I've worked 26 hours this weekend. I'm exhausted.

Ok, Ok. Just one more. This will complete the Gustav Suite posted below. Check out Movement 4. Fantasia of the Dargason. It's magical!

Band Geek

A brass band played this Second Suite in F by Gustav Holst in Port Gamble today. And I totally geeked out over it. The least I could do is find it on YouTube. So enjoy.

I've walked into a pretty stressful weekend at work. We have an Arts and Crafts festival set up, streets blocked, vendors everywhere. And a very unhappy mother of the bride. The bride hasn't showed up yet, who knows what she's going to say. Everyone is just...tense.

Anyhoo, I went to the Suquamish Clearwater Casino last night. They have a free outdoor series every Thursday night during the Summer. And believe me, in Kitsap county this kind of community event is much appreciated. There were about 1000 people in attendance to see Hell's Belles, an all girls AC/DC cover band. That just about blew my mind. We were stuck in traffic on the 2 lane highway trying to get to the casino for 30 minutes. And then there was no place to park. My parents were there, and I did get a kick out of seeing them acting out of the mom/dad box. They seemed so clean cut compared to some of the first generation rockers in the crowd. My dad, in his khaki carhartts and cotton-short-sleeved-plaid shirt drinking a Coca-Cola. :)

The whole time I kept thinking, how do I get people to come out to Port Gamble? What can the casino teach me?

So, who wants to go next week?

Tofutti?

Still Skinny, but Now They Can Cook
The authors of "Skinny Bitch," one of the hottest-selling vegan books ever published, are back with a cookbook.

I laughed at Cassandra when I saw this book in her apartment a few months ago. And that I bought it yesterday at Target, impulsively, would be very typical of me.

So far I've test two of the recipes. This is a HUGE step for the girl who never cooks. I didn't know that it's a vegan cookbook. But that's just a small step from my dietary status. I've been making the same (3ish :) ) vegetarian recipes for months. And this book has renewed my excitement about what I (can or cannot) eat. Last night was spaghetti squash with spicy braised greens, raisins, and pine nuts. Tonight is French Lentil Salad.

I went to the library today in hopes of checking out their first book, Skinny Bitch. I meekly went up to the librarian, a grey haired sexogenarian, handed her a note, and asked if she "...could look up a book for me, it's called Skinny Bitch." She didn't even blink. There were 26 holds on that title. I guess I'll have to catch up on the theory behind the lifestyle later on.

Restless Weekends

I've just realized, after another sleepless night, that I don't let my body rest during my wedding marathon weekends. Friday, Saturday, and Sundays are rough. Always going. Always on call. I guess it must make me a little anxious, hence the lack of rest and chemical dependence on caffeine that I'm fighting off. It reminds me of my first quarter as an R.A. I went 2 or 3 weeks without a wink of sleep. And it made me miserable.

Anyway, I suppose this is the first step to recovery...admitting I have a problem, right?

John made me a movie. He made it as part of the 48 Hour Film Contest in Seattle last weekend, and it showed at The Neptune Theater on Thursday night. On the big screen. They didn't quite get it in under deadline which disqualified it from the national contest (4 minutes late), but it was the only one (of the 8 movies shown) that actually felt like a real movie. The rest were just...crews screwing around. No plot. No adherence to their genre. And I'm not just saying that.
After his crew reworks the audio I'll post it. Because it's awesome. And the sweetest thing he's ever done for me.

Good News.

I am going to see Hanson. Twice.

<3

That makes it four years, today.

Claim to Fame

I went strawberry pick with Mom and Aunt Patty this morning. Mitch (my 4 month old cousin) came with us. Amidst the baby talk it was revealed to me that Jeffrey Dean Morgan (Denny on Grey's Anatomy!) held me when I was a baby. But only briefly. Dad didn't like him (apparently he was too artsy fartsy for my conservative-country-boy-father), and quickly asked to have his baby girl back.

The flasher on Reno 911 also met tiny Val.

Ok, I'm done. But I should hang out with my family more often. These little tidbits are priceless.

Extravaganza.

Nate and I put together a 4th of July party. The theme was American cheese, literally and figuratively. Joel was kind enough to burn a cd of Sousa marches and Copeland suites (AKA the beef song). We rocked out to Americana in decorated visors surrounded by red, white, and blue streamers and ate corn dogs and apple pie. We played Twister, Old Maid, and Pictionary. It ended up being just a few of us. But it was a lot of fun. I'm glad no one I know takes themselves too seriously.

I didn't come in to the office until...just a few minutes ago. My morning was spent just hanging out with myself. And it was awesome.

La Pausa

Joel has educated me on a whole new world of...paradise. It's called Chanel's Les Exclusifs. In due time I will be the proud owner of La Pausa. Class in a bottle. And surprisingly enough, Seattle is one of the few places they sell this line of fragrances.

A few more.

Grandma, Mom, Aunt Kathy, and (my newest cousin) Cami.

A few pictures.