Things I learned

During Spring Break, I decided it was finally time to have the septic tank pumped. I'd heard that you were supposed to do it every four or five years or so, and we're going on 7.5 years in this house. We've never had it pumped.

I couldn't find the paperwork for the people who came out to do it last time, so I just opened the phone book and looked to see who was licensed and bonded, and then called the first number I found.  I asked if there was any way I could get it done that same week, and the nice man I was talking to said he had an opening on Wednesday.  Little did I know what an enlightening experience I was about to have.

Here's what I learned:

1.  I learned where my septic tank is. I had an idea, but now I know.

2.  I learned that I could have found my tank myself instead of paying them to find it.  I thought they had special equipment to find it, though, so I figured I'd let the experts.

3.  I learned that the "special" equipment they had was a stick. That's right. A long skinny piece of metal with handles on it that they poked in the ground in the general area where the tank was supposed to be.

4.  I learned it costs $95/hour for someone else to dig up my septic tank.

5.  I learned I should just get my own stick.

6.  I learned my septic tank is about two feet deeper than normal, and that I should have dug it up myself.  (Refer to #1...I didn't know where it was before, but now I do. Next time? I'm digging it up myself.  And by digging it up myself I mean that J will be digging it up.)

7.  I learned that for $70ish I can buy cement "risers" to bring the lid of my septic tank up to a normal depth so we don't have to dig so much. (And by "I can buy" I mean J can buy. This chore definitely falls under his job description as the man of the house.)

8.  I learned that our septic tank is OLD.  Which means it only has one compartment. "New" septic tanks (those built after 1977) have two compartments.  One for the solids and one for the liquids.

9.  I learned that you should not use the garbage disposal if you have a septic tank. Because "the *&^% eats itself up, but food just floats on top." (**I didn't want the visual, either, but if I had to suffer, you can share the burden with me.)

10. I learned that we were "definitely overdue (for a tank pumping) but not in a bad situation yet. You could have probably gone another year before the *&^% backed up into your shower."

11.  I learned that when we have kids, even though some diaper wipes say they are septic tank friendly, they are not.  And they "clog up my machinery and that's irritating."

12.  I learned that our septic tank guy, though crude, is somewhat thoughtful.  When I invited him to step inside as I wrote the check (because I had to close the door so the cats wouldn't get outside), he told me he would stay on the front porch because he didn't want to "get *&^% all over your house - and I'm covered in it."

13.  And last, but not least, I learned that my septic tank was clean and clear and J and I could "*&^% our brains out."

Every day is a learning opportunity, and on that day, I learned a lot.

More knowing me, knowing you

Here are the questions I missed from October…two years ago…man, I took a LONG break, didn’t I?  I’ll try not to do that again. (But I’m not making any promises.)

1.  Crunchy peanut butter or smooth?

Well, it depends on how I’m eating it! I like both crunchy and creamy, but it has to be Jif.  If I’m eating a sandwich, it must be creamy, and I like it with strawberry or grape jelly – COLD. I will make it and then put it in the freezer for twenty minutes or so to make it very chilly.  I also like creamy with my apple slices. If I’m having toast, however, I can go either way, but I prefer chunky. I like the way the peanut butter sort of melts from the heat of the toast, and then the crunchy peanut bits are left. Yum.

2. Do you do any volunteer work? (No judgment, just curious. I’m always on the lookout for new ways to get involved…like I have time for more stuff.)

Well, not really.  Every once in awhile I get an opportunity, but I don’t really do it very often. Jess and I walked dogs a few times for the Humane Society, but then they made it difficult to volunteer so we didn’t go back anymore.  I do all kinds of stuff at school, though, that I don’t get paid for. Does that count? Jess and I just chaperoned the Sadie’s dance a few weeks ago. We gave up a Saturday night to go stand around the high school cafeteria.  And there are always different fundraisers and projects kids are working on that we support.  I did a post about Adopt-a-family awhile back.  I guess the short answer is: I volunteer through the school, but not really on my own.

3. What is your favorite cold weather drink?

I don’t like hot beverages – I only like lukewarm beverages.  But I’ve been obsessed all winter with the caramel apple spice from Starbucks.  I also like hot chocolate (Land o’Lakes packets from Costco are AMAZING!) and vanilla chai. But recently my favorite has been the caramel apple spice. Jess even bought caramel syrup so he could make me caramel apple cider at home. It’s not quite the same as Starbucks, but it’s far cheaper!

4. What is your favorite holiday?

Oh, man, I can’t choose.  I used to love Christmas the most, but to be 100% frank, for the last few years it hasn’t been all that great.  We live far from our families, and we have to do a LOT of traveling from house to house all around the state in really crappy weather. It’s been stressful.  Really stressful.  Thanksgiving is the same way.  I think I like the Fourth of July – it’s really low key around here, but we usually get together with friends either at our house or someone else’s, and grill.  Then Jess and I have gone down the road to Clover Island and sat in the back of his pickup to watch the fireworks.  Or maybe New Year’s Eve. That’s really low key – it’s just the two of us and our cats. We make a bunch of finger food / appetizers and watch movies or play games, then watch the ball drop on television.  I love any reason to get together with friends or family, but for the last few years the holidays have been way more stressful than fun.

5. Okay, quick, you gotta hop a plane right now, to anywhere with anyone – where do you go and with who?

My first response is: I go to England with Jess.  Or Croatia, again with Jess.  I’ve joked about going to the summer 2012 Olympics, but I really, really want to go to England.  Though I think I would do it the way my dad and step-mom did and take a cruise to England.  I just finished reading Romeo and Juliet with my freshmen and my seniors start Hamlet when we get back to school on Monday.  I have Shakespeare on the brain, which is why I think England came to mind.  One of these days, though, I am going to make it to Croatia.  It is the “land of my people” you know, and apparently a hot vacation destination.  I just have this desire to see where my grandparents came from while soaking up the sun on some white sandy beaches in the Adriatic!  I have my passport, and so does Jess…we just need to win the lottery, then we’re going to both places! 

Let's get reacquainted, shall we?

Well, since I took such a long hiatus from blogging, I’d say it’s time for us to reacquaint ourselves, isn’t it?  Because I can’t think of a single thing to blog about, I’d say the best way for us to get reacquainted is to catch up on all of Shan’s “Knowing Me, Knowing You” interview questions.  I’ve missed a few months…

So today’s post is catching up on the questions from September 2009.

1. What is your favorite smell?

Hmm…this is an interesting question for me. I have such allergy issues that I’m very sensitive to smells.  Though I would say either fresh laundry (real fresh laundry – NOT the fake smells in a can or candle) that’s been laundered with Tide soap and dried with Bounce dryer sheets, or baked goods / fruits. I have a pretty extensive candle collection, and an even more extensive Scentsy collection. If you go through the drawers where I store it all, you’ll find all kinds of bakery scents like blueberry cheesecake, cherry pie, apple pie, etc.  There’s also lots of fruit scents like cherry almond, lemon, marionberry, and strawberry. 

2.  Did you / would you / are you co-sleep(ing)?

This is another tough question as we don’t have kids yet. (But we’re trying! Our homestudy is all approved and we’re just waiting to be matched with a birthmom right now!)  I’m going to say no for now, but leave it open to change my mind. I have no strong feelings on this one way or the other, actually.  I don’t think you should do it nightly until the kid is 8, but when they are still in the infant / toddler stages?  I don’t know.

3.   Fall fair season is upon us (or it was when Shan originally posted this!), so what’s your favorite fair food?

I honestly don’t really like going to the fair anymore.  It’s just lost some of it’s magic for me.  Especially since I used to go to the Puyallup Fair, and let me let you in on a secret: the Benton-Franklin County Fair is NOTHING compare to the Puyallup.  Nothing.  But when I was younger and we did go to the Puyallup, my favorite food was the raspberry scone!  Even now, no matter what the flavor, when I eat a scone, I always think about the fair.

4.   Thinking about Christmas shopping yet?

Well, not quite yet. Last year I started really early, though, and it was wonderful not to have a ton of bills at Christmas time and very little stress.  I had stuff wrapped by Thanksgiving, even.  It was so nice, I plan to start early this year, too.

5.  What’s your favorite color?

Hands down, no questions asked: blue. I love all colors, especially deep, rich, saturated colors, but blue has long been my favorite. When I was young, I used to like green a lot. In fact, I called everything that was special to me “green.”  My blankie (which had very little green on it) was my “green blankie” and my mom’s mom was “Green Grandma.”  She was very special to me, and I was much closer to her than to my other grandmother, but I still can’t believe I called her Green Grandma to her face.  She did live near Green Lake in Seattle, so maybe that’s how it all started? Maybe I didn’t love green so much but my parents thought I did because I called things green? Who knows? But for a long time now, blue has been my absolute favorite color.

More tomorrow...

Ketchikan, AK

When J and I went on an Alaska cruise a month ago, we looked forward to seeing the wilderness, the wildlife, and the history. We saw some of that, but not much, unfortunately. I love cruising because it is an effortless way to travel. You don't have to worry about getting yourself from place to place, or finding hotels or transportation or places to eat. You don't have to figure out what the "must see" sites are because the cruise line has done all that research for you. The downside of cruising is that you get a very limited amount of time in each port of call, and most of the shopping is either jewelry or "touristy crap." The other thing I hate about cruising is that I forget to take my camera everywhere I go. Or I take it, but forget to take pictures. I thought we had a ton of awesome pics, but it turns out there are not nearly as many as I had hoped.

Regardless, we had a blast. Our cruise was scheduled to make 4.5 ports of call: Ketchikan, Skagway, Juneau, Tracy Arm Fjord, and Victoria, BC. (I say 4.5 because Tracy Arm is not a place you get off the ship - it is an amazing, scenic area.) It'll take a few entries, but I'll blog about all of our experiences in the different ports.

We boarded the ship in Seattle on Sunday at about 1:30 p.m. We had spent the weekend at my dad's house (Friday night we went to see Wicked, and Saturday night we went to Teatro Zinzanni for my step-mom's birthday), and Sunday Dad fed us breakfast then he and Mel took me, J, and my sisters and all our luggage to the cruise docks. It was beautiful - Dad lives about 15 minutes from where we had to go. We didn't have to get up early, or worry about traffic or anything. Stress free!

The ship pulled out of Seattle around 4 p.m., and we were on our way. After a full day and a half of travel, we made it to our first port of call, Ketchikan, AK. J and I did a lot of cool stuff there! The Bering Sea Fisherman's Tour was probably our favorite. Then we walked around town for awhile. We saw the famous "Creek Street" (which as far as I can tell is a wooden sidewalk over a creek, and a bunch of buildings on stilts over the same creek), the Totem Pole history museum (not worth the 3 mile round trip walk, much of it uphill, or the $10 for the both of us to go in, but it did get us out of the rain for awhile), and a Lumberjack Show my dad told us to check out. (Dad and Mel took the exact same cruise - same ship and everything! - about a month before.)

Here are some pictures from Ketchikan.



As we were getting off the cruise ship (the Star Princess in case you were wondering!), they took our pictures then practically shoved us off.



This first picture was bright and early at 7:30 a.m. on the Aleutian Ballad. J was excited for our tour, but not thrilled about the time we had to be there!



Have you ever seen the show The Deadliest Catch? About crab fishing in Alaska? This boat used to be on that show. It was during the second season, and it was the boat that took a rogue wave that nearly capsized it. Well, that was the second rogue wave it had taken in less than ten years.



Here's a video of that rogue wave. It was caught on camera for The Discovery Channel. It's a rare video - not many rogue waves have been caught on camera.



After the second rogue wave, they moved it to another area of Alaska to fish for awhile, and the new captain ran it into the side of a cliff, nearly sinking it. After that, they retired it from crab fishing. They fixed it up, added seating and heaters, and then started giving tours to cruise line passengers. Sounds like an unlucky boat to be on, right? Well, I figure if it's survived two rogue waves and a cliff, this boat is pretty lucky! We had a FANTASTIC time on this tour. It was 3.5 hours, but felt like just minutes. We got to see all sorts of crab pots and a variety of crab species.









We even got to see an eagle up close and personal (they threw bait out on the water to get it to come close), and this 25 pound octopus.



In this next picture, you can see the octopus had reached out and grabbed on to "Kiwi's" face. Yuck!! (He's called Kiwi because he's from New Zealand. He was actually on the show for a season, but it was on a different boat.)



When we left Seattle, it was a gorgeous day. I was wearing jeans and a t-shirt. Probably didn't need the jeans - shorts would have been better! But when we got to Alaska, it rained the entire time we were there. Mostly it was just a drizzle, but it was a constant rain. With all the rain and the humidity, my hair was a perpetual mess of frizz and curls. Even on board the ship. I didn't bother trying to tame it as I had better things to do.



These next pictures were taken while we walked on Creek Street. There was obviously a creek right there, and we were amazed at all of the salmon in the creek. Ketchikan is known as the "salmon capital of the world" and it's true! There were so many fish, it appeared you could have walked across the creek on top of the water. It's hard to see in the pictures, but trust me: it was a solid mass of salmon. They were packed in (are you ready for this?) like sardines! There were two sea otters having lunch in the creek. J and I stayed to watch for awhile, then continued on our way. While the sea otters were cute, I'm from Washington, and J's lived here for a long time...sea otters are something we can see at home, so it wasn't terribly thrilling for us. The two women we passed, on the other hand, were ecstatic. I appreciated their enthusiasm, and didn't have the heart to correct them when I overheard one tell the other "Let's go look at the seals again! Those seals are so cute!"





J and I thought we might like to check out the totem pole museum. So we headed off looking for it. It was mildly entertaining, but like I said earlier, not really worth the money or the effort to get there. Perhaps I'm a little jaded, but I grew up in a state where there are coastal Native American tribes...the totem poles and all the heritage stuff at the museum is very similar to what I see at home. I did particularly enjoy the first totem pole we ran across, though. J was a good sport and posed for me, even though he didn't really want to. Well, he wasn't opposed to it until I said, "NO! Don't stand next to it! Stand right under it like you're part of it. Won't that be funny? You know, because you're so tall!"

But he did it anyway. Good man. His willingness to pose is probably the reason I agreed to walk up that darn hill for that museum.



After we went to the museum, we were headed back down the hill and we heard the cheering from the lumberjack arena. We still had two hours before we had to be back on the ship, so we decided to just go for it. It was so campy! But lots of fun. J is one of those closet geeks who has been known to watch lumberjack competitions on ESPN (or whatever channel they show up on), so he even knew who some of the lumberjacks were! That's right, ladies and gentlemen, my husband is a wealth of random knowledge. Sometimes he surprises the heck out of me with the random crap he knows.

Anyway, it was a "competition" between two different lumberjack camps, and they split the audience in half to cheer for "their" teams. We were cheering for Dawson's Creek Camp. Or was it Mill Creek Camp? I don't remember, and I don't suppose it really matters. It was neat to see them do the different events. I think my two favorite were the log rolling and the pole climbing. I think I could use a chain saw and cut a tree. I know I can use an axe to cut a tree. I also know there is no way I could do the log rolling or climb a tree that has no branches (it would be iffy even if it did have branches!) so I was particularly impressed with those two events. The team saw cutting was cool too, though. They cut through that big tree in a matter of seconds!



I think Ketchikan was a great place to visit, and I would like to go back again sometime when we have more than a few hours. I especially want to eat at this restaurant. Their sign intrigues me.



This was just the first stop...more to come!

Please excuse the hair

I have SO much to tell you! And SO little time to do it! J and I went on an Alaskan cruise a month ago, and we had a great time!! Unfortunately, I've been playing catch up ever since we got back. I'm supposed to be grading papers right now, but I really want to post on my blog. So after some negotiating with myself, I've decided that I'll do a short post now, finish my grading, do some laundry then reward myself with some posting.

Let's keep our fingers crossed that I'm able to do all of that!

But for now, here's a picture of us at Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau, Alaska. We didn't see any wildlife, but that could be because my hair scared them off. The rain and humidity did a number on my wild hair! This is actually one of the more tame pictures. You'll see what I mean when I am able to post more.

knowing me, knowing you - August

Because I was so late last month, I thought I'd get a bit of a head start on this month...only a week in!

A few months ago, Shan from Tales from the Fairy Blogmother started a new interview post. She invited everyone to play along each month. So here it is, the August installment of Knowing Me, Knowing You!

1. Would you rather swim in a pool or a lake?
Tough call. I think I would have to say an outdoor pool. I love being in the water outside, but I don’t like dirty water or seaweed. (The Columbia and Yakima Rivers aren’t too bad, but lakes are sometimes iffy. Blue Lake is awesome, though. We used to camp there when I was a kid and I loved it!) On the other hand, public pools kind of creep me out a bit, too. You don’t know where people have been, or how many kids have peed in the pool. I think my pool is my favorite place to swim. It’s clean, cool, and right in my backyard. It’s 21 x 17 feet big and 4 feet deep, so it’s not big enough to swim laps, but plenty big to float or goof around. Plus, it’s right in my backyard!

2.Where do you do most of your internetting, from a desktop or a laptop?
At home, 99% is done from my desktop. I have a laptop at school that I sometimes bring home, but not typically. My home computer is faster and has a GREAT monitor that’s nice and big and I can see everything. At school, 90% of my internetting is done on the laptop because that’s what the school has provided for me, but sometimes I’ll sit at a student computer in one of the labs because it’s easier than dragging my laptop and Ethernet cords all over the place.

3. What did you do today?
So far I have done a few loads of laundry, paid a bill that J needed to mail today, and looked at the blogs I like to read. Then I decided to get a few of my own blog entries done and have been sitting here for almost an hour working on several entries. I have yet to shower or get dressed – I’m thinking about staying in pj’s all day. Well, I’ll shower and dress when J is on his way home because we may go see a movie this evening. Other than that, it’s all about cleaning and laundry and blogging today!

4. Have you had enough of this cool, rainy summer?
The weather must be different where Shan is in Canada, because it has not been cool OR rainy here until yesterday. For the last month or so we’ve had weather in the low to high 90s daily. Last week we were in the 100s almost every day. Last weekend we hit 105 twice. Monday of this week was 98, Tuesday was 98, Wednesday was 93, yesterday was 93, but right now today it’s 64 and sprinkling. (To give you a comparison, yesterday at this time it was 88.) I’m actually looking forward to cool weather in the fall.

5. Chocolate pudding or butterscotch?
Both. More often than not I have chocolate, but I do enjoy butterscotch on occasion. My real favorite, though, is vanilla.

knowing me, knowing you - July

Okay, so I'm maybe a little late this month. But seriously? Where in the heck did July go?

A few months ago, Shan from Tales from the Fairy Blogmother started a new interview post. She invited everyone to play along each month. So here it is, the July installment of Knowing Me, Knowing You!

1. What household chore do you dislike the most?
Hands down, cleaning the toilets. It flat grosses me out, and there’s not much more to be said about that. I don’t mind dusting and vacuuming, or laundry and dishes so much. I think second to cleaning the toilets would be mopping floors and putting away laundry and dishes. I don’t mind washing the clothes or dishes, but I can’t stand putting them away.

2.Do you have any travel plans this year?
I actually do! We went camping already, but that doesn’t really count as travel, does it? In September, J and I are going to go on a cruise to Alaska! It leaves out of Seattle, so we’ll drive over there and then get on the ship. We’re terribly excited – this is the nicest (and most expensive) trip the two of us have ever been on together! It will be my third cruise, but J’s first. I’ve been looking at all the shore excursions trying to decide which ones we should do. Randomly, and coincidentally, my dad and step-mom will be taking the same cruise exactly one month before we do – same ship and everything! My friend’s parents just got back from an Alaskan cruise, too, though I don’t know if it was the same ship we’ll be on. My secret hope is that J falls in love with cruises and we can start going on them every so often. I think it’s a great way to travel. I typically like to take it easy when I am on vacation, but if I’ve paid to fly somewhere and am staying in a hotel, I like to get my money’s worth and see everything there is to see. On a cruise, you have a day at port and a day at sea, so every other day I get to see stuff and then the other days I get to hang out and read and not feel guilty because there’s nowhere else I can go! Plus, all of your food is included in the cost of the cruise, even room service is “free”!!

3. Ever met a bloggy friend in real life?
Well, not technically. I’ve known Leah since high school, and she’s a bloggy friend, too. But I haven’t ever met anyone else.

4. Seen anything good lately?
I’ve actually seen several movies this summer. It’s been pretty cool. I particularly liked “The Ugly Truth,” “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince,” and “The Proposal.” This evening J and I are most likely going to see “G.I. Joe” so I’m going to make him take me to see “Julie and Julia” soon. Unless my sister and I can carve out time to do that when I go to Seattle next weekend for her pinning ceremony (basically, she’s graduating from nursing school – yay T!!!).

5. What is your favorite kitchen appliance?
It’s sort of embarrassing to admit this, but I’d probably have to say my microwave. I don’t cook or bake very often. It’s not that I can’t do it, it’s that I don’t really like to. The microwave makes life very easy. I also LOVE my dishwasher – I put everything in it, even if it’s not technically supposed to go in there. Wooden spoons may get dried out and cracked, but you can get a four or six pack for a dollar at the dollar store, so I’m not terribly concerned. Also, I’ve only ever lost two wooden spoons yet, and I’ve lived over here and owned my own utensils for eight years. I think putting everything in the dishwasher is a risk I’m willing to take.

They even cleaned behind the shed

Holy crap. When J and I decided that THIS summer is the summer we are going to take care of our shambles of a backyard, we had no idea what we were getting into. We looked at our bank account, decided on a number we were okay with for the work, and then started discussing what we wanted done.

By discussing, I mean arguing.

It wasn't pretty, and it lasted a long time. The crazy thing is, once we backed off a little and looked at what the other was saying, we realized we wanted the same things, we just needed to negotiate the details. For example, we both wanted a fire pit - we just wanted it in different places in the yard. Why were we arguing over that? That seems so silly.

We finally agreed on what we were going to do. We had a plan, and, because THIS is the summer, I spent my first few days out of school on the phone. I called all sorts of people and scheduled all sorts of things. The problem with this, though, is that I had NO idea who to call. A few years ago we called a landscape company to come out and give us a bid on what we wanted done then, but he never followed through. And this was a guy who was a friend of a friend...if you can't trust someone you "know," who can you trust? We were pretty apprehensive.

Our parents don't live around here, so we couldn't call them for advice. When I opened the phone book, there were fifteen pages of companies under landscaping alone. I admit, I got really overwhelmed. Then I thought about my neighbor - she has someone come do her yard every week. I thought maybe she would have some ideas or advice. I went and looked up her phone number and called. It was a surprisingly pleasant call. You see, we are NOT very close to our neighbors at all. The people in our neighborhood are nice enough, but everyone keeps to themselves for the most part. I had only ever spoken to this lady one time about a month after we moved in. I know she and J had chatted a few times in the yard over the last few years, but we've lived here six years and I can count our conversations on one hand.

Anyway, Linda, my neighbor, said she loved Nacho, her yard guy. She told me that he mostly does lawn maintenance, but that he's been trying to talk her into letting him put sprinklers in her yard for awhile now. She suggested I call him and see what he thought. So I did.

He said he could come over that Friday when his crew was at Linda's house, and we could talk then. I agreed, hung up the phone, and had a mini-panic attack. This is pretty stressful - we're considering spending a lot of money, and there are no guarantees. This isn't like going to Wal-Mart, buying something and then returning it. This is the type of thing you just have to move forward with, and trust that you are making the right decisions.

Nacho came over on Friday, I walked him through the jungle we call our back yard, and told him what we wanted to do. He took notes and some measurements, and then told me he'd call me back with a quote. He said if we chose to use his company, that it was "a big yob, but we can do it in about a week."

That was music to my ears. My gut told me he was an honest type of fellow, and several people in our neighborhood have used his services regularly for a long time. When he came back with the quote, it was within the range J and I had agreed on, so I went ahead and told him we wanted him to do the work.

There were several things that had to happen, though, before Nacho and his crew could come work their magic on our yard. We had to take down the pool, pour a concrete pad, and have several limbs of our giant mulberry tree removed.

We called a concrete guy in to come give us a bid - $3100. We said, thanks, but no thanks. That's way out of our budget. Then we decided that this would be a DIY project, and J called his dad. His dad agreed to help us, so we just needed to get started.

We bribed one of J's friends with beer and grilled hamburgers to come over here and help take down and move the pool. Thank goodness for Sean - there's NO way I could have helped J pick that up and carry it clear across the yard to the shed.

Thanks to Dad H. and his three or four weekend trips over here, and a lot of hard work on his and J's part, the concrete is now finished. (And, FYI, we are now the proud owners of a portable concrete mixer...if you ever find yourself in need of one, come borrow it or make an offer...I may just sell it to you!)

While we were camping I had the tree service come take care of the trees. (I trusted them - we had used them once before a few years ago, and they were fantastic!)

Now it's time for Nacho to get started. His crew came Monday morning to do the clean up, and they are coming back Friday (tomorrow) to start digging up the old sprinklers and putting in new. Next week they'll finish the sprinklers and then lay new sod.

I was here while they were working, but I wasn't really paying attention to what they were doing. I assumed they would be cutting down the weeds and maybe starting to pull up some of the old grass, but only in the areas they would be laying new sod.

I was wrong. They cleaned EVERYTHING. They weeded up against the house and a flower bed that hasn't been touched in six years. They moved all the crap on the deck and got rid of leaves that have been trapped between the screen door and sliding door. They cleaned all the old rotting leaves off the wood stack. They cleaned up the side of the garage. They even cleaned behind the shed.

I am not embarrassed to admit I did a little happy dance when I saw everything that had been done. If the rest of their work is half as good as what they did already, we're getting one hell of a deal.

I wish I had thought to take pictures of all this as it was going on, but I didn't. I'm sure I've got some pictures of how hideous the yard was a few weeks ago...I'll for sure do before and after even if I can't do the during.

I can't wait to see what they do tomorrow!

I'm tired..

Last week I started going back to the gym daily. It's amazing how quickly your body forgets what it's been doing. Last week was a crazy week, but this week is looking better. J and I went to Seattle on Saturday, had dinner with my dad and step-mom, and then went to see an M's game with them. Good seats, decent game, great company. The Mariner's won (against the Arizona Diamondbacks...nothing to write home about), and fun was had by all. (Side note: We were not some of the first people to arrive, so we did not get free Ken Griffey, Jr. t-shirts. We weren't too upset, but ironically, on the night they gave away t-shirts with his name all over them? He didn't even play. I don't care what my dad thinks, I was a little sad about that. I went to a lot of baseball games as a kid when KG Jr. AND Sr. were playing on the team...it was all about the nostalgia for me, but he didn't even play. Oh well, that just means that J will need to take me back!)

We stayed up WAY too late talking, and then slept in a little bit Sunday morning. Had breakfast with Dad and Mel, spent a few hours chatting and reading the Seattle Times (FYI - it's a WAY better paper than the Tri-City Herald!), then drove up to UW to have a late lunch / early dinner with C, J's baby sister.

We got to see her new house (way cute!), and then went down the hill to Aqua Verde for lunch. I highly recommend this place! I had never been before, but had seen a Rachel Ray special about it on the Food Network Channel. It's right on Lake Washington. The chipotle salsa is amazing, as is their guacamole. Good food, resonable prices. We ate out on the deck, and it was beautiful. J and I had to get on the road right after lunch/dinner because he had to work today, but if we had had more time, I would have tried to talk him in to renting a kayak and going out on the lake for awhile. Maybe next time.

We finally got home around 10 pm last night. Late, but totally worth it!

I went to the gym this morning and took two classes. One where I got all sweaty and gross, then I ran down to the locker room and got changed, rinsed off in the shower and then took a water aerobics class.

Whew! I'm now home, and trying to come up with some ideas for blog topics. Hopefully you'll have something more exciting to read tomorrow!

I'm going to go rest for a bit, and have a bowl of cereal! Happy Monday.

Is it wrong that...6

Is it wrong that yesterday when J had to get up and get dressed for work I giggled a little bit as I snuggled back down under the covers?

How about when I reminded him that I don't have to go back to work for 10 weeks?

knowing me, knowing you - June

Shan from Tales from the Fairy Blogmother has been doing a monthly interview post, and I’ve been joining in each month. I’m a little late this month, but here it is, the June installment of Knowing Me, Knowing You!

1. Do you have any pets?
I do. J and I have two cats, Sid and Zoe. They are both 5 years old. I’ve posted lots about them in the past as we don’t have kids yet. They are sweet cats, and they have very distinct personalities. Zoe sleeps under the covers, with or without us. Sid sleeps with his head on a pillow, or on top of one of us. He “pretends” he doesn’t know where Zoe is under the covers and will stand on top of her until we push him away.

2. What's your favorite dessert?
Hands down, crème brulee. Or cheesecake. With fruit toppings.

3. For my fellow bloggers out there - are you a stats checker?
I used to be. But so few people read my blog that I got tired of looking and seeing the same stats over and over and over again. Now I don’t bother.

4. Do you have a gaming system?
Me personally? No. In my house? Yes. J has a PlayStation3 that he uses fairly regularly (probably two or three times a week or so), and I use every once in awhile. I am not good at video games (except Jeopardy), and don’t like to play them very often. J and I own several Legos games (StarWars, Batman, and Indiana Jones) and I do enjoy those. Oh, and I like Guitar Hero even though I – as my students would say – suck hardcore.

5. What is your beverage of choice?
Pepsi or COLD water. I’m trying to drink more water recently, but I do love a nice cold Pepsi every so often. Whatever I drink, it’s cold or lukewarm at best. I don’t enjoy hot drinks at all.

He couldn't have said it better himself

The other day I was driving to work and I heard a song for the first time on the radio. Have you heard Billy Currington's "People Are Crazy" yet?

Yeah, the chorus is pretty much J's motto in life.

"God is great. Beer is good. People are crazy."

If you know J at all, you're probably nodding your head and smiling. He couldn't have summed it up any better if he tried himself.




Here are the lyrics to the song in case you're interested. You can see a video of it and hear the whole song on YouTube if you're interested - it's a pretty catchy tune. I highly recommend it.


PEOPLE ARE CRAZY

This old man and me, were at the bar and we
Were having us some beers and swapping I don't cares.
Talking politics, blonde and red-haired chicks
Old dogs and new tricks and habits we ain't kicked
We talked about God's grace and all the hell we raised
Then I heard the ol' man say;
God is great. Beer is good. People are crazy.
He said "I fought two wars,
Been married and divorced"
"What brings you to Ohio?"
He said, "Damned if I know"
We talked an hour or two, 'bout every girl we knew
What all we put them through
Like two old boys will do
We pondered life and death
He lit a cigarette
He said, "These damn things will kill me yet;
But God is great. Beer is good. And people are crazy."
Last call, it's 2a.m.,
I said goodbye to him
I never talked to him again
Then one sunny day,
I saw the old man's face
Front page obituary, he was a millionaire
He left his fortune to
Some guy he barely knew,
his kids were mad as hell
But me? I'm doing well
And I dropped by today, to just say thanks and pray,
I left a six-pack right there on his grave and I said;
God is great, beer is good, and people are crazy.
God is great, beer is good, and people are crazy.
God is great, beer is good, and people are crazy.

knowing me, knowing you - May

A few months ago, Shan from Tales from the Fairy Blogmother started a new interview post. She invited everyone to play along each month. So, here it is, the May installment of Knowing Me, Knowing You!

1. Do you and your significant other go to bed at the same time?
Nope. I wish we did, but we just don’t. During the school year, I have to be up long before J, so I end up in bed before him. Sometimes hours before him. Even during the summer I’m typically in bed before he is. I am a morning person, and he is definitely a night owl.

2. Do you have any siblings?
I have two younger sisters. T is 19 months younger than me, and L is two years to the day younger than T. When we were young, we didn’t get along very well, but the older we get, the better our relationships get. I’m not sure how to explain it best, but we’ve always been close, we’re just now becoming friends. Does that make sense? We’ve always been fiercely protective of each other, even when we didn’t get along. But now, in addition to being protective of each other, we like each other, too.

I also have two sisters-in-law. H is about 6 months younger than me, and C is about 9.5 years younger than me. It was actually because of H that I met J. Yeah, I’m that girl. I dated, then married, my friend’s older brother. Poor J – between us we’ve got four sisters and not a single brother! I think he’s looking forward to having more males around…he’s pretty outnumbered as it is. (For that matter, I think his dad, my dad and my step-dad are looking forward to those days, too! Even with J around, they are all way outnumbered!)

3. You're spending an evening with friends -- would you rather cook for them in your home or go out to a restaurant?
Hmm…it depends. If my house is clean, I don’t mind having people over. In fact, when we first bought the house, J and I did a fair amount of entertaining. Recently, though, if you’re not related, you aren’t allowed to see my house. We go out fairly regularly with another couple we’re pretty good friends with. And one of my close girlfriends has adopted us into her family and we’re often invited over for Family Fun Nights and birthdays / special events. So, I guess I would have to say that we rarely entertain at home, though we like to.

4. What's your can't miss TV show?
During the school year there’s no such thing as “can’t miss” for me…I always miss. I am a total sucker for reality television (as we’ve discussed before), but I think the one show I would have to say I try to watch every week is NCIS. J and I both love it. One of my friends is addicted, too, and we text each other like mad as we are watching the show. Unfortunately, though, during the school year I can never predict what each day will bring, and I often miss the very shows I love the most.

5. Are you doing any spring cleaning?
Spring cleaning? No. Summer cleaning? You bet. This time of year is insanely busy. I typically do what I can during Spring Break, then grit my teeth and pray for summer. Once school is out, I take a few days to rest, then I whip the house back into shape. What else am I going to do during the summer when I’m not working and J still is? I don’t have kids to occupy me, so I have to do what I can to stay busy. This regularly means cleaning. J thinks I’m obsessed and love to clean, but I really don’t. I just can’t think of anything else to do that doesn’t cost money! And for the sake of my sanity, our budget and our marriage, I need to do free stuff for most of the summer… Come June 10, my house won’t know what hit it!

Movin' and Groovin'

I know I've been bad about posting again this week. I've been crazy busy! But it's a good busy, so I'm glad.

I told you a week or two ago that J and I joined a local gym. I've been sweating up a storm the last few weeks. But, much to my surprise, it's been a lot of fun! If there is a place near you with any of these classes, take them!!! I'm old and fat - if I can do them and have a great time, you can totally do them!


Believe it or not, Zumba is an incredibly popular fitness craze sweeping the nation (and it has been for about two years, now), but I had the hardest time finding a video that looked even close to what we've been doing at the Tri-City Court Club. Apparently, anyone who teaches Zumba gets to make up their own routines, so no two classes are the same! Do a YouTube search for Zumba, and you'll see about a million different routines. Awhile back, Kellog's put together a Zumba video for families that looks kind of similar to what we do, but not exactly.

Though I love Zumba, I don't want anything to get old and stale, so my friend and I are still trying out all kinds of classes. So, last Monday evening, instead of Zumba, we tried out the Group Step class...also fun! I was able to follow that better than Zumba. No matter how hard I try, my hips just don't move like a salsa dancer's. We felt like total wusses, though, because we didn't have any risers under our steps. Even the pregnant lady had a set of risers under hers! But I was glad I didn't about halfway through. That's a LOT of climbing up and down! My thighs were killing me.

There were a few moves that had me stumped, but I just kept stepping up and down on the board until they got back to something I could wrap my head around. I figured that's better than standing still, right?

Here's a video of Step Class.

On Saturdays, I've been going to H2O Cardio. That's a great class. I'm looking forward to summer when I can do that one daily. I can do EVERYTHING in that class! Plus, it's the one class where I am not one of the oldest, fattest people there. In fact, I am the youngest (by a lot of years), and let's just say I'm not embarrassed to be in my swim suit there. Bonus: not even one SHS kid is in the class! It feels good to be back in the pool. I spent almost my entire high school career in the pool. I was on the girl's swim team, I managed the boy's swim team, I was a lifeguard, I taught swim lessons, and every single PE class I took was in the pool. I smelled like chlorine for four years. I love the pool. And I've missed it. J and I have a pool in our backyard now, and we love it, but it's just not quite the same. I even miss swimming laps. J and I have done that once, and I think he's willing to go back with me again. (No video of this one...but that's okay - you might not want to see it!)


Of all the classes I've tried, though, I think my favorite is Group Kick. It's awesome! You totally feel like you're kicking butt. I think the sound effects in the songs really helps that. I found two great clips on YouTube that show exactly what we do in that class. Turn up the volume a bit so you can see what I'm talking about. When you swing your samurai sword, there is a swishing noise in the song...you can totally imagine that sword swinging through the air! When you are punching your "opponent" there are movie-type sound effects in the music. It's kind of corny when you just listen, but when you are in the class it's easy to get caught up in it all and let your imagination take over.

Down the Road

I am obsessed with music lately. Ever since I took my first Zumba class, I find myself listening for the beat in the songs I hear, and trying to figure out how to move to it.

I find that I still have ZERO rhythm.

But I'm having so much fun doing it!! When I am home alone, I might even bust out a few moves for the cats.

They're not all that interested.

Here are the songs on my playlist this week:

1. Down the Road, Kenny Chesney
2. Best Days of Your Life, Kellie Pickler
3. It Happens, Sugarland
4. One in Every Crowd, Montgomery Gentry
5. Sissy's Song, Alan Jackson
6. I Run to You, Lady Antebellum
7. River of Love, George Strait
8. Whatever it is, Zac Brown Band
9. Feel that Fire, Dierks Bentley
10. Lucky, Jason Mraz
11. Live Your Life, T.I. (featuring Rihanna)
12. Just Dance, Lady GaGa and Colby O'Donis
13. The Show, Lenka
14. Gotta Be Somebody, Nickelback
15. Just Go Started Lovin' You, James Otto
16. Don't You Know You're Beautiful, Kellie Pickler
17. Do You Believe Me Now?, Jimmy Wayne
18. She Wouldn't Be Gone, Blake Shelton
19. Love Story, Taylor Swift
20. Sweet and Wild, Dierks Bentley

...and on and on and on...

Man, the list could go on forever. Between J and I we have 8.89 GB of music on our iPods. It's easier for us to just use the one account and plug both iPods into it. I can't figure out how to separate out "his" and "hers" music, so we have same iTunes library and just create our own playlists.

That's 269.7 days of music, according to the dealy at the bottom of iTunes. (**We did NOT purchase most of that...much of it came from cd's we already owned!**)


What songs are you listening to / loving right now?

Personal training session? Or free therapy?

I told you the other day that J and I joined a local athletic club. Then I told you about all the working out I've been doing since the day we joined. That trend has continued this week, and it's only Wednesday! On Monday I went back to Zumba class, and yesterday I went to the Group Kick class again.

I also told you that J and I each received a free session with a personal trainer when we signed up. I made our appointments for the same time on the same day. Last night was the first available time slot with two trainers. J was signed up to work with Jose, and I got hosed.

Well, actually, I was working with Dewey. An unfortunate name for a cool guy. He was pretty cute and really nice - at first.

After school yesterday, I went home and changed and then went to the gym for the Group Kick class. Then I had just enough time to go home, shower (I was GROSS) and change into some dry workout clothes. As soon as J got home, he changed, and then we headed out for our personal training sessions. When J and I arrived, we were about ten minutes early for our appointments. (For those of you who know us, this is HUGE!!!) Jose was finishing up with a client, but Dewey was ready for me. So off we went to the consultation office to go over the eight page survey I had to fill in before I got there.

Let me say that again. Eight. Page. Survey.

It asked about everything you could think of and then some. It took me about 40 minutes to fill it out Monday evening. But I filled in every blank, and I was honest. Brutally honest. I probably wrote more on those tiny little blanks than anyone in the history of personal training. And Dewey read it all. But before he even read a word, he asked me a few questions: "Why are you here? How can I best help you? What do you want out of this session?"

My response? I cried.

Oh. My. Gosh. I cried, apologized, and then cried some more.

I decided to be honest, though, and tell him the truth. I apologized for being emotional, but told him that it was "beyond time I got into shape." It was about this time that J and Jose walked into the consultation office and sat down at the next cubicle. Thank God J couldn't see me and I couldn't see him, or I would have started crying all over again.

On the other hand, I was able to hear bits and pieces of their conversation and I noticed it was going an entirely different direction than mine. Jose asked J a few questions and then took him out onto "the floor" to show him different machines that could help him achieve his goals and give him some pointers. I found out later (in the truck on the way home) that Jose not only showed J the machines, he had him try several of them out AND did some free weights work.

Dewey and I, though, sat in the consultation office the entire time.

I liked him and felt pretty comfortable with him despite the fact he told me about a dozen times that he only has 4% body fat. Yeah, you heard me. You add his 4% body fat to my approximately 95% and we have about 100%!! (And, by the way, I KNOW I don't have 95% body fat...it's an exaggeration by about 60% or more. I know that muscles, bones, internal organs, etc. make up a large percentage of our weight. I don't know what my body fat percentage is, though, and am not sure I want to know right now.)

Though I liked him, I did NOT enjoy the training session. While J and Jose were out on the floor actually doing things, Dewey was in the consultation office trying to sell me nutritional supplements. He works for a company "on the side" and he sells this stuff to all of his clients. It's really helped a lot of them, and "it breaks (his) heart to see (me) crying like this."

After I got over the crying, I got a little annoyed. We never once left the consultation office. As far as a personal training session goes, that one sucked. It was decent therapy, though.

I'm just glad I didn't pay for it.

Happy Birthday, J!

As if the title of this post didn't give it away already, today is J's birthday! He turns 33 this year.

Damn, that's old.

When we first got together, I was 19 and he was 21. We've been together for a very long time, even though it feels like just yesterday that we met.

As is quickly becoming a birthday tradition on this blog, I thought I would tell you the 33 things I like most about J.


33. He's sweet.

32. He's funny.

31. He's my workout partner.

30. He reads my blog every day. I didn't know for a long time that he was. Now, it's a part of his daily routine. (Even though blogging is not always a daily part of mine!)

29. He thinks I'm funny. I can be off the wall crazy sometimes, and he just shakes his head and smiles. I love that I can make him laugh.

28. Along the same lines as #29, he's patient when I tease him about his age. He is almost two years older than me, so I am forever calling him "Gramps" and asking if he needs me to speak up. Whenever age comes up, I always tell him he is a different age than he really is. I think I've gotten his age "right" twice in our entire relationship, counting today. I tell him that since he is 45/68/72/51/35/87/etc. years-old he should know whatever we are talking about. At this point he doesn't even notice, and he doesn't correct me. He just continues making his point.

27. He's tall. I've always had a thing for tall guys, and he definitely fits the bill. Plus, I often need things from high places and he can reach them!

26. He cooks for me. I don't like to cook, so I don't. He picks up my slack big time.

25. He tolerates me putting a camera in his face nearly every time he turns around. He doesn't so much like his picture being taken, but I find him so photogenic, I can't help myself. I even take videos of him just because I can.

24. He's generous.

23. He's good to the cats. When we first got Zoe, she was scared to death of him because he was so tall. So he crawled around the house on hands and knees to give her the grand tour. Now, paws down, he's her favorite. He gives them treats every day just because he thinks they deserve them for being so cute.

22. He makes funny faces to make me smile.

21. He talks to the television.

20. He puts up with my blog without too much complaining. He tells me that he doesn't like to be the butt of all my jokes, but I don't think he is. I post all kinds of embarrassing stuff about myself, and I leave the truly embarrassing stuff about him out.

19. He's awesome with our cats.

18. I can tell him anything.

17. He's predictable. I can tell you what he's going to say or how he's going to react, and almost without fail I am right.

16. He has an amazing work ethic. If he starts something, he's going to finish it, come hell or high water. (Well, everything EXCEPT housework. That he could care less about finishing...)

15. He likes the orange and yellow Starburst, and I like the pink and red.

14. He'll go to the store and buy me personal items in an emergency. (Most guys I know wouldn't do it. J doesn't like to do it, but he will.)

13. He kills bugs for me. Even if I wake him out of a dead sleep to do it. Even if he is complaining the entire time. Even if he is cussing the entire time. He'll still kill them so I don't have to.

12. He goes to high school sporting events with me and cheers for my kids.

11. He loves me just the way I am. He tells me all the time that I'm cute.

10. On long trips he does the driving so I can sleep.

9. He's fun to hang out with.

8. He's cute.

7. He doesn't complain when I buy tons of books.

6. Every once in awhile he'll see "chick flicks" with me.

5. He talks a big game, but he's one of the more generous people I know. He doesn't like people to think he's nice, but he can't really hide it that well.

4. He takes the trash out at night. I'm too chicken to go out to the trash cans after dark, so he'll do it for me.

3. He once bought me a birthday card that said on the outside, "I can be paid not to do my birthday dance." When I opened, a song started playing, and it said, "Too late." When I looked up laughing, J was dancing...and he dances about as well as I do.

2. He loves to have a good time.

and the number one thing I like most about J?

1. He's my best friend.

Happy Birthday, J! I love you!!

TGI...M?

Whew! What a busy weekend! I was sick all week last week, and I pushed myself to go in to work every day. But by the time Friday rolled around, I just could not face one more day at school feeling the way I felt. So I called in.

I'm so glad I did. I didn't sleep that much on Friday, but I definitely took it easy all day.

On Saturday morning, I went with one of my friends to a free event at the Convention Center called Responding to Autism. Her son was recently diagnosed with Autism, and this event was to connect parents of special needs children with various resources around the Tri-Cities. I wouldn't say I had fun, but I was very impressed with what's out there. I learned a TON of information, too! Probably the most interesting thing I learned was that even in our small town, we have a pediatric dentist who works with special needs children! There was even a dad's support group there with a booth. The amount of resources available were both amazing and overwhelming. The second most enjoyable booth was the health food store. My friend is going to start her son on a gluten / casein free diet, and was pretty overwhelmed by the thought. However, there were some great cookbooks and awesome samples at the health food booth! I sampled gluten free brownies and waffles, and couldn't tell a difference in taste. The texture was a bit different, but the taste was amazing! (The brownie was not dense...it was a little more crumbly than I expected and a LOT lighter.)

After I was done there, I met J at the mall. He needed a few new knit polo shirts. His other shirts have gotten short over the last few years. So, we set out to get a few shirts and ended up on an all day shopping expedition. I thought I might like a polo shirt, too, so after we finished with J's stuff, we went to look for a polo shirt for me. We had exactly zero luck with a shirt for me, but instead found all kinds of other things! Two great t-shirts, a few camis with lace at the top and bottom, and super cute coral colored jacket, and...a dress.

Yep. I bought a dress.

For those of you who don't know me, you may wonder why this is a big deal. Girls wear dresses, right? Well, let me share a secret with you: I don't. In fact, I had a jumper when I was in high school that I wore with t-shirts. I wore a dress to my high school prom, homecoming, and graduation. So I think I wore a dress a total of five or six times in high school. Then, in college, I wore skirts every so often, but it was rare. No dresses. I got married in a dress five years ago. I haven't even tried one on since then.

Till Saturday. There were tons of adorable dresses out, so I thought I would try one on. I've taken to "humoring" J and trying on a few of the things he picks out, but most of the time I don't like it. However, when we went school shopping at the beginning of the year, he found a few things for me that I loved.

The dresses that I picked out were super cute, but just didn't look right on me. I ended up with the polka dot dress I thought looked dorky on the hanger. It looks AWESOME on.

And J picked it out.

I can't figure that guy out, sometimes, but I'm glad he was there! I did tell him, though, that if I were to buy a dress, he would have to take me out for a fancy date so I would have someplace to wear it! He agreed, and we purchased the dress.

Then, after all of that shopping, we were driving home. As we passed the golf shop, he commented AGAIN that he was interested in getting fit for custom clubs. I told him to turn around, and that now was as good a time as any to just go get some information.

We ended up buying a set. More on that soon.

When all was said and done, we didn't get home until after 8pm. Then I had to give J a haircut because we had plans to meet my dad and step-mom at their friends' house in Yakima for Easter brunch.

Yesterday we drove to Yakima (about an hour and a half away) for brunch with a bunch of people we didn't know. Turned out to be a rather enjoyable day. Then we drove home. It was a lot of driving and a lot of sitting around. I ended up sleeping almost the whole way home.

I'm almost glad it's the week so I can get some rest!

Windygate, pt. 1

About a month and a half ago, we had a crazy windstorm that blew down part of our fence, including the gate on the side of the house. J and his dad took down the rotted out sections and we decided to make the replacement gate much wider so we could pull our truck into the backyard.

They poured cement and set the posts, and then we just had to wait for nice weather to put the gate up.

It's been a long wait, I tell you.

J got so tired of waiting, in fact, that he put the gate frames up in the middle of a hailstorm.

You heard me, in the middle of a hailstorm. Here's video proof.














He's crazy, right?
The fact that he was doing construction in the middle of a hailstorm was strange for two reasons. First, who does that? Other than J, of course? Who else is crazy enough to be outside in the cold and wet putting up a gate? Especially because we don't have pets we are trying to keep in. The gate is purely for cosmetic / privacy purposes. And second, it was the end of March, for crying out loud!! What is up with this crazy weather this year? Hail in March? Really?

Fortunately, once he got the frames up, J decided that enough was enough and he called it quits. He came inside to thaw and warm up. He informed me that he would be waiting for sun before he attempted to face the frames.

Three weeks later, we finally had some sun the first weekend in April. Seriously, for about three weeks now it's been beautiful for a day or two during the week, and then the rest of the week and the entire weekend has been cold and rainy / windy. Finally on April 5 we got some good sun so J and I got to work facing the frames that had been swinging naked in the wind for too long.
To be continued...

Where do you think best?

Where do you think best? This may seem odd, but over the past few years I have come to realize that I do my best thinking in the shower.

Seems strange, yes?

I think it's because it is the only place I am not distracted by a million other things. I am forced into quiet reflection because there is nothing else to do. I can't watch television, listen to the radio, read a book, or play with electronic gadgets. J is typically sleeping still, so I can't talk to him. I've tried talking to myself, but that just seems so strange. The cats will hang out in the bathroom, but talking to them is basically like talking to myself.

I have no choice but to think. And, it's amazing the thinking I do while washing my hair! I do my best lesson planning in the shower. I get my thoughts organized and finalized. I make plans and set goals.

And all of this in the ten-fifteen minutes it takes me to shower.

If Obama wants to spring for a bigger hot water heater, I just may be willing to tackle a few problems for him!