Good Enough

I’ve always loved a good movie or story about a strong female that can take care of herself. It’s nice when the male she is involved with rescue’s her, but if he’s getting pummeled by 7 ninja’s, I don’t want to see her standing to the side screaming.

I try to emulate these females in my own life. For instance; No Doubt Concert 1997, my little brother (who is not so small) got into a fight in the mosh pit with some military boy. Who was there to jump the guy from behind and gouge out his eyes thus preventing him from taking a swing at little bro? That’s right, yours truly.

Early last December, on a Thursday evening, Western Washington was hit with a gnarly wind storm. 60-80mph  winds swept through my little town. I thought my old house would blow apart. I thought a tree would come crashing through my children’s window and crush them in their beds. Too make matters worse Mr. Good was ill. I was scared because when he gets ill like he was on this night, he can’t keep anything down and we’ve had to take him to the hospital for dehydration. Not to mention the fact that I was fearing for our lives and I needed my husband to be coherent. 

I called my little sister, she lives less than a mile away. She was home alone, her husband was out of town. While describing my situation she mentioned she had some medicine that I could come and get, that would stop his nausea. I felt like the blind girl in ”The Village“. Ever seen that one? I love that movie. In the movie her one true love was stabbed, he was dying. He needed “medicines” from the town. No one had left the village before, and she had to brave the forest and the monsters that inhabited it to save her love. 

I put on my coat and headed out to my trusty steed…my minivan. Now by this time the town had lost all power. It was eerily quiet outside, and pitch black. Every once and awhile another huge gust of wind would sweep through the countryside.  I didn’t feel particulalry nervous about getting to my sister’s house. As I mentioned she lives less than a mile away, but as I approached the last turn to her house my way was barred by three evergreen trees that had fallen across the road. As I drove closer I saw that a power line was also under the trees. People were standing on the sidewalk watching me. I’m sure they thought I was crazy trying to drive around. But my husband NEEDED MEDICINES! FROM THE TOWN!

I was undeterred. I would get there if I had to walk, and I kicked myself for not brining a flashlight. To make a long story short I finally found my way through someones back yard, and scaled their retaining wall, digging a hole under their fence, while my sister handed me the medicines underneath it. We were in constant communication thanks to our cell phones. I think neither of us knew whether to laugh or cry at our predicament so we were laughing and screaming. I was so scared the homeowner I was behind would think I was a looter and come out and shoot me in the back with their shot gun. In all fairness I did knock on the door before proceeding through their backyard, although I didn’t knock very loudly…

In the end I did save him with my heroic deeds.

So last night, a little more than a year later, I awoke to the sounds of Mr.Good being violently ill again in the bathroom. I peeked in and his face was sheet white. He could barely stop between heaving to shake his head yes or no if a hospital visit was needed. Again I donned my jacket and mounted my steed heading towards my sister’s. Thank goodness she had ”medicines” and she answered her phone at 2 am in the morning. ”You can come get it. It’s in the fridge. I’ll be sleeping.”

I had to laugh. ”That’s usually what people do at 2 in the morning.” I said. When I came home my husband was so grateful. He looked surprised. Like I wouldn’t go to go to get him medicines from the village? He’s my one true love. So when he said “thanks” in his feeble voice, I had to laugh again. “Your welcome.” And that’s what a hero-ine does.    

I’ve seen good and bad out there in the blogosphere, but at times like these the Internet can be an amazing way of banding together and helping out those in need.

Here in Western Washington we see our share of rain… but this year it hit one particular area exceptionally hard, washing away houses and even the freeway.

I know many of you read Kathryn at Daring Young Mom. I watched her children on Friday while she headed south to participate in cleaning up the mess. It’s hard to explain how devastating it is for those people. Especially at this time of year when we’re all nestled snuggly in our homes with our families.

I complain about my rental house. The popcorn ceilings, the ugly carpet, the broken windows…but it could be worse. 

So let’s all join Kathryn in helping these people and donate. You can do so on her site. Every little bit makes a difference and can help rebuild homes. Won’t that feel good? It’s what the season is really about.

People are scared…you can cut the tension in the eerily quiet air. I went to the gas station and waited as people fill up gas can upon gas can…every once in awhile the power will flicker as a reminder of what’s to come.

Last year I stayed up all night reading. The wind was so loud I thought the house would tear apart. There was a loud metal snap on the south side of the house…whatever had broken scraped against the wall all night, making the storm sound even worse.

I’ll keep everyone posted as long as I’m able…keep your fingers crossed for me.

On a lighter note, my kids argue every morning at the breakfast table. It’s their ritual. This morning I put up cereal boxes as a barricade. They weren’t able to see eachother. I finally achieved quiet at the breakfast table! Woohoo!

People, I’ll say goodbye now in case you don’t hear from me for a few days. I storm is predicted for tomorrow night. A big one. If it’s anything like last years storm it will render us powerless for 7 days. 7 days. 7 days. Last December I had the longest week of my life. No running water. No heat.

This year will be different. This year we have a generator. This year my house is clean instead of the typhoon that existed before the storm.

I purchased batteries for all of the flashlights, and we have milk and ice to pack any cold food in that should last us for a few days. And I have friends this year. Friends that I can commiserate with while our children play in dark rooms together. So come on storm…show us what you’ve got.

There’s been a lot of chit chat about neighbors lately…it’s a subject that is about as controversial as you’ll see me get.

 We live on a large pice of land that feels like an island. Ours was built in the beginning of time and housing developments sprung up around it. So I can see the back yards of about ten properties from my solitary back porch…

 We moved to this part of town in October. I really had the impression that the neighbors never used their backyards, although there were clues of the backyards seeing better days. In one there is an abandoned children’s fort…in another there is a small plastic basketball hoop. But from October till July I have never seen any living thing so much as set foot into those backyards save one small white dog who is only let out to do his business. Upon finishing he immediately runs back inside.  I started to take it a little personally. We do have the best sledding hill in our yard, so we were out there all winter. No one ever approached us to join in the fun. During the three weeks of nice weather we’ve had this “summer” we bust out a homemade slip-in-slide that goes all the way down the hill.

One night prior to the 4th of July I heard strange noises and music coming from the vicinity of our backyard…as I look over my balcony I came to the strange realization that we really do have nieghbors. They were there, in the flesh, behaving like human beings. Bar-b-queing. having friends over, listening to music. Granted this meant I would have to cover up a little more when I walked outside, if this was going to be a regular summertime occurrence. The next Sunday the people directly behind us were out at 8 am! I was a little shocked as I walked outside to let the dog out in my skivvies! I didn’t know they had children! In this case it seems to be A CHILD. That they only let out once a year, on his birthday, to play a little t-ball. Honestly, that’s the only time he’s been let out! I know! We’re out there rain, snow, or the less frequent shiny day. And the other people with the pre-fourth of July party? We’ve never seen them since that day.

Granted we live in the not-so-sunny Northwest, and this year has been abnormally rainy. When we had a short period of sunbursts I could hear the sounds of families actually using their yards, and playing outside till it got dark, which in these parts is around 10 at night. But that was short lived. The rain has come back and the families have all retreated to their caves. I don’t know how they do it.  I need to be outside…and I’m learning to enjoy the rain. When it rains here in the summer, it’s not cold, so we go and sit on our covered porch and watch the kids playing in the downpours. It’s quite refreshing. 

Here’s the thing…I kind of like it this way. I like that I don’t know my neighbors, that I don’t see them, and that they don’t use their backyards. Maybe I want to be able to walk around sans the clothing? I’m just saying…Then again maybe I’ve been jilted by the experience of living in Town-homes, where we all live so close together…and I kept my blinds closed in the hopes no one would know how I TRULY kept house. In Town-homes, you never know when someone will “drop by” and there is always those children you just don’t want your kids to play with. Since you can’t single them out and look rude, it’s easier not to play with any of the neighborhood children, and just outsource for friends.

That’s my philosophy in all things people. I made a comment on Kathryn’s blog that I can’t choose my neighbors, but I can choose my friends…and what if I unknowingly made friends with a pyscho neighbor lady and then I couldn’t get rid of her? You all know what I’m talking about and have had those experiences.

One of my friends made a comment that “you can never be ‘best friends’ with a neighbor.” I pondered that and asked her why. She replied that the neighbor would see all your comings and goings, and it would be hard to have a get-together without them, as there would be hurt feelings.  I suddenly realized what she was trying to say and wondered if I’d ever been the neighbor that was hard to shake?

After all, I am the friend that will drop by un-anounced on a Sunday afternoon because we were bored (sorry Katie.) I have even walked in on some family parties (yes Jen I’m talking about yours.)  So if I have ever been that kind of neighbor, I apologize. Please put me in my place.

 Neighbors to have their place…in times of emergency I would like to know that my neighbors were kind and ready to help out if something horrible happened. But that’s about where it ends for me. Call me a snob, call me paranoid…I don’t care…I just look at myself as “sadder, yet wiser.”  And anyway, it won’t be long now before we’re in the throws of winter again. (Sad but true.) And every man woman and child will crawl back into their dwelling, and we won’t open the windows again until next July.

Where do you stand with your neighbors?
 

Bored? Kids going stir crazy on a rainy Sunday afternoon? Send them out for a swim!

The sun is out again in Seattle. Amazing and beautiful and perfect for picnicking in the park.  I needed my dose of Vitamin D, as well as the fact that every-time it is sunny Buster expects a park trip. In our little town the bus driver will actually drive by the park, and if she sees you, she’ll let your child of there. I love the personal treatment, I have to say. So today the park was PACKED because everyone and their mother (of course) heads to the one park in town when it’s sunny. I’m so hard core that I outlasted them all! What is it with me and my little battles that no one knows I’m fighting but myself.  But really, what were we going to do at home? If you’ve read this blog enough you know it wouldn’t be chores!  

Really though, one by one everyone left, and what used to be a packed playground became an empty playground. My kids became bored playing with eachother and eventually I decided it was time for us to go.

After a battle to get everyone to the car, threats of non-violent punishments, and much yelling, we did make it. But as I was buckling Bubba into his car seat Buster began yelling that there was a spider on my shirt…Not one to over react I finished buckling and in the mean time Buster was asking if I felt any itchiness in my shirt because the spider had just crawled down it.  This freaked me out a little. I had many different layers in my shirt that the spider could have gone, I couldn’t seem to find it. Buster suggested that I take my clothes off. Not really an option.

You know that feeling when you have a bug on you, that itchy feeling, every little prick of the skin and you think it’s there? That was me driving home. I admit to almost hitting a mailbox as I swerved over to the side of the road trying to find that spider. I’m wondering what passer-by’s were thinking as I groped myself.  

I never did find it.

So even now as I’m typing, my skin is itching, but I’m wondering…did Buster make it all up to get back at me for all those threats on the way back to the car?? And if so, since when did my child become so crafty?

Oops I did it again, no, I’m not referring to Britney Spears, I’m referring to my impulsivity (is that a word?)  For about a month back in November I joined the e-bay frenzy.  We were moving, to a rental, we’ve never had to rent. My pride got the better of me and I was thinking that if I had to rent, I would do it in style. I ended up playing e-bay for furniture. On the positive side, I purchased four kitchen chairs for $100 and free shipping. I should have stopped there! I should have counted my blessings, we really did need kitchen chairs we only had two and we’re a family of five. But perusing will get you everywhere and I began my search for other AMAZING deals.

I saw this armoire that looked gorgeous, the bid was starting at .99 cents.  I thought I hit the jackpot! Maybe no one else would bid and I would get an armour for $20.  Then the madness began, as I eagerly checked my e-mail everyday to see if I had won people  kept out bidding me. It mad me so angry! How dare they! This was my piece of furniture and no one was going to out bid me! I would WIN! Well, as you can imagine the bidding was raised fairly high, but in the end I “won” for a mere $100.  I didn’t realize that shipping costs were triple that. ARGH!

But it didn’t ship, and didn’t ship, and didn’t ship for 5 months. Maybe I was off the hook? I e-mailed and asked could I cancel it, to no avail. Once you win on e-bay if you don’t want your name slandered you must pay up and follow through.

The beastly thing came today. It smells like a nursing home, and is chipped and scratched. It’s awful. I don’t know what I ever saw in it! I’m so embarrassed for my hubby to arrive home and see it sitting in my living room, to big to fit into any of the corners I had planned for it.

I have been humbled.  I am blushing in my humiliation. My house is now infected by the smell of it, and it is blocking 40% of the light in my living room. It blocks almost a whole window.

What do you do with an ugly armoire, what do you do with a smelly armoire, what do you do with a cheap looking, although relatively expensive armoire before the hubby comes home and gives you the look?

To add to the insult to my injuries…my hubby is an amazing carpenter, you can check out his gallery of work at scandw.com, and he just made me a beautiful cabinet…the first cabinet he’s ever made for after seven years of marriage.  Why couldn’t I wait a little longer for a custom built job? That’s what you all are thinking!  This has put a damper on my spirits which were already as grey and dreary as the weather outside on this Seattle day.

Never again e-bay! You’ll never get the better of this girl!

Did I mention how utterly bored I am?  Well, I’m also bored, bored. bored. bored.

Yesterday something happened here in Seattle that is phenomenon this time of year…the sun came out. 

Far be it from me to EVER let a sunny day in SEATTLE slip through my fingers.  There is a reason they call it “The Emerald City,” if you’re lucky enough to be here when it shines, it’s the most beautiful city in the United States.

So I loaded up the three large dogs, and three small kids, and headed to a 240 acre dog park.

When I think of “dog park” I think of the California variety, a nice chain link fence, water fountains, even the courtesy dog bowls left near picnic benches. Uh-uh, don’t kid yourself my dears…people in the northwest are “no frills.” 

Sorry for that tangent.

Needless to say, mommy was unprepared for the hike at the dog park.  It was huge, but there were no chain link fences. There was a simple fence made out of three pieces of wood, and some posts with a beauty bark path that led us to vast hills covered in rough terrain.

People and their dogs flooded the place. On 240 acres of land, I would have thought it would feel emptier.  I guess thousands of others also wanted to take advantage of the one sunny day we’ll see for the next three weeks.  

But withBubba in a backpack and Buster was holding one dog while I had two, we trudged along. Of course Missy, being a three  year old was walking around in her own little world, unaware of mommy’s struggle towards the unknown. I think I had whiplash from constantly checking on her.  I did get many looks of bewilderment at my brood. A little girl came up to me and courteously informed me that I could let my dogs off leash.  Ahhhh! Only the innocent could have suggested such a thing.

But I did. I had too. It was a dog park!And I had to let Bubba out of the back pack because he was murdering my back. He’s quite large for his age. Hence the nickname.

Another tangent, sorry. 

Have you ever herded cattle?  Sheep maybe? Three dogs and three kids? I sweat-ed it out a little because there were so many dogs there and so much land it was hard to keep mine straight. But as I’ve expressed before, the dogs were very obedient, and thankful for my hard work.  And thirsty. It was 65 degrees but to us it fekt like 80. Our bodies are still thawing out from frostbite. 

The kids can thank me later when they’re well adjusted adults.

It really was a beautiful day. I think God knew how much I needed that sun.

Did I mention that new shoots are springing up from the bulbs in the flower boxes, and there are these little yellow flowers pushing their way through the leaves in front of our house. Spring is around the corner and I’m more than ready for it.