Slumber party at Harborview

Last night I did a sleep study at the Sleep Clinic at Harborview.  Can you think of anything else you'd rather do on a Friday night?!  They were testing for the normal sleepy things, with a couple of exceptions.  I didn't have to wear a mask since they don't think I have normal sleep apnea, and I got to wear extra wires to monitor my brain activity for seizures, funky brainwaves, etc. since I have a higher maintenance brain now.

Looks comfortable, right?!

Sandy, my technician, got me all wired up and tied in over about 45 minutes.  Then I got to hang out in my hotel-like room until lights out at 11pm.  Then she plugged me into the computer, had me do some tests (move your eyes, wiggle your feet, etc.), and turned on the infrared and video cameras.  And it was off to sleep!  Too bad I'm a super light sleeper and ambulances (and poor falling asleep abilities in general) kept me from falling asleep for a long time... sigh...

Thumbs up all around

Even though it was cold in the room and I didn't have a ton of blankets, I kept getting sweaty (TMI? sorry...) so Sandy came in in the middle of the night 3 times to wake me up and wipe down my scalp with alcohol.  Then she woke me up bright and early at 5:55am to get up!  Nothing like being up at the butt crack of dawn on a Saturday.  :)

Yes boys, I'm single, take a number.

Sandy isn't allowed to give me any specific results or information at the time, but she did say that I didn't do anything bizarre or embarrassing in my sleep, and that yes, it took me a long time to fall asleep and then was a light sleeper after that.  Just like I told said on my form.

I get my results from Dr. B on the 17th.  I'm assuming he'll just tell me I'm hard wired to be a poor sleeper, but there could be something more going on in there that we can fix, which would be fantastic.  To be continued.  Although I did get some pretty good catch-up sleep this morning when I got home.  :)

Best of 2011 time!

For the last 3 years, I've put together a "Best of" CD at the end of the year with my favorite new songs.  Well, friends, it's that time of the year again!  My 4th annual Best of 2011 CD drops shortly (you know, 'cause I'm a rapper) so let me know if you would like a copy and I'll make sure you get one.  I think it'll be a pretty great mix this year!

Here's a tiny sneak peek for you loyal blog readers.  There are some songs from classic repeat favorites like the Decemberists, the Black Keys, Arctic Monkeys, the Kooks, Florence & the Machine, and Death Cab.  There are also some songs from new favorites like Grouplove, the Generationals, Portugal the Man, James Vincent McMorrow, Cults, and many many more!!!

Can't wait to get it all finalized!!  Let me know if you're interested in a copy.  Here's to 2012!

Random bullet point list

I love lists.  Listy list lists.

• For a couple months after surgery, I'd get this thing where when my heartbeat is elevated, it pounded super hard in my head.  It's very uncomfortable and kept me from wanting to work out or even walk fast up hills.  Then it got better.  Well... it's been doing it again.  A lot.  It just about stops me in my tracks.  It's bizarre and quite annoying and slightly painful.  :(
• When I get home at night, all I do all evening long is run my hands through my hair.  It gets all puffed up and looks QUITE gorgeous, and it feels good on my head.  Plus it feels cool to my hands, since my head feels so different than it has my whole life.  So, needless to say, if I see you after 7pm, my hair is probably looking REALLY good.  I'm currently taking volunteers for head rubs and hair puffing.
• The cleaning out and cleaning up of my life continues.  I turned in probably around 75 CDs to Easy Street today to sell back to them, and they took all but 3 (that were scratched).  It earned me $162 in store credit!  Yessssss!  And got some old clutter out of the way.
• I'm thrilled and relieved to have gotten such great feedback on my new haircut!  I knew my girlfriends would like it, but I've received (very unexpected) compliments from heterosexual males ("stunning," "amazing," "supermodel," "better than before").  I'm amazed and VERY flattered.  And I'm sooo glad that my short 'do isn't a turnoff!  ;)
• I talked to Dr. M a bit at my last MRI appointment about my tumor, what he expects, brain cancer, etc.  I'll post a separate update to include the information I received.  It was reassuring.
• My new haircut gives me the best bedhead EVER!  I've been tempted many mornings to take a picture.  Maybe I'll do it one of these days.
• I recently finished some pretty badass crafting.  I'll share results soon...
• I never posted anything about my appointment at the sleep clinic (which was sandwiched between the days of my MRI and haircut... it was a busy few days!).  I met with a new neurologist, Dr. B, and talked to him about my sleep issues.  Most I've had all my life but some have been even worse since surgery.  He was really nice and seemed intrigued by my situation, so I have a sleep study scheduled for tomorrow night.  I'll go to Harborview around 7pm, stay the night there in a special hotel-like room with lots of monitors hooked up to me (lights out at 11pm), and they'll wake me up at 7am.  I can shower there in my private bathroom to get the goo out of my hair and then I'll get the results from Dr. B a couple of weeks later.  Should be interesting!!

That's all.

Getting my wig ready

Well, technically it's not a wig for me, but there is going to be a wig of my hair soon!  I put together my lovely hair package today to send off to Pantene Beautiful Lengths in the mail tomorrow.  PBL creates wigs for women that have lost their hair due to medical conditions, and the wigs are provided to the women for FREE.  According to their website, they've collected over 272,000 ponytails for wigs.  You can add my 3 more ponytails to that number!

The 2 top ponytails are from my recent pixie; the bottom ponytail is from surgery.  Sadly, another big chunk of hair from surgery was way too tangled to send in.  :*(

I chose PBL over Locks For Love for a couple of minor reasons.  One, LFL gives their wigs to kids and I wanted to have my hair go to a woman (I hope that doesn't sound anti-kid, as that's not my intention).  Us women need wig love too!  Second, LFL makes the recipients pay for their wigs based on a sliding scale depending on what the family can afford.  I liked that PBL gives theirs out for free.  And third, sometimes I like a good underdog, and I think that the Pantene program is probably always second fiddle to Locks For Love.  :)

Treat it well, Mr. Postman!

I may have stroked my lovely ponytails oh so briefly as I put my package together to send.  I miss my long hair for about 2 seconds each day and then I'm sooo excited about my new short 'do again.  :)

This is the bag that my hair from surgery came in.  Cracks me up!!

If any of you ladies or alterna-dudes out there are thinking about growing your hair long (minimum 8" ponytail for PBL) for donation purposes, I really recommend it!  Not only will it go to a fabulous cause, it's also a nice fresh start with the short hair.  But maybe I'm biased.  ;)

My short hair, in case you don't believe me...

Merry Christmas, friends!  Have a very lovely holiday!!

A heart-warming (err, cookie-burning) holiday story

Let me tell you a little holiday story.  I was feeling festive today, and have heard a lot of my friends talk about their holiday baking, so I decided I wanted to make some cookie gun spritz cookies.  We used to make these as kids, using the cookie gun my mom has had since SHE was a kid.  So my heart was warming at the thought.

I walked to the store, picked up the ingredients I was missing, and got ready once arriving home.  I turned on the Christmas music, made sure my tree was lit up, and got it alllll going.  I made the dough and squeezed out 1 tube's worth of cookies onto the 1st sheet.  As I got about halfway done with the 2nd sheet, my cookie gun broke.  Yes, that'd be the nice cookie gun from Crate & Barrel that had been used approximately once before.  And it broke in a way that makes it totally and forever toast, not recoverable.  Crap.

I decide this isn't going to stop me, so I roll up some balls of dough, smash 'em flat, and put them on the sheet.  I add some ADORABLE blue and white snowflake sprinkles, plus some lovely sparkly rainbow sprinkles on others, and pop them in.  After about 6 minutes, I decide to check on them.  I peek through the oven window and see the edges looking way too dark.  I open the oven to get a closer look and smoke pours out.  Double crap!

All of a sudden, my smoke detectors are going off, my apartment is filling with smoke (it's a small apartment, so that isn't totally unimaginable), and it smells like burnt cookie.  I put the pans out on the balcony to air out and start fanning the air under my smoke detectors to try and get them to stop.  UGH.

So, I ended up with 2 sheets of burnt cookies (I may have eaten the only 3 cookies that weren't totally black on the bottom), a big bowl of uncooked dough, and a irreparably broken cookie gun.  Allow me illustrate with photos.

My kitchen, as they're cooking.  The flour all over is evidence of my effort, obviously.

The poor cookies, smoking out on my balcony

A LOT of leftover dough

Sad, sad, very sad cookies

The final resting place of the cookies, the dough, and the devilish Crate & Barrel cookie gun... before I took it all to the trash drop

So, if anyone has any leftover holiday treats, feel free to pass them my way!  I'm not sure I should try THIS again anytime soon...  :)

(P.S.  I've always known that my oven cooks a little hot, so I tend to set the oven 5 or 10 degrees below what the recipe calls for.  Perhaps I should start cutting it by 20 degrees...?)

Let's be overly dramatic today

UGH.  I have NOT had a good day.  I am having a VERY bad hair day.  Like, ridiculous.  I've got mysterious wings behind my left ear, and chunks of my bangs won't lie flat and just stick straight out.  I tried playing with the pomade, I re-wet and re-dried it, to no avail.  It poofed throughout the day, and looks very 90s mom with an asymmetrical twist.  And it REALLY affected me today!!

I know this whole thing sounds silly, but with my new short 'do, there is nowhere to hide when your hair doesn't cooperate.  I can't put it up in a wet bun or in a ponytail; it's just there, being ugly.  I've been really happy with the cut and have felt really confident up until today.  But today the insecurity I had about my hair totally impacted me.  I had a crappy attitude.  I felt super self conscious.  I avoided going to the kitchen at work so people wouldn't see me; I also avoided dropping off some files (okay, gossip magazines) with a friend for the same reason.  I wore my coat at my desk, furry lined hood and all, to try and cover it up.  I avoided eye contact with people.  Yes, this sounds very dramatic.  But I was nearly in tears!  I never once felt this uncomfortable with half a bald head and a hat or headscarf on.

I've felt really good and really happy lately, but today illustrated to me that I still have some cracks, some fault lines in my confidence.  And I know it sounds dramatic and unnecessary... but I didn't expect to feel quite so impacted just from having my hair look bad.  Plus now I'm nervous that I won't be able to fix it up right tomorrow.

If the worst of my worries and troubles are a single bad hair day, I am one lucky lady.  But man...  I would never have predicted that it'd affect me so strongly like it has.  Here's to hoping that I improve my hair doing skills and lighten up on myself when it doesn't go quite how I'd like it to.

Twinsies! Is that a mojito?!

I am LOVING these videos, and had to share.  Nothing Sara-specific, no mention of a tumor... just some good old fashioned humor, like the olden days.  Please enjoy.  :)

My missing internal compass strikes again

Friends have asked me if my directional issues are getting better with time.  No, they are not...  I am relearning the ways to get places (so that I can remember them at a time when I'm not actually on my way there), but it takes repetition and I can still get disoriented easily enough.  Yesterday I had an instance that is typical of my new always-lost lifestyle.

I was in a department store doing a little Christmas shopping, grabbed a few things, and went to the checkout line.  Of course, one of the items I grabbed was missing a tag.  Typical.  The checkout lady asked if I would go grab another one real quick or if she should.  Trying to be helpful, I said I'd go get one.  There were a few people in line behind me, so I hurried off to keep them waiting as little as possible.  Well,  I wandered around for about a minute and couldn't find the table with the items.  At all.  Not even close.  I barely found my way back to the checkout stand.  I apologized, told the lady I get lost really easily and couldn't find the table, and asked if she would go grab one instead.  (I apologized to the people in line behind me too, but they just seemed annoyed.)  She walks off, goes about 30 feet in clear sight, and grabs a replacement item with a tag.  And I proceed to feel like an idiot...

Honestly, I didn't really let it get to me, but I just felt silly.  I've accepted my new shortcoming and am pretty much fine with it, but I wish that I could somehow get random people that don't know me to be fine with it too.  Once people know about my tumor, they are so much nicer to me, I can tell (and trust me, I don't tell people about my sitch unless I actually want them to know).  But I'm NOT going to advertise to random strangers in line at a department store that I have it, so instead I just ignore the annoyed looks and let it roll off my back.  Everyone's brain works differently (seriously... I cannot emphasize this enough) and people cannot help the way theirs functions (or doesn't function, like my missing compass).

At least I have a really cute haircut covering up that dysfunctional brain of mine!  :)

Phantom hair

I am loving my new haircut, but it's been quite an adjustment, as you might imagine.  Each night before I get into bed, I've reached back to remove my ponytail holder... that isn't there.  I have phantom hair!  I also grabbed my ponytail holder in the morning for the first couple of days, on my way into the bathroom... but I have no hair to put into it.  Adjusting my morning routine has been a little tricky (and I'm big on routine).  And washing it is NUTS.  I'm not sure when I'll be used to it, but it's quite bizarre to not have hair hanging down in the shower.  And then it drips all over my shoulders when I'm done!  It's a sensation I'd never really felt before.  I don't have to condition, and I'm trying to train it to not be washed every day (which I'm struggling with but trying to stick with).  It's still odd when I catch my reflection in a window or a mirror since I picture myself with long hair (that pesky phantom hair strikes again).  But overall it's FUN!!!  It's been a fantastic change for me.  :)

Finally, 1 head of hair again!

This was a big, successful week!  After getting the good news on Thursday after my MRI, I was all ready for the big haircut on Saturday.  Amy met me there for moral support, photography skills, and 2nd opinions (to make sure I didn't end up with mom hair or a mullet).  And it was a success!  With no tears!

The before, with the longest hair of my adult life

Chopping off the ponytails (to donate)

Eric, my awesome hair guy, seems to be enjoying this

My sweet (temporary) mullet

The after, with the shortest hair of my adult life

I LOVE MY NEW HAIR!  (And my bathroom decor...)

It feels so free, so light, and I can actually do it!  I think I may be able to wash every other day, as it seemed pretty close to good as new today on day 2.  Although I did wash it, as I wanted to test out my abilities to actually do it.  And it was pretty easy!  HUGE relief.  Since I suck at doing hair.  :)

It finally feels like I have 1 head of hair again, and not 2!  For the last 6+ months, I've dealt with half long hair, half short hair (that was bald at the beginning), and it feels SO NICE to go out in public without having to wear a hat or put my hair in a ponytail or bun.  I feel normal again.

Thank you for all of the positive feedback!  I'm not feeling like a man at all, nor did it end up mom or butch or too short.  And if you're looking for a fantastic haircut for yourself, I HIGHLY recommend Eric Nguyen at Tonic Salon, who I've been going to for a few years.  I'd be happy to pass on his contact info for anyone interested.

Scan was clean!!!

My MRI this morning was good, no growth!!!!!!!  I'm soooo relieved.  Next scan is in 3 months.  Now it looks like I've gotta go through with my haircut day after tomorrow... ;)

Thank you for your messages and love and support!!  I'm still winning in the fight against this pesky tumor!

MRI time: 6 month edition

This Thursday (day after tomorrow, as I type this, less than 36 hours) is my 2nd quarterly MRI.  I've been surprisingly not freaked out by it for the most part; I'm fairly certain that's because I've spent my freak-out energy on my upcoming life-changing haircut.  I really hope that I'm not taking this too lightly and setting myself up for a bigger disappointment/anxiety/stress/devastation if I get results that are negative.  Or maybe they really just get easier each time?  Time will tell, I suppose.

In case anyone is wondering what an MRI of your brain is like, here's what happens.  You get changed into a lovely hospital gown and remove everything from your body.  The MRI tube is a giant magnet, so you don't want it to try and suck anything off of you (like earrings).  You get an IV, as they put contrast solution into your body for part of the scan.  The solution is some sort of mineral that shows up differently in the pictures.  I'm a tough person to draw blood from and get IVs into, so this part is not so fun.  If you're tricky like me, request a butterfly syringe.  They're much easier.

You lay down on this long platform, and you put in earplugs AND wear industrial headphones that they play music through (you can request a station or artist).  The MRI machine is LOUDDDD.  They also give you a blanket and try to make you comfortable.  I learned at my last MRI that I have a screw from surgery in the very back center of my skull, so when I lay on it, it hurts by the time the MRI is over (it hurts pretty quickly, actually).  I even got a pillow at the dentist recently.  So I'm hoping they'll have an extra cushion I can use this time.  And then it pulls you into the machine!

You go in about waist deep or so.  The machine starts doing scans that seem to last for anywhere from 2 minutes to 10 minutes or so; they do a handful of different scans.  The machine is very loud, which you hear more than the music.  You have to lay extremely still, and there's a sort of cage around your head that helps keep you still.  They can speak to you and come on over the speakers to see how you're doing and tell you how much longer you have.  Overall, I've been in the MRI tube anywhere from 30 minutes to nearly 2 hours total, depending on the types of scans.  Luckily I don't get claustrophobic.  It's tight quarters.

The MRI machine is white and fancy looking, just like they show on TV.  But TV shows always have a video screen showing the patient's face while in the MRI, and the doctors can see them.  But I'm nearly 99% positive that they created that for TV and that my technicians can't see me.  Or any real MRI-user.  Everything is more exciting and glamourous on TV, isn't it?!  ;)

Partway through they inject the contrast solution into your IV, which you can sort of feel going through your arm.  Then they do some final scans, as the contrast gets into your brain pretty quickly.  And then you're done!  They slide you out, take out the IV, and let you get dressed again.

After that, it's a waiting game.  Last time I waited almost a couple of hours to get my results from my neurooncologist, Dr. M.  Thursday my check-in is 7:30am, with the scan to start at 8am and my results with Dr. M at 9:30am.  And then hopefully I'll be out the door to work, dripping into a human puddle of relief.  If I get not great news... I don't know what I'll do or how I'll be.  But let's just hope that I don't need to face that.  My sister Amy and cousin Steph will be at my appointment with me, so I definitely have support either way.

All of your positive thoughts, vibes, and prayers this Thursday are GREATLY appreciated!!  Okay, and now my nerves are kicking in a little bit more.  I think that's my cue to go to bed.  Will keep you posted, friends...!

An infomercial, brain tumor style

I love shopping, and tis the season for shopping.  Well, and family and love and celebrating holidays and recognizing what we have to be thankful for, but let's put all that aside for the moment.  ;)  I recently stumbled across a couple wonderful things for sale whose proceeds (or a portion of proceeds) go towards brain tumor and brain cancer research and support.  Plus, they're items that you'd actually want to buy!  I can't think of much I'd rather spend my money on.  (Well, maybe a trip around the world, but let's start slowly.)

Bracelets For A Cause by EvelynJay on Etsy sells really beautiful beaded leather bracelets, and a portion of the proceeds are donated to the National Brain Tumor Society.  You know, the organization that my team helped raise over $8,500 for earlier this year?  I'd love to help them out even a little bit more.  Plus you get a super cute bracelet!  She even takes special orders.

Triple-wrap loveliness

Darren Tieste, photographer extraordinaire, very recently published a coffee table book of celebrity photography called The Beauty Book for Brain Cancer.  It is over 300 pages of photos he's taken of some little-known celebrities like Justin Timberlake, Jessica Alba, Ryan Phillippe, and (my personal favorite) Jojo.  They're no big deal.  Proceeds from this book go to brain cancer organizations Sydney Neuro-Oncology Group (SNOG) and Headrush.

She kind of looks like Badass Brain Tumor-Kicking Barbie, don't you think?

I have the triple-wrap gray and silver bracelet and this book on my wish list this year, and will be making purchases shortly.  In all seriousness, if you have someone on your list to buy for that would like one of these products, please consider making a purchase.  Your money will go even farther than at the shopping mall!

Big week. Big. HUGE.

(Picture me saying that all like Julia Roberts, my celebrity doppelganger, in Pretty Woman, when she goes back to the Rodeo Drive saleswoman that didn't help her the day before.  "Big mistake.  Big.  HUGE.")

This is a grande one, folks.  One of the biggest of my year.  Allow me to break it down:

• Monday (tomorrow): Happy hour with #1 Chili Dawwwg (AKA my former Expedia coworker Sosena).
• Tuesday: Holiday cooking class with Sydnie at The Pantry at Delancey, where we will be making individual jars of bourbon butterscotch sauce, black pepper and sharp cheddar cheese straws, peanut butter sesame meringue cookies, and spicy dark chocolate cocoa nib bark with dried apricots.  Hallelujah.  Also, the new Black Keys album comes out.  :)
• Wednesday: My day of rest.  I am VERY reluctantly passing up on Deck the Hall Ball and it's ridiculously kickass lineup (Mumford & Sons, Death Cab for Cutie, Foster the People, Grouplove, etc.) to be well rested and prepared for....
• THURSDAY: My next MRI.  Check-in at 7:30am, scan at 8am, results with Dr. M at 9:30am.  Once I get my positive results (fingers are nearly permanently crossed at this point), the day will only get better with the Florence & the Machine tickets that I have for that night (with opener The Head and the Heart) with my seester Amy.
• Friday: Sleep clinic appointment with a neurologist at Harborview.  And that night, sold out Jingle Bell Bingo Karaoke at the Greenwood Senior Center.  Jealous?  No?!  You should be!!!
• SATURDAY: My haircut.  That is, assuming I get a clean bill of health at my MRI appointment.  Amy will be there to document the experience in photographs.  And perhaps to hand me tissues.  I think I may not cry since I feel pretty ready but Amy says she'd bet just about anything that I will.  Get your own bets in, folks.  That night, I'll be sporting a new pixie 'do, lovely sequined Christmas tree headband, and my favorite "ugly" (really, it's more gorgeous) holiday sweater at the annual Tacoma Ugly Sweater Pub Crawl.
• Sunday: I get to start breathing again.

I am both exhausted and excited just thinking about it!

In great spirits! 'Tis the season!

I feel a little like a switch has flipped inside of me, and I've been in really great spirits lately!  Not that I was all bummed before, but I just feel different.  Positive.  Perhaps it's the holiday season and all the Christmas lights up and NSync Christmas songs I've been listening to.  I feel optimistic, happy, and it's nice.  (Part of it probably relates to feeling like Jeff is a part of my past, not my present, and being okay with that... but who knows for sure.)

This may be the worst music video of all time.  YOU WILL LOVE IT.

I'm a little bit nervous for my MRI this Thursday, but not too nervous.  I'm feeling confident and optimistic and expect nothing but clean results.  (I hope I'm not setting myself up for failure, knock on wood.)  I'm also ready for my big haircut.  It'll be a nice, fresh start for me.  My friend Sydnie told me last night that she thinks I'll look like a supermodel; how awesome would that be?!  I must remember to exude confidence after I get the chop.  ;)

I spent this weekend enjoying a show (The Kooks at the Showbox at the Market with Sydnie) last night, acupuncture today (getting my qi flowing on all of my brain and eye points), doing a tiny bit of shopping in downtown Seattle (not recommended while the suburban moms in minivans are occupying the area), good Thai food (shout-out to Thai Siam), hanging with my BFF Carl and his wife Maria and eating the super delicious Oreo truffles she made, and even an exciting Saturday night trip to Target.  Love it.  Tomorrow has Urban Craft Uprising, a kickass huge indie craft fair, on the agenda.  YES.

Feeling good!!  And looking forward to a big but good week.

CANNOT stop

I can't stop thinking about my upcoming pixie haircut.  What it will look like.  How will the back look.  Will I get annoyed with side swoopy bangs.  Will they get greasy from me swooping them out of the way all day.  Will I be able to do it well myself since I'm not very skilled at doing hair.  Do they have pomade that doesn't smell like a guy.  Will it look shiny.  Will people think I'm a man (this is probably my biggest concern, in all seriousness).  Can I wear winter hats, or do I need to get earmuffs.  Will I cry at the haircut.  Will I regret it and wish I kept it long (I doubt that, though).  Will I still need to condition.  Will guys think it looks hot (my informal polling seems to be NO; guys I know tend to look at me with confusion when I say I'm chopping it off, especially less than shoulder length).  Will people who don't know about my tumor ask me why I cut off my long hair.  Will they push for more info if I just say I wanted a change.  Will I have to tell someone that actually I had brain surgery because of a brain tumor, and screw you for judging me and my short hair.  How much will I miss my long hair.  I.  Can't.  STOP!

On the upside, it's kept me distracted and hasn't allowed me to get too freaked out for my MRI next week.  Which is definitely a GOOD thing.

All my lady friends keep telling me they're excited to see my new cut.  I'm excited for it too!  Now if I could just stop thinking about it...

My future curly rat tail

Yesterday and today I wore my hair down with a hat, which I haven't done since early September (when I discovered I could put it up in a bun safely).  I want to enjoy my long hair as much as I can these last 2 weeks!  Yesterday when I dried my hair, I realized the bottom section of my short grow-in area (the part that gets pulled upwards into a bun) is totally trained to go that way naturally.  As in, even drying my hair and wearing it down results in a big upwards curl.  NOT CUTE.  Especially with my new haircut coming in T minus less than 2 weeks!  I am slightly terrified that my hair will finally be long enough to chop off, my hair guy will cut it, and I'll have a weird reverse cowlick that curls upwards and totally throws off the wrong vibe.  (I don't know what vibe that is, but it's not sexy pixie, that's for sure.)  Let's hope that 12 days of hair down will retrain my hair!  Eek!

It's totally like this in the back!  BUT WORSE!  (Maybe...)

This picture is less accurate but more AWESOME.

Fingers crossed, friends!

I almost forgot...

Today is exactly 6 months since my surgery.  It is CRAZY how fast time passes.  I can remember the day I got the "we think it's a tumor" phone call and the day I decided to go ahead with surgery and the day I went into the hospital for surgery like they were yesterday.  Let's hope that the next 6 months, and the 6 years after that, and even the 6 decades after that go by just as fast and without any tumor drama.  The older I get and the more time that's passed, the more life I've lived.  And that's a great thing.

That's all, I'm off to bed.  Just wanted to recognize this.  :)

Oh so thankful

Happy Thanksgiving (a day early)!  This year's adventure has helped me gain some perspective, and I have a LOT to be thankful for.  Don't we all, though?!?!  In no particular order...

• My family, especially my seester Amy and cousin Steph, who have all gone to appointments with me, taken lots of time off of work to take care of me after surgery, given good advice when I'm feeling anxious or scared or sad, and just been an unending source of love and support.
• My friends, who have made me food, taken me out to dinner to get me out of the house, shared kind words, taken me to appointments, stayed with me after surgery, and also given great advice and been an outlet for me to share my feelings.  They also keep things fun and help to distract me when needed, and are another never-ending source of love and support.
• A job that I enjoy that is low stress, has sweet travel perks, is for a company I love, and comes with fun, supportive coworkers and bosses that have been amazing and flexible.  I could NOT ask for more with my job this year.
• The generosity of my family and friends (and even people I've never even met) with their donations to the National Brain Tumor Society.  I tear up just thinking about it (seriously).
• New friendships and connections with my fellow tumor-dominating lady friends (Krystal, Jess, and Sara).  While I wouldn't wish a stinking brain tumor on anyone, it is comforting to talk with people who are going through the same thing and knowing that I'm not the only one.
• Amazing doctors, some of the best in the country, right at my fingertips.  They are experienced, very skilled, knowledgeable, and have a great bedside manner.  I'm the #1 fan of my neurosurgeon Dr. S and am also loving my neurooncologist Dr. M.
• Great health insurance!!!!!!
• An apartment that I love (all 460 sq. ft. of it), in a nice neighborhood, with a charming view of Lake Union, a kickass rooftop deck, and very supportive management staff.  They gave me a spa gift certificate before surgery and let the people that stayed with me after surgery park in the garage for free.  They all know my name and always ask how I'm doing when I see them (and not just to be polite).  Plus they gave out free Costco pumpkin pies to all residents yesterday!  YUM.
• Health!  Minus a stinking tumor, but nobody's perfect...
• Us Weekly magazines and Starbucks, which became my daily routine during my post-surgery tumor vacation (plus the aforementioned rooftop deck) as I started to venture out.
• TiVo, because it rocks.
• My iPhone and my Garmin, which help navigate me daily now.
• Music... my outlet, my release, my love.  Now if I could only narrow down the songs for my upcoming Best of 2011...
• Travel!  In 2011, I went to Shanghai, Seoul, London, Paris, Boston, New Hampshire, Las Vegas, Missouri, San Francisco, Portland, Victoria, and down the entire West Coast.  I can't WAIT to make 2012 travel plans.  If anyone wants to go somewhere, let me know!
• Pixie haircuts and hats being in style this year.  ;)
• My new perspective and priorities in life: happiness and health.  It's a short list, but the things on it could NOT be more important to me.

What are you thankful for this year?

It's never TOO early...

I try to have my Christmas shopping done by Thanksgiving each year.  It's partially because I love shopping for the holiday and wrapping gifts and planning, and then if I see things in December that I like for me, I don't feel guilty picking them up.  ;)  Plus, when I start planning early, I feel like I get better gifts for my family as I'm not trapped in a last-minute purchase out of necessity.

Love me some curling ribbon

I had a very productive but relaxing weekend.  It include some gift wrapping and online shopping for other gifts.  I simplified some more of my apartment.  I cleaned a bit.  I got through the last couple weeks' worth of Peoples and Us Weeklys.  And I had time to meet my good friends Sydnie and Jeni for brunch at Phinney Market Pub & Eatery and even have an encore catch-up session with Jeni later that day at an early happy hour at the new Cactus location in South Lake Union.

I also went to my first acupuncture session since February.  I filled in Jen, my acupuncturist, on all the happenings with my health and she tailored my session to help with my brain and vision.  She threw some general well-being points in there too, just for good measure.  Besides the normal needles, she stuck some ear BBs (her name, not mine) in my ears.  They're little clear stickers that have a tiny metal BB in them, and they're more pleasant in the ears than needles and they stay put for a few days.  She looked up some specific brain spots and BBed away.  I still have 4 on my left ear and 3 on my right.  Plus 2 small magnets on my legs, meant to help my "marrow" (which in Chinese medicine means your brain).  We won't know if/how the acupuncture is helping very easily, as it won't be obvious (like it was when I went for issues with my feet cramping... which it TOTALLY helped).  But I have my fingers crossed that it can help...  After all, it can't hurt!  My next appointment is in 2 weeks.  It's good to get my qi flowing (or as my Dad said, cheese flowing mmmm).  :)

My eyes are happy again!

While I'm still nervous for my upcoming MRI, I am feeling a lot better as my eyes have started playing nice again.  For the last couple of days, they haven't felt strained or tired or had the focus issues they'd been having for the last week.  WOOOO HOOO!!!  Eye issues are exhausting, so I'm feeling a lot better!  I'm relieved that they're just back to (post-surgery) normal again.

I'm also really trying to optimize my sleep as much as I can.  I may have gone to bed at 9:30pm a couple times this week, just like the cool kids.  Not sure it's working, as I'm still pretty tiiiired, but it can't hurt.  I also got an appointment scheduled to see a sleep clinic neurologist the day after my MRI, so I'm hopeful that he'll be able to help.

These small positive steps forward have pushed me to keep moving my home life forward.  I did some serious cleaning out tonight (peace out, old books; happy electronic recycling, old TiVo; see you never, random bathroom goods).  Great Friday night, right?!  ;)

I'm looking forward to a relaxing weekend with more organizing and cleaning, Breakfast Club with my ladies, and an acupuncture session (first one in almost a year).  Happy Friday, friends!!

Ponytail!

Check out my sweet little 'do:

Wheeee!

It's the shortest little ponytail I've ever had (at least in the last 28 years or so).  Looks almost pixie-ready, wouldn't you say?!

Paranoia

I've become part of a vicious cycle that I imagine will be a part of my life for a long time.  Scary MRI appointment, relief from good news (HOPEFULLY), 2 months of relaxation, and then a month of nervousness and paranoia until my next MRI.  At least, that is how it seems to go since surgery.  I'm a little under a month away from my next MRI and I'm starting to get really nervous.  Paranoid, really.

I've been sleeping really terribly, which has affected my head my whole life (more headaches) and my eyes since surgery (feeling strained and tired and less than stellar).  And for almost the last week, my eyes have been exceptionally terrible.  They feel tired and strained all day long, even when I wake up.  It's like I've been reading on a computer screen all day... except I haven't.  They should be somewhat refreshed from the bit of sleep I'm getting.  Granted it's crappy crappy sleep, but still.  They've been so bad that I skipped a friend's going-away party on Saturday night because I was nervous to drive at night to get there.  My logic tells me that my poor sleep has finally built up enough trouble to cause my eyes to be very unhappy with me, but my paranoia tells me that my tumor is growing and causing this.  After all, it is in the vision part of my brain.

I am afraid to type out my fears on here, as I'll start to cry, but the summary includes fears of tumor growth, radiation, and going blind.  Not the life I dream of, that's for sure.

I called Dr. M, my neurooncologist, today and spoke with his nurse.  I told her about what's been going on in the last week and asked for a recommendation for a sleep doctor.  I'm hoping she calls me back tomorrow after talking with Dr. M, as I just don't think I can wait until 12/8 to try and get this resolved (or at least on the 1st steps to resolving it).  I've slept poorly my WHOLE life and it's really starting to cause me some serious trouble.  And if it's causing symptoms that make me paranoid that my tumor is growing, that is really a bad thing.

Recovery discovery

As I get "more normal" and more time passes since surgery, I'm becoming hyperaware of the permanent adjustments to my brain as a result.  There are new things that pop up as well, or maybe things that I just never really took notice of.  When I had my first MRI checkup, I asked Dr. M how long it would take for my brain to fully recover and regain any functionality that it would.  I cannot for the life of me remember if he said 6 months or 12 months, but I'm just a couple weeks short of the 6 month mark and wondering if this is how things will be, or if there will be further adjustments.  We'll just have to see.

One new thing I've been noticing recently, just in the last week, has to do with my ability to recall words.  And we're talking EASY words, not random tip-of-the-tongue references that you have to Google to find the word for.  Today in a meeting at work, I could not think of the word "script," even though my coworker had just used it in the sentence I was responding to.  It took me about 10 seconds to come up with the word.  The other night, I was trying to think of the name for my blow-up air mattress.  That would be "aerobed."  It came to me the next morning.  A few days ago, I couldn't think of the word to describe the different things that Expedia sells (e.g. flights, hotels, cars, etc.).  My coworker goes, "You mean 'products'?"  Ugh, DUH!!  I really don't recall having issues remembering everyday normal words like this until very recently.  I hope it's not an indicator that anything fishy is going on in my brain that shouldn't be...

I've also figured out that when my sleep suffers, my eyes suffer too.  I've always been a crappy sleeper, which has gotten a little worse since surgery, and a LOT worse lately with the breakup, so my eyes are quite unhappy with me.  They are super tired all day and don't want to focus in the morning.  They get even more tired throughout the day, and driving at night makes me a smidge nervous as things are a little blurrier than I'm used to.  I've had to limit my reading, and I can't read on the bus anymore because it just devastates my eyes for the day.  I'm hoping that as my sleep improves (hopefully... someday...) my eyes will become happier again.  I'm considering seeing a sleep specialist, but who knows.

On the plus side, I am realizing that while my directional and orientation issues are still there, I'm able to sort of relearn ways to get places effectively.  I still have little directional "blackouts" as I call them, where I'm somewhere familiar and totally blank on which way to go (sort of like my current word recall issue, hmmmm).  But I am able to better recall the ways to get places after I've done them more.  Like I can picture the entire drive to Target again, which I couldn't do before.  I think I'll always get disoriented super easy and need GPS and have other people navigate, but at least the places I go to regularly are coming back to me as I go to them more and more.  WHEW.

I'm learning to accept and adapt to my new post-surgery brain's shortcomings, but am still optimistic that I can perhaps be even more normal than the 99% that I feel like I'm at now.  Cross your fingers!

My net, my blanket

As I flipped through People magazine tonight while on the treadmill (getting yoked, you know), I read an article about Cate Edwards, daughter of John and Elizabeth.  And I quote:

"My mom [had a] theory that the relationships you build are that net for you, that blanket you wrap yourself in.  That's definitely what my family and friends... have done for me in the past year.  It's really been incredible."

Well, Cate, I couldn't have said it better myself!  I know I've said it before, but I feel so incredibly lucky to have a really supportive group of friends and family that have given me so much love and support this year.  It has been my toughest BY FAR, but also the most eye-opening to what really matters, how fragile life and health is, and how important happiness is.  While I know I won't be including everyone who has been there for me this year, because there are a LOT of you, I consider this my little mini tribute to my personal net and blanket group of people (in no particular order).

My fam: Amy, Steph, Lisa

Some of my Wazzu ladies: Karrie, Carly, Heather, Denise, Heather, Kelly

 Taylor, duh

BFF Carl (from waaay back in the day)

My kickass Tumor Walk team! 

#1 Fan, duh

My former P-dub and Troop 404 ladies: LuAnn, Sydnie, Lynn

More lovely Wazzu ladies: Megan, Courtnie, Brittany

Johnny, duh

Chelan homies: Alissa, Casey, Ryan (not pictured: Bob)

I kid on some of those, but in all seriousness, the rest of the people in these pics are pretty darn amazing.  I am honored to consider them part of my support group!

Holy donations, Batman!

The Portland Brain Tumor Walk was nearly 3 months ago and the donations KEEP rolling in!  A bunch of matching donations from Expedia (thanks, colleagues/friends!!) came in today and boosted my total once again.  I love surprises like these!!

I love winning.  (And raising money for a great cause, duh!)

An additional 8 matches came through, boosting my individual total from $4,535 to $4,885.  And the team total is now at $8,568!  The bar keeps raising for 2012 but I'm confident that we can beat it.  :)

San Francisco! Woo!

I got away this last weekend with a semi-last minute plane ticket to San Francisco.  I went to visit my good friends Lynn and David and their kitty Lola.  It was sooo nice to get out of Seattle!  Although I did take the rain with me, but it didn't affect our fun too much.

We enjoyed a fancy dinner at Maverik on Friday night, then on Saturday Lynn had to work (ahh, the glamorous life of an accountant) so I met up with my friends Jacqui and Richard to go to the Wazzu football game against Cal.  I didn't know there was a game when I booked my plane ticket, but it ended up working out perfectly!  They played at AT&T Park (aka where the SF Giants play) so it was a little different watching football in a baseball stadium, but we had a good time.  We went to a pretty fantastic WSU tailgate (complete with the giant WSU flag that gets flown atop the Space Needle flying at the tailgate, no joke) and then tried to enjoy some Cougar football.  It POURED and the Cougs sucked but we had a good time, as evidenced by these lovely photos.

E-Drid (as in "say go, say Cougs"), yours truly, Jacqui, and half of Richard

Lurking in pics is even more fun than being the subject of the photo!

With the terrible score and ridiculous rain, we peaced out at halftime and watched the rest of the game from the comfort of 21st Amendment.  Still a really fun day though, I LOVE away games!!  And I made it all the way home on the Muni all by myself.  Take that, poor sense of direction and disorientation!

On Sunday, Lynn and I had breakfast at Chow and headed downtown for some shopping.  And oh, it did not disappoint.  I did a little damage, BUT everything I got was on my short list of things I wanted to find and have been looking for a while: an army green, parka-like winter coat with faux fur trimmed hood and a fun and special shirt to wear for my birthday (details to come).  Check and check!!  We also had a tasty lunch at Lynn's old friend Tom Colicchio's restaurant 'Wichcraft.  One bonus of visiting Lynn and David is that they always know the delicious places to eat!

Lynn and I didn't get any pics together, so here's an oldie but a goodie from our previous lives where we audited Holland America cruise ships.  It was a rough life.  ;)

Aboard the ms Oosterdam, October 2006... So young!  Pre-braces!

It was a great weekend, as it's always great seeing longtime friends again.  I hadn't seen Lynn and David since before surgery, or Jacqui and Richard since this summer, and I miss all of them.  Perhaps you should all move back to Seattle...?!  Okay, okay...  Can't wait to visit again!!

New friends > dentists

With a dentist appointment this afternoon, and the year I've had, I just KNEW that I would get bad news from them (even though I haven't had a new cavity in years).  Well, sure enough, 1 of my 2 existing fillings came out and needs to be replaced, the other one is being "watched" as it's about to fall out, and I have a tiny new cavity.  I KNEW IT.  I couldn't help but just shake my head as the dentist was telling me.  I cannot catch a break this year.  So guess who's getting 2 fillings on Thursday at a dental par-tay?!  Holler!  And who would rather be dropping $200 on something at Nordstrom than on some stinking fillings?!  This girl!

Things quickly turned for the better though, as I met up with my new friend Jess (a fellow tumor dominator) for the first time.  And she is AWESOME!  We chatted for 2.5 hours, OUTDOORS, and I probably could have kept talking but we needed a restroom and my toes were frozen.  We are in somewhat similar situations (grade 2 astrocytomas, no real symptoms from them, discovered pretty randomly, surgery by Dr. S at UWMC) although hers is a bit more serious currently.  But man, it is SO GOOD to talk to someone who knows what you've been through, really knows!

Jess is very courageous and strong and is really taking her health into her own hands.  While her oncologist is telling her she should start radiation (with really no good reason), she instead is pursuing some alternative treatments that have shrunk tumors in other people.  It is so important to be your own best advocate and do what is best for you, not just what doctors say should be done for cookie cutter brain tumor patients.  I don't know what I would/will do someday if/when they tell me I need radiation, but the more options for treatment, the better!  Jess could be blazing a path that we'll all be walking down someday.  Brain tumor patients, I mean...

It wasn't entirely tumor talk though, as we were able to discuss north central WA (she lived in Wenatchee before moving to Seattle recently), her wonderfully supportive hubby (I'm asking Santa for one myself), changes to life plans and perspectives, her half tough/half skittish dog, etc.  It is really comforting and energizing and refreshing to share with and learn from someone in a similar pair of shoes.

I had such a great evening, not even the dentist can get me down.  :)

My hair is a-growin'!

This may seem like an odd pic, but I wanted to show how well my hair has been growing since the big shave 5 months ago.  It's a little hard to tell, but my hand is up against my head and all that lovely hair shooting out is fresh, flowing (I wish!), shiny hair, almost ready for the big chop.  (It's like the big shave, but more stylish, not performed by a neurosurgeon, and I get to pick how it looks.)

Hair and Dexter, fun Sunday night combo

This week has Barre3 classes, a dentist appointment, a possible hang-out with my new friend Jess, and then a flight to San Francisco to visit Lynn and David and attend a Coug football game with Jacqui and Richard over the weekend.  Should be a good one!

Reminders

These are some important documents on display on my fridge.

Clippy clip

These are the pics I'm taking to my hair guy for my upcoming cut, and I got the card in the mail from my good friend Sydnie this week.  Not bad reminders, I'd say...

Sara, What and Huh?

Some of my loyal readers (ha!) out there know what the title of my blog is referencing, and other people just look at me with a confused face when I mention the name or if they check it out for the first time.  So, those of you NOT in the know, allow me to explain.

When I was in elementary school, one of the main required readings was a book called "Sarah, Plain and Tall" by Patricia MacLachlan.  It is a "novel is set in the western United States during the late 19th century.  Jacob Witting, a widowed farmer who is still saddened by the death of his wife during childbirth several years earlier finds that the task of taking care of his farm and two children, Anna and Caleb, is too difficult to handle alone.  He writes an ad in the newspaper for a mail-order bride. Sarah, from Maine, answers his ad and travels out to become his wife."  (Thanks, Wikipedia.)

Like the Harry Potter of 1986... NOT

The book was adapted into a made-for-TV movie, starring the lovely Glenn Close as Sarah.  It also starred Christopher Walken as Jacob, which actually kind of makes me want to rewatch the film again...  But anyway...

Truth be told, I did NOT like the book OR the movie.  The book was award-winning though!  And who doesn't like movies with Christopher Walken?!  Well friends, I have always been very tall, the tallest in my class.  So with the name Sara (3rd graders don't differentiate between Sarah and Sara, those amateurs) and being VERY tall, I totally got "Sara, Plain and Tall" all the time from my classmates.  And NO girl likes to be called plain.  So was the book good?  Probably.  The movie heart-warming?  Probably.  But I was anti.

For people my age though, "Sarah, Plain and Tall" is a book/movie that we remember.  So when I was thinking about a name for this blog, I wanted to play off of the name, since I thought it was quite recognizable and clever, and putting "brain" just sort of fit.  So if you want to kick it like in 3rd grade, read/watch on the Hallmark Channel to your heart's content.  And no, mail-order bride-ing it is NOT in my future.  (Yet.)

Simplifying my life

There are some things in life where more is better, like when it comes to having wonderful, loving, supportive friends and family.  I've really realized this year that in that category, I am rich!  I am so lucky to have so many amazing people in my life.  I tear up just thinking about it.  :)

But there are some things where more is NOT better, so I'm simplifying my life.  My 460 square foot apartment is too small, and some things are just not important, so I'm clearing my life of the excess.  Plus I enjoy shopping, so that doesn't help.  ;)  I've cleaned out my closet and have a huge bag for Goodwill of clothes, shoes, and accessories.  I've gone through my DVDs (most of which haven't been watched in years) and am donating most to the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance.  Of course, I'm holding onto the classics, like all seasons of Sex and the City, my Harry Potters, my holiday movies, and my favorites (The Royal Tenenbaums, Garden State, The Count of Monte Cristo).  But I've got a bag of probably at least 50 others that I am getting rid of.  I'm transferring a couple magazine subscriptions to the SCCA as well, as I get too many in the mail and I don't have the time to read them all.  I'm getting rid of random kitchen appliances that I haven't used in the 4 years I've lived in my apartment.  I'm tossing random things that I've kept "just in case" or papers that I thought I'd reference in the future (and haven't).  I just don't need this stuff, and having a simpler life (and apartment) will only do good things for my sanity.

It's kind of a slow process, but man, it feels GOOD.

What is in the water?!

Okay, so I know this blog is about me, but I have to include info about my fellow tumor dominators, especially when they grew up in God's country (Pullman, that is) too.  Just tonight the news outlets announced that Jerome Harrison, a 28-YO former Cougar football stud and current Detroit Lions running back, found a brain tumor during a routine NFL physical.  No tumor details yet (obviously, as you need surgery or a biopsy to really find anything out), but scary nonetheless.  They found it early and hopefully he'll be in a similar boat to me; that is, watching and waiting.  (Thanks for the heads up on this, Karrie D.)

I'm telling you...  Be careful with your health, be aware of your health, investigate things that seem weird with your body (without being a hypochondriac), and be SO THANKFUL when you are healthy and happy.  Really, they're what matter the most in life.  TRUST ME.  Health and happiness, people!!!!!

Team Ryan Leaf

Ryan Leaf announced that he'll be undergoing 6 weeks of radiation starting next month to treat his brain tumor.  I've been quite interested in his story, as we have a lot in common:

• Both Cougs!  Woop woop woo hoo!
• Both are dominating brain tumors
• Both had surgery in May 2011
• Both quite tall
• Both developing a better, different outlook on life and what is important
• Both generally awesome (although some say it's debatable, for him)

Here's a brief article for more info.  If my tumor decides to misbehave someday, radiation is likely my next step as well.  I'm wishing him lots of luck and sending positive vibes for treatment!

The world is not ending

Contrary to what I believed last week at this time, the world is not, in fact, coming to an end.  Since Jeff ended things, I've felt so lost, so very sad, and completely and entirely devastated.  I've cried every day (including today).  I look and feel like a zombie because I'm not sleeping.  I have no appetite (but on the plus side, I've lost the small bit of weight I put on after surgery).  I am not in a good place.

But I had lunch with my lovely friend Heather today (and her sweet baby Addy) and she reminded me that I deserve to receive as much love as I have to give, and that things happen for a reason.  I truly believe in the "things happen for a reason" thing, although I have yet to figure out why I was oh so lucky to jump on the brain tumor bandwagon, nor do I know what the "reason" is for Jeff and I ending in the big picture of life, but she is right.  It was not meant to be.  Which makes me sad... but at the same time I am hopeful for finding love in the future.  This was just not meant to be.

I TRULY feel so so lucky that Jeff came into my life when he did.  We had been on 2 dates when I got the "we think it's a brain tumor" phone call, and he didn't get freaked out or peace out (which he COMPLETELY could have done, totally understandably).  Instead, he said it was no big deal and became a huge source of support and care and love (and doctorly advice) and even much-needed distraction for me at the time in my life when I really needed it the most.  And I really believe that my tumor diagnosis and surgery and Jeff being in my life were meant to be hand in hand.   I am SO thankful for him during that crazy time.

I am still sad, and lonely, and confused, but in the long run, things ARE going to be okay.  Better than okay.  Wonderful even.  I just wish time would pass a bit faster so I could get past this rough patch (and rough year) and get to the other side of this.

A very happy day

My BFF Carl married his bride Maria on Saturday, and it was a fun, lovely event!  Hair and makeup started nice and early (my appointment was at 8am, and I was in the 3rd heat, if you will, so it really started earlier than that).  We lounged in the suites at Hotel 1000, and I moved back and forth from the girls' and guys' suites, since I was (technically) on both teams.  We had lunch, did pics near Pike Place Market and the Olympic Sculpture Park, then headed to the church.  After a short ceremony, we jumped back in the party bus to let loose at Hotel 1000.  Carl and Maria surprised us all with a fun choreographed number right after their 1st dance (Carl actually kept it a secret!!!) and we ate and danced the night away.  It was fantastic.  :)

Some pics, in time order:

Hanging out in the ladies' suite with Gloria, Carl's adorable mom

My best hairdo EVER!!  You can't even tell there's half a head of hair there

Doing some scoping

Doing our classic "Carl is tall, Sara is short" pose

My fellow groomsmen (minus Molly): Shawn, Aaron, Eric, lurker, Carl's dad, and Katie

The groomsmen, plus George (Molly's BF), during photos near Pike Place Market

Professional pics by Carol Harrold

Professional pics by Carol Harrold

Another classic Carl-Sara shot, at the reception

With my new friend Megan (we have a TON of mutual friends, we're very popular like that)

Katie planking, or perhaps just lounging leisurely, it's hard to tell

My bouquet (5 days later): gorgeous!!  White, blush, and peach roses, frosty green foliage, and gray feathers.  So dramatic and so on-trend.  Makes my apartment smell nice too.  :)

Mr. and Mrs. Fulton are enjoying a few days in London before heading to their private ocean hut in the Maldives.  Sure beats this gray Seattle weather.  CONGRATS!!!!  Welcome to the family, Maria!!  ;)