Kingfisher Cove

What a Waste

Part of it is the guilt-button that I was born with. Plus, my intentions were truly honorable. I was up and showered and parked at my work laptop (at home) by 7:30 this morning. All the school districts in the entire region were closed for snow—either because it was falling or it was supposedly imminent—and the three of us marketing folks from our office emailed each other to announce that we were all telecommuting. Fine! Great! Except I could not connect my work laptop to our home's wireless network, and while my personal laptop IS connected to it, I couldn't connect to the company's VPN!  All I could do was access work email, and that's it. I'd planned somewhat ahead and moved some of my current work stuff to my desktop, so I wasn't 100% unproductive, but I spent so much time spinning my wheels trying to get the effing technology to work, that I really do feel that I accomplished NOTHING today.

And...it never did snow.

I hear that it did in a Big Way up north (only about 30 miles) and also south (about another 30 miles), but we didn't get a flake! It's been windy, rainy, very cold, stormy, and even sometimes sunny off and on all day. AND, they're still calling for a chance of snow tonight, so I get to stew and worry and wonder what tomorrow will bring. I'm going into the office if there is any possible way because I need the IT guys to ream out my system and figure out why I can't telecommute properly! Grrr. I've come close to putting my foot through two laptop monitors today.

It's just after 5:00 now, so I guess I can un-depress that guilt button.

Cold and Crabby

JDub said, "I was wondering why you were so excited about the prospect of snow coming...."

Reality bites. Yes, it could be a lot worse (and may well be come Wednesday when more snow is due to fall). I am thankful that this last bit (about 2 inches) came over the weekend and so plowing/salting/sanding had time to happen. My commute to work this morning was a piece of cake. BUT, our driveway is a steep skating rink, and while going down it this morning seemed to be OK (even though my heart was pounding in my ears), I could not get up it tonight! I was so pissed. I had to park along a very busy road and then hike/skate UP the driveway lugging my laptop and a couple of bags of groceries. Came close to falling on my face/butt a number of times. This sub-freezing weather is destined to continue for the foreseeable future — possibly beyond Christmas! Grrr. And yeah, why WAS I so excited about the prospect of snow coming? 

Ooooh, and we're supposed to get more....woohoo! No, that's actually not sarcasm because yes, the prospect DOES excite me. I will make a point to have my work laptop with me and work from home if need be. (See? It's all about having to commute. If that's not part of the equation, then YES I do get excited about snow!)

I guess it'll be this coming weekend that I put forth the gumption to get some dire things accomplished, such as WRAPPING PRESENTS. I haven't wrapped a single one! I also still have gifts expected that I've ordered online that could continue to filter in right up until Christmas Eve. Good news is that I have Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, the day after Christmas ("Boxing Day" for Canadians) off from work, plus the weekend—five days in a row! wOOt! We'll probably spend most of it down at Harstine. By that time it will have been a month or maybe even 5 weeks since we've been down there. Sure hope there are no nasty surprises awaiting us, such as burst pipes or no power, that sort of thing....

Have I mentioned that I'm STILL COUGHING???!!!!!

Drama

Mostly it's the weather, although it's certainly not as dramatic as what New England has endured. (Millions of power-outages with sub-freezing temperatures and trees falling everywhere from the weight of ice). Here? So far just wind and it's been pretty impressive (and damaging in areas, but we're OK, plus we still have power). When you have Blog/Twitter buddies who live throughout the country (and the world!), you become a lot more in-tuned to their environments and the particulars of their lives. It matters. It's not just a news headline, it's real people—that I care about—telling us firsthand what they are going through.

The wind has died down here, but we're all awaiting the next stage of this storm which could bring snow and ice, and most definitely frigid temperatures. So glad it's happening over a weekend; don't have the gut-wrenching worry of wondering what tomorrow brings (with trying to commute to work). I can feel pretty relaxed about it, until Sunday night when who knows what we'll be facing?

Today was fun! Had to drive a fair distance with my VW Bug being pushed and pulled all over the freeway, but we had our marketing department holiday party/luncheon and it was just great. 100% turnout (unusual, because that included the marketing coordinator from Denver and a couple from Portland, let alone from the several offices here in Washington). We did the White Elephant gift exchange/steal thingy and it was a hoot! I lucked out (which I typically don't) with a coveted and well-stolen electric wine bottle opener! (hee)

I also learned some interesting news. I sat next to the Corporate Marketing Director (whom I really like and get a kick out of) and also in the vicinity of one of our corporate marketing coordinators who had a baby in August—and brought her along (how fun! What a sweet and happy little 4-month-0ld baby girl!) The gal who had the baby has decided to not return to work, and her last official day will be the end of this month. The Director gal was off-handedly telling me about her position and its particulars and I suddenly said, "Denise, I don't know if I should be hearing this, because I'm realizing that it's interesting to me! And yet I love working with Ms. Jodie Foster!  Oh, boy."

She actually encouraged me to seek this out, quietly. Oh dear. It would really be right up my alley. Yes, there would still be proposals to deal with as a backup for the various offices, but I would also assist the public relations gal with writing articles for the intranet/internet; work on content for the company's website, assist the graphics designer, and work on material for conference displays, etc.  There could be some travel to the various offices, including Boise and Albuquerque. Oh dear Oh dear Oh dear. Would I? Could I? (And yes, I have website experience...and Corporate loves me for the articles I write for our office's newsletter...)

Hmmm.

2009 could be veddy interesting.

Navy Conversation

Me: So, are you surprised that I'm supportive of your decision?

Nate (not meeting my eyes): Yes.

Me: Are you pissed that I'm supportive of your decision?

Nate (still not meeting my eyes): Yes.

Me: I thought you might be. Uhm, why?

Nate (finally meeting my eyes): Because now it's going to be a lot harder to leave.

Maybe Snow?

It's kinda-sorta in the forecast for tomorrow evening into Saturday. It's so damned hard to predict around here what with the ocean and the Sound and the mountains and the foothills and the valleys. Generally, there are areas that get dumped on, and other areas a mere 25 miles away that don't see a flake, and nobody knows what's going to be what until it happens. But a big arctic storm is heading this way from Canada/Yukon and even if it doesn't snow, it's definitely going to get very cold for this neck of the woods.  I'm actually rather excited at the prospect (of snow) because it's due to fall on a weekend, in lieu of a week day when getting to and from work is such a stressful nightmare. On the weekend we can relax and enjoy it and take a walk in it, if we so desire. I don't remember the last time it's snowed on a weekend, at least significantly and stuck around for more than a few hours. All the bodies of water around here just keep everything so moderate, so snowfall is not a real common occurrence. That said, I do recall some major snows throughout my childhood, and early adulthood. It's been a while, though, at least where I've lived these past several years.

And if Houston and New Orleans can get snow, shouldn't we?

Feeling better, although it's taking a while to get my energy back—plus I still have this annoying cough. Grrr.

I believe that I am completely finished with my Christmas shopping. I think.

Still

OK, I've had it. After yet another day feeling like crap and yet another night waking up coughing, today I'm seeing the doctor. I'm into Week #4 of this damned thing. (I thought colds/flu were only supposed to last seven days??) So, it's a sick day for me and even though I've tried to do a few constructive things (like set out my Santa collection, empty the dishwasher, and shower/dress), those activities have whupped me.

~~~~~

Update: A'yup, it's da flu. 100 deg. temperature. Doc says, "It's a butt-kicking flu this year." A'yup. At least I'm on the "downside" of it now.

Bah-Humbugness Has Improved

For quite some time there, I was sure wondering. Grrrr. We've had this pre-lit Christmas tree for several years now, and I really do like it (and I paid a good price for it because I wanted decent quality—plus, I wanted to prevent the annual hateful ordeal of stringing lights, because I like lots of lights). It has served us well, but this year those "pre-lit" lights have given us grief beyond belief. Two big swaths were dead, and I swear (oh, and there was plenty of that) JDub and I both interchanged each and every bulb throughout those sections trying to find the culprit — at least three times. Likely more! To no avail! I was about ready to haul the whole thing down to Puget Sound and give it the heave-ho. (Humans can put man on the moon and high-tech rovers on Mars and we still deal with serial Christmas tree lights? How dark-ages can we be? With emphasis on "dark"....WTF?)

We finally cheated. Since we place the tree in front of the wood stove (that we just don't use and it's actually the only place in the living room that works for the tree), JDub turned it so one of the dark swaths faced the back. The entire top of the tree was "dead" so he strung lights up there. We're calling it good, and I refuse to be anal about it.

Then I decorated it! By myself....but at least JDub hung out in the living room with me while he watched a Lara Croft /Angelina Jolie (big boobs/big lips) movie on TV and kept me company. Heh.

Bless his heart, he put the top on and placed the tree skirt and here we are:

 

I haven't set anything else out yet (like my santas and cute mooses) but I will once I've recovered from all this. Definitely going "light" on decorating this year.  I suppose next year will be really strange, because I should probably gear up for the strong possibility that Nate won't be around. Hmm. Maybe we'll go to Hawaii instead? (I say that, but jeeze, who knows if we'll have JOBS next year....)

YES, it's that time of month. Can't you tell?

Hellooooo, Friday!

I wanted to show you a Really Cool Thing that my friend Helen gave to me while she was here (during our soapmaking and friendshipping session). She's been dabbling in all sorts of crafts, including creating concrete birdbaths and stepping stones, to découpage, which was really popular in the 1960s and 1970s. It was actually pretty lame back then, but they've come a long way baby, with better tools and products (and taste in design!)

When Helen visited us at Harstine last summer, she snapped a photo of the Fast Red Boat moored out in the water (between rain showers). She enlarged the photo and then cut it into fourths, and then découpaged it thusly:

I just love this! It's like looking out an old-fashioned window! There's the beach, there's the water, there's the beloved boat, there's wild Squaxin Island across the way (from where we often hear coyotes yip and howl).  Is this cool or what? (She's so on top of things; here she'd done her Christmas shopping/crafting before Thanksgiving! Uhm, not me!) (It's progressing, though...)

~~~~~

So glad this week's done. I continue to not feel well — hacking cough, nose still a snot factory. It's almost like I've had a relapse. I thought I was on the mend, but the last couple of days have been truly yukky. Even JDub, whose cold/flu/whatever-the-hell-this-is started about a week before mine, is still not 100%. We are talking a month-long ailment. Man.

Today was pretty uplifting, though. I've experienced this before (and mentioned this before), but it always manages to catch me off-guard and make me feel those very basal human-sponge emotions of tickledom. This is due to (again) finally finishing the office newsletter (it's been three months since I've had the time to work on it) and sending it out — and receiving some pretty marvelous kudos. (What's cool is that those folks sending the kudos also "cc" my boss and the office principal! It is performance review season!) I can't get over what a difference this entire scenario is compared to where I used to work (and was responsible for the office newsletter there, too). My boss there was such a control freak, so into micro-managing, took perverse pleasure in making others feel inferior and awful about themselves, and in her eyes there was simply nothing I could do that came close to pleasing her. I was constantly criticized for my newsletter efforts (she would sometimes grudgingly say my writing was OK, after the CEO on a number of occasions complimented me in front of her, which really pissed her off). Here? My boss treats me like the Newsletter Goddess. I have full reign. I'm also anal (or maybe competitive?) with myself to make absolute certain that when she reviews it, there is never an error to be found! Sort of a pride thing, I guess. It's something I truly care about, I feel reflects upon me in a big way, and it's also a huge pleasure (as long as I'm not stressed with time because of proposal deadlines).

~~~~~

I've joined a social networking site called "NavyforMoms.com" and it's very similar to Facebook, but (obviously) for moms of kids in the Navy. It's a big site because that includes moms of kids thinking about joining, moms of new recruits, moms of kids at boot camp, moms of officers, and moms of kids on deployment. I say "kids" because they all tend to be right out of high school into their early- mid-20s. Very much a support group that I think will come in really handy in the months(years?) to come. I have six months to digest all of this, but I know it'll go by quickly. With Nate still living at home, his sudden absence — along with the silence of eight weeks of boot camp — will be like nothing I've ever experienced before. We're close, we talk, we share. And we won't then. Or at least hardly ever. But I won't dwell on that quite yet.

And hell yes, at least I'll be flying to the Great Lakes next August for his boot camp graduation!

~~~~~

On tap tomorrow? Hauling up the Christmas tree/bins and decorating! Probably all by myself.... (poor, poor, pitiful me)

It's a Done Deal

Well.....Nate did it. I guess I wasn't aware that these last couple of days of being holed up at a (non-fancy) hotel and going through testing and medical exams was the "end all", but he was actually sworn in yesterday. He scored very well on his testing and was pretty much able to choose his career path — which turns out to be electronics! In fact, here are the details of what he will eventually be! I was a little surprised about that, but he demonstrated apptitude and was quite fascinated in all that this area offers. It would also be transferrable skills in the civilian world, too, which is important since he's not planning on making a career out of the Navy (I suppose that could change). He's in for 6 years of active duty, though.

Because of his chosen career path, it's moved back his boot camp to match up with the 24 weeks of technical training that follow. So, he heads to boot camp (in Illinois) on June 25th, followed by the tech training at San Diego.

How am I feeling about this? Excited for him (because he's excited); relieved that he finally has a goal in life; also relieved that he's a smart kid and did well on the testing so he could choose a good career path; nervous—as any mom would be; and proud as hell. 

It's WHAT?

December? Christmas season? By the time I headed home from work (in the dark) this evening, many of the residential neighborhoods I drive through on my way to the freeway were all aglow with icicle lights and reindeer (and snowmen) a'fire. And Christmas music on the radio. I'm not entirely sure why it's such a jolt, but it is. I jokingly just said on the 4th of July (oh, about an hour and  a half ago): "I'm going to blink my eyes and it'll be Christmas."  I believe I go through this every year, at least in recent years. It's getting harder for me to get my head wrapped around how quickly this comes around. (The 4th of July may have been an hour and a half ago, but likewise no more than three hours ago I just packed up all the Christmas decorations and tree and ornaments from last year!) Now it's time to haul it back out again?

I'm not feeling it yet—not sure what it'll take. Maybe some cold and crispy weather? That's part of it; it's been really mild and I haven't even had to scrape ice off my car windows yet this year. Not that I'm particularly hankering to do that.

A dusting (or even dumping) of snow would be good. May as well make it a dumping so there's no possible way I could get to work.

I think part of this....malaise? Is that my work calendar is packed solid with icky stuff  this month (with some fun stuff intermixed that ultimately ends up adding to the stress of being taken away from the icky stuff that has to get done regardless). Know what I mean?

In other words, if I didn't have to work (or worry about work), I'd probably be skipping around the house right now humming Christmas carols.