And if all this rain didn't suck enough...

After a hectic weekend off (Mon and Tues), I was hoping after my last-minute day shift to come home, go to the gym and then unwind with some tv and early bed but instead....after messaging Mike that areas close to Tacoma -- where he would be driving through -- were being evacuated and closed due to the record amounts of rain, flooding and swollen Puyallup river, he sends me a message back saying he left for home early and just got there, but (oh by the way) his house had been broken into.

So I left work a few minutes early (I did actually accomplish a few things that I needed too -- whohoo) and raced over to check on my place since I live across the street. I was fine.

But then I spent the better part of the night helping wait with him for the police, forensics, cleaning up the mess the intruders made, (and remnants of Mike's busy week!) and generally keeping his dad company (who had drove up from Lacey to help him secure the place for the night since the intruders kicked in the door, destroying the door and door frame.

They took his new plasma flatscreen, an Xbox, Xbox games, two guitar hero guitars, and his personal computer. Pretty much they ransacked all three floors looking for what they could take. The bizarre thing is they left his blueray dvd player and some travelers checks that were quite visible. Police think it is kids. I think it is someone who worked on the units after talking to another neighbor of his. The sad part about the laptop is that he hadn't backed it up so all of his personal information, pictures, music, etc. is long gone.

Mike is not the most organized person, so I watched him run around trying to find paperwork on all that was taken and tried to generally keep him focused on what he needed to do (created a list of taken things, who he needed to call tomorrow) and went out and got us dinner (even though he said he wasn't hungry but did eat a few pieces of pizza once I brought it). Poor guy -- he was so exhausted and I felt bad that I couldn't do more.

What frustrates me is that after finding out this happened to him and his next door neighbor (same intruders and same MO in breaking down the door) in one night, there have been a rash of break-ins in his condo complex and no one had told Mike or his neighbor. I promptly emailed our customer care person for our complex to warn others.

But again it is a reminder that as more people are unemployed and that I still live in an area of town that is safer than it once was in the Hilltop, it is still not as paradise in a bubble.

I have to admit I have been lax on the alarm system, but guess what? It is on now again at night while I am in the house and will continue to be so when I am not. I have to say I kind of do know who my neighbors are and their activities. Only one new neighbor who moved in during the holidays has not been met yet. And when it stops, guess who is going over to introduce themselves.

Mike's misfortunate night has been a lesson for me too. Most of my paperwork is in order but I'm going around and cataloging all of my more expensive possessions and emailing them to an account. And I'm backing up my computer after this post.

Someone build the Ark....

So after weird record snowfalls, including a bizarre one Sunday night, where coworkers and I were caught unaware (and even had to climb on our work roof to clean off the satelitte dish that feeds us the wires) now comes the rain... and rain... and rain.

"More than 30,000 people were told to leave their flood-endangered homes today in Western Washington as rain and high winds lashed much of the state, causing widespread avalanches, mudslides and high water that could reach record levels.

Rising waters prompted state highway crews to close a 20-mile stretch of Interstate 5 around Chehalis on this evening.

“This is going to be a memorable flood event,” said Andy Haner, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Seattle.

“Because of the heavy, heavy rain we’ve got urban flooding, we’ve got mudslides, we’ve got water over the road, we’ve got ditches full,” Bellingham police Lt. Rick Sucee told The Associated Press. “Small creeks are now rivers.”

****

So I've been sloshing around in the hilltop. Thank god I live on higher ground where everything runs downward. Only a few weeks ago I was lamenting the fact that I did live on a hill that they did not salt and was one big urban snowhill.

Some coworkers have been evacuated from their homes in Orting and Fife. Both areas are lowlands. Mike said on his way home I-5 is starting to flood in a lower area.

Maybe I should have invested in a boat. I may need it next to get around here.

Snow in Tacoma???

I was told when I moved out here it would never get as hot as the Texas summers or snow like Michigan winters. Well, uhh, they were wrong. It's been snowing non-stop since Thursday with small respites, then back to snow. They sand here, barely plow the main arterials... I keep making fun of the road crews out here, saying it would never still look this way in Michigan!

In the one pic, it is hard to see but most of the roads going through the hilltop are blocked off to prevent people from sliding down. So the kids and adults have turned my street (23rd) from the top of the hill (Yakima) to the bottom of the hill (Tacoma) into an urban sledding hill. Pretty hilarious! And sleds are in short supply, so they are using boxes, bikes, and even cookie sheets...

It has made for eventful driving the past few days. I can put it in 4-wheel drive to get out through the alleyway that is flat and then make it over 2 blocks to a main arterial that has sort of been de-iced. (It is the route for the hospital...) I learned my lesson after the first day after I half-slid, half-fishtailed down part of hill to a flat street. (I passed the building manager who was working on some of the unfinished development and he kind of mouthed to me: Are you ok? I gave him the thumbs up as I went sliding by. Little did he know that I'm a sort of pro at crap weather driving.)

So most Christmas cards/presents will be delayed. Mike's going to help me get chains (hopefully) tomorrow since the snow is still coming down as we speak. What little bit we did go out this weekend we took his FJ since it handles way better than my jeep surprisingly.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

So the conversation starts at work:

Co-worker (with incredulous disbelief): "You have NEVER had a real tree in your entire life?"
Me: "Umm, nope. Always had a fake one."
Co-worker: "You do realize we live in the largest area known for growing Christmas trees?"
Me: "Duh..."

So Sunday was spent trekking through Cox Christmas tree farm in Eatonville, where I dragged Mike and his dad, Don, through row upon row of trees to find that right one. I would reject one for not being full enough, Mike would reject one for not being tall enough, Don would reject it for leaning.

But we did finally find one... And Mike quickly sawed it down (I did offer to cut it down myself but was gently pooh-poohed...since the signs everywhere say ONLY ADULTS may carry and use saws) and then the two men half dragged/carried it to the baler, while Mike loaded it on his FJ (which again I offered to help do and was told kiddingly by Mike, "Just stand there and look pretty.")



And once we got it home, cleaned up some of the needles and stood it in the holder (which I also had to buy since I didn't have one of those either)- it sure is a beauty: A Fraser Fir...(oh come one, you know I had to go for a designer tree as my first one!)

So let the decorating begin! And the cats well.. they don't know what to think of this strange smelling monstrosity that is taking up the corner of THEIR living room.

Why I am making sure I get my absentee ballot in the mail

Read this article from Rolling Stone!!! It's an interesting commentary that has been circulating amongst friends. There is also a piece on McCain that I haven't had a chance to digest yet but from the Palin piece... "Sarah Palin is a symbol of everything that is wrong with the modern United States."

Great writing and I couldn't agree with the author more!

From one of the comments on the RS board:

"Sarah Palin represents the ultimate seduction of women’s vote. It was obvious McCain had no redeeming qualities to incite the female vote. It just proves that the powers that be, will go to any lengths, even to the embarrassment of the Republican party, to protect their kingdom. Our suffragette ancestors are rolling over in their graves while women across this county are being baited like lambs to slaughter. They say history repeats itself, damn if that might be the case with Sarah Palin, a pawn in an insidious patriarchal game of chess. She doesn’t have a clue how she is being used. Intelligent women are affronted by her brainless, boring, egocentric maverick-ing. Most, I contend, are not buying the giddy-up."

God, I hope so... All I have to say is "WAKE-UP PEOPLE..."

I'm the biggest women-first, women-can-do-anything kind of person but sheesh... Give me someone with substance to support that is not a Republican puppet....

Funny thing happened on the way NOT to the altar...

So I get this email from my pet sitter this week as I try to square away some bookings for upcoming trips...

"Hi Liz:
Rumor has it you've gotten married. True?

If so, is there a name change we need to deal with and/or a new contact person to add to your list?"

Uh...no, I haven't gotten married....I just started dating the guy... sheesh.

But (as I have come to laugh about in the last year with my doppelganger) is that my friend and coworker Liz Shaw (same given name also Elizabeth Anne...) did get married this summer. It was her bbq that I hosted at my house.

At the time of her wedding, I don't know who was more excited about her becoming a Fontaine... LOL....there was massive confusion when we sent out the evites for the bbq and who it was for and who it was bring hosted by.

But Mike did get a chuckle out of the email from the petsitter when I told him...or I think he did :)

We were this close...

For Spring Awakening the other night (11 rows center from the stage)... and all I can say is wow!!! We were running (ahem, not my fault this time) a bit behind so Mike and I opted for some Thai food at the Pacific Place mall.

Wild Ginger is an institute around here and all I can say about the meal is "mehhh..." The rice was warmer than my stirfry. I've eaten here in the past year a few times and the quality has gone waaaaaay down... (It makes me want to eat better Thai, like Chili Thai over in University Place...I'm lusting over their Drunken noodles and this awesome squid dish of theirs right now...which begs the question has Thai and Vietnamese become the new Chinese?)

It's a musical (and I can hear the snorts from the Sports guys now) but so much more.

Very edgey, very cool and the touring actors can sing. This is not your mother's A Chorus Line.

From the Seattle Times preview: "The show has transformed Frank Wedekind's caustic 1891 play "Spring Awakening" into a work of great sincerity with an edgy rock beat, explosive dancing, and a frank, timely exploration of teen pregnancy, suicide and abortion."

I've seen some good musicals and I've seen some bad and well this has taken over Miss Saigon, and Wicked in my books!