Don't blink or you'll miss it!

Not bad, eh?

An afternoon at the driving range...

So Erich and I decided at the beginning of the year to have a more healthy lifestyle, i.e. no more fast food, no more soft drinks, cut way back on candy and other sweets and start working out regularly. Well, we've done a really good job of sticking to our newer healthy eating habits but have yet to make a real routine out of going to the gym and working out. But we were determined to start being active regularly so we went to the gym yesterday and had a great hard workout. When we got home though, Erich got a message from the gym saying that his membership had expired but that they hadn't realized it until he checked in that day. *By the way, what kind of shoddy operation are they running that they didn't realize his membership had expired? If you were trying to run a profitable business, wouldn't you have reminders to be sent out to your members so that they stay members? Food for thought.*

Rather than go through the hassle of going to the gym and renewing his membership, Erich suggested that we go to the driving range instead. It'd be a great chance to get outside and hit a bucket of balls...something we haven't had an opportunity to do in a long time. So we drove down to Interbay Golf Center and got a jumbo bucket of balls.

Here's Erich getting ready to swing. The clubs he was using belong to Interbay and I think they are too short for him, but all the same he did a great job!

I tried uploading a very short video that Erich took of my swing...looked pretty good too, if I do say so myself...maybe didn't use my hips enough, but still...but it wouldn't load...I'll try again tomorrow...

And below is my submission to EmilyPie's photo competition for a macro photo. These are, of course, my golf clubs. Pictured are my five wood, four hybrid, six iron, sand wedge and pitching wedge. I held out filling out the rest of my golf bag until I get better at golfing so for now these will have to do...

Golf anyone?

Game Night at the Montgomery's

So on Saturday we had our first ever game night at Josh & Teresa's house. In attendance were Josh, Teresa, Erich, myself, Berto, Jen, Melo, Shea, Zahra & Rishaun, most of which are immensely competative (my people).

We started out with a couple of rounds of Catch Phrase (original and music edition)...

Here's Erich trying to describe "Behind These Hazel Eyes" by Kelly Clarkson...and judging by the looks on Rishaun and Shea's face, not going a great job.

After a number of loud rounds of Catch Phrase we split into 2 different groups. Rishaun, Teresa, Erich and Berto played Tiles at the kitchen table and the rest of us played Egyptian Rat Screw and Bullsh*t.

We took advantage of the fact that we had 2 Wii Guitars and many of us took turns getting our butts handed to us at Guitar Hero...Jen & Berto are both freaks of nature when it comes to this game.

This is Melo and me.

Does anyone else think Scattergories gets harder the later at night you play?

The gorgeous Jen & me.

The whole gang.

It was such a fun night, I can't wait to do it again!

Happy Valentines Day from the Schienbeins

We hope everyone had as lovely a day as we did.

First, we went to Best Buy to get Erich his Valentine's Day present (he had already given me the third season of Gilmore Girls and I had yet to get him anything...I am an avid procrastinator).

We ended up getting him World in Conflict (a PC war game, yawn) and Endless Ocean (a Wii game about the, well, the ocean, yawn). But they were his presents to be enjoyed fully by him. While at Best Buy I picked up Say Anything for me...for $4.99!! Oh, Johnny Cusack, could you be more weird and adorable?

When we got home it was time to get cookin. I had an amazing, if not daunting meal in store and our tummies were growling. We feasted on Gorgonzola Topped Filet Mignon (cooked to perfection I might add) with a cognac reduction, garlic mashed red and yukon potatoes, and steamed green beans with lemon and butter. After we awoke from our food-induced coma (or, the "itis" for those who watch The Boondocks) we each had a slice of a decadent chocolate cake with strawberries and whipped cream! YUM!

I have literally enough energy to finish typing this blog before I pass out again...so hope you all enjoyed your day!

With much love and a full belly,

The Schienbeins

adorable...

Homage to Sarah Bear

This is Sarah Bear for those of you who don't know already. I have had her since I was 2 (which makes her 25) when my Grandpa won her for me at the Oregon State Fair. He felt badly because I had recently lost my previous bear, by the name of Bear, while our family was taking a boat ride. I was apparently inconsolable about the loss so my Grandpa felt compelled to replace what I had held so dearly. And I think it is probably safe to say that I haven't spent more than a dozen or so nights without her since then.

...yes, that's right, I still sleep with my teddy bear.

But in my defense, she's a pretty great bear. I remember when I used to be angry with my parents or my brother and I'd stomp into my room, slam the door and scream at her...she never screamed back. I remember being devastated in the fifth grade when my "boyfriend" and his family moved to another state. I threw myself on my bed and cried for hours on Sarah...she let me cry it out and cuddled with me when I finally fell asleep. I remember when I got accepted to SPU and had a "serious" chat with my mom about whether it was too baby of me to take Sarah to college...she came and met a lot of cool, new people. Now I'm married and thought that now that I have a real "bear" to sleep with maybe I don't need her anymore. Well, let's just say that I don't get to cuddle with her every night anymore.

I like to crinkle her ear with my fingers as I'm falling asleep...I find it immensely soothing.

But this has clearly taken a toll on them.

This is a particularly bad part on her face, just under her left eye where not only has the fur been rubbed off, but now the material is starting to deteriorate.

Quite awhile ago, Sarah developed a pretty nasty hole in her foot. A simple stitch wouldn't have closed it up properly so I decided to patch her up. It's not great, especially since you can't really tell that it says "love"...looks more like "lole" or "vove". But I think it's charming.

This is the most recent "scar". It is a hole that opened on the seam above her right eye which stretched all the way from the black of her eye to her ear...pretty devastating. So I did the best I could to sew it back up.

This is Sarah Bear doing what she loves best...watching Tivo'd shows with me and Erich. She's really an "inside bear".

Anyway, the reason for this homage is that we have decided to send Sarah Bear to the Teddy Bear Hospital to get all fixed up. It has been surprising to me how emotional I've gotten over this decision, especially since she's just a bear. But it's more than that, isn't it? For anyone who has had a special item, be it a baby blanket or a stuffed animal, a body pillow or an oversized sweatshirt, an item that has weathered failed relationships, midterms and finals, graduations, promotions and other lifetime successes and failures, isn't it alright to be slightly more than attached?

For me the problem is that I imagine in order for Sarah Bear to be fixed up she'll need to be dismantled and restuffed, with new "fur", eyes, nose and mouth. She wouldn't come back the same bear. She might look the same but she might not feel the same and she certainly wouldn't smell the same. Is it worth it? But almost every day I find a new hole or really worn spot on her fur that needs to be sewn back together or patched and I'm really afraid that one of these days I'll wake up and find her head has become detached from her body. This is a terrifying prospect.

So, Erich, my loving husband, started looking online for someone who might be able to fix her and found the Teddy Bear Hospital which seems like it's a trustworthy, successful organization who can help us. And we've decided that we will eventually send her in to get all fixed up so that we can have another 25 years with her.

I wasn't convinced until Erich looked me in the eye and said, "When we send her away, she'll be your bear. When she comes back, she'll be ours."

And I cried.

yummy...

so I'm new to this whole blogger universe but I just found an amazing blogger...

I was googling "gorgonzola meatloaf" (my hubby and I are having a craving) and found "just recipes"...it's amazing! if you're thinking of making something special for Valentines Day, she has a couple of delicious looking desserts on her first page.

I hope you enjoy her as much as I do! (and please forgive me if this is old news...I'm just so excited!)

...sigh...

does anyone miss Arrested Development as much as we do? remember what a smart, quick, witty, hilarious and original tv show this was? oh Gob with your hot hot magician moves to "The Final Countdown"...and George Michael with your confusing crush on your cousin...Maeby, with your curly hair and secret grown-up job at that movie studio...Buster with your "hey brother" and creepy shoulder massages...and my favorite, Tobias, with your "never-nude" cut offs...

we have been reduced to watching Canadian television in order to watch episodes (we own the seasons on DVD, but it's not the same). did you hear me? CANADIAN television. I'm humiliated that the Canadians are smart enough to re-run episodes of this brilliant show...where's the love America?

...sigh...tear...