

He has dissolved representative houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.

He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the legislative powers, incapable of annihilation, have returned to the people at large for their exercise; the state remaining in the meantime exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.

He has endeavored to prevent the population of these states; for that purpose obstructing the laws for naturalization of foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migration hither, and raising the conditions of new appropriations of lands.

He has obstructed the administration of justice, by refusing his assent to laws for establishing judiciary powers.

He has made judges dependent on his will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.

He has erected a multitude of new offices, and sent hither swarms of officers to harass our people, and eat out their substance.

He has kept among us, in times of peace, standing armies without the consent of our legislature.
He has affected to render the military independent of and superior to civil power.

He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his assent to their acts of pretended legislation:

For quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:

For protecting them, by mock trial, from punishment for any murders which they should commit on the inhabitants of these states:

For cutting off our trade with all parts of the world:

For imposing taxes on us without our consent:

For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of trial by jury:

For transporting us beyond seas to be tried for pretended offenses:

For abolishing the free system of English laws in a neighboring province, establishing therein an arbitrary government, and enlarging its boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule in these colonies:

For taking away our charters, abolishing our most valuable laws, and altering fundamentally the forms of our governments:

For suspending our own legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.

He has abdicated government here, by declaring us out of his protection and waging war against us.

He has plundered our seas, ravaged our coasts, burned our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.

He is at this time transporting large armies of foreign mercenaries to complete the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of cruelty and perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the head of a civilized nation.

He has constrained our fellow citizens taken captive on the high seas to bear arms against their country, to become the executioners of their friends and brethren, or to fall themselves by their hands.

He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavored to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian savages, whose known rule of warfare, is undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.

In every stage of these oppressions we have petitioned for redress in the most humble terms: our repeated petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.
Nor have we been wanting in attention to our British brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, enemies in war, in peace friends.

We, therefore, the representatives of the United States of America, in General Congress, assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the name, and by the authority of the good people of these colonies, solemnly publish and declare, that these united colonies are, and of right ought to be free and independent states; that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the state of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as free and independent states, they have full power to levy war, conclude peace, contract alliances, establish commerce, and to do all other acts and things which independent states may of right do. And for the support of this declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor.

New Hampshire: Josiah Bartlett, William Whipple, Matthew Thornton
Massachusetts: John Hancock, Samual Adams, John Adams, Robert Treat Paine, Elbridge Gerry
Rhode Island: Stephen Hopkins, William Ellery
Connecticut: Roger Sherman, Samuel Huntington, William Williams, Oliver Wolcott
New York: William Floyd, Philip Livingston, Francis Lewis, Lewis Morris
New Jersey: Richard Stockton, John Witherspoon, Francis Hopkinson, John Hart, Abraham Clark
Pennsylvania: Robert Morris, Benjamin Rush, Benjamin Franklin, John Morton, George Clymer, James Smith, George Taylor, James Wilson, George Ross
Delaware: Caesar Rodney, George Read, Thomas McKean
Maryland: Samuel Chase, William Paca, Thomas Stone, Charles Carroll of Carrollton
Virginia: George Wythe, Richard Henry Lee, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Harrison, Thomas Nelson, Jr., Francis Lightfoot Lee, Carter Braxton
North Carolina: William Hooper, Joseph Hewes, John Penn
South Carolina: Edward Rutledge, Thomas Heyward, Jr., Thomas Lynch, Jr., Arthur Middleton
Georgia: Button Gwinnett, Lyman Hall, George Walton
After hearing this read out loud this morning, and then reading it online, I was struck by a few thoughts. Some profound, some not-so-much (as per my normal thought patterns).
I don't want to insert my political opinion into this lasting document, so instead I'll let you come up with your own profound and thankful thoughts. I have chosen to highlight some phrases which particularly stood out to me though. And I'll share with you my more superficial thoughts. :) ....
1) I recongnized most of the voices on NPR this morning! Is it weird that I consider those voices (ie, real life people behind the NPR channel) to be my friends? I listen to them almost as my as I listen to my real-life-friends.
2) Josiah Bartlett was a real person!! Praise the Lord. I heart Jed Bartlett and will forevermore.
3) Right before the delcaration was read out loud, Bill Gates Sr. was explaining why those who make over $200K should be held to a higher tax bracket. I think he's a chip off the ol' Thomas Jefferson block of "we mutually pledge to each other our fortunes". :)
Happy Fourth of July weekend. More to come, I'm sure. I sure do love this holiday.