Numine.com: Seattle working-class blog

by Kat

I had two pieces in the Seattle Weekly yesterday... check em out!

Occidental Park Bars

Capsule review on Steve Martin's 'The Underpants' (Scroll to near the bottom of the page)

At work now, so I can't blog more, but needless to say I've been very, very busy and therefore somewhat disinclined.

Posted on October 26, 2006 @ 10:41 AM | 2 comments

Comments:

Been over a week...almost two. How's life?

By Anonymous, at 1:38 PM, November 07, 2006

Busy! I'll try to get back into updating soon. :) I've been playing too much Guitar Hero to want to blog. *lol*

By Kat, at 12:03 PM, November 08, 2006

Blogging from work!

by Kat

Just a quick post to show you the view from my the windows behind me. Hurray, Fremont! (Oh yeah, these are taken by a crappy cameraphone, in case you couldn't tell.)

Posted on October 23, 2006 @ 2:40 PM | 5 comments

Comments:

You are a slackaaaarr!!

By Lazy Lightning, at 2:44 PM, October 23, 2006

Jealous.

That's all.

By inkandpen, at 2:47 PM, October 23, 2006

it was mine!!! it's a sweet spot in Fremont. PREMIUM REAL ESTATE!!!! cheap cameraphone or not... no one can argue that it is not a great view.

By

Anonymous

jeff, at 10:09 PM, October 23, 2006

That is a much better view then out my window. I get a soccer field then a cement plant.

By running42k, at 4:12 AM, October 24, 2006

we have skylights and not many windows. All I see out the window nearest my desk, is the parking lot, another building in our complex, and freeway I-75. Ick.

By

Anonymous

Anonymous, at 6:57 AM, October 24, 2006

You're Our New Battlestar...

by Justin

Normally I'm not big on advertisements and I'm even less thrilled about admitting weakness. But sometimes it's ok to be honest. We weren't going to say anything about this because there was a chance that we were going to go into rehab and break the habit this fall. Unfortunately we've failed miserably. Yes...Kat and I watch Battlestar Galactica weekly. While we were happy to have the first two seasons delivered in huge overdose size portions via Netflix, we now have to wait and be strung along like the rest of the junkies as season 3 slowly rolls out on cable. That all said...

If you enjoy sci fi, stop wasting your time watching reruns of Star Trek or the latest trash that Lucas spat up and Netflix yourself some Galactica. If you forego meals and work and school for a week or two you can catch up and enjoy season 3 along with the rest of us.

Posted on October 22, 2006 @ 8:49 PM | 8 comments

Comments:

I've been grinding on FarScape through Netflix. . . perhaps I'll need to switch out.
BG rox my sox too.
And I miss Lex. . . Love them wacky Canadians!

By

Anonymous

DeOldBossMan, at 9:34 AM, October 23, 2006

we're addicted to LOST, in spurts. We don't watch it on TV at all... We wait till the season comes out on DVD in the fall and watch it all at once, 12-13 episodes a night for two nights, up until 3:30 am. Did season two a few weeks ago and now we have to wait till next year for season 3.

By

Blogger

Lazy Lightning, at 9:36 AM, October 23, 2006

OH GOD I LOVE IT!!!!!111one

Here's the link to the music video that the title references, by the way: http://youtube.com/watch?v=4Kve1oGPjf8

By

Blogger

Kat, at 9:38 AM, October 23, 2006

Yeah BossMan, get on Battlestar...it's a kick.

Lazy, we too have Netflix sending us Lost episodes, we're in the middle of season 2 and actually have two discs on our coffee table right now. The characters in Lost piss me off more than any other group of people on TV. We still watch it, but I spend much of the time yelling at the TV.

By

Blogger

Justin, at 2:20 PM, October 23, 2006

yeah, BSG is totally the best show on TV. did you see last week's episode? oh my. that's the most i've talked to the TV in months!

be sure to check out the podcasts from scifi.com!

By gleek, at 5:25 PM, October 23, 2006

I find the hand held cameras in Galatica a little hard to take, but then again I get motion sickness playing Playstation.

By

Blogger

running42k, at 4:14 AM, October 24, 2006

Yes we saw last week's episode. There was much bouncing on the couch and yelling. It was...in fact...awesome.

By Justin, at 9:24 PM, October 24, 2006

<3 <3 <3

>_< YAY!

By Kat, at 10:56 PM, October 24, 2006

by Justin

For the first time in quite some while it seems I'm sitting at home by myself. As Kat finishes up her first week at her new office and I wrap up another week of classes I can sit on the couch and just relax. It's nice really. I can play some video games, read some books and I don't even have to worry that someone is going to show me up in Guitar Hero (something that I assure you is still very humbling to me...). I walked Kat to her office this morning, something that could become a pleasant periodic ritual and then walked myself home. I stopped by several shops on the way to look in windows. I've developed an odd habit. I like to look for clothes for Kat. Yes, I realize that's a bid odd, and she and I have discussed that it is a bit like playing Barbie Dress-Up on a grown up scale (and with a living being instead of a plastic figure)...but it's much easier to add to her wardrobe than my own. I mean...my wardrobe needs a serious overhaul but that isn't going to happen until I'm out of school.

After passing the boutiques I walked through the neighborhood and eventually home. Kat's new phone has some kind of techno-cancer, so after calling Maryland (which is entirely populated with Indian call center employees, did you know that?) there's an exchange coming. It's was great to enjoy the morning air and I can now sit on the couch in peace knowing that all is well with the world, at least in our part of it.

Posted on October 20, 2006 @ 10:57 AM | 1 comments

Comments:

Ooh, wait, lemme guess! You got me the $500 Peruvian Opal earrings from Dream! KTHX! ;)

I appreciate your doing the phone thing. May the madness now end. Maybe their phones were all free... for a *reason.*

By Kat, at 1:17 PM, October 20, 2006

by Kat

So. Busy. I forgot how short my free time is when working from 9-5. Tired now, must sleep!

Posted on October 17, 2006 @ 11:33 PM | 0 comments

Comments:

by Kat

Hooray, another year older and wiser. :)

Posted on October 16, 2006 @ 8:31 PM | 8 comments

Comments:

Happy Birthdayhuuuuuuuuuu!

By Rachel, at 10:19 PM, October 16, 2006

Happy birthday

By running42k, at 6:08 AM, October 17, 2006

Happy birthday!! :D

By Kyle, at 7:58 AM, October 17, 2006

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

By gleek, at 8:59 AM, October 17, 2006

Happy happy birthday!!!!

By allie, at 10:12 AM, October 17, 2006

Welcome to being 24 Kat.

By Louie, at 11:23 AM, October 17, 2006

happy birthday!
can you tell me anything about bellingham?

By rebecca, at 3:35 PM, October 18, 2006

Happy Birthday, Kat-o-Nine-Tales!

By DeOldBossMan, at 4:38 PM, October 18, 2006

by Kat

I don't normally blog about work except in the case of major events. This is more a matter of professional policy than personal restraint, since lawsuits are no bueno. I'd love to share all my rantage about the end-times at the last place I worked but not only would that probably get me into a lot of trouble, it'd also color your impression of my experience unfairly. (The vast majority of it was really positive.) Anyhow, today is one of the days where I want to make an exception to my own rule and talk about work... because tomorrow is the day I start my new job!

I'm going to be working as a Marketing Communications Specialist for a company that designs content management software for libraries. What does that mean? Well, remember how much it sucked to use card catalogues and dos-prompt computer searches at libraries? This company designs the fancy-schmancy interfaces that allow you to search library content, article databases, and the web all at once so that you can find what you need easily.

What *I'LL* be doing is helping pick up the slack in the marketing department, working with sales, writing press releases, planning industry events, fixing up the website, creating RFPs, and generally doing whatever else needs to be done.

( Read on to see why I'm excited! )I'm very excited, for a bunch of reasons:

1) It's a growing and stable company. They seem to have laid down a good set of policies and generally have a plan for what they're doing and where they're going. Sounds boring but it's a big deal. Call me cautious.

2) It's definitely NOT an entry-level position.

3) It's a significant pay raise from my last job. (Yay $$)

4) I LOVE what this company is doing. One of my big goals for this job search was finding work that I could really get behind because I realized how important respect of an industry is for my emotional and intellectual well-being. Now I get to work in a non-for-profit sector. Who doesn't love libraries!

5) I'll be working in Fremont, less than a mile from my house, right next to the Fremont bridge and on the ship canal. My building is kitty-corner to the grocery store at which Justin & I shop and to my new (awesome and f*ing expensive!) fitness center. The location is IDEAL... I can walk to work in, oh, fifteen minutes and bike there in five. I can swing by the grocery store to pick up fresh ingredients for dinner or stop in at any number of restaurants for take-out that will still be warm when I get home. I thought I was lucky that my last job was in the U-District. I'm even more fortunate now. Nothing compares to Fremont, it's the self-declared Center of the Universe! (It's also my favorite neighborhood in all of Seattle.)

Yeah, the work/home balance is a big deal for me. I'm really thrilled to not have to commute and to have the flexibility of staging my working life so close to home. I also have a really good feeling about this job, much more so than when I was first starting out. I think I have a better picture of what I really want.

If you get anything from this post, however, it should be the story behind how I got this job. It's a classic bit of serendipity, the kind of sychronicity that shows up sometimes when I feel life is flowing as it should:

I've been blogging for a long time. Numine.com is only a year old, but before that I wrote in another blog, now hosted at schoolgirlsophistry.blogspot.com. I started that blog in 2001, the beginning of my Sophomore year at the University of Oregon. One of my readers, Jeff, introduced himself to me after making a donation to help me replace a tire and gear set stolen from my bike in 2004. We emailed back each other a few times over the next few months-- it was his way of commenting when I wrote about something major.

Well, shortly after I moved up to Seattle to live with Justin, Jeff, who lived on the east coast, was recruited for a job in Seattle. He relocated here early this year, and Justin and I met up with him for sushi at Toyoda's. When I decided to change jobs, I blogged it and then I got in touch with all my professional contacts. I thought about emailing personal contacts, but I wanted to wait a bit to see how other things panned out. A few weeks passed after I wrote about the change, and I got an email from Jeff indicating an opening at his company he thought I should check out. I knew where he worked but not what he did, so I looked into the company and the job, and applied. After hours of interviews, callbacks, and chats, I got the job. I don't doubt that Jeff's personal recommendation played a part-- nor do I doubt that I strongly help my own. In the end, I had several options to pursue and this was the one that felt best, most balanced, most secure, and most satisfying. It's just so odd to sit back and think that without my blogs, without moving up to seattle, without chance, coincidence, and friendly connection, there's no way I'd be where I am today.

That's a good feeling.

Posted on October 15, 2006 @ 7:59 PM | 9 comments

Comments:

Kat, that's thrilling! I hope you have an awesome first day, and pick up some tasty veggies for dinner.

Congratulations!

By

Blogger

inkandpen, at 9:27 PM, October 15, 2006

Congratulations!!

I hope it goes really well, and I envy your non-commute. I have to schlep halfway across London on the horrible tube to get to work...

By

Anonymous

SaatchiLou, at 1:35 AM, October 16, 2006

wow congrats on the new job! I wish I could find an ideal job to utilize my chem degree so close to our house. Now I drive about 20 miles to work everyday. I don't mind the drive in...but coming home it feels long.

By

Anonymous

Anonymous, at 7:00 AM, October 16, 2006

OH YEAH...and HAPPY BIRTHDAY KAT!!!

By Anonymous, at 7:11 AM, October 16, 2006

Happy happy beautiful!

By inkandpen, at 8:17 AM, October 16, 2006

Happy birthday Kat, you old lady! Aaaand what a great and excellent opportunity. It's funny the paths that lead us to where we are.. I often wonder what would have happened if I did or didn't do this or that.

By

Blogger

Lazy Lightning, at 9:34 AM, October 16, 2006

Ah coincidental connections. Life is awesomely interesting like that sometimes. Yay new jobby job!

By Rachel, at 10:18 PM, October 16, 2006

P.S. If by "cautious", I think you mean you have reasonable professional expectations of your workplace. It's of paramount importance that employees know that their livelihood is secure so that they can be productive and creative at their jobs. Companies who do not have such practices and policies in places are slow-motion trainwrecks waiting to happen.

By

Anonymous

Rachel, at 11:17 PM, October 16, 2006

Thanks Kat! Just want to say that I saw an opportunity and knew someone who would be able to take that opportunity and run with it. I may have spoken to a few people during the process but you are the one who sold yourself to those who are now your colleagues. I know your capabilities, skills and talents and am just pleased to be able to give you the chance to show others how far you can go... :-)

By

Anonymous

jeff, at 6:51 PM, October 17, 2006

by Kat

I know I said I'd post about my new job today, and I meant to. But I've been working on something all afternoon and now it's 2 a.m. so it looks like it's got to wait. But tomorrow is another day-- my last weekday of leisurely unemployment-- and I ought to have some time to spare.

Posted on October 13, 2006 @ 1:59 AM | 0 comments

Comments:

by Kat

Saturday night, Justin and I went out clubbing/bar hopping in Pioneer Square. This is something I never would have done of my own motivation, as I've always been of the somewhat elitist opinion that clubs and bars are only really fun for singles or people under the influence of recreational drugs. However, I had a great time *even though* I'm decidedly not single and was there with my fiance who decidedly can't dance. (Disclaimer: he can't dance 'in that way.' He's a pretty skilled swing dancer.) I don't know if I can discount the second part of my preconceptions because it took a vodka & red bull to get my energy high enough to participate and a few tequila shots to stop the volume level from bothering me and keep me from worrying about how stupid I looked.

We were these because my editor at the Seattle Weekly asked if I wanted to go report on the scene. You'll have to wait for the story to be published to find out why. I was pretty worried that we wouldn't have a good time. I've been clubbing in Amsterdam, Tokyo, and Portland and have had really mixed experiences. Some of those times have been emotionally loaded, so I was willing to give this a chance. (And the cash incentive helped.)

( This is a long story... ) My one major trepidation was that Occidental Park itself is the city's last outdoor refuge for the homeless. It's also unfortunately populated by drug pushers and prostitutes. After the galleries and clubs close, you don't want to stick around, as illustrated in this Real Change article.Pioneer Square around Occidental Park is a notoriously rowdy and "dangerous" area. Which, of course, means that it's absolutely fine unless you're really in the wrong place at the wrong time. Justin's stepdad was shocked that I might consider going by myself and told me to leave if anything felt wrong. I guess a big Seahawks football player was beaten up last year. As I have neither testosterone nor an incentive to start fights, this didn't concern me.

When we got there and started looking for parking along 1st street, Justin just shrugged as he said "Oh, look, a really skinny guy getting into a fight with a fat guy." "Great," I thought, "We're fucked." But that was the only fight we saw all evening and it doesn't really count because we weren't even out of the car.

First, we walked to the Last Supper Club. It was still pretty early, and there wasn't any kind of line to get in. The club itself wasn't bad-- two floors with different types of music, a lounge area upstairs, and two bars. When we got there hardly anyone was dancing. By the time we left, things were picking up a bit, but I wasn't having any fun and the Hello Kitty/ Dolphin baloons in the seating area were freaking me out. I think it was someone's birthday. And there was a wedding reception downstairs that we felt weird about intruding upon. Yeah, RECEPTION.

Next, we went back to the car so I could drop off my coat. You never need anything more substantial than a tank top in clubs since plenty of heat is provided by people's stanky, sweaty torsos. The best part was, now that I was coatless, we proceeded to stand for 20 minutes in line for the next club in the cold.

Trinity was, admittedly, a lot of fun. Great variety, great atmosphere, great bars. I'd definitely consider going back. The cover was fucking steep though. Fifteen a person for a single venue. YUCK. While waiting in line we saw an above average assortment of trollops and club whores and unusual entourage of about fifty asians entered the club together. According to one of the girls, it was a birthday party. Man, I wish I had a 50-asian entourage! There were also at least 3 brides-to-be shakin' their groove thang on Trinity's dance floors. And in the bathroom? A woman vending everything you could possibly need, from breath mints to hair clips. I should have bought some mouthwash... I bet it had more alcohol and cost less than the tequila shots.

I'd gone into Trinity kind of ranty from a combination of the cold, the sluts, and the dude I'd had to shoot down outside of the bar next door. When we came out I was in much higher spirits. Walking past the Merchants' Cafe where said birthday boy had tried to pick me up, I realized that the doorman was actually the building manager of my old work's shitty ex-office building. Justin and I talked with him for a while, got some practically free drinks from exploiting our connection, and checked out.

It was already 1AM and we'd gotten to Pioneer Square around 10:30. As we were about to head around the corner to peek into a few smaller bars, a few Seattle Police officers walked up to the bar. I was worried that some shit was about to go down, but it turned out they were just on a meet-and-greet with the new precinct captain. The cool part was that a long-time neighborhood resident and boutique owner was escorting them around and familiarizing them with everyone. It was a comforting bit of community service.

Our next stop was J&M (which fittingly says "J&K Cafe" on it), an utterly forgettable but historic club. I didn't have any drinks there, but I didn't really need to at that point. Everyone at the club was obviously pretty far gone and the only takeaway I really got was some bathroom hilarity: Drunk, unabashed ladies asking me and each other if they looked OK. One mother of a 3-year-old in a tube-top asked if she was stupid for wearing it. Another girl asked me, "Do I look old?" Tired, yes. Old, no. Anyway, it was 1:30 and no one cared!

We hobbled down to Cowgirl's Inc., where the cowgirls were dancing on the bar. I got a drink which I drank and then promptly forgot about. The photobooth was sadly out of order and the mechanical bull shut down when there were still three people in front of me in line. DAMN IT! I tipped one of the cowgirls that Justin liked because he was too cowardly to do it himself, then told another one she was hot. Did I mention I'd had a bit to drink?

I'd hoped we could stick our heads into the New Orleans jazz bar, but it was past closing time when we wandered back. Trinity, however, stops serving drinks at 2am but stays open until 3. We danced a little more, then overshot our walk back to the car by two blocks. Even though it was past 2am, people still crowded the front of clubs and mobbed the hotdog stands dotting the blocks. Several street musicians played random musical ensembles. I tried to holler along to a Beatles song and failed.

We twice passed a pimped-out car with windows down blaring Usher's "Yeah." The driver, a well-dressed black man with bling, was standing on the sidewalk with his cell out, making short calls. On the way to the car, I waved, "Nice car!" We must have looked so stupidly white bobbing our heads to Usher.

For some reason he motioned us over and complimented me, then for ten minutes made sure Justin knew to worship me as the Queen of My Domain and to always make wise stock picks in things that everyone buys, like toilet paper and toothpaste. I'm sure what he was saying made perfect sense. He was well-spoken and (I think) sober but completely surreal. Afterwards, my hands smelled good from shaking his. We got in the car and drove home. It was almost 3AM.

A Memorandum: This is my 201st post in this blog, which I began a little over a year ago on October 5, 2005. In that time I've moved once, gone from unemployed to employed to unemployed again, made friends, lost friends, gotten engaged, and made major changes in balancing my physical and psychological well-being. Change in my life is seldom gradual, and it has come this time, as usual, in rapid succession. I've accepted a job offer in my neighborhood... I start a new job and a new year next Monday, October 16th, on my 24th birthday. Check back tomorrow for more details and the serendipity that led up to this great change. There are good things in the changes to come!

Posted on October 11, 2006 @ 2:35 PM | 1 comments

Comments:

Sounds like a wild time but too bad about the mechanical bull!

Happy birthday and congrats on the new job! You'll have to fill me in on that.

By

Blogger

Lazy Lightning, at 5:41 PM, October 11, 2006

by Kat

So, I'd like to tentatively claim that the worst is over. My guts stopped hurting yesterday evening while watching hours of TV. I slept fine and haven't taken any Advil or needed a hotpad since. I still feel fragile and cautious though, afraid that if I shift or bend in a weird way, the IUD will move inside me and send me into cramping spasms again.

Justin and I walked up to Wallingford to take care of some light shopping & business and have breakfast at The Rusty Pelican this morning. It was nice to get out after being ridiculously sedentary the last two days and it didn't seem to hurt any, so I feel confident that I may have moved past the cramping relatively quickly. I'm sure (or just paranoid that) the thing will shift again... so it'd better get it over sooner rather than later. I'm also due for my period this week, so we'll see how that goes. I guess I have high hopes but I'm fearful nevertheless.

Posted on October 10, 2006 @ 3:16 PM | 0 comments

Comments:

by Kat

Yes, I am alive! I had a great time clubbing with Justin. I'll write a bit about that tomorrow in preparation for my little article on it in the SW. I'd better get something together by Friday, as I already spent most of my paycheck on drinks. Whoo.

I was up early today for a final interview and then went to the Doc's for my IUD. The good news is that both went well. I've been offered a really *awesome* job and now I have some *really* awesome birth control. It's a lot to look forward to!

The IUD insertion was pretty much par for the course. A lot of sitting around and waiting after we got to the medical center, then transfer from the regular exam room to the most "serious" exam room I've ever been in. (My guess is that they use these for minor surgeries and it's how they get away with tacking a hospital charge onto the IUD insertion. Meh.)

Anyway, I'm not going to spare you the gory details, so if you're weak of the stomach or don't want to read about lady parts, please skip the following...

( Continue... )
An IUD insertion starts like a pap exam. You strip from the waist down and sit on an exam table with feet in stirrups, butt cheeks flapping in the breeze. Doctor inserts speculum, blah blah blah. This speculum was metal, which I think I haven't seen before (I'm used to plastic, I think) and quite cold.

They swab you inside and out with iodine, which quite unnervingly looks like blood and gets *everywhere.* It's gross. But it get grosser. Then, to immobilize your cervix they clamp it with a device that looks like curved fishhook fangs. And those little pointy ends grab on, drawing blood, and don't let go. Yeah, ow. I'm not really sure why they need to immobilize the cervix, but my guess is that it makes it hurt LESS than if it moves around.

Next, the sound, which is a metal rod resembling a medieval torture device is inserted into the uterus to test depth and tilt. Basically, the entire point of sounding you is to see if you can TAKE IT LIKE A CHAMP. If you can't... if your cervix is too narrow, your uterus too tilted, or you just don't like the feeling of a goddamn stick stirring your insides... GAME OVER. If you're lucky, your provider won't have opened your IUD and you can forgo the charge for it.

Getting sounded sucks. It feels like what it is... a metal rod being shoved into a place where it's NOT SUPPOSED TO GO. But it's, eh, manageable. Compared to, say, failing internal organs or CHILDBIRTH. And you only have to go through it once more, champ! With a thicker rod that has your IUD on the end! Oh, and a plastic plunger so the IUD can TWANG open into a "T" inside you! And sort of shift around! And feel really gross!

Yeah, that rocked my world. Internal pain is way, way worse than the pain of the piercings I've had. Nevertheless, it was... bearable. On a scale of 1-10 I'd give it a 6...ish. But my main problem with the pain was that it just felt so WRONG. It wasn't like hair pulling or other pain that can be rationalized... my brain just couldn't wrap around the feeling of *badness* inside me. It was really quite upsetting and confusing. My body didn't know whether I wanted to throw up, eat something, or take a big dump. In fact, I wanted to do none of the above.

I had some minor cramps for five minutes after the procedure. Then the big ones began. On the way up the stairs to the apartment, the IUD shifted inside me and started spasms that put me on the couch for an hour. And for several after that. I've been feeling OK for a while, but I think writing about it is making my uterus upset again, so I'd better quit. Time for bedrest, advil, and hot pads. Good thing I don't have to work tomorrow!

So, yeah, the procedure was icky and it does *not* feel good. But I was ready for that and I still think I made a really good choice for my reproductive health. :) Here's hoping I see no side effects!

Edit: I forgot to put in the part about how Justin was there the whole time braiding my hair to keep me relaxed. He held my hand while my eyes were wide and my palms were sweating. He took me home afterward and got me everything I needed, then fixed me Puttanesca for dinner even though he doesn't like it that much. I love my sweetheart. :)

Posted on October 09, 2006 @ 11:08 PM | 8 comments

Comments:

You are making MY uterus hurt just talking about this. GAAAH no hooks in my cervix PLEASE kthx.

By

Blogger

Lazy Lightning, at 7:00 AM, October 10, 2006

ick, me too...i think i need to go home from work now and have some bedrest! ok...i'm just trying to use it as an excuse to go back to bed... You are very brave...I don't think I could do it...maybe before I read anything about the procedure...but not now. Hoping things just get better from here for you!

By

Anonymous

Anonymous, at 7:07 AM, October 10, 2006

Wow, I think it was a little too early in the day to read something so gory, but thanks for sharing. You made MY uterus hurt as well... and I don't even have one!

By

Blogger

Calvin, at 10:43 AM, October 10, 2006

Aww good going Justin!

By Lazy Lightning, at 12:35 PM, October 10, 2006

Just curious why you felt the need to do this as opposed to less painful forms of birth control. Why not stick with popping the pill?

By

Anonymous

Allie, at 4:46 PM, October 10, 2006

Hi Allie, few reasons:

1) It's much more cost-effective. Prescription copay on birth control is $10 per month, which is $120 per year. I expect to pay $250 at most for the paragard and it lasts 10 years.

2) I want to lead a hormone-free existence. I've been on the pill for 7 years with mixed experiences and very little side effects for the current pill, but I'd like to know my body naturally and prevent long-term damage from hormone supplements.

3) It's a long-term, no-thought birth control solution. Ten years, doing nothing! And you can get it taken out at any time with complete fertility restored. Woo. :)

By

Blogger

Kat, at 4:54 PM, October 10, 2006

ouch !! remind me not to come back to the next life (or any) as a woman if I decide this is the way to go. great entry, don't think i could've written it. but you and words are a natural. WOW. your reasons are rock solid. congrats.

By

Anonymous

jeff, at 6:42 PM, October 10, 2006

eeek! what kind of lasting effects from BC pills? i was on the pill once 4 years ago for a about 8 months, on the patch about 2 years ago for, uh, maybe 2 months ... now i've been on the pill for 7 months, and this time it's awesome! nooooo side effects, period is as normal is it would be if i weren't on it ... does this mean it's mimicing my "real" cycle more closely? less harmful? eek. i should just go do research but i never know what to believe. thoughts?

By

Anonymous

rebecca, at 7:28 PM, October 14, 2006

It's 3 AM I Must Be Lonely...

by Justin

Ok. So I'm not remotely lonely. But it is 3AM. Kat and I just got back from our first night club hopping in Seattle's Pioneer Square. Funny thing is, I never did this once in college and it took a little nudge from a local paper to get Kat and I down there. But at 10 o'clock we trucked on downtown armed with a fist full of cash, driver's licenses (no fake IDs here!) and credit cards to see what the club scene had to offer. We spent time at five places and had a blast. One of us will spill the details later, but as I said...it's 3AM...and I'm drunk....g'night.

Posted on October 08, 2006 @ 2:55 AM | 5 comments

Comments:

Oh man... I never had the energy for this, at ANY age. Hope you slept well.

By Lazy Lightning, at 6:52 AM, October 08, 2006

OMG how was the club? Did you take your phaaaone? ;)

Club hopping can be good times. The went "clubbin'" a few times in Mexico and once in Portland with friends. It was fun and I enjoyed myself, but I felt sort of disconnected with the scene. Mexico was the most fun because I could shake it, knowing that I wouldn't be staying forever and that I was a gringa anyhow so I might as well not be bashful about drawing attention to myself.

AC Seven... in the mix.

By

Anonymous

Rachel, at 11:37 AM, October 08, 2006

sounds like justin had fun out on the town...did Kat enjoy herself? How did your IUD procedure go, Kat? Did you have it this monday? Hope you're feeling well!

By

Anonymous

Anonymous, at 5:33 PM, October 09, 2006

was kat hit on like mad?
KAT! can you enlighten us as to how men's general energy / reactions toward you have changed since you've got DA RING on?? super curious.

By

Anonymous

rebecca, at 2:20 PM, October 10, 2006

Rebecca- I was flirted with quite a bit, but nothing overzealous or offensive. We were also moving around quite a bit, so there wasn't much chance to stay in one spot long enough for someone to make a real move.

Justin and I didn't wear our rings, actually! It was sort of a social experiment. :) I didn't want to scare people off, since I was reporting, and I wanted him to be not afraid of venturing out. I don't know if it would have made much of a difference either way.

I haven't been out in public that much since we got engaged-- primarily because I've been training and job hunting. I tend to be completely oblivious to things like engagement/wedding bands myself so I don't know if I'd notice someone looking at it unless they complimented me on it. I've gotten some compliments from ladies, so I'm sure men have noticed it. Maybe I'll get some reprieve now. HEH.

By Kat, at 2:32 PM, October 10, 2006

The Long Day is Over

by Kat

What a hectic day. What a hectic week. One more interview and it will all be over. For better or worse, one of these jobs will be mine and I hope to have my pick among them.

I'm in need of a stiff drink... which, as it turns out, is a good thing. My soon-to-be-retired editor at the SW assigned me today to do just that. Guess I'm going bar hopping in Pioneer Square for the first time. Any picks and recommendations?

Posted on October 05, 2006 @ 6:43 PM | 1 comments

Comments:

My fiance's vote is the New Orleans bar. She says it's nice.

I hope things go well with the employment search, deary.

Regards,

Charles

By

Blogger

Cad, at 7:57 PM, October 05, 2006

by Kat

Justin & I spent yesterday evening relaxing at a Russian-style bathhouse/spa, Banya 5. I highly recommend it to anyone in the Seattle area. Entry is steep at $30 a pop and it doesn't begin to compare to the numerous onsen I enjoyed in Japan, but it's a lovely diversion. The bathhouse is co-ed most evenings (bathing suits required) and single-gender during the day. For all your dinero, you can enjoy a hot tub, cool saltwater pool, eucalytus steam room, parilka (Russian sauna), cold plunge pool, and several heavenly rain-style showerheads in different temperatures... as well as a tea room, stretching lounge, and nap room.

My favorite thing about Banya 5 is platza, a Russian treatment where bundles of oak branches (with leaves still attached) are soaked in water to release tannins and other healing astringents within, then used in the dry sauna to pummel prone patrons (alliteration, wo!) and circulate the hot air of the parilka so that it permeates you to the core. The swatting is good for the skin and feels like a thumpy massage, and the heat it generates makes jumping into the cold plunge pool much less painful.

Mmm, I feel like a new woman.

Posted on @ 11:42 AM | 2 comments

Comments:

ooommmm! that sounds just splendid. i could use a good pummeling right about now...

By allie, at 5:16 PM, October 05, 2006

gaaaa you and Rachel with your fancy spa visits!!! *jealous!*

By Lazy Lightning, at 7:03 PM, October 05, 2006

o.0

by Kat

Interview exhausting but good. So tired. MUH.

Posted on October 04, 2006 @ 2:10 PM | 0 comments

Comments:

by Kat

Oh man. Sometimes there just isn't enough food to get in my body.

Yesterday Justin and I went to Araya's Vegetarian Thai Buffet for lunch and I consumed a SERIOUS amount of carbohydrates. Given what I *thought* I was about to go through at the doctor's office, that might not have been a good idea. I'm not one to barf, but when lunch comes up to one's trachea it's a little easier to hurl.

And last night we ate a whole 17" Pagliacci's pizza between the two of us while watching the remainder of Battlestar Galactica season II. I'd been watching TV since 2:30 and continued to until 11:30 at night. In the meanwhile, I had to have Justin help me get off the couch and sit down on the toilet to use the bathroom. We both thought this was hilarious-- he slightly more than I because I was the one dealing with searing pain in my quads. OUCH.

Here's what I felt like somewhere around mile 20, courtesy of Dylan Wiggins:

And here's Justin and I at the finish:

I'll post links to "official" photos once they have them sorted by bib number.

Posted on October 03, 2006 @ 1:22 PM | 1 comments

Comments:

Great photos. Congrats on the race once again.

I was glad to read that you hadn't just put on Depends and actually got up to use the toilet.

By

Blogger

running42k, at 3:36 AM, October 04, 2006

Incompetent Fool!

by Kat

I had a massage at noon, met Justin for lunch, went in to the UW medical center at 2 p.m., and was back home resting comfortably on the couch at 2:30. Only nothing had changed. In my excitement and overzealousness I made a mistake. My IUD appointment is next Monday.

I'm fairly certain that the fault doesn't rest solely on my scatter-brainedness, a result of no longer being certain of what day it is due to no time commitments. I only scheduled the appointment last Thursday and am nearly 100% sure that the receptionist told me "next Monday, the 9th." Of course, the 9th is NOW next Monday, but at the time "next Monday" was the 2nd. Because I no longer have any idea what day it is, I heard "next Monday" and that's it. It's not the first time someone responsible for scheduling an appointment for me has misused the phrase to this end. It might have even been the same person; I wouldn't be surprised.

I was pretty pissed. So was Justin-- he'd taken time off from class for my medical procedure. I drove him back to campus where, hopefully, he'll get permission to take class off next week to be there for me again. Frankly, I just wanted to get it over with. A short time between reservation and appointment meant less time to think about it or hear people uneducated about IUDs rage against them. Getting it done TODAY meant just lumping all my pains together and resting. Getting it done next week means introducing new pain into an otherwise healthy body and possibly interfering with job interviews or other pending responsibilities. I don't want to wait any more.

But I guess I have to. So wait I will. I mean, I can barely walk... so what else am I gonna do?

Posted on October 02, 2006 @ 4:11 PM | 0 comments

Comments:

Ow.

by Kat

My legs are in an incomparable amount of pain right now and in a few hours I have to prepare myself for the "biggest menstrual cramp ever" (IUD procedure). I think I'll be staying in and ordering a pizza tonight.

Congrats to Justin, whose first marathon PR was 4:45 and probably could have been at least 15 minutes faster if he hadn't paced slow with me until mile nine.

And congrats to Rachel, who beat her last PR by over 20 minutes with a finishing time of 5:27 with me. All I really wanted was to finish, but beating 5:30 was my goal. We rocked that sh!t!

Posted on @ 10:16 AM | 4 comments

Comments:

Great job! Honestly, I can't imagine running that far at one time! Well done! What an accomplishment!

By

Anonymous

Anonymous, at 11:40 AM, October 02, 2006

rock out with your cock out!

By Anonymous, at 2:58 PM, October 02, 2006

/ me knaws on leftover pizza and a sample pack of granola, curled up on the couch, and wishing Micah would hurry up and finish his project so that he can cook us dinner.

You both did so great, I'm really proud of your times! Thanks for running with me... I apologize if I slowed you down in any way. You definitely helped pace me to our awesome time!

By

Anonymous

Rachel, at 6:35 PM, October 02, 2006

Great job, you two! Be proud of your accomplishment.

I know it feels like the pain will never subside, but it will. Eventually. After my second marathon I found myself laying on my bed, moaning, "god, what have I done to myself?!?"

By

Anonymous

Patrick, at 11:02 AM, October 03, 2006

by Justin

Kat and I made it across the finish line. Being the self serving type I had to run seperate to preserve my knees, but I made it across the finish line with Rachel and Kat close behind. We're safe and sound in Portland with friends who gave us showers and are now feeding us. In a few hours we'll get on a train home and let someone else do the work to get our bent and banged-up bodies back to Seattle.

Portland Marathon. Set it up. Knock it down.

Posted on October 01, 2006 @ 3:32 PM | 3 comments

Comments:

HURRAY you guys! That's amazing!!

By Lazy Lightning, at 5:15 PM, October 01, 2006

Rock. Congratulations, guys.

By inkandpen, at 7:41 AM, October 02, 2006

Excellent job. Savour the accomplishment.

By running42k, at 7:56 AM, October 02, 2006