Latest Tidbits

Bret's birthday was April 25 we spent the day eating out and trying on running shoes (well - I didn't try on any running shoes but I sure did eat!). We went out for breakfast, and then while deciding what to do for the day, ended up going to Super Jock n' Jill in Greenlake to get Bret running shoes, which we've been talking about doing for years. Then we went to Claim Jumper for dinner and had a slice of the Motherload chocolate cake for dessert (if you haven't seen it, it's amazing...7 or 8 layers of cake, probably 10" tall). Then I lucked out, because for Bret's birthday, I got a new camera - nice! It does a lot of snazzy things that I haven't figured out yet, but hopefully someday I will!

At the end of April, we went to dinner with my sisters at the downtown Buca de Beppo. Christina wasn't happy because she had to go to work after dinner to do inventory for 6 hours, and she'd gone on a 12 mile bike ride earlier in the day so she was already really tired. Christina doesn't look very happy when she's tired and contemplating inventory.

Also at the end of April, Bret installed new doors upstairs to match the ones we installed downstairs a while ago. And then we got to talking...if we're gonna re-do the doors, then we have to re-do the hall molding and the door casings, and we might as well re-do the molding in the bathroom now too, and so why don't we rip out the linoleum and put in wood floors to match the downstairs bathroom & kitchen while we're at it. And don't you just love my liberal usage of the word "we"? I think I do that a lot.

And last but not least...my Great Aunt Dode turned 92 last Monday! We had a suprise party for her - this is Aunt Dode being surprised:

And that's my mom in the background listening for intelligence chatter on her FBI earpiece.

Just kidding. But it sort of looks like that, doesn't it?

Here are a few other pictures of family from the evening.

My mom's oldest brother Tom, is on the left, and my cousin Kathleen & her husband Dave are in the middle. Sister Laura (ha - my sister, not a nun) is on the right.

Left to right, this is my cousin Linda, her mom Diane, and Linda's daughter Kelsey. Yes Diane, I agree, that was some really yummy birthday cake!

In the middle is my cousin Cheril, who I mentioned a few posts ago, and who I found out is only six inches shorter and six years older than me. I should probably check my facts before I post! On the left is her son Christian and on the right is her daughter Rachelle.

This is my cousin Rachel & her husband Luke. Rachel commented that Luke always smiles with his mouth closed. Now, what is it they say about couples becoming more alike the longer they're together?

These are the aunts (hmm...except for my mom). In the back, left to right, is Diane, Susan, and Mary (Mom doesn't like it when I call her Mary. So I have to do it in secret, on my blog). In the front, left to right, is Shelley and Dode. Dode's real name is Elizabeth. I still don't understand how they ended up at Dode. I think there's some story about how my Grandma Pat couldn't pronounce "Elizabeth", so she became Dode...but seriously, try mis-pronouncing Elizabeth and see if you can get to Dode. ....See? I don't get it.

And this was so funny I couldn't pass it up. In the common room of the building where Dode lives they had this huge doll sitting in an armchair, a photo opportunity waiting to happen. Since Laura's always up for these kinds of wacky shenanigans, I had her sit with the doll for a picture.


But seriously, doesn't Laura look fabulous? Yowza!