Today

My sister flopped out on the couch across from me. The roommate on her way home who wants to go have dinner with me. Coffee this morning. Two cats curled up asleep on my bed. The warm house that smells like fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies. A new sugar free cookie recipe that worked out. Fresh bagels and peanut butter. A long walk in crisp weather. Christmas music. Dancing in the living room. Phone calls from home. Text messages from friends all over the country. Wonderful news from a friend. Words. Good books. The beach.

Hope. Love. Laughter.

All things I'm thankful for today.

All the best to you and yours

Morning

So....where do the words come from when you don't have much to write about?? I'm sitting here with my mug of coffee, trying to motivate myself to get to the gym, trying to find something to say, and not having much luck with either! But I keep reading that if you want to be a writer, even a few minutes of 'free association' writing is better than nothing.

So in that spirit, I'm going to tell you about my coffee mug. It's dark blue, marbled through with a bit of white. At the moment, it's half full. Half-full with a mixture of decaf chocolate velvet coffee, light vanilla soy milk, and stevia. Yeah yeah, I know, what self-respecting Seattle-ite drinks decaf? Well I do, if it's brewed at home. For some reason, if I make drip regular coffee here at home, I end up feeling like death from a blood sugar crash 45 minutes after I finish the mug. Why that is, I have no idea. So decaf it is. But back to the mug. This particular ceramic creation is my favorite for totally irrational reasons. I love the dark blue, the weight of it against my palm. And I love it for the ridiculousness that are the call letters scrawled across its front, for a TV station I never worked at. I did spend 5.5 fabulous years slaving away at one of its sister stations, but I never called that little station in Illinois home. You may be wondering how I ended up with said coffee container then. That's easy. It used to belong in the breakroom kitchen of the two-years -ago place of employment. I drank a ton of tea to keep me warm then, and 9 times out of 10 would grab that mug to cart my chai around in. When the time came to move on to greener control rooms, the thought of leaving the mug behind made me a little sad. So I resorted to petty thievery (is that even a word??!) and stashed it in the box 'o stuff from my desk on my way out the door. That silly mug has travelled from Wisconsin, to Providence, and is now in it's second Washington residence. In that respect, the mug has lived more places than my parents have. Then again, so have my cats, but that's beside the point.

Ahh my ridiculous coffee mug trophy. You're always the first one I grab out of the dishwasher. It's an irrational little love, but it makes me happy. Sort of like a security blanket for adults.

There. I've done a little ridiculous writing. I suppose that means I need to motivate myself out the door and down the street to the gym.

I think I'll finish my coffee first.

A few of my favorite things

My favorite way to spend a Sunday. A good book, fantastic coffee, and my other journal.

As yet untitled

How does one describe the weather in the pacific northwest without dipping into the cliche? Mist and clouds really do hang over the trees, drizzle pelts the windshield almost daily on my way to work. The grey surrounds you like a thick blanket. Wether you view that blanket as soothing or oppressing can change from day to day. Today I could feel it tucked in around me, feeling almost as familiar as the scruffy carebear rag I dragged around as a child. Having the right soundtrack always helps. Though the film was terrible, the soundtrack for Twilight seems to capture the range of emotions I've felt since moving to the area. A melancholy lilting piano accompanied by a range of strings set the tone for my commute, the raindrops providing a soft percussion to go along with it. Strangely, on a day full of the weather I used to fear the most, I was filled with an almost content as I made the now-familiar turns along 1-90. I love those moments when I find myself thinking, 'this is so Seattle' and realizing I'm pleased by it.

'Moments which, rushing past, define the path of a life'. A late morning wake-up, coffee with my sister. Familiar streets, beautiful music. Jokes from co-workers, anticipation of the night's stories to come. These simple and routine moments that make up my days, oh so sweet when you stop to savor them.

In which I wander over the weekend

I apologize in advance for any typos. My computer may be a laptop, but Feline #2 has decided the lap belongs to him this morning. As he is 15 pounds of rumbling furry cuteness, I am unable to override his decision at this time, blog or no blog. It was his face in the window this morning that actually prompted this particular writing session. I returned from Uptown, ridiculously large americano in hand, and fumbled with my keys in an attempt to get the door open without dumping coffee all over myself. F2 was on the counter and had pressed his front paws up against the door window and scolded me for leaving the bed. If you can be scolded by a forceful chirp that is. He gets very clingy when I haven't been home much, and while I was in my own bed this weekend, I didn't spend a whole lot of time with my lap accessible for kitten cuddles.

Instead I was spending ridiculous amounts on money all over the city. New winter clothing was sought and purchased at two of my favorite stores downtown. I adore the city of Seattle proper, but I hate trying to find parking. I could have taken the bus, I suppose, but I didn't want to be the asshat with 12 shopping bags taking up 3 seats. As luck would have it, the rain had stopped mid-morning so my curly hair was only mildly enraged instead of it's usual full-on puffball during said trip. Which leads to only mild frowning while in the dressing room, so this is good. Then I picked up my sister and we went to Target for round two. The felines were the recipients of a new scratch pad, complete with catnip. The catnip proved to be our entertainment for the rest of the night. Not for the cats, but for the sis and I, we could barely contain our hysterics as the boys got 'nipped'.

Sunday was more fun in a local kind of way. I've been reading a lot of vegetarian and vegan blogs lately, trying to get more ideas for healthy food that I can take to work. After hitting the gym and savoring my usual americano, I swung by the Farmer's Market in the junction. Bliss. All sorts of fresh fruits and veggies, cheese, fish. Love it. As someone who used to be rather shy, the first time I went to a farmer's market was so hard. I didn't get how it "worked" and was so worried I'd violate some unspoken rules about how things were purchased. I'm old hand at it now though, thank goodness. I came away with enough veggies to feed a small army. I spent the afternoon cooking up a storm, and ended up with an amazing lentil soup, terriyaki baked tofu, and vegan alfredo sauce. None of which, I'm very proud to say, burned, smoked, or started any fires. Remind me to tell you the frozen pizza story at some point.

The best part of the weekend? That's easy. The feeling that came over me more than once, that perhaps I really am home. I'm settling in here. I have routines and places that are starting to feel like 'mine'. Coffee in certain places, the kindness of a random woman who I bumped into both at the bank and the market. The feel of the steering wheel in my hands as I turn on streets that no longer baffle. The view of the Sound as I come over the hill. The relief I feel when the sun peeks out, and the the relief I feel after I realize the rain has returned and it doesn't depress as it had a few weeks ago. The scent of washed out leaves and earth. All the things that are starting to make this new house feel like a home.

Election hangover?

So today I'm pondering this. Is it the weather, or just an election hangover? I admit, the past few days have been a whirlwind of emotion. The night before our big national decision found me sleeping like an eggbeater. Tossing, turning, getting up multiple times. On the last trip back to bed around 5 a.m., I passed my younger sister in the hallway. She was on her way to work, and looked rather shocked to see me lurking at such an early hour. I finally gave up around 6:30. I inhaled my breakfast and treked over to my polling place, cast my ballot and earned my "I voted!" sticker. I hit the coffee shop for a much needed americano and some time with my paper journal. I really wanted to document my thoughts on such an important day. I was on pins and needles waiting for the results to come in. My co-workers and I scrambled to make sure every last important video clip was edited and posted. We had been told to keep our celebrating to a minimum, out of respect for others here that didn't share our views. I'll admit, it was hard to keep my elation under wraps, but I think I did well. We made history that night, and I was happy to share in such a moment with people I truly enjoy working with.

2 days later, I'm still exhausted! Which brings me to the quandry....election hangoveror rainy day blues? I slept almost 10 hours last night, which is very rare for me. And yet that didn't seem to put a dent in the sleepiness I'm feeling today. I have a few errands I need to run on the way home, but I'd really rather just jet there and crawl under the covers again. So I'm thinking that after 2 years of campaigning and wondering, my brain is so exhausted it's spilled over into the rest of my body. If it's the fault of the rain we've had all week, I'm probably screwed.

So here's hoping the tiredness will pass and I'll be bouncing off the walls again shortly. I'm hoping to get a few more days like yesterday before winter gets it's hold on the area. I almost crashed my car into the viaduct TWICE on my way to my morning ballet class. Mount Rainier was showing its majestic face, and it was so clear you could see both mountain ranges and the snow that's starting to perch on them. I was so taken with it I had to keep stretching for one more look....and would glance away to discover Izzie drifting perilously close to concrete. The real rocks were a sight to behold, and one of my favorite things about living in Seattle.

YES WE DID!

I'm proud of my country tonight. Barack Obama has been elected President of the United States. We did it. We made history. I was lucky enough to be in my place of employment as the numbers rolled in, and it was so moving to watch everyone's reactions.

Now lets work on moving forward, TOGETHER!

Time, why are you never on my side?

In typical K fashion, no matter how well I plan my time, it seems to be physically impossible for me to arrive anywhere at the appointed hour. If by some miracle I am there on time, it's because I left ridiculously early and then will have to cool my heels for half an hour. Those occurrences are rather rare. This morning is yet another fine example.

I rush out the door, yoga mat tucked under my arm. Car keys in the right hand, water bottle in the le...water bottle....rats. A quick dash back to the house, blue bottle retrieved, Izzie backed out of the garage and pointed in the direction of my destination. The flier advised to be 5 minutes early. No problem, I'm thinking. A quick stop at the bank, and I can dash right over. I should have seen the flaw in this theory from the start. I arrive at the bank, write my mile long explanation as to why the check I'm trying to cash isn't my given name. (I use a different name professionally, that's the name on the check) Stuff the blasted thing in the ATM and scamper back to the car. Of course, I had left the house 10 minutes later than I meant to in the first place.

I park, run towards the studio, and glance at my phone to silence the ringer before I walk into class. 9:29. Damnit! The class starts at 9:30. I've never been to this studio before, I have no idea what the payment policies are, where I need to go. And I'm practically late. Again.

Why does this always happen to me? Later in the day, I was also 5 minutes late to work. Like all good Seattleites, I needed a monster cup of coffee to sustain me through the first few hours of my work shift. I was trying so hard to leave early enough that it wouldn't be a problem. But somehow those few extra glances at email, or the pause to scratch the chin on my favorite furry boy, added up into 5 minutes late for work. I'm lucky that my boss doesn't seem to mind, but I frustrate myself. I usually leave 5 minutes late to make up for it, though no one is here to see when I head for home.

On the bright side.....the yoga class was wonderful. My classmates were all friendly, and the instructor took the time to explain the school's policies and intentions to me, which was very much appreciated. I think it's a place I will fit well. As I stretched my body into the variety of poses, I really tried to focus good intentions on my muscles, encouraging them to bend, twist a little deeper, release any hiding tension. My brain tends to wander if I don't keep a tight reign on it, so concentration is always a little hard. After this first practice though, I think I may be off to a good start.

A quick trip back home, I need to hop in the shower to get ready for work. But before I step under the needle hot spray, I stop to look at myself in the mirror. I'm trying to look at the bumps and curves with a kinder eye. 'We didn pretty good today, eh body?' My back muscles don't answer back, but I hope the enjoyed the workout.

Time, never on my side, but I'm trying to enjoy it anyway.

Starting anew

It's been a few years since I've blogged with any regularity, and the site that I once called home is long gone. But that's ok. I've moved cross country twice since then, and with a new home comes a new start in so many ways. I've been complaining lately that I don't write as much as I used to, but it's taken months for me to actually DO something about it. So here we are. I've been living in West Seattle for 7 months now, and am still trying to adjust to life as a west coaster. I do like it here, but I've found I'm getting restless again after just a short time. Where that's coming from, I don't know. I know I've barely scratched the surface of all this area has to offer. It was pointed out to me the other day that perhaps I need to take time to be more present, to spend more time living in the now, instead of worrying so much about what's down the road. If your focus is always 3 miles ahead, what are you missing right underneath your feet?

So that's what this blog will hopefully help me to do. Find more joy in the every day, and help me get to know my new home better. And hopefully make some new friends along the way.