A Few Things I Have Learned So Far

Having never lived in any other state than California, I am finding that I have a lot of things to learn about Washington and the area where I am living. They aren’t major things, but little tiny things. For example:

*None of the streets make sense – There is NW this street and SE that Avenue. And then they have the audacity to change names without you being any the wiser. What? Where is my familiar grid?

*The DMV experience does not always have to be painful. No! I am serious, I know you are probably laughing sardonically, but it’s true! I had the nicest DMV experience ever when I went to get my Washington State Drivers License. I only had to waited a half hour in a well-lit, clean, prolifically seated room, while a very nice bell would serenely ring followed by a very nice woman’s voice that would announce “Number 237 is now being served at counter number 4.” And then, this is the kicker, the person who helped me was not only efficient, but actually asked me questions. Like if I had ever lived here before. When I told him I had just moved from CA he then started telling me about his sister who just moved to Santa Ana, CA. We had a lovely conversation, and I was then given my paperwork and sent to get my picture taken. The gentleman who did the picture was nice, he smiled, and he told me to wait about two minutes until my temporary license was issued. At which point, having spent about 30 seconds, he then called me over and handed me my very first Washington State Drivers License.

*Before I ever visited this area I always thought that when people said you can find a Starbucks on every corner that it was exaggeration. Um, no, not really. It’s actually very modest in fact. Yesterday when I was at a strip mall (granted, a large one, but still) there were actually TWO Starbucks in the same strip mall. Two. Separate. Starbucks. OMG. I am not sure whether to be really scared by that fact or really excited that I can get a hot beverage pretty much anywhere I go. Twice if I so wished.

Those not interested in knitting, skip this next one

*Knitting is fun. I am trying a new pattern that I actually have to pay attention to when I work it. And as most of you know, I swear I have adult on-set ADD. That is why I love scarves, using just knit stitch. I don’t have to really pay attention; I can multitask by watching TV or talking to someone. But this new pattern is driving me nutty. I have so far gotten about 20 rows done only to make a mistake and have to rip the whole darned thing out cuz I can’t figure out how to fix it. I am going to have to bring it in to the shop to see what they say. I may as well gain as much knowledge as I can while I am there.

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I came across two quotes last night that made me laugh and also made me think that maybe I am not seeing things through rose colored glasses as I was beginning to wonder. I was reading a guide book to Seattle and came across the following two items (quoted from Seattle Survival Guide, 4th Edition, by Eric Lucas).

“…Seattle’s Famous Automotive Courtesy is both real and baffling to outsiders. Cultural anthropologists believe it may derive from the courteous , orderly ethos brought by the area’s early Scandinavian settlers; wherever it came from, it is definitely not OK to honk your horn in an unseemly fashion, if at all, and cutting in line is also not OK. But stopping to let people into a line gets you brownie points…Courtesy is the story on city streets. On the freeways just about anything goes – or stops, depending on traffic and weather conditions.”

And, under the heading “How Many Animals Can I Have?”

“Inside Seattle proper, however, the limit for a single-family home is three small animals, including pot-bellied pigs. Chickens do not count against that limit, so a person can have up to three chickens along with his or her other pets. Whether roosters are included in the mix depends how tolerant your neighbors are about crowing at the crack of dawn.”

So the people here are friendly, the DMV is not Dante's 4th circle of hell, and I can get a dog, a cat, a pot-bellied pig, and have 3 chickens as well. What more could a girl want?

Scenery

This is what my commute home looked like yesterday:

And this is the view from the balcony today:

Happiness

This is the time in my life that I should be the most stressed because holy shit, I have no income! Holy crap my benefits are gone as of February! What the hell was I thinking moving two whole states away from everyone I know and love??

But then, for the first time in so long, I feel happy. It is a happiness that goes all the way down to my toes. I look out the window and see snow and ice; bare branches and green, green trees. To have quiet outside the door and windows, not helicopters and noise from cars and radios and TVs. To see birds. Not just pigeons, starlings and sparrows, but hawks and geese and ducks, and a whole slew of other kinds of birds that I can't name. I'm so excited to have walking trails that I can walk on right from my front door. This is ridiculous, but I feel like I should be saying "Where have you been all my life?".

I have a real sanctuary. The best part is that I don't even have to drive to get there. I think I’d been looking for this for so long that I forgot what exactly it even was. I love it here, and I have the feeling things are about to change...for the better. I can't wait!

Heaven

Yarn heaven, that is. I was finally able to get out of the apartment and started my part time job at Cultured Purls. So much fun! I spent the day looking at all kinds of fabulous yarns, helping customers, and realizing how much I do not know about knitting! Holy Cow! So much to learn! I can't wait to take a few classes and really get my teeth into some new projects. I'm currently working on a very pretty scarf (yes, another scarf. Hey, when that is all you know how to do it works!) that is made of mohair and soy wool. It's gorgeous. And warm, which is a good thing as they are forecasting yet another 3-6 inches of snow for tomorrow morning. Which means I will be home bound for at least one more day. Not that I mind, it's so beautiful. It's supposed to warm up to the low 40s by Wed/Thurs, so hopefully it will not turn to ice. Just in time for my parents to visit this weekend- Mom, bring those hand and foot warmers I gave you for Christmaka. :)

Oh, and I was serenaded by Johnny Bird this morning. He is a cutie. Reminds me of my little Boo when he was young. Here is a cute pic of JB from this morning:

The Long Tale

Friday morning I went to take my grandmother out to lunch. I get in my car, only to find that the 'check engine' light has decided to make an appearance. So, after much cursing at the Nazi car, aka my Jetta, my dad and I were able to squeeze in to the dealer so they could check it out. 4 hours later we find out it wasn't anything major, but that was 4 hours I had set aside to pack up the car. So Mom and I organized all my stuff (thanks Mom, you are the goddess of packing!) and once the car was back and I had stopped cursing it, we loaded the biggest suitcase you have ever seen into the trunk. By this time it is dark and we decide to do the rest in the morning.

Morning comes, we finish packing the car. I have a new respect and admiration for my mom. There is NO way I would have gotten all my belongings into there without her. It looked like a clown car, minus the clowns. After a teary good-bye I hit the road.

I was blessed with fabulous weather to SF, and arrived with plenty of time to spare. I was greeted by Diane and Delaney, her nearly 2 year old. Delaney yelled "aunty!" and immediately wrapped her arms around my legs and hugged them. Needless to say, my heart melted!

We had a wonderful dinner at Ton Kiang, even though the service was not nearly as good as it is when you go in the morning. Dim sum is GOOD. Mmmmmmmmmm.

Sunday morning brought sunshine and smiles all around. I got in the car, headed to pick up Martina, and we hit the road! We had good weather all the way up. Not a cloud in the sky until we went over Mt. Shasta.

Then we only had fog for about 1/2 hour. We kept waiting to get to Grant's Pass, where it was supposed to be the pass to Mordor or something. But, we hit it, kept driving, looked at each other and said "Is that it??". The rest of the ride was great.

I did learn something new right after we crossed the Oregon border. Did you know that it is illegal to pump your own gas in Oregon??? I had gotten out of my car and tried to pump my gas and the attendant came over and said I couldn't. At first I didn't believe him. I mean, hello? I have been pumping my own gas since I was 16. Don't tell me I can't pump my own gas! But, lo and behold! It's a law there. Neither Martina or I could figure out why you can't do it yourself, but whatever. It's actually kinda nice to have someone else do it.

We hit Eugene, OR at about 5:30pm, checked into our hotel and went to get dinner. After dinner we went back to the room, showered, and hit the sack. Unfortunately, neither of us got much sleep! It turns out that while I was laying in bed wanting to throw a pillow at Martina for snoring, she was doing the same thing while I was snoring! So, we both were awake at 5am, and when I asked if she was awake she said yes. I then told her that I was never going to share a room with her again! She started to laugh, and said she was thinking the same thing! So we got up, and hit the road again. We finally arrived in Bellevue at 1pm on Monday. We unloaded the car, which was a whole other story! Note to anyone trying to get a 50lb box up a flight of stairs: It is much easier to ROLL the box UP, than try to lift it! We then had a fantastic dinner at my new favorite Thai restaurant, came home and after a very funny conversation, went to bed.

I took Martina home on Tuesday afternoon. Luckily she made it out before the snow came down. Here is what the view from my apt looked like on Wednesday morning:

It then started to really come down around 4pm. I, being the So Cal girl that I am, had no clue what to do when it starts snowing. I was driving home, going super slow, and since no one was honking at me, I figured I was on the right track. I turned left into the driveway for the complex, and proceeded to get stuck. After 15 minutes of trying to get some traction, a very nice guy came up and asked if I needed help. Uh, yeah. He tried to push my car to see if I could get it moving, but no luck. How nice though? In LA, I would have been run over, cursed at, flipped off, and then probably would have had something thrown at me. Not here. People are actually NICE here. It's so amazing. So, long story short, my car is still stuck in the driveway. Hopefully I can move it later today.

I am supposed to start my part time job at the yarn shop today, but since the weather was so bad, the owner called to tell me that the mall was actually closed. So hopefully tomorrow I can do it. I'll keep you all updated!

So that is my first few stories of my adventure. I am so happy here. It's so beautiful, and once I figure out where everything is I think I will be a very happy camper.

I'm Finally Here!!

Hello everyone!

Just a quick hello to let ya'll know I made it to Washington safe and sound. I have pics and funny stories to tell, but won't be able to update this until tomorrow. I'm happy. Really, really happy. They are expecting snow tonight, so hopefully I can update my blog tomorrow while sitting in front of the fireplace.

My Chiropractor Rocks!

My Chiropractor, Dr. Oatey, is the best! I will totally miss him. Not only because he is a fantastic chiropractor, but because, come on, look how good looking he is!! Don't you wish you had such a good looking doctor? Thanks to Dr. Oatey, Maria and the entire staff at ChiroSport - I will miss you all!

Happy New Year!

You are what you eat. If the saying is true, then I am now this:

My mom's friend Geneva surprised me with a home cooked meal that brings me back to when I was young. Every Christmas Eve we would go to their house and have a fantastic dinner: fried chicken, mac and cheese, candied yams, green beans and lemon cake. All home made. All so good it made you want to dance around with joy, except for the fact that you were too full to even breathe. So when she called and invited us to go for New Year's Day dinner, we all cleared our calendars, didn't eat all day, and headed over to her house. It was just as good as I remember it to be. What better way to start the New Year than with friend chicken and mac and cheese? Mom said I had a shit-eating grin as soon as I sat down, and she was right. I rolled out of there carrying all the leftovers (thank you Aunty Geneva!) and will be enjoying them until I hit the road on Saturday. While my waist may not be pleased with all the food, my heart certainly is! Geneva's food = Love.

I hope everyone had a happy new year - I think 2007 is going to be a good year for us all.