Commitments

Okay, so I really can make a commitment and stand by it. However, I did not keep the commitment I made on here. I already missed blogging yesterday! The really sad part is that I had stuff to blog about.

Yesterday I went up to Boulder and had a lovely lunch with Susan and Terry. It was originally going to be at The Boulder Dushanbe Teahouse, but due to a wait we relocated to the delish Boulder Cafe. We checked out some shops and then headed home due to the inclement weather. Walking Pearl Street just isn't fun in the rain without an umbrella.

Later on though we caught some amazing shots of rainbows.







Wrapped up the day with a jaunt to the local county library, some salt and pepper chips, white wine and Ghostbusters. It was a great summer day off from work. I'm looking forward to planning next week's "weekend," and hoping to squeeze in some camping.

Seattle, WA - Home for the Week

I'd love to tell you I'm here for a hot interview to add income back to my wilting bank accounts. Unfortunately, that's not the case. I'm here for loyalty and friendship. And, despite the fact that I've lived in Chicago for 7 years or so, this is not a trip for the Mob. :) A manager that I deeply respect asked me to help out at the center in Lynnwood for the week as they are very short-staffed. I can't tell Hilary no. She's the best, and so I'm here back in a glass box.

Other than all the hassle that goes with travel - which is always unavoidable - I'm having a great time. The hotel staff recommended a great place for dinner last night, and today my colleague gave the recommendation to just drive west. As simple as that seems, it was an awesome suggestion.

Last night's dinner was at a place called "The Rock." According to their menu, they have 6 locations in Washington. My geographical knowledge of the state is limited, so as to the other locations in relation to Seattle, I don't know.

Gotta love a place with Steve Miller on their menu

My micro-brew choice of the night

Team spirit rules here

Then today I took Malik's suggestion and simply drove west. The people here in Seattle and the surrounding areas have it all figured out. They have the best of both worlds - amazing coastal views and incredible mountain scenery. To say it's majestic may be an understatement.

While getting myself lost I found a cafe, Tazza Bella. First off, it was adorable. The decor was eclectic and pulled off extremely well. Also, they believe in child labor and the woman's daughter was running the cash register. Talk about quality customer service!

Outside view

Secondary Sign - In case your just hankering for espresso

I like the pretty triangle candle :)

Mmm...the English Muffet...loved the spinach feta spread

I'll be sure to keep you posted on everything else I do here. I'm definitely taking lots of photos. I'm hoping to actually get into Seattle for a while and experience it. It seems every city has it's own vibe, and I'm interested in what Seattle's is. Then again, maybe I can just pretend I'm part of Grey's Anatomy.

Here are some of the coastline shots:

Great America with the kids

The second full day that everyone was here we decided to do something Chicago but also action-packed. That goal lead Ty, Christine, Sami and I to Six Flags, Great America just north of Chicago.

The group needed to sleep in of course, but once we were all showered, fed, lunches packed and backpack packed full of the essentials, we piled into the Neon and headed north. Needless to say I didn't check traffic or construction, so a 45 minute drive took closer to an hour and a half. Don't worry though, the team was in good spirits and didn't whimper too much.

Once there we piled out and skipped the ticket lines. We had been smart enough to but the tickets online (buy 3 get 1 free!). First things first...I got the kiddies smiling at the viewing pool. With four people and a whole amusement park, it can be difficult at times to do what everyone wants. Again everyone was a team player though. We headed for the two-story carousel per Sami's request and followed it up with Superman. Wow! Those are two very different paced rides. I think the line was the worst at Superman. Sami wasn't too sure once strapped in and the seats folded back so we were in flying positions (staring at the ground). There was a bit of concern heading up the starting hill. The ride ended with her saying, "I was so scared I was crying, but I laughed too because it was so much fun!"

Sami was a trooper. We mixed the thrill rides with the more carnival rides. Christine and Ty even allowed for a few log rides. Despite the fact that we packed a lunch, we still splurged on ice cream, churros, pretzals, and cotton candy. Yum!

Everyone had a blast riding the variety of rides. Each of us is a full-blooded adrenaline junkie now, including Sam. Here are a few shots of the day...

What is your favorite amusement park and your favorite ride there?

What have I been doing?

Well, if you're wondering why I haven't posted in a while, it's not because I've disappeared on another blogging hiatus. My sister, Sami, flew in from Colorado two Tuesdays ago. We were hanging out with her quite a bit. Then, on the next Sunday, my sister, Christine and her boyfriend, Ty, came down to chill with us as well. So, for close to two weeks we've had house guests. And considering two of them were my sisters and I live with another sister, you can only imagine the chaos and enjoyment for all, including Ty and Susan - the non-blood members of the crazy Jackson Club.

My intentions are to post photos and blurbs about what we did for the last week or so to keep them entertained. This will not include the massive amounts of videos, Gilmore Girl episodes on DVD, or video game playing - just the fun stuff out of the house.

I have pulled all of the photos from my N95 already and organized them to a point. Now I need to decide if I'm going to edit any of them before uploading them to my web album. What do you think? Should I post them raw or pretty?

We'll see.

Last couple of the trail

More of the trail

Constituion Trail

This is in Bloomington-Normal and runs behind Susan's parent's house. Too bad it was so hot!

Should I be worried?

Now, I couldn't seem to edit this photo in Picasa the way I wanted, so you'll have it unedited. Why do I think I should be worried? Because I'm penned in by TWO student drivers. What are the odds? Aren't they supposed to stay away from eachother on the road? I just kept my distance and gunned it when given the chance.

What would you have done? Oh, and I was going to work, so I couldn't really just turn off and go somewhere else.

Hot Damn!

Check out this price of gas. I filled up. Wouldn't you? Oh, and this low on the Fourth of July. I thought they hiked up the prices for holidays. Not for me! :-)

The Fox Valley EC Team

And, this is the whole team after our trip to South Park. I've since put the rifle away, but I reserve my right to reclaim it the next time work drives me batty. We've got The Bruce, myself, Jay, and Mike.

New Look

Today I messed around with the template and settings. It turns out everything got jacked up because my FileLodge account was discontinued. I know they were acquired by Bolt, but I had initially thought they had the courtesy of carrying over my account and images. I guest not. I never even received a email notice concerning the account.

Oh well, point is the blog has been tidying and redecorated. What do you think? I'm considering building it up with images and fancying it up. Or, do you think I should keep it simple as it is now?

I know this blog doesn't have much readership, if any. But, if you are visiting, let me know your thoughts on how this looks. The comments link is below labeled "Ramblings from you." You're also welcome to subscribe to my blog. Each time I post it'll forward to your email or your news feed, whichever you prefer. (Be sure to use the proper subscriber depending on that preference.)

Anyways...share you thoughts. Come again.