• Success! Our new desktop is set-up and running! And it is super cool. My nephew steered us in the right direction and for the first time that Glen and I can remember in our family, we have the cutting edge computer for a few minutes. It has a touch screen! Super duper cool. And a webcam, stuff for games (which we don’t personally do), a bunch of video capabilities and it all seems pretty darn easy to use. The thing rocks the house. Next up, a new laptop.
• I love Trader Joes. Here are my three main reasons:

1. It has great products at great prices.
2. Because the prices are good and their products consistently high quality, I’m not afraid to try new things – in fact it’s one of my favorite things about shopping there.
3. I love looking in other people’s carts when I’m waiting to check out! Such a snoop I am. But it gives me ideas for the next shopping trip. On my list right now: Dried seaweed chips! The lady in front of me on my last visit had three boxes. For you all, I’m willing to give them a try with a full report, of course.

• I forgot to mention what a nice breakfast we had on Sunday. It was mom, dad, my sister Jen (Rod was out of town), our kid Tea (who we have barely seen this summer – she is having way too much fun!), and the surprise guest – Glen! A surprise, because if you recall when I last spoke on him, he was busy in the Tri-cities with his mom. But he wanted to join us and got up and out at 5 am to make it back in time. Brownie points to him for sure! We hit the Mukilteo Café and it was a good way to start the day.

• Check out our new bookshelf. I blew it on this since I didn’t take a before picture of the mess this used to be. I liked the old shelf unit I had for all of this stuff but it was way too small and always looked like a mess – well disaster really. This is classing up the place a bit. And, as is my way anymore, I got rid of a pile of stuff too.
• I’ve been to Portland and back this week. I get around. : ) I’m finally “settling down” from the incredibly irritating flight back.  It’s a beautiful day and it took Horizon/Alaska three planes — and three hours! — to get us home. I have trouble with those kinds of delays.  Plus it put me home then just in time to be part of rush hour traffic which added even more time to the long day. There’s really no glamour at all in travel anymore.  None. Zippo — just loads of hassle and stress I swear.  That said, I did have a set of good meetings.  I had to do a couple of the presentations and I felt like they went well.  Plus they treated us all to a really nice dinner at Salty’s on the river in Portland.  Nice!

• Big ship out the window photo! Love it when these big freighters go by.

And I leave you with this wonderful thought I read online today: When you’re sitting around a table with friends, it really doesn’t matter where you’re at. So true! Hope you’re surrounded right now. : )