Burn Fat Not Oil

Somehow I was convinced by co-workers to join a bike to work team for the month of May. Mind you, I work about 22 miles each way from my house and have only actually biked to work once. Since I work from home on Fridays and Memorial Day is in May there weren't actually that many commute days in the month and I was nervous about letting my team down. The goal is to do 10 one way trips or 5 round trips in the month. On this last day of May I am proud to report that I completed 11 trips totalling almost 200 miles! The first trip was not easy, especially on the booty, but it really does get easier and I am now a huge fan of cycling. I'd like to urge anyone who can to dust that bike off (or pick one up at your local REI), leave the car at home and run some errands on your bike. Burn extra calories, save money, and get some fresh air.

Watch This

One Amazing Day

Yesterday Michael and I headed downtown to the Obama rally. We were so excited to see him speak live. Michael was working on Queen Anne Ave and beat me to the arena. I rode the bus in from West Seattle, stopped by to pick up my friend Ava, and our way over Michael called and said that the arena which holds 18,000 people was filled to capacity. I was so sad but we made our way over to stand with the crowd of about 5,000 people who were standing outside to listen to the speech from the exterior speakers of Key Arena. I kept hoping that Barak would come outside to greet all of us who didn't make it in (despite being there two hours before the doors opened) but no one thought there was a chance of that happening. Right before the speech was scheduled to start we noticed some movement at the top of a small staircase immediately to our left. We noticed some secret service looking people start to gather around, one of which held a megaphone, and then sure enough, Barak Obama came around the corner. We were about six people back from where he stood. So close that you feel like you actually made eye contact. It made the speech seem so much more personal and real. It was incredible! We could not have picked a better place to stand. It was so moving to be in a crowd that was so diverse, had so much energy, and that was united in the cause to change America for the better. Today at 1:00 we will caucus and make our voices heard that we want change.
Here are a few photos we snapped at the event

We are Fans

I have always loved election time. In fact, if I didn't love my job I would persue a job as a political correspondent. I have never been so moved by a candidate as I am by Barak Obama. I definitely feel like he is exactly what our country needs and now I am on board as a full fledged supporter. Read his website if you haven't had a chance and watch the upcoming Democratic debates to see for yourself what a great leader he is.

The deposit is down and airfare has been purchased...

One of my dream trips is going to happen this September. My stocking this year was filled with guide books, down tent booties, a currency converter/alarm clock, maps, and a card that said a deposit was down on a trip I have been dreaming about for years. I was so excited I couldn't handle it! We are going to climb Kilimanjaro and take a safari through the Serengeti. Our plane tickets are in place and actually consist of one day in NYC, then on to Tanzania for a little over two weeks, and then three days in Amsterdam on the way back. We figured we had a layover there and it is on my list of places to see so we might as well use this chance to see what it is all about. How is that for jet setting? Let the training begin! The "Roof of Africa" is nearly 20,000 feet but nothing is going to stop us from making that summit.

Happy Holidays

We hope your Christmas is a peaceful as Taiya sleeping on our new couch.

The Rains Came Down and the Floods Came Up

We had our first big adventure as homeowners when record amounts of rain fell in Seattle. Our dainty little creek in the back yard became a raging torrent. It was unreal. Sadly, lots of water found its way into our basement and we quickly learned a lot about about sub-pumps, sandbags, and concrete.