Family Portraits

In June our family had portraits taken, since everyone was here for my niece Madison's graduation from High School
Only my brother-in-law is missing from this picture because of sickness.
Top Row: Dad, Mom
Middle Row: Debbie with Mackenzie, Walter, Mike, Mary, Pattie, Me, Erin, Joe
Bottom Row: William, Marisa, Austin, Chandler, Madison, Mavric, Richie, Blake, Spencer
Below is a picture of our family from the late 70's. I'm the sailor. Boy, have we grown. Hey, Dad, I have your tie now.
Finally is a picture just of the guys. My dad, brother, and myself.

Another fun-filled day!

Yesterday morning I had to go to Renton (almost to Seattle) to have my fingerprints taken for my teaching certificate. Joshua and I both thought traffic would be a nightmare, so he came with me to make use of the carpool lane. We left extra early and surprise surprise - no traffic at all! So we spent our hour at Starbucks enjoying the coffee, listening to the sentence-long descriptions of other people's coffee, and our library books. Aside from having to go to one office to fill out an application, another to pay, and then back down to the first for the actual printing, all went well at Education Department. It's so much nicer these days having it computerized - no black fingertips! When I go off work, I went to pick up Joshua (yes, his car is STILL in the shop) and we drove around looking at houses for sale before heading home. Then, our usual walk through the park followed dinner. Mount Rainier was quite a site! We tried taking a picture, but our camera just isn't fancy enough to capture the contrast of the mountain and the sky. For our evening entertainment, Joshua made some iced tea which we sipped out on the balcony while listening to records (do you remember what those are?) and playing Cribbage. Just as the sun was about to set (around 9:15 in these parts) we were invited to join the Mason family for some ice cream since they were in our neighborhood. We shared a dark chocolate ice cream with brownie and peanut butter mixed in ... delish! You've got to love the long days of summer. :)

Dinner fit for a ... 5 year old!

Tonight for dinner, Joshua and I had a feast of Fluffernutters (his crunchy and mine creamy), grapes, and to round it off a glass of milk. I had planned to make lasagna, but after a long day and two hungry tummies upon walking through the door, we found something a little faster.
Our fun day started with a new church, Journeys in North Tacoma. Joshua knew two couples already! Then we headed out to Federal Way for a very special treat ... Del Taco!!! We both had our favorite chicken tacos but they just weren't the same as those in our memories. We actually made the trip all the way out there to go to the Super Mall in Auburn. It reminds me of a fancy Ontario Mills (for the California readers) only with much better stores. I got some new duds for the school year and we enjoyed the window shopping too. Joshua had an inkling to go spend the afternoon in Seattle. Lots of other people apparently had the same idea, so free parking was impossible to find. Instead, we enjoyed the city from the car! We drove past the troll under the bridge, the Space Needle, Experience Music Project, and the beautiful waterfront with a handful of cruise ships ready for new adventures. If anyone comes to visit and wants to explore Seattle, we promise we'll park the car and show you all around! Summer is just getting started, so think about it, will ya?

Father's Day (still in the negative)

Well, another Father's day passed that I have to celebrate somebody else. Still in the negative, maybe next year will be father's day #1 for me or at least -1. But for now it seems like negative infinity. All my side of the family is in town because our oldest neice graduated from High School on the holiday. We started off by making breakfast at my dad's house for half the family. On the menu was homemade hashbrowns, thick butcher-cut bacon, scrambled eggs and french toast stuffed with cream cheese and marmalade (from famous Mimi's Pain Purdue). After breakfast there was another extreme low tide so Erin and I went trekking down the beach with our nephew William to share with him the excitement of the deep. But he must have some of the past Erin's timidity because he wasn't too sure about seeing all the creatures.

 

It's fun being able to see my family again. It was eight years ago when I moved away from this region, and mostly out of their lives. It is funny to run into all the old familiar faces so often now. My sister Mary, 13 years my senior, used to be always at my side as I was little. She has a son, Mavric, who is about 10, that exibits a lot of the same behaviors as myself. I jokingly said that it is because we were raised by the same woman. Mary's older daughter, Marisa, has spent some time lately with Erin and has discovered that she too exhibits behaviors of Mary. So all this time I thought I had made a mistake and not married my mom, I was just comparing to the wrong woman!

Low Tide Fun!

Washington has been having extreme low tides recently, so we decided to venture out and see some wild life first hand. We went right out in Joshua's parents' backyard and oh the things we got to see!
Here is a giant pink sea star. He was missing one arm, but we wanted it to look nice for the picture. Don't worry, sea stars can regenerate their arms.
Next, we came across a field of sand dollars. I have never seen so many in my life! There must have been over a hundred in a 2 foot section of sand. This one had his spines moving like crazy (you can kind of see them glistening in the picture.) Joshua found this salad-loving oyster too. These are not native to this area - they were brought here from Japan. If you find a shell on the beach, don't keep it! The young oysters attach to the empty shells.
This collection of pieces tell a bit about a moon snail. They have shells like the one pictured and eat bivalves by drilling a hole in the shell. Check out the clam shell in the picture! The most interesting thing about a moon snail is the way it protects its eggs. It buries them in the sand and then secretes a glue-like substance in the sand around the eggs creating a protective collar. You can pick it up and hold it and it won't fall apart! Weird!

We saw more crabs on the beach than we could count, but this was the biggest out of the water. This is a red rock crab and they, like other crabs, molt when they outgrow their exoskeleton. Even the eyes and gills are left behind! Many people mistake the molts for dead crabs, but not any uahardwick.com readers!

And here we have a cool eel-like fish called a gunnel. I don't know much about these guys other than that they live in very shallow water and look like a cross between an eel and a worm.

As we got closer to the bridge, the sea life exploded! Here you can see about a half dozen ochre stars. This was the best shot we could get since most of the stars we saw were in a couple feet of water. There were tons of purple and orange ochre stars, and even a few blue mottled stars (those are the ones with the long arms that stay almost uniform in width.)

Here's an ochre star up close. Do you know how these guys eat? They use their tube feet to pry open shells like mussels and clams, then spit out their stomach and digest the creature in its own shell! Once it's all soupy, the star slurps everything back in. Even more strange, when sea stars die, they don't realize it. Their stomach comes out though and they figure out the bad news when they can no longer eat. Bizarre!

Don't these anemones look like slimy bell peppers? They hold water inside their bodies to keep from drying out during a low tide. That's why they squirt if you poke them. But don't do that! Then they will dry out and die. Don't be a sea creature killer. You can see some of the open anemones under the water as well as more stars. Funny they're so close - those purple stars like to eat anemones!

This is one of the posts of the Purdy bridge. It is just covered with these green anemones! They can actually clone themselves by splitting in half, which is why they all look so similar. If they were open you would see their beautiful pink tips. They feel sticky to the touch, which is actually a sting, but our skin is too tough for the sting to penetrate.

Last, but certainly not least, here is why the beach along this section is called the Spit - geoducks! Pronounced "gooey-duck", these clam-like creatures spit up to 3 feet of water! They can't fit this long neck (pictured) into their shell, so their best defense is to bury themselves in the sand. This neck of theirs can stretch up to 39" to the surface! Also very interesting. geoducks can live up to 160 years! Strange!

We had such a fun day exploring the outdoors, it was one of my favorite days ever! If you know me (at all) you know that I am an indoor girl and under normal circumstances, avoid wildlife at all costs. But you forget dear readers that I am now a zoo employee and spend many days monitoring the touch tanks which contain almost all of the above mentioned creatures. Knowledge of these strange critters had erased the fear and made me a fan of low tide days!

I've got a new job!

Working in Washington has been very strange for me. I started out grading writing tests for eight hours a day - the pay was ok and it was full time, but WOW was it ever boring. Then I started teaching at Sylvan which I love! I am subbing for another teacher two days a week and teach my own groups two days a week. The kids are fun and the staff is awesome. Unfortunately, it is very part time and the hours are awkward. Finally, I have been having a blast working at the zoo. I get to work weekdays and a few Saturdays here and there and I love it! Three jobs, however, are just not enough for me ... so... I accepted a first grade teaching position at Lighthouse Christian School! I start the last week of August, so I get to continue with Sylvan and the zoo until then. I didn't expect to go back into the classroom, but this job seems to be the perfect fit. I am going in next Friday to observe the teachers in action and hang out with the little ones on Field Day. I think this will be my last "new job" post for quite a while!!

Random happenings at new home

None of these items are related but had me thinking, "I'm blogging this."

Erin's Index finger:
Erin was playing with Six (the cat) tonight and brushed her finger by his tooth cutting it. And for the rest of the night she's keeping her finger pointed. It prompted me to make jokes like, "Who's the handsomest man in the world?" "Where do you want to go next?" and "Are you staying alive?" (*see below) Obviously all very funny.

La Costa Mexican Restaurant:
On Cinco de Mayo Erin and I wanted to find a Mexican restaurant to celebrate the non-American holiday. Without too many options to choose from, most restaurants were already packed. So we ventured to downtown Tacoma to try the Mexican fare. I pass this particular restaurant on the way to work. When we entered we weren't terribly sure why, but it felt like the kind of place where the men are men and so are the women.

Dancing Excercise Lady
Outside our balcony every morning, on the street there is a lady that walks with her dog while she listens to her IPOD. Not only does she listen, but she sings along. Mostly they're top 40 hits. As she walks she stretches her arms every direction, almost making it look like she's dancing down the sidewalk. Her dog, a golden retriever, has a leash on but the woman doesn't cary it; the dog does, in it's mouth.

That's all for now. Talk to you next time.

*When dancing to the Bee Gees' song "Stayin' Alive" you point your finger up and down.

Decorating Home

Our apartment complex is having a beautification contest for the summer. On a monthly basis those who have the best looking arrangement of flowers gets a discount on their rent.

So to step up to the competition, and to help cure Erin's notorious self-proclaimed 'black thumb', we invited my mom over to give us some pointers.

We made two stops, first at K-Mart and then Tacoma Boys fresh produce to make our purchases.

As you can see a rainbow joined us for the afternoon.

Below is one of our fuchsias.

No, Erin's head didn't shrink. That is a giant strawberry that we found at Tacoma Boys. They are just as juicy and sweet as they are big.

The 100th Post!

As a tradition among our friends, when you reach the 100th post you must include 100 things that few people know about you.

So, we are going to include 33 items about Us, 33 items about Joshua, 33 items about Erin, and 1 about Six (the cat)

1. Jason Jones (a mutual friend from church) helped to start our dating relationship.
2. On many of our dates, we rode Hoot, Joshua's motorcycle.
3. We dated for 3 1/2 months before getting engaged.
4. Joshua proposed on the ferry from Bremerton to Seattle.
5. A little girl was dancing and singing saying "It's windy, it's windy" the whole time.
6. Joshua's family had an impromptu engagement party when we got back to the house.
7. We got married 3 1/2 months after getting engaged.
8. Our anniversary is 8 days after Erin's birthday and 9 days before Joshua's birthday.
9. Yes, we planned it that way.
10. We "inherited" our apartment from another couple who had "inherited" it from another couple who had "inherited" it from another couple, and were paid $100 for selling the "inherited" garage door opener.
11. We do not know who moved into the apartment after us.
12. Most of our furniture was also "inherited".
13. While living in Orange, CA we were only 4 miles from Disneyland.
14. We could hear/see the fireworks from our apartment.
15. Our favorite Saturday night swing dancing spot was Disneyland's Carnation Plaza.
16. We moved to Tacoma, WA just two months ago.
17. We like to go for walks in our neighborhood.
18. We rent our movies from the library.
19. We never close the blinds in our family room - the view is too great!
20. San Diego is one of our favorite vacation spots.
21. Our favorite way to book hotel rooms is Priceline. Cheap prices and we've never been disappointed.
22. We have 10 nieces and nephews and one more on the way!
23. We haven't had a home phone since we've been married.
24. We haven't had cable or satellite television since we've been married.
25. The only non-volkswagen vehicle we've owned together is Joshua's Yamaha Motorcycle.
26. Our favorite games are Dominoes, Cribbage, Rummikub, and Take Two (a variation of Scrabble)
27. We prefer hand or homemade things (by someone in our family) over store-bought items.
28. We have subscriptions to PC Magazine, Woman's Day, Family Circle, Family Fun, National Geographic, Popular Mechanics, US News and World Report, Reader's Digest, and the Redmond Report.
29. We have never paid for any of them.
30. We make up goofy songs and sing them to each other.
31. We dance to them in front of our large windows.
32. We own the first two seasons of Little House on the Prairie on DVD. And looking for more.
33. We are looking to have our own little house in the big woods some day.
--Joshua--
34. I'm the Little House fanatic.
35. I'm the last child of 5 by 15 years, my dad is the youngest of 4 by 15 years. So, I have 2nd cousins that are older than me, but I still feel superior to them because their parents are my 1st cousins.
36. I don't get emotional about anything unless it is about loosing a father.
37. If I had a million dollars I would spend it all on tailored suits.
38. People that don't dress up when going to a play or musical really annoy me.
39. I won the last place trophy in my first and last bowling league.
40. To state a historical fact, I was never in the cool crowd; but I made sure that nobody could categorize me in any other group.
41. To prove, on the way back to class from recess, the teacher said, "Hello boys, girls, Joshua."
42. I went to private school until the 8th grade.
43. I wasn't allowed to walk during my High School Graduation because I received my only "F" ever just three days before.
44. I was heartbroken when I saw my mom in tears. I guess I can get emotional about mom things too.
45. I'm such a good lip-syncher that I even fooled my own mother. "No, he really sounds like that"
46. I moved to California to become an actor, but came back a Computer Network Administrator.
47. Besides Washington and California, I have lived in Georgia, Colorado and Saipan. (Google it)
48. The first time I moved out of my parents house, I moved into a log house on the water with a friend for $900/mo. The walls had large gaps that allowed the heat to escape straight outside the house. It was hard to watch TV because our breath would get in the way.
49. I'm a huge James Bond fan.
50. My favorite character is Garfield.
51. TV show, Dennis the Menace (B&W with Jay North)
52. Musician, Harry Connick, Jr.
53. Instrument, Steel Drum
54. Color, Purple
55. I will get in my car and drive to have a donut.
56. On vacations I leave my sleeping wife in bed while I get something to eat.
57. I don't like to get rid of things that may be useful someday.
58. I can sleep through a train wreck.
59. I sang the National Anthem in the National Capitol Rotunda.
60. In High School I totaled my brother's Cadillac. I bought it back from the insurance company for $400 and put a new front end on it.
61. I drove the only black and blue Eldorado in Gig Harbor for the next 4 years.
62. I hosted tractor lawnmower races at my parents house when they were out of town.
63. We had bonfires that reached 25 feet high.
64. As a talent item on my acting resume I put, "movable scalp"
65. I bought my motorcycle to help me get the courage to ask my future wife, Erin, out on a date. (indirectly)
66. I grew up around a lot of Josh's. I didn't like them so I preferred to be called Joshua. But tired of still being called Josh I made people call me Ua.
--Erin--
67. My name means Ireland.
68. I have a minor in Theatre Arts with and emphasis in dance.
69. I have a permanent retainer behind my lower front teeth.
70. I love to do crafts like knitting, crochet, scrapbooking, and needlepoint.
71. I call Joshua Husby. It started on our honeymoon when I called him Husband, then Hus, The Hus, and now Husby.
72. I got 100% on my driving test. I didn't think I was going to pass.
73. I have serious motion sickness issues. Even an elevator can make me ill.
74. I get migraines. I want Joshua to have just one so he knows what it's like.
75. When I was little I said that when I grew up I wanted to be a mommy, a daddy, a ballerina, and a Disneyland worker.
76. I still own pointe shoes. They have blood stains inside.
77. I never leave lights on when I'm not in the room.
78. Joshua does and it drives me nuts!
79. I alternate between christian, country, and classical music. I guess I like categories that start with "c".
80. I need at least eight hours of sleep at night.
81. I have crazy fears like being attacked by a mountain lion while hiking.
82. I kill plants. I am going to work very hard to keep our newest plants alive. I bough green gloves to mask my black thumbs with green.
83. From one word, I can have a song stuck in my head for weeks.
84. I am addicted to chapstick.
85. I have several scars from scratching when I had chicken pocks. I was in eighth grade.
86. My brother is three years younger than me. My sister is eight years younger than me.
87. I went to a private school for Kindergarten, 1st, and 2nd grades.
88. I do not like guacamole - yuck!
89. I always stop to smell the flowers.
90. I went to the University of Nevada, Las Vegas for one semester.
91. My first trip on an airplane was to Dallas, Texas for a dance competition.
92. I stink at sports.
93. My tennis teacher told my parents to have my eyes checked because he didn't think I could see the ball. My vision was 20/20.
94. I once flew to New York by myself. This was quite an accomplishment for a girl with fear of strangers.
95. I cry whenever I see someone else crying.
96. I love books. Especially books about books like The Eyre Affair .
97. I never walk around in my socks. If I walk barefoot for any length of time, I wash my feet before putting on my shoes. I know, I have issues.
98. The only jewelry I wear regulary is my wedding ring and watch.
99. I own every episode of Friends.
--Six--
100. I was in a car accident on the way home from the vet one time and now I hate both cars and vets.

Our First Visitors!

On Thursday we had our first out of town visitors ... my dad and Carol. They were in the Seattle area on business and drove out to spend the afternoon with us. After touring our apartment, we took a quick drive through Point Defiance Park before heading off to lunch at the Pacific Grill. The food was wonderful as usual ... I recommend the salmon. Next, we did a little sight seeing in the Stadium District (amazing views and unbelievable houses) and then went across the bridge to spend some time in Gig Harbor. We took advantage of the sunny day and walked through some of the shops on the waterfront. The yarn store was a big hit! Dad and Carol had to get back to Seattle, but Joshua and I had both taken the day off, so we decided to make the most of it. (The sun doesn't set until around 9:00pm this time of year!) We went kayaking along the sound and determined that this is a sport we need to do more! To end our evening, we went out for "the best Mexican food in the harbor" (it really is quite tasty) with Mom, Dad, and Joey. We had a great day and look forward to entertaining more visitors soon!

The long awaited job update ...

I know everyone has been asking me for an update, but I really haven't had time until now! Today is a lovely day because I only have to work at one place. Actually, I quit the test scoring job completely and now only work at the zoo and Sylvan. Scoring tests for eight hours a day (as you can imagine) was dreadfully boring! I had to go to the bathroom every hour just to stay awake! Hours with the other two jobs have been picking up, and I really like them both. Mostly I have been training to work at he zoo. There are a lot of animals and I need to know about all of them! It's a fun environment to work in though and the best part ... I get to walk there from home! On Friday I get to present my clouded leopard pre-show to my bosses wearing a Madonna-like microphone. Once I "pass" I can work at the theater as an Adventure Guide and pre-show host. Fun! At Sylvan I get to work four nights a week with students from first grade to high school teaching math and reading. The staff there are all wonderful as are the students. I am hoping to pick up more hours there so when the summer is over I won't need to find yet another job.
So there you have it. Other than working, Joshua and I have been enjoying the weather by walking or bike riding. We need to get in a little better shape for our rides before summer hits. :) Yesterday we went to yet another church and so far it's the best match for us. Afterward, we went to a few open houses. (No, we're not really on the market for a house yet, but we want to check out the price range and neighborhoods so we can be prepared when we are ready.) Then, we celebrated the beautiful day at Joshua's parents' house with a delicious steak bbq and a blackberry cobbler for dessert.

Tulip Festivale!

For the last three years I've been telling Erin about the annual Tulip Festival in the Skagit Valley. In April the tulips come into bloom and all the farms show off their rows and gardens. So, Sunday we, with Dad and Mom, went to join in the festivities.

It's about a 2 hour drive north from Tacoma so we made a quick stop at a rest area along the way for rest, coffee, and a quick pose by a very large stump. An example of what the trees used to look like here before the greedy loggers cut them all down.

There are more rows of tulips in front of me too, with colors so vibrant that no camera could ever capture.

The last time I was there I didn't care too much about the flowers other than the cool look of rows of colors, but this time I really appreciated all the different types of tulips from curled to frayed and pointed.

After all the flower fun, we went to the nearby arts community, La Conner (not pictured), for a big lunch.

When it rains it pours ...

And I don't just mean the weather! Remember how I was searching everywhere under the sun for a job? Well, I got three! The first starts on Tuesday and will only be a max of 9 hours a week at a local tutoring company. The second starts Wednesday and lasts for one month only. I get to grade tests for 40 hours a week! And the last is the zoo job. After turning it down, I got a better offer from them and accepted. Needless to say, I will no longer have days full of wondering what to do in this lonely apartment. Wish me luck!

Oh What a Beautiful Morning!

This was the view from our balcony this morning. Minus the power lines, isn't it gorgeous? (That would be Mt. Raineer for you who are unfamiliar with Washington.)

Things are coming right along here. Yesterday we spent the entire day getting driver licenses and Joshua's car registered. It's funny to me how thing are so different from California.

1. There is no DMV. You have to go to one DOL (Department of Licensing) for your license and another DOL for your plates. They are two totally separate locations. Weird.
2. Your plates don't come in the mail, they hand them to you right there!
3. Every seven years you have to go and get new plates. I was wondering why Joshua had a stash of old plates!
4. Your drivers license has your last name first.

Some things are just the same however.

1. The DOL was just like the CA DMV in that there were only two employees and one was on the phone. Why don't they staff those places?
2. The picture on your DL makes you look tired or somehow unlike yourself.
3. You end up spending more money than you had anticipated because of the train tax or the licensing fee or whatever else they can think of.

We did have a wonderful evening with Joshua's parents. We ate at the Margarita Beach Cafe (the leftovers are making the fridge smell like tacos) and then played a few rounds of Canasta. I always seem to lose at that game, no matter who my partner is. I guess I am missing that competitive card playing streak all the Hardwicks seem to have. :)

Today Joshua is back at work and I am deep in job search. So far I have one offer, but unfortunately, it doesn't pay enough to make it worthwhile. Back to the drawing board. Does anyone want to buy a handmade scarf?

We Have Arrived!

Here's the House of Mystery from the last post. Sorry about that.

Our official welcome to Washington. Funny story. I told Joshua that I wanted to get a picture of the welcome sign for my scrapbook. He tells me it's really small and probably not worth it, but I insist. So, as we approach the state line he tells me to watch the bridge for a green sign. Sure enough, there's a freeway sign that simply states "Entering Washington". Boring! So I put the camera away and enjoy the scenery. Then, I see the REAL sign (pictured here) and rush to grab the camera, but alas, my reflexes are way too slow after doing nothing but sit in a car for two days in a row. Well, Joshua knew how important this picture was to me, so we exited the freeway, turned around, and did it again. This time I had the camera poised and ready, but just ahead of us was a beat up old car blowing smoke out the exhaust that filled the air and almost blocked my picture. Thankfully, I got the shot and we were able to move beyond this section of freeway.

We arrived to the apartment around 8:30 (after my bladder caused us to stop every half hour for the last couple hours). After surveying the place, I sat down and cried. I had left my home, my family, my church, my job, my state, and here I was in a musty, moldy, dirty apartment. The next day, with the help of about 10 magic erasers (I'm serious - I love these things!), 3 air fresheners, a grout cleaner and brush, oven cleaner, floor cleaner, 2 pair of rubber gloves, and one wonderful mother in law, it was beginning to feel more like home. Now that it's clean I can finally start to unpack those boxes. Maybe I'll just leave a few packed and tuck them away in the closet ...

We've been busy bees all week long with Joshua working, unpacking, hanging out with family, and trying to get a feel for the new neighborhood. We celebrated our niece Madison and our nephew Richie's birthdays Saturday night. I can successfully navigate myself to many important stores: Michael's, Artco, Ross, Tuesday Morning, Target, Safeway, Big Lots, Starbucks. The weather has been terrific. Sure, it rained most of the week, but the days that are sunny are simply amazing. We have been able to go for walks and drives and take in the scenery. We have a view from our apartment of the water and Mt. Raineer (when the clouds lift). The next time it's clear I'll have to snap a shot.

Sacramento, Mount Shasta, and the Oregon Vortex

Well, we have arrived in our new home (I'll tell you all about it later). But first, here's a brief summary of our trip.











Our first stop was in Sacramento where we met up with the Muellers for lunch. It was a beautifully hot day and we took a quick tour of the old town section. We had fun meeting our new niece and vistiting with the fam.












Next stop: Mount Shasta. After Joshua's first drive up, he decided Mount SHasta would be a scenic place to spend the night. We had an amazing view of the mountain from our breakfast table! Don't I look thrilled to be going for another 9 hour drive?












What road trip would be complete without stopping at a toursit attraction you saw advertised on the highway? Not the Hardwicks I tell you! Somewhere in Oregon we stopped to tour the Vortex and House of Mystery. This is a place where poeple with motion sickness should never go! Thank goodness i was already drugged for the car ride. The vortex is a plce where magnetic fields cross in such a way that normal rules of science do not apply. Vision is distorted making people appear larger or smaller than they really are, balls roll uphill, and there is a general sense of dizziness everywhere you look.

Oops ... I just deleted the picture of the house. I'll put it with the next post.

If you've been to Knott's Berry Farm, you'll recongnize this place. The Knott's house was modeled after this one.

The End of an Era

Well, today was officially my last day of teaching. I'm not as sad as I thought I would be. Maybe after a few months it will actually hit me .

Here are some things I will miss:

The children. Their smiles, hugs, and giggles. That look on their face when they finally get something that's been given them trouble. Their gifts from the heart. The trust and respect that they placed in me. The songs that they hum while hard at work. The silly dances they do every time they hear music. The goofy things they say. The pride they glow with when they realize that they can read a chapter book.

My colleagues. The stories that they have to share. Their wisdom. Their willingness to help. The amount of energy that they pull out of themselves every single day. The way they can find the positive in a situation. The rate at which they can empty a plate of food in the teacher's lounge.

And of course this list would not be complete without some of the things I will not miss:

Paperwork. Whoever thought of bubble in forms was not considerate of our fingers.
Recess duty.
Fighting for one of the two stalls in the restroom at 7:30, 9:00, and 11:00 each day.
Having a bell ring to keep me on schedule.
Tattling.

So there you have it! The end of an era.

I miss my boys!

Joshua and Six the cat have been in Washington state for three days nows. Meanwhile, I'm still in stinkin' hot California missing them! Why didn't I quit my job sooner? Oh yeah, it's parent conference week. It's the least I can do to stay and finish the week.
Speaking of school, I told my little ones that I would not be their teacher for the rest of the year. After about two seconds of "oohh!"s, we moved on with our day and not another word about it! Great. Glad to know I'll be missed.
Joshua and Six, I want you to know that you are greatly missed! I can't wait to join you on our new adventure.

Moving Out Day... The Day After Retrospect

It's Saturday morning and I'm sitting here with an empty apartment. My wife is gone to be with her girlfriends one last time. My job is to clean up the mess created yesterday during the move, and try to sell or get rid of the remaining appliances and furniture pieces.

Let me begin by saying that one should never attempt to make a move on a weekday (Mistake #1). Nobody is able to help. I didn't realize how much stuff we had, and had left to pack. We had over a month to prepare and a pile of boxes was quickly adding up in the garage during that time. But one quick look around the house showed that there was still much work left to be done.

Jay's comment to our previous post was aptly put. At first we had a system for marking the boxes. Four pen colors: red, kitchen;  blue, bedroom; green, bathroom; black, living room and everything else. Our packing of the boxes was Tetris-style, you couldn't find an ounce of air in them at all. But yesterday the gloves were off and the clock was ticking. "Do you need this?" "No, throw it out." Unopened bottles of cleaner that we got with buy-one-get-one coupons named Zip, Pow, and Bang. (those didn't do so hot a job at cleaning. Mr. Clean's Magic Eraser, however, is worth its weight in salt. Or some other confused cliché)

We found that Uhaul is overly expensive for what you get and the risk involved. So we did what our friends the Sant'Agatas did who moved to North Carolina, we called ABF Trucking. For less than half the price we were given two 6x7x8 cubes to fill and then they will move them for us. They do have door-to-door service, but we took the cheap path and  save another $300 by moving the items to the cube at the terminal ourselves, which meant an in-town Uhaul rental for $30. That was mistake #2. With this setup we are packing our items into the truck, driving it to the ABF terminal, unloading, and packing a cube, and we'll have to duplicate the process on the other end. I quickly saw the error of my ways (because of Erin's pressing persuasion) and opted for the cubes to be delivered to the door of the new place.

We were done by 10:30pm and crashed into our bed. I slept like a rock, mostly because my body wouldn't move. I can feel every muscle in my body all the way down to my fingers. At 5:30am I awoke and took a shower, couldn't find my clothes, or a light, realized there were no curtains on the window, and put on my robe and got the paper. An hour later, when the sun came up, Erin came downstairs to find me and the cat laying on the couch reading the news. She noticed my clothes, or lack thereof and had a good laugh. I went upstairs to get dressed and realized that I had packed my socks.

So here I am, wearing yesterdays socks, and waiting for people to pick up our old stuff. Craig's List is a wonderful place to get rid of stuff. Most things I listed for free, and they're going like hotcakes. I called 1-800-GOT-JUNK and they were going to charge me upwards of $120 to take away my broken TV and BBQ. A free listing on Craig's List prompted a phone call from Kevin, my new best friend. He comes in to pick up a broken TV and notices all my Goodwill items in the garage. He starts going through the pile like an IRS auditor. In one bag he found an old Vans shoe of mine and put it on his foot he liked it so much that he took the other one and his shoe and put it in his car. He continued to walk around with mismatched (and one untied) shoes. He left with over half the items in the pile now in his car. Thank you, Kevin.

Next up... Unloading in Tacoma!

Isn't Moving Fun?

So this is the current state of the Hardwick house. Boxes everywhere, closets emptied onto the floor for sorting and packing, and a general feeling of chaos. We have until Friday to get the entire place packed and ready to be loaded into the shipping crates. Aahhhh!!! Does anyone want to come help?

You don't see that every day ...

The packing fun is well under way at the Hardwick house. Six the cat is doing his part too ... He likes to play with any and all of the packing materials and jump inside all the boxes.

Six also got to visit the vet this weekend. He is in excellent health and ready for a new home! The doctor gave us some pills to help him sleep in the car, but bathroom breaks will still be an issue. Joshua wanted to get a leash so he could stop with him at rest stops. He actually kind of likes it I think! He did this hilarious army crawl - we should have video taped it!

Our main tasks every free minute have included packing, taking trips to Goodwill, and surfing the internet for apartments and jobs. We are on our way!

I'm in Love!

Obviously, I'm in love with my husband, but tonight, I found a new love ... Mr. Clean's Magic Eraser. That thing is awesome! When we first got married, Joshua kicked the door in the kitchen while showing off his fancy swing dance moves. I have tried every cleaner ever made (and some I made myself) and could not get that black mark off. A few minutes with the magic eraser and it's gone! Also, I attempted to dye my hair one time (NEVER try that) and spilled a drop on the bathroom floor. Oh well, there goes a piece of my security deposit. Magic eraser wiped that stain off like it was nothing! I'm serious people! Buy stock in this stuff 'cause it's gonna revolutionize cleaning!

Motorcycle blues, but good news!

I just closed my garage door, with greenbacks in hand, after waving goodbye to, Hoot, my first motorcycle. Why is it leaving? Because I'm going to get a bigger one. Not right away, but in the not to distant future. This time I will earn it, versus forcing my future self to pay for it. The immediate reason for selling my beloved Hoot? To get rid of excess stuff, pay off bad debt (car loan), and move to Washington State. Yes, you've heard rumors before, but this time it's actually going to happen. My boss knows, Erin's boss knows, our Landlord knows, now it's your turn. So dust off your cone-shaped hats and blow those party favors because Erin and I are entering into a new chapter of our lives.

It's nothing new, people leave California all the time. So what's the big deal? Well, most of our predecessors have left here in tiny apartments or condos to move into bigger and better homes (much to my envy), but not us. We are moving on from our near-flat grade incline careers to a bigger and better opportunity. What does opportunity look like? Unfortunately, it doesn't look like a pay raise. I liken it to a sling shot; you have to pull back before you can shoot forward. Just pray that the rubber band doesn't snap.

It all started with a book my parents bought me for Christmas (really it was Thanksgiving, but you'll understand if you read an earlier post). Upon reading that book I had a Jerry Maguire moment. Those moments really do happen. Instead of a kid cursing me out though, our TV just bit the dust. I wanted a new TV, but I needed to wait until after Christmas when the prices go down. During the in between time I started to read. I found I enjoy reading. My mind eats things up. There's so much knowledge out there that I've just been neglecting while watching people guess letters on a wall. My moment wasn't about reading, it was about life and career. I feel like I've wasted so much of my life watching TV that I completely missed out on my true desires. Not that I completely know what they are yet.

One interesting note I learned about TV and reading. I watch TV on my own, I even shush Erin if she talks over it. But while reading I have a conversation with God, asking his input on the text I'm ingesting. I still shush Erin if she interrupts though. But don't worry I get my fair share of shushes from her too.

With this new outlook on life, I shared my desires with my brother. He realized that this is the person that he wants in his organization. Without much effort he offered me an opportunity to work with him, my dad, and a sister, along with a host of others, to streamline the operations of his restaurant and ultimately duplicate it. (when I say "his restaurant", I don't mean solely his, but it works for this conversation)

Lastly, I'm thankful to God for giving me a wife that is willing to follow me into this new change in my life. But I'm sure that she's just excited not to have to teach anymore. I know that we're both glad to get out of California, finally.

Projects

For those of you who didn't know, I spent much of December on bed rest due to a muscle torn to bits in my leg. Although the first week was a loss because of the meds, I was rather productive for the most part. Doing what you ask? Projects! Using my Happy Hooker crochet book, I taught myself the basics of crochet. I have since made two scarves, three hats, and a poncho. The above hat/poncho set (modeled by my lovely assistants) are a gift for my friend's one year old daughter.

Have no fear knitting friends! I have not given up the yarn art with two sticks. Here is a scarf I made using my husband's idea of creating length by placing a hole at the neck. One side of the scarf gets pulled through the hole without being wrapped all the way around!

So there you have it. Between my Christmas gift of every episode of Friends ever made and my love for all things yarn, I have been quite a busy gal!

Christmas 2006

Well, it was Christmas after all. And what is a Christmas without some baking. I wanted to build my first Gingerbread house this year, from scratch. So I invited my Mother-In-Law over to teach me how to bake one in exchange for cookies.
This first picture is one of the walls coming out of the oven with a Jolly Rancher window.

Next you can see the building coming into shape. I'm using chewing gum for roof shingles. I purchased just enough from the store, but my wife and her mother had four sticks of gum while waiting for me to finish. But I wouldn't finish without at least three more sticks of gum.

Here is the finished product. Complete with lights! Above is the back of the house and below is the front, with a pool just out of sight. Special thanks also go to Shana and Aunt Beth for the extensive decorating.

On Christmas Eve I got a jumpstart on a 3D puzzle of San Francisco that I got last year. I got it done in less than a day.

Erin dropped the hint about this book only a few times. Many people were confused why she would ask for such a book, until they knew the subject matter. (It's about crocheting, a form of knitting with a hook-ended needle)

On New Year's Eve I was a barrel of laughs. I started by dancing with Erin until I crashed onto the floor. The Sandman hit me hard.

But while I was down for the count Erin and her mom were partying like there was no tomorrow, apparently. At least they were color coordinated.

Internet Family Connections

I think the internet is great, don't you? It allows us to keep in touch with family and friends, and extended family that we may never have known about. Below is an email Erin received a few days ago in response to a previous blog posting (Grandma's Rant). Read it, it even contains a genealogy that we may have too soon forgotten:

Erin--I am married to your cousin Peter Selph, a son of Mary (Graham) Jones Selph Allen. She was a sister to your grandfather Graham. I found your blog this morning while I was trying to google Aunt Jean's Maytag ad. I did that a couple of years ago and found a copy of it for sale on an antique shop site.

I thought you might like to know, if you already don't, that the piano in the ad (and at your grandmother's house) was given to your great-grandmother Beulah (Galt) Graham Kinseyon her sixteenth birthday as a present from her father, Thomas R. Galt.

The first time I saw the ad was in 1972 when I was living in Brownwood, TX. Iwas about 13 years old and on a trip with my mother. During that time my grandmother was ill and my father was working a temporary job in Carlsbad. We were on the road a lot and mother always took along lots of magazines. After I flipped through one, she asked if there was anything interesting in it...I said only this ad with an antique piano in it. Then I complained about the people in the ad blocking the view of the piano! But I always liked those Maytag ads because of the letters the women sent in. Years rolled by. I married Peter in 1983. More years rolled by and I went with Mary to visit your grandparents on one of my trips to Albuquerque. Mary had told me about the piano being given to her mother as present, but she never mentioned the Maytag ad. We were sitting at your grandmother Jean's, looking at the piano, and Jean and Mary started talking about the Maytag ad. Then I remember that I had seen the ad. By then, Peter and I had been married for at least 15 years or more. Small world!!!!

Enjoyed your blog,
Kathy Duncan

Thank you, Kathy! We really enjoyed reading your email. I hope you don't mind if we share it.
Joshua Hardwick

(I know it's January, but...) Thanksgiving!

After our amazing vacation to the east coast, we came home for 21 hours of laundry for me, work for Joshua, repack, and catch another plane for San Jose. Joshua's work had needed him to do a job in the Bay Area the day before Thanksgiving so it became a free flight for the two of us. Check out that awesome turkey! My husband is quite the chef.

Joshua's parents came down from Seattle to celebrate with us. Debbie had a beautiful table set for the meal. We enjoyed a traditional Thanksgiving feast complete with ....

Our famous pumkin ice cream pie! This has become Walter's (not pictured) favorite dessert ever. William helped Uncle Joshua crush the cookies for the crust and he helped Aunt Erin put the whipped cream on top -only a little went in our mouths!

Since none of the families present would be seeing each other for Christmas, we celebrated that holiday too. We even went to see the Christmas tree lighting in San Fransisco's Union Square. Avoid it if you can. But it was a great kickoff to the Christmas Season!