Its raining.  No Mike, there is no mold.

 

My roommates are out with friends and family doing the holiday celebration stuff.  I'm trying to forget that Ryan just got to spend three days with our friends and I am half a world away.  yeah, i guess that comes off about as jealous as i am.

 

Things on this side are good. My wrist is healing nicely...i have almost full mobility back and the wicked bruises are fading.  It should be good to go for Whistler mid-January.  I've met some great people here, including someone who's willing to go puddle jumping with me--so i am looking forward to the next couple of months.  My second (of hopefully three) interviews is scheduled...which is good too.  Its 4 Jan..whilie i am in NC taking care of some odds and ends.  So good wishes this way are definitely appreciated.

 

Aside from that--no crazy stories yet :(  I have however discovered that Old Navy is the best store for cheap warm things...which is good considering i had forgotten what cold was like after those nice long Israeli summers. brrrr. even our blow-up snowman thinks its cold outside.

 

I take it back. i have a story.  So i have lusted after the guy from Sweet Home Alabama for quite a while...Josh Lucas.  Well, last night at Wild Ginger (one of the few places open for dinner) Tana and i had a dreams come true--as he was sitting at the table behind us.   Talk about distracting---but just as attractive  in person as in movies.  now if only that fantasy about a waiter chasing me down with his phone number had come true...

Just in case i was worried that Seattle wouldn't remind me of NC i stand corrected.  The day after i got settled into the new sublet (in a cute little neighborhood--i lucked out)  this storm which was more or less like a little hurricane swept in.  The eastside hasn't had power since.  i apparently am one of the lucky people who had power this whole time.

 

my job interview with Volt (the first of hopefully 3) went well i think :)  I'm learning the Seattle bus system and happily discovering that my friends have cars and will take pity on me up until i get a job--heh.

 

Snowboarding was amazing--right through me badly pulling a tendon in my wrist.  My new board and gear are great....and as soon as i conquer the fear of landing on my wrist.  Towards the end of my last couple of runs, i could feel it again, that feeling that i can't explain but you know what i mean if you board. Nemat, Jason and i had a good time i think :)  As Dev was powerless (literally) he bailed out on goin BOO.  but given the state of the eastside (Redmond Kirkland, Bellevue) i understand.

 

So yeah, all is well...minus the nagging missing of some people at home.

 

 

I had like eight loads of laundry to do.  I am down to five.  problem with this is that i am stuck somewhere near the washing machine/dryer for the better part of at least 2 hours at a time.   I decided the remedy to this problem was to insist that people hang out with me at the coffee shop down the street once the laundry is into the dryer.  Kevin was my test-guy on this.  So we go to the cafe, he has like 45 before shift and we ask for the backgammon board.  The manager, an Arab Druze guy, says that when we are ready to lose, we should feel free to come get him.  Uh-huh i think, last time i played iwth an israeli it was not so enjoyable...got my ass kicked and didn't have fun in the process as i was fending off unwanted "come meet my mother" lines.   At any rate, obviously, kevin has to go and i still have laundry in the dryer.  I go in and get the manager, ready to play?  he comes out obviously surprised not to find kevin--looks at me--and says, "girls don't play Shesh-Besh (hebrew for backgammon)."  i laugh and say i am american and american girls definitely play backgammon. 

 

i lose the first game, he tells me he might have well lost, since he didn't marse me (get all his pieces out before i get any of mine in).  i smirk to myself.  This next one, it will be a marse he says.  I lose again, but still not by a big enough margin.  He's obviously irritated with his inability to really thump me at this game. "you play okay for a girl--BUT THIS GAME WILL BE A MARSE," he declares.  i laugh, are you sure you are finally ready to lose, i ask him?  he smirks, lights a new cigarette and gets me a fresh hot chocolate. 

 

Let me jump to the final score 8 to 4.  The winner had 3 marses and 2 regular games and the loser had only 4 normal games.

 

the other guy working at the restaurant (who incidently was in "Paradise Lost" and was telling me about his trip to the Oscars) couldn't contain his glee.  A girl had pummelled the manager--who they swore never lost.  the poor manager looked defeated. "i'm tired" he said weakly before getting yet another round of merciless teasing in arabic from the other guys.  Paradise-Lost guy assured me that he was going to tell EVERYONE tomorrow, the champion had fallen (and really lost badly) to an american Baha'i girl. 

 

obviously, my drinks were free ;) my ass girls don't play shesh-besh.