G Routine

I think I have almost all the gadgets and electronics I need with the addition of my new digital camera. I just got the Canon PowerShot G9 for my birthday. It was on the top of my wish list. I love taking photos and want to expand my know-how. This camera will be the next step in my photographic progression. Hopefully you'll see the difference in the imagery I post.

Eventually I'll get a few of the accessories, like extra lenses and flash. Hmm, I think I'll go on a urban hike this weekend and test out the camera. Maybe I'll go capture the Seattle classics. Stay tuned for the results.

Posted by Gary at 09:39 AM | Permalink

Clean is an opinion. To each and every one of us there are different levels of clean. I find I go from weekly, sort of all over cleaning sessions to sometimes tackling deep cleaning projects. It's that deep cleaning time.

Yesterday I cleaned out the oven and fridge and then was getting ready to sweep and mop when I noticed the amount of dust on my fake tree. Hmm, how would I dust off all of those leaves? What would be the easiest method?

I decided to take all the leaves off the tree, wash them off in my salad spinner, and lay them out on towels to dry. Then re-attach them to the branches of the tree. I didn't realize how much work and how long that would take. Turned into a three hour process. Now this is what I consider a 'deep clean.'

Then of course it was also a challenge to put the leaves back on. They weren't even all the same. Some where smaller than others, some had brighter green leaves and some had more or less leaves per stem.

So taking a methodical approach I started at the bottom, branch by branch and worked my way up the tree. Only to find that I had lost a few stems through the years, as when I ran out of leaves, the tree was bald on top. So then I had to rearrange them and thin out the bottom to the top.

Although the tree is fake, it's now looking healthier than ever. Combine that with the Pine Sol tree scent from having just mopped the floor and it almost seems real. So that's my version of doing some serious cleaning. Hopefully I won't have to do that again in a few years.

Posted by Gary at 09:33 AM | Permalink

I needed to get out of town. The month of May is a big one for me. I have gotten to the point where I'm ready to grow the G Brand and I'm pitching a few different companies. I have three proposals to send out and should get responses from two pervious. I also plan to update my resume, portfolio, and website this month. At the same time, my roommate just moved out and I need to find a new one.

So with so much on my mind, I felt the need to go clear my head. There's two places that achieve this for me, being up in the mountains or up at my folks cabin. Since the ski season is pretty much over, I packed up a few things and drove to Everett.

The cabin is on Hat Island, between Whidbey Island and the coast of Everett. It takes about an hour and a half to get there. It's a forty five minute drive to the ferry and another forty five minute boat ride.

I got off the boat where my Dad was waiting to pick me up. My parents had come up to the island on Wednesday and were busy cleaning, de-winterizing, doing yard work and getting the cabin ready for summer. They keep it in amazing shape. I walked in the door, we had a little 'happy hour' and then dinner.

Another great thing about going up to the cabin when my folks are there is my Mom's cooking. You all know the comfort of your Mom's cooking. Just feels like home.

Saturday was a grey day. I got up fairly early and went for a run. It rained and we stayed inside for the most part. Just sat by the fire and read my book. Went for a short beach walk in the rain in the afternoon. The only color to be found was our colorful windmill against the dreary skies. The sun did peak out just at dusk for a nice sunset. As I sat in the recliner reading my book, I would occasionally look up and watch the different stages of the sunset and check out the humming birds at the feeder.

Sunday we felt the sun on our face. It was partly cloudy to blue skies. I worked on one of my proposals for about an hour but the summer weather made me shut off the computer and go outside. I grabbed my camera and decided to walk around the island. It isn't that big so it only takes about two hours to walk all the way around. The tide was out, as were the birds, bald eagles, blue herons, and a whale.

I forgot about the clams... As I walked across some sand, peppered with holes, the clams squirt out water and dig deeper. As this occurs, the sand becomes softer and I ended up sinking. So half my walk was in wet sand filled running shoes.

I also forgot that I've been inside all winter and am pasty white. Today, I'm bright red and pretty burned. My shins are particularly red and burnt. It was definitely my first visit to the cabin for the summer. I made a couple rookie mistakes.

But my goal was attained. I'm feeling relaxed and ready to meet the month's challenges. I even finished reading a 600+ page book from Friday evening to Sunday night. That's called relaxing. I didn't even play golf or go sailing. I'm looking forward to going back already. Who wants to come?

Posted by Gary at 09:52 AM | Permalink

I'm getting too old to be renting. I need to buy a house of my own and start putting money into what for many people, is their best investment. It's a tough decision to buy right now, looking at the economy, the cost of living going up and the housing market itself. Prices are falling all over the country, foreclosures are everywhere and home values have tanked. But I live in one of the few cities where the real estate market is holding fairly strong.

I'm slightly stuck at the moment. I have 'some' money that I can use for a down payment so my monthly mortgage payments wouldn't be so ridiculous that I couldn't enjoy doing anything else. The real problem is that I just started my own business, this G Brand company, which is great but doesn't generate the kind of constant revenue needed (yet) to warrant buying a home I'd be happy with. I need to lock in a few more clients on a retainer, not project basis.

Another issue is buying a place by myself. If I had a steady girlfriend or wife whom could also put money towards a place, I wouldn't have to endure the entire cost. I need to find myself a quality lady with some financial means. Where are you?

My current roommate is moving out this weekend. I've been in the same rental house for two years now. It's a nice place in a great location with Green Lake, Fremont, Ballard, Phinney Ridge and Wallingford all really close by. Everything spirals out downhill from my place. It's even easy to get downtown with an I-99 on-ramp only a couple blocks away. The only negative would be the kids who live downstairs. They are college kids who sometime get a little bit noisy. Oh the last renters were a dream, never heard em and they took the garbage out every Sunday.

So here I am, I either need a new roommate or find someone else who I could be their roommate. I hate moving and would rather not move again until it's in my own place. So the search begins. My place comes fully furnished minus the bedroom. I have all the furniture to deck out a house, I'm just missing the house. All my new roommate would need is a bed and a dresser really. It's a month to month lease right now.

So hit me up with an email if you're interested. The first image above is of the entrance to the house. Below are a couple more shots of the inside of the place. I keep it pretty clean and need to live with clean people. Can't handle living in a messy place. Check it out and spread the word, "one bedroom in nice house, great location, pretty much furnished, and live with a nice guy - for rent."

This is my living room, which is right when you go in the front door.

Moving from the living room, your looking at the path into the dinning room and then into the kitchen.

Here's the dinning room, just a little further in from the living room.

I like to cook but don't often enough. The kitchen is pretty good.

This is the bedroom available for rent. The closet will have doors on it again.

And lastly, here's my bedroom and office. There is also a bathroom, but those pictures just don't look that great. The house also has a front and back yard, a shared driveway and a garage for storage. It's a good value for what's available in Seattle.

Posted by Gary at 11:38 AM | Permalink