LENT UPDATE!

Well, since I gave up everything that is considered Holy and Righteous (see post below) for Lent, I've pretty much eaten nothing but lettuce and salmon for the past two weeks. (Well, except that time that I went to Joey and Megan's Fiesta Wedding Shower and of course it was Build Your Own Burrito day and I ate one and a half. Oops.. I felt really bad about it and purged when I got home. Ok not really, but I did feel bad... convicted would be the proper term/feeling.) Anyway, since I've only eaten sprigs of grass, I feel like I've lost a pound or two. Feel free to compliment me on such the next time you see me.

Anyway. Life has been busy lately. I just found out that I will be coordinating two films coming up. One starting now and the other starting at the end of the month so if you wanted to get any face time in with me before September, now's the time to start booking my free time with fun activities.

Since I won't be doing anything other than being holed up in this office 'til fall, I've decided to arrange a goal if you will, to look forward to. I've decided to take this one...:


...on a trip to NYC! I asked her where in the world does she want to go on a trip. She answered NYC (even though we've already been there AND even though I STRONGLY URGED HER to choose Paris, she wanted New York. She says that Paris would be too expensive b/c that is where the original Louis Vuitton store is and she knows she'd spend a fortune in there. I say, you live once and you're going to be too old and senile by the time we can 'afford' to go to Paris, but whatever...off soapbox (also she wants John to take me there on our honeymoon. Ha! WE AREN'T EVEN ENGAGED!!!)), so off we go to NYC! (I know, I'm the best daughter ever...) So, I've contacted my travel agent and planning is in the works. I've always wanted to do something special for Sue and I feel like this will be a nice way of rewarding her for being a great mom (also, to get her out of the house before her Alzheimer's/dimensia settles in for good).

SEND ME BACK, RIGHT NOW!

Let's just be honest with each other, here. Send me back to Sundance already, because that crap was freaking AWESOME! I was super nervous about my travel companions because who knows what sort of freaky habits come out with people you semi-know. Nothing weird at all. I bunked with The Bish and there were no problems there (unless you count my snoring, which hopefully she didn't hear, but I'm quite confident that she did... oh well).

I saw some celebs. One would include CHUY!!! He was the only one that I was really excited about. I mean after seeing him, who needs Simon Rex, Philip Seymour Hoffman, or Renee Zellweger. Talk about D list.

I'm back to booking extras this week for a low budgie called 'Six Month Rule'. Directed by the same dude that did 'Weather Girl', if you happened to catch that one. It was pretty cute, I guess.

Well, I hope you all didn't miss me too much... xoxo

Flashback Tuesday

Happy Flashback Tuesday everyone! Since it is so beautiful outside in the Shreve with all the clouds and downpours and threats of tornadoes and everything, I figured that lots of people would be inside today on the Internet wishing they could go outside and play. Since I strive to make the readers of this little ditty happy on a daily basis, I figured that I would give you lots to look at. Y'all can thank me later.

Since "Yearbook Yourself" is back in action, my darling friend Rachel Schillage has decided to include me in her album. This is what she came up with:

I'm so glad she gave me one with little glasses.

My makeup looks hot!

Alright, then. That was fun. On to the real flashback of Flashback Tuesday. 10 years ago (next summer) the youth group that I grew up with decided to take it's Senior class on a 'Senior Trip'. The fair way to decide where we went was to have everyone vote, right? Okay, so this is what happened. Everyone who had EVER been to church with us showed up on voting day. No really EVERYONE. There were three options of where we could go:

1. Somewhere in the Caribbean, possibly Jamaica, or maybe Cancun.

2. New York City

3. Walt Disney World

Okay, so the members of Sunday School who actually came all the time and I formed an alliance. I was ADAMANT about not going to Disney World. I mean, come on. It is our Senior Trip. Let's go somewhere awesome. So, I talked all of the regulars into voting for New York. Once the votes were in, all of the idiots who NEVER EVEN CAME TO SUNDAY SCHOOL, all outvoted us by like 2 to go to freaking Disney World. And then who were the people who actually went on the trip? None of those jerks who voted for it. NOT ONE OF THEM!!!!! So of course, I had a bad attitude about it the whole time, and still do, but I'm not bitter or anything. Anyway, here is a photo of Mark and myself at WDW wearing some leis or something like we wished we were on a beach. Or in Little Hawaii in New York:

Man, I was a dish! Also, this is before Mark had his under bite fixed. He looks much different now.

That other girl I never saw again after that trip (so I halfway cropped her face out, JUST IN CASE some of you might recognize her), except on John's birthday this year when she was seated at the hibachi table one over from us and was loudly proclaiming how she planned on forcing her boyfriend to marry her after 5 years. Yeah, let us know how that works out for you, Rachel.

Since I promised you a lot to look at, I will deliver on that one. There is another blog which I adore. www.cakewrecks.com The web address should pretty much be self-explanatory for you, so go look at it and enjoy your Flashback Tuesday!

Target Understands

I don't know how many of you remember me writing THIS POST, but I remember it like it was yesterday, although it was actually over a month ago (June 11th) that I wrote it. Now, I don't know if I ever revealed what my resolution was in regards to this baby shower for a girl that I hadn't seen in 5 years. Well, let me just tell you what a nice person I am.

So, after I get the invitation for said girl and realize that I would be in Seattle during the shower (and jumped for joy), I decided that I should be nice about it and that it was probably the hormones telling her to send me an invite to said shower. So I go to her registry online at this store:

After perusing the registry and picking out a $12 onesie (that's being generous, I thought), adding to cart, refusing gift wrap because it cost extra, and clicking send, I thought, 'Okay Kate, you have finally put this little issue to rest.'

Or so I thought.

Yesterday, yes, I said YESTERDAY (July the 19th), I get an email from Target.com Guest Services telling me that my order was cancelled. They let me know that the onesie's supplier has decided to stop supplying Target. Which is stupid, because that's where everyone registers, or so I thought, but apparently this company has found a better store. So, a month and 8 days after I thought that this issue of the shower is out of the way, I find out that now I really look like a cheapskate because I didn't RSVP or whatever nor, send explanation of why I didn't go (it was all included in the card of the order I was sending). Oh well, I guess.

I told this little story to my friend Kristen and her theory is that Target really knew what the deal was and that they were on my side as far as gift giving goes. They cancelled my order because it was tacky to send me an invite in the first place. It's nice knowing that Target is my alliance and that they decided to backdoor the onesie.

New Poll of the Week!

Well, well, well. I am apparently a blogging fool today. On a roll with three blog entries posted before noon. I guess that's just how this day is going. So, the Poll of the Week closed with 6 of 13 votes saying that they are going to the beach for their summer vacas! That should be fun. And hot. More than likely, ALL of these beach visits are going to the locale below:

This photo was taken of me and my friends in Destin, Florida at a bachelorette party (Top 3 Bachelorette Parties Ever!) for my dear friend Carie Hart back in 2007. There we are, all lined up (minus the two who didn't make it into the photo, sorry Casey and Melissa, I think) on the beach with our matching airbrushed beach chairs. Good times.

Anyway, anyone from Louisiana only goes to one of two locations to the beach. 1. Destin. 2. Gulf Shores. It is a very rare exception to find a Louisianian who goes anywhere other than these two places or anywhere near the 'Flora-bama'. There are other beaches in the world, people! To each his own, I suppose.

So, yesterday, I did something really weird. I woke up by the alarm on my cell phone. Sent and received two texts. I took a shower and got ready. I went downstairs and made my coffee. Then I left the house. I got in the car and realized that I didn't have my cell phone. I went back inside and overturned the entire house for 5 minutes looking for the phone. It wasn't to be found anywhere, so I had to go to work phone-less. I got home from work at 4 and after MUCH intense searching, I found it. The new Poll of the Week is a quiz. So, where did I find my phone? Good luck!

Documenting Seattle/Canadian Eats

When we were in Seattle I decided to do a food documentation so that I could think back and reminisce upon all of the amazing things I would eat. So much for being Skinny Bridesmaid on vacation. I'm sure I walked enough that week to burn it all off. So here's what we ate:

Day 1. At The Pink Door, John ordered the Squid Ink Seafood Spaghetti. Sounds gross, huh? Definitely not gross:

When he got to the pasta, it was dyed black (thus, the Squid Ink). Looked gross, tasted amazing:

I had some amazing lasagna, but didn't manage to take a photo since I was so busy scarfing it down. After we finished walking around Pike Place all day, we settled in for some (amazing) sushi at the Japanese Kitchen. We split a Seattle Roll (obviously) and a Spicy Tuna Roll:

Day 2 we decided to start the day off right by hitting up Market Bagels:

The bagels were AMAZING! And huge. John got a Bacon, Egg and Cheese. I got an Egg and Cheese (Skinny Bridesmaid):

Since we ate the bagels around 1030ish, we went shopping and then to the Seattle Center for a little bit. We decided upon a late lunch around 4ish at the Westlake Mall. I got Orange Chicken. John got an enchilada, taco and nachos or something:

Random combo, huh? That's the beauty of food courts. Since we ate lunch so late, we skipped dinner that night and instead hopped over to a convenience store for some snacks (to save money). The following day was the Sounders game. We wolfed down a bagel (that I showed previously) while waiting on the bus to Pioneer Square. After the game, we stopped by a nice little place called Elysian Fields (not in Texas) for some pink lemonade and comfort food:

I had the Bleu Burger (skinny, skinny). John had a Grilled Chicken Club:

Monday was the day we decided to go to Victoria. On the 2.5 hour boat ride, they offered "Clipper Meals". I was smart and got the Yogurt Basket:

John was NOT and got the Salmon Basket. It came in a vacuum-sealed package, which can be seen above being held by John (the salmon). Suprisingly he said it tasted alright, but guess who got seasick. Not me:

Once we were out of International Waters, we wandered around Canada to and fro a few museums and we stumbled upon this little darling:

Once seated, the waitress asked us if we would "Fancy a Bevy" and we were sold on it. Great food, nice people and fun accents. John ordered a burger (to be safe) and I ordered Chicken Penne:

On the long walk back to the Victoria Clipper, we stopped for some gelato. Yum!:

After another long boat ride (in which we avoided the salmon the second go around), we arrived back in Seattle. We stopped by an American staple. Subway:

On our final day, we headed back up to the Seattle Center and begun the day with Zeek's Pizza (where the service was extremely questionable):

We both got two slices each. We started with Pepperoni, and finished up with the specialty pizza, Chevre Roast (Goat cheese, bell peppers, garlic, onions):

We finished up the trip with a Round 2 of the great American staple, Subway:

Just for the record, we really aren't pigs. Although it would appear so. We did enough walking to offset all of the eating. I promise. Skinny Bridesmaid!

New Poll of the Week!

Since it has been awhile since you guys have been able to vote on anything, I figured I should update the poll of the week. Last week's "What is Seattle Best Known For?" poll resulted in Rain.

Praise the Lord it didn't rain when I was there or I would have been UPSET. The weather was absolutely perfect. It varied between 65 and 71 degrees the entire week (sometimes calling for a light jacket. Aren't you jealous?) Now that I've been back the light jacket has been stowed far away from close reach. It is absolutely too hot in Louisiana.

Go ahead and take the new poll on summer vacations and look forward to yours. Or be sad that you didn't plan one.

She's Baaaaack!

Well, it seems like I have been gone for a month, but alas, readers, I have returned from the best vacation ever. John and I had a wonderful time in Seattle. Everything went as well as it could have gone and we both proclaimed to each other that we were experiencing 'Not Wanting To Go Home Syndrome.' Usually we would both be itching to get back but this time we weren't. We've decided to 'summer' in Seattle. So that is that.

All in all, I probably took around 700 photos whilst there, but they are all on my computer at home so I can't share any of them at this time. However, today is your lucky day. While we were there, the one evening that I forgot my camera, John and I ended up having the most entertaining two hours of our lives. We went to a place called The Can Can. You can assume that it is exactly what you think it may be. A burlesque underground club/restaurant. John was thrilled, not only to be at a burlesque show, but to also be responsible for taking all of the photos via Roxanne and then emailing them to me. These are the few images that he captured:

This is me having a Manny's Pale Ale. I'm pretty sure it was a local brew. It was delicious. Also, it was extremely dark in The Can Can and that is why I am so illuminated by the flash (not because I'm pale or anything). We were lucky enough to not be right upon the stage, because we got this nifty overhead lighting:

Since we were underground, this was above us. We could see the shadows of feet walking above us, which was really cool. So after we ate, the show began. It was basically a 4-Man show of the 'Can Can Castaways' and they did a bunch of different dance routines. Sometimes they were all together, sometimes it was a solo or sometimes it was two of them. Once I saw some boobs with star sequined pasties. This is a photo that John took of the four of them. One is dressed as a squirrel, one as a raccoon, one as an owl, and one as a unicorn:

The Unicorn was my very favorite. His name was Faggedy Randy. The other guy calls himself Jonny Boy. Then there were two girls. One's name is Rainbow and the other is Fiona Minx. I called them Trena and Hillary because they resembled two girls I know. Trena claimed to be the choreographer but was always behind a little bit. I decided that I want Hillary's body. Here is a mural that adorns the walls walking into the Can Can:

From right to left: Jonny Boy, Trena, Faggedy Randy and Hillary. If you're bored you should visit their website: http://www.thecancan.com/ . All in all, the show was awesome and the food was good too. A fun evening was had by both.

Caricatures

I'm so ready to leave this town that I could pee my pants (possibly because I've drank a lot of water recently in order to become Skinny Bridesemaid). So, as I'm wasting time during my last hour of work, I decided to peruse some photos from my Photobucket account. This is what I came across:

Myself, Sass and Steph's Simpson's caricatures (Stephanie's should have darker hair now by the way)! Steph made these for us when the Simpson's Movie came out a couple of years ago. Just thought I'd share.

Seriously, thirty more minutes and I'm free!!!!!

The Emerald City.

John and I leave tomorrow for Seattle. We are so excited that we can hardly sleep. People keep asking us what we are going to do while we are there (as if there is absolutely nothing that would be remotely interesting for these people to see), so I will tell you. I have planned out an itinerary to ensure that we get to see everything that we want to see while we are there since it is possible that we will never go back there if we hate it.

Thursday - Travel day.

We leave Longview at 320PM tomorrow and won't arrive until around 830PM. No worries because it doesn't get dark in Seattle until 10. We will probably eat something and then pass out from exhaustion of flying. Flying makes me so tired to the point of lethargic. Or we will rock it out at the Nite Lite. We will just have to see.

Friday - Pike Place Market.

This is where they throw the fish at you. There is also a bronze pig named Rachel who is the mascot of the city (who also doubles as a giant piggy bank that supports the Market's charities).

We want to stop by the original Starbucks, and also get half priced tickets at their information booth to anything we may want to do. Such as an Argosy Cruise around Puget Sound (I like at least one SUPER-touristy thing to do on vacation)! Woot.

Saturday - Get this. We are going to take the 'Victoria Clipper' and head over to Victoria, British Columbia (Yes. We have our passports)! They have lots of pubs, shops, parks and little points of interest. Example:

There is a place called Miniature World with a working miniature circus, miniature aliens, and (hopefully) midgets who run the place. This had better be good. Also, Victoria has a totem pole park. I thought that may be interesting as well as a museum that was listed in my bathroom book "1000 Places to See Before You Die." So I figure we should probably hit that up so I can cross it off the list.

Sunday - John's Day. We are going to do whatever he wants to do this day (isn't that nice of me), including going to the Seattle Sounders' soccer game after hanging out in historic Pioneer Square. We are bringing our Drew Carey glasses and scarves. Can't wait!

Monday - The Seattle Center. This is where the Space Needle is. I plan on venturing to the top and riding any roller coasters that may be secretly hidden up there (like at the Stratosphere in Vegas)! Also in the Seattle Center is the Pacific Science Center, the Experience Music Project (Jimi Hendrix exhibit), Aquarium, a carnival!, and fountains and whatnot. I'm pretty sure it was all built for the World's Fair in 1962.

Tuesday - Unplanned. I figure it would be best to leave this day open in case we see stuff that we want to go back to later. Or shopping, or doing nothing.

Wednesday - We come home :( or possibly :)

I am going to take my laptop with me on the trip in hopes that I may have an internet connection at the Moore (rolling eyes) so that I may upload a photo or two for you precious readers. I know that you will be extremely bored at work with nothing to read because I'll be gone, and I don't want to have that kind of pressure ruining my vacation.

New Poll Of The Week

So, last week's poll of "What Movie Will Be The Biggest Summer Blockbuster?" ended with the result of "I Could Care Less."  Thanks, readers, for contributing.  

Just in case you were wondering, Transformers 2 came in second.  Personally, I think it is going to be dumb.  Most sequels are.  I mean, who actually liked 2 Fast, 2 Furious?

Anyway, new poll this week.  The hot topic is:  "If you were in Paris, where would you go first?"

The Eiffel Tower:

Notre Dame Cathedral:

The Louvre:

The Basilique du Sacre Couer and Monmartre:

Or you can be too big for your britches and say that France and I suck.    Kisses!

Things That May or May Not Be Held Over My Head For the Rest of My Life

Over ten years ago, John picked me up for our first date (we were going to church) and he pulled up in the driveway and honked. In the pouring rain. Wasn't planning on coming to the door at all. My mother, myself and my friend Paige looked at each other in disbelief. He honked again. We continued to sit there and wait. Finally he came to the door. I haven't let him live it down since. I fear that my honk moment is on the horizon.

So, John and I are getting super excited about our trip to Seattle at the end of this month. I have booked the flights, and just a few days ago, I booked a hotel. We originally had a hotel that was going to cost us in the range of $1400 (is that too personal? Nah.) I thought that this was ASTRONOMICAL, but it was the hotel that John HAD to stay in because it was close to the part of town that he wanted to be. Well $1400 is nearly two mortgage payments for me and I am not going to pay that for a six day jaunt. So I started looking around for something that would end up costing us less. (We are cheap.)

I don't even remember how exactly I ran across this hotel, but I thought... for a total of $600 for six nights, and a block from PIKE PLACE MARKET (!!!!!!!), I do not need a hair dryer and flat screen with my room. So, I sent John a text saying, I found a hotel for $800 less than other room and he said get it. So I got it. I present to you The Moore Hotel:

The Moore was built in 1907 and has a lot of history behind those walls. There is also a theatre attached to it (the oldest theatre in Seattle) which was apparently the place to be when it was built. Acts still perform there today. I thought all of this was pretty cool when I went and looked around their website after I booked the trip. There weren't many photos on the website, but I looked on Trip Advisor and there was a 4 out of 5 star average. I kept investigating and found three interesting, yet hilarious reviews:

Review 1: "The greatest thing about the Moore is that it has the Nite Lite downstairs so you can get completely shitfaced drunk and stumble backup to your room with a stolen plant from the bar and since you are still in the same building not feel remorse for stealing it. If you get the suite there is a lovely table on which you can place the stolen, yet not stolen, plant and admire it." - Drue from San Francisco A photo of said Nite Lite (which upon further investigating, seems like a West Coast version of the Tiki Tavern minus the karaoke!):

Review 2: "There are a lot of sites to see around the hotel, including the adjoining Moore Theater. I am going off on a tangent from the hotel a moment, but the theater is reputed to be haunted. During our stay, the TAPS team was at the theater investigating paranormal acitivity throughout the night. If you are unaware, TAPS investigations are aired on the Sci-Fi channel and can be pretty entertaining. Back to the hotel. The lobby and the rooms are very spartan, but we are not here to stay at the hotel all day. The rooms lack air conditioning, but the windows open! We also got to spy on the camera crew below, after our night on the town. Three stars for the hotel, one more added for the "celebrity sighting" of TAPS. And yes, we would stay there again." - April from Portland (Steph- I need to borrow your tape recorder.)

Review 3: "Once you're checked in, you might notice all the marble lobby with the art decoish furniture, the creepy hallways (different floors are painted different colors, but it all looks like something out of a twilight zone episode) and the view from the upper floors. The Moore is a 'historic' hotel, meaning that sometimes the tile in the bathroom is cracked and the floors creak and there aren't many modern conveniences, but none of that matters because it's got crown moldings and shit. The Moore Hotel is also cheap, and right downtown. Visitors with drinking problems will appreciate all the bars nearby; The Nite Lite is in the building, The Whisky Bar is across the street, and Shortys, The Virginia Inn, and The Blarney Stone are just a couple blocks away. I'd stay here again next time I'm in Seattle (which should be soon.) P.S. Room 618 has a really cool iron clawfoot tub, in which at least one Yelper has passed out in a bridesmaid's dress." - Matthew from Boston

A photo of said creepy hallway:

Two more photos... Photo #1 of a few amenities. Photo #2 of a nice little view:

After further investigation and a few prayers, I decided that I am not worried. This looks like an upstanding, economical, historic, efficient (in terms of walking) and quaint decision that I have made. John may be slightly worried, but I am not. I am confident that this place will be fine and that we won't be attacked by zombies, or drunks and their plants.

However, if this is not the case, I am confident that this will be grounds for persecution for years to come.