Monday, December 30, 2013

Weekend Trip To Fairhaven

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Fairhaven is a little town right outside of Bellingham, WA. I went to school near there, so heading to the north end of the sound is always a bit fun for me. Fairhaven, however, has become a bit more of a fun place to go now that we have Evie to tag along.

The trip started out normal enough with a thought of doing the drive back south on Chuckanut Drive. We’ve done it once before, but we needed something fun to do where weather wouldn’t be a major issue. A scenic drive through the sound is always a great way to pass a day like that. so off we went.

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As we drove north, we decided that Fairhaven would be a great place to stop and grab some lunch, so we looked up some recommendations from friends by posting the question on Facebook. The winner of the lunch stop was the Avenue Café. Of course we couldn’t stop for lunch before letting the kiddo stretcher he legs and visit the toy shop.

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After a look though that amazing store, and playing with just about everything in it, we ventured back to the Avenue Café and ordered. I went with my stand by for judging any sandwich joint, the Rueben. Although it took what seemed like quite a bit of time to make up a few sandwiches, the food was well worth the wait. The bread was amazing, the sauces fresh and the meat was perfect. Avenue Café will definitely be on our list to visit again on our next trip that direction.

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Next stop was a quick stroll through town to work off some of that lunch. We did a quick circle of the Fairhaven block and found a few stops that would be worth while. First up was Rocket Donuts, but we will hit that on the way back to the car. Then as we rounded the corner, we found Katie’s Cupcakes, and their Cupcake Wars Champion sticker in the window.

I can’t say enough about the impression that Katie’s Cupcakes left on us. I was first a bit unimpressed with the slightly dark, dank feeling store. Then I saw the variety of cupcakes and decided it would be ok to get one of the peanut butter pie cupcakes. Evie and Ara picked out theirs as we chatted with the owner’s husband. We had our three cupcakes and were getting them boxed up when he offered a 4th to us for no charge.

After chatting it up a bit longer, he offered Evie a copy of their storybook, which he and Katie wrote about the adventures of the store after the doors are locked. It is adorable and if you make it up that way, you should grab a copy and take a look at it. After that, the rest of the trip was doomed to be a let down.

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From Katie’s, we moved on to Village Books, and a quick trip through their amazing selection of titles. Mama and kiddo had a nice story time in the kids section. Village Books is always a great place to check out some local titles and find some of those stories you just can seem to find at the local Barnes and Nobles.

As we left the bookstore, we decided it was time to hit Rocket Donuts for a sweet treat for the drive home. Now, I love donuts, everyone that knows me knows that. And when I walk into a store and see this… I must have it.

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This is one of the largest donuts I have ever seen. I decided that the Monster Donut at Rocket Donuts was the one that I must have. Yes, if you look at the picture above, you will see a real penny sitting on that donut. If you look below, you will see it with my smiling face!

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We rounded out the trip with the drive back down Chuckanut Drive. The road is beautiful and winds along the Sound. It offers breathtaking views and quite a few areas that you can pull over and enjoy the scenery. I snapped this last photo with my Nokia Lumia 810 at one of the last stops we made along the road.

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Hopefully if you make it to the Puget Sound area, you will have time to take this little drive. It can be extended by wrapping down the road to Whidbey Island, but if you only have an afternoon, the simple drive from Fairhaven back to Seattle is worth the time.

Tuesday, December 24, 2013

The Crepe Escape Under-Delivers

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Today, we had a chance to head somewhere for breakfast that we have been wanting to try for quite some time. The Crepe Escape and Coffee House in Snohomish was our choice for breakfast today as our usual hangout, Steve’s, was closed for the holiday. We had planned a quick breakfast and then a trip to the theater for the 11:30 showing of Frozen for Evie. We abandoned that plan quickly though when we drove out of town to catch the breakfast joint that everyone had been raving about.

We arrived to a somewhat busy Crepe Escape and were immediately impressed by the Zoka Coffee, an amazing variety of food and the comfy chairs in front of the fire. The first issue was the fact that they were out or cheese for their crepes… That should have been a hint. Oh well, we placed our order and went to sit down.

We waited about 15 minutes before our luke warm coffees showed up, and not in the fancy “cups” like everyone else had at their tables when we came in, but instead we just got the normal paper cups with plastic lids… Strike one…

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With about 2/3’s of our cold coffee gone, the crepes finally showed up. The crepe was quite good, although I think it would have benefited from the cheddar cheese that was replaced with Swiss. The ham and egg crepe was decent enough, but again, was missing a major element with its lack of cheese. The last was the most disappointing of all. The spinach in her crepe was so loaded in the center that it wasn’t cooked and made the rest of the crepe cold. Overall, the coffee being OK at best and 2 out of the 3 crepes failing to deliver any enjoyment at all made the experience of the Crepe Escape something we couldn’t wait to escape from.

We are definitely going to give the Crepe Escape another chance at some point, but we will have much lower expectations than we did going in this time – and probably won’t spend nearly as much cash on food and drinks when we do.

12.24.13

Monday, November 18, 2013

Has It Been Two Months?

Wow, they say time flies when you're having fun, but this is crazy. I can't believe it's been two whole months since I've written here. It's holiday time with turkey day coming in just a few days and Christmas right on it's heels. Before we know it, the new year will be here and I will be looking back on 2013 and all the love, joy and loss that I endured this year.

I'm pretty sure this holiday season will be the roughest one ever. With losing one mom so close to them and the regrets of not knowing it was the other's last, this should be a very challenging season for us, to say the least.

That said, I will try and remember that with every "bad" thing that happens, something "good" arrives with it. Even if it is hard to see sometimes, I just need to remember that there is a greater good at work. That that greater good is God and that through Him, all things are possible.

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Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Summer Is Over…

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Summer is coming to a close around here. The rains have returned and everything is just a bit more gray. Even this morning,, which looks like it will shape up to be a nice afternoon, has started off a bit dull and gray. I’m not sure what fall will bring for My Life From My Phone. I pretty well took August and September off this year, only missing a few fun dates… But Maybe that will be the next post… What I Did Over My Summer Vacations…

Until then, don’t let the gray get you down. It’s only fall for a few months and before you know it, it will be time to dress up for Halloween, get the turkey on the table and open up some presents while enjoying the tree. After that, the blue skies return and maybe if we are lucky enough to see it, we will get a bit of the white stuff on the ground before it gets back to being sunny and 85.

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Thursday, August 8, 2013

Switch With Me For Free!

You know what, I love my new cell plan. I love the $39.99 bill. I love the fact that they tell me where it will work and where it won’t. I love the fact that I know I can get support for the problems I have and I love the direct answers I get. Overall, Spot Mobile is treating me well. Of course, I know that Spot isn’t for everyone, but that’s why I love places like www.4gfastdata.com that offers choices!

Right now, 4GFastData.com is offering users a chance to get a FREE SIM Card on Red Pocket Mobile (AT&T), Simple Mobile (T-Mobile) or Spot Mobile (T-Mobile) with the purchase of an unlimited plan. This deal saves users up to $19.95 over retail pricing. You simply log in, make a PayPal payment for the plan you want and your SIM card arrives in a few days with a PIN to activate it for a month of service. It doesn’t get any easier than that.

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Sunday, August 4, 2013

Animal Sitting For Friends

This weekend we were lucky enough to "babysit" our friends animals. Actually, it was more of Ara babysitting them, but I made sure that KitKat had plenty of snuggle time and Evie did the same for bunny Amy.

Next weekend we are off to Lake Easton for our second round of camping this year. It is time for us to sit down and layout the schedule for next year too. These places book out so far in advance, we need to look at where we want to go soon.

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Friday, July 5, 2013

The Tuesday Night Disaster

Tuesday night was a rough one for us. The evening started off as normal as possible, but quickly turned ugly as our toilet backed up and started to flood the bathroom. I grabbed the plunger, as a simple plug is usually the cause of such behavior, but it did nothing to help the situation.

Ara quickly jumped on the phone to maintenance as I controlled the spread of the water and contained it in the bathroom. Maintenance was very quick to arrive, but was just performing the same tasks that didn't work for me a few minutes earlier. He went for an auger and some reinforcements when the call came that our neighbor was suffering from the same fate, but worse.

We took Evie over to the pool to get out of the apartment for a bit. While she was swimming, I tossed some chicken on the grill for community group on Wednesday and as it got closer to dinner, I added some hot dogs as well. As we got closer to eating, some answers started coming in.

They eventually figured out that the main was plugged and it was just the ground floor that was affected. The city rolled in one of their monster pumper trucks to take care of that, but it wasn't until close to 9:30 that night that water was restored. Of course, there was no notice that it was fixed, so it was a bit later than that before we actually were able to use it.

Overall, they did a nice job of getting the problem taken care of, but their followup ended our experience with frustration. That plus even 4 days later, their wet towels are still sitting outside our door. They were so close, yet so far away on this one. Maybe next time they will meet our wants on something like this

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Friday, June 28, 2013

Ballet Recital

Tonight was Evie's second ballet recital. It was a bit hard to get ramped up for this one due to the fact that it sounded like another year of pre-dance next year, but you can't keep recital day down for long.

The night was perfect as usual. Evie and her friends did a great job and we took the little out to dinner after we watched the entire group perform this year. We'll have to see what next year brings and to see if next June we have another recital, or not.

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Saturday, June 22, 2013

Camping: Our First Trip

It has been about 30 years since I have been camping at a real campsite. Sure, I've stayed in tents and slept outside a few times since then, but never actually gone the route of packing the car and camping out for a few nights. Needless to say, this weekend has been an adventure, and one I've loved.

We are mostly through day two. Evie and Ara are passed out in the tent, and I'm enjoying the setting and all the little critters that keep hopping into our camp. We chose Camano Island State Park as our first destination due to its close proximity and the questionable weather. Fortunately, the weather has been perfect and the drive was as well.

The tent went up without a hitch, the fire lit without a problem. The food has been perfect and, except for the crying baby neighbor, this has been an ideal trip.

Evie toasted marshmallows last night and we will try and conquer Smores tonight. I just hope all of you are having as good of weekend as we are!

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Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Another Day...

Another day, another day... I'm tired today. I continued through my Acts reading and I am very excited to lead our community group tomorrow night. It is a great experience and I love trying to figure out the "right" way to do it.

As for the rest of the day, lunch was chicken and potatoes with corn. It was fantastic. Then it was off to home for a nice evening with the wifey and kiddo. I even got a bit of blogging done tonight on my 4gfastdata.blogspot.com blog. Good times!

Now, after watching a gorgeous pink cloud formation come through, I'm enjoying reading up on the Solavei Summer Cash giveaway. New subscribers get $49 unlimited talk, text and data and a $50 cash bonus! If you are interested, visit my page at Solavei.com/waazzupppp

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Thursday, June 13, 2013

Join Me And Get Free

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Tuesday, June 4, 2013

Summer Is Finally Here

Waiting for the nice weather here can be a bit difficult. I mean, back in March we hit 70 degrees and followed that with 35 and light snow. The weather here is a bit tough to figure out. That said, after quite a bit of cold and wet, this week the sun has decided to make an appearance.

The 70+ degree days are perfect. Last night we had a picnic in the park. Last weekend, we made it over to Mukilteo Beach. We seem to be taking advantage of the weather as much as we can, and that's all we can do.

I'm not sure what is on tap for this evening, but it the wifey is taking my broken rear wheel into the shop today for a quick repair. I broke a spoke on last week's ride, so it's out of commission until that spoke is replaced. I wish we had more room to store bikes, I think I'd just get a commuter bike to ride for a bit, or at least until more of this weight is off.

Oh well, that's about it for today. Make sure to get out and enjoy the sun if you have some!

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Sunday, June 2, 2013

A Fun Filled Weekend!

A relaxing weekend is always good. A relaxing weekend when you get to have some fun is even better! This weekend crammed a photo shoot, church, a birthday party and a bit of running around into 2 short days.

We managed to fill in all the holes in our camping gear, picked up groceries and even got quite a bit of clean up done around the house. Thank goodness it is time for the week to start and we can relax a bit. We need it.

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Saturday, June 1, 2013

Another Trip To The Taco Truck

We made another trip to the taco truck today! We dropped Evie off for a birthday party and had a few hours to ourselves...

We hit a few thrift stores and flea markets before hitting the taco truck for lunch. It was amazing as usual!

After we snagged Evie from the party, we headed out to Mukilteo Beach for some sun time. Then it was off to find the last of our camping needs and dinner. What a great day!

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Monday, May 27, 2013

Tumblr And My Life From My Phone

I have to admit that I've been cheating on my blog. It isn't that I don't love my Blogger blog, but it is hard to publish everything via email. Sometimes I'd like to add more than one image to a post. Sometimes I'd like to organize images in a post. Sometimes it would be nice to have an App for Windows Phone.

See, I have my Wordpress App which is great for www.smartphonereport.info, but there isn't a Blogger App, so I have to publish by email. That was until I discovered Tumblr. When Windows Phone announced the Tumblr App had arrived, I didn't have much interest in it. But as I played, I found that Tumblr is exactly what I wanted this blog to be. A quick image and note about what happens on a given day at a given time. It is perfect.

So, yes, I'll keep posting here, but please check out my Tumblr page as well. It will be much more about me and my life than the rambling here end up being. Hopefully you'll enjoy both!

http://waazzupppp.tumblr.com

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Sunday, May 12, 2013

Taco Trucks

I love nights out. Even better are the nights that we sneak out and find a cheap place with amazing food. Last night was one of those nights. Ara had been wanting to hit one of those taco trucks in Monroe, so we finally did.

We hit the one on Main, down by the 7-11  and ordered up a smattering of tacos, burritos and quesadillas. It was some of the best food - EVER!

The moral of this story is get out there and try new things. We did and couldn't have been happier!

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Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Masters Week: Favorite Golfing Movies

There is a time in April where the golf tournament in Augusta, GA takes center stage and I always think about playing golf. The Masters, as it is called, is the first major PGA event of the year. 120 of the world's best golfers square off to fight it out to be the best in the world for that weekend. Once it is over though, I start to think about golfing and all the movies that I loved to watch when I was playing... Without further ado, here are my top 5...

Tin Cup - The story of the down and out almost tour pro making an unbelievable run at a US Open title. Kevin Costner is at his best in this one and the one liners with the entire cast are just fun. If you haven't seen it, it's worth the watch.

Legend of Bagger Vance - Will Smith and Matt Damon take an otherwise slow and painful story line and add a bit of fun an interest to this epic film. As much as it isn't about golf, the lessons it teaches are very much a part of the game, and life.

Caddyshack - This is the classic, well, I can't say that anymore since most places have had caddies replaced by electric carts, but in the 70's and 80's, kids were caddies. The golf course hired them for the summer and they would tote bags for all the golfers and take care of the course for the greens keeper. It was a great life. Caddyshack captures the eventful summer from beginning to end with amazing humor and amazing performances from Chevy Chase and Rodney Dangerfield. 

The Greatest Game Ever Played - Disney didn't spare much on this one. You probably missed the 2 weeks that it was in theaters a while back, but it is a great flick for the family. Not only do you have golfing fun, but it's a great story line for kids too. Definitely worth the trip to a Redbox or adding it to your Netflix watch list. 

Dead Solid Perfect - This Randy Quaid film is not one that got much in the way of press or a chance in theaters. Face it, golf is boring enough to watch on TV, why would anyone want to watch 2 hours of it on the big screen? Well, a stellar acting performance should be enough to get most dramatic fans involved. Quaid is more like Dennis in this one that Randy, and that is a great thing! Dead Solid Perfect may be tough to find, unless you watch TBS on weekends when they show golf tournaments or you happen to snag it in the $1 DVD bin at a Wal-Mart near you.

So, if you are jonesing for a good golf flick, check these out. If you would rather come out and play, send me an email and we can hit the course soon!

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Thursday, April 11, 2013

Dropping Fast Enough...

So today was day three of my weight loss plan, if you want to call it that. So far, I've dropped 8 pounds in those 3 days. I'm down to 297.2 and probably looking at another 3 pound drop today. The gym seems to be the best way of dropping quickly, so I need to keep that as a priority.

Today I destroyed the elliptical and the recumbent cycle. Between the two, I should have burned 600-700 calories. That should be about what I took in so far today.

Right now, I want to highlight the fact that I am blogging from my Nokia Lumia 810 while working out. This thing is great. The front facing camera snapped the facial image above and the music player is keeping the tunes going in my Bluetooth earphones without fail. The expandable storage is great for loading an extended amount of music for longer workouts and Nokia Music can be played offline for even more sounds.

Using Apps like MyFitnessPal extends the Lumia to being a calorie counter and exercise tracker as well. If anyone has any tips on using other fitness apps, feel free to fire off recommendations below.

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Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Lose With Lumia: 100 Pounds, 100 Days

I have to admit to loving the idea of blogging about my new diet this year. So far this blog has been filled with loss so what better way to keep that theme going than blogging about a GOOD loss! Yes, I am back into a frame of mind that makes this possible and if I can just figure out a few more things, I stand a chance at making it.

For the last few weeks, I've felt terrible, looked worse and kept getting angry about being so badly overweight. I told myself that I was going to start this before tax day and after the memorial on Saturday, I was ready to go.

Day One was Monday, April 8th, when I weighed in at 305.2 lbs. It is the heaviest I've ever been in my life. Yesterday, the scale read a lovely 301. Today, however, is the first major milestone... 297.0... Yep... Back under 300 lbs for good.

So with day two in the books, I am at 8.2 pounds of my 100 pound goal. I've done this with still eating normal foods, except for the Slimfast breakfast shake. All I've done is cut out the fast food, soda and as much crap as possible. I've also started back at the gym this week, which is obviously going to help out quite a bit as well.

For now though, it's one day at a time. You can follow my progress on Twitter which will be updated more frequently than the My Life From My Phone posts about the diet. You can follow me at @waazzupppp on Twitter or follow the #LoseWithLumia or #100lbsin100days hashtags.

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Tuesday, April 9, 2013

Where Home Is, Is Where The Heart Is...




No, I did that on purpose. It is just how I feel at the moment. Years ago, I didn't need anyone telling me where I needed to be or where I was headed. I just went. Sure, having a family of my own slowed down that process, but direction is still a must have in life. As you know if you've been reading this blog, it's been a tough year for our little family. First the horrible start to the year with Jan being taken to the hospital and passing days later. Then with Evie and her blindness, for lack of a better term, and her need for vision therapy. Finally wrapping up with my Mom's passing days after entering the hospital as well. Cancer has done a number on us this year and stress isn't doing anything better for us now.

I'm not sure how I am starting to process everything, but I know where I want to start. I want to take over the farm. I've never said it point blank, and I know that Ara will read this and be a bit surprised. I'm not scared of the fight about it, and I know it is what is best for everyone. By taking this leap, sure, living arrangements will be weird, but it will give Ara a chance to heal, Nana someone to lean on and Alan the help he needs. It will also start giving us a sense of purpose again. Not a gimmicky plan of what we could do, or might do, or should do... But what we are DOING.

I look around when I am there and realize how much I love the land, the peace, the feel of my mind when I am there. Not that I want the extra workload, but that at the end of the day, taking care of that place brings joy to those that know it and love it. It gives me solace to know that Evie will be raised in a good place, with kind people and a community that supports each other. It peaceful knowing that the stresses of money, time and doubt could be replaced with feelings of hope, joy and accomplishment. It could be the place that one day, Evalyn returns to, as the next generation of the Darst/Gerard/Lunsford family takes over the land to feel the same.

Like I said, I'm sure this will be a conversation to be had soon, but I'm finally ready for it. It might be time to sit down with those that live there now and actually talk about what would need to be done and how we can get it done. Like I said, I am done with the should-a, would-a, could-a talk and I'm ready to get to doing.

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Sunday, April 7, 2013

April 6, 2013

Normally I have some kind of witty headline for my silly stories, but today I am just going to tell you about yesterday. It was my Mom's memorial. It was beautiful, and some of her friends were able to make it, though more could not.

There were Bible verses read, music played and food eaten. It was everything she would have wanted. It was her day, and it was just right. Now I have to move on.

I guess today I'm sad... I don't know what else to feel. I'm tired of being sad and struggling. I'm tired of the little things being big things. It is time for me to move on from the beginning of 2013.

It is time to get back in shape so I can be around long enough to take care of my family. It is time for me to make the tough financial calls, even if it isn't what we want to do. It is time to make plans for my family instead of planning around everyone else. It's our time.

So, Mom, I love you and will miss you. I know that you wouldn't want me sitting around any longer though. It is time to make some dreams happen, we just need to build them one step at a time.

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Monday, April 1, 2013

Happy Easter!

Easter Sunday... The most important day to me as a Christian. The day that Jesus gave the devil a nice big "up yours" and rose from the dead. Sure, it has become retailized like every other holiday, but this one was sort of special. It was the first time that Dad joined us for lunch and dinner with the "other" part of the family.

The day started off with a relaxing morning rather than a running around crazy one. We relaxed at home until 11:00 and headed south to Bellevue to have breakfast at Ara's Aunt's. Then after a bit, Dad made it down from Arlington. We visited for a bit and had the little Egg Hunt for the kids. Then, it was off to the other half for dinner.

The Vangstaad side of the family is a hoot. So many amazing personalities crammed into such a small place just makes the time fly! Peder and John playing some silly game. Leslie and Nana arguing over some ingredient that was used 20 years ago in something. Even the kids just being kids in the back yard... It is priceless spending time with them.

I guess what I am trying to say is, today was a good day... Happy Easter everyone!

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Saturday Night's Alright For Egg Coloring

You know what? I'm not a fan of hard boils eggs anymore. I'm not sure why, but I just don't love them. The wife and child however, love them. So, Saturday night became the evening to get some colors on those things.

There were pink ones, blue ones, yellow ones and even a shade that called itself purple... Yeah, the blue and red double dipped ones were more purple than the purple ones, but they were all still pretty cool though.

Other than that, Saturday was actually back to a normal day. With the truck fixed, we were able to head down to Woodinville to check out Target for a few needs. After 2 weeks "stuck" in Monroe it was nice to see somewhere else and not have to worry about making it home.

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Thursday, March 28, 2013

The Truck Returns

After a long two weeks of nursing the truck along, we are free to move about the freeway. The great folks at Snohomish Transmission in Monroe managed to get it in and out in one long day of pulling, replacing and reinstalling. They did a fantastic job for us.

Now with the truck repaired and no more fluid peeing all over anyone's driveways, we will venture out of Monroe at last. I'm not sure where our weekend will take us quite yet, but Sunday is looking completely full. In case I don't see you again before then, enjoy what hopefully is the last shot of our transmission fluid puddle and have a wonderful Easter!

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Tuesday, March 26, 2013

$5 Movie Night...

It isn't often that a family can do a movie night for $40... But tonight was one of those nights. It was $5 night at the Galaxy Theaters in Monroe. In our staying in town mode for another few days due to a sick call at the garage today, we ventured out to see The Croods.

The movie itself was pretty good. The usual boy meets girl and they fall in love while daddy tries to hang on to his baby for one more day. Lets just say, I can identify with the theme.

Anyways, despite the terrible let down of the truck not being fixed today... The cop pulling me over on my bike this morning because I was suspicious... And the usual fun at work... Today ended up being pretty decent!

PS: The image of the movie was shot from the back of the theater with my Lumia in the dark... Not too bad...

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Sunday, March 24, 2013

Today Was A Good Day

Today we had a great day. Nothing happened out of the ordinary, but it was good none the less. We woke up, watched some basketball of all things, played a bit, blogged some, the Wife ran a few errands in town and then Dad came up for a visit.

Just spending time talking with him is such a blessing. It is something that has been missing for a while. I'm sure I'm as much at fault for it as he is, if not more so, but I'm glad that the talking has come back. For quite a long time our conversations were just about work or what new movie or TV show we were watching. Since Mom passed though, conversations have been much more open. They've been like they used to be...

That said, we had a great visit today. There was a great NASCAR finish, a wonderful broccoli beef dinner and a bit of walking time with everyone. That makes me happy...

So, from this happy family to you, have a great start to your week and I'll see you tomorrow!

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Noelle Turned 4

Today was an afternoon of fun at Evie's friend Noey's 4th Birthday Party. Held at an indoor sports practice facility in Snohomish, it was two hours of running around and having fun with the kids. The party was great and the people were even better.

It was great to see so many friends and to know that so many of the same ones might make the trip over to the Jetty for Evie's party is amazing. Thank goodness for things like ballet and good friends!

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Friday, March 22, 2013

Mom Would Have Loved This

A quick glance out my window left me with a smile on my face. Snow! Yes, it doesn't always rain near Seattle, but it doesn't often show this late in the year either. So enjoy my quick post and the snapshot from the window and remember to call someone for a chat while you have a cup of coffee.

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Thursday, March 21, 2013

Climbing Back Up...

So, this has been a tough year, but just as the photo above shows, it is possible to climb back up no matter how many times you fall. You see, life is alot like a three year old trying to climb a wall. Sometimes you think you can make the next step, but your footing isn't so sure and you slip back down. Sitting on the ground and crying about it isn't going to make it better, so back to climbing we go.

It is this line of thought that is making me climb back out of the gutter and forcing me back on the wall. It is time to make some good changes. It is time to get things moving. It is time to find me and who I should be. That said, I'm going to bed now to start a new day tomorrow morning. Happy Friday all!

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Monday, March 18, 2013

Today Was A Better Day

I had to laugh a bit about today. Here I am not wanting to take the truck anywhere until the transmission is repaired, and I proceed to take a walk with Evie in the hail instead. In our defense, it wasn't hailing when we left, but it did start about the half way point of our stroll. So, instead of hopping in the truck and going to the gym, we played...

That was until the sun poked out again and we walked over to the park. Evie had her usual fun, playing on the swing, the spinner thing and the ropes. It was a bit different today though, she added the climbing wall to her list of toys today.

We enjoyed the time at the park until the gray clouds told us we should walk home.  It was a good thing we did too, the weather changed so quickly today. We went from cold and clear this morning to hailing mid morning to sunny and warm this afternoon to torrential rains this evening. It was one of those days.

The good news is that the truck didn't move today, giving us only 8 more days until we drop it for the repairs. I'm still hoping to get that call that someone bailed and there's an opening, but that's probably too much to hope for. Until then, maybe the weather will improve a bit and we can keep the truck parked as many days as possible.

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Saturday, March 16, 2013

Can't Leave Town, Try Bing

One of the bonus points of living in Monroe is that it is a half hour drive to almost everywhere... One of the drawbacks of living in Monroe is the fact that it is a half hour drive to everywhere. When your vehicle is healthy, it is a beautiful thing. However, when your car acts up, it is far from a good thing.

This is the situation we will be in for the next 10 days. Our truck has a bad gasket between the transmission and the bell housing. It will easily hold on for that week and a half, but we are going to be dependent on staying in town and doing no excess driving. Today, we were presented with just how well Monroe caters to staying in town for needs.

We used Windows Phone to search for eye glass stores in our area and low and behold, Bing presented three options within 5 miles of home. With a quick click of a few links, we found a location with a good selection of frames and a special that offered free lenses with kid's frames.

We hurried off to the store where Evie tried on her favorites and settled on a pretty sweet pair of purple and pink frames. Some careful measurements, a quick signature and we were out the door. The only problem now is that Evie can't wait to get her glasses!

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Friday, March 15, 2013

A Tough Year Gets Tougher


So far, 2013 has been a very challenging year. We've had some car troubles that meant big money to the repair shops. We've had our daughter diagnosed with an eye issue that will require some extent of vision therapy. But most of all, we've lost 2 mothers this year. I know the old saying that God will never give someone more than they can handle, and I firmly believe that, but I think it's about time for a break from the struggles.
Going into 2013, we were blessed with a very large raise, a decent sized tax refund and the opportunity to begin a new chapter in our lives. What happened to start the year was anything but a good start to a new chapter. We planned on taking our tax refund and moving when our lease was up in February, but when we looked at places that would be in our price range, we found our good sized check wasn't even going to cover moving expenses and deposits. With that all but off the table, we began thinking of using our raise to purchase a new vehicle. Unfortunately, our President had other plans for us as we lost $100 a month to his tax increases, $100 a month to increased costs in our health insurance (thanks Obamacare) and a $100 increase in our rent... So much for that great raise.
Of course, life changes in the blink of an eye, and 2013 has been no different so far. We lost one Mom in January after a 4 year battle with cancer that finally took its toll on her. After a month of mourning, we celebrated everything she stood for with around 200 of her closest friends at an amazing memorial. It was a special time where friends shared stories and an amazing person was remembered for all the lives she touched. Yet, only 2 weeks later, another Mom was leveled by the stomach flu. After about a week in bed, the decision was made to get her to the hospital for some proper care and tests. After about a week in the hospital, the worst was confirmed and it was determined that a lung cancer had claimed most of her body and the treatment options were non-existent due to her heart, lung and kidney condition. Just two months, 60 short days, had taken our two mothers off the planet. Leaving us struggling to find answers.
Just as we start to try to figure out what is next, after losing so much so quickly, we find that our daughter is suffering from an eye condition that will require glasses and vision therapy. Vision therapy is far from the worst news we could have gotten, but it is also another financial set back that wasn't in the budget and we're far from sure how to cover. Add this to the issues we are having with our sole vehicle and we are a financial train wreck that is somehow staying on the tracks. We'll continue to trust that it is not our plan and we will continue to be steadfast in our devotion and beliefs.
So, now that that is out, welcome to 2013. My year starts today. Me and My Life from My Phone will start a new and begin again. Let's make Easter a new start, just like it was for our Savior. Forget the evils of the world and let our trust fall in the Lord. It's not an easy thing to do, but with prayers and focus, I will make 2013 a better year. It's not about the circumstances that we suffer through, it's about learning that nothing we have that stands in front of us is greater than God. So, from My Life from My Phone to you, Happy 2013.

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Sunday, March 10, 2013

Dear Mom,

Today you left us to join Jesus in heaven. I'm not angry. I'm not distraught. I'm not even really sad. I knew in my heart that you were doomed to a life of maintaining a body that had worn out. It lived its earthly life to the fullest for as long as it could. You had completed the race.

You leave behind a beautiful legacy of bringing a husband to Christ. Three boys that learned how to be men from the examples you showed. Six grandchildren who loved their Nana and Grammers very much and ultimately a world of people that felt better for knowing you.

From people that hadn't thought about you in 25 years to people that saw you yesterday, you lived and loved so much. The fact that you were able to love so many people is simply amazing.

I hope that we can raise Evalyn up to be a beautiful mix of her Grammers and GiGi. For both of you were so loving, strong and independent people. You'd always ignore your own needs over the needs of others. You simply lived and loved, and that is how I will always remember you. You were my teacher, my friend, my spiritual tutor and most of all my mother.

As well as I'm dealing with this right now, knowing you're safe and warm I heaven, sitting with GiGi and Jesus watching over our little one, I know I'm going to try and send that text to you in a week or two and never get a response. I guess we just have to take this one day at a time, and eventually it won't hurt.

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Sunday, February 24, 2013

Just Can't Do This Again

Tonight my mom was taken to the hospital, again... This time it was due to some extended flu-like symptoms. For the last week, she has been sick in bed. Part of me is sitting here wondering why I'm still at home, but the other part is thinking I just can't do this again this quickly.

Having just gone through the loss of one mom, I can't even fathom the loss of another. Even if this isn't as serious as the spots on her X-ray indicate, it was serious enough to make them look. Somehow, I just don't have a good feeling about this at all.

Thinking back to the first time this happened, it was the same flu-like symptoms that led to the scans and visits to the doctors. That was so long ago, yet still so fresh in our minds. A bad period of time that we thought we had made it through. Still, we find ourselves facing this once again.

The doctors haven't said it. There is no confirmation yet. There is only that gut feeling that this isn't right. That something horrible is on the horizon. That all these doctors have missed the bigger problem over the last few months.

For now, I'll remember 3 and a half years ago, when my little girl came into the world and her Grammers was right there to meet her. I'll begin praying for help, healing and understanding. Especially the understanding most of all. I just don't know what or how to process this if it is the worst case scenario... I don't even know where to start with it...

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Monday, February 18, 2013

Hearing A Song For The First Time, Again

I have to admit that I loved the song, Live Like You Were Dying, way before this morning. This cold morning this amazing song took on a new meaning for me. I'm not sure what happened this particular time hearing it, but it meant more.

Today, this Tim McGraw track just jumped out of the radio and kicked me in the head. It was like it was aimed at me, mixed in between Garth and The Band Perry... All songs about glory, love and death. Strange but true, and very inspirational.

So join me now. Meet someone new, try something different and maybe even eat something you never dreamed of. Make today count more than yesterday. Make tomorrow count more than today. Get out and make life happen. We only live once, and we don't have an expiration date printed on us.

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Tuesday, February 5, 2013

Not Sleeping? Me Either...

This is one of those not so fun nights that I've been experiencing this week. Evie has been up and down most of the night. Ara is catching up on some lost sleep and I am wide awake blogging again. It is frustrating, but I feel so on edge about letting her sleep that I feel like I have to listen for Evie and her every attempt at waking up...

It isn't logical, nor is it something I should even worry about. Unfortunately, I do. I should just put my phone down and get to sleep right now. After all, we were in bed over an hour ago ready to fall asleep. Look at how time flies when your having fun.

Oh side note... That image above was taken of our little crazy baby at Burger Madness in Monroe. She was glued to SpongeBob Squarepants and didn't even notice me snagging it. I then popped it into Fhotoroom, cropped it and filtered it. Turned out pretty good for a restaurant/jammies shot.

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Thursday, January 31, 2013

Finally Back To The Gym

It's been far too long my friend. Where did the year go? Seemed like just yesterday, down 35 pounds, feeling better each day... Not so long ago, yet, the last few months of bad weather meant not much riding to work at all. No riding to work meant quite a weight gain and that not so great feeling, feeling.

Fortunately, I'm back in the gym tonight for the first time in two months. There's quite a bit of work to get done, but I have to start here before I can start to see it again. Today will be that day... No more soda, no more crap-tastic food... It is time for that change.

So far 15 minutes on the free climber, 30 minutes on the bike and some pre-workout stretching has felt pretty good. The music of the Nokia Music Hair Bands playlist is keeping me moving and pressing onward. I'm also blogging this right now from the gym! You have to love the versatility of the modern smartphone!

From the gym, I'm signing off for now, but I'll see you all here again tomorrow!

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My Kid And Technology

Evie loves herself a nice cellphone. She likes to watch movies, play games and enjoy a funny video of herself. She is exactly like me when it comes to her devices. What's funny is that she seems to forget the world when she is holding that precious Rollie Pollie Ollie playing minature TV, and that's just fine by her.

It made me wonder if letting kids "entertain" themselves with our gadgets is a good thing or a bad thing. I mean, should kids under 5 use these little things for a distraction or should we shelter them from them as long as possible. Will my little girl be asking for a Facebook page next week?

On the flip side to those thoughts, does using this stuff actually give her a bit of a headstart on life? When she gets to be school age, tablets will replace textbooks, media will be the leaning tool prefered by teachers and parents will be playing catch up on the latest and greatest. It's scary to think that 3 or 4 years from now, she will be in 2nd grade, using all this technology to become smarter.

Perhaps playing flying penguins, Perry and watching a few hours of Rollie Pollie Ollie isn't as much distraction as it is prepping her well for the future.

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Sunday, January 20, 2013

Maybe We Will Move?

So after experiencing the sticker shock of the cost of moving in to our fall back place, we had all but decided to stay put in the apartment for another 6 months. We just couldn't handle the $3000+ deposits that some of them wanted. Maybe if they included last months rent or something, it would have been different.

Just as we became "content" again, and I use that word in the, "Beats being homeless," sort of way, we were called by a friend who has a relative with a rental in Snohomish. It is now a question of timing,  rather than money for our move. If everything works out, we would pack up mid February and be out of here. If not, we would have six more months of the trompy's up stairs before we break free.

That said, I snapped this photo on the way in to the apartment. This was a stack of rocks that Evie and I piled up over the summer on the landscaping rock out front. It hit me that despite what we think of this place, this is home to Evie. She's too young to know about the annoyances. She's too little to understand the poor staffing. She's just happy where she is,as long as Daniel Tiger is on and there's Fruit Loops on the table.

The rocks have stood the summer time and people coming and going. The rocks have made it through the fall rains, and neighbors moving away. The rocks have even outlasted the winter freezes. I guess I look at the life lesson of our little rock pile and smile. When you build your rock pile on a solid foundation, it out lasts all of us, no matter what happens around it, it will always be able withstand the weather, the people around it and most of all, everything that's out of our control. That's the benefit of a solid foundation.

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Monday, January 7, 2013

Losing Family

This has been a really bad week. During a time of year that should be about new beginnings and wonder, our family has been dealt the biggest loss that one can endure. The amazing woman that we call Jan, Mama and GiGi has been defeated by a horrible disease. No, she isn't gone completely, but after her ill-fated fall on New Year's Eve, her last week plus has been spent at Overlake Hospital in Bellevue.

With all the odds against it, I was personally holding out hope that they could heal her feet up enough for her to climb back on them and go home. I just knew that she would get out of that dreadful hospital room and go home one more time... Unfortunately, that trip will not be the one that she gets to make this time.

Tomorrow, she will be transferred to a hospice facility to either beat this evil back one more time, or to finally wave the white flag and surrender. Part of me wishes that she has that last bit of fighting left, while the other just hopes that she can find peace. The less selfish side, the side that wants what's best for her, and the rest of the family, just wants her to pass peacefully on into the night so we can remember the amazing person that she will always be.

In the mean time, the prayers will continue, friends will visit and the waiting room at the end of the hall will be where one small child loses herself in her favorite shows, not realizing what is happening a few feet away.