Kingfisher Cove

Letters

I’ve been writing a letter to Nate just about every day. Not every single day, as I don’t want to bore him with the tedium of nothing much but work angst, but so far I’ve written him a few since he left last Thursday. The thing is, I don’t have his address yet. Apparently within the next couple of weeks I’ll receive a form letter from the Navy with his address and then I’ll send all his letters at once. He’ll 1) either be tickled to get so much mail, or 2) have to do push-ups as a punishment for getting so much mail, or 3) all of the above. He’s sure on my mind. It’s weird to not know what all he’s dealing with and feeling about it. For a guy, he’s always been very communicative, at least with me. Oh, I’m sure there are a bazillion things he’s done that I have no clue about (nor want to know), but he can be very forthcoming. I’ve never been (too) judgmental, and I always encouraged openness, and it paid off with him feeling comfortable talking to me about many things sons don’t typically talk to their moms about. But more than anything, I’m missing the sit-down-at-the-dining-table chats when he’d knock me to my knees in laughter. I also miss rubbing his shaved head. Kinda like petting the dog. But way different.

Ah, but work. It’s the pits right now. Up to my eyeballs with this Proposal That Just Won’t Die (with our Boise office). What a nightmare, and it was compounded today with computer issues. I don’t have time for computer issues!

Good news: Sounds like JDub fixed the A/C in the Durango. I’m so very happy about that because it’s been beastly driving down to Harstine in heavy traffic and heat. And it sounds like it’ll be in the upper 80s Thursday when we head down. Argh. Not that I am complaining because stellar warm weather for the holiday weekend is exactly in order! My brother and his family are coming down and so is Helen! Fireworks, salmon, and hopefully rides in the Fast Red Boat! (I shudder to think how much work I have to accomplish before that becomes a reality…)

We “fired” our architect who was designing our Harstine house. There were many reasons, including incredible lack of communication, as well as, uhm, stupidity. Why wouldn’t an architect consult a soils and structural engineer BEFORE designing a complex pole foundation over a challenging site? And why would it necessarily have to be a pole foundation anyway? Perhaps the input of the soils and structural engineer could have recommended something better? ANYWAY, we have a NEW architect that JDub has met with and we’re excited that he “gets us.” Plus, it sounds like he’ll come out to our place at Harstine one day during our vacation next week to see the site with his own eyes (and see what he’s getting himself into). We’re meeting with him tomorrow evening to get the ball rolling. He won’t have to start from Ground Zero, as we were able to get all the design documents to date from the previous architect, plus we’re pretty happy with the overall floor plan and general “idea” of the house. But we have a hunch this guy is going to have a whole lot more common sense suggestions based on JDub’s conversations with him. Should be interesting.

Purloined!

The hubs is addicted to my iPhone. (I should say, he’s addicted to the Casino Slot Machine app I have on there). So while he’s wearing down my battery (yet again), I’ll write a blog post!

It’s another stellar day here at Harstine. I’ve been pretty much living out here on the deck and it’s been awesome. I hate to see this weekend start to wind down because it will not be a fun work-week. A short one, though, since Friday will be our 4th of July holiday. And THEN….a full week off to spend down here! wOOt!

I discovered some photos from Nate’s goodbye party at Camano Island on my camera that I’d totally forgotten about! What a treat that was, although it put a lump in my throat. I’ll share a few.

I just love this one with Nate and his best friend, Tracy, roasting hotdogs the evening of the party. JDub and I sat down there with them for quite a while and listened to the surf and chatted. Nate was quite sunburned! (That’s a huge ol’ truck wheel we’ve used for years as the fire thingy there. It’s all rusted out in the bottom so it’s time for something new…)

I liked this one, too, of the boys heading back from batting rocks in the water. I hope the Navy doesn’t totally banish the boy from this young man:

Nice sunset at Camano Island:

Every time we go to Camano (which isn’t nearly as often as it used to be since we have Harstine), I’m blown away with the panoramic view with no trees to obstruct it. Can’t do that here with the environmental laws. Oh! And I forgot to mention that my brother encountered the ogre! Remember him? Ugh! Dave said it was extremely unpleasant. Everybody that walks his beach is “trespassing” and he threatens to call the police. Dave said to him, “You know what? You have a reputation along here as the Beach Troll.” (heh heh) What an evil person he is.

We visited with some Harstine neighbors last evening. The plan was to have a beach fire and drink some wine and chat, but the wind kicked up so we went to one of the neighbors’ houses instead. I took some photos from his deck (he had his house built back when you COULD cut down some trees to improve the view):

 

                   (iPhone photos tend to be on the grainy side…)

A Day of Distraction

So far, Nate’s called me twice today! Once from SeaTac airport just before they boarded (he gave me his flight number so I was able to track him on the internet the whole way, which was WAY COOL!) Then, he just called a bit ago from O’Hare to tell me he’d arrived, which I knew because I’d been tracking his flight. He’s with 4 other recruits and now they’re doing the hurry-up-and-wait thing for the bus that will take them to base. He’ll be able to give me a 15-30 second call once they arrive there, and then silence for the next several weeks. Pretty much the dark side of the moon.  But I’m flying high just having the privilege of talking to him today. I’m handling everything just fine, so far. I’m sure this would feel a lot different if he was 18 instead of 23.

I plan to start writing him letters and cards so that when I finally get his address (about 2 weeks from now), he’ll receive a lot of mail. From what I understand, mail is Da Bomb. A bunch will probably all arrive at the same time so I’ll number the envelopes! (heh heh) I also read on Navy for Moms that sending along a good joke in each letter is good for morale and they tend to share those jokes among their fellow boot campers (thereby creating camaraderie!)

So, while I did accomplish a number of things today at work, I was also pretty distracted, I have to admit. From here on out I’ll just be thinking of my kiddo and wondering what the hell he’s being put through.  But at least I’ll know he’s safe, being fed, not out partying, and I’ll actually KNOW WHERE HE IS. So in that regard, it’s all good.

~~~~~

Update: Just got the 15-second call; he’s on base. Let the hell begin!

Last Night

So….we won’t be seeing Nate for a while now. He had to report to the Navy recruitment center today for medical and more paperwork, then check into a nearby hotel for the night. (He does have some freedom this evening until 11:00 so he’s having dinner/Transformers movie with his dad). Then he flies out tomorrow sometime for Illinois to the Great Lakes Naval Station for Boot Camp.

Last night we took him out to dinner and we had a nice and relaxing time at Anthony’s Home Port at Pt. Defiance in Tacoma (not the Anthony’s here in our home town where he worked; a number of wait staff, chefs, and his favorite former manager now work at the Tacoma Anthony’s and Nate thought it would be a good opportunity to see them before he left). It was fun watching the Vashon ferry come and go. I sensed that Nate was “ready”  both physically and mentally. He’s really stepped up in the past couple of weeks and reamed out his bedroom (a place that has always been a disaster) and it’s now pretty much vacant. He even shampooed the carpet in there! He also sold his car. In the middle of his bedroom is a large box he’s packed up with stuff he wants shipped to him after Boot Camp when he heads to San Diego for 6 months of training. He’s been very sweet and loving, and I don’t know how many times he’s mentioned how much he appreciated his party at Camano Island. Just a few scenes from dinner last night:

I had halibut! It was excellent, and we also had an appetizer to share between us of RAZER CLAMS! Oh, they were nummy. I haven’t had razer clams for years and you just can’t get them at the store or at many restaurants. I was pretty much in heaven, even though they would not be Weight Watcher sanctioned! (The halibut was a good choice, though).  Oh, and speaking of Weight Watchers, I lost 4.4 lbs. this past week! It’s a great start, and it gives me motivation to continue doing what I’m doing.

Looking ahead, I am sure anxious for our vacation that actually begins on July 3rd. We’ll have that entire following week off and we’ll be at Harstine Island the whole time. I learned today that my BFF, Helen, will come to stay with us for the 4th and we’ll have a nice party and shoot off fireworks and have a great time. There is also a possibility that my brother and his wife and my niece will come for the festivities. (It’ll be good for me to have that to look forward to).

And work? Well, my godawful deadline has been extended…to July 8th, which is the midst of my vacation! In a way it’s a relief to have some extra time, but I’ve made it clear that we need to have this thing wrapped up by the 1st. Whether or not they heed my “making it clear” remains to be seen. My boss, D, who is wonderful, told me that if need be she’ll see to finalizing it while I’m gone. However, if I were her I’d be putting my foot down. There is no reason why this thing can’t be done by the time I leave on vacation. It was supposed to be completed TODAY. Engineers….

I had my mid-year career assessment (performance review) today, and it went great. Mostly D and I just established some measurable goals and for the first time in my work-life, they are goals that excite me. And they DON’T include anything whatsoever to do with PROPOSALS. It’s intranet, newsletter, website, training, and social networking! The stuff I LOVE. Proposals are a side-thing, even though they’ve been my focus since I’ve begun this job, but that’s just timing. It won’t be the bulk of my job, and I’m so thankful for that.

So…bye, Nate. I love you!

The Party’s Over…

It was a great success! We lucked out with decent weather (not stellar, as the breeze would kick up now and then, but it never did rain!) Both sides of Nate’s family were there, along with Nate’s best friend, Tracy. When I thought about it at times, it was sort of odd; my ex-husband and his two other boys, plus his parents and sister! JDub’s folks came, too! It was quite the mix! But it really was a lot of fun and the food was great and I think everyone had a wonderful time. In between hot flashes (and food preparation), I really enjoyed myself, too.

Here are a few scenes:

Nate and his friend, Tracy, batting rocks into the water. (This has always been one of Nate’s favorite Camano Island past times throughout the years).

Nate and the crab balloon we had tied up at the roadway entrance to mark the way. Unfortunately, crab season (Dungeness) doesn’t open until July 1st.

Nate and his dad (his dad was getting ready to measure him because there was a lot of “discussion” about whether Nate was taller).

Members of my family (my dad, my brother, my niece, and the back of the heads of my uncle and JDub).

Nate and his paternal grandma (he’s always called her “Obachan.”)

Nate contemplating his future (with lots of water in it!)

 

Here and there, as I had a moment or two, I “played” with my iPhone that arrived Friday. It’s taken a while, but I’m getting familiar with it and I keep being blown away by its capabilities. However, I’m having troubles sending email. I seem to be able to receive it OK, but I keep encountering an error message (cannot send—invalid email address – even when it’s NOT). I’m sure there’s something wrong in my setup, but I can’t seem to figure out what. But other than that, I really love it! I even downloaded the iBird application so I can now identify the western birds, including by sound! Very cool!

And now…onto another horrific work-week.

Butt-Kickin’

I know I’ve used this graphic before to illustrate previous angst, but it’s very fitting once again. What a week it’s been. Stick a fork in me. (And I have one more horrendous day to go, and then it’s full speed ahead for Nate’s Navy send-off party on Saturday — and there’s still much to do to get ready for that!) I’m about ready to throttle a number of engineers (such is my life) and winning the lottery/retirement would be oh-so-welcome right about now. Jeeze.

I’m missing out on fun stuff, educational stuff, and camaraderie at work with my peeps. This is such a drag! Yes, it’s temporary, and it won’t be the definition of this new job. It’s just that I’m the support marketing coordinator for our Boise office and there happens to be a lot of (unusual) marketing activity happening right now. I just need to get through this. It will happen. It always does. But in the midst of it, you have to wonder.

Then….poor Nate. His car has been in the shop since May 27th to have the clutch replaced. He’d checked around for prices and found a local mechanic who gave him a reasonable quote, so he arranged to have his car towed there. It was supposed to take two or three days, and then it was stretched to a week because the mechanic was having a tough time getting a particular part. And then it stretched to two weeks, again with “reasons” that might have been valid, but red flags were rising in my mind. In Nate’s, not quite yet because he was in communication with the guy. And then it stretched to three weeks and Nate couldn’t get ahold of the guy. When he finally did, to tell him that he was having the car taken to another mechanic and demanding his $250 deposit back, the guy was vague about his availability (claimed he was in Seattle and wouldn’t be back for a few days). Finally Nate connected with him, had his car towed by AAA (who had to meet with the mechanic and obtain valid information from him in order to tow it to the new mechanic). Nate still has to see the $250 deposit (I doubt he ever will….) Because THEN…

Today Nate received a notice in the mail from a nearby City police department with a camera ticket of his car running a red light at 3:00 a.m. during the time his car was “at the mechanic’s.” In other words, this asshat mechanic took Nate’s car out for a joy ride (bad clutch and all)!  And the asshat apparently did extra damage to the car because the new mechanic said 2nd gear was toast and it would cost an extra bundle of money to repair it!

So Nate called the courthouse and explained the situation and that he won’t be able to appear for the hearing since he’ll be in Navy Boot Camp, and was told to write a letter to the court explaining the circumstances. I read the letter and I believe he did a great job with it (he writes well), plus he made a photocopy of the initial receipt from the asshat. The court will have this asshat’s (supposed) name and address (certainly the address is valid, since he’s in town and Nate has been there).

I’m so sick and tired of asshats! They come in many different degrees.

Overwhelmed

I’d hoped in this new position that I wouldn’t have to contend with this Sensation of Doom, but here I am.

Eh. There are a number of reasons, and they keep surging through my mind like, well, big nasty waves.

• Huge proposal on my plate with lots of pressure to get ‘r done by Thursday because PM is leaving on vacation.
• Said huge proposal is actually seven proposals. All due the same day. I keep getting all the particulars between them confused.
• It’s the Boise office again, and they are anal, ADD, and OCD. Again.
• At least I don’t have to go to Boise (this week).
• I’m missing out working on the company newsletter because of this deadline. Which is the part of my job I absolutely LOVE. I did write an article for it last night (a’yup, Sunday).
• Birthdays! (June is nuts—my birthday, Nate’s birthday, JDub’s birthday (today!), Dad’s birthday (tomorrow!), then Father’s Day…
• …And then Nate’s Navy send-off party this coming Saturday.
• Oh, and Nate leaves for Boot Camp next week!
• Haven’t seen Mojo since last Thursday. I’m really trying not to worry, but I’m worried. And that worry keeps jumping out of those big nasty waves like an ugly sea monster, scaring the crap out of me. (My head knows he’s just diggin’ the warm, dry weather, just like my head knows there are no sea monsters. But tell that to my gut).
• Weight Watchers officially starts tomorrow. And I’ll be weighed. And there’s no dread like that kind of dread.
• Nate’s party has me stressed. Lots to organize, plan, think about, hope for (such as the weather)….and very little time (or energy!) to do so. Yeah, I got quite a lot taken care of over the weekend, but there are many more details to take care of before Friday night when we head up to Camano. And I hope to hell I can get off work early that day! (Deadline is the day before, but it’s an internal deadline, so I suspect “final” will really not mean “final”).
• Phone home, Mojo….

To-Do or Not To-Do?

I have a lengthy To-Do list going on, and I actually did cross off a number of items today. There are also a number of items still on there that I just don’t feel like dealing with. My bad. But one of the items that did get crossed off:

Is that about the most pathetic picture you’ve ever seen? Doesn’t it make you want to gather her up (in a thick towel…) and cuddle her and assure her that “it’s gonna be OK?” Which is exactly what I did, getting drenched in the process. And she got a nice doggy treat as a reward! What’s funny is that Peanut (the short-haired weenie) had her bath first and Bailey hot-tailed it “elsewhere” to hide.  Once Peanut got her treat, I heard a whimper from above and saw Bailey peering down between the rails upstairs. After just a couple of minutes, Bailey came tearing downstairs because the “treat” won! So she got her bath, and then she got her treat! I think she’d tell you that it was worth it.

It’s obvious that they do not like baths, but they’re short and sweet (and easy, although I do end up getting pretty dang wet). And they tolerate it just fine, really. I would think it would feel pretty good. Warm water, doggy massage to lather the shampoo, plus cuddles afterward. AND TREATS!

JDub’s birthday is tomorrow, but tonight we’re celebrating with steamer clams for dinner. I picked up 5 lbs. of them at Costco yesterday (great price, but you had to buy 5 lbs.) Nate finally made an appearance this afternoon after a weekend of partying with friends (young-people’s Navy send-off party) and he filled me in with the secret of how Anthony’s Homeport restaurants prepare their awesome steamers. They actually don’t “steam” them! They sauté them in butter, lemon, garlic, lots of white wine, and basil until they open up. ‘Course, they cook only a pound at a time, so I’m thinking with these 5 lbs. I will steam them, but include those ingredients for the nummy flavor.

I found some pictures from Nate’s weekend friends going-away party on Facebook. Heh. (Alcohol was involved, but he did NOT drive and they had a DD!)

  

I’ve received a few RSVPs for the mostly family-party we’re having for him at Camano Is. next Saturday, and so far they are ALL his dad’s side of the family! Which is totally fine (and I’m sure my own side of the family knows they really don’t need to RSVP). I’m glad they feel comfortable about coming. (And I’m glad that I feel comfortable about it, too! It’s taken 18 years to get to that point! Well… actually less than that because I was fine at Nate’s high school graduation and seeing his dad and that side of the family  for that. It also helps, quite frankly, that the bimbo is no longer in the picture…)

Worried, yet again, because we haven’t seen Mojo since his brief appearance Thursday night. There is evidence that he’s appeared at some point because the food I put down for him (Thursday) has been eaten. But since then? Has he found another family to feed him? *sob* Or is he subsisting on mice and birds? And sleeping under bushes? It’s all possible. I sure do miss him, though. I thought neutered male cats were supposed to settle down from all their wanderings!

Ah! These next couple of weeks are going to be tough in so many ways….

Time to Post

Oh, I probably should be doing something more constructive, but I pretty much feel that I’ve done a decent  job with that today and as a result, I’m bushed! And so, in lieu of napping (which I could so easily do), I’m taking some time to write a blog post. How ‘bout them apples?

I am not the queen of physicality, but I have traipsed up and down stairs so many times today I can’t count! It’s because the laundry room is in the dungeon and the bedroom is two floors above the dungeon, and each floor is a sizeable number of stairs! Up and down, up and down. Gah. And then I went to Costco and spent a wad, mostly for Nate’s Navy send-off party a week from today. That involved a lot of Really Big Items and I just may have messed up my back and wrist loading it all into the cart, then the car, then unloading it at home. (Nobody around to assist as JDub’s working and Nate is who-knows-where).  I also have a lot more to buy as I realized I want variations of beer and wine coolers and stuff, and a full case of everything is NOT necessary (nor affordable!) Also, buns and party platters need to be fresh! So we’ll be doing more shopping on the way to Camano next Friday night. Which is fine (that’ll be pay day!) I’m hoping I can get off early that day, but I probably won’t because I have a huge deadline looming…

Nuts, I say!

We typically have really crappy Junes around here, but so far this one has been stellar. I don’t specifically remember the last time we had rain! I sure hope this trend continues for next Saturday, the day of Nate’s party. What a drag if it doesn’t, but I’m trying to be optimistic. (I have no control over that, obviously). It’ll be what it will be. It could also be quite interesting. Sounds like Nate’s dad will come, and possibly his parents (Nate’s other grandparents), which is totally fine because I invited them. But also there’s a possibility that Nate’s little half-brothers will come, too. Who would’ve ever thunk that this would be just totally fine with me? (heh heh). Proof that time wounds all heels.

As I suspected, we haven’t seen Mojo since his last peek-a-boo. Brat. In a way, some rain this week would be a good thing — I know for a fact he’d show his face/hang out if that happened. (He hates rain). I miss him!

Have I mentioned lately how much I’m looking forward to my IPhone? Oh, God! I can hardly stand it!

Oh, one more thing. At Costco I picked up 5 lbs. of steamer clams to celebrate JDub’s birthday tomorrow. His birthday is actually Monday, but tomorrow will be a good day for clams. Num! Wow, he’ll be 56. We’re both shaking our heads in disbelief at how OLD we’re getting! Sigh.

Updates

Mojo showed his furry face last night! I’d headed up to bed (where JDub and the weenie dogs were already settled in) and I heard the pet door flap, followed by a “Mrow?” (Yes, he asks questions, I swear!) I hot-tailed it back downstairs and had to wrestle Nate for kitty hugs and kisses. Mojo tolerated that pretty well (even purred), then he ate a little, including doggie kibble, and then he headed back outside again! Have I mentioned that he’s *this* close to being a wild thing?

Such relief! I suppose it’ll be a while before we see him again. Sigh.

And now this!

Yup, I done pre-ordered me an IPhone 3GS! Am I a cool geek-ho or what? I’m so excited. It should arrive by the 19th — and our asshat mailman had best leave it in the (locked) mailbox for me! Oooh, I’m already pissed at him just thinking about it!