Hamb and I got hitched four weeks ago.

Our wedding was so much fun I puked.

The ceremony with a pal's fancy iPhone touch on it.

A shot of the handsome, married, Hamblecouple.

Happy bride, happy parents.

DOG

Remember when I said I'd save up thousands and thousands of dollars before I got a dog? And how I said I just wasn't ready to get a dog? Clearly I was a ding-dong. A few weeks ago, I adopted Harper Lee, and now my life is twenty-eight hundred times better.

Ok, I am as broke as a 24-year-old because she almost died and had to stay a weekend at the emergency vet clinic. And, all right, I am spending exorbitant amounts of money on reducing her separation anxiety and finding toys and treats she adores.

But really, I freaking love this dog. Let her drain my bank account! I have a new best friend, and she has a scruffy nose.

Harper Lee Basics:
-11ish months old
-Kind of sickly
-Lab/Airedale mix
-Way mellower than you'd think a Lab/Airedale mix would be
-Fond of chasing squirrels
-OMG SO PRECIOUS
-40 pounds
-Will accept fan mail. Email me for our address.

Beat the Drum, Parts 1 and 2

Reason #1 Today is a Good Day:
Hamble and I are celebrating two years since our first date. Aw. To honor the occasion, we will eat ice cream.

I love Hamble. Here we are eating sausage on date #1:

Psych! That's a picture of 2 aardvarks, one adult one baby.

Here we really are:



Reason #2 Today is a Good Day:
You know about Better Lovers Book Club, right? And you know they're my favorite people, and how we always have giggle storms together, and how they all live far away?

Well, scratch that last one off, because THREE - one, two, three! - are moving to Seattle within the next few months. I knew about EBot and Lynn, but now Jodi too! Woweewowowow.

Simile time: three of my bffs moving to Seattle is like waking up and discovering a thirty-foot high Reese's Peanut Butter Cup in my backyard. And that Peanut Butter Cup would be sheltered from the rain and other treat-stealers by a beautiful yet intimidating tent.

S2S09

I haven't told you about Ski to Sea 2009! Oh my gosh! You aren't prepared for this entry! The reason I didn't internettily build up the race like I did last year, though, was because I was training hard.

Maybe that's a lie.

Prepared or not, Better Lovers Book Club participated in Ski to Sea yesterday. We won. First place. Millions of dollars in prize money and overwhelming amounts of media attention.

Maybe that's another lie!

We did get first place in the little known (as in, our team knows about it, and now you know about it) Book Club Division. Second year in a row! Two for two!

Details later, if I feel like it. Until then, a team picture:

Please notice my new spectacles.

For NicUnCool, who brings out the prettiest in me

Birthday Party

A few weeks ago, I had a birthday party. We chose our favorite decade and dressed up to fit in that decade. Then we sang Karaoke. Here are a few pictures that don't do the night justice.

Shannon (left) did my hair (center). She is a genius. Brittany (right) had green jaguars hidden in her one-piece. Truth.

Renee and Steve were pilgrims. They won Best Party People. I'm not sure how Renee got into her dress, but I am impressed. Here they are singing "Country Roads."


Drew and I represented two different decades, and we represented them well.

Reuinted and it feels so good.

One thing I missed while in Norway: book club. Look at us. Look! Only literacy and hilaaaaaaarious jokes about Voldemort could bring forth such smiles.

Card Reenactment

We are the most hilarious.

In Transit

Me: Hi, Copenhagen airport!

Copenhagen Airport: Hei hei, Kelly.

Me: Thanks for letting me nap on your bench. I didn't get any sleep last night because my favorite Italians stayed up all night with me doing moose impressions. We also ate chocolate and played rummy. I won. And oh, oh, we also painted a scar on Fabio's head and we pretended we were the cover of the Harry Potter movie. This is what you do on your last night in Trondheim. So, you know, I'm tired. And I can't afford to shop here. So what's a girl to do? Nap on your bench! And blog! And observe how well-dressed people here are. This is an ok 7-hour layover.

Copenhagen Airport: ...That's nice, Kelly.

I'm boring the airport.

Tomorrow!

One year since our first date!

Polish sausage has been bringing people together for centuries.

Are (circle over the A, still), Sweden

Holy Scandinavia! Learning to snowboard in Sweden was So! Much! Fun!

Here is our posse. We accidentally met up on a slope (one of my two "real" runs), and it was so exciting! Top from left: Francesco, Anthony, Clement, Roman. Bottom from left: Silvia, Fabio, me, Sara. They were millions of times better at skiing, snowboarding, etc., but I was the best at finding kitchen accessories to wear as hats.

The eight of us fit comfortably in a 600 square foot apartment. It had a sauna! And our neighbors never complained about our exuberance-expressed-through-dancing-at-all-hours-of- the-night! It's probable our neighbors were deaf.


We ate all our meals together like a family. I played the role of wise great-grandmother.


Here, Silvia is teaching me to carve on the easiest slope. Sara, my main instructor, was taking the picture. They were so patient. I paid them back by letting them watch me tear off pieces of lettuce and lie them on slices of buttered bread. It is a tough skill, but I think they'll master it soon.

Uh oh.

Sara and I noticed the lack of crazy people in Norway. "Where are they? They're not even on the bus!" we exclaimed to our European pals.

Then that whole, "If you don't know who it is, it's probably you," saying popped into my head. Shooooo.


This is Sara eating my shoe on a recent bus ride home.

"At least the snow is soft," said the Norwegian as he skied around me.

I could tell you, "Friends and I went cross-country skiing yesterday," or, "Friends and I went tumbling down small, snowy hills yesterday," and the statements would both be accurate.

Obama!

If I have grandkids, they probably won't ask, "G-ma Cool, where were you when Obama became president?" But if they do, I'll say this:

"Young Person Whose Lack of Wrinkles I Envy, I was squished in my bedroom with an Italian, Netherlander, Austrian, and six Americans. We were in Trondheim, Norway, and it was cold outside, but we didn't care. What's a little chill when you have Obama masks, flag bandannas, and champagne? It's nothing, that's what. But you wouldn't understand the concept of 'chill' because my generation drove too much and caused global climate change. Sorry about that, darling."

Then I would step on my hoverboard, float into my bedroom, and retrieve these pictures from my titanium closet:



I would force Hypothetical Grandkid to sit down on the couch and look at my pictures, even though they'd rather play 3D skateboard games on the Game Wall. ("More like LAME Wall!" I'd joke.) And one day, they would appreciate these pictures. They really would.

Touristy things

Saturday, I walked up the Hill of Crazy Wind (as named by me, four seconds ago) to explore the Kristiansten Fort. It's practically the only thing protecting Norway from those rowdy Swedes. In fact, an army of Norway's eastern neighbor was about to invade, but they saw me sitting on a cannon in front of this lovely piece of military history and said, "Oh, we better not." They walked back home chanting, "No way, Norway! No way, Norway!"

Heeeeey fort.

Ski goggles, water, measuring cups

Last night was funny.

Happy birthday, Brother!

May your late twenties be filled with headstands.

Remember the song about the hike? This was it! This was the hike!

Lake Valhalla. It's pretty.

We ate processed meat at every meal. Drew cooked. And cleaned. And carried the heavy stuff. I was great company, though. I told some hilarious jokes.

I won at camping AND Speed Scrabble.

Drew caught so many fish! Trout after trout after trout after trout.

On the way home, we explored a road that got beat up by the Skykomish River. Now we know who'd win in a battle between 10-foot River and 10-foot Road.

3 pictures from camping

The picture that shows how we had fun with a campfire.


The picture that shows how we had fun with crustaceans in tide pools.


The picture that shows how we had fun using one of CoonCake's many props to attract the ranger and his "It's time to be quiet" lectures.

What you may or may not have missed.

Sooo happy #1


Sooo happy #2


Sooo happy #3