Yay for Hiking!

J had to go to a study group today, so I spent the day with our friends hiking out at Hatcher's Pass. It was freezing when we got up there but we warmed up really quickly. It was surprising that at the top of the mountain, it actually warmed up quite a bit.

There's an airshow here in town this weekend at our local air force base. On our way home from the "valley" we saw the Thunderbirds in all their fury. We're hoping to make it to the airshow at some point this weekend, we'll see.

So now we're at home watching the office, doing laundry and cleaning the house, yay!

Wedding Ring Drama

I was walking to work yesterday when my special ring for J started sounding from my purse. I dug it out and J told me that he got to work and doesn't have his wedding band on. He asked me to look around at the house when I got home from lunch and he'd dig through his locker at work and look around the parking lot etc. "I'm sure it's probably in the bed or something," I said. J has been losing a lot of weight at his new job they work out for five hours a day or so learning tactics, and his fingers are shrinking.

I TOTALLY forgot all about his ring being lost (which is a good thing because it would have bothered me all day) and when J got home from work he asked if i'd found it. um...no? So we snooped around some at our house and then jumped in the car to head to J's work and look around again. No Luck.

We met our friend Bean at Subway had a fun time making fun of people who are waaaay too touchy (I deny ever being touchy with J) and then we headed home. We did the things people do at night...you know...let the dogs out, watch an episode of LHOTP...check out the web. J looked at costco.com to see how much it would cost to replace his ring...let me just say that platinum has soared through the roof since I bought his wedding band is now more than twice as much. We discussed different options - him not wearing one, getting a gold one 'for now', wearing the one we got in Mexico one time (that will most likely turn his finger green) and then I decided to go to bed and read for a while.

J followed behind me by about 10 minutes. By then I was already asleep - I'm a really good bed reader (ha) and woke up when he came in. He got all snuggled in bed and I said "um, would you mind changing the alarm so that it goes off at 6:00?" Being the wonderful husband that he is, he sat up in bed and pushed the covers off and lo and behold - there was his ring. In the folds of the comforter!!! YAY!

Old Photos

My sister recently sent me a couple of old photos of our family. I had to laugh - they are so very dated. I thought they might make someone else giggle as well!

Your Local McDonalds

So I go to McDonalds for lunch today and the conversation goes like this:

Me: I'd like an Asian Chicken Salad please (inner cringing trying not to think of all the sodium)

Her: Asian what?

Me: Asian Chicken Salad with grilled chicken

Her: Okay, what kind of salad do you want?

Me: Asian Chicken, grilled chicken

Her: Grilled Chicken what?

Me; A S I A N C H I C K E N

Her: Oh, grilled chicken or breaded?

Me: Grilled

waiting, waiting, waiting

Another McD's worker: Caesar Salad - is it yours?

Me: I ordered an Asian Chicken Salad

Her: Oh, Asian?

Me: Yeah

Her: oh, sorry, just a minute

so i finally got the salad loaded with sodium as promised...wow...but at least we were all speaking English to one another.

Vacation (not mine)

Can I just say...the next two weeks are going to be just lovely, some people at work are on vacation. It's quiet here, not much complaining, very little petty behavior, no cell phones ringing constantly, information moves easily and quickly to whom it needs to go, ahhhhhhh.....good times!

Another June Weekend!

Wow - it's hard to believe how quickly the time passes. We're already past solstice (sigh) and well on our way to July.

We had a busy weekend, full of friends. It was great - we saw friend from all the different little corners of our lives. You know how you have friends from church, from work, from a church you went to before, from before you were married, from after you were married, from school ... it seems like they never really meet each other. We saw friends from most of our circles this weekend and I feel so blessed to have such a fabulous circle of friends.

P&H

Pike loves sun - I mean LOVES it. So the last couple of days have been really nice and he's spent as much time as possible laying outside in the sun, or laying on the back of our couch sunning himself.

See the picture to the left? That was taken in our fab yard. I recently pulled a TON of raspberries and this is the wonderful dirt that was left behind. So see how Pike is BROWN? His hair is usually a sleek black. But he INSISTS on rolling around in the dirt and then sunning himself on his back. He flips around now and then to be sure and get things even. The fun (ha) part is that then he comes inside and shakes himself off on my floor. Today I made him stay outside and roll in the grass before he came in. What a turd!

Here's Pike again in a new position he has really been liking. I'll leave the door open and he can get good rays on his back!

Harley mostly just likes to sit in the grass and catch bugs. He likes the mosquitoes and there are plenty to be had right now. I like the way he catches them - he really snaps his jaws and reminds me of a crocodile...but his prey is maybe a little smaller!
But the truth is - Harley is best at sleeping! Here he is on J's tummy!

So - why I didn't take the job

So - this first thing really has nothing to do with P&H (Pike & Harley) but I was going to blog about the funny dogs and decided to chat a little about this other thing first.

Today I turned down a huge job promotion at work. Not only would it have been a huge jump in salary, it would also have been a great step in my professional life. It was hard to say no - but my gut told me it wasn't the job for me. Just so I feel a little better about it - I'll just lay out my reasons here:
1. I like my job - it's challenging and keeps me on my toes *most of the time* but I don't take it home with me (except for a couple stressful weeks)
2. I like that I don't take my job home with me. J and I are going through enough change right now with his new job and adoption in our near future - we really don't need the added stress of me having a learning curve.
3. I would be on the same job level as someone who really gets under my skin. i think my promotion would continue to rub her WAY wrong and frankly, I just don't want to deal with that drama. D R A M A.
4. Also - I kind of wanted to quit (okay REALLY wanted to quit) my job in May. . . I was begging the powers that be in our house to take the summer off. He talked me out of it.

So those are my reasons/excuses for not moving up in the not for profit world. So there.

Something Interesting

I have noticed in the last few years that people (by people I mean virtual strangers) seem drawn to tell me things that are very personal. In the last few months, about three or so people have shared things with me that seem very unusual to share with a stranger but then I think maybe that's easier.

Last night at the gym, (I call it the gym, really it's just Curves) anyway, at the GYM, a girl who works there asked if I was married and we talked a bit about J and our marriage. And I asked if she was, she isn't and we laughed a little at how it takes boys forever to ask sometimes. Then she starts telling me all about her past and a little boy she has that her parents have adopted. I was just talking about adoption with my friend and how at some point it becomes what you were meant to do, not "Plan B" and here's a birth mother sharing her story with me. Interesting. Then I go in back to stretch and another member and I are chatting and end up talking all about church - not God or Jesus so much, but church. Interesting again.

I find it curious that when I'm thinking/praying about something I seem to have more interactions with strangers who have experience with what I'm thinking about. weird. I don't think I'm starting the conversations, in fact I KNOW that I didn't yesteray and yet it's a conversation that was very enlightening to me. Hmmmmm....

A Day Well Spent

I had today off, so J and I spent the morning doing all kinds of fun activities! We had breakfast together, and read the paper and drank our coffee...it was wonderful to just sit and chat and read! Then we made a list of everything we needed to do today. This is how exciting it was:

Drop off J's dry cleaning (HA! I so don't have to wash his uniforms!!!)
Get gas at Costco (a little cheaper at $4.13 a gallon, gross)
Drop J off at Wally World while I run to LAWL (down 1.6 go steph)
Pick up J at Wally World and go to the bank to deposit his very first check from the Muni!! :)
Go to Curves (John sat in the car and studied while I worked out)
Go to our insurance agent to get a good policy for J
Head over to Costo (again because we forgot to get lettuce - both Costcos in one day...fun!)

I added a couple of other things to the list like look at furniture...somehow we didn't make it to the store...interesting. Then we went to the Coastal Trail and I rollerbladed while J ran alongside me jogging. He did great, we went about three miles and I only got ahead of him a couple of times. I'm proud of my guy!!

I think we're off to dinner with some friends and maybe a walk, assuming the weather holds out. It's beautiful out there right now and I'm hoping it holds on. The dogs are mad at me, I never did take them for a walk today even though I told them I would...oh well. There's always tomorrow!

On Patience

I am learning...but very slowly...

I have struggled to be patient - mostly with adults (for whatever reason, I have an abundance of patience with kids - maybe because I think they are in process) for the last few years. I'm a rash decision maker so it bothers me when people take forever to make decisions (even if it's the smarter thing to do).

I am also the kind of person that once I've decided something and want to do it, or get someone else to, I want to do it now. I can't wait - it's got to be now.

Being married to possibly the most patient person in the world has at times been frustrating - but it has helped to force me into being a more patient person. But it's not easy, and I find myself forever struggling with it.

And - I'm learning...oh so slowly...that if things don't happen just the way I think they should or imagine it would...it's okay. Life keeps moving, nothing is perfect.

You know you're from Alaska when:

1. Your winter gear rips and your first thought is "Where's the duct tape?"

2. You think antlers are a legitimate decorating option.

3. You see the dirt on your car as a camouflage feature.4. You own more than one pair of Carharts.

5. You plan your summer around the salmon runs and your winter around Hawaiian Airlines.

6. You've come to appreciate the smell of break-up season and that lovely rotting-putrid smell that means spring is coming.

7. You have at least one neighbor who owns more than three dogs.

8. You think formal wear includes, but is not limited to, denim and flannel.

9. Democrat or Republican, you'd open ANWR with your own backhoe if they'd just give you a chance.

10. You're praying for global warming.

11. Fall cleaning means changing the aluminum foil out of the windows.

12. You can identify fifteen different varieties of mosquitoes and their mating calls.

13. You've eaten any of the following: moose, caribou, bear or beaver. Extra points if you killed it yourself.

Looooong Weekend

So why are the weekends so long when you have to work, and so very short when you're off? I know - right? Good question! :)

I went to an adult camp this weekend for work, it was fun but it wasn't something I would have done if I wasn't working. I got to do some hiking and canoeing and ate WAY too much great food - but it was a long weekend and it was work.

J is such a great husband - he showed up to an event Saturday night that was part of the camp just to be with me. There he was with about 60 women and then J...and he was an incredible sport about it, I couldn't be prouder of him. He returned with me on Sunday for more ceremony - and trust me this is steeped in green if you know what I mean. I just have to brag that he is so supportive of me and my job even when he's not the most comfortable doing it. I love this guy!!

Anyway...back to work! :)

Ugggg....

I wrote a whole blog here and then our computer lost its connection and everything is apparently now gone - that's a little bit irritating! So - I move on.

I was writing about my new hairdo - so very exciting. I got highlights last night and I think I like them. At first it was a little shocking because they are super blond, but I think they'll grow on me. If the sun ever comes out again here, then I'll have a bit of a tan and they will be even better. My FL tan is mostly fading due to the lack of sun we've had for about a week. You'd think we lived in Seattle. I suppose it's better for my skin anyway!

J is doing well at his new post - he's enjoying it. It's super challenging and he's coming home as tired as can be...but I think he'll do well.