Radom Thoughts

It's cold.  So cold that the kids keep asking me to turn on the heat.  I am refusing to do so for the same reason that they refuse to put on jeans.  It is June, and you shouldn't have to turn on your heat in June, nor wear jeans.  So, we will continue to be cold.

I still run everyday.  I no longer hate it.  I can't say I actually like it.  I just don't hate it.  I just do it.  I waver on my feelings about the hills.  Some days I say to myself, "Bring it!"  Other days I look at the hills and say, "You win."

Washington grows tall people.  Jess's and Ry's track coach is 6'7".  His brother is 6'10".  The women around here are tall too.  I told the kids they might have had a chance had they been born here.

It has been almost two years since we moved here.  Chad went back to Oklahoma a week and a half ago.  He came back got in the van and immediately turned off the air conditioning.  The rest of us were dying from the heat.  I know, sounds odd considering my first random thought, but when the sun comes out even though it is sixty degrees it is warm.  No sun, no warmth.  For the past several days we have had no sun.

I had to purchase a new washing machine.  When I spoke to the salesman at a local dealer he showed me a washing machine that will text or email you when it is done.  I wanted that machine more than my next breath.  Apparently, my next breath won out.  One because I am still breathing.  Two because I ended up with one that doesn't text or email.  I should have pushed Chad harder.  I can't hear the jingle when it is done.  It doesn't buzz like my old one.  The kids can hear it, especially Noah.  It must be one of those tones that only kids can hear, like ringers on the cells phones that kids use in school so their teachers won't hear it.  Noah has made it his job to inform me when the wash is done.  I appreciate the consideration.  I get sidetracked too easily to keep checking up on it.  Other than the jingle that I can't hear, I like my washing machine.

When Chad was back in Oklahoma he went to our church.  He brought me back a bulletin.  Almost two years of living in Washington and our church still has us on their weekly prayer list.  I love those people. 

Chad says that I have become a hippy since we moved here.  I tell him that can't be because I still wear a bra.  He has that belief because I no longer wear store bought deodorant.  I make my own.  Yes, it really works.  I was surprised.  The first day I wore it I went around asking the kids and Chad to smell my arm pits because of how well it works.  I think Chad was the only one who took me up on the offer.  He is also the only other one who uses my homemade deodorant.  I also no longer brush my teeth with toothpaste.  I use something called Earthpaste, or a tooth soap.  Say what you want.  My teeth are cleaner now.  Jess uses a soap as well.  Our teeth needed the least amount of cleaning done when we went to the dentist.  I have also made my own laundry detergent.  I still am not sure if I like it or not.  Nor do I wash my hair with what I call "Death Shampoo".  I use a shampoo bar or an organic shampoo.  I prefer the bar, but they are not cheap.  I also do not use "death soap"  I use a castile soap.  I want to make my own.  That sounds fun and I know the chemicals that are in it.  Yes, I have become one of those people.  Hey, I still wear a bra.

We have also changed our eating habits lately.  I try not to eat white stuff: white bread, white rice, white potatoes.  I call it "death food".  Today we had "death pancakes"  Cody and Noah didn't want to eat them because I didn't have "death syrup"  Yes, they called it "death syrup", at least they are learning.  I use real grade B maple syrup.  Grade B is supposed to be better for you than Grade A.  B has more nutrients.  Chad, Jess, and I usually have healthy pancakes with strawberries daily.  They are super simple to make.  The other three gripe because they aren't the "death" pancakes, but eat them because they don't want to take the time to make something else.  Sometimes change doesn't come without a fight.  I intend to win.

Jess and Ry went to local public school a couple of weeks ago.  They "shadowed" two of the girls on their track team.  One of the classes Jess had was yoga.  Apparently it was an "off" day for yoga.  I don't know why there is a class on yoga where you don't actually do yoga.  Seems like a waste of time to me.  Oh wait it was.   Instead they read a book  out loud about saying "no" to boys.  According to Jess it was a bit more information than she wanted to read.  She said she just started cracking up from the things that she read, which made the other girls crack up.  The teacher had to get onto them.  She also had guitar class and a history class (where the teacher spent half the class showing them his avatar for a game he plays).  I asked Jess what she thought about going to the public school.  She said it was fun and she would like to go back so she could play around with her friends.  She also said that her homeschooling lessons had way more depth and information than what she saw there.  I guess homeschooling it is.

People still make fun of us for saying "y'all" and "fix'n".  We just stare at them like we don't understand what they saying.

I am going to try to keep the blog updated at least once a week.  It may be a lot of random thoughts, but at least y'all will know what all is fix'n to happen.

Fishing at whistle lake

Noah and I tried our hand at fishing. No luck :(

An Experiment...Of Sorts

Wow!  It has been longer than I thought since my last post.  I will have to get y'all caught up on what all has been going on in the state of Washington.  Just not right now.

Yesterday, I removed the microwave from the house.  I have been wanting it out for a while now.  So, yesterday, on a whim, I got up and asked Chad if I could do an experiment.  He said yes without even asking what it was I wanted to do, which is a good thing for me (I get away with a lot more that way).  So, I told him I wanted him to remove the microwave from the house.  My request didn't come as a surprise.  I had discussed it with him a few weeks ago.  Microwaves are convenient, but the physical ramifications of using them has always concerned me.  Besides how lazy are we that we can't reheat something on the cook top. 

Anyway, the plan is to not use it for a week and see how it goes. But, I knew if it stayed in the house the kids would find a way to use it.  So, out it went.  I didn't tell the kids what I was doing, and I knew that Cody, more so than the others, would not be happy about it.  Her go to meal at lunch is a baked potato with a cup of sour cream and just as much butter and cheese.  And it drove me nuts.  On the way home from her classes (that will be in an update post) I told her what I had done.  And, I was right.  She wasn't happy.  She is an instant gratification type of girl and did not want to wait on cooking a potato in the oven.  You know what she did.  She made a healthier lunch, a burrito with steak, cheese, sour cream, and a few fried potatoes.  I know it doesn't sound much different, but she used WAY less sour cream and cheese and added way more protein.  I say a win for both of us.

Earlier, when Noah found out about the microwave he was upset.  Why?  The only thing he will make for himself is a tortilla with a slice of lunch meat and cheese, throw it in the microwave and that will be breakfast or lunch.  Not possible now.  So, I showed him how to make one on the cook top.  You know what?  He said it tasted way better then in the microwave, more like a quesadilla.

Yesterday, I reheated oatmeal on the cook top.  I survived.

Today, Jessica had to reheat her tortellini in a cast iron skillet on the cook top. She lived.

So, why do we feel a microwave is a necessity?  Before microwaves came along people did just fine living without them.  Besides, this kitchen is small and I feel like I can't function well in it.  I don't have much counter space in this kitchen and all the space I can get is helpful to my sanity.

The only time I have felt a tinge of guilt about removing the microwave was when Chad's coffee became a bit chilled and he wanted to reheat it on his way out to work and couldn't.  But...that tinge of guilt quickly left when I remembered that I had purchased some very nice travel mugs for him to use.  You know, the kind that keep drinks insulated for hours.  The same ones he leaves at work everyday.  His coffee would still have been quite warm had he used one of those, so my guilt quickly left.

I am not saying the microwave will stay out forever.  But, I do love the idea of more counter space and the fact that the kids have to put more thought into what they will eat.

Curse You Thomas Kemper!

Recently Ryan and I decided we would do the local yarn tour, a shop hop event.  After visiting our second shop on a list of 20-30 shops, and realizing that it was the knitter's version of going to Costco on a Saturday, I asked Ryan if we could forgo the other shops.  She didn't want to since she had been looking forward to the yarn tour with great enthusiasm.  So, I did what any great mother would do, I bribed her.  I told her I would take her to a restaurant called Seeds which sells my favorite pie, chocolate peanut butter pie.  She agreed and off to Seeds we went.  When we arrived I was a bit more hungry and pie wasn't going to cut it, so we ordered a wrap to go along with our pies.  I had my usual iced tea and Ryan ordered a root beer.  When our drinks arrived I started to read the label on Ryan's root beer.  It had a little bee on the label.  Odd.  I look closer and the label states "made with pure cane sugar and honey".  Honey?  I wonder if you can smell the honey?  Hmm, not really.  I wonder if you can taste the honey?  Sip. Sip. Drink.  Drink.  Gulp!  Gulp!  Gulp!  And, I was done for.

Five years and soda has not passed these lips, not one drop, not even by mistake.  That is, until Thomas Kemper Root Beer.  It was good.  Really good!  I found some at the grocery store and brought it home.  Then I found out that Costco sells it, by the case.  A case full of yummy nectar.  Why am I cursed to want something I shouldn't have.  Why am I tortured so!  Alas, our short love affair wasn't meant to last.  The guilt of drinking soda was too much.  But, I will never forget those few weeks we had together.

New Shoes

Today dad took me to get new running shoes. They look exactly like his, well, maybe not exactly like his. Mine are white not black, and they do not have as much orange. They do however have the same sparkly laces. We tried about eight pairs on before I tried on these.  One pair that I tried on are the exact same ones as Jessica's.  They were to tight in the toes. We traded shoe for shoe, each with a problem.  My heel slips, I can feel the stitches that held the Nike, Brooks, and Mizuno symbol, or the one problem that happened too many times, the rubbing of my ankles.  I love the shoes that I picked and want the same pair when these are too small.

Evening run

We have been running every night. Last night we met one of my coworkers for our evening run at Safeway in Anacortes and ran the Tommy Thompson trail. Nick, the guy on the left, is the champion water rep at the refinery. Keep running nick!

On our run, we passed a brand new boat, fresh off the racks. I wonder what new boat smell smells like? It was something to see!

Kwina Mile

This past Tuesday we took part in the Kwina Mile (pronounced qui-nuh).  It is a race put on every year by the Lummi Indians.  It is a quirky race for several reasons, the only distance they have is the mile, it always takes place on a Tuesday, and it is always at noon.  People take off from work to participate and the kids get out of school and are bused in for the event.  There were runners, walkers and skate boarders.  They ran in running clothes, shorts, or jeans, one even in a tutu.  Some wore running shoes others wore Vibrams, vans, or big clunky "skating shoes" (that is what the kids call them, the kind skate boarders like to wear).  The Lummi firemen ran the mile dressed in full gear (masks and all), one even carried one of those heavy hoses.  I was told they usually have 300 to 400 participants.

They provided a sack lunch and gave all participants shirts.  Your choice of short or long sleeved and either white or orange.  Best of all, the race this year was free, shirts, food and all. 

Joel, G-ma, and I promised Noah a dollar if he beat Ryan.  Ryan purposely let him win so he would get the three dollars.  Next time there will be some stipulations about getting the money.  Jess came in second female by about a second.  Ryan and Noah came in under 8 minutes.  I don't know Chad's time and mine was 9:24.  Joel said if I ran 9:12ish that he would get me a hoody from the college he is coaching at.  I think 9:24 is 12ish.  He disagrees.  I think I should get it anyway since the first half of the race was all up hill and there wasn't much of a down hill on the back side of the mile.  Cody didn't run.  She was home dealing with a migraine.

It was a fun race and one we will gladly do next year. 



That's a Sasquatch on the back of the shirt (in case you didn't know).