Happy Halloween!

 

Happy Halloween 

Hope your day is Spooktacular!

 

This is Joel's pumpkin. He even used a power tool (pretty sure it was his dremel), to carve this bad boy!

Here is my creepy but friendly spider. Yuck - I hate spiders but thought this was super cute.

I have plans to hang out at home and great the adorable kids in costumes who ring my door bell. I'm so excited to hand out candy. So if you find yourself in the Kenmore area, be sure to stop by house!

- XOJO

Weekend Wrap Up

Even after a really long week at work, I had a busy weekend planned for Joel and I.

After I left the office on Friday, I took the bus over to Redmond to catch a ride home with Joel. There was a problem about something (I don't know what, I can't understand him when talks computer-talk...), so he wasn't able to leave when I arrived. His office mates were kind enough to let me camp out in their office until Joel was ready to leave.

It was a bit comical to watch three grown men work out of an office that is smaller than the office I have all to myself. Yep, three dudes are crammed into a single office. That is just how Microsoft rolls. Let me just tell you, after six years of being exposed to what it means to work at Microsoft (and for that matter, what it means to be married to someone who works at Microsoft), it is a "unique" place with unique employees, shall we say.



I took this picture of Joel working hard after everyone had left for the day.

Jackie and Chris joined up with us for dinner that night. Where I might have a bit too much to drink and took zero pictures. But hey, beer just tastes so darn good after a long work week!

Saturday was spent running a few errands before getting ready for the Husky Football game.  I was determined for this game to be different from all the other games this year so far, but we failed. Check out the story here.

Alexa's Cafe in downtown Bothell is a great spot for breakfast or lunch! We love this place!

Sunday was a pretty mellow day. After breakfast at Alexa's Cafe, Joel and I ran a few errands. One of our errands was getting some groceries and as soon as we pulled up to the front of the store where all the pumpkins were on display, Joel turned to me and said, "Well, I know you want to carve pumpkins, so go ahead. Pick one out.". He knows me well! I picked out a tall skinny pumpkin and he picked out a short fat pumpkin. While we finished up our shopping and headed home, I was trying to decide what to carve. I won't reveal the final designs just yet, but I will say, they look amazing!

I was focused on carving on my pumpkin that I broke my little carving knife. I had to make a quick run to the store to get another one.

That's right. Joel picked such a tricky design, he decided to create a template and use a power tool to carve it out.
Boys.

All in all, it was a fun weekend. Hope you all had a great weekend too! I can't wait for Halloween. I am one of those dorks who loves to stay home, watch Hocus Pocus and hand out candy to the neighborhood trick-or-treaters who stop by. I love seeing all the little kids in their costumes. I'm getting old.

-XOJO


Husky Football - Cal vs UW

Typically I am a crazy very organized person. I plan out everything in a very detailed oriented way that keeps Joel and I on track and on time. But for some reason this year, I just haven't been on my game when it comes to getting ready for the University of Washington football games. (ha, pun intended!)

Joel and I have been constantly late for tailgating, forgetting items at home and generally just being the shit-show in the group. Not something I am proud of. So this Saturday I was determined to change things. The game was scheduled to start at 8:00pm (thanks college football TV schedules, I love the scheduling), so we had plenty of time to get our shit together organized before tailgating started at 5:00pm. I was able to go out and buy some hand warmers and feet warmers (these, these and these and one of these - seriously I effing hate being cold), so I could stay warm for the late night game. Joel had the beer chilling in the fridge. We had a plan for what food we were bringing. We had this in the bag.

It didn't even phase us when Chris came over with his virus infected computer. He and Joel spent maybe an hour saving their files, cleaning out the bad stuff and getting the computer back up running. With Chris all fixed up, Joel and I packed up and headed down the road. We were able to get parking in the lot were we love to park, things are going great. It was going so smoothly, we figured, you know what we need to do now - tempt karma!

That's right. We arrogantly starting saying things to each other like, "oh man, we are doing so good. Look at the time!", and "look at us, we got this. We won't be the idiots this time!" How naive of us. We were about half way to the tailgating spot when Joel asked me "you have the tickets right?" "Um no, you have them right?"

Can you believe it. We forgot the ever loving tickets at home. We were so pissed, we didn't talk the whole way back to the car. We would have driven all the way home and barely made it back in time for kick-off, but Robert so kindly reminded us that we could reprint our tickets at the ticket office. So we turned back around and walked our walk of shame back toward the stadium. We mumbled to each other things like "we have got to get better about this", "what is wrong with us", and "this is the last time, the last time."

After a few beers and some good laughs, I was able to put my shame behind me and focus on the task on hand. To cheer on the dawgs as they took on the California Bears.

The UW marching band started up an improntu concert in our tailgating spot. Normally, I don't care for marching bands, but put me at a college football game and I become a band lover!

Robert and Mike getting pumped for the game! Look at thier cute matching hats.
Joel told me later that he wants one now too.

I love it when the team runs onto the field. I get so excited. Joel thinks it is funny.

Are you pumped? So exciting right! :)

I love Harry the Husky! Be sure to check out his blog: http://huskymascot.blogspot.com/

We made sure to stop by to see Leann and Sean. They have season tickets very close to where we sit! Apparently we were having such a good time, this blurry picture was the best of the group.

The half time featured a special tribute to The Dawgfather, Don James. A legend.



The band played a special selection of songs to honor Don James.

I like this face.

Joel, Me, Robert and Oliver

Can you believe how empty the stands are. I understand it was a late game and we were sure to win, but I always stay until the final whistle.

I have already made myself a checklist and schedule for the next game. I will learn my from mistakes. I will not do this again! Here's hoping, right?

- XOJO

A Diamond in the Rough

This has been a long week. A really long week. I have worked 63 hours in five days. In fact, 46 of those hours happened in three days. Yes, you read that correctly. I spent way too much time at my desk over the last few days working on a very important project for work. Now that it is officially done and wrapped up, I plan to sleep. For days.

Although there was one perk to being at the office so late. I did get to watch this amazing sunset.

And now that the sun has set on my week from hell, I wish you all a great weekend!

- XOJO

A Very Foggy Fall Day

 

My head was in the clouds for most of the day today.

Here is the proof.

Weekend Wrap Up

It was another busy weekend at the Odell house. Friday night started off with dinner and drinks at Rock Bottom before heading over to see The Wizard of Oz at the Paramount. Once again, I drank one beer too many, ate a few bites too many, and had a marvelous time with Joel. We both really enjoyed the show; I even heard Joel laugh out loud a few times! Unfortunately, Sunday was the last day of the show, but if it ever comes to town again, you should check it out!

What a handsome date!

I'm not sure why, but I look so shy here - like I'm not sure what to do with a beer this big.
Oh, I know what to do... drink that baby!

Joel went with the Tillamook Bacon Burger and I ordered the Brew House Chicken. Both were very good!

Considering we bought our tickets three days before the show, we had pretty good seats.
Even from way up here, the view was great and the show amazing!

On Saturday we were in our blackout husky gear and down at the stadium for the Husky football game against our rivals, the Oregon Ducks. Aside from the few fans who had too much to drink and took this rival thing a bit too far, it was a good game. We were on our feet, cheering hard for our Dawgs but in the end the Ducks took home the win. Joel's friend Luther, from his High School days, joined us after the game for dinner and drinks at Elliott Bay Brewing Company's Lake City Public House and Brewery. What a mouthful! It was fun to listen to Joel and Luther catch up on the last few years.

Duck is on the menu - Let's go Dawgs!

Joel and I tailgate in the Tyee Club area at Merk's Dawg House - come on by if you are ever at the game.

That's right, Will Ferrell was cheering on the Dawgs!

And louder we got!

First score for the Dawgs!

 

Half time show with the band.

Joel, Me, Adam and Robert

Sunday was filled with laundry, cleaning the house, and of course, the Seahawks! Jackie and Chris came over to watch the game with us and hang out. It was a painful fun game to watch and thankfully we pulled out the win in the end. Jackie made us a sweet potato curry soup that was so good, I am going to have to get that recipe from her. I made Joel an apple crisp (it came out of the oven too late in the evening for Jackie and Chris to joins in). A pretty nice fall weekend; beer, football, friends, soup and apple crisp. I heart the fall.

 

I hope everyone else had an equally fun weekend!

 

XOJO

 

I'm linking up with Kristine at Living Barefoot and Crazy for this football fanatic post!

Be sure to stop by and check out her great blog!