Raincharm’s Weblog

Official being the operative word. Carl & I have been walking on weekends for several weeks now, and I really enjoy our walks. But I thought I should show my face to get into the loop of organized walks. This walk was a bit of this and that. Some people I had met in other years, and some new faces. About a 4-1/2 mile first bit, then we dropped off some at a shoe clinic, and picked up a few others, 3 miles around the lake and then I headed home for the last mile. I did miss Carl though.

Well I get to seem him later today to make up for the missed morning.
Last night I think I missed everything. – About 1/2 way home from work the energy level crashed. I made it home but didn’t feel like eating (stomach was just not sure how it felt), working out, just about anything. Early to bed, and up this morning feeling fine (hungry). Had a yogurt and out to the walk. Now I am hungry again, so must have been a passing thing.

Food and then taxes (for Rey – who has been bugging me, and yes he could do them, but I paid for the Turbo so I am determined to use it as much as I can).

It snowed last night, and into the morning.
Luckily for us this was a much more “normal” Seattle snow, short lived.
Enough to give kids a short day at school, which makes traffic much lighter than usual. So avoiding the roads that were plain stopped by spun out vehicles, my carpooler and I were able to get coffee and to work only 30 minutes late. The downside was that since I didn’t have a car at my singular disposal, I could not stay for the public meeting I was supposed to attend on the District’s behalf. On the plus side, the twin meeting to this one last week only had two public show up – so I may have saved myself two hours of hanging out at the City. And I got home early enough to put in 1/2 hour on the bike. [Unlike the Marquis and Pooh I don’t ride in the snow. Actually, I haven’t riden a bike on the street in quite a while.]
Turkey burgers for dinner, really tasty. Must be that Costco turkey. You know, for all of the “super” in supermarket, we generally shop at four stores to get everything we need/want. Seems excessive. Luckily, most are realtively (walking distance) from our home.

Commitments have been made
Commitment to do lots of walking in the long run (or is that in the long walk)
Commitment to do a little walking this weekend (5-6 miles with a nice group)
Commitment to pay for a couple of airline tickets (Carl & Ashlan want a vacation)
Commitment to pay for one more airline ticket (thank goodness we got at least one flight together)
Commitment to stay late for a meeting tomorrow (hope the snow is not a factor)
Commitment to play soccer this spring (must    get   in   shape)
Commitment to watch professionals play soccer in person (at least a few games – new team in town)
Commitment to not 1, but 2 social events this weekend (yes this is noteworthy – so sad)
Commitment to get at least 6 hours of sleep tonight (good night)

How are things working out for you.

Today things seem to be working out – even me.
Two days in a row now.
I fell off the bike/elliptical circuit sometime around Christmas.
I do get some exercise by walking, and just life in general.
But I find the 1/2 -1 hour of focused exertion feels good.
More importantly it means I will be better able to not look like a total dweeb when soccer season starts again.

When I was younger (but out of college, so not a “kid”) and started learning how to play a team sport I could run, fast.
Then I had to learn how to handle the soccer part, and the team part.
That came along OK, although I have never had spectacular skills I could use the speed to cover for my shortcomings.
Then I developed some game sense.
30 years later, the ball handling skills have stagnated, the speed is pretty well gone, so I count on the game sense.
But I have to be able to move about to let the game sense be useful. So – I work the legs now so they will be able to move when the season starts again.

I make lists. Mostly for myself, but occasionally for other members of the family.
Carl has memories of summers as a teenager when his father would leave him lists of things to do during the day, so I try not to give him written lists.

I made a list for myself for tonight. It had 5 items, although I did not really expect to get all five items done. Hoping for three, maybe four.

Got home – item one done, item two done, Carl added 3 items. First two Carl items done, 3rd one on the way.

Time to get to my item three.
Blogging was not on this list … hmmm.

Saturday – as planned

Ashlan: Pack, eat, text friend, pack, wait for friend, friend arrives, hug Mom, leave, talk – talk – talk, find passport, arrive at UBC, unload car, hug Daddy, unpack, study?, see friends

Carl: Get up first, gas car, money, breakfast goodies and coffee, newspaper, wait, wait a little more, hug Jay, drive, find passport, wait (40 minutes on the way up), find parking, unload car, hug Ashlan, drive, wait (2 hours on the way back), find passport, drive, hug Jay, go to party (50th, not his)

Jay: Get up second, file, find things, blog, finish questionnaire, get driven, hug Ashlan, test, walk, eat, on-line research, taxes (still), hug Carl, go to party (same as above).
Test included many things, and another set of words to remember. Once after looking at them for 3-1/2 minutes, then unannounced later.
House, Ocean, Jury, Exam, Tank, Church, Woman, Flag, Dirt, Garden, Star, Bird, Painter, Vest, Money, Alcohol, Kettle, Iron, Rattle, Lemon. On the first go-around I missed one word. On the second, I got them all.
Once again I used the make a picture-story method. Mine – House on the Ocean, substitute Dirt for sand, flagpole outside the house with a Star on the Flag and a Bird perched on top, a Garden around the house, the Woman was heating water in a Kettle on the Iron stove, with Lemon to go with the tea, and the kettle Rattled when boiling. There was a Painter wearing a Vest who wanted his Money but smelled of Alcohol, so he needed to go to Church. This was an Exam and I work next to a Tank (all about me). Which word did I miss the first time?

Walk home = under 3 miles, rather short and it is a beautiful day.

Lauren: [This is for any UBC folks – based on very little info or knowledge] Get woken up by someone, text, pack, finish packing, search for something, load car, drive, arrive at Ashlan’s, transfer, hug parent(s), ride, discuss Griffey (wait he’s too old, who are the young ones) & others for a few hours, find passport, arrive at UBC, unload car, wave to Carl, unpack, study?, hang with friends?

One more bit of the Seattle Longitudinal Study tonight. Fun for the most part, but I don’t do too well remembering 9 digit numbers to repeat to them – backwards. But there is a group of 10 words that you look at and repeat back to them – 3 times, and then when you are not expecting it, a 4th time.

butter, arm, shore, cabin, queen, pole, engine, grass, ticket, letter

It was relatively easy for me to get 9 words, and I would manage to bring up the last one before time ran out. I made up a story, about the cabin of course. At the Cabin on the Shore, with the Grass blowing in the wind, a “totem” Pole of a log stuck in the sand. Butter on pancakes in the morning, the engineer looking at an Engine (any engine), getting a plane Ticket to get there, and writing Letters home while sitting on the Queen (really a double) bed.

For this year the memory seems OK.

I just re-read last nights post. Hmmm.
What a boring life. Today is slightly more energetic – getting ready to go on a noon walk – but no more interesting.
I have put together a list of items I must finish at home tonight. Most revolve around money, bleah.

I have felt slow all day.
That said, the day has been full and fast.
Up about 30 minutes earlier for my early carpool.
Try to finish up a project before my first meeting at 9:00.
Meetings untill 12:45 (3 total)
Break – try to finish up some other work before the 3 PM meeting. But – at least 4 different requests by different people. I think I actually got to 3 of them (not big requests, just bunched.
The 3 PM meeting went until 6.
Home finally, to try and let my mind to slow down to how my body felt. Mmmmeatloaf. Comfort food.

I love this city.

Some friends of mine may be coming down from Van later this week and I’ve been getting super excited to show them absolutely EVERYTHING.  It’s hard for me to edit out things – as was proven last time I had friends in town and even though they were here for a whole weekend we literally ran out of time to see everything even though I thought i had condensed it pretty damn well.  Wow.  Sorry about the hella long sentence.  I just ran out of breath reading that back.  Make sure you have your inhaler ready – Ashlan is at the keyboard!

Anyways…

I’m having trouble thinking about school right now because my focus is definitely on the two trips i have coming up.  The first one is my friend Lauren and I heading to Arizona for spring training in March (which we have lovingly termed ST2009!!! – with the exclamation points absolutely neccesary).  5 games in 3 days – should be sufficiently epic to sate my need for baseball until this term is over (last exam=April 24th!).  On a semi-related note the first game I’ll get to see when I return will not only be on my birthday but will also be against the A’s!!  Perfect much?  I’m gonna have to answer YES.

And then there is the summer trip in August, which is far off and yet I still am finding it slightly impossible to contain my excitement.  Not only are we headin up to the cabin (WooHoo!) but we will also be going to various places that I have never been to before (Tennessee and Atlanta for example), so I’m suuuper stoked.  Our family tends to go to the same places when we travel, and while these locations are surely near and dear to my heart, a girl needs a little variety!!  It’s been 3 years since I have ditched them to go on a trip of my own, so I think I’m in withdrawal or something.  Who knows.

So yeah.  Hope this was enjoyable and/or interesting.  I try.

Much love!  Ashlan.