I had a nice day on the Green today. I released two native steelhead. I caught them on a river other than the Skykomish and it wasn't near a hatchery. It is a nice close to a season.

Originally uploaded by nthaniel.

They are still out there.

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Here is a picture of Mom and Dad. I don't really like this day but happy Valentines. I have a feeling Dad might have been looking in on Jonathan during his recent trial.

I stayed home from work today. This morning I didn't know whether I had the flu or a cold because this cold is a little worse than a normal cold. So it's a headcold. My sinuses are killing me. I wasn't concerned about work because my properties look good, especially Monday's.

I didn't catch anything this last weekend. The Green River at Tanaskat State Park was quiet and the river was rising on the Skykomish on Sunday. I know I should be finding a place to live, but I've been playing it by ear and it felt like fishing would be good. I'll have to take care of the other stuff soon though. By being away running Saturday mornings and fishing the rest of the weekend, I don't realize how much better it would be for me to have a more permanent place to live. That became apparent to me today as I stayed home from work unable to do much more. I did go out for groceries and kitty litter later though. Having all my clothes just thrown in the closet out of sight brought it home for me. I need my own (shared) place.

I had a much better weekend than brother Jonathan and family at home. He had a blockage to an artery in his right atrium. He now has two stents in place and a new diet. That episode put the scare through everyone, patient included, as you can imagine. We are all glad he is home now and relatively well. I let the dust settle before I called Sunday. He needs a
little bell now for service. How does that sound? Y'all take care.

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Originally uploaded by nthaniel.

Five years ago yesterday. Take care Mom.

Here's an interesting observation from Alison. She says,"time and lack of contact turn exes into too-familiar strangers; people about whom you know everything and nothing simultaneously. the nothing is outlined in careful small talk, the everything is never, ever mentioned."

I ran a track workout this evening for the first time since last spring. I was pleased that I finished the whole thing. I guess I hadn't lost as much as I'd feared. Don't get me wrong though, it is never easy. I really faded on the last two laps. There's nothing like some speedwork to tighten things up. I'll run with the group on Mercer Island this Saturday. I haven't decided on the fishing just yet. I keep see the float going down. I guess I gotta go back out. <* ))))) ><

She's back. "My eyebrows knit sweaters and my nostrils start fires"

I finally got my winter steelhead. There wasn't any work today due to the extreme cold and residual snow, so rather than going back "home" I headed straight out to the river. These pictures were taken with my camera phone. I think they came out pretty good. They were caught on summer colors of orange and purple. The river level is decreasing so the clarity is improving. I got one yesterday too, so that makes three out of five in two days. I'm tentatively planning on running with the group tomorrow and after that I should start paying attention to more pressing matters. The same mindset which said that I can fish and not move on Christmas Day was behind me fishing on a snow day. And what a beautiful day it was, but cold cold cold.

I've been here about a week and a half. The cat seems happy to be in his old house. All my stuff is in the garage. I haven't found a new place yet, though I've been looking on Craig's list and a little on Live Expo. I don't have a running route here and I don't want to run after dark. I was used to the Lake Hills section of Bellevue. I like being here again though. I got here about four years ago and I literally lived in a garage. I have too much stuff for that now, and it is winter. I feel like I've sort of come home, living so close to Issaquah, but everything is all up in the air. I need a stable place to live and I want to get into school. I have lived like this for so long that I don't think I'll know what to do if things start to go well.

We have another winter storm coming through tonight. We still have power so the winds didn't do too much damage. The rain will turn to snow tonight. We heard about this storm a few days ago and I dreamt of being at home in Montague and trying to drive through the snow. It didn't work. I had to turn back. That shouldn't happen tomorrow. They want us in at 4:30 in the morning. It'll be overtime pay and I hope to be out in time to get some fishing in. If you are reading this in Seattle on Wednesday morning, then the city should be slowed to a crawl. That November storm left quite an impression. Y'all have a great day.

Bender has left the building.

I have some of this stuff packed up but I've decided not to take a trip with it tonight. Breaking news, I know. I'm getting there. This process doesn't seem to end. Right now I'm going to bed.

Originally uploaded by nthaniel.

The move has begun. I cleaned up the jig-making mess in my living room (I was amazed that the vacuum cleaner got all of the feather cast-offs) and boxed up some stuff for storage. I dropped that stuff off at Lee's and then proceeded to Fall City to pick up my trailer. I think my car battery is getting old because I left my lights on for a short time and that was enough for me to wear it down so that I was unable to get the car started again. I was really weighing my options when a wealthy guy and his boy came into the storage place to retrieve their snowmobile. I asked him for help but his Land Rover is so new that the battery, once found, was too foreign looking to be of help. The guy who lives on the lot came out to give me a jump, after recounting his days racing snowmobiles with the rich guy. I was so glad to see them coming. Hoping and cranking wasn't getting the engine to turn over. From there I took the trailer back to Bellevue to pick up my motorcycle and bicycle, which I then dropped off in Sammamish. There I met Lee's ally Marta and I had a nice welcome, which will help make my stay there be not so isolated.

I have much more packing to do, but the important thing for me is that I've started. I have the trailer so I'll be able to haul a bunch of stuff out of here tomorrow. I can do more car trips next week before resuming the trailer moves next weekend. I have to be out of here by the 31st, so New Year's Eve I'll spend in Sammamish (I always thought it was Issaquah). I've been looking for a house needing roomates on Craig's List and more recently on Windows Live Expo. I want to stay in Bellevue because I'm optimistic about getting accepted to school for next year. Please tell me that you are optimistic for me too.

As for the holidays I've lined up a Christmas Eve party in Mill Creek with some runner friends and I'm treating myself to some steelhead fishing for Christmas Day. I thought that was very nice of myself. Thanks self. I can't feel guilty about not moving on Christmas, so I thought I'd really enjoy the day out on the river, and I will. Depending on what happens up there I may head down to Orting to see Jesse and family. Well, thanks for tuning in. I hope your holidays are very enjoyable and your new year stellar.

This is my If Today Is Your Birthday horoscope:

"December 18, 2006 -- A Sun-Pluto conjunction on your birthday means it is time for a change - and the bigger the change the better. Whatever it is you have been dreaming of doing now is the time to take it to the next level. Don't look back a year from now and wish you had been more adventurous. Your life is here, now."

What I'd like is to find a new apartment. I'm working on the rest of it.

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This was taken on Mercer Island today. I got a few hours of work today, and almost more importantly, some gas. We worked on our big property on Mercer Island, clearing limbs from walks and streets. There are more trees down like this onto buildings there. I saw a few cars wrecked similarly. I'll get more overtime work tomorrow too working at the same place. I guess I can get ready to move when it is dark and I'll make my money during the daylight. I hope all of you fellow denizens of Western Washington are well and warm. I hope you have gasoline too. I hope to fill up in Mukilteo tomorrow. Y'all take care.

This was a typical sight throughout Bellevue today. Yesterday's wind storm knocked out power to most of the eastside and Seattle. I was lucky to have today off so I was spared from most of the driving hell. I did go out to look for an open coffee shop. I didn't find any so I went home with my one purchase from Fred Meyers and then set up my camp stove to heat water for my french press. That really tasted good.

I took my new camera phone with me on my run today and this is one of the pictues I took. The downed trees I saw were on SE 16th St. and 168th Ave SE near Weowna Park in Bellevue. The damage is covered by the Seattle Times here and Komo 4 here.

Well, they've caught up with me. My lease ran out in September and I've been renting month to month since then. I came home last night after our school nursing home clinical to find the note I've been expecting. I have ten days to tell them whether I'll be moving out. There is no way I'll be able to afford what the rent is going up to. Any ideas out there?