Seattle

Mariners Game

September 21st, 2012

Mariners vs Rangers

 

Bill and I had been planning this trip since June.  Bill's father just recently within the last six months got diagnosed with Lou Gehrigs disease.  It became apparent that we needed and wanted to go on a family trip.  We thought of cruises but it wouldn't be until next year and that was and is too long of a wait.  Henry has been going down hill faster then I would have imagined.  So while Bill and I were having dinner at a local bar watching a baseball game it came to me.  A Mariners Game!!!  We decided that we would surprise them with the entire trip.  Hotel, Game, Train Ride.  All they knew was the fact that they needed to pack for 2 nights and take us out to Portland. 

 

The breakdown of what went down. 

 

Thurdsay

Drove into Portland and stayed at the Marriott Hotel

 

Friday

Got up went to breakfast

Then drove to the train station where we revealed the tickets to Henry and Julie that we were going to Seattle

Took the train upto Seattle

Checked into the Hilton

Went to lunch

Jumped in a cab to the Mariners Game

MARINERS WON!!

Went back to the hotel

 

Saturday

Fire alarm went off in the hotel at 7:30am.

Exited hotel to the stairway

All was fine so we went to breakfast

Then boarded the train back to Portland

Then home 

 

 

At the game.  Eating our hot dogs.

 

 

It was fan appreciation night so there are the Mariners waving there thanks to the fans.

 

Beer!!  It is a must as well as hot dogs and junk food.  I finally had my first funnel cake there as well.  It wasn't as good as I was thinking that it was going to be.

 

MARINERS WON!!!!

Train station!!  On our way home!!

Memories

Now I have always heard talk about memories going and losing minds but they having only really been about moms losing their minds with having children around and being tired and all.  Now since I don't have kids let me share my version.  My mind is going and it is going fast.  I can literally not remember anything that I need to do.  I have resorted to starting to write everything down in my day planner in hopes that I won't forget to look at it and do the things that I need to do for the following day.  Therefore you definitely don't need to have kids for you to lose your mind you can just be really busy all the time.

Let me do a breakdown for you...
Summer...summer is always busy for us.  We were going on vacations every other weekend for more then half the summer.  Silver Falls, Ashland, Bend, Idaho.  Each trip was every two weeks.  Then Bill's racing has entered into things.  I haven't been going to them but really only because I have work to do.  But this time it doesn't stop with summer it goes all the way into October.  Labor Day Bill had a race, this weekend Bill and I are going to Seattle, the next weekend Bill has his last race of the season, and the weekend after that we are going to California.  Lot's of wonderful trips!!!  I love it really I do (just busy)!!!

Service Commission...I am the head of the service commission for the church.  Responsibilities include remembering to hold meetings, planning events, picking up supplies for all the events, picking up milk and other supplies for coffee time, and sending out all birthday and anniversary cards to everyone in the church.  (The last one isn't part of being the head of the Service Commission I just love send out cards). 

Work...Having one person go into retirement sending our branch to run one down till we hired someone is that big of a deal however when another person is out for a month with Kidney stones one right after another forcing us to run 2 down becomes a bigger deal.  We ran the branch with just 3 of us.  We did it that way for literally a month.  I took on all the responsibities of both people that were missing as well as my own side jobs and things to do.  Craziness is what you call it.  Lastly, everyone including our new person is there at work but along with that comes all the training that I have to do.  So now, I have all the same responsibilities that I have always had plus training someone and getting to know them and their style of working. 

Decisions...Lastly Bill and I have decisions that we have to make in the coming months.  Who knows what's going to be happening in the coming months.  Maybe in another post I will explain everything that is happening in our life in detail but for now the overview works.

So, to finish off this story and my point it doesn't matter what is going on any anyones life you could still LOSE YOUR MIND!  Because I'm officially there LOST MY MIND.  Can you help me find it?

Summer Trips

WOW!!  This summer has gone by incredibly fast.  The one thing for sure is that for awhile we were taking a trip every two weeks.  Starting in June it was a trip to Silver Falls State Park (a must if you haven't been), then a trip to Ashland (where it snowed every morning), next a trip to the Bend area/Crater Lake, and lastly a quick fast trip to Idaho.  Every part of the summer and there trips were amazing andso much fun. 

SILVER FALLS

There are I think 10 waterfalls in the state park.  Some you get to walk behind so you just walk by either way you see them they are fabulous and breathtaking.  If you haven't gone you absolutely must go.  Be prepared to walk though.  There are many many trails and the hike to see them all is about 8 miles.  Bill and I got to see 4 falls out of the 10.  We can't wait to go back and see them all.

ASHLAND

 

We went there for Bill and Greg to race in a Hillclimb.  It was beautiful there but who knew in the middle of June that there would still be snow.  I would have had more pictures but my camera died and I didn't have my other battery.  It was absolutely cold.  It snowed every morning and we had a fire going literally all day long.

BEND

The top picture is going to be where my next house is.  It is absolutely beautiful.  We went to Bend with some friends of ours and had a fun time.  We hung out around Bend and then Bill and I went to Crater Lake for the morning.  Bill got to go fishing almost every day which he loves to do it now and boy I do love my fish!!!

IDAHO

Idaho.  We left at 5:15pm on Friday and got back into town on Sunday at 7pm.  We got to Idaho on Saturday morning around 2:00am.  We spent the day at the river while it was in the high 90s and then spent the night watching a movie and playing games.  The reason we went was to see one of Melissa's friends.  It was a mini girls trip!!  So much fun!!  However working for 8 hours and then driving for 8 hours is definitely not my ideal of a start of a trip. However it was definitely worth the time.

Our next trip is in October.  We are going to California.  However Bills next trip is next weekend, going to Beaver and then the next one for him is Labor Day Weekend he is going to Idaho.  I slightly wish that I was going with him but he is going to be racing all weekend and it won't be exactly fun for me.  I hope everyone is having an awesome summer!!!

Summer Projects

Finally after years of having the materials I'm finally, finally getting to my projects.  Every time I wanted to do it I either didn't feel like it or it was raining or if it was a nice weekend we were busy doing something else.  But today was the day that I finally started and finished one of my projects and got closer to finishing the other project.  It made me feel good to do the projects that have literally been hanging around the house for years.

So we have had things curtain holders for at least a year.  I finally got them up and I did it almost all by myself.  Don't mind the fake curtains that is my next step is to either buy curtains or make them.  I haven't decided on the color yet though.  But I at least got them done!!!!!

This project has been going on for at least 2 years now.  My kitchen cabinets!!  I just stained 7 of the doors and have I think 4 or 5 more to go.  Once all my staining is done then comes the hardware.  I have had the hardware even longer then I have been trying to stain my cabinets.  Isn't it sad.  Ok not really just slightly lazy and incredibly busy.  Once I get the hardware on I can then go to the final last step, putting them back on their hinges!!!  Yay.  I'm excited about getting things done.

Blue or Blue

So we went to Home Depot because this summer we are going to pant the house.  For months we have not been able to agree on the paint colors. While at Home Depot we kept picking up a paint color and which ever one it was it was instantly veto'd by the other one.  If I picked a blue Bill said no.  If he picked a green I said no.  It went on and on so we finally decided to get samples.  Bill picked a blue and a green and tan and white.  I picked 2 blues and a cream.  The Sapphire Blue and the Shrek Green were instantly veto'd.  So we are now down to 2!!

Bill's Blue...Wickford Bay.  We are going to name the house after it if chosen.



My Blue...Blueberry. 

Which One Do You Like?

Ferris Wheel and the Osaka Aquirium

Mama Griffith - This one is for you and your kids.  Be sure to show them the sea creatures!! :)

The largest ferris wheel in Osaka.  It was awesome!!!!  It was slow moving and never stopped.  So you climbed onto it when it was moving and exited it when it was moving.  It was cool.

Sting Ray

We were there at the perfect time.  FEEDING TIME!!!

Turtle

Whale Shark

The aquirium was singularly best thing that I saw while in Japan!!  It was so amazing.  You went up a 4 flight escalator and then you walked down going in a spiral seeing all the animals in different cases.  They have the largest tank in world it seems with a whale shark and sea turtles and sting rays.  It was amazing to see and view.  They had all the sea creatures from the ring of fire.  If you ever go to Japan the Aquirium is a MUST!!!

Umeda Sky Building

That's looking up in the middle between the 2 buildings.  It looks like the Arc De Truimphe but a whole lot bigger.  You take a glass elevator up to the 34th floor and then get on the longest escalator in the world (picture below) up the last 3 floors to the top of the 37th floor.  You can walk around the building and see the entire city.  Then you walk up the last flight of stairs to outside and you get the view captured below in the pictures.  It was beautiful!!