Kingfisher Cove

Pretty But COLD

It was really beautiful today here at Harstine (unexpected, I think—I thought it was supposed to rain!) But man was it cold. No, not freezing, but it was sure frigid, mostly due to a hard biting wind that seeped through jeans directly to the bones. The pictures (if they load....) make it look so inviting and maybe even spring-like. Don't be fooled!

In the photo above (if it loads....) you can see how the winter storms have gouged the beach. We discovered all kinds of debris and drift wood in front of our place, plus a washout from the heavy rains of a couple of our embedded steps to the beach. It's very messy down there.

Once the sun dropped behind Squaxin Island, the wind died down somewhat, but it was still really cold out there. We took a quick walk to get the blood pumping in our legs. It got everything pumping! Nice sunset (if it loads...)

Bub-bye, January.

Text Only! (but that may be changing!)

We are here at wonderful Harstine Island on this cold and windy Friday night (yup, huddled inside the camping trailer either working a jigsaw puzzle or TRYING to surf the internet). How long has it been now since we've had a fire on the deck? When will we be able to again? Man, I sure miss that.

Yeah, I don't dare try to upload a photo with my post. I am so damned SICK AND TIRED of getting that "Internet Explorer cannot display the webpage" message because of the utter LACK of cell signal so that I can access the internet. As I've mentioned, my internet connection here at Harstine is through a T-Mobile card that I stick in my laptop that works off the one and only cell tower on the island. The card is supposedly "boosted" by a big ol' antenna that JDub got for me a year ago or so, but it really hasn't helped much. Even uploading a 140-character or less post to Twitter gives me grief. Well. That may be about to change. JDub informed me the other day that he'd ordered me a "gift." I'd place a graphic here to show you what that gift will be, but I can't even bring up the web page where it lives to grab it, let alone hope to have it upload from my post!

OK, so if this thing works, it'll be a MUCH better Valentine's gift than, say, diamond earrings or whatever. It's a cell signal booster. It works in conjunction with the antenna and should strengthen the signal so I can possibly have stable and workable internet connection. Won't get to test it until next weekend, since it won't arrive until mid-week or so. I'm so excited (and so hopeful!)  We've also since learned that there's an effort on the island to acquire DSL. That may be a reality within the next year — I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Dealing with yet another MAN COLD. Y'all feel sorry for me now. (Oh, and JDub, too, since he's the MAN with the COLD). He had best not pass this on to me. And I mean it.

Tired

I’m sure it’s all about the time of year—and in these northern environs, S.A.D. (Seasonal Affective Disorder) is a pretty typical condition. Used to be called “Post Holiday Blues” or “Winter Blues.” But there’s more to it than just having the blues. It’s pretty much all-encompassing. Trouble sleeping; horrific trouble waking up at the butt-crack of dawn; heavy-hearted; difficulty focusing; interaction with people seems fake, forced, or best avoided; a sense of fight or flight. That’s me! Always has been! Several years ago, my mom recognized my symptoms and sent me a special lamp. It was developed for treating S.A.D. and while not the high-tech light boxes available these days, it does help. I use it every morning while I’m getting ready for work, and it shines in my periphery. It helps. But, it’s not the end-all. (Neither is medication). I’m coveting sunshine and it just isn’t forthcoming in this neck of the woods. It’s gonna be a while before it is.

In spite of it all, I’m taking it a day at a time. And it’s not all bad. The homefront is nice. Hubby keeps me intrigued and consistently brings on the chuckles (the best medicine); the animals, while sometimes annoying, give such unconditional love, including the cat (in his unique way); and the kid, at 22-1/2 years old, also knows how to lighten my days, even though he’s not around all that much. (He also knows how to darken them, but thankfully that hasn’t been the case lately).

There is worry. Worry about the economy, about our jobs, about our retirement plans, about Nate going to Navy Boot Camp, about all the things that need to be fixed in our house, about affording the house we’re having designed for Harstine, about our health, about aging, about our parents. When it’s so dark for so much of the day—even in daylight hours we’re enveloped with gray—dark thoughts tend to permeate.

So, this weekend we’re heading to Harstine regardless of the weather. It’s time to get out of Dodge. Yeah, the weather will suck, we’ll likely be holed up inside the camping trailer, and internet connection will be close to non-existent.

But it will be healing and peaceful. (As long as I have a SOOTHING book to read! Jeeze! Need a break from all this high-0ctane fiction!)

Is January Done Yet?

JEEZE. Woke up to snow on the ground this morning! Thankfully, not a whole heckuva lot and the news weather forecasters made it abundantly clear that it would be short-lived. So I drove to work with a bit of trepidation (it continued to snow and stick the entire way), but my car handled it just fine (even though I kept hearing about spin-outs and rollovers throughout my commute). It was my FEET that had some trouble because I was an idiot and wore somewhat stylin' boots instead of grippy-soled shoes. Every time I'd take a step I'd think of NorthwestLadyBug and her freakish slip in the snow a couple of weeks ago that broke three bones in her ankle...

Survived it, though. And by mid-morning it was apparent that the weather forecasters were right. (Whew). It was pretty while it lasted!

Just finished watching Rachel Maddow's interview (transcript) with Governor "F-Bomb" Blagojevich, and it was most interesting! (What a dip he is! And I do believe he pretty much stepped in it during this interview). Rachel was super, as I knew she'd be.

I learned from some Twitter friends that Amazon.com is coming out with a new generation of Kindle next month. This photo is the first I've seen of it, and I'm not overly impressed. It's much longer than my (1st generation) Kindle, although thinner, but I don't see the advantage to that. All internal memory, too, instead an SD card slot, although that's a feature I haven't taken advantage of. The one benefit I do see is that they've reconfigured the page-turning bars which took a lot of getting used to on my Kindle because it's way too easy to accidentally turn a page. (But that's not an issue now that I'm so used to it). I'm glad I'm not pouting about a New and Improved next generation Kindle. I'm perfectly happy with the one I have, thank you very much.

Whoa, this book I'm reading ("Caught Stealing") is a bit much. There is not a moment to take a breath — it's just constant jangling-nerves action and it's exhausting to read! Pretty brutal, too. After this I need something soothing to read!

Oh, woohoo, I received my new food processor today! (I've never had one before). I've got the components in the dishwasher and maybe tomorrow night I'll give it a whirl! It's pretty basic and relatively small (but sturdy) and I think it's going to be perfect for just the two of us.

Work is suddenly nuts, and I'm beat. I believe it will be an early-to-bed night.

Potpourri

Wow, what a week! Still basking in the awesomeness. And President Obama has already made some great strides, reversing the "Gag Rule" and finally passing the Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. Yes, it's a new dawn.

JDub has to work this weekend, so we're hanging out at home again. This time of year that's fine with me, because it does get tiresome being cooped up inside that camping trailer when it's cold and icky outside. After days on end of nothing-but-fog (and COLD), rain is moving in tonight and there is a possibility of some snow...

Been reading my Kindle! I have been loving Stephen King's new collection of short stories ("Just After Sunset"), as well as a free download novel by Charlie Huston called "Caught Stealing." I believe it was Random House publishers that offered a selection of free downloads and I scooped them up! It's pretty clever marketing because each of the authors will be having new books released this year, and it's a great way to become familiar with some authors I hadn't read before.

We got our W2s and once again (as we do every year) we're shaking our heads and wondering where the hell the money went! (Well, LOTS to income and property taxes, lots to insurance, lots to retirement that has since disappeared, lots to gas and food, and of course lots to our architect. That about covers it.

And finally, this local story has so upset JDub and me that we have both made donations. People: Please do not purchase pets through Craig's List or pet stores! Put these creeps out of business!

Awesome

Inaugural photos to make your eyes pop out of your head!

(Special thanks to www.Boston.com)

At Last...

Oh, what a day. I have been all aglow and walking on air and I realize I haven't felt this way since my wedding day. Look at those two. I am so tickled, so very honored to live in this day and age to see this. A husband and wife who really like each other (as well as obviously love each other); intelligent, real people in the white house; young children in the white house; true leadership in the white house. And, obviously, African-Americans in the white house. (He was chosen based on the content of his character so MLK is likely smiling down at us). Of course I do know that today is the "end" of the honeymoon as we know it. The real work now begins, and I think I saw a sense of the weight of that responsibility in Barack's face off and on today during the ceremonies. And I'm sure the snarky criticisms will begin, too. Mark my words: his hair will gray seemingly overnight. We'll look back at these pictures and say, "Oh My God! Look at what a baby he was!"

YES, I did view the inauguration. I was naughty and watched the streaming video on my computer at work. We'd been asked not to due to bandwidth issues, although the video was surprisingly available (normally it's blocked somehow). We were also told that the IT folks would set up viewing in the conference rooms for those who wanted to watch, but in my branch office they had technical difficulties so the IT person recommended to me that I watch it on my computer! So I did! Even the parade! My bad! I'm not sure how the people I work with feel about the whole thing. I wasn't aware of anybody else viewing the inauguration on their computers. It's a very professional environment, and so people do tend to not voice their opinions too much (I'm aware of a few rather young folks who have made it clear that they're repubs). I was just quietly gleeful in my little ol' cube.

Even though I loved, loved, loved the times the Obamas got out of their limo to walk the street and wave at the people, it made me ever so nervous. I definitely worry about them. They never seemed to be worried, but I was kind of a mess in thinking about all that open space, all those people, all those buildings/windows/balconies. The strength and numbers of the security were very apparent, but it still made me nervous. I'm so glad nothing happened, and that the security worked well. I heard that not a single person was arrested—and OMG there were a lot of people! I hate crowds, but there was a part of me that sure would have loved to be there.

A good part of what makes me feel so aglow about all of this, is that it's the first time that JDub and I have felt the same way about a president. He is as excited as I am about Obama's leadership abilities and intelligence and the hope that he infuses into our country. We both just feel that if anybody can do it, he can.

Just be safe, Mr. President.

Oh, Happy Day

Well, especially tomorrow. But this gives me great joy as well:

Has this country ever been so excited about a presidential inauguration? The only memorable one (in my mind) was Clinton's first, and aside from the fact that I was tickled about him being elected and got such a kick out of actual rock music being played at the functions (Fleetwood Mac, I remember, and then didn't they do the Macarina which was so popular then?), it was also a day here in Washington State that we had about as close to a hurricane as we can get. It's still referred to as the Inaugural Day Storm, and the power was out most of the day.  It was a doozy and it caused a helluva lot of damage.  But to actually feel the party atmosphere from this coast for an event taking place on the other coast; to actually wish I was there, in spite of the crowds and cold and security and logistic nightmares; to feel the frustration of not being able to watch the events unfold on television or even streaming internet because I'll be at work; well, I know I've never felt that way before. Of course, we've had so few presidents that have yanked my chain in any good way. Jeeze, there have been SO FEW. I probably would have liked Kennedy, but I was only 7 when he was shot. And since then...LBJ? Eh. Nixon? (Yeah, r-i-g-h-t...) Ford? (Golf balls bonking his head). Carter? Did NOT like the peanut farmer then, like him better since then, sorta. Reagan? Oh HELL no. And both Bushes? Watch my lips—yukkarama, putting it in family-friendly terms. I did like Clinton. I thought he was a very good president. It deeply disappointed me "what he did" (but I certainly didn't feel that it warranted being impeached). 

Obama excites me. I hope he's able to turn things around, and that he stays safe. When he speaks, I feel soothed. What a difference from the last eight years!

Yes, Ricky, you are so right: we finally got our country back!

"Two terms, 6 trillion dollars in new debt, the worst economic performance in decades, the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression, the worst terrorist attack on American soil in history, a total failure of foreign policy, two costly unwon wars, a wrecked military, the lowest approval ratings of any president, a totally dysfunctional and politicized federal government from the Treasury to FEMA to the State Department to the Department of the Interior to the Justice Department to the SEC to the FDA...

On the other hand, he did break a few records for taking vacation.  So there's that."

Bleehhhh, Sunday

Actually, it wasn't too bad today. From our peek-a-boo view perched a couple of hundred feet or so above (and across the road from) Puget Sound, we mostly had sunny skies. It was interesting to peer across toward Tacoma where you could see it was socked in with fog. The same toward Mt. Rainier with the mountain sticking up above a heavy fog layer. So we lucked out, except for a brief period when Tacoma's fog rolled our way. It was eerie seeing it seep between the trees across the street. But for the most part, it was sunny and bright through all our windows, which actually really warmed up this house! The A/C even kicked on for a bit!

But the weekend itself hasn't been particularly stellar, mostly because poor JDub has been suffering from a killer headache All. Weekend. Long. He has spent more time with his head resting in his hands than not. Nothing has helped, including the alarming volume of ibuprofen he's taken. He gets frequent headaches, and generally the ibuprofen helps. But not this weekend. We are pretty sure that his headaches are a result of a skeletal/muscular issue, not a dire brain tumor or anything. But it's TIME for something to be done about it, if it can be! Getting this man to a doctor is worse than an act of congress. (I'd say "pulling teeth" but he's actually had that done without this much procrastination). I think that this weekend has finally driven home that something needs to happen. However, from my point of view it seems like he has headaches just about every weekend. Not so much during the work-week (although he does, but not as debilitating). But weekends at either home or Harstine often involve headaches that strip him of his normally easy-going demeanor. (I'm sure the stress of being a manager for Da Airplane Company—and especially with having to give the news of layoffs to his crew—has taken its toll). I gave him a sticky note with the doctor's name and phone number and I guess the ball is now in his court.

I've been playing another adventure game (it's pretty good, and what a relief to NOT have it constantly crash my computer). And I've also been reading Stephen King's new collection of short stories "Just After Sunset." I've finished just two stories of the 13, and they were good! SK is truly a master at short stories (and making me squirm!)

Now it's time to go cook up some yakisoba.

Ahhhh, Friday

But no Harstine this weekend. We seriously considered heading down, but it has been really foggy and cold and we knew we'd ultimately be holed up yet again inside the camping trailer (me with lame internet connection and JDub crippled from puzzle-back). I kind of hate to complain about the cold because it's certainly nowhere near what the Midwest and the east coast have been experiencing with their subzero temps. But this has been such a damp cold, such a to-the-bone cold and since it doesn't really warrant major bundling up, it therefore feels even colder. So whaa, I'm complaining about it! Well, and the fog is oppressive, too. Seems to soak all the color out of the day.

Wow, today was busy. I was "it" in the marketing group (Ms. Foster was at another branch office and Annoying Coworker was on vacation), and I needed to see Ms. Foster's proposal out the door on this deadline day. Tricky to get your head wrapped around something you're not familiar with and then hunt down tedious information and fill holes and do lots of last-minute revisions to both content and layout. I felt like I was moving 90,000 mph all day long. Worked through lunch so I could get a grip on it. But get a grip on it I did, and it's out the door! Whew.

Listened to several interviews with survivors of the plane crash. A local woman, the mother of a young adult daughter who frantically called her from a borrowed cell phone in a life raft, mentioned on the local talk radio station that she just totally lost it after speaking briefly to her daughter (I had the impression that she hadn't yet been aware that there had been a plane crash). She explained that her daughter was sitting among strangers and they were all holding hands at impact and somebody said to her, "We're going to be fine. There are angels on this plane! We're going to be fine." Now typically I would have taken that exclamation with a grain of salt, possibly even rolled my eyes.  But when I heard it, I felt goosebumps. At any rate, a common comment throughout the day: "I want to hug that pilot."

Here's an example of "good news" actually being "Big News." That doesn't happen very often. I guess when something so dramatic happens, the outcome generally isn't so good.

I wish this upcoming Tuesday (Inauguration Day) was a holiday! I'd love to be able to watch the festivities, but we're not even allowed to stream from the internet at work. Hopefully somebody will be able to "Live Twitter." (I miss all the snarkiness of live twittering during the debates). If you are so inclined, you can always play Bingobama during his inauguration speech!