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April 25, 2006

TC's wedding

The whole reason for traveling to Fresno earlier this month was for TC's wedding. One of my closest and dearest friends got hitched, old-school style (not like those friends of mine that run away to the virgin islands and only tell like two people...). Theresa and Eric had the whole fam-damnly there along with a healthy number of attendants on either side. The bridesmaids all wore matching dresses with some super stylish accessories (that were SO, very Theresa). There was even a chocolate fountain (i've heard those things are pricey).

Anyway, the wedding was a blast, fun, marvelous dancing and drinking good time. I got to spend more time with Theresa than I have in a couple of years. I felt honored and privileged that TC wanted to spend her wedding evening hanging out, talking and dancing with me.

oh, and for the record, despite that fact that I am horrified that there is video out there in the world of me crying and going on and on about how much i love Theresa, since it made her laugh I guess I wouldn't take it back.

Check out more pics at FLICKR

Posted by meloknee at 11:10 PM | Comments (6)

April 24, 2006

Why we seattlites put up with the rain...

because days like this are hard to find anywhere else.

More photos of our beautiful ferry ride on flickr.

Posted by meloknee at 10:25 AM | Comments (3)

April 19, 2006

I [heart] socks

I really really like socks a lot. I have loved to buy fun socks for years and years. In high school I almost exclusively wore knee-high argyles. I was thrilled to find out about sock-dreams.com. I went home the very night that my coworker told me about this amazing sock-loving website. I bought $40 worth of socks. I was running around showing everyone in the office my awesome socks when they arrived. However, now, only a couple of weeks later I have a different opinion. I am sorely disappointed and will probably not order anything for sock dreams again. Two pairs of my new socks, bot of which have only been worn twice, have holes in them, big holes. Holes, like they have to go in the trash.

I'm sad and mad. I am also sorry if any of my friends who listened to me rave about how awesome this sock web site was and went and bought your own socks.

Posted by meloknee at 10:00 AM | Comments (8)

April 17, 2006

Blackbeards (13)


Blackbeards (13), originally uploaded by meloknee.

Good times were had at Blackbeards Family Fun Center. It's pretty much falling apart these days. Quite frankly, I'm surprised it's still in business. We played the pirate course and the fairy tale course. I like the fact that it's old and run down, it has so much more character than the fancy new mini golf place.

Next time we're in Fresno I want to go to Storyland in Roeding Park. I loved that place as a kid and volunteered there to fix it up when I was in college because they were trying to shut it down.

Posted by meloknee at 08:47 PM | Comments (0)

April 13, 2006

There's nothing like a trip to Fresno...

...to make you appreciate where you live. Now please, don't be offended; don't take it the wrong way. I had a really nice time in Fresno. It happened to be beautiful there this last weekend. The grass and fields were green, you could see a little bit of the mountains, the clouds were gorgeous, but it's just so flat there. Not to mention, it's rarely that green there, spring only lasts a couple of weeks. Plus it had been raining for a month straight before we got there.

It's nothing personal, and I think a lot of people really like it there, it's just not for me. Every day here in Seattle I walk to work, I look at beautiful views constantly. There is a view from almost every place in the city. You can't get that very many places. If the air quality in the Valley wasn't so horrid, there would be beautiful views there; I remember them from when I was a kid. I remember driving out to Takahashi fruit stand, back when it was actually a stand in the middle of nowhere. You could see the Sierra Nevadas in the distance. I remember it actually feeling like a looong drive. Little did I know, not 5-10 years later, my family would be buying a house even further out than that fruit stand. And, that very fruit stand would buy property and build a fancy store that made their produce overpriced. From our new house, you were lucky if a few times a year the smog would blow out of the Valley enough to see those mountains that were only a matter of miles away.

Tuesday night in Fresno, Alex and I were wandering around the Tower District. I was showing him all the places that formed who I am, my teenage stomping grounds. It broke my heart, none of the places that I hung out in were still there. The buildings were there, but the businesses were long gone. The Tower used to be the one place where Fresno held onto its history (at least Piemontes is still open). I can't believe the Java Cafe closed, Butterfields Brewing Co., and the Daily Planet. I remember when the Tower neighborhood committee sent around petitions trying to stop Blockbuster from moving into the hood, it didn't work of course. That was the start of the chain stores taking over. Luckily, I must say this, kudos to the many business entrepreneurs that are taking the chance to open new restaurants and bars. Restaurants in Fresno have a reputation of opening and closing rather quickly.

I continue supporting Fresno and its residents in their quest of rebuilding the downtown. I try to follow the city planning and the opening of new galleries and artist lofts. I think it's fabulous that people are working to make Fresno a city that is worthy of its residents, artists, writers and musicians that are born and raised there.

However, until the sky turns blue again and there is at least one apartment building that's over 10 stories high, I can't imagine living there again. Sorry Mary and Heidi, I'll just have to visit all the time!!

Posted by meloknee at 06:21 PM | Comments (2)

April 12, 2006

Weekend in Fresno

Fabulous weekend in Fresno, or as fabulous as possible.

It's too late to get into the details, and there's quite a lot to say, but I figured I'd give a preview.

Saturday we got into town and went to D's water polo game after a huge breakfast at Sandy's Country Junction in the OTC:

That night we went to a smashing wedding, which I can't post pics of or really talk about until TC gets back from her Italian honeymoon.

Sunday was spent eating and resting (and working!! i had so much proofreading work to do while there it was out of control). Sunday evening I met up with my dear friend Heidi and then hung out with Mary and some of the Pier 1 crew:


Monday we attempted to go to Yosemite and had to turn around because we couldn't get through the snow (so alex still has not seen yosemite - I guess we have another reason to go back to the 'no now.):

Tuesday we hit up some old skool mini golf at Blackbeards:

Posted by meloknee at 10:37 PM | Comments (2)

April 05, 2006

I'm a big fat liar.

i'm not a compulsive liar, but for some reason I just lie sometimes. I don't think about it ahead of time,it's rarely to avoid any serious consequences, and it's to the most random people. I haven't quite determined why or when I do it, but I think it is to avoid conversation and embarrassment.


For instance, at work, over six months ago, BubbleT and I were discussing going to the gym. At the time, I had a gym membership, but ever since the knee surgery, I hadn't used it much. I kept telling her that I was going to go back, blah, blah, blah... some time went by and one day she asked me if I had gone back. I opened my mouth and said, "No, I canceled my membership." Big fat lie. I had intended on canceling it, but hadn't even found the paperwork necessary to do so. About two months later, I confessed. I mean, I had no reason to lie in the first place, so why not tell the truth. I had to go to the post office to send my gym membership cancellation via certified mail. BubbleT asked me where I was going and I thought, well I can either lie some more or just tell her. So I just said, well I actually lied and never did cancel the gym...

Another instance is that I was supposed to be testing out this VPN software that works with our terminal server. For the first two months I just flaked. Then when I did try it, it didn't work. Then part of it worked, then it worked on my laptop at work, but not my laptop at home (same laptop, i am a dork, but i don't have two laptops). Finally the stupid tech guy informs me that i can't use my wireless to test it. Well, that's all I have. My desktop and laptop access wirelessly. So, another couple of weeks go by where I keep flaking on testing it (not wanting to crawl around on the floor plugging and unplugging and replugging again) and finally, one Tuesday, the tech guy asks me if I got a chance to try out the VPN. I looked at him and just said, Oh yeah, it worked fine. End of story.

Tomorrow I'm going to lie again, I already know this. BubbleT is going to ask me whether or not a made an appointment with my massage therapist. My leg and knee have been killing me. I really don't think I should be spending $70 on a massage right now. Even though I'm hobbling around, I feel too guilty telling my boyfriend I can't pay to go out and having to pay my parents back for the generous loan they gave me, to justify going to get a "massage." So, anyway, BubbleT will ask me if I've done it, I'll tell her they were booked for the rest of the week, and the only reason I want it done is to be able to dance at the wedding I'm going to on Saturday night. I have a feeling she'll know I'm lying.

In the meantime, wish positive thoughts that someone cancels their massage appointment at the last minute, that way I can get the discounted "last minute massage."

Posted by meloknee at 09:56 PM | Comments (6)