Big Winner

I entered a contest at QFC, our local grocery store. It was sponsored by Celsius the energy drink, and the prize was an ebike.

I realize now that we were spoiled with beer contests in St. Louis. There aren't that many drawings here.

Well I entered the contest at the end of May and today I got an email that I won! It's a pretty good prize. Usually other people I send these contests to win the big stuff and I get the crap.

They initially said I was getting this fold up bike but changed their minds later.

Ernie had some good play time to keep his big ol head off the ground.

We got these wrist bands and socks that have rattles on them to entertain the big man.

Ernie insisted that we stop our sock rattling and mail in our election ballots. He is very civically conscious.

Apple Photography

While I was bored out of my mind at the Bellevue Square Apple Store, waiting for her highness to pick out an iPad(more like iSad ya feel me?), I watched a class on iPhone videography. I was intrigued and am always interested in improving my iPhone skills, so I checked out availability on their website. I can't turn down a free class!

I found one that looked interesting at the University Village location:

Photo Tour: Framing Architecture

Discover a new point of view on photographing buildings, architectural details, and structures with your iPhone or iPad. We’ll head out and show you how to combine angles and lines to create perspective, add textures and shapes, and set the composition. Devices will be provided, or bring your own. Recommended for all skill levels.

The Apple employees that walked around with us seemed to be legit photography experts. One of them in particular was very intense and seemed to know a lot about both the theory of photography and the technical specs of the iPhone.

I was having fun on my photography class but Lydia was being a pill about it. There's no pleasing her.

Back at headquarters we learned some tricks on how to edit photos.

They then put our work up on the big screen. It was fun.

I worked so hard at photography we all agreed that I had earned a Hello Robin Mackles'more cookie.

Even the cars in the Tesla store had their Halloween costumes on.

Lydia has a bad case of Ernie belly.

Voting is very easy in Washington, and it may be my imagination but I feel like they ask us to vote more often as a result.

Vote By Mail

We don't have a porch but the jack o' lanterns look pretty good on our window sill. Mine started to get a bit moldy which I think just increased the spookiness.

We were able to vote by mail for the presidential election due to covid. I'm glad because we really need Trump out of office but I wouldn't want a bunch of people risking their lives to vote, either.

Diwali, Voting, and Basketball

I signed up for a lot of the clubs at work. They seem to be taking it well considering I'm none of the minorities nor a woman. Anyway, the Asian club had a fun Diwali celebration at work. One of the best parts was first learning what the heck Diwali is. It is the Hindu festival of light, which seems to in part be about the solstice? Anyway there's oil lamps, fancy clothes, and eating. Sold!

This was the best food I think I've ever had in the building.

Kirin is Japanese but was apparently Asian enough for the festival. On tap there was also a beer that I briefly helped to brew at the Star Shop.

After work Lydia and I became two tiny drops in the blue wave that washed President* Trump's dreams away. I look forward to mailing disparaging letters in envelopes full of glitter to the prison they put him in.

Later we took a couple of friends to a SLU basketball game. The tickets were from AB. Why not?