New Look

Before:

For the month I've been home, I've been living in the guest room. Sure, it's the room I grew up in with the same totally sweet princess bed frame I've had since about the 4th grade, but with gray walls and Dutch china decor, it has not been my room. It looks like I'll be here a while (this party's just getting started!), and I'm always looking for new projects to keep me busy and learning new house renovation skills (they're important?) so out with the gray, in with the new.

During: First off was spray retexturing and painting the ceiling. I wasn't too happy with the first round finished product, mostly because it looks like a herd of birds shat all the freak over my walls (and face), but after an extra coat of ACE Hardware's nicest looking paint from the Oops bin (I've named it Blush beige, my dad called it Desert Storm) and new baseboards, it looks lovely. I'm achy in all sorts of weird places now and still working on decorating, but what a difference a little color makes!

After:

LOST!

It's been a fun ride.

Home of the aroma

The Greater Seattle Metropolitan Area is often divided into parts: The city, the east side, the north end and the sorth end (clever, right?). West of Seattle is, of course, the Puget Sound and the Islands (Bainbridge, Whidbey, Vashon and more), a sort of pleasant yonder in my book, well worth the trek out and over the water.

Seattle proper, the champion of them all (rightly so) is surrounded on three sides by satellite cities. I come from the East Side, centered around the thriving Bellevue. My side of Seattle is sometimes known as the snotty side. Microsoftees, dot-commers and other random millionaires (not in my neighborhood, but around) may justify the reputation. Regardless, though many would deny it, there's an unspoken air of self-importance from the East Siders in regards to the other regions of Seattle. The North End has its hub in Everett, though I will admit that I often forget that anything is up there. In my head it goes Downtown-Northgate-Wilderness-Canadian Border. My brothers' new company is starting in Lake Stevens, though, so the area is officially on the radar.

I know plenty of cities in the The South End, and don't think poorly of them, but somehow their value is clouded by the perceived Tacoma Aroma- a distinct smell wafting from Tacoma's manufacturing district. Apparently the sulfur/arsenic pollution was cleaned by the time I hit high school, but the damage was done and the reputation remains.

Well, I am here to say that I am an East Side Snob no longer (I never really was, I promise!). I spent some time down south last week and while Fife is yet to impress me (any city with a 'Diabetes Shoppe' makes me a little nervous), Tacoma has won my respect.

The city doesn't smell (apparently unless the wind blows from the east), and while the manufacturing plants aren't so beautiful, the historic downtown is just perfect. Red brick buildings, my favorite kind of suspension bridge and tons of GLASS.









The Chihuly Glass Museum is right on the marina, named for the oh so famous Tacoma native, Dale Chihuly. Chihuly's known for his Wonka-style glass works - I've seen them displayed in the Salt Lake's Abravanel Hall and floating in a pond in a Chicago greenhouse. Glassworks are all over Tacoma (I took pictures of the way more welcoming than my town's City Hall, Flickr has much better shots than mine). Tacoma has officially won me over.

Elder Knudson no more

He's home! Former Elder Knudson and current partner in crime. We were that annoying family at the airport.
Here comes the son!One week later, he's back to normal, i.e. being weird. Here's a video he and his buddies made.