I had my grandmother's rings (+80 years old) resized at Ben Bridge. Both rings had a 20s-style design on the band portion, which had worn off from wear. I was having them made larger, so my concern was that they be able to reproduce the design on the new section and the lower part that had worn away. They did an excellent job - you would be hard pressed to identify the original versus new portions without a loup.

Service was great, and I would definitely trust them with other jewelry, if I had any other fancy jewelry for them to fix. There's a reason they've been around forever.

My mother-in-law lived there, so we visited a few times. Tucson has awesome thrift shopping, because old people move there with all their finery and winter clothes and then just live in Tommy Bahama. Seriously, minks and cashmere and good mens suits. I can't recall the name of the neighborhood with all the vintage shops, but if you ask around and find it, there are fun bars and restaurants around there. I don't recall any microbrews, but Google says there are some, so there you go.

The Arizona Desert Interpretive Museum is fun, and an medium/easy walk for seniors/olds. A great way to see and learn about the flora and fauna of the desert. You may just see a javelina - they smell terrible. The folks here would be good people to ask about hikes - where to go and what to bring with you.

Mission San Xavier de Bac is a 200+ year old Spanish mission church out on the 19. It's in the process of being restored, so check to see if it's open the public. We went one year at Christmas and it was very beautiful and with an interesting (colonial, troubling) history. It is an active mission for the Tohono O'odham people, so be respectful. You can buy frybread and Indian crafts in the parking lot.
http://www.sanxaviermission.org/

A lawyer is a good place to start, and Legal Voice (formerly the Northwest Women's Law Center) is a great place to go.

legalvoice.org

Wallingford would be a better bet for a queer scene in that area, as there is a Gay bar on 45th. But even then, Wallingford is much like Greenlake - families with kids, dogs and more kids. And Fremont, while it has a strong nightlife, is a bit straight dude-ish.

Have you thought of finding a short-term rental, so that you can explore and get to know other neighborhoods before you settle? The neighborhoods around Capitol Hill - the Central District, Madison Valley, First Hill, Eastlake - all are Gay-friendly, not overly familyish, and easy to commute to UW and downtown.

[Oops, apparently I have been out of the rental market for too long. First Hill & Eastlake are probably out of your price range. But, check out Columbia City, Central District, & Madison Valley.]

Yes, Vicky, he does turn out to be the real Uncle Fester. He had been washed out to sea or something, and the mean psychologist lady found him and came up with the pretend-to-be-Fester plot to scam the Addamses.

We just watched both of these movies over Christmas with my nephews and they were really hilarious.

I used to hate hipsters, like, back in 2006.

Books are always great gifts for kids - look for copies of the ones you and your sister had when you were kids, and write a short note on the inside leaf so someday your nephew will have a whole shelf full of Uncle/Aunt Rickler's awesome books.

Also, your sister may have ample discretionary income, but not have your imagination. Ugly dolls or actual hand-made monster dolls could be great for a two-year-old. You could also look for old-school toys like Lincoln Logs (okay, maybe wait until he's 4-5) or blocks. Check out Clover in Ballard, Izilla on Capitol Hill or Schmancy Toys by the Moore on 2nd.

I don't even know where I'm going, but I know what I'm going to make - my dad's dressing, baked in muffin tins so that every serving has crispy edges. I'm so freakin' excited. Crispy!

It looks like french twist, with the curls pulled out and pinned. Try contacting a beauty school (like the Gene Juarez advanced training school in Northgate) or hair salon and book an appointment to get an updo like this. I know when the Gene Juarez/Aveda place was downtown, it was just $20 for an updo. Just make sure you don't wash your hair the morning before you have it done - slightly dirty hair will work better.

I'll answer, with the caveat that you should seek specific advice from a family law attorney. You should be able to find one with expertise in domestic partnership issues at QLaw, the GLBT bar association in Washington. They have a law clinic too - check them out.

http://q-law.org/legalclinic

Generally, domestic partnership works the same as marriage for all state law issues, so when you enter into one, you become a marital community (think of it like a business partnership) and your property and income, from then on, become community property. The stuff you had before remains your separate property. But, that paycheck you bring home every other week belongs to the "community" as does the things you buy with it.

So, say you had $100K equity in a $$200K condo, with a $100K mortgage, when you get not-quite-the-same-as-married. Maybe mostly your check actually goes to the mortgage, and your husband takes care of all the car payments and dinners out. Maybe you split everything down the middle, even steven. Maybe you take a year sabbatical to figure out what you really want to do, and your husband supports you. Maybe you two adopt your cousin Tanya's twins when she's serving time in prison, and your husband stays home to raise them while you take a most stressful job to pay the bills.

None of that matters. You each have an equal interest in the money coming in and debts flowing out of the community.

So, over the next ten years, you and your husband pay off the remaining $100K mortgage, and the condo is now worth $300K because the housing market bounces back. Say, all your other debts and assets even out, so the $300K house is what's left. You're splitting the sheets, so you're in court for the dissolution of your almost-marriage. You will have a claim for your original $100K, but you each have an equal claim on the remaining $200K - both the money that paid off the $100K mortgage, and the $100K increase in value during your marriage.

Remember too, that the dissolution of marriages and domestic partnerships are subject to the laws of equity - that essentially means that the court can and will use principals of fairness in splitting up your property. Did Husband give up his career to take care of the twins, and now needs additional education and training to return to work, and has lost ten years of "experience" so will be earning less? Did you put Husband through law school to the tune of $100K, and now he's making more than you? The judge can consider relative income, and divide the property in a way that gives Husband money to allow him to "catch up". Wait, did you two marry for two months, during which you got a huge bonus for work you did both before and after? Judge can consider that.

It's a lot to think about, especially for the couple where one has stuff, and one has debt, or one has education and one doesn't, or one is going to stay home with kids or work in nonprofit, and the other isn't. That's more of relationship advice. For legal advice - how you can plan, what you can plan, so that you both know what you're getting into - you should talk to a lawyer who can address your particular situation. Qlaw, FTW!