This weekend in Seattle was crazy. We managed to find Michael an apartment (1 bedroom) but we were scared there for a minute. Saturday we had a few places to see and the first one was so freaking scary that I couldn’t wait to see something else. It was a dungeon in the basement of this scary apartment building and it was $575. I was vury scurrrd.

After we exhausted our craigslist leads we drove around looking for signs but every number we called was an answering machine and one number was even disconnected. We were out from 9 until 7 Saturday looking at places and we only saw 3 apartments and we stopped in at two open houses. One of the houses was so damn cute, I wanted to buy it but it was only about $600K.

We stopped at Pike’s Market and had some lunch. We also got a Seattle street map for apartment hunting directions. Michael got his favorite little donuts and Herm had some fried gizzards (eeew).

Sunday we saw 4 places between 11 and 1. I was able to line up appointments Saturday night after we got back to the hotel. One of those 4 places is the place Michael will be moving to on Saturday. It’s pretty cute, right by the burke-gilman trail, which goes right by the building Michael will work in. He’ll only have to ride his bike 2 miles on this trail and he’ll be at work!

Michael’s parents lined up our hotel and everything, we stayed at LaQuinta. LaKeenta! we kept saying that the whole weekend. There was breakfast in the mornings so that was cool, on Sunday night we payed to watch Little Miss Sunshine. Michael and I have already seen it but we really wanted to see it again and we thought his parents would get a kick out of it too. Herm liked it but I think Marlee slept through it.

Today is Michael’s last day working in Oregon City. It’s crazy, I can’t believe he’s going to Seattle . . .

Well I missed Regina, had some drama with my momma and got a lot of studying in yesterday. Today though I decided to drop my .Net class because I was just too far behind and I would continue to be behind throughout the whole term. It isn’t a required class, however I am responsible for knowing it so here I go with the independent study.

I already found a really good book so I am feeling confident that I will have this stuff down by January. My problem was with the programming, I haven’t programmed in 2 years and I am pretty rusty. I couldn’t freshen up on my Java (which is the programming language we learned at the begining of computer science) and learn C# (similar to Java but different) at the same time so now I get to go my own pace. I know it may be confusing but just know that I am all better now. No more freaking out, this week at least.

I am working on senior project stuff right now, there is a lot of tedious stuff we have to write up. Nothing is exciting about that yet. nothing.

My midterm for the database class went well, at least I think it did. I had fun studying for it. Databases seem right up my alley. hmmm.

We’re going to Seattle this weekend to find Michael a new home away from home. We’re making it a fun trip with is parents. I’m really excited to go, it’ll be like a mini vacation. I think that after this weekend it is really going to set in that I’m not going to see Michael during the week and I’m curious to see what my brain decides to do. It has a mind of it’s own and I just stand idly by and wait for it to tell me things.

So anyway, I have this huge weight lifted off me now that I don’t have to do .Net lab assignments anymore. I am excited to learn it on my own, at my own pace. While sitting in the classes (in which we sit in front of a computer) I thought that they should be taught differently. More hands on instead of lecture. Imagine someone telling you all the details of how to make some complicated recipe while you sit in the library, then you go home and try to do it, um no, that doesn’t work. I think they should have you sit there and code during class so that as you come up with problems and stuff the teacher is there to help you through them. dumb…

The icing on my Thursday cake is that Lisa invited Michael and I over for dinner. You know by now that I love those dinners. love love love.

I have a ticket to the Regina Specktor concert tonight in Portland and I cannot go . . .I have too much unfinished school work and two midterms tomorrow morning don’t leave me with much choice. Please pray for me because I am very, very sad. School is hell.

Yesterday I got a card in the mail from a friend. It was a super nice card and it really made my day, for a few minutes at least. Then I started studying again.

It made me think, how many days could I make better just by telling people how I feel about them? At least a few. In no particular order here are some feelings:

Michael, thank you for always understanding me, letting me be crazy and making me smile. You are everything I could have ever hoped for in this life. All you have ever done is support me and that is all I need. Well, that and those occasions where you bring me home a present like something green or a new pair of socks.

Marlee, thank you for setting such a great example of how to live life. I look up to you and love you more than you’ll ever know. I hope I can just be half as good of a mother, wife, sister and friend as you are. Instead of asking myself what would jesus do?, I ask myself what would Marlee do? You’re the best!!

Herm, thank you for being so giving, caring and supportive. You are so smart and I really respect everything you have to say. You mean so much to me. I love hanging out and shooting the shit with you. Thank you also for making me more outgoing, I am never going to shut-up and it’s all thanks to you. I love you so much!!

Katie, not sure that you even read this (you say you do but I’m still skeptical), I love you. You are the sweetest kindest person and you deserve all the best in this world. I would have never made it where I am without you, I love you more than I can ever, ever tell you.

Angie, thank you for making yourself the best person you can be so that we all get to hang out with the best Angie there can be. Your hard work and determination are impressive and inspiring. You are also very giving and I am thankful to you for all the cool stuff you have given me over the years, though Michael is not ;)

(okay this is getting long . . .)

Bart & Summer, thanks for being such open and honest friends, you guys are like family without the drama. I’m not thankful you moved to Bend though, so sad!!

Rhianna, thanks for always being down for whatever and for working your ass off in everything you do, you motivate me to run faster and study harder!!

Lisa & Scott I shouldn’t group you two because you both have special things I’m thankful for. Lisa, you are so smart, fun and your dinners are to die for. I also love your aprons! Scott, you are even smarter, funner and you’ve got mad crazy after-dinner dish washing skills. I’m also thankful for the new music and t.v. shows you guys have introduced me to, and the movie room rocks too!!

Justin & Sabina, thanks for the fun times! You guys are always down for fun nights out and you always make them as fun as fun can be. You guys are great parents too!

Jason, thanks for bittorrent, among many other things. Thanks also for offering up your help with .Net (which you may very quickly regret) and for being such a smart cool guy!!

Chris, thanks for moving to Seattle, now Michael will have a friend to keep him busy. I can’t wait to get to know Seattle the Chris way!!

Amber, thanks for being such a kick in the pants. You are so funny! I forgot how funny you were until Lisa’s birthday. Thanks too for reading my blog and leaving my my much loved comments, you rock!!

Everyone else, thanks for reading, I love you too!

This turned out a little more crazy than I had outlined in my head but it is what it is. I don’t always let people know how I feel about them because I guess sometimes I think they already know. I should know that they don’t, because I don’t. I’m going to make more of an effort to let people know how I feel. Instead of thinking things I am just going to say them. As if my mouth didn’t run enough already. . .

This has been the craziest week I have had in a long time! First off, I burnt my tongue on my soup. I was really hungry but it was too hot. Windows crashed on me last night. I had 2 labs and an exercise due today along with 2 quizzes. I have a presentation tomorrow with my senior project group, I got assigned a project in my .Net class and also in my database class. I have two midterms next Thursday, and I’m pregnant.

Just kidding about that last thing . . . ha ha ha. Sorry Marlee. Anyway I am not used to all this activity. I know I have said it before but this morning I was definitely thinking what the hell am I doing? as I sat on the toilet. I have my best thoughts on that shiny white chair. Sometimes I just sit there even when I don’t have to. moving on. ..

The cats keep coming. More and more cats keep showing up outside and I don’t even know what to do about it. I pet them, cause they are cute, but then they think that they are mine. I know if I stopped putting food out for Blacky (she’s our porch kitty) they’d all leave but I really like Blacky and I want to feed her. She’s really cool. Maybe when Michael leaves I will let them all live in the house with me and I just won’t tell him, ha ha ha.

Which brings me to tell any of you that don’t already know, Michael is moving to Seattle. He got a really cool job up there and so he’s taking off. I’m gonna ride the train or bus up every weekend to see him. When I told my mom all she had to say about the whole thing is “are you and Michael breaking up, is that why he’s moving to Seattle and you’re staying here?” No Mom, I am going to school, at western, like I just told you, do you listen to anything I say? I swear.

Over the past 9 years Michael and I have been apart for less than 10 nights. Once he went to Whistler (3 nights), once I went with Marlee to the coast to decorate the cabin for Christmas (1 night) and once I stayed at the coast with his parents (3 nights) to help them work on their cabin while he stayed in town so he could go to work. We pretty much love each other.

This is going to be another thing that will just make my life that much more interesting. I won’t even realize he’s really doing this until it really happens. Until I really have to live alone, which I have never done but am not afraid to do. Just Laycie and the kitties, chocolate milk and furballs.

I just thought I’d post up some pictures this morning before I go to school since I will have zero time to do anything with this blog when I get home. Plus it’s just better if I don’t get on the computer to do this sort of thing which always leads to looking at celeb gossip and wasting plenty of good brain hours that should be spent on my homework.

I saw this when I drove home last week and I really wanted to capture it. It felt like Fall to me . . .

This is a variation of Alice in Wonderland. . .

Michael and I have been eating pretty crappy for a few weeks now so last night we decided to make an effort to eat better this week. It sounded good last night but then on my way home from class I really wanted some chocolate milk, I re-evaluated my decision and decided one last jug wouldn’t kill me.

I went to safeway and grabbed some chocolate milk but then I looked over and saw eggnog. Eggnog, Christmas, happy, yummy. So I had to grab that too. I think I’m weak.

So I’m home, drinking my nog and writing on my blog. It’s a pretty good Monday so far…

This layout is the Christmas theme from last year that Michael made me… It’s how the eggnog makes me feel on this cold fall afternoon…

To eat: Sushi, Vietnamese food from Kim’s, seafood fondue from Red Lobster, food someone else makes me and pizza.

For dessert: Chocolate cake w/frosting, chocolate candy bars, sugar cookies, Ben & Jerry’s brownie batter ice cream, and sour gummy candies.

To drink: Chocolate milk, rootbeer (no barq’s!!), limeaid, diet coke and milkshakes.

To do: Have laughs with family/friends, watch tv shows, play on the internet, sew and run!

To talk to: Cats, dogs, anything furry, myself, and people.

To do when I’m alone: Sing, dance, look at celeb trash, talk to the cats even more than usual and space out.

In my life: Michael, my family and friends, my pets, my laptop, and my toothbrush.

About people: They can make you laugh, think, re-think, give and take.

To dream about: Running a 3 hour marathon, gracing the cover of Runner’s World Magazine, learning to sing, learning an instrument and changing someone’s life.

On my blog: comments, comments, comments, comments, and more comments.

Tell me 5 things you love . . . just pick any category you can think of and gimme 5 things, come on, make me smile this weekend amidst all my work . . .