Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Happy Halloween and some more
What a huge difference from our neighborhood in Tacoma. Up there, we had almost as many houses with no one home/lights off as those who were home. Halloween was kind of just another day.
And then there's Texas. Our entire neighborhood turned out for a block party. At the peak, there were at least 40 kids with 70+ adults. The moms who organized it did a great job with some games, activities and pumpkin carving. We blocked off the street from around our house down three houses further. Everyone brought some food. I screwed up my spare ribs and they were good but not great. One neighbor made a giant pot of gumbo. And everyone had a fantastic time. Once we got the kids to bed, a lot of the parents came back out sat around a fire pit. I called it a night around 1:00. Some of the wild and crazy ones were out way past that.
Sunday was Trick or Treating. The trend is now to sit outside on either your driveway or sidewalk and pass candy out from there. I like this idea. It made it very festive. The cul-de-sac families just sat together in a group and saw all the kids at once. We went around the circle with two neighbor families and had a blast. Tom and Linda came over and passed out candy for me and the girls were thrilled to be out and around.
Monday was '50's Day at school. Ellie was very interested in what the 50's were like on Sunday afternoon. I showed her some pictures of the people, fashion, icons. New York City. Yankee Stadium :) I showed her a picture of Grace Kelly (arguably the most beautiful woman to ever live.) Her reply: She looks like Mommy. Yes, Ellie, yes she did.
And then there's Texas. Our entire neighborhood turned out for a block party. At the peak, there were at least 40 kids with 70+ adults. The moms who organized it did a great job with some games, activities and pumpkin carving. We blocked off the street from around our house down three houses further. Everyone brought some food. I screwed up my spare ribs and they were good but not great. One neighbor made a giant pot of gumbo. And everyone had a fantastic time. Once we got the kids to bed, a lot of the parents came back out sat around a fire pit. I called it a night around 1:00. Some of the wild and crazy ones were out way past that.
Sunday was Trick or Treating. The trend is now to sit outside on either your driveway or sidewalk and pass candy out from there. I like this idea. It made it very festive. The cul-de-sac families just sat together in a group and saw all the kids at once. We went around the circle with two neighbor families and had a blast. Tom and Linda came over and passed out candy for me and the girls were thrilled to be out and around.
Monday was '50's Day at school. Ellie was very interested in what the 50's were like on Sunday afternoon. I showed her some pictures of the people, fashion, icons. New York City. Yankee Stadium :) I showed her a picture of Grace Kelly (arguably the most beautiful woman to ever live.) Her reply: She looks like Mommy. Yes, Ellie, yes she did.
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Out and about in October
I heard a guy on the radio the other day talk about how the 6+ months or so from mid October until mid April is why people live in Houston. The other 5 months are why housing is so cheap here. The weather has definitely turned. We even saw overnight lows in the 40s. So funny to see people walking around in the mornings with sweaters on. Bunch of weenies.
I finally got around to dumping the pictures on my phone onto the computer. Amazing how much stuff I had on there. Great pictures of the girls going back to April, some good mountain shots and some video I took of the Longhorn band marching onto the field before the TX-OU game at the Cotton Bowl.
The girls and I headed to downtown for the Bayou City Art Festival. I had never been before but I was jonesing for something resembling the outdoor markets and festivals that we were spoiled with over the last 3 years. And this one delivered. There was an amazing amount of art on display. Some really fantastic stuff that ranged from basic jewelry up to sculptures selling for $20,000. When we got there, the girls were more interested in getting some food so we ate first. And then came the ice cream.
We browsed some more art and the kiddos were enthralled with a sculpture artist that had created some items from old push button typewriters and Singer sewing machines with the hand spun wheel. Another guy had etched these incredible glass pieces that rivaled the best ice art we ever saw in Alaska. I would have spent a lot more time looking but both girls were in that "must try to touch everything" mode and that really didn't fly. Another snack and we were off to the music stage.
When we first got over there, a group doing traditional African dances was on stage. We were pretty far away from the act but Ellie and Campbell enjoyed the drumming a lot. When they finished a Latin jazz group was up next. We moved right up the stage and the girls started dancing with another little girl. By the time the band had finished their set about 10-12 little kids were trying their darndest to keep some kind of order. It was half dancing to the beat and half kiddo mosh pit.
An impromptu mini monument as a goodbye to so many good (and bad) things over the past months.
I finally got around to dumping the pictures on my phone onto the computer. Amazing how much stuff I had on there. Great pictures of the girls going back to April, some good mountain shots and some video I took of the Longhorn band marching onto the field before the TX-OU game at the Cotton Bowl.
The girls and I headed to downtown for the Bayou City Art Festival. I had never been before but I was jonesing for something resembling the outdoor markets and festivals that we were spoiled with over the last 3 years. And this one delivered. There was an amazing amount of art on display. Some really fantastic stuff that ranged from basic jewelry up to sculptures selling for $20,000. When we got there, the girls were more interested in getting some food so we ate first. And then came the ice cream.
We browsed some more art and the kiddos were enthralled with a sculpture artist that had created some items from old push button typewriters and Singer sewing machines with the hand spun wheel. Another guy had etched these incredible glass pieces that rivaled the best ice art we ever saw in Alaska. I would have spent a lot more time looking but both girls were in that "must try to touch everything" mode and that really didn't fly. Another snack and we were off to the music stage.
When we first got over there, a group doing traditional African dances was on stage. We were pretty far away from the act but Ellie and Campbell enjoyed the drumming a lot. When they finished a Latin jazz group was up next. We moved right up the stage and the girls started dancing with another little girl. By the time the band had finished their set about 10-12 little kids were trying their darndest to keep some kind of order. It was half dancing to the beat and half kiddo mosh pit.
An impromptu mini monument as a goodbye to so many good (and bad) things over the past months.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Quick update
The girls have been in school now for a few weeks and love, love, love it! Ellie was never an early riser but now, if her alarm goes off before mine, she's waking me up, ready to start the day. She comes home bubbling with things to tell me. And Campbell is enjoying herself too. She goes 3 hours a day to the same place and is adapting well to that schedule.
It's still hot and humid here, even in September. But there has been a definite cooling down as we've had some very rainy weather. I'm still trying to unpack the house. I'm planning Ellie's birthday party for the 19th so I need to have the house presentable by then.
Unpacking has been easy and hard. There is not an unopened box left that I don't know what's in it. If I really had to, I could get the dadmobile in the garage. I should be done with the house in the next few days. But dang if there aren't some hard moments. I was sitting here going through some of the girls artwork and school stuff. And folded up in the pile was a calendar page Jennifer had kept for September '04. Stuff like "Mom and Dad arrive", "UT v. Arkansas", the week count for Ellie and September 21.
That September seems so far away. Yeah, it's been 6 years. It was a long time ago. Time flies when your having fun. And sometimes even more when your not.
It's still hot and humid here, even in September. But there has been a definite cooling down as we've had some very rainy weather. I'm still trying to unpack the house. I'm planning Ellie's birthday party for the 19th so I need to have the house presentable by then.
Unpacking has been easy and hard. There is not an unopened box left that I don't know what's in it. If I really had to, I could get the dadmobile in the garage. I should be done with the house in the next few days. But dang if there aren't some hard moments. I was sitting here going through some of the girls artwork and school stuff. And folded up in the pile was a calendar page Jennifer had kept for September '04. Stuff like "Mom and Dad arrive", "UT v. Arkansas", the week count for Ellie and September 21.
That September seems so far away. Yeah, it's been 6 years. It was a long time ago. Time flies when your having fun. And sometimes even more when your not.
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Just an FYI...
We're fully ensconced in our house. I got back from Seattle Friday after finishing up the last of the things I needed to do up there. For those that don't have, and would like our new address, drop me an e-mail at jwhydes@yahoo.com with a greeting and I'll respond in kind. I don't want to list it here because this is a public blog.
I thought I I was making serious headway on unpacking before the second shipment came two Fridays ago. And I was wrong. The second shipment was nearly all boxes. My garage is overloaded. But, the girls start school on the 23rd so I should be able to make some serious headway then.
I finally got around to uploading a few pictures. The house was a spec job by the builder as they try to finish out the neighborhood. There are only about 10 lots left in our section. I didn't have a ton of say in tile/carpet/paint choices since most of it was already done. I did get them to paint the study, put up blinds on every window and some extra ceiling fans throughout the house. As a bonus, they painted the girl's rooms the color of our choosing (pastel blue for Ellie and lilac for Campbell.) Unbeknownst to me, they had some extras planned for the house; The paneling on the bar in the kitchen and the glass cabinet to the left of the fridge space. The paneling looked awesome builder pictures that I saw. I was not sold on the glass cabinet until I saw it in person.
These are not my best work. I was running around taking pictures as the movers were getting ready to start unloading. Here are some interior shots:
Breakfast nook: One of the builder's reps picked the country green color and it really works. The wainscotting was a builder bonus and it looks fantastic.
Kitchen: You can see the glass cabinet and all the paneling. There is no white/pale line around the walls. I'm not sure why that happened
The study: Yes, that room is burnt orange. Hook 'em Horns!
The family room: There's a formal(ish) living room down stairs by the kitchen. This one upstairs has turned into a media room. I got it wired with speakers in the ceiling and a subwoofer. My TV is on the wall. It looks great.
I thought I I was making serious headway on unpacking before the second shipment came two Fridays ago. And I was wrong. The second shipment was nearly all boxes. My garage is overloaded. But, the girls start school on the 23rd so I should be able to make some serious headway then.
I finally got around to uploading a few pictures. The house was a spec job by the builder as they try to finish out the neighborhood. There are only about 10 lots left in our section. I didn't have a ton of say in tile/carpet/paint choices since most of it was already done. I did get them to paint the study, put up blinds on every window and some extra ceiling fans throughout the house. As a bonus, they painted the girl's rooms the color of our choosing (pastel blue for Ellie and lilac for Campbell.) Unbeknownst to me, they had some extras planned for the house; The paneling on the bar in the kitchen and the glass cabinet to the left of the fridge space. The paneling looked awesome builder pictures that I saw. I was not sold on the glass cabinet until I saw it in person.
These are not my best work. I was running around taking pictures as the movers were getting ready to start unloading. Here are some interior shots:
Breakfast nook: One of the builder's reps picked the country green color and it really works. The wainscotting was a builder bonus and it looks fantastic.
Kitchen: You can see the glass cabinet and all the paneling. There is no white/pale line around the walls. I'm not sure why that happened
The study: Yes, that room is burnt orange. Hook 'em Horns!
The family room: There's a formal(ish) living room down stairs by the kitchen. This one upstairs has turned into a media room. I got it wired with speakers in the ceiling and a subwoofer. My TV is on the wall. It looks great.
Saturday, August 14, 2010
I should have shared this before now
This is the eulogy that I delivered for Jennifer back in June.
"I have been up here, on this stage before. And Jennifer toughed it out that day as I nearly broke her hands while we exchanged vows because I was nervous. And I like to think that I'm not really alone now. It's been a world of surreal absurdity over the last few weeks. And the support of so many, from such different places has meant so much to me. We never really understand how many lives are touched and affected by others until things like this happen.
As you can assume, I could talk about Jennifer forever almost. Knowing someone for 22 years would make that exceedingly easy.
For those that don't know, we met in high school. We had an art class together. She made an A because she was excellent artist. My grade was purely based on participation and attendance. Why I waited almost all year to ask her out, I have no idea. I found out several years later that she told her mom after our first date “I’m going to marry that guy.” Give or take 5 years later, I proposed at Brennan’s. I was nervous, excited, and in love. And then we went to the Nutcracker ballet. We were bummed to hear that it burnt down during Ike. However, they rebuilt and one day soon, the girls and I will go back to the new Brennan’s for dinner. And the Nutcracker afterwards.
She was talking to a family member from the midwest one day about a wedding they would attend. There was a gap from around noon until 6:00 for the reception. Jenifer asked the other person why the gap. The reply was "a lot of those people work on dairy farms. They have tasks and chores that have to be done." My wife thinks for a second and says "Why not just wait until it's not milking season?" And from that point on, any dumb question was met with "milking season" in our household.
We drove most of the way to Alaska from Houston with a brief ferry ride. About Day 5, we were in Banff N.P. in Alberta. I'm driving along and a small black bear jumps up onto a Jersey barrier near the road and then into our lane. I stomp on the brakes and tell her to grab the camera, get out and take a picture. She tells me no way. I reply with "OK, how about standing up and taking one from the sun roof?" She's game and gets a shot as I creep closer. Then she sits down and says "You know, we're on the way to Alaska. We're probably going to see a few more bears over the next couple of years."
Cleaning up the personal effects of someone who is a pack rat and in the Army is funny and scary all at the same time. I accept that there is a need for having military forms in triplicate squared. But do any person really need four copies of the same Dixie Chicks CD? Or biochemistry notes from her sophomore year at UT? Or every single piece of school work that the girls have done over the past two years? And even most of my attempts at arts and crafts with the girls. Sadly, most of the girls stuff is better than mine. And it's not really close.
She kept a running commentary on life over the past few years. Thoughts like:
Don’t bother going to an Italian restaurant in Alaska. Calling it Italian food is a lie when they are serving Beefaroni but marking it up 1000%.
North is “Up” on a map. We are really, really far UP right now. Matter of fact, it’s so far UP that most maps don’t even bother to show where we are.
Temperatures below 0 are kind of cool to experience. Once.
BBQ on the west coast barely passes as poorly flavored meat. And Tex-mex is non-existent. Some places up here think Queso is melted then hardened cheddar over chips. That’s not queso. That’s a really boring plates of nachos.
Rain. We need it. The plants and animals need it. Can someone please send some of this rain somewhere else? But at least were not out in the Olympics. There's a rain gauge at Lake Quinault that shows the record of 180+ inches one year. Who went through that year and thought, "Hey, this is a great place to live."
There’s a bakery in the Pike Place Market right next to the famous fish throwers. Maybe the bakery ought to start throwing cookies and donuts at people.
No matter where the sun rises, it’s always burnt orange.
For those that recently followed the drama of the Big XII realignment, I would have bored her to death with the details, the swings, the changes and the end result analysis. And she would have humored me by listening and having her own opinion. And she was ok with the fact that, during the fall, on Saturday, we weren’t going anywhere. The TV would be on, I would be switching between 2-3 games at a time and keeping one eye on the girls. We’d have lunch at home, the girls would play and when the Longhorns came on, unless the house was burning down, I was almost oblivious to the world.
Being a mother thrilled her. Watching her do art projects with Elliot and Campbell was awesome even though I knew I was going to be the one who got to clean it all up eventually. Elliot would try to make something perfect and pretty. Campbell was just happy to have a pair of scissors or markers that she could do some real damage with. And I tried not to eat the glue.
One of the last days we were all together, we went to lunch on Mother’s Day at a place that overlooks Puget Sound. That Sunday was one of the few “nice” spring days we had this year. It was warm and toasty in the sun and a little chilly in the shade. The girls did their usual “I want to sit by mommy” routine and Jennifer always enjoyed knowing that the girls wanted to be at her side. Elliot had picked out some earrings for Jennifer the day before at the Olympia Farmer’s Market and she could barely wait to give them to her. It was a perfect outing. One of memories. One for always.
She was so proud to be a doctor. And she was damn good at it. I know she could have done any number of other things as well but none better. Watching her work hard through it all made me admire her. Hours and hours of studying. Rotations that took her away from home for 10 or 12 hours a day. Being on call sometimes every 4th or 5th night. Caring for patients and sharing the stories of people she helped. Doing it right and well.
And while she got tired of dealing with Army when it came to her own health, I know she was proud to be a soldier. And she was good at it. She was so good at everything she did.
Until recently, I used to wonder what she and I did with all the time before we had children. As I think back, we did a lot. Travel, lots of hard work, and a lot of fun times together. Now, I look to the future and ponder what will I do without her. I have two beautiful, magnificent daughters to serve as a constant and marvelous reminder of all that was good and decent about her. Smart, sensitive, funny, caring, kind. Shortly after she passed away, I got a note from a friend that closed with this line "May your daughters grow to be women like your wife was." I can think of no greater compliment to her.
There will always be a hole in my life. A place where Jennifer fit in so nicely. And it will never completely close. She was loved by so many. And none more than me.
The day she passed, I talked with my best friend. As we finished he said "Tell me what you need and I'll do it." At that point, I didn't have a clue what I needed. And then it hit me. "Call me in two weeks. Not to talk about this. But just to talk. And if I don't answer, tell me 'tag you're it.' And if I don't call you back in a few, call me back and kick me in the ass." Well, we've talked more often than that over the past 5 weeks. And it felt good. Keep in touch. Not just with me. But with your friends and family. Be a better person. Not for any other reason other than just because. Except because that’s what Jennifer would have done.
"I have been up here, on this stage before. And Jennifer toughed it out that day as I nearly broke her hands while we exchanged vows because I was nervous. And I like to think that I'm not really alone now. It's been a world of surreal absurdity over the last few weeks. And the support of so many, from such different places has meant so much to me. We never really understand how many lives are touched and affected by others until things like this happen.
As you can assume, I could talk about Jennifer forever almost. Knowing someone for 22 years would make that exceedingly easy.
For those that don't know, we met in high school. We had an art class together. She made an A because she was excellent artist. My grade was purely based on participation and attendance. Why I waited almost all year to ask her out, I have no idea. I found out several years later that she told her mom after our first date “I’m going to marry that guy.” Give or take 5 years later, I proposed at Brennan’s. I was nervous, excited, and in love. And then we went to the Nutcracker ballet. We were bummed to hear that it burnt down during Ike. However, they rebuilt and one day soon, the girls and I will go back to the new Brennan’s for dinner. And the Nutcracker afterwards.
She was talking to a family member from the midwest one day about a wedding they would attend. There was a gap from around noon until 6:00 for the reception. Jenifer asked the other person why the gap. The reply was "a lot of those people work on dairy farms. They have tasks and chores that have to be done." My wife thinks for a second and says "Why not just wait until it's not milking season?" And from that point on, any dumb question was met with "milking season" in our household.
We drove most of the way to Alaska from Houston with a brief ferry ride. About Day 5, we were in Banff N.P. in Alberta. I'm driving along and a small black bear jumps up onto a Jersey barrier near the road and then into our lane. I stomp on the brakes and tell her to grab the camera, get out and take a picture. She tells me no way. I reply with "OK, how about standing up and taking one from the sun roof?" She's game and gets a shot as I creep closer. Then she sits down and says "You know, we're on the way to Alaska. We're probably going to see a few more bears over the next couple of years."
Cleaning up the personal effects of someone who is a pack rat and in the Army is funny and scary all at the same time. I accept that there is a need for having military forms in triplicate squared. But do any person really need four copies of the same Dixie Chicks CD? Or biochemistry notes from her sophomore year at UT? Or every single piece of school work that the girls have done over the past two years? And even most of my attempts at arts and crafts with the girls. Sadly, most of the girls stuff is better than mine. And it's not really close.
She kept a running commentary on life over the past few years. Thoughts like:
Don’t bother going to an Italian restaurant in Alaska. Calling it Italian food is a lie when they are serving Beefaroni but marking it up 1000%.
North is “Up” on a map. We are really, really far UP right now. Matter of fact, it’s so far UP that most maps don’t even bother to show where we are.
Temperatures below 0 are kind of cool to experience. Once.
BBQ on the west coast barely passes as poorly flavored meat. And Tex-mex is non-existent. Some places up here think Queso is melted then hardened cheddar over chips. That’s not queso. That’s a really boring plates of nachos.
Rain. We need it. The plants and animals need it. Can someone please send some of this rain somewhere else? But at least were not out in the Olympics. There's a rain gauge at Lake Quinault that shows the record of 180+ inches one year. Who went through that year and thought, "Hey, this is a great place to live."
There’s a bakery in the Pike Place Market right next to the famous fish throwers. Maybe the bakery ought to start throwing cookies and donuts at people.
No matter where the sun rises, it’s always burnt orange.
For those that recently followed the drama of the Big XII realignment, I would have bored her to death with the details, the swings, the changes and the end result analysis. And she would have humored me by listening and having her own opinion. And she was ok with the fact that, during the fall, on Saturday, we weren’t going anywhere. The TV would be on, I would be switching between 2-3 games at a time and keeping one eye on the girls. We’d have lunch at home, the girls would play and when the Longhorns came on, unless the house was burning down, I was almost oblivious to the world.
Being a mother thrilled her. Watching her do art projects with Elliot and Campbell was awesome even though I knew I was going to be the one who got to clean it all up eventually. Elliot would try to make something perfect and pretty. Campbell was just happy to have a pair of scissors or markers that she could do some real damage with. And I tried not to eat the glue.
One of the last days we were all together, we went to lunch on Mother’s Day at a place that overlooks Puget Sound. That Sunday was one of the few “nice” spring days we had this year. It was warm and toasty in the sun and a little chilly in the shade. The girls did their usual “I want to sit by mommy” routine and Jennifer always enjoyed knowing that the girls wanted to be at her side. Elliot had picked out some earrings for Jennifer the day before at the Olympia Farmer’s Market and she could barely wait to give them to her. It was a perfect outing. One of memories. One for always.
She was so proud to be a doctor. And she was damn good at it. I know she could have done any number of other things as well but none better. Watching her work hard through it all made me admire her. Hours and hours of studying. Rotations that took her away from home for 10 or 12 hours a day. Being on call sometimes every 4th or 5th night. Caring for patients and sharing the stories of people she helped. Doing it right and well.
And while she got tired of dealing with Army when it came to her own health, I know she was proud to be a soldier. And she was good at it. She was so good at everything she did.
Until recently, I used to wonder what she and I did with all the time before we had children. As I think back, we did a lot. Travel, lots of hard work, and a lot of fun times together. Now, I look to the future and ponder what will I do without her. I have two beautiful, magnificent daughters to serve as a constant and marvelous reminder of all that was good and decent about her. Smart, sensitive, funny, caring, kind. Shortly after she passed away, I got a note from a friend that closed with this line "May your daughters grow to be women like your wife was." I can think of no greater compliment to her.
There will always be a hole in my life. A place where Jennifer fit in so nicely. And it will never completely close. She was loved by so many. And none more than me.
The day she passed, I talked with my best friend. As we finished he said "Tell me what you need and I'll do it." At that point, I didn't have a clue what I needed. And then it hit me. "Call me in two weeks. Not to talk about this. But just to talk. And if I don't answer, tell me 'tag you're it.' And if I don't call you back in a few, call me back and kick me in the ass." Well, we've talked more often than that over the past 5 weeks. And it felt good. Keep in touch. Not just with me. But with your friends and family. Be a better person. Not for any other reason other than just because. Except because that’s what Jennifer would have done.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
A home of our own
Today was the day. After 6 weeks of inspections, waiting, thinking and moving, I closed on our new house. It will be the first place I have ever owned in 20 years of living on my own. Apartments, rent houses and Army housing, I've never had a place that, ultimately, I was responsible for.
As of today, there is a place like that. The first load of our household goods arrives in the morning. Now the time consuming task of unloading box after box of stuff looms. But I'm ready to do that. It will finally be time to trim down on the number of items we don't need in our home anymore. I have more space to fill since this house is about 450 sq ft bigger than our last one.
Campbell is ready for a big girl bed so I bought a new twin bed frame for her. We have two decent sized family rooms (one up and one down) so we needed a new couch and love seat as well. If anyone reading is interested in seeing builder pictures and a floor plan, let me know and I'll steer you toward the builder's site.
Tomorrow, before the furniture comes, I'll snap some pics of the interior and post them up. I had the girls rooms painted; pastel blue for Ellie like her room in Alaska was and lilac for Campbell since she insists her favorite color is purple. And the study is... Burnt Orange of course. I'll hang all of Jennifer's Texas oriented art in there along with a few other Longhorn things.
It will be interesting mixing my spartan, man oriented taste with having two girls.
As I left the closing, I had a few moments in the car where I wished that I wasn't doing this alone. I doubt I'll ever shake that feeling.
As of today, there is a place like that. The first load of our household goods arrives in the morning. Now the time consuming task of unloading box after box of stuff looms. But I'm ready to do that. It will finally be time to trim down on the number of items we don't need in our home anymore. I have more space to fill since this house is about 450 sq ft bigger than our last one.
Campbell is ready for a big girl bed so I bought a new twin bed frame for her. We have two decent sized family rooms (one up and one down) so we needed a new couch and love seat as well. If anyone reading is interested in seeing builder pictures and a floor plan, let me know and I'll steer you toward the builder's site.
Tomorrow, before the furniture comes, I'll snap some pics of the interior and post them up. I had the girls rooms painted; pastel blue for Ellie like her room in Alaska was and lilac for Campbell since she insists her favorite color is purple. And the study is... Burnt Orange of course. I'll hang all of Jennifer's Texas oriented art in there along with a few other Longhorn things.
It will be interesting mixing my spartan, man oriented taste with having two girls.
As I left the closing, I had a few moments in the car where I wished that I wasn't doing this alone. I doubt I'll ever shake that feeling.
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Adios Washington
In not quite 12 hours, I'll be back in Texas. Bittersweet and exciting all at the same time. Good times to be had ahead, memories of all kinds behind. Anticipation of the future and retrospective of the past.
We had a week of pure NW summer. Temperatures in the upper 70s, blue skies. The kind of summer Texas doesn't get to enjoy. But as I told friends earlier in the week, Texans call this time of the year "February." Mt. Rainier has loomed off in the distance, taunting me with a "Get out here and hike, dummy." The Olympics off to the West as a constant reminder that there are places most never see.
I watched my youngest go from just a baby to not quite a toddler anymore. The oldest is now a full fledged school aged kiddo. They learned their ABCs and how to use the potty instead of being swaddled in diapers. Trips to farmers markets on a Saturday morning (but not during football season!) and weekends in Seattle traipsing around downtown for good, solid fun.
The movers came Friday to get our stuff. And when the house was empty and quiet, there was a memory of the first time I saw it, empty then as it was now. My wife and I kind of stumbled upon it as we house hunted. She loved the quiet neighborhood with flowers galore. I liked how close it was to Puget Sound, bare miles away. We both agreed that it was a good place to raise a family.
It seems like just yesterday that I drove out of Alaska with my best friend but it's been over 3 years. My first night here was spent in a hotel not far from SEATAC once we'd arrived. I'm not far from there now as we get ready for an early morning flight. But back then, I wasn't just a dad. I was a husband too. Tonight, I'm as the girls snooze, I'm kind of alone.
I'll miss this place in spite of why I'm leaving. And I'll come back to visit. Heck, I'll be back in two weeks to wrap things up with the house among other items I need to finish out.
But we're coming home. Minus one.
We had a week of pure NW summer. Temperatures in the upper 70s, blue skies. The kind of summer Texas doesn't get to enjoy. But as I told friends earlier in the week, Texans call this time of the year "February." Mt. Rainier has loomed off in the distance, taunting me with a "Get out here and hike, dummy." The Olympics off to the West as a constant reminder that there are places most never see.
I watched my youngest go from just a baby to not quite a toddler anymore. The oldest is now a full fledged school aged kiddo. They learned their ABCs and how to use the potty instead of being swaddled in diapers. Trips to farmers markets on a Saturday morning (but not during football season!) and weekends in Seattle traipsing around downtown for good, solid fun.
The movers came Friday to get our stuff. And when the house was empty and quiet, there was a memory of the first time I saw it, empty then as it was now. My wife and I kind of stumbled upon it as we house hunted. She loved the quiet neighborhood with flowers galore. I liked how close it was to Puget Sound, bare miles away. We both agreed that it was a good place to raise a family.
It seems like just yesterday that I drove out of Alaska with my best friend but it's been over 3 years. My first night here was spent in a hotel not far from SEATAC once we'd arrived. I'm not far from there now as we get ready for an early morning flight. But back then, I wasn't just a dad. I was a husband too. Tonight, I'm as the girls snooze, I'm kind of alone.
I'll miss this place in spite of why I'm leaving. And I'll come back to visit. Heck, I'll be back in two weeks to wrap things up with the house among other items I need to finish out.
But we're coming home. Minus one.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Ok, who thought it was a good idea to drive to Indiana?
I mean, really, who decides to drive 5,000+ miles with a 5 and 3 year old?
Well, it wasn't that bad. Matter of fact, I'd do it all over again and maybe add in some other stuff. On our last day, I realized that a slight detour N/NW would have put us within striking distance of Glacier N.P. It might have added some hours on the final day of driving but it would have been worth it. But I think it was better to miss out on somethings and remember it as a good trip than do too much and regret it.
We had a great time in Yellowstone. The girls had a ball seeing bison, bears and elk. It's quite amazing how bold people get when approaching wildlife. This one on the side of the road had people taking pictures of it from 12-15 feet away. And not from inside the safety of their cars. The next day, three bison were traipsing through a parking lot and people were circling them to get pictures. The girls and I were safely ensconced inside the van.
The geysers were very groovy. We got lucky and arrived at Old Faithful about 20 minutes before it erupted. The wait is usually not more than 60-90 minutes between eruptions but we got to sit down for a bit, talk to some people around us and then ka-boom. Ellie told me it was "one of the coolest things she had ever seen!" Campbell wanted to know why we couldn't walk up to it and take a shower. We tried to check out some of the other stuff but the sulfur smells were overpowering. I don't think we missed out on much.
As much as the girls enjoyed the wildlife and geysers, I was kind of underwhelmed. It was nice seeing the girls get excited but I'd already seen a ton of bison and bears when I drove out of Alaska in '07. On the first day in the Park, we had walked to the top of the Lower Falls. It was a great view but kind of anti-climactic. The more famous Upper Falls were visible too but it just wasn't a great vantage point. And the walk down was way more fun than the walk back up. Especially since both girls wanted me to carry them. That wasn't going to happen. On the second day, as we got ready to leave, I stopped into the Artist's Point viewpoint.
It was all that I had imagined it would be and more.
Only a handful of other people were there. It was quiet and even a little chilly in the shade. Ellie and I were awestruck by what we saw. It was the thing I had come to Yellowstone to see. The Upper Falls, from this place, were incredible. I was reminded of why I had planned this detour all those months ago. I could have sat down on a bench and just stared for a long while.
It was off to Rapid City, S.D. after that. We had a date with the Presidents, as Ellie calls Mt. Rushmore.
Mt. Rushmore is all about being touristy. There aren't whole lot of locals milling about. And the gift shop was booming even at 8:30 in the morning. The girls were fascinated by the rock carving methods. Campbell, at one point, asked me "Why would they do that?" I didn't really have a logical reason.
We got on our way toward Indiana and arrived 2 days later. A week hanging around with family was a big boost for all of us. Ellie and Campbell had a blast playing with cousins and swimming their hearts out in the pool. I enjoyed being amongst people who truly love and care about us.
We took the scenic loop through the Badlands on the way back. Pictures don't really do it justice. I could spend days there photographing the formations.
Well, it wasn't that bad. Matter of fact, I'd do it all over again and maybe add in some other stuff. On our last day, I realized that a slight detour N/NW would have put us within striking distance of Glacier N.P. It might have added some hours on the final day of driving but it would have been worth it. But I think it was better to miss out on somethings and remember it as a good trip than do too much and regret it.
We had a great time in Yellowstone. The girls had a ball seeing bison, bears and elk. It's quite amazing how bold people get when approaching wildlife. This one on the side of the road had people taking pictures of it from 12-15 feet away. And not from inside the safety of their cars. The next day, three bison were traipsing through a parking lot and people were circling them to get pictures. The girls and I were safely ensconced inside the van.
The geysers were very groovy. We got lucky and arrived at Old Faithful about 20 minutes before it erupted. The wait is usually not more than 60-90 minutes between eruptions but we got to sit down for a bit, talk to some people around us and then ka-boom. Ellie told me it was "one of the coolest things she had ever seen!" Campbell wanted to know why we couldn't walk up to it and take a shower. We tried to check out some of the other stuff but the sulfur smells were overpowering. I don't think we missed out on much.
As much as the girls enjoyed the wildlife and geysers, I was kind of underwhelmed. It was nice seeing the girls get excited but I'd already seen a ton of bison and bears when I drove out of Alaska in '07. On the first day in the Park, we had walked to the top of the Lower Falls. It was a great view but kind of anti-climactic. The more famous Upper Falls were visible too but it just wasn't a great vantage point. And the walk down was way more fun than the walk back up. Especially since both girls wanted me to carry them. That wasn't going to happen. On the second day, as we got ready to leave, I stopped into the Artist's Point viewpoint.It was all that I had imagined it would be and more.
Only a handful of other people were there. It was quiet and even a little chilly in the shade. Ellie and I were awestruck by what we saw. It was the thing I had come to Yellowstone to see. The Upper Falls, from this place, were incredible. I was reminded of why I had planned this detour all those months ago. I could have sat down on a bench and just stared for a long while. It was off to Rapid City, S.D. after that. We had a date with the Presidents, as Ellie calls Mt. Rushmore.
Mt. Rushmore is all about being touristy. There aren't whole lot of locals milling about. And the gift shop was booming even at 8:30 in the morning. The girls were fascinated by the rock carving methods. Campbell, at one point, asked me "Why would they do that?" I didn't really have a logical reason.We got on our way toward Indiana and arrived 2 days later. A week hanging around with family was a big boost for all of us. Ellie and Campbell had a blast playing with cousins and swimming their hearts out in the pool. I enjoyed being amongst people who truly love and care about us.
We took the scenic loop through the Badlands on the way back. Pictures don't really do it justice. I could spend days there photographing the formations.
Monday, June 28, 2010
Greetings from Yellowstone
Well, sort of. We're about 50 miles north right now. We started our road trip to Indiana yesterday. Drove to Missoula. That's a pretty cool western city. The downtown area was happening at 7:00 in the evening even though it was Sunday. We found a Montana/Wyoming pizza chain that the girls loved because our table was right by the kitchen. They got to watch them throw the dough and the guy making the pizzas was friendly. He told them all about how they make the dough and what kinds of pizzas have which ingredients as he made them.
Today, we headed down I-90 toward Livingston. I had planned on going straight through and then heading down to Mammoth Hot Springs on the northern edge of the Park for the afternoon. When we got to Bozeman, I realized that we could skirt the western edge of the Park and go in through West Yellowstone with a chance to see more of the Park today. That was a decent enough choice, road work inside the Park notwithstanding. On the plus side, we saw a ton of buffalo/bison (depending on who you talk to), lots of "regular" old white tail deer, some elk, a coyote and then finally, a momma grizzly with a cub. Elliot spotted a beaver swimming out of his den but as I got the camera out, he was gone.
The traffic in the Park was exactly what I expected. People coming to a dead stop because some rare bird was in a tree 3 miles away. And the grizzlies had traffic backed up something fierce. But we saw them too and got a few pictures as we sat still on the road.
We're staying in a hotel tonight that Jennifer and I stayed in on our way to Alaska in '04. This was planned way back in January when I originally laid out this trip. Actually being in the hotel has brought back a flood of memories. And I think it had something to do with not driving directly into Livingston this afternoon. I probably could have checked in early and let the girls hit the pool for a while before driving down to Mammoth. As the three of us walked in, I told Elliot that she has been here before. She just couldn't remember it. She was in mommy's tummy.
Tomorrow, as we had always planned, we'll leave early so we can get a jump on the day, see Old Faithful, check out the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone and barely sate my indulgence in National Parks. We spend the night in Yellowstone but truthfully, I can't wait to get out of Livingston right now.
Today, we headed down I-90 toward Livingston. I had planned on going straight through and then heading down to Mammoth Hot Springs on the northern edge of the Park for the afternoon. When we got to Bozeman, I realized that we could skirt the western edge of the Park and go in through West Yellowstone with a chance to see more of the Park today. That was a decent enough choice, road work inside the Park notwithstanding. On the plus side, we saw a ton of buffalo/bison (depending on who you talk to), lots of "regular" old white tail deer, some elk, a coyote and then finally, a momma grizzly with a cub. Elliot spotted a beaver swimming out of his den but as I got the camera out, he was gone.
The traffic in the Park was exactly what I expected. People coming to a dead stop because some rare bird was in a tree 3 miles away. And the grizzlies had traffic backed up something fierce. But we saw them too and got a few pictures as we sat still on the road.
We're staying in a hotel tonight that Jennifer and I stayed in on our way to Alaska in '04. This was planned way back in January when I originally laid out this trip. Actually being in the hotel has brought back a flood of memories. And I think it had something to do with not driving directly into Livingston this afternoon. I probably could have checked in early and let the girls hit the pool for a while before driving down to Mammoth. As the three of us walked in, I told Elliot that she has been here before. She just couldn't remember it. She was in mommy's tummy.
Tomorrow, as we had always planned, we'll leave early so we can get a jump on the day, see Old Faithful, check out the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone and barely sate my indulgence in National Parks. We spend the night in Yellowstone but truthfully, I can't wait to get out of Livingston right now.
Friday, June 25, 2010
The Tooth Fairy visited my house for the first time tonight
It was awesome and sad all at the same time. It's something I had been looking forward to doing for Elliot. I just never thought I'd be doing it alone.
It's been 6 weeks since this all started. People have been asking me "How are you guys doing?" And I answer with "We're OK. But OK is a completely relative term." It's obviously hard to explain how I feel at any given moment. We'll be leaving for a road trip to Indiana on Sunday morning and as it draws closer, there's just a constant reminder that Jennifer wont be on the trip with us. As I make plans for what to bring on the trip, I realize that I have never had to worry about packing for the girls because she always did that. I spent about making Bingo gameboards for the girls this evening. That was fun. I visited Michael's, Dollar Tree and Target gathering some other car activities. And all the while, I'm wondering, "What would Jennifer have come up with to keep the girls entertained?"
There's a song I like called Bittersweet Symphony. One of the lyrics goes "But I'm a million different people from one day to the next". I can't think of any better explanation of how I feel.
It's been 6 weeks since this all started. People have been asking me "How are you guys doing?" And I answer with "We're OK. But OK is a completely relative term." It's obviously hard to explain how I feel at any given moment. We'll be leaving for a road trip to Indiana on Sunday morning and as it draws closer, there's just a constant reminder that Jennifer wont be on the trip with us. As I make plans for what to bring on the trip, I realize that I have never had to worry about packing for the girls because she always did that. I spent about making Bingo gameboards for the girls this evening. That was fun. I visited Michael's, Dollar Tree and Target gathering some other car activities. And all the while, I'm wondering, "What would Jennifer have come up with to keep the girls entertained?"
There's a song I like called Bittersweet Symphony. One of the lyrics goes "But I'm a million different people from one day to the next". I can't think of any better explanation of how I feel.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
(Semi) wild animals and spring waterfalls
We're having a "warm" winter by Pacific Northwest standards. Average temperatures in January were the warmest on record by almost a half degree. There has not been any snow at all down here in the lower elevations. But we have still gotten all the rain and then some. But the weather has started to turn for the better. We're starting to see the sun more and more and temperatures approaching 60. So it's time to take some longer outdoor day trips.
This past weekend, I took the girls out to Northwest Trek. It's affiliated with the Point Defiance Zoo in Tacoma. We had not been out there yet and it was a lot of fun. There's a tram that takes you through a section with moose, Roosevelt Elk, deer, a bison herd, mountain goats and bighorn sheep. It takes about an hour to take the whole tour. Fortunately, we got there early enough to get on the first one of the morning the the animals were still out and about. Granted, the area is not big enough for them to really hide but there is cover and it's hilly enough that the sheep and goats could hide. After a PB&J picnic lunch, we walked through the zoo like areas where they had gray wolves, grizzlies, river otters and cougars among other animals. For some reason, Campbell really wanted to see the skunk. Ellie was more interested in going back to the Cafe and getting one of the animal shaped juice bottles. I felt like we kind of sped through the park but we were there for almost 2.5 hours.
We had spectacular weather so I decided to head towards Mt. Rainier. I love going out there and even though the girls aren't ready to do the trails yet, we still had a chance to get out of the car and goof around. For some reason, Ellie was convinced that she wanted to go have a snow ball fight even though 1.) there was no snow on the ground where we were and 2.) we were completely ill-equipped if we found some. But we could see the mountain and it's snow capped as can be so she thought it was possible. Paradise has several feet up there but I was wearing shorts and the girls only had windbreakers. I took the scenic route down to Packwood and we found some early waterfalls which the girls loved "hiking." Ellie loves taking pictures even if only of the ground or sky. During the tram ride, she had my camera about half the time and I have an amazing array of photos of the inside of the tram. With a little instruction, she gets some good ones too.
Even though we didn't have a snow ball fight, seeing the lack of snow near the Park entrance has me planning my first day out at the mountain. I hope to get out there this weekend. It'd be pretty cool to get some winter photos.
This past weekend, I took the girls out to Northwest Trek. It's affiliated with the Point Defiance Zoo in Tacoma. We had not been out there yet and it was a lot of fun. There's a tram that takes you through a section with moose, Roosevelt Elk, deer, a bison herd, mountain goats and bighorn sheep. It takes about an hour to take the whole tour. Fortunately, we got there early enough to get on the first one of the morning the the animals were still out and about. Granted, the area is not big enough for them to really hide but there is cover and it's hilly enough that the sheep and goats could hide. After a PB&J picnic lunch, we walked through the zoo like areas where they had gray wolves, grizzlies, river otters and cougars among other animals. For some reason, Campbell really wanted to see the skunk. Ellie was more interested in going back to the Cafe and getting one of the animal shaped juice bottles. I felt like we kind of sped through the park but we were there for almost 2.5 hours.
We had spectacular weather so I decided to head towards Mt. Rainier. I love going out there and even though the girls aren't ready to do the trails yet, we still had a chance to get out of the car and goof around. For some reason, Ellie was convinced that she wanted to go have a snow ball fight even though 1.) there was no snow on the ground where we were and 2.) we were completely ill-equipped if we found some. But we could see the mountain and it's snow capped as can be so she thought it was possible. Paradise has several feet up there but I was wearing shorts and the girls only had windbreakers. I took the scenic route down to Packwood and we found some early waterfalls which the girls loved "hiking." Ellie loves taking pictures even if only of the ground or sky. During the tram ride, she had my camera about half the time and I have an amazing array of photos of the inside of the tram. With a little instruction, she gets some good ones too.
Even though we didn't have a snow ball fight, seeing the lack of snow near the Park entrance has me planning my first day out at the mountain. I hope to get out there this weekend. It'd be pretty cool to get some winter photos.
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