take your vitamins

to start. apparently there was an earthquake this morning. they're telling us it occured at 5:25ish - right as i was laying in bed waiting for my starbucks alarm to go off. so - i was awake and i still missed the bastard. it's been the one thing i've been majorly looking forward to since we moved here. you don't need to tell me...it's not something i should be wishing upon...like when i was younger and i thought it'd be pretty cool to get mugged and my aunt repeatedly, and sometimes angrily (word?), tried to convince me just how stupid this was and why would anyone ever want to get their stuff stolen and the shit scared out of them?!?! i now acknowledge the error in that thought process but still hold on to the dream of an earthquake. some day.

now, my recent trip to the lady doctor resulted in the Mrs. giving me a very stern lecture on how i needed to immediately start taking a vitamin D supplement. i feel like i'm pretty up on my mineral/vitamin knowledge and was slightly offended that she would assume i'd be so dumb that i would be blatently ignoring the health of my bones, and so on. i shrugged it off until she sent my results, along with a very informative tidbit on vitamin D:

"Most of the body's vitamin D is generated when ultraviolet B radiation from the sun penetrates the skin and triggers production of active vitamin D. Vitamin D deficiency is very common in the US, particularly in regions above 35 degrees latitude. Seattle lies at 47 degrees latitude. Therefore, even when the sun is shining, residents here receive very little of UVB radiaton needed to generate vitamin D in the skin." - New England Journal of Medicine

point well made. and point well taken. hopefully the next time an earthquake hits the area my amped up bones will be better suited to withstand any blows and falls that come my way. and, dear NEJoM, you might consider adding something about earthquake protection into your vitamin D Q&A. just a thought.

rip city

jake and i went to portland for a day in a half - it's just under three hours away from seattle. i was skeptical at first; hadn't heard very many good things about it...plus, jake had already been and had decidedly told me that i wasn't going to like it at all.

my boy was mistaken. i *fracking* love that city. very much reminded me of madison: the good parts of madison. everyone was immensly friendly, and not in the fake seattle way of friendly. i realized that i really miss being able to walk from bar to cafe to shopping to dinner to basketball to more bars, and so on, within minutes from each location. yes. i love portland. i can't wait to go back and do more exploring. but, yes, it felt good to drive back up the 5 and watch the seattle skyline come into view. it makes me feel like home - a solid "i.live.here." sort of home. that's pretty great too.

part of the reason i loved portland so much (and why i will be returning regularly). and why can't i work there?

meanwhile: the bunnies are trying to make friends with joss and she just hit beater on the nose. i have some parenting to do.....

january in seattle

This both re-affirms my decision to move to Seattle and helps me forgive Seattle's poor response to the terrible week of snow. I took this yesterday - Jan. 19th - while walking along Elliot Bay. For the record, the only difference between his outfit and mine was that my legs were fully covered and I had a shirt on (short sleeve, mind you). This is saying quite a bit as I think I'm a little notorious for always, always, always being cold.

I only feel slightly bad for everyone still in the mid-west. But...I only feel bad because if I didn't have any pity, and instead chose to mock all of you, I'd be completely friendless. Once I convince all of you to move this way, I'll really start rubbin' it in.

from this day forward, i travel only by train

chicago o'hare international airport.

at 4 a.m. they turn the lights up and wake you up so they can clean.

just like a homeless shelter.