[August 19 2007]

Pictures from Cannon Beach

I am trying this to see if I can get my videos of flower pics to upload...

Posted by Risha at 10:39 am
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[April 13 2007]

A wedding me-me

Oooooo… a wedding me-me, stolen from Chris' blog. Since our 10th anniversary is coming up this year, what better time?

1. Where/How did you meet?
As embarrassing as this is to admit, on the internet. In an AOL chat room to be exact. Complaining about our respective divorces. Our actual first meeting in person was at Myrtle Edwards Park in Seattle.

2. How long have you known each other?
Hmmm. That would have been September 1995.

3. How long after you met did you start dating?
About 30 seconds.

4. How long did you date before you were engaged?
I don’t know. At least a year.

5. How long was your engagement?
As long as it took for his divorce to finalize… the ex kept dragging her feet hoping he’d come back. He didn’t.

6. How long have you been married?
Almost 10 years.

7. What is your anniversary?
July 5th, 1997. We wanted to get married July 4th (fireworks and all), but couldn’t pull it together that fast.

8. How many people came to your wedding reception?
Since it was just the two of us sitting at our table in the restaurant in Anchorage, Alaska (The Marx Brothers Café… an amazing place), either 2 or 40 would be correct answers. But we only provided food for 2.

9. What kind of cake did you serve?
We didn’t. I know we had some sort of dessert… knowing my husband it was crème brulee. But I can’t remember.

10. Where was your wedding?
The Chapel O’ Love. (No. Not “of” Love. O’ Love.) A lovely little room at the back of a tuxedo rental store in a strip mall in Anchorage, AK.

11. What did you serve for your meal?
It was good. Marx Brothers Café is amazing. But I have no idea what we ate.

12. How many people were in your wedding party? 2

13. Are you still friends with them all?
Didn’t know them then, don’t know them now. The minister’s wife (Reverend Sunday, seriously) and one of the clerks from the tux store were our witnesses.

14. Did your spouse cry during the ceremony?
Nope. Neither of us did.

15. Most special moment of your wedding day?
Given the whole drama of getting there in the first place, just knowing that no one would or could separate us from that point forward was awesome.

16. Any funny moments?
None come to mind.

17. Any big disasters?
Nope

18. Where did you go on your honeymoon?
Our honeymoon was the drive up the Al-Can Highway a month before we got married… when we moved to Alaska for my job.

19. How long were you gone?
It took 7 days… and I swore that the only way I’d ever drive it again was if we were headed in a Southernly direction. I regret saying that now, since we made the reverse trip when I was recruited back to America 8 years ago. I was 4 months pregnant and we were traveling with 2 cats, a dog in heat and it was late November… so the first 3 days the daytime temperature (not counting windchill) was about 10 below.

20. If you were to do your wedding over, what would you change?
People. I’d have friends and family around. But back then, it was all about getting it done… and we were basically broke. We’ve talked about a recommitment ceremony. I think that would be fun, maybe for our 15th anniversary or something.

21. What side of the bed do you sleep on?
Right side when you’re looking at it, left side if you’re in it.

22. What size is your bed?
King. We all sprawl.

23. Greatest strength as a couple?
He’s my best friend, my confident, my rock, my partner in all of life. We are a team in the truest sense of the word. I couldn’t wish for anything more.

24. Greatest challenge as a couple?
Still working on communication. Still working on family issues, since he’s got older children and parents and others who are around a lot. Me? I’m more of a loner. It gets crowded around here sometimes. And with the in-laws living basically in our backyard (the cottage has a separate fenced part of the property, but they’re here), sometimes choices have to be made between him supporting me or dealing with them. And I hate that. A lot.

25. Who literally pays the bills?
He’s been actually going online and sending the checks. But I usually do any of the computerized payments where you have to go to their website to do them. As far as bringing in the bacon, that would be me. His military retirement is basically nice pin money for him.

26. What is your song?
The music from Riverdance. We listened to that all the way up the Al-Can.

27. What did you dance your first dance to?
I’ll let you know when it happens.

8. Describe your wedding dress:
Ivory lace. Sheer lace sleeves. Scoop neck. Tea length. He wore a suit.

29. What kind of flowers did you have at your wedding?
Red roses and these airy white flower that looked a little like petunias but weren’t. I still have no idea what they were.

30. Are your wedding bands engraved?
No, but they match and are 3 colors of gold braided together.

31. How old were you when you got married?
I was 34, Larry was 45.

Posted by Risha at 1:12 am
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[February 18 2007]

Who's minding the children?

Him: "We really need to go out in the living room and spend some time with the boys before bed."

Me: "Can't we just let the wolves raise them?"

Him: "Tempting, isn't it?"

Me: "Well, they're doing a good job so far..."

Posted by Risha at 10:17 pm
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[February 01 2007]

First I was mad, but now I'm somewhat proud

I've been out of the office for 3 days this week (and two last week) with the Martian Death Flu. I'm convinced that terrorists working on weapons of mass destruction are looking in the wrong places... they should be cultivating the stuff that floats around preschools and elementary schools. Ugh.

Anyway, I was just getting my feet under me this afternoon when our firm's public relations firm called me. It seems that a certain large retail company called our PR firm today. They had apparently noticed that I was getting quoted quite a bit on matters relating to them and their operations. They had also noticed that I wasn't overly enthralled with their performance or some of their operations, which I find interesting since I've been much more positive in the past 6-9 months than I had been previously. I just think that while they've made strides toward fixing some of their problems, they aren't there yet. And since I'm asked for my investment opinion, and since I'm physically incapable of not giving my opinion when it is requested... well, I said what was on my mind. Repeatedly. This, I know, is shocking to you, dear readers.

In a very veiled and legal, yet threatening way, they made it very clear that they were not amused with the utterances coming forth from my lips. In fact, they implied that I wasn't doing my own research because I wasn't talking to their Investor Relations folks. Now, I think that IR can be useful when necessary...IF THEY EVER RETURNED MY CALLS. But until they discovered that a few minor media organizations (like large papers in the investment community, large financial news bureaus, large national all-types-of-news bureaus, international financial news networks, etc) were not only talking to me, but valued my opinion on what I was seeing, I wasn't important enough to get my calls returned. And given that we're talking about a very large, publicly traded company, it isn't like there aren't a bazillion press releases, news stories, SEC filings and other sources of original research to work from, not to mention store visits, overall industry information, and gee whiz, MY PERSONAL OPINION.

My favorite part was where they implied that our PR firm was paying for placement within internet search engines so that my name would come up first or more than those of other investment analysts, thus making me an instant "expert" on their firm (their word, not mine.) What's so amusing about this is that I only occasionally got calls asking for my commentary about this very large retailer, until I mentioned in one call a little over 2 years ago that I had recommended that our firm sell our position in the stock... our position that we had originally established in the early 1980s... and our position that was well over one million shares. I'll also point out that I made that call when the stock was at approximately $60/share. Today it sells for 20% less than that... at about the same price it has traded at for a couple of years. All of the sudden, my willingness to actually say that the emperor was buck nekkid made me much more popular with the media types. And let's also not forget that I've been right on a number of other stock and industry calls. Or that several times in the past six months I have said publicly that I really wanted to buy back into the stock... but that every time I got close to issuing a buy recommendation, they did something stupid. Details.

Anyway, these folks have a reputation in the world as being arrogant and heavy handed. Today I learned that it was entirely deserved.

If they were looking to convert me to their fan club, they were severely misguided in their tactics.

If they were trying to encourage me to chat with IR more to get their side of the story(ies), they certainly didn't come across as charming, welcoming, friendly, amiable, cordial, or containing any other of those lovely traits smacking of hospitality that are supposedly so ingrained in their area of the country.

I truly don't know what else to say except:

Dear Unnamed Company,

KISS MY BUTTOCKS. Your choice of cheeks.

Love, Me

Posted by Risha at 10:52 pm
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[January 21 2007]

For the girl who has everything...

It's a sterling silver bubble wand. From Tiffany's. $165. Seriously. Could I make this stuff up on my own?

And sure, I wouldn't mind having one. It would go nicely with my tiara.

Posted by Risha at 1:34 am
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[January 11 2007]

It's NO-ing

My boy's would be screaming that if they were still awake. It's been NO-ing for hours now.

Larry called me at work and suggested I leave by 3pm. I delayed until almost 4pm... and 5-10 more minutes would have been disasterous. As it was, I could see the snow moving down the lake (Lake Washington) as I drove across the floating bridge. The people who didn't leave when I did? There's still out there. Seriously. And it's almost 9:30pm.

My friend Lynn is one of those people. She finally gave up and went to the mall to wait it out. I tried finding her a hotel at 8:30pm. Sure. Lots of rooms. If you can drive 25 miles. Otherwise? Make a new friend tonight, if you know what I mean. When we last talked, she was going back into Nordstroms to buy some jeans, a pair of boots and a warm coat. I hope she's going to make it. It's going to be a long night for her, I'm thinking. Because she lives at about the same elevation we do, in the neighborhood where we used to be. And here's a picture from our back deck a few minutes ago...



There wasn't even an inch when I got home around 4:30. And it's STILL snowing.

I don't think we'll use the hot tub tonight.

And for the record, I think I'm liking those new snow tires of mine. A lot.

Posted by Risha at 12:36 am
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[January 07 2007]

Faithful is as faithful does

Psalm 89:13-15

Your arm is endued with power;
your hand is strong, your right hand exalted.

Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne;
love and faithfulness go before you.

Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you,
who walk in the light of your presence, O LORD.



God is faithful. God doesn't change. God doesn't move.

We're the ones who are faithless. We're the ones who have opinions and beliefs that shift with the wind. We're the ones who turn our backs and wander away.

And He's the one who stands there with arms open wide, a huge smile on His face, welcoming us back from the darkness where we venture.

Posted by Risha at 11:39 pm
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[January 03 2007]

Strength

For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. ~ 2 Chronicles 16:9

Today I feel like I need to jump up and down, waving my arms, hoping to catch His attention. "Pick me! Pick me! Over here!"

Posted by Risha at 8:53 pm
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[January 02 2007]

Not falling

It's been an interesting few months. I've whined a lot about it here, so I shant repeat it. I have to say, I looked forward to New Year's Day as a fresh beginning. And yesterday was great.

This morning, as I tried to leave for work, I discovered that a tree was down across our road, taking with it live power lines. I made it to work, albeit a bit late. And the house is fine, albeit a bit dark. They should have the power back sometime today.

I've been vexed by all this, perhaps more than I should be. As my husband keeps repeating, this has been a serious of minor inconveniences, not disasters. Even the death of my grandmother was probably more merciful than sad, and the time with my family was more rejoicing than crying.

So my verse for this year comes from Psalms 37: 23-24:

If the LORD delights in a man's way,
he makes his steps firm;

though he stumble, he will not fall,
for the LORD upholds him with his hand.

I've stumbled. I've stubbed my toe. I've gotten mad at God. But He's still there, keeping me from driving over live power lines, restoring my hope.

Posted by Risha at 1:08 pm
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[December 31 2006]

Hasta la vista, baby

I can't begin to tell you how happy I am to say goodbye to 2006. No doubt, there were a lot of wonderful times and success through the year. I'm going to detail those tomorrow. But the last few months have been more stressful than I can remember any time being for several years. There's no magic to the calendar. I know this. But there's a mental help to it. And thus, I wish you a happy, prosperus and blessed 2007.

Posted by Risha at 11:53 pm
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