This and That

This is the kids about (eek!) 16 years ago when we went on a camping trip to Belfair when Pat's dad, Walt, was up for a visit. The kids and I were out in the woodsy part, walking along a trail, and I stopped to take some photos in the good light there. This is one of my favorite photos of the two of them. Dan is about 6 and  Sarah 3ish.

Dan has a new review on his Cinephile site about the movie, Whipit. Check it out: http://danhowescinephile.blogspot.com/2010/02/you-must-whip-it.html.

I am busy these days working full time and trying to keep up with lots of family stuff. My job has become rather intense, with a full plate every day and I find myself working in a climate that is so busy, and sometimes frantic, that the day disappears before I know it. Just about everyone I work with is in the same boat, scrambling to keep up and rushing around for most of the day. There have been layoffs recently, and for awhile the mood was somber, and there was a nervous bewilderment that seemed to lurk over everyone. But with the sweet valentine holiday, with many of us exchanging little valentine gifts, it helped to lift the gloom a bit, and bring a tinge of much needed irreverance to at least one day. This is a good bunch of people, and as I get to know more of them, I feel like I am really settling in at last.

This is not to say that I don't still fell sad about the layoffs. It's reality now more than ever, it seems. I know the pain of it, and as I read of friends and family members' layoffs still happening, I am reminded that I am lucky to be working. Gotta keep that in mind.

Pat and I have reached a nice groove in our longtime, 23-year marriage. We've celebrated another aniversay, and had a fun Valentine's, going out for Thai food and then to see "Avatar", which was entertaining, but so lacking in the script. It was nice to go out twice in the last month, and both times we were happy to discover some really great restaurants: Machiavelli's, a terrific, small, somewhat funky Italian place on Capital Hill; and Thai Fusion, at Thornton Place, south of Northgate Mall, but really pretty good food. Spicey and a great variety, and a nice ambience to boot. We don't go out much, so these little dates have been really enjoyable for us :)

Thinkin' about the garden, and how I should  be planning and buying seeds, and starting some starts. The weather has been kinda mild around here, so spring feels like it's just around the corner. Want to plant alot more beans this year, and we are planning to do some canning! Bought a pressure canner. So we are ready, and now we know a little bit more about what to plant and how much.