I got a cool lil package in the mail the other day from my Aunt Susan (on my Dad’s side). She’s a family history buff and I had asked her over the holidays to send me some things when she had a chance. I’m trying to collect stories and pictures on both sides of the family – not sure what I’m going to do with them, but it seems important that they don’t get lost.
She hooked me up with over 400 images from the Sugiura/Penrose side of the family. Check out a few of my favs below. Most are of my Grandma Elizabeth, whom I never met. She died in 1978 – four years before I was born. She’s also who my sister is named after. I’ve always wondering what it would have been like to have Grandma Elizabeth around. She’s a bit of a mystery to me……though these photos are a bit of a glimpse into her life. Pretty darn cool if you ask me!
My Grandma’s autograph book signed by my Grandfather before they even started dating. Whoa.
So that’s where I get my stellar gun handling skills!
Ahh….horseback riding….a family favorite activity!
Did I mention that she was a nurse?
Plaid and outdoors!
Had to include this one. See my hippie arse Dad second over from the top right. Nice hair man.
Not sure how many of you follow the lottery that often, but recently it was a whopper of a jackpot, somewhere between $648 million give or take for Mega Millions. I don’t usually play, but always find myself wrapped up in the excitement of an unusually large jackpot, which is statistically like the worst time to play. Womp, womp.
I put $5 on it at my local Red Apple and of course, I happened to get interviewed by a local news channel. Thank god they didn’t use my interview footage, I was a babbling mess and unshowered in my sweat pants nach. But I did get a lil swiping the card cameo – see the video above courtesy of my Aunt Susan!
But it got me thinking….what would I do if I happened to win $1 million? Now mind you this million would be what you bank after taxes and such 🙂 Here’s my breakdown:
$500 to start my own urban duck/chicken coop
$1,000 to rescue 2 new pound puppies (sorry Stella.)
$2,000 pay off my student loan debt
$3,500 shopping spree
$15,000 on a big family and friends vacation house rental some place tropical – they’d have to pay their own airfare though! Hey, I’m spendy, but not THAT spendy. This one in Tulum, Mexico just might fit the bill….
$20,000 on a new used car that’s maybe 1 or 2 years old
$25,000 to partially fund a project the fiance is working on that I approve of. Hey, if that happens to be a doc on my dog, then so be it!
$33,000 on a party barge – duh!
$50,000 to a charity of my liking, most likely involving animals
$200,000 on a local vacation property on a lake in Eastern Washington with a dock for above said party barge
$650,000 on a new home in North Beacon or maybe the Mt. Baker neighborhood. I would keep our current house and rent it out.
Man, that goes fast!
How would you spend a cool million if you happened across it?
Watching: I just finished a maj binge of Scandal on Netflix. The first few episodes didn’t really thrill me – usually those sorts of political dramas don’t get me – but I stayed focused and OMG I’m glad I did because it’s SO good! I must admit that Kerry Washington’s facial expressions bug me sometimes, but other than that it’s def worth watching!
Loving:My Cougar booties. I bought these bad boys about a month ago and I swear I probably wear them 5 times a week. They are comfortable, water proof and go with pretty much everything. Not to mention they are a reasonable $100 bucks. I might have to buy the taupe/grey pair. Oh wait, I just did 🙂
Listening to: Potential wedding music. I can’t listen to the radio without thinking if a song should be on our list. I should probably start writing things down. Music is VERY important to the fiance so I know that we’ll be scouring hours upon hours of music to create the perfect musical ambiance.
Doing: Oh gosh, what am I not doing these days? Work is picking up steam and from now until mid-May I’m going to be a busy gal! I’m planning my spring garden, finally decorating our living room, trying to schedule a dog teeth cleaning, growing out my hair, attempting to get my butt in shape…..you know, the usual beginning of the year tasks 🙂
Reading: Nothing right now. Womp, womp. I need to get back into my ebook loans from the library one of these days….
Eating: I’m back on the Weight Watchers train so eating has become a bit less fun these days. Fruit and veggies are topping the list and pizza with extra cheese and cookies are moving towards the bottom. This gal had a little too much over the holidays so it’s time to reign in back in. We booked our engagement photo shoot for early March so I’ve got a mini goal in sight!
Thinking about: What to get my parents for their birthdays at the end of the month. It’s hard to think of another gift right after the holidays people! I’d like to get them something small then take them on some sort of Seattle adventure that includes seeing/doing something new and perhaps trying a new restaurant. Open to any and all suggestions!
Just thought I would share a few highlights from the recent holiday festivities! It was great having some time off to celebrate with the fam, but I’m ready to get back to work and get our Luncheon on the move! This will be my third major event for the agency which would usually mean a cake walk but I’ve got some unique challenges to face in the coming months – gotta keep me on my toes! Watch out May 8th…I’m comin’ for yah.
Oh and hey, wedding, yeah you….the one on November 15th…..you’re not off the hook either. I’m comin’ for yah too – candles, orchids and cranes blazin’!
Christmas Eve dinner – pho and Rainiers!
A moody Seattle – just the way I like her 🙂
The infamous Sugiura Conecakes created for lil sis’s bday. Get some!
