Remember these guys?
 They are reuniting this Saturday in Indy! Wahoo! Come have a drink with us as we get our socks rocked: Samsell w/ Otter PetterSaturday, Sept 2 Radio Radio in Fountain Square 9:00 pm $5 cover http://myspace.com/samsellAlso, I launched my invitation site. It's only in its first phase, but the top bar, as well as wedding invites and baby announcements are live. So much more to do, though. Gotta catch a plane. We out.
My crazy brain.
My brain is filled with junk like this: - Why did one of the cats have to regurgitate a giant double-fur ball explosion right outside of *my closet* this morning?
- I have been asked to participate in a photography exhibit centered around Italy. I am overwhelmed at the thought of getting the prints framed and matted while also needing to create promotional materials.
- Why have the Red Sox lost to the Mariners the past two times we've seen them play at Safeco Field (including this past Saturday)? The Mariners have been less-than-impressive every other time we've seen them.
- We are heading home to the midwest this week. Whoopee!
- How will I ever get packed? I have no clue how to dress for Indiana weather. I am in tune with our mild Seattle climate, and think that I have gotten used to it all too quickly.
- Will I have enough time with everyone?
- I hope I don't irritate our friends by retelling stories that I've posted here. It's been quiet, so I can only confirm that Jes is reading. If anyone else is here, leave me a note so I don't tell you the same story twice! ;)
Good old neurotic me.
Wee Irvine Welsh.
 Had the pleasure of seeing author Irvine Welsh in person last night. He appeared at the Elliott Bay Book Company for a reading and book signing. He has long been my personal favorite, so seeing him read passages from his new book in that delicious Scottish accent was a real treat. He read with such enthusiasm, choosing some of the nastiest excerpts from the book (which seemed to take major cajones to me). Afterwards, we were able to meet him and have him sign a couple of books from our collection (including my tattered copy of Trainspotting). Found out he supported France during World Cup while Nathan shot this stellar photo of us: 
Happy calendar.
We currently have one heckuva happy calendar. Seattle is busting at the seams with fantastic upcoming shows and I, for one, am delighted. =) It's good for making the soul feel young again. Look who's coming: Phoenix Scissor Sisters Band of Horses Placebo Mewand as of today, Bloc Party (a big arena tour, but I'm excited nonetheless!) Now, just waiting for Neil and Heliconia to show up from London... ;) They have a sweet new video on their website. Neil appears as a mysterious pair of bass-playing hands for awhile. In the meantime, Shawn's old band, Samsell, is reuniting for a show in Indy (at Radio Radio) when we are home next Saturday. Hoping to see a lot of familiar faces there, so it should be good fun. =)
The full album.
Tons and tons of mountain pics in the full album at Shutterfly. Enjoy!
Paradise.
 Nathan, S, and I spent yesterday in Mount Rainier National Park primarily focusing on the Paradise area and its trails. From the moment we arrived, it was a jaw-dropping experience. The elevation change winded us a bit, so we stuck to three minor trails that still offered unbelievable views. Along these trails, we encountered a lot of wildlife including: - 5 deer - 1 grouse - a dozen Steller's Jays - a billion tadpoles - 3 frogs - 1 chipmunk - 0 hoary marmotsI think I started to show signs of Stendhal's Syndrome when we hit the Golden Gate trail. The open meadows of wildflowers made me want to spin in circles. Overall, it was exactly the kind of experience I crave. The thought that we live within a reasonable distance to such a place is sort of shocking. Photos in the next post down...
Obsessions.
So, these are the things I cannot get enough of right now: - Mew.
It started before we saw them support Bloc Party on our recent East Coast adventure. But, the live show was so incredible! My eyes are opened to pure genius as they the modern My Bloody Valentine (who permanently hold the #1 position on my desert island disc list).
 - Meerkat Manor.
We watch it on Animal Planet every Friday night. These little cuties can be ferocious and often lead quite dark lives. They are simple animals with the ability to make very intricate decisions. It's incredible. - My Yakpak bag from Boston.
Made in Brooklyn, purchased in Boston. It's green, girlie, and covered in little orange birdies. Click the pic to check it out larger.
 - Mount Rainier.
Finally going tomorrow. Fingers crossed we can handle it given our current status as invalids. - Hawaii.
We're going to Hawaii! Scott told us inspiring tales from his recent trip when we were visiting him in Brooklyn. So, we looked into it. Turns out it's a fairly quick flight from the west coast and we found an amazing package deal including a decent looking room at the Aqua Bamboo. So, off we go at the end of September for 5 days in Oahu. It's all beaches and clear water for us, baby.
Bad things now, good things later.
S and I are a couple of invalids right now. He is bogged down with a cold which includes an extremely sore throat. I'm functioning with 3/4 of a left hand, making typing, driving, and anything involving water extremely difficult. This is all a bit of a bummer right now because Seattle is beautiful right now. The weather is great and we have a bit of calm in our house.  In the midst of this, we think we have come up with a wonderful mini-break at the end of September. Guess where we might be headed? The above pic is a bit of a hint. It will be out of the ordinary for us, but still not too far of a trip. Sadly, it's not England, but that is still in our future plans for sure...
Humiliation.
So, it didn't really occur to me that strangers would ask what has happened to my finger. In the line at the grocery, at Michael's, and so on... I actually have to answer that I was in a "scrapbooking accident". Humiliating!   Anyhow, after we had recovered from the "accident" on Sunday, we accompanied Nathan to the Washington Park Arboretum for a little wander around Foster Island. It's a neat little area where you can practically walk on water as there are several footbridges connecting little pieces of land intermixed with lots of neat vegetation--perfect for a nice day out. We definitely enjoyed gawking at the large yachts that motored by us. If we do end up living here for awhile, a boat is high on our list of future purchases!
Scrapbooking can be dangerous business.
 Paper cuts are a common sight on my hands. Yesterday, however, I sliced one of my fingertips clean off. After a significant amount of blood loss, Shawn ended up taking me to the hospital for us to find out that there was really no skin there that could even be stitched back together. So, one wrapped-up finger and a tetanus shot later, I am a-ok. I just have a large dent where a chunk of skin was sacrificed for the above layout. It's all worth it. =P
Kitlers.
 A "kitler" is a kitty with a mustache or... a cat that looks like Hitler. EW tipped us off to this awesome site. And here's me, still loving Rate My Kitten...
It's a draw.
The game was awesome last night. There were 66,000+ soccer fans filling Qwest Field. Although it ended in a draw, the match was still intense and fun to watch. The Seattle Times has a nice photo gallery included in their coverage.
Live and in action.
 Beckham is playing here in Seattle tonight in a matchup of Real Madrid vs. DC United. We are there! Sweeeet.
A full album's worth.
All of our pics from the trip are now online at this link: Shutterfly NYC-BOS album. Alas, I must post the obligatory pics of us posing with silly statues:  Shawn with Wally at Fenway. Heather with The Green Monster... errr, Daubs! By the way, do we look related? Boston really loves Dunkin' Donuts!
I feel like a melting ice cream cone.
 Dave reminded us of another crazy cool thing about Boston--Kaiju Big Battel. These insane wrestlers dress up in hilarious ways. While we were visiting, Dave showed us the Soup (see above) vs. Sandwich match. Ha ha! Otherwise, I have felt like poo ever since we returned. The right side of my head is clogged and feels like it weighs 10 pounds more than the left side. Darn that transition from 100 degrees+humidity to 70 degrees-and-cool!
Best of Boston.
We found Boston to be an all-around swank city! Here are some of the highlights: - The city resembles Seattle, with its waterfront and high level of walkability.
- Nearly all of its neighborhoods are incredibly immaculate.
- Boston Common is like a smaller Central Park, with great views of the cityscape all around. The difference is that it's wonderfully maintained and contains wacky swan boats.
- Newbury Street is the nicest shopping street anywhere--consisting of gorgeous brownstones with charming shops inside.
- Boston might not be the hippest place, but the colleges in the Cambridge area (Harvard and MIT) add just enough funk to the city.
- The "T" subway is clean, fast, and efficient.
- JP Licks features the best cake batter ice cream in the world.
- Fenway Park is the most electric place to watch baseball; the fans are certifiably insane for their Red Sox, and it's contagious. We got to witness David Ortiz hit a game-winning home run in the bottom of the 9th inning. It was definitely the most exciting game we'd ever witnessed in person.
- You can get the world's best blueberry beer at Boston Beer Works (across from Fenway).
Pics follow in the post below. Enjoy!
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