16 Hours In A Car...Totally Worth It!

There are ALWAYS more productive things I could/should be doing. If I was drinking 5 hour energy I would no doubt figure out how to run a successful business in person and online, write/edit/and publish my newest novel, update (and keep up to date) all my social media sights, maintain my creative exercises and physical exercise, cook three times a day from scratch, keep my house immaculate, and have a social life. But the copious quantities of Dr.Pepper and Coke I drink unfortunately have not promoted me to "able to perform miracles" status. So while I should be researching business ideas and new product ideas, the past couple days I have been reading up on my favorite blogs and just indulging me-ness.

Maybe I started feeling the need when I went to the little high school reunion/get together a couple weeks ago. I had expected to relive awkward old memories, and see how much we had all aged, but, instead, was swept into a surreal time warp where almost everyone looked the same as they did 16 years ago, and yet none of us had to act like awkward teenagers. Okay, there was one exception to the rule, but on the whole it was a pleasant experience that reminded me of good things, like how much fun drama was, how amazing Becky Lee Coon was, and how much I still want to be an author.

Beyond that, this past weekend was a barrel full of nostalgia. At long last, we had a weekend free. We opened the shop as usual, but cut out around 1 and headed east. I tried to add a photo, but blogger clearly hasn't figured out how to function with an iPad yet... Anyhow, the 8 hour drive was long, but the weather was perfect, and we got to Lewiston just early enough to catch a $1 movie, for old time's sake.

No one was awake at the homestead when we arrived, but, with a little persistent nudging, Sumatra did accept being petted. You'd never believe that pesky wonderful cat is 17 years old! The next day was divided between time with family and trips to our old haunts around the Moscow area. All good and entertaining.

Then came Sunday, and the arrival of the Shaw clan. How perfect that we were able to come up the weekend they flew down from Alaska. My teenage nieces are beautiful, hilarious, and straight up amazing. The day was spent catching up with the generations, and was concluded with a massive bonfire. I really wish I could post some of the photos, but, alas, that is not to be today.

We spent a bit more time with the family on Monday, not wanting to go, yet knowing that another 8 hour plus car ride was looming in our future. Thankfully, the pleasant weather held, and after photos documenting that my two oldest nieces now tower over me (thankfully not by quite as much as my three oldest nephews!) we were on our way back to Oregon.

As exhausting as all that driving can be, it was well worth the trip, and managed to be refreshing as well. The whole thing put me in the mood to reconnect, reflect, and get back into traveling...

Flashback Photo Frenzy

At long last we have the computer working with the internet. That means full access to pictures with ability to post them. Hopefully it also means no crankiness on the part of the server when I try to make this post a reality. Today seems as good a day as any for doing this, seeing as how I'm not leaving my room much on account of a barfing dog. Poor Katcha has been all kinds of pukish today, and so we're trying to keep things nice and mellow for her, which means me sitting on the bed and being present if she decides to up-chuck again. Yummy, isn't it. Let's just say I've had a lot more experience with bodily fluids than my husband has, which makes me the prime candidate for doggie sick duty. But enough of that, lets go for that stroll down memory lane I've been promising for ages. We're going all the way back to Moscow for the start of this trip. Back when my dear little white mac decided it was full and didn't want to accept any more photos. Silly little thing. Hopefully after a three month respite it will be ready to accept me with open arms once again. So here are those little autumn lovelies from Idaho.

This water was actually kind of sickly looking, but the reflection was so nice I just couldn't resist.

And what would a little photo montage be without a poser shot? Do you know how hard it is to get a camera to balance on a branch at just the right angle? It's tricky. I have nice tripod that would make it all easier, but I often forget to carry it around in my purse all the time. Our next segment recalls those brutal cookies I whipped up for Halloween. I did post a few of these photos off my phone as well, but these are gloriously awful. You can see in the first one that they looked even more fingerlike before baking, but they puffed up quite a bit. I'll know better if I make them again.

Apparently I find it shamelessly entertaining to post photos of food I've managed to make. Perhaps it's because I'm so not a "foodie." So here are the Thanksgiving cookies my mom and I made out of another Rachel Ray mag. They had a lot of cream cheese in them, and were stuffed with apricot jam. A definite hit with the men in the house :)

A small nod now to the lovely Starbucks cup I got from Amy and Nate. I was extra excited to learn that you get a ten cent discount when you order your drink in the cup. So here you have Christmas (that's peppermint mocha for those not in the know) in a Hong Kong cup :)

We now have a bizarre little segue involving some food that I did not make. I must say that my wedding cake was a bit of a disaster. The cake lady delivered it basically as the wedding was starting, probably to avoid actually having to deal with anyone directly involved. It was more than a little off balance, and the longer you looked at it, the more obvious it was that it was essentially patched together with excessive quantities of frosting. At the same time, she made really beautiful sugary flowers, and it didn't taste bad. Wanting to hold with tradition as much as possible, although I've always been curious how a tradition like saving the top of your cake for your first anniversary came about seeing as how it started before refrigeration, we pulled the cake topper out when we were in McMinnville right before heading to Czech. Amazingly, it thawed out into a moist,delicious, chocolatey mess. You can see how the frosting mostly separated off revealing what a hack job it was, but at least it was tasty and the flowers remained in tact.

Next we have a picture of my most recent crochet job. A blanket I made for Jessie's new baby, Daniela, who entered the world the day after I left. At least I got to deliver the blanket in advance :)

On the day we flew out we decided to enjoy a little bit of Seattle. I feel like I have neglected Mark's education of cool things to see in the US, so it was nice to at least give him something before we left.

Yes, this is the first Starbucks. How could we resist checking that out.

I just couldn't resist that last photo of the Ross store. It looks a wee bit classier than our little Moscow Ross, but I imagine it isn't nearly as neat, clean and organized :) After our flight this was the first real Czech advertisement I saw. It was so absolutely bizarre and creepy that I just had to take a photo.

And here you can see the lovely little room that my mom-in-law had made up so nicely for us. It's where I'm sitting at this very moment as I type, with Katcha down at the end wrapped up in Mark's comforter and thankfully not barfing.

And the final photo on our little journey is of the cookies I put the cream on. I have yet to taste them, because all the cookies have been boxed up to take out at Christmas time, but at least I know they look beautiful.

So there you have a quick tour of photos from the last couple of months. Sorry for leaving it all as such a blur, but so it goes. Now that I know this computer will go online I'll try to keep things better up to date photo wise. It really helps to break up the posts, which I think makes them a bit less intimidating.

Oh How We Love to Wander

There isn't a whole lot to do in Moscow, ID. I suppose if you're a student you have student-y things to do, but we're not students. And we're not exactly into farming either. The nearest big-ish city is about 90 miles away. With gas prices as they are, that's not exactly a welcome thought. Besides, when you don't know a city very well and don't have any friends there, it's still hard to find that many great things to do once you get there. We got to the Apple store, wander around a bit, the end.

So we've had to find ways to improvise and entertain ourselves this year. One of the main things we've done is to wander. Generally this wandering is rather aimless. We get in the car with no real idea, point in some direction, and just go. This often means bumping along on dirt roads, much to the horror of our car, but it still gets us to the mysterious where.

For those not familiar with North Western Idaho and Eastern Washington, this area is called the Palouse. It comes from some Native word, and is used to describe the rolling hills that are predominately farmland. I can't exactly say that it's my favorite backdrop for life, but there is something interesting about the layers of hills and plant life which is currently all stubbly and in shades of brown.

On Thursday I had the day off once again. We decided to take a road we had yet to discover. There are still a few of those out there. So this time we headed for Wawawai. We had no idea where this would take us, and were soon winding our way down a twisty road into a deep canyon. At the bottom we discovered a beautiful river gorge with fascinatingly layered rocky hillsides.





We stopped at a place where fisherman were taking advantage of the still waters. We felt a little funny walking around all these serious guys, but we did our best to just stay amused and ignore their obvious curiosity. Then we drove on farther and came to a place where we could walk up into the hills a bit.










It's really quite amazing to me what you can discover when you just wander a bit. Here are these places full of beauty and intrigue, and they're literally just a short drive away, but without just going for it, we would never have discovered them. I can think of so many times in my life when I have lived near really incredible nature, but haven't ever gotten around to visiting it. So while we may often complain that we aren't living in the greatest place on the planet, as least we're going out there and seeing what there is to see.

Fire Chasers

Even before there's a scent on the wind
It begins to billow
Floating heavily upward
A shadow on the horizon.

We fix our eyes upon the growing tower
All questions, concerns and curiosity,
With breath held wondrously
Following the smoke.

Over hill, round perilous bends,
A mythological undertaking
To discover the source
And decipher the meaning.

A spark of flame was in the trees,
Glowing yellow and orange
Bathed in green
But this was not the fire.

We race and ramble on rocky paths,
Searching frantic
Until at last
We drive away unanswered.



Yesterday we set out on what ended up as a wild goose chase. As we drove around enjoying a sunny fall afternoon, we spotted the smoke rising and thought we'd give it a chase. It was a rather adventurous ride, but we never actually made it anywhere close to the blaze. All the same, it was worth it.



The birds sensed the danger and flew wildly.



We could tell we were on the right path as we flitted through the fields.




We drove through the forest and found great beasts.



And other wild creatures.

Then we took a break to look for gold which we also didn't find, but there were some interesting photo ops...




What mysterious stones.



And haunted flowers.




As well as some other lovely green leafy things.



And a little bit of posing as well.




And though we never found the fire we ended it off with a beautiful rainbow.

Meet me at the Fair!

It's fair time here in Latah county. Nothing quite like a small county fair in the heart of farming country. While know fair I've ever been to can be compared to the Leoti fair (a fair so cool they own all their own rides and only charge a quarter for each ride!) this one was quaint indeed. The fact that they still have free admission was a definite bonus, but they manage to inflate the prices of everything else so the carnies make out okay.
Before heading out tonight, Mark was a bit uncertain about the whole affair. The idea of farmer kids bringing in their prize pig, especially with the thought that the award winning prize will ring in the best price per pound, was a bit of a stretch for him. In the end, however, I think even the swine won him over.
All the classics were present and accounted for. Random booths with drawings and freebies, sheep, pigs, cows, goats, bunnies and chickens all groomed to perfection, kiddie rides and over priced impossible to win games, baked goods, art projects and random collections, and of course a hearty dose of over priced greasy food. Pretty much perfect.
After experiencing a real theme park earlier this summer, the rides didn't hold much appeal. That was probably a good thing, seeing as how it costs an arm and a leg to buy a single ticket, and each ride requires at least 3 for a 30 second ride. We did, however, break down and try a game. It's pretty incredible how they sucker you in. First, they always look easier to win than they really are. Then, even when you do win something, you could have paid twenty cents for it at 9riental trading company. The really big prizes require wasting so much money that it's purely unthinkable. But that next great payout always looks soooo close. (Sigh)
Naturally, we had to check out the chickens that Rowan and Adelia entered for judging. Rowan won Grand Champion for one of the most boring brown chickens ever. Apparently the fact that its feathers weren't bleached out was very impressive...Adelia was pretty crushed that her lovely bird didn't bring home the title, but what can you do?
Looking at the photography made me wonder why I've never entered the competition. Maybe one of these days. I've got some pretty postcard worthy shots if I do say so myself.
After the fair we celebrated payday with a trip to Starbucks where I learned that one of our regular baristas won a blue ribbon for his apricot jam. Who knew.
Well, it's been a very long week and the days when I could thrive on 4 hours of sleep are long gone so i'd best get some rest before the new day dawns and there are yard sales to attend...

Of Paychecks, Sunshine and Cemeteries...

So today, for the first time since June of last year, I finally had income. Pretty amazing. I've always been pretty good at saving money, but this whole having a husband thing makes it a lot more challenging. After all, he has to eat. And he's a man. And a fairly young with high metabolism one at that. So after all the airline tickets, the wedding, and the food, it's great to finally get something back. Not that my part time job provided a whopper of a pay check, but at least enough to cover about a third of our most recent paperwork fee. At least it's all in now, so all we have to do is wait at the mercy of the government. We'll see how that goes.
In other news, it's sunny. It's been in the 70's several days this week, and I couldn't be happier about that. Now if the gas prices will just go down like some person on the radio said they should, life would definitely improve. Mark and I have been doing quite a bit of exploring over the past several weeks as the weather has gotten better, and it takes a toll on that gas bill for sure.
We're currently living in Moscow, ID. For those who don't know anything about Moscow, well, it's a far cry from Hong Kong or the Czech Republic. It's a little town with a fair sized state university, plopped down right in the middle of the Palouse. The Palouse is a region of Idaho and Washington characterized by it's rolling hills of farmland. It's surrounded by a large number of miniscule village like towns, tucked away in the hills at the end of winding dirt roads.
Since Mark and I are both fascinated by history, and the life stories revealed in cemeteries, we've been meandering about on these little byways in search of historical treasure. I think I wrote about one of the little cemeteries we went to a few weeks ago. Yesterday we were driving into Genessee after taking a long circuitous route along Lenville road. The sun broke through the scattered gray clouds to reveal a cemetery on a hill. It was a bit chilly, but we braved the cold and checked out the remnants of Pine Valley, a place that no longer even seems to exist except as recorded in the Cemetery. Someone had erected a stone there that talked about the family connections that could be witnessed when looking at the scattered graves.
Today, we went in a different direction. This time our search took us to Little Bear Ridge Cemetery, a very small plot that held maybe thirty or so stones. Again, this little place recounted the lives of early settlers, remembered only in this bit of ground set apart long ago. We then made our way to Burnt Ridge Cemetery. This one revealed a strong Swedish population. It was really quite fascinating. Of course, Mark had to harness his feelings regarding the fact that Sweden beat the Czech Republic in Hockey today (after the Czech's totally slaughtered the Americans a few days ago of course), but he managed to do so. It seemed that a large community had come there together to start a new life, probably during the famine that hit Sweden in the 1860s. Many of the stones were even written in Swedish. It made me think of my own maternal lineage, and how most of them settled out in Minnesota in that era.
As always, I was fascinated to think of the lives of the people, now nestled peacefully on these little hilltops. There was evidence of great loves and tragic losses sprinkled across the quiet green field. It reminds me of our frailty and the importance of living this life to the fullest while we have a chance.
So in honor of these thoughts we enjoyed half price frappucinos from Starbucks and later on buy one get one free frozen strawberry lemonades from McDonalds. So the weekend is on. I have three days off, so hopefully the nice weather will hold, although I've heard there are thunderstorms in the forecast. At least that could be interesting, and could mean the warm weather will continue as well. As always, here's to hope!

Enjoying the small things

Life isn't one big ball of endless happiness. Maybe some people are good at finding the beauty in every day, learning how to life each moment to the fullest, and seeing the bright side of every situation, but I'm not one of those people. Never have been.
I remember how funny I found it when one of my students described me as an optimist. Um, say that again? Me? Not what most people who met me at the age of 15 would have thought for sure. Perhaps it has something to do with the dramatic side of my nature, the artist that would be if given the chance and the motivation and the right connections.
It's been pointed out on more than one occasion, unfortunately by more than one person, that I'm good at...well...making excuses. That's not a pretty way to define it. Personally, I'd just say I'm good at rationalization, or at explaining the hows and whys of my life. If you don't think I have much to show for the years that have passed and the dreams that I've nurtured, take a look at my scrapbooks and photo albums. So my bank account is a weak point, I've still managed to see a sizable chunk of the world and to have accumulated a decent backlog of stories worth telling. And there comes that handy explanation. Why am I not a published novelist? I've been too busy getting out there and living. Some people find that to be an excuse. Well, let them. I really wouldn't trade the choices I've made for the ideals of someone else.
As usual, I've managed to get pretty far off topic. The point of this post was to say that, while it's easy for me to get bogged down in the mundane, trapped in the sameness and my personal disillusionment, there are those little moments that wake me up and remind me that there are bright spots in the world. And today I managed to have a bright sort of experience.
Moscow hasn't exactly figured out that it's Spring just yet. Sure, there are moments of shy surrender to the sun, but they're far too short lived for my taste. Having long been negatively effected by inclement weather, this lack of warmth and beauty has been wearing on me to say the least.
Today Mark and I decided we needed to get the hoo ha out of here and see something new. It's been a trend this week actually. We've taken a number of trips around the area and discovered some quaint country villages on the meandering roads of the Palouse. This time our drifting took us in the direction of Colfax. On the way there we saw a sign for a park and decided to see where the road would take us. We wandered around on dirt roads for a bit and finally arrived at Klemgard Park. It wasn't anything hugely spectacular, but there was a nice picnic type area and we found a little trail that wove it's way through the little forest clump. The Palouse is generally known for it's barren farmed hillsides, so every time there's something like a forest they seem to turn it into a park.
We watched chipmunks cavorting through the underbrush, listened to birds twittering about spring, followed butterfly trails across our path, and enjoyed little waterfalls as we followed the needle covered trail. It was a nice bit of exercise, and a good fresh air experience. The real miracle was that the sky was suddenly blue, the temperature soared to around fifty, and it truly felt good to be alive.
After completing the park circuit we continued along the dirt road that eventually led us to Colfax. On the way we did some long overdue Czech practice. I've let my studies down, which is definitely a weakness of mine. (Again, I have a long list of very practical reasons why my Czech skills are lacking. And none of them are lies either, but they still don't make up for the fact that learning Czech is something I need to figure out how to do.) I named different things I could see, and tried to answer Mark's questions.
We ended in Colfax where we were on a hunt for zmrzlina (aka ice cream). We didn't find any sort of fancy parlour, but instead checked out a local Rosauers grocery store. Much to our delight we discovered that, not only did they have Magnum bars on sale, they also had a solitary box of Pilsner Urquell! It was like a little gift from European soil right there in a small old fashioned Washington farm town. Who knew?
So the small things in life remember that there is always a reason to find joy in this world. Last week we watched "The Pianist" and were reminded of just how cruel mankind can be, and just how beautiful a loaf of bread with berry jam is.
I know I need to stop making excuses. I know that, even living in Moscow, ID, even working in retail, even having what appears to be a small life at the moment, is a blessing. And you just never know when you'll walk into a store in the middle of nowhere and find just what you've been looking for.

Into the Swing

And so it flows. Life captures a rhythm and catapults me into a running momentum. The days begin to blend. Their flavor softens into a dull monotone. Get up. Throw self together. Head out the door. Then rush rush rush and say that it all matters, all the while knowing it'll be the same again the next day and the next.
I got called in for an extra shift on Saturday. Mark and I were enjoying the beautiful sunshine, walking around the Moscow cemetery when the call came in. Not sure if I mentioned the last cemetery we went to in one of my posts. If not, it was a pretty incredible place. (Yes, this is an aside in the middle of a paragraph again. I swear I don't do this when I write for "real.") It was a small family cemetery mostly. Many of the stones must have been damaged beyond recognition only to be replaced by little plaques saying things like "Mrs. Johnson" when they couldn't figure everything out. The one we were at Saturday sprawls out over a quiet green hillside. The stones are varied and numerous. The old section is, well, quite old. There was clear evidence of hard eras when, perhaps, a bout of influenza cleared a bunch of people out. The large baby section is a quiet witness to just how hard it was for life to press on in those pioneer days. There is even a solitary crypt, as well as a couple plots that reveal a strong European influence.
It's always remarkable to wander through these peaceful burial grounds, reminded of all that has come before, and how all that is will one day be. We're all just travelers after all. Temporary pilgrims in this war tossed world. I wish it were easier for us to find rest and joy in the time we spend here, but, as evidenced by current events, we're not very good at doing that. (sigh)
Anyhow, I got a few extra hours of work in the middle of the weekend. I can use what I can get to be sure. Better to be someone they can count on than hoarding my time off. Plus, since I haven't been register trained, I got to work on "projects" the whole time. Things like colorizing the ties (exercise in futility) and making the ends of rows all pretty and themed. In toys I created a Princess display in honor of the Royal Wedding. I wasn't one of those who got up early in the morning to watch the proceedings, but I did take in a rerun just for the fun of it. Mark and I both remarked on how easy it must have been for them. They could just say, "I'd like this" and it was done and more than paid for. Far less stress. Well, except for the bit about having the whole world watching.
After the fabulous weather we had yesterday, it appears that the clouds have returned. At least it's not too cold. We were really able to enjoy the day. (Another aside, a big branch just fell on the roof. It was so loud I was afraid a tree might have fallen, but it doesn't look like it did any damage so all is well.) Anyhow, we checked out a park we'd never been too, played a game of soggy Frisbee (I still totally lack throwing talent) and checked out the Renaissance Fair. In all, a busy and enjoyable Sunday. So nice not to have to be bundled up for a change. Yes, I'm totally looking forward to Summer. Hopefully we'll have one this year.
My parents are home for a few days which changes the color of life around here as well. It's always nice to see them and to catch up on the little adventure they're having out in Montana. All the same, that work schedule pattern has got me in it's grasp and I know that time will continue spinning faster and faster with each passing day until I suddenly discover myself old and gray...horrifically frightening thought, perhaps even more so in rhyme...

Lost in a Forest...In love with the Greenery

Can't claim the title, it's from a classic song by Poor Old Lu and old favorite of mine. I've always been a sucker for witty lyrics. Okay, maybe not always. I've listened to plenty of drivel to be certain, not to mention all those songs that I even semi-sing along with, but haven't a clue what I'm saying, or what they're saying, or what it would mean even if I did understand what they're saying. It actually gets even funnier when you combine hard to decipher lyrics with non-native English speakers. The Corrs song "Leave me breathless" just might turn into "leave me Bradley"... you just never know.
But that's all quite beside the point. Like I said, I like those lines that make me think more deeply and spin me into thoughts of my own. Back in the day when I was an aspiring artistic e-mail writer, I enjoyed incorporating the lyrics of whatever I was listening to into my letters. I did cite them, no copywrite infringement or anything, but I found it odd how often they were able to express exactly what I was trying to say but somehow coming up short with.
So as I was sitting here in my parent's living room on a Sunday afternoon I had this line flutter into my head and realized it really does suit the mood of my recent days. I won't go into a full break down of all this song could mean, but more just how it hits me at the moment. Right now I sorta feel like I'm stuck in the midst of this sea of possibilities with no idea which way to turn or what to do or how to achieve ANY of it. I love the life I've been blessed to live, the experiences I've been able to have, all the trappings of what has come. But when I have to write out a resume I can see why people might balk a bit at wanting to employ me. My work experience is not only spread across the board of varieties, it's also spread across the globe. My transience is evident as my jobs go from CA to HK to OR to AK to CZ and here I am in ID. Come again? I've been able to experience so much that I'm not suited for anything in there here and now of every day real life.
The truth is, I would love to just be a novelist, to feel content spending hours typing away the ideas in my mind, knowing there was an audience out there chomping at the bit to read what I've come up with. But life is not predictable like that. So instead, I sit here stressing that I can't even get a fresh out of High School job because, in a sense, there's just too much to me.
I've been stateside for a little over four months now, and I've already hit the flee stage. This is where I start trying to figure out what I can do next to get mobile. I watch "House Hunters International" and dream of exotic locations. I have dreams about Hong Kong and the life I lived there, and I can hardly bring myself to even think of my pictures from Czech and the time I spent traipsing about Europe, hanging out in castles and cafes all chalk full of culture.
Then again, there's that part of me that's just begging to...dare I say the irritating word... nest (to be whispered in a hushed voice). I've been in an unsettled state of dwelling since July. And even before that my cozy world was invaded for the school year by a sort of monster that made it impossible to feel at home in my own home. I'm ready for a place where I can put my pictures on the walls, and organize my knickknacks from a life of world traveling and make my statement.
I need focus, balance, purpose, all those good things. I need (ugh) a job. Something to kick me out of the slump and re-energize me. After all, there are all these stories that need to be told, and I'm the one who's meant to tell them.

3,000

So I added a counter to my blog a while back and find it rather fascinating to see that it has logged on 3,000 page views. Not really sure where all of that comes from, seeing as how I only have ten "official" followers (however that works) and a handful of friends and family members that I know check the blog. And as much as my mom hassles me when she thinks I haven't been updating enough, I rather doubt she checks THAT frequently.
Anyhow, a new week has begun and I started off by giving in to my next door niece and nephew. They decided that, since Grandpa is away, Auntie Sarah should be their walking companion on the way to school. Of course their mom and the whippets are there too, but they seem to think it's more fun to have another walking helper.
Had to pull my sorry carcass out of bed at 7:35 in order to be up to the task. I know that sounds pathetic, but having been unemployed since last July I've rather lost the daily routine sort of thing that generally keeps my life motivated. Anyhow, after a grape juice disaster that slowed them up (Adelia's thermos leaked through her whole backpack, leaving her to carry her pink Hello Kitty backpack from K-1. Being a third grader that's totally ancient history and reflects a girlier stage in her style choices) I did join the crew for the walk. It wasn't too cold, or windy and there was no blowing snow or rain, so it was a nice way to get the day started.
Julie has taken to the idea of me helping with the cooking, so we decided to try out a new crock pot recipe. Thankfully this one involved hamburger that I didn't have to touch. I pretty much did the whole thing, with Julie doing dishes and occasionally giving insight into what size things should be chopped and how to improvise a bit so that the seasoning would be strong enough. Then she had to ride quickly back to the school to deliver Rowan's "Me flag" and by the time she'd returned I'd decided that I would follow the old "If you can read you can cook" advice I've heard so many times.
I cooked up the hamburger, drained it, and added everything into the pot. I was feeling like I'd managed not to freak out too much, only to have Julie return and inform me that she'd had things planned slightly differently...apparently it's more than just following the instructions after all. I always knew there were sinister underlying rules that cooking instructions refuse to divulge! Guess we'll just have to wait until dinner time to see if it all turns out okay.

Paper Trails

The applications continue. I've now applied to Macy's as well. I must be a glutton for punishment. Here I am, seeking entry level jobs and then feeling lousy if I don't hear anything back from them. Mark was sweet and told me that sometimes they don't like to hire people who look overly qualified. It's a nice idea at least. But the truth is, when you can't even get a call back from Starbucks you just start to feel unemployable. Sigh. Especially when it's been over a week since I sent in the application and I see that the job is still listed, but no response here. Ah well.
My parents were back for a few days and it was nice to catch up with them and hear how things are going over in Seeley Lake where they're currently working. Sounds like it's pretty beautiful, but they're still snowed in up there. I'm thankful that the snow seems to have gone away here in Moscow. Gotta say I'm so ready for Spring. It was hard to leave it in McMinnville. Truly, I'm ready for summer. Didn't get much of it last year, and it would so be nice to have some quality sun time. I'm in desperate need of it.
I've sorted through most of the paperwork for the next visa process step. Now I just need to figure out what all we have to do again, and what they can manage to look up for themselves since we already sent it to them in the last packet. It's amazing the amount of things it seems they can't remember from one mailing to the next. Ah well. That's government for you I guess.
Not really much interesting to say. I'm still slugging along at DOP. I've managed to get through more than half of it now, and I have to say, it doesn't look too bad. I've had to revamp some things to be certain, and have tried my best to weed out repetitive vocabulary. Of course, considering the literary market I'd like to tap with it, that probably isn't the biggest concern ever...
It's always challenging to self-critique, but I wrote it long enough ago that I really don't remember everything, so I have to rediscover it as I go along.
Well, it's about one so it's probably time for me to see if I can manage to make something edible for lunch. Sadly for Mark, that isn't one of my strong points...Sigh.