Author Archives: JJD
The night before the party
‘Twas the night before the Christmas party, and all through the house there were garlands, poinsettias, and Christmas lights, some terrific red tablecloths that I found at Crate&Barrel, and a fresh chocolate cake all ready for frosting. It’s 1:00am, and the twelve guests I’ll be feeding won’t come until 4:00pm, but at least I […]
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas!
The first best thing about Thanksgiving is getting together with family for delicious food, fun conversations, and the feeling of gratitude for all the blessings that fill my life. All those things happened this week (I flew down to Reno and spent the holiday with my parents), but since my phone battery died and my […]
Joyeux anniversaire!
In honor of the tenth anniversary of my 26th birthday, which was yesterday, my parents sent me a miniature metal model of the Eiffel Tower. When I thanked them for this new addition to what’s becoming a collection, they said, “We all know from the movies that the Eiffel Tower is visible from every window […]
Wedding in the San Juans
Justin’s brother’s best friend Jenna got married this weekend at her now-husband’s family’s house on San Juan Island. The whole family went along to be supportive, and I was invited too. I didn’t know anyone there other than the Keyes family, but I’m glad I went. The San Juan Islands are one of the most […]
Labor Day!
Labor Day was forecast to be excellent weather, so Justin and I decided to take advantage of it and go for a hike. We picked Little Si, a 4.7 mile hike not too far from downtown Seattle. The trail wasn’t difficult. Most of it passed through lush green forest. The epitome of the Cascades. We […]
PDX with Justin & Eve
September’s here! And with it the lull of summer “vacation” has ended: Everyone’s intensity-level at work is ramping up, and I’ve got every weekend booked with plans from here to Christmas. Well, maybe not Christmas (yet) — but I will be traveling every weekend in September, and at least one or two in October. The […]
The Hike: Backpacking the White Pass – Pilot Ridge Loop
Two weekends ago I took a day off work and went backpacking in the Northern Cascades with two of my best friends from law school. Amy flew in from DC, and Kristin flew up from El Paso. We spent Friday night running last-minute errands to REI and the grocery store, and then left first thing. […]
My public awaits!
I know. It’s been a long time. So long that all the little people out there in the dark are CRAVING to know what’s happened to JJD. Did he ever make it back from China? (Yes) Has his decorating efforts caught the attention of design blogs everywhere? (No, but he did manage to purchase some […]
Solstice in Fremont
So, one thing I did not know about Seattle before moving here is just how weird it is. And apparently I live in the epicenter of a certain bohemian, artsy type of Seattle weirdness. For example, on the longest day of the year, they have a neighborhood parade with Goth/steampunk/hippie/swing bands and naked, painted cyclists…. […]
China!
Guess where I’m going tomorrow morning! Amanda landed in Seattle tonight, and we leave first thing in the morning for China. We start with a short jump up to Vancouver, then the long haul to Beijing, where we’ll land around 2:30pm on Thursday. We will have spent roughly one million hours in the plane. I […]
A More Gentlemanlike Manner 