Last weekend we went to the big city for the Symphony of Seafood! 

  
There were lots of yummy offerings of the salmon, flounder, crab cakes, and alcohol.


Too much argyle?  No such thing.

Then we went to the chocolate shop.  Drinking chocolate, truffles, all the good stuff.  We were, perhaps, intoxicated a bit.
 
 

Also that weekend there was LOTS of shopping.



And, of course, dinner with good friends!

 
 

It's that time again!  This time, I funded a group that calls themselves the Seagulls of their area!  So cute!

Someone posted about her volleyball team and that reminded me that I haven't mentioned here that we're having a volleyball team from work!

Our first practice is Feb. 5th and it sounds like we're going to be playing on Sundays.  After an agency wide team-naming competition Spikers Anonymous was apparently the winner.  I think it is pretty stupid, but since our agency can't SPONSOR our team, they were wary of giving any kind of mental health-related name that may or may not seem insensitive. 

Anyway, basically none of us have ever played, or played in years.  We're Division V and with good reason -- we are going to SUCK!  I don't think we'll be doing any spiking!  Haha, it should be lots of fun though and I'm really excited to get started!!

I found my knee pads from a few years ago (I played in a 4-on-4 league a few years ago) AND my super sexy crazy colored soccer socks from like 10+ years ago.  Who knows what the elastic will be like on those things, but I figured I need to bring the crazy colors!

Oh, apparently our teams colors will be navy and yellow. So, start thinking positive thoughts for Spikers Anonymous.

It was time for another payday loan (to Kiva)!

The loans were running low, I only had 70 something to pick from! 

So I chose this lady who runs a pub in Uganda!

http://www.kiva.org/lend/267252?_te=ty

I got to see a showing of Daddy I Do tonight.  I definitely recommend seeing it if you can somewhere.  It isn't on Netflix or for sale yet because they have a legal issue with a song they used in it.  They can't distribute it until they change it.

Anyway, two ladies from work came and that was cool.  Another one would have come but she had a training tonight.  The filmmakers shot some in Clarksville, TN and that was pretty interesting since I grew up so close to there. 

See it if you can!

Here is a trailer!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXVPjg7gNBw

Last week Coupon's co-worker told him to go get his King Crab permit because there was an open season this past weekend and he knew he had more kings in his pot than he was allowed. 

Yesterday he called him and they went out to get one!

Here's the proof!

    Here he is with the sea monster! 
  He's in the pot ready to boil!
  The claw is just so huge!

    The crab is so important that you have to make room for it!

I also have a picture of all the crab after we shelled it.  It FILLS a 6 cup Glad ware!  I will have to update with that picture later.  Mmmmm, crab mac 'n' cheese and halibut for dinner tonight!
*EDIT*

Here is SIX POUNDS of crab

Boy made dinner tonight . . . yay!

You know me, I can't wait til pay-day on Fridays anymore!

Here's my 6th loan on Kiva.

This group is from Sierra Leone and the main guy sells backpacks and bags for school both new and used it sounds like.  I thought that was pretty unique and I always like lending to a new country.

I'm getting excited for the next Kiva deposit which will take place on the 15th -- a lot of my loans that are in repayment have increasing amounts repaid as the repayment continues, so I should definitely get over the $8 and some change that I got last month.

I just posted a protected post.  I've tried to make most of mine public these days, but with some information about people in this recent post, I wanted to make it protected.  

Christmas 2010 is bound to be interesting.  There will be lots of firsts.

First of all, it's not a first, but I haven't been home AT Christmas time since 2007.

Now for the firsts:
- My maternal uncle has been living with my parents for well over a year.  I'm not sure I've ever spent a Christmas with him.

- Taking Coupon of course is a big first.  I've had my parents meet 1-2 guys I was dating, but never in a "bring them home to meet the parents" kind-of-way and they were never as serious, and long-term as my relationship with Coupon.

- Though he won't be at my parents' home for Christmas, my nephew turns 1 on 12/30/10, so this is his first Christmas.

- I might actually get to meet my brother's girlfriend (nephew's momma) -- they've been dating like more than two years.  That will be a first.

I can't think of anymore firsts, but I'm pretty excited.  We leave here on Thursday evening and if all goes as planned we'll land in STL about 8:30 am on Friday.  We'll get our rental car and drive to my parents' about 2 hours west of STL and stay there til Monday.

Monday we'll come back to STL and hang with Mandy and her husband and anyone else who is around.  Coupon has some places he wants to see that he saw on the Food Network or Travel Channel or one of those stations, so we'll try and hit both of those places.

Wednesday we'll drive 2.5 hours east of STL to my hometown in KY.  We'll see my brother, his girlfriend and my nephew.  We'll probably take them to dinner and hopefully see them for the nephew's birthday on Thursday before heading back.  Oh, of course I have to show Coupon around my hometown and maybe even across the river to the Home of Superman!

Back to STL on Thursday because Friday night we're going to a St. Louis Blues game with a grad school friend and her husband.  That's also New Year's Eve, so who knows what we'll do after the game to ring in the new year, but I've historically spent it with Mandy if I'm around.

We leave Saturday late afternoon, overnight in Seattle and we're back in the land of the midnight sun (not this time of year) Sunday a.m. with hopefully plenty of time to recuperate before work on Monday!