Yes, I'm still alive!

So I know its been like 2 (maybe 3)weeks since my last blog post...here's a quick overview of the those exciting 13 days as well as what lies ahead:

1. We used all the gift cards from the wedding to buy all the stuff from our Target, Crate and Barrel, and Macy's registries. So thanks to everyone who gave us gift cards or cash!
   
2. We cooked a beer can chicken for Diane, Grandma Audrey and Grandpa Bill, and Uncle Dean! It was a lot of fun to show off our apt and my guitar hero skills (Bill still doesn't get how it works or comprehend that I can actually cook, and clean)
3. We cooked beer can chicken again, this time for Jonah Nelson (groomsman) and his wonderful fiance Mindy, and fifth wheel Dan Rosales (also groomsman). We had to prepare a lot more food for this meal than for #2, so we did a little Caprese salad for appetizers, and then for the main meal, risotto, corn, bbq veggies, Christy's famous melon-ball salad, and the chicken. Don't forget about the brownies and homemade vanilla ice cream for dessert! We had a lot of fun with them.
4. We met our vertical neighbor, who just happens to be from UPS, just graduated, played football, and played offensive line (tackle)! How crazy is that?! His name is Curtis and we had fun reminising about the astro turf at Sparks Stadium and how it caused him to tear his ACL and ruin his season, which really sucks (just ask the kitty cat). Now we know what that noise is from upstairs (usually a reaction to a video game causing him to throw downa remote or his feet...hmm, sounds very familiar...)
5. We watched the USC-OSU football game with the Aronson's. Kyle cooked up a great flank steak and peanut butter/chocolate rice Krispy treats, and we played a great card game called Racko (and yes, I won!). Next time, I'm teaching them Idiot.
6. I had a conference for work in Portland from Sunday til Wednesday. Not really worth writting too much about, but I got lot of SWAG and got to go to a winery called Willamette Valley Vineyards and hear Linda Hornbuckle sing some sweet jazz.
7. On Wednesday evening around 6, I got dropped off in Tacoma, where Christy picked me up. We attended our first GOLD (Graduates Of the Last Decade) committee meeting at Jacob and Elisabeth Pynn Himmelman's beautiful house just off in 6th Ave. It was such a great house and fun to be involved in PLU stuff once again. Good to meet a fellow EMAL from '01 name Chris Averso (something like that) (he played with Benji).
8. We bought the Office Season 4, which we are watching and should finish before the new season starts on Thursday, which I have been looking forward to for so long! They have a all of episodes online for free, so knock yourself out. For those of you not familiar with the Office, first of all you haven't lived yet, and second of all, here's a little taste of what you've been missing out on



9. We went to the DOL and waited for an hour and half to change Christy's name and address. I changed my address too...good times.
   
10. We went to my first "has-been" EMAL game against Cal-Lu, which we lost unfortunately but it was fun to watch all those guys get to play with each other. Its a load of fun, but I don't miss it because I'm happy where I'm at. We dragged Caroline and her roomie Tiffany along, so Christy talked with them while I cheered on the Lutes and made sure they didn't clap at the wrong times. BTW, the finally got field turf at Sparks Field...so the knee mutilator is no more (a year too late for Curtis). Quick shout out to Prosser alum Kellen Moore who led the Boise St. Broncos to a big victory over the Oregon Ducks! I wonder who Kevin Lusk was cheering for)
    
11. FOOD: We made homemade lasagna on Friday night with our sweet and heavy new Mario Batali pan. It didn't turn out as good as others I have made, but it was fun. Tonight we made Chicken curry with potatoes, carrots, onions and peas and it turned out really good! We're making a pot roast in the crock pot sometime this week. New to me but a classic at the Olsen home.
12. We watched the Inconvenient Truth, which we both really liked because it clearly shows how we are slowly (well not as slow now) but surely killing our planet. Its sad to think about the irreversible changes that have already happened, like lakes completely drying up. Even if you don't believe in global warming (like the genious Republican VP candidate), its worth watching just so that we are aware of that viewpoint. We watched Sicko a few weeks ago for the same reason, and learned a few things. Even if it is very slanted, it makes you a more informed person and forces you to fact check if you really care. Please feel free to comment on your opinions
13. We watched the Seahawks win today (finally) as we cleaned up the apt. Thank god we only have 850 sq. ft, because we have a hard enough time staying on top of things as it is. We took a nice brisk walk around Green Lake and it was beautiful out.
14. SPORE! I got the latest iteration of the Sims series and it is sweet! You start as a single cell organism and evolve your way to space travel and intergalactic domination. While I don't agree with the philosphy behind it, its been 5 years in the making and is a lot of fun to play. Check out the trailer:

So, that pretty much sums up the past 2 weeks. I probably left a few things out, but I've gotta finish so we can watch more of the Office. Christy says hi everyone and we're looking forward to a fun weekend ahead with my parents and Christy's dad Rich (I guess I get to call him my FIL now). So long and farwell, from Bad Ischal to the Tithables, from the Village to Palo Alto, from Sunset Dr. to Tingelstad Hall..."I'm living the Dulce de Leche!" -Micheal Scott (in the deleted scenes from season 4)
Carlo!

Wonderful weekend in Prosser

So, I just realized that I haven't blogged for a whole week again. Tsk tsk. Anyway, our big events of the week were Diane and Caroline flying over for the start of PLU (classes started today/Monday) and our wedding reception in Prosser. It worked out for Diane to come to Prosser and celebrate with us, which was great! We picked her up from PLU on Friday after work and dropped some of Caroline's stuff that we've been holding for her. She has a new roomate, a great boyfriend (Taylo!), and 9th floor T-stad room with a view (plus no Crew this year, so she can actually sleep and have a social life. Christy and I are looking forward to having them up here some weekend to hang out with the old married couple.

So, we got to Prosser late Friday, and as always it was good to see my parents and Charlie. My dad's sister Rachel came from Bremerton to be our guest chef/caterer for the party at 4:00 on Satuday. She spent a lot of time preparing for it and kept us busy right up til the party getting the food ready. It was so thoughtful of her to do this for us for free! Plus, she through a party (with her sisters Sharman and Chris of course) for all or my family and Christy's on the Thursday before the wedding. It was fun to see so many old classmates, teachers, and family friends. My MIA groomsman (he couldn't make the wedding because his flight instructor wouldn't let him leave, so he wasn't offically MIA thank goodness) Matt Pinson totally surprised me by flying home for this party! I didn't get to talk to him much during the party, but we had a good time talking politics with our old Spanish teacher over some beers at the after-party. Since Christy and I were the guests of honor, we had to greet everyone and couldn't just roam as we pleased. Christy already knew a lot of people and we ended up splitting up, so that worked out well.

So I know you're all dying to know what wonderful food Rachel prepared for the party. She is just as good of a cook as my dad, if not better. She has catering experience, so she planned mostly bitesized dishes. On the menu:

• Handmade sweedish meatballs (400 of them!)
• Baked brie with onions and pastry dough
• Awesome artichoke jalepeno dip (my favorite)
  
• A classy cheese spread (champange cheese included)
• Watermellon with strawberries (Christy and I put that together)
• Chinese pork with mustard and sesame seeds (I got to cut those!)
• Baked portabella mushrooms with a greek, goat cheese spread on top
• Cone sushi with relish and baby shrimp (Diane and Christy put those together)
• Chineese chicken salad in baby wonton bowls
• Capresse salad
• Plenty of wine

So, everything turned out great and the party went off without a hitch! Christy and I stayed up late Friday night putting together a picture slideshow on iMovie to burn to a DVD which we played a the party. That was a lot of fun to put those picutures to fun music. Look for a version on YouTube soon hopefully.

So, its late and I need to hit the sack, but thanks for reading and remember I love getting comments about anything and everything. If you recieve this via email, please visit my website aslo (click here) so I get a hit on my hit counter! Thanks and love to you all!

Was I really that busy?

So I haven't blogged in over a week! Was I really that busy that I didn't blog at all. I guess I should review what I've actually been up to:

1. IKEA shopping trip to get stuff (found a new desk, but it was too big for our car)
   
2. Colton and Jennifer Oliphant's wedding in Wisteria Gardens
   
3. Sleepover with Ellen and Kyle Aronson (see #8)
   
4. Round of golf at Interbay Golf with Kyle
5. Watched Cougs and Huskies get trounced on
6. Witness Prosser's very own Kellen Moore dominate in his first start as a BSU Bronco
7. Seahawks jayvee dominate the Raiders jayvee.
   
8. Got an areobed for our guest bedroom (its actually a guest bedroom now!)
9. Went to the last hour of Bumbershoot to see Sondre Lerche (from Dan in Real Life!)
10. Another week of work
11. A walk around Green Lake with my wonderful wife Christy
12. Food: Great happy hour sushi at Chinoise, Steak and Corn, BBQ chicken and grilled veggies, Buca di Beppo with Ellen and Kyle, a Bloomin Onion at the Outback
13. Barack-mania at mile hile stadium
14. Finally watched the Netflix movie we've been holding duing the entire Olympics (Sicko and the Departed). Sicko definately bashes on my industry...but found a great rebuttal from 20/20
    

So, I'll leave it up to you to decide if that was a busy week or not, but either way it was fun. I'm definitely looking forward to the new season of TV shows (think The Office and Grey's Anatomy), cause I'm watching the new 90210 and kinda enjoying it. Not a good thing. John Stewart and Steven Colbert have been a joy to watch, as usual. They have great coverage of the DNC and I'm looking forward to hearing what they have to say about the GOP.

Hope you're all doing well! Chau from Seattle!