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A new dating blog emerges (and it's not mine)

IMG_9360 Ever since Je quit her old Seattle P-I dating blog, there's been a gaping hole on the Internet fertile for good dating ideas/stories.

Enter Wesley. He started a pretty nifty, detailed and enjoyable dating blog at SeattleDating where he chronicles the art of dating like a seasoned journalist.

If you don't like to read (I know many of you are just here for pictures) then click the "Places We've Been" tab to see the hot spots they've reviewed on a Google Map. It's a nice feature.

Check it all out at http://seattledating.wordpress.com. Game on.

The great Christmas tree hunt of 2009

Every year, since the beginning of time, the Artherhults clan (Amanda's family) and the Green clan (her Godparents) have met the first weekend of December to find their Christmas trees. I was pleased to participate in this year's ritual. Here's how it goes:

First, everyone scrambles. IMG_9894

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Too expensive. IMG_9900

Too young. IMG_9938

Finally, the oldest and wisest of the Artherhults clan (left) sets his eyes on the prize...

...and commands the newest family member to chop it down for his daughter's honor. He must also wear a silly hat.

Wait. What? You're joking, right? IMG_9960

Nope. IMG_9961

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Alas, the tree falls. Everyone is stoked. IMG_9975

The tree is hauled away to be wrapped and transported back to the Artherhults home. IMG_9977

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The end. IMG_9995

You can see Amber's blog for more images.

Man and his throne

IMG_9616My first house fix this winter was our master bathroom toilet. I've been wanting to flush the flimsy thing down the drain since we bought the house. You see, we put a lot of work into other parts of the house last spring, but took most of the summer off and enjoyed the weather. For some reason I've got a second wind (probably due to crappy weather) and the Lowe's employees are once again recognizing me from multiple trips on the weekends. The toilet seat was target numero uno.

Everything about the toilet worked just fine EXCEPT that the toilet seat and lid were constructed out of a thin plastic. I'm sure it was meant for a child. No 150+ pound adult in their right mind would trust this seat anymore than you'd trust one of those little person chairs in my sister's kindergarten classroom.

So I went to Lowe's (twice actually, because I thought our toilet was oval instead of round) and bought a sturdy hardwood toilet seat with some white veneer. I tested the seat like one would test a watermelon at the grocery store. It hung in front of me amongst a series of toilet seats. I knocked on it. I put my ear up to it and shook it. I punched it. Unfortunately, the Lowe's guy wouldn't cut it open and provide me a sample taste, but I was satisfied enough to make the purchase.

Installation was simple and took just a minute before my new throne was ready. This was no child's seat. I sat down on the seat and shifted my weight around. The sustainability was fantastic. I called Amanda over to try it as well. She looked at me with some hesitation like I was asking her to perform a random drug test in front of me. I assured her that she didn't actually have to do the duty, just sit down on it, and she plopped down to test the new seat. It passed all the tests with flying colors.

We had a new throne. And I, king, had built it. Sorta.