2k10

On the heels of my 2k9 run down, I will share a few of my goals for 2010. I have a feeling it's going to be a good year.

• Successfully complete my first full marathon!
• Try snowshoeing.
• Go on another fun vacation, even though I'm not sure Hawaii can be beat.
• Take more yoga and hip hop classes. (I miss them both!)
• Make the trip to Portland to watch my nephew school all the kids in basketball.
• Cook more homemade meals from the best cookbook ever.
• Go on even more fun weekend trips. (Umm, Corvallis with Kimbie and others?)
• Win a trivia night.
• Celebrate someone's "21st birthday" (I'm so sorry I missed the first one. I hope this "birthday" coincides with a heckling session with Officer Newsome in Belltown. Just sayin')
• Win the lottery.
• Climb Mt. Constitution. (I missed the fun last time.)
• Take an actual lunch break with my coworkers more often.

Ok, so that's a start. More goals to come. Maybe I should also bring back my "Goal Project"?

In the end, Happy New Year, my friends!

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2k9

Maddie inspired me to do a little 2009 in review post. (Even if her post could nearly be copied and pasted in mine because there was a lot of overlap...)

La Vida de Petes has seen its twists and turns of spectacularness this past year.

Here's how things went down.

• Brought 2009 in with a bang with Karen and Maddie. (Literally, 20 minutes of fireworks for Alisa's wedding in Montana. Incredible.)
• Took my post as sisterhood advisor for the lovely Chi O chapter.
• Had a 21-day working streak. Followed by several new business proposals that kept me in the office until the wee hours of the night.
• Likely due to the above, I got promoted!
• Moved to my new hood of Ballard. Or as some might call it, Frelard. (Fremont + Ballard = Frelard)
• Floated like it was my job. Green Lake, Lake Chelan (see pic above), Lake Washington - you name it!
• Became obsessed with running. Thank goodness for running buddies! Yes, I'm talking about you, you and you. (The last 'you' is Kathryn who still needs to start her blog!)
• Also floated, got 2nd degree burns, hiked a volcano, surfed 7-foot waves and more with Steph in Hawaii!
• Went a little Pitch n' Putt crazy.
• Attended not 1, but 2 birthday beer pong tournaments. (Seriously? What are the odds?!)
• Earned my antlers from beer hunting at the Duchess. Also welcomed Danielle to the elite club. And left my credit card there for 2 weeks after Ryan and Drew's birthday. The Duchess loves me and I love the Duchess.
• A surprise weekend trip to LA to visit Suze. (If only you could see the shock on her face.)
• Hosted an entertaining party for the girls where I learned how to properly decorate cupcakes (among other things). Thank you, Straube!
• Two Broadway plays with mi madre - Rent and Cats.
• The 5th Annual Leavenworth Oktoberfest extravaganza!
• Continued to work on my poker face. A lot. And even successfully sometimes.
• Another classic Samish Island 4th of July parade.
• Met the real-life Superman!
• "The man" joined the Man Upstairs. (He's very missed.)
• Drank a lot of cups of joe, started reading this Cup of Jo, blogged about Cups o' Joe and met a Hot Cup of Joe.

Santa Claus stopped by on Christmas Day

See? It's the real Santa Claus.

Sittin' with my cousin's adorable little girl,

Isabel and Grandma Pete.

(Isabel is one of the smartest little 2-year-olds I've ever met!
I was blown away.)

The duck decoys went over very well.

I think Kam liked them just as much as my dad!

Auntie Erika is training him early.

Mark my words: He's going to play UW basketball.

Then I'll buy season tickets.

A couple of my leading ladies.

The bows.
The oversized Santa hat...
Being cradled like a baby.
Typical Christmas Eve Eve with Stephers and Suze!
(next stop was the Train Wreck to see Joshie.)

Do you want to play this forever?!

These words actually came out of my nephew's mouth tonight. He really likes Big Buck Hunter. My parents got him the kind that plugs into the TV and we're having a straight-up tournament. It's intense.

I've also played a couple games of Guess Who?

Shooting at a target we put on the door with a Nerf gun.

And am wearing matching PJs with my sister.

I feel like I'm 5-years-old. I love that.

Merry Christmas Eve!

Triple Strike

aren't bowling shoes just so stylish? :)

Ok, no I did not get a triple strike, but I got like 3 strikes in 3 games? That counts for something, right?

A couple weeks ago, I went bowling with some friends for the first time since college. My game was a little rusty, but I managed to bowl a couple good games. (I'm no Maddie D, bowling 130!) Last night, I went again and did slightly worse. I broke a hundred 2 of the 4 games, but it was still not a pretty sight. I had a pattern - either get 1 pin or all but 1 pin. It was a curse. But overall, it was really fun!

I'm thinking that a trip to the West Seattle Bowling Alley is in order. Maybe paired with burgers at Zippy's and an after party at the Hawaiian sports bar? Any takers?

At laaaaaaaaaaaast

At last

My love has come along

My lonely days are over

And life is like a song...

(My plea for the return of Creepy Caroler paid off this weekend. She returned. In my garden. In all her glory. I could not ask for a better Christmas surprise. Well, maybe I could, but I'll take this for now.)

Not surprisingly, Creepy Caroler once again, got around.

First stop, the Newsome's.

"Umm, how did this creepy b*&%$ get into our bed?!"

-Santa Newsome

Even puppy Zeke was suspicious of this creepy character.

The only thing that brought him within 4 feet of her was a milk bone that Erin strategically placed in her hand and even that was a feat.

We thought she looked particularly creepy right outside the sliding glass door.

Oh, welcome back, Creepy Caroler... welcome back.

Thank you, Josh

For sending me this picture at midnight last night. It took some squinting and time to gain consciousness from my deep, deep, restful sleep (where I was dreaming about puppies, cupcakes, mistletoes and Christmas morning) to decipher what it actually was... When I realized that it read: "Poop on everything", well, I guess I'm still speechless.

But I understand the sense of urgency - sometimes at 2am your time, you just gotta send this important message. (Or at 5am your time, you gotta let me know how frickin' uncomfortable women's high heels are. Or at 3am your time, you gotta let me know that there is a hot Brazilian you're flirting with in the bathroom. Just remember, I'm generally not coherent until five minutes into the conversation.)

So, I'll see your "Poop on everything" and raise you this.

Creepy Caroler

Let me tell you a little story.

It all began in the Christmas season of 2002. Each year, the parent's club beautifully decorated the Chi Omega house. It was a nice surprise coming back to our new "home" after Thanksgiving. (Because let's be honest, none of us were completely settled and comfortable as Freshman.)

One decoration stood out to us all: Creepy Caroler. She may not look creepy in the picture, but she becomes creepy when she mysteriously is found in your bed, closet, right outside your door, perhaps even in the shower? Yes, she got around. Thus, she became creepy.

This little joke was only took on by my pledge class, so come graduation time, we couldn't part. We stole Creepy Caroler. Yes, I said it. (I hope this doesn't affect my advisor status.) It came to the Big House in Green Lake.

There were big plans for Creepy Caroler, but unfortunately, she has yet to come back to life. I don't know where she is today, but I hope that one day we will all be reunited.

Rest in peace: Creepy Caroler, 2002-2007

The Blind Side

Last weekend, I went to go see The Blind Side. I must have been sleeping under a rock because I had no idea it was based on a true story until the end when they ran the "where they are now" updates and showed pictures of the real characters. (Hello, Erika?)

Also, I had no idea that it was going to be so serious! While there were funny bits and pieces, the overall movie would most definitely be classified as a drama.

Without giving away too many details, I'll just recommend seeing it. It's a winner in my book.

Go see it. As Nike would say, just do it.

I love flowers

I received some beautiful flowers today for my desk!

Sort of like these, but mix in some white roses.

(I didn't even drop a hint like I did here once,

but really, I do like flowers.)

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Wish me luck.

Tonight is our office holiday party.

Some of us are going to get together to have a couple bevies beforehand.

I hope I don't end up pulling anything like Elaine.

(but I secretly hope that someone else does!)

Jimbo's Take on the Holidays

Jim is probably my favorite comedian of all time.

Enjoy!

Hello, my name is Enka

Or at least that's what it says in the "Hall of Foam" which proudly displays the names of the elite, prestigious, camo-hat-wearing, Toña-missing, ultra-beer hunters.

Yes, the Beer Hunters Club at the Duchess. (Erin, we're still waiting for you to join. I think a fun evening with bartender Steve should be in our near future...)

Back to Enka.

At my latest trip to the Duchess, I was inspired to track down my name on the engraved "Hall of Foam" wall. Much to my surprise, I found it. Wellll, a variation of it, but the date matches up AND I have a tendency to merge my "r" and "i" when I write my name, so from this date on, I will only go by Enka Peterson while patronizing the good ol' Duchess.

The tarnished proof:

(Ladies, I also looked for your names, but couldn't find them. Note: I was rushed because I felt bad that I was standing on the bench, so we'll have to take a really good look when we welcome Erin to the club...)

What do you get when you cross a Christmas wreath, burning candles and a young girl?

Santa Lucia! Always falling on December 13th.

And yes, it’s true, I was Santa Lucia one year. (Actually twice in one year – once for the actual tradition and once for Halloween. Try explaining that costume to your friends at school.)

To be perfectly honest, I didn’t know what I was doing. I was given the outfit, told to walk slowly around in a circle with a wreath carrying burning candles and then… I’m not sure what else. I think I was too traumatized that there was potential of a burning candle falling on my head. (Fine. They were fake candles, but it's still, a nerve-racking experience)

I wore my hair like this too... Which brings me to another story. Remember that American Girl Doll craze? Well, I read all of the books and my fave was Kirsten because we looked alike. Then, like every little girl, I wanted the doll. However, my mom convinced me that I was too old for dolls. Then, like every little girl who wants to be a big girl, I agreed with her and decided to get my fix when I hung out with my younger cousin.

Fast forward 20 years. I was chattin' it up with my girlfriends and somehow the topic of American Girl dolls came up. I was the first to chime in, "Oh yeah, I totally read those books. Too bad we were too old to get the dolls when they finally came out."

My comment was met with confused faces. Then slowly, "Umm, I had one." "Yeah, so did I." "I got Samantha."

Touche, Mom. One day if my daughter asks for a $100 doll, I'll respond accordingly. You're one quick lady!

pics via and via

Which present is yours?!

Christmas spirit? Check.
Christmas tree? Check.
Christmas shopping? Check.
Christmas presents wrapped? CHECK!

Now I just have to wait for Christmas Day! (Actually Christmas Eve - It's my favorite)

Happy Hanukkah!

At sun down tonight!

I don't really know a whole lot about the traditional Jewish Holiday, but I am definitely intrigued. (A lot of my knowledge is straight from Adam Sandler's Hanukkah songs...) Here's a little bit that I actually do know:

It consists of 8 crazy nights!

They have pretty menorahs like this one.

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Richard Dreyfuss, David Arquette, Goldie Hawn, Sarah Silverman, Sarah Jessica Parker, Woody Allen, Natalie Portman and so many more celebrities are Jewish.

Hanukkah = Chanukah.

The colors are blue and white. (And I like those colors.)

You make latkes* on this fabulous holiday - it's basically a fancy name for potato pancakes.

*Latkes require peeling many, many potatoes. Potato peels clog garbage disposals. If you put enough down the garbage disposal, they explode all over your kitchen. Then your sink is clogged so you can't use the water to clean it. Then you forget to clean it and your roommate comes home the next day to a kitchen that looks like this. Please note: I've never made latkes. And I'm not Jewish. Not to name names or anything... :)

The long hours paid off

Update: Sorry, as of December 3, 2010, the talent fees for the TV ad are not covered for online usage. So instead, I will leave you with a visual for the nasty, sneezy, but oh-so-awesome H1N1 campaign.

13.1 + 13.1 = 26.2

What do get when you combine this and this?

You get this! The Rock n' Roll Full Marathon.

(I'm tired from just typing that.)

I'm hoping to beat this guy. And I'm planning to embrace the new running trend*.

(*just kidding, there's not way I'd be that crazy. I'm already crazy enough...)

It's a tie

A tie for the coldest I've ever been in my life: The Seahawks game. Sitting outside in sub-zero weather for 4+ hours is not natural.

Tied with waiting outside of the Today Show in New York for hours upon hours, just for the opportunity for the camera to pan across us.

Tied with freezing our asses off at EuroDisney in Paris. Mickey is sooo not worth that.

Tied with a rather amateur mistake: camping in a tepee in Central Oregon in March. A tepee that had concrete floors that held the freezing temperatures (which we slept on without pads) and a door that flapped open and closed all night. A night where temperatures dropped into the teens. (hmm, that actually might top the list.)

But in the end, it was an awesome game! Compliments of good ol' Phil Burt (Thanks Phil!). The excitement boiled down to the last two seconds when they scored the game-winning field goal. Perfect.

Rudolf the red-nosed reindeer!

(Orrrrr, Phil and me)

Go Hawks!

Dear [insert your name here],

Happy Holidays! Hope they are filled with family, friends and laughter!

Love,
Petes

(so I don't think I'm going to get around to sending Christmas cards, so I thought I would let you all know that you rock through an e-card blog post?... If I was on top of things, I would have ordered these awesome cards from this Etsy shop.)

(I also really like this one from another Etsy shop.)

Baby, it's cold outside

And inside my office.
My apartment.
My car for three-quarters of my 2.5 mile commute.
Inside my shoes. (need thicker socks)
And even inside my Lean Cuisine quesadilla. (note: microwave longer next time...)

AND, if you haven't already heard: Seattle is expecting snow next week! Better prepare myself with more food at my place and a hefty heating bill!

But it all brings me to one of my favorite holiday songs. One of the two versions below. What is your favorite holiday/Christmas song?

"I skate like Tonya Harding"

Yes, I accidentally said that to someone the other night. What I was trying to imply was that I skate beautifully. (More like, say, a Michelle Kwan?) Not that was I was going take someone out by whacking them in the knee.

Last night, I (along with the appreciated assistance of Ms. Doherty) chaperoned an ice skating event for the Chi O chapter. Contrary to Maddie's take, I'm a rather intimidating advisor. Sort of like this. In actuality, this was the most well-behaved event I've ever chaperoned. I felt a little useless - which is fine by me considering the alternative would be, well, sending entire buses home. I've done it once (as Maddie mentions: the Winter Formal from Hell 2k5) and I would do it again.

It was super fun to chat about how different we now are from then, how the chapter has evolved over the few short years we've been out, who looks like who from our class and how crazy it was to see 100 people in Uggs. Seriously. Like the whole chapter.

Enjoying our hot cocoa from the sidelines before we hit the ice.

Da da da da da da da DA da da.

Do do do do do...

[insert Nutcracker music here]

Of course, all of the girls are mingling in the middle.
Perfect. Gives us a chance to get a better look at them.
We approve. Two enthusiastic thumbs up.

A Holiday Tradition

This year marks the 4th Annual Christmas ornament exchange with all the lovely women I traveled with as a National Consultant for Chi Omega.

We're now all over the country, with a heavy emphasis in the south and east coast. There's been a lot of toasting and singing in the last year with all of the marriages and recent engagements! Last summer, Rachel came out to Seattle and I was able to give her the quickie, half day tour - driving through UW Greek houses, Seattle houseboats, Fremont Troll, Golden Gardens, Pike Place Market and more. It was a whirlwind of a day!

This was the first ornament I received from Meghan Tighe. I think I have a lot in common with this ornament:

1. We both have reddish hair
2. We both like high heels
3. We both have a lot of holiday cheer
4. We both have incredibly skinny, long legs (right...)
5. People should never let us pour cocktails because we might end up sitting in one at the end of the night

A Seasonal Petes Speaks

I've decided that I love the holidays so much, that Petes Speaks needed a seasonal remodel.

What do you think?

Before...


AFTER! (doesn't it just make you want to turn on the Christmas tunes?!)

(I'm pretty proud of my paint abilities, even if it looks like a 4-year-old did it.)

Best. Christmas lights. EVER.

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