Working and working...

I've been working out a lot lately. I like it. It's fun and I'm particularly motivated lately... perhaps the biggest factor in the motivation being that I'm injury free (finally!) The other day, I took a body fat test and we discovered that I have lost 10% body fat since a year ago at this time, but have about 3 pounds, which makes sense since muscle weighs more than fat. It's all pretty incredible as it means that I have developed a TON of lean muscle. I feel great.


I found the above add in some magazine I was reading. It kind of made me laugh... and it is very true. I'll never be "cut" like some people but I'm happy with my body which I think is a lesson that many people need to learn.

And an action shot of me working out. Always fun.

A new (classy) ride.

So, the mini cooper has been acting up. It started a few weeks ago when it would kind of sputter when it started. Eventually it would get going and be fine but as the weeks progressed, it started to sputter more and be more difficult to start.

Great.

For a car that's barely a year old with not even 15,000 on it, I just have to say: Alfred, you're a pain in my ass. I KNOW I hit that damn tanker truck but come on! It hurt me, too... stop punishing me!

So, Justin and I took the mini into the dealer, waited for an eternity (aka: 2 hours) for them to decide if it was a result of the accident, only for them to tell us that they didn't know and they had to give us a rental. Great! What do I get? I have been given Audis, lexus, mustangs before when I've taken the mini in so what fun car do I get to tool around in for a couple of days?!

Drumroll please, for the rental car, er VAN:

Seriously. Not. Kidding. Somehow the mini people thought that instead of mini cooper they meant mini VAN. Actually, for some reason that I don't fully understand, the only car available in the WHOLE SEATTLE AREA was a mini van. Uh huh. Sure, dude. Let me just say, it was CLASSY. And ridiculous.

Luckily, it only took a day for me to get back my little mini cooper. It was a problem with the car and something to do with the fuel system and it was covered by warranty. Good outcome, even if I did have to drive a mini van around for a day.

Working girl.

I took a self portrait of myself to use for a professional site the other day. Not the best quality but it served it's purpose. Here I am in my office, working away (aka: taking self portraits).

A midday brunch.

Today Justin and I decided on a new weekly tradition: once a week, we'll find a day that works for both of us to go to brunch, or lunch. Today was the day that we started this and that we went to a quaint little place in Old Town Bellevue where we shared eggs and a bagel and had an hour in the middle of the day to connect and talk. It was awesome.

Busy season might just throw a slight crimp in this plan but that is still two months away....

The domesticated life.

After our Halloween party weekend, I think Justin and I were both ready to just lay low. We spent the weekend cleaning up after the party, working out, and cuddling/watching scary movies. The highlight, though, was the ingenious idea to make pumpkin soup out of the pumpkins we still had from Halloween. It was INCREDIBLE:

First we cut open the pumpkin. We diced it up and boiled it along with some butternut squash, onion, sweet potato, and ginger.

Then, you take that concoction once it's all boiled and soft and you throw in just a TINY, TINY bit of butter (not even a stick) and a little bit of chicken broth and water to puree everything together. At this point you can also add a few spices... some white pepper perhaps, maybe some more ginger. You really don't need much though as the squash flavors don't need much seasoning.

And VOILA. Amazing pumpkin soup. It was SO good... and not to mention, so healthy for you. It tasted so creamy like it was supposed to have LOADS of fat but it really had hardly any at all. And just a tip, you definitely don't need as big of a pumpkin as we used... we had enough pumpkin soup to feed the whole city of Seattle, I'm pretty sure. Luckily, we had pretty big appetites since we DESTROYED our legs with a killer leg workout...

It's that time of year....

For starbucks red holiday cups. That's when you KNOW the holiday season is just around the corner...

The first week of November.

...was absolutely gorgeous in Seattle. Sunny, not too cold, just stunning.

On the way to a clients down south one morning, I had this view of Rainier. A reminder of why exactly I love this area.

And later that day, driving back to my office from another client, I had a perfectly clear shot of the Bellevue skyline. (Bellevue, for those who don't know, is a suburb of Seattle... just east of Seattle about 5-10 miles on the other side of Lake Washington). And, it's the city in which I work.

Let's try September, shall we?

I swear one of these days I'll be current again. Here's the September backlog of posts as the start to get made:

September 7, 2010: Squalor in the holler, say whaaaat?

September 15, 2010: Fall trip to the midwest. September 10-15, 2010.

September 18, 2010: Celebrating.

September 20, 2010: A visit from the Californian relatives

September 26, 2010: A little camping trip to the coast

September 28, 2010: Not the most brilliant idea in any regard...

September 29, 2010: It's fall in Seattle!

September 30, 2010: Some insight.