Friday, January 30, 2009

Plea for Commonness

It has recently come to my attention that I feel very strongly about a certain topic. Before I introduce it I would like to apologize to anyone I might offend. I promise I hold no ill will towards anyone. And to those who feel differently, I pray that you will help me to see your point of view. So, is that scary enough of an introduction?

The beef I have, that Matt has helped me to see as abnormal, is my obsession with strange names. And it's more than just the wacky names that celebrities name their children like Rocket Inspektor or Jermajesty or even Tu Morrow (http://www.cracked.com/article_15765_20-most-bizarre-celebrity-baby-names.html) so funny, seriously. No this is more your average weird names (no examples will be given so as to offend everyone too much).

I'm not saying everyone needs to name their child Sara or Matthew, but what's so wrong with a good solid name? There's lots of them out there, without having to come up with your own. What's wrong with a name that let's everyone know they're dealing with a male or a female? What's wrong with a name that everyone knows how to pronounce without having to ask twice because they thought they misheard you? Or a name where the poor child is not constantly having to spell it out for people? "Yes, that's Jermajesty, Majesty with a Jer at the beginning."

I understand that some want to make their child stand out but wouldn't it be better to have them stand out on their own merit and not because they have a unique name? I realize this is a potentially sensitive subject and everyone has their reasoning, so if you've used unusual names (which I define as anything you made up on your own - including bizarre spellings) I would love to non-judgementally hear your thoughts. Hopefully you will be the help I need to get me past my obsession.

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

The Sun Will Come Out Yesterday

Wahoo!! The sun came out yesterday!! It was crazy cold but at least it was sunny. Today's clouds are so much easier to take now that I've finally seen the sun!! Just thought I should share!

Sunday, January 25, 2009

When Wings Fail

Today in church, the speaker (probably in her mid-20's) told of how she moved to Wenatchee from Alaska when she flew out of the proverbial nest. Matt leaned over to me with the visual of a bird that spread it's wings to soar only to get plucked out of the sky by a precisely-aimed rock. Sad. The poor little bird's flight was cut short and so Wenatchee is all she'll ever know of the "outside" world.

Now, despite feeling that ole Wenatchka is where we should be, it's hard sometimes not to feel like we too got robbed of our chance to soar. But instead of wallowing, we're trying our very best to just giggle at images of falling birds.

Friday, January 23, 2009

The Book Thief

I joined a book club. I went to the library to ask about them and found out there's something like 200 in Wenatchee. I wasn't cool enough to join the private clubs so I joined the library's. They met this past Wednesday and I went late, on purpose, to sit in the back and figure out if they were cool enough for me. The club was made up of about 7 retiree-age woman with one retiree-age and politically conservative man . I tried to act all vague and discreet but they instantly asked if I was there to join their group, made me a name tag and gave me their next book. So I guess I'm in. The Book we're reading for February is The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. Has anyone read the book? Any thoughts? I'm kind of excited to start venturing out into more modern literature since I seem to be hopelessly stuck in the 18th and 19th centuries when left to my own devices. In fact they asked if I had any suggestions for books to read in the future and all I could come up with was anything by Thomas Hardy. Is that ultra lame?

On a cooler note, the library buys the books requested for the book club for you to check out. In fact, we went to the library a week ago so Matt could check out a book for research purposes. They didn't have it so he "requested" it, which means they buy it for him and then let him know when it comes in. Pretty slick huh?

Sunday, January 18, 2009

Come on Mother Nature, Help a Sister OUT

I realize that in posting this I sound extremely ungrateful. I know that in parts of the country they are dealing with more snow and ice than they can handle . . . but what can I say, I'm a brat. I WANT SNOW. It snowed tons the couple of weeks before Christmas making everyone's holiday travelling a touch treacherous, but it all cleared up a couple of days before I came back and we have neither seen hide nor hare of either the sun or snow ever since. I finally don't have anywhere to stress about going AND I have snow tires! (Sigh) It's been dreadful. Cloudy or super foggy for two weeks straight. I've had enough. If I wanted clouds I could have stayed in Portland. I want snow!! Or if I can't have snow at least give me some sun. That would be okay too.

I've started obsessing over weather.com again. Every day I check it's the same story - the sun will come out in a couple of days. But it never does, it just stays in that horrid two-day limbo land. So you can pray for whatever weather you like but as for me and my house we will pray for snow. And my neighbor. She's praying for snow too. In fact I might join her one of these days to do the snow dance. Whatever it takes.

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

We've Been Had

So dear readers, I'm sure you've all been on the edge of your seats waiting until I got up the courage to ask ole Crispy Bacon about his name. Well the opportunity presented itself on Monday when he and his wife invited us over for dinner and games. Halfway through dinner I called him out on it.

Apparently his given name is Christopher but he's gone by Crispy every now and again during his life when there have been too many Chris' to count in a given situation - like work. He said he decided to change it in our ward directory when we was messing around online a few months ago. I told him he had been talked about on my blog which seemed to delight him immensely. But unfortunately he was the only one so excited.

I was happy for him in the sense that his parent's aren't as ruthless as I had once supposed. But at the same time I was more crestfallen. Why? Because I really am that gullible. It's always been a title I thought I was unjustly labeled with but I can no longer dispute it. I've realized that I'm going to be one of those old women who sends my life savings to some seemingly nice young man who promises to take "real good care" of it for me. You know, one of those schemes that only old people seem to fall for. Isn't that so sad? So just remember that when it happens I might be coming to your house to stay. Please don't turn me out. I promise to be tidy.

Sunday, January 11, 2009

So Much Time in Two Thousand Nine

I'm all about special catch phrases. In 2001, my catch phrase was "Catch the Vision of Sara" (complete with hand gestures) wherein some incredibly handsome guy was supposed to "catch my vision" aka fall hopelessly in love with me. So . . . didn't happen, but what can you do. Some things are just out of your control. Thankfully "so much time in two thousand nine" is so very much in my power. Thanks to everyone who gave me some good ideas. My plan for 2009 is to make the most of all this time I seem to have. It's been a lot of fun thinking and planning my adventures. Here is my current list:

The following statements are based on current expectations as of the date of this post. These
statements are forward-looking, and actual results may differ materially. The author assumes no obligation to update these statements.
(I know, that was waaaay geeky)
  • Go skiing at least once. Almost every year I get out skiing because someone talks me into going. Every time I go I inevitably hate it for one reason or another. And every time someone else tries talking me into it I think, this year is going to be different. Yep, still singing the same tune. But I've never been skiing with Matt and I've never been skiing at Mission Ridge. So maybe this year I'll actually learn to catch the skiing vision.
  • Take at least two classes. Right now I'm looking into these classes on http://www.teach12.com/, wherein, professors from notable universities record their lectures and sell them. So it's like auditing a really good class from the comfort of your own home. The first one I want to take is "Introduction to Anatomy and Human Physiology." I'm even reading my sister's college Human Physiology book to prepare myself. It could quite possibly be the first textbook I've ever actually read.
  • Travel. Right now Matt wants to make it to New England to visit the home town of his favorite guitar composer. Any chance to go back to the Boston area is great with me, so although it's not Greece, it's still travelling. And I'm still excited. Oh, and Matt wants to go to Winthrop, WA. A town, like Ye Olde Leavenworth, though instead of being alpine-inspired is Western-themed. Hey, it's still travelling.
  • Meet one new person every month. I want to focus on the cute elderly women in my ward. I'm all about meeting people with cool stories and I just know these women are gold mines.
  • Make a quilt for someone else. No idea who yet.
  • Improve my cooking skills by trying out at least 6 "fancy" recipes. You know, the ones that actually call for the odd/random ingredients.
  • Finish listening to my Learn Spanish CD's. I started them a few years ago when I was planning my adventure to South America. But when this guy laughed at my attempt, saying that native speakers don't talk like that, I lost my motivation and stopped listening to them.
  • Get up the courage to ask Crispy Bacon about his name. I'm sure you all are dying to know as well.
  • Consider writing a children's book. That's for you Kevin.
  • Consider going skinny-dipping. And darling Leslie, that's for you.

I think that's enough to get me started! Happy New Year everyone!! And thanks to everyone who's let me know they pop in from time to time. You have no idea how it warms my heart!!

Thursday, January 1, 2009

Ultimate Driving

A few weeks ago when it was snowing everywhere and I became addicted to the Washington Department of Transportation website, somehow deluding myself into thinking that if I only monitored the passes enough it would somehow keep them open. Silly and completely irrational I know, but that's how my subconscious works.

It kept snowing and icing and snowing and icing all up and down my route from Wenatchka to Portland and I didn't want to have to drive 25 mph on chains for the entire 300 mile trek. I went back and forth on the studded tire idea but the $500+ it would take to get my car all rigged up was just more than my cheap little accountant self wanted to pay. But when I read a news report about how seemingly everyone was careening off the road to their death I finally sucked it up and spent the money.

Good thing I did. We ended up leaving the Wenatch at 6:00 am, just as the snow started coming down. By the time we made it to the pass on I-90 the road was already lined with snow and every muscle in my body was completely tensed up. You'd think after surviving through an awful Boston winter I would have been more comfortable in the snow but no such luck. Matt was completely relaxed through the whole of it, except for when I started to fish tail and put on the brakes while turning the steering wheel to self correct. All of which, I guess, were the WRONG move in such a situation. I'm learning and growing.

Well, we made it to Portland with more or less clean roads and I thought we were home free. My sister, Nichole, said that other than the ruts, everything was fine. Ruts - I didn't know what she was talking about so I dismissed it. Dismissed, that is, until we got two miles from my parents' exit and learned just what "ruts" are. Ruts, for those people who are not currently living in the Portland area, are what happens when tracks are made in wet snow which in turn slushes over which then freezes. Hmm . . . I'm not sure that's the best description. Imagine you're at Disney Land and you're riding Autopia. Now, imagine that instead of tracks holding your car in place it's really ice. At first it was terrifying. It felt like my little Corolla was off-roading on I-5. But Matt continued to laugh through it with a sort of, this is the "best road trip I've ever been on" attitude . I mean, I guess they weren't so bad. It's not like we could get hurt in our little ruts. The ruts demand loyalty. I tried getting out of my rut but they were having none of it. I quickly decided that it was better to take the long way home than to attempt an ill-timed turn.

We finally made it to my parents' house. It's normally a 5-hour drive, but with the ultimate driving experience it turned into an 8+ hour excursion. The "Gilligan's Island" theme song kept going through my head. Especially the part of the song about how they had signed up for a "three-hour tour, a three-hour tour".

The roads are now clear and I feel silly driving around with my studded tires but they have more than paid for themselves, in my opinion, and while it's clear here, it's still snowing in my little hamlet Wenatchee. Wish me luck as I try driving home here sometime this next week.