Spring Break (part 1)

After packing up all the food from the pantry (about 9 grocery bags worth) and stashing them away in the art studio, then moving all the dog stuff into the garage, we headed off to our home for the next two nights - the Embassy Suites in Bellevue. We went to the nice cinema at Lincoln Square and saw the movie "21" which we all recommend. Had room service dinner, the hotel TV service was out, so we got to rent a "free" movie and saw "I am Legend" (sort of kreepy, Will Smith was good, but story was disturbing 'end of the world' type thing) and went to sleep.
We came back home the next morning to check on the dogs and allow Ryker to play the first game of a league he's in with a new online video game called "Griff-ball" - his team with some of his friends won - they are very happy!


This is what the kitchen looked like, the sanding of the wood floors sends a fine wood dust EVERYWHERE so the plastic attempts to keep it contained... more on that later. The stain they used the first day wasn't a good blend with the "old wood", so they kept working on it Sunday.
We've had freak spring weather this past week, and this is what the backyard looked like Sunday morning (yes, it was March 30th!) after a heavy snow fall Sat. night. It covered everything over in Bellevue too, as we watched from the hotel windows.
No swinging Sunday - too cold and slushy out there! When we left the house Sunday afternoon, we went to lunch and then another movie - saw "Vantage Point" which we all enjoyed. It's intense, with some plot twists that could surprise you.
Monday morning after our 2nd night at the hotel. Do they looked refreshed?By Monday morning, we were all very tired of the hotel, and not feeling very positive about the beds there... Marina actually thought the hide-a-bed she got the 2nd night was better than the double bed mattress she slept on Sat. night. David & I agree the beds were horrible. The boys traded off one night each on the floor - reporting that it wasn't too bad.

As soon as we were all showered, we took off, eager to go have breakfast and then get home. David has a couple days off, due to working over some recent holidays - good timing for us actually!

Back at home, you can see what Spring is SUPPOSED to look like - just a day later, the snow is long gone, and it's sunny, and almost "warm" - well, that's a bit optimistic, but at least yard work isn't torture! Jzo is out there shoveling up some old, yucky grass which tried to grow in about an inch of old soil, over a base of clay - not a good combination.

Thank you Jordan, for being willing to help your Dad - shoveling isn't a good activity. We got the pantry re-organized, and did lots of floor-to-ceiling cleaning with damp cloths to get all the dust and dirt up. That is quite a job, and the dining room is still a disaster, but that will call to me in a few days. We can walk gently on the newly finished floors but no shoes or anything "on" them for 3-4 days, so there is lots of "stuff" in the dining room which will get moved back into the kitchen and then that room with get it's head-to-toe cleaning/re-org. It needs it!

Marina just put on shorts and a t-shirt to try to catch some rays in the backyard. Many of her friends are vacationing in AZ or Hawaii, so she feels pale (we are all pale!) - Go for it, Marina! I hope you get a little color and vitamin D!