Labradorite Love

I recently took my engagement ring into a jeweler to get a wedding band made for it. The jeweler was amazing. If you're in Washington and need a recommendation - I've got one. The experience was great.

The main reason Terry chose the ring he did was because it was so unique. Color changing. Imperfections. Cracks. Speckles. Iridescence. Also, labradorite can't be man made in a lab, so every single piece has it's own characteristics. When I handed the jeweler my ring he did a double take.

"Oh! Labradorite!"

Then he walked it back to his office to look under his microscope.

"This is amazing. Who made this for you? You should really take some photos of it under different light conditions. Will you send them to me? It would be a great art piece."

To tell you the truth, I was flattered. He's a jeweler. He sees everything. He was the first person who I'd ever met who even knew what labradorite was and what it looked like. When I mentioned that my brother would be able to take these professional photos he was describing, he immediately popped the stone out and gave it to me.

"Take pictures of this. Seriously. Then bring me the stone back."

As an aside, my brother is talented at almost everything he tries. Photography is just a hobby for him currently, but if we weren't related, he would be taking my wedding photos.

Here are the results:

Fishing tales

My old college friend Gabe visits for a few days and even though we haven't seen each other in about five years, everything goes exactly as expected:

-Gabe pulls up Friday night 7/31, car rattling, not a good sign.

-Terry drives Gabe to the fishing pier Saturday morning 8/1 for his weeklong trip, turns around halfway there to retrieve sunglasses from Gabe's car parked at our place.

-Gabe neglects to leave us his car keys, and although legally parked, gets blocked in during road construction. Construction has to dig AROUND his car to complete job. Spans 8/3-8/6. Hilarious.

-Annie picks Gabe up at fishing pier on Saturday morning 8/8, Gabe loads ~20 lb frozen yellowtail into Corolla trunk, in a trash bag.

-Annie drives to bootcamp with Gabe, and frozen yellowtail. Gives Gabe the keys, sends him on his way with the Corolla.

-Terry receives phone call around 8:30 am on Saturday 8/8. "Does Annie have a second set of keys to the car? I locked hers in the trunk. With the fish." Gabe is now stranded outside a liquor store trying to purchase ice for the trunk fish. Temperature is rising, the liquor store wasn't open yet, he definitely looks like an alcoholic.

-Terry bails Gabe out with the spare keys, both show up to bootcamp to pick me up. Defrosting yellowtail still in the trunk.

-Return to the apartment after post-workout smoothies. I claim no responsibility for what is now in my sink.

-Watch 2 minutes of youtube on how to fillet a fish, get to work. Outside. On a trash bag covered coffee table.

-Gabe forgets belt, unable to pull up pants with fish hands.

-Our technique starts to deteriorate.

-Invite friends over that know what they're doing (boot camp instructors Rachel and Justin). Gabe and Annie do dishes. Annie struggles for real washing the fillet knife.

-Gabe and Annie send picture to Gabe's mom inquiring about stitches. Consensus: yes, could use stitches. Annie doesn't feel like it. Busts out batman duct tape.

-Rachel and Justin show up with actual supplies, Annie sits with duct tape hand, Gabe watches quick youtube video on how to make yellowtail sashimi. Makes yellowtail sashimi with Justin.

-So much fish, makes yellowtail sashimi again. So much fish, barbecues fish. Still have half of fish left.

-Gabe plans to leave at 3 pm. At almost 4 pm, checks when his 200 pounds of additional fish (!) will be done processing. Processing plant closes at 4 pm. Asks to stay the night.

-Gabe wakes up on 8/9 at 6 am to pick up fish. At 8 am Annie finds Gabe's fishing pole near the door and a note reading that if the car breaks down he promises not to call before 10 am.

-8:30 am Gabe calls because he's picked up the fish, but car broke down and is smoking. The rattle from earlier in the week resurfaces.

-9:15 am Gabe enters the apartment like Kramer. Picks up fishing pole, fixes car, on his way.