Mike got two very exciting phone calls today:
1. Our fridge will be delivered on Monday.
2. Our flooring will be delivered on Wednesday.
The flooring guy will hopefully start working on Thursday. Allowing time to be safe, this puts us in line for a move on (ta-da!) Valentine's Day! Hello, romance!
Friday, January 30, 2009
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Snow Day!
So work and school were canceled again here today. It actually snowed last night! I just can't wrap my head around a place cold enough to snow in the winter and then hot enough to be 110 in the summer.....
Anyway, here's the proof of the snow (and I know these pictures may not impress you if you are from "Michigan", "upstate New York", "Canada", and [this year] "Western Washington"):
I also found a polar bear enjoying the cool weather!
Anyway, here's the proof of the snow (and I know these pictures may not impress you if you are from "Michigan", "upstate New York", "Canada", and [this year] "Western Washington"):
I also found a polar bear enjoying the cool weather!
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
A first
No work today for me! School is closed due to an ice storm.
Thinking about this, I think this might be the first time ever that I've experienced a weather-related school closure. Once, there was a bad earthquake when I was in elementary school, but the day after was a scheduled in-service so they got the building inspectors out then, so no school closure. Wellesley might have closed once, but I don't think I had classes that day. And UW closed once, but it was at 3pm, so I'd already had my classes for the day.
But today, today is a real gift! Alas, I was dressed and showered before I found out about it - but, no worries, my sweatpants and my fleece have quickly found me!
Thinking about this, I think this might be the first time ever that I've experienced a weather-related school closure. Once, there was a bad earthquake when I was in elementary school, but the day after was a scheduled in-service so they got the building inspectors out then, so no school closure. Wellesley might have closed once, but I don't think I had classes that day. And UW closed once, but it was at 3pm, so I'd already had my classes for the day.
But today, today is a real gift! Alas, I was dressed and showered before I found out about it - but, no worries, my sweatpants and my fleece have quickly found me!
Saturday, January 24, 2009
A little ketchup
So, it's been a busy week.
Also, I must confess that I haven't been blogging as much because I still haven't replaced my computer. I just can't decide if I want a pc or mac, a desktop or a laptop. So I do nothing. And my readers - all three of you - suffer. Or something.
Anyway, first things first.
We finally got the keys to the house on Tuesday, when the loan actually funded. So that was exciting.
Tuesday was also Inauguration Day. Tuesday was awesome.
We actually took a break at my work and watched some of the inauguration on TV, although the reception was pretty fuzzy. I also caught a replay of the speech driving home. But then, that evening, we went to an inauguration-watching party. The hostess was really creative and had made foods that represented different parts of Obama's life/heritage: so we had Kenyan beans and rice, Indonesian rolls, Chicago deep-dish pizza, and Hawaiian coconut cake. Yum!
On Wednesday we got right back to house things. After work we meet at the house to check out how a few of our favorite flooring samples from the store actually looked in our house (so weird to write those words "our house"?!). We were picking something for the living room, master bedroom, and two downstairs closets. After some debate, we settled on this:
It's wood laminate, which actually means plastic. It will look like wood, but is much more durable and easier to care for. Also, cheaper. So, it will take 7-10 days to arrive, and then our floor guy estimates 2-3 days to install.
We've also been busy researching refrigerators (okay, sorry, this may be, like, the most boring post ever - feel free to move along to reading, um, well, anything else). If anyone has any thoughts about refrigerator brands or styles, we'd love to hear it. And, yes, we've already looked at Consumer Reports. Right now we're looking at Whirlpool one from Costco. The good news is that Costco includes delivery and is very price-competitive with Sears, etc. The bad news is that it can take as long as 20 days for the item to arrive. So we're hoping to place the order soon, just in case it takes the full 20 days to arrive.
Basically, we are still looking at a mid-February moving date.
The weather here remains crazy. Yesterday it was 80 degrees. Today it's 30 degrees. I feel like people in Seattle always said, "if you don't like the weather, wait five minutes." But, whatever, it was always raining. Which was fine; I like rain. But the whole changing-rapidly-thing wasn't quite as a big deal as people acted like it was. Here, it's the real deal.
Also, I must confess that I haven't been blogging as much because I still haven't replaced my computer. I just can't decide if I want a pc or mac, a desktop or a laptop. So I do nothing. And my readers - all three of you - suffer. Or something.
Anyway, first things first.
We finally got the keys to the house on Tuesday, when the loan actually funded. So that was exciting.
Tuesday was also Inauguration Day. Tuesday was awesome.
We actually took a break at my work and watched some of the inauguration on TV, although the reception was pretty fuzzy. I also caught a replay of the speech driving home. But then, that evening, we went to an inauguration-watching party. The hostess was really creative and had made foods that represented different parts of Obama's life/heritage: so we had Kenyan beans and rice, Indonesian rolls, Chicago deep-dish pizza, and Hawaiian coconut cake. Yum!On Wednesday we got right back to house things. After work we meet at the house to check out how a few of our favorite flooring samples from the store actually looked in our house (so weird to write those words "our house"?!). We were picking something for the living room, master bedroom, and two downstairs closets. After some debate, we settled on this:
It's wood laminate, which actually means plastic. It will look like wood, but is much more durable and easier to care for. Also, cheaper. So, it will take 7-10 days to arrive, and then our floor guy estimates 2-3 days to install.We've also been busy researching refrigerators (okay, sorry, this may be, like, the most boring post ever - feel free to move along to reading, um, well, anything else). If anyone has any thoughts about refrigerator brands or styles, we'd love to hear it. And, yes, we've already looked at Consumer Reports. Right now we're looking at Whirlpool one from Costco. The good news is that Costco includes delivery and is very price-competitive with Sears, etc. The bad news is that it can take as long as 20 days for the item to arrive. So we're hoping to place the order soon, just in case it takes the full 20 days to arrive.
Basically, we are still looking at a mid-February moving date.
The weather here remains crazy. Yesterday it was 80 degrees. Today it's 30 degrees. I feel like people in Seattle always said, "if you don't like the weather, wait five minutes." But, whatever, it was always raining. Which was fine; I like rain. But the whole changing-rapidly-thing wasn't quite as a big deal as people acted like it was. Here, it's the real deal.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
The Closing...
Kate and I are officially homeowners! Here is an older set of pictures of the house. Since that time, the house has been completed, and it looks fantastic. The closing was originally supposed to happen Tuesday, and then due to circumstances beyond our control, was pushed back to Thursday, and then to yesterday. Kate and I were very prepared. We had turned in all of the necessary documents far in advance, so I assumed that the closing would be easy and smooth. As yesterday progressed, and papers were still being processed, and our mortgage broker was still not able to tell us precisely how much money we needed to bring to the closing (he was able to give us a ballpark estimate which ended up being close to correct), I realized that this was going to be a crazy day.
At my real estate agent's office, I asked whether this was unusually crazy for a closing, and she laughed and said that no, about half of them are this crazy, and some of them are even more crazy. But as we drove to the actual closing, she admitted that, if the mortgage broker could not give us an exact amount of money to bring to the closing before we actually walked in to the closing, that would be a first for her. And, thus, we are number 1! We got the figure just after walking in, and our real estate agent took me on a wild goose chase to look for a branch of our bank (it was harder to find than it should have been).
But it all worked out in the end, and we celebrated an Uncle Julio's last night, the same restaurant where we ate the day that we moved to Fort Worth.
At my real estate agent's office, I asked whether this was unusually crazy for a closing, and she laughed and said that no, about half of them are this crazy, and some of them are even more crazy. But as we drove to the actual closing, she admitted that, if the mortgage broker could not give us an exact amount of money to bring to the closing before we actually walked in to the closing, that would be a first for her. And, thus, we are number 1! We got the figure just after walking in, and our real estate agent took me on a wild goose chase to look for a branch of our bank (it was harder to find than it should have been).
But it all worked out in the end, and we celebrated an Uncle Julio's last night, the same restaurant where we ate the day that we moved to Fort Worth.
Wednesday, January 07, 2009
San Diego Snippets
I promised - so here it is!
We actually didn't have great weather - 4 out of the 7 days we were there, it rained! Nevertheless, we managed to walk on the beach nearly every day.
However, I didn't end up taking as many pictures as I'd hoped, partially because of the rain, and partially because I was just feeling lazy. And the pictures I did take are only of sort of mediocre quality, so perhaps it's all for the best that I didn't take more!
We managed to visit with lots of family and friends, which was really, really nice. First, we had a lovely lunch with Mike's relatives from Los Angeles. Here's a picture I took as we strolled in La Jolla after lunch.
We also had a great dim sum lunch with some of my very dearest friends in San Diego. Here are a few pictures of the star guests:
Why on earth I didn't get a group shot, I have no idea. Well, other than the super-large table, the carts and servers coming and going, and the difficulty of it all....
And, for SYL's birthday, we took her out to a place that is fast becoming the new "it" sushi place in San Diego. It was delicious! Also, happy birthday to SYL!
My family from San Francisco was also in town while we were there. It was so, so nice to see them. Here's a hanging out shot on Christmas morning. Yes, that is a rosemary topiary standing in for a Christmas tree.
Lots of nice gifts were given and received, and I'm touched by thoughtfulness of some of the things given to me. Here's a pair of socks I knit for my grandmother.
While all the holiday decorations were still up, all the ladies in my family went downtown to have tea at the super-beautiful Hotel Del Coronado (the gentlemen went out for Mexican food). Here are a few pictures of the tea itself:
And one of the exterior of the hotel (taken through a car window, so please forgive the weird reflections).
We had a great time in San Diego, even if the weather the best (as always) on the day we left. No worries, though - we'll be back!
We actually didn't have great weather - 4 out of the 7 days we were there, it rained! Nevertheless, we managed to walk on the beach nearly every day.
However, I didn't end up taking as many pictures as I'd hoped, partially because of the rain, and partially because I was just feeling lazy. And the pictures I did take are only of sort of mediocre quality, so perhaps it's all for the best that I didn't take more!We managed to visit with lots of family and friends, which was really, really nice. First, we had a lovely lunch with Mike's relatives from Los Angeles. Here's a picture I took as we strolled in La Jolla after lunch.
We also had a great dim sum lunch with some of my very dearest friends in San Diego. Here are a few pictures of the star guests:
Why on earth I didn't get a group shot, I have no idea. Well, other than the super-large table, the carts and servers coming and going, and the difficulty of it all....And, for SYL's birthday, we took her out to a place that is fast becoming the new "it" sushi place in San Diego. It was delicious! Also, happy birthday to SYL!
My family from San Francisco was also in town while we were there. It was so, so nice to see them. Here's a hanging out shot on Christmas morning. Yes, that is a rosemary topiary standing in for a Christmas tree.
Lots of nice gifts were given and received, and I'm touched by thoughtfulness of some of the things given to me. Here's a pair of socks I knit for my grandmother.
While all the holiday decorations were still up, all the ladies in my family went downtown to have tea at the super-beautiful Hotel Del Coronado (the gentlemen went out for Mexican food). Here are a few pictures of the tea itself:
And one of the exterior of the hotel (taken through a car window, so please forgive the weird reflections).
We had a great time in San Diego, even if the weather the best (as always) on the day we left. No worries, though - we'll be back!
Tuesday, January 06, 2009
Belated holiday letter
Hah! I bet you thought this was going to be a post about San Diego! Fooled you! That post is still coming, though.
But in the meantime, I thought I'd share with you the holiday letter I wrote. I had grand dreams of printing these out on paper with a snowflake border and then folding them up and placing each letter inside of holiday cards on which I'd write a personal message to each recipient. I even went so far as to buy the snowflake paper and the holiday cards. Alas, um, no (but an A for the thought).
And then I thought I'd re-format the letter into a newsletter format, include pictures, and then send it out electronically to everyone with a generic message. Alas, um, no (but a B- for the thought).
And then - you know, now that it's January - I thought I'd just remove our contact information and some of the stuff I wouldn't want the whole internets to see (you know, like our employers and the like) and just post it here. Yes (and a C- for effort. But so it goes).
So, at long last, here it is . . . .
Dear Friends and Family,
Happy Holidays! We thought we'd update you on our lives since a lot has changed for us recently!
Mike completed his Ph.D. in July of 2007. Right after he defended his dissertation, we took off for a two-week camping trip to Farragut State Park in Idaho, Glacier National Park in Montana, and Banff and Jasper in Canada. We did a lot of swimming in lakes, sitting by the campfire, and hiking through some beautiful scenery. Highlights included a two-day, twenty-mile backpack in Glacier and meeting up in Japser with some of our Japan friends.
Mike was fortunate enough to find a position as a lecturer for the 2007-2008 academic year. This position gave him the time needed to prepare his applications for academic jobs, and gave Kate the time needed to complete her teaching degree. In January of 2008, Mike was invited for a job interview for a position that focused on teaching about Japanese politics. Two days after he returned, they phoned to offer him the job! Texas is affordable and not too far from either of our families, so it was a good fit all around.
Kate spent the spring of 2008 completing the last part of her teaching degree by student teaching American history, Advanced Placement American history, and second-year French. She graduated with a Washington-state teaching credential and endorsements in French and Social Studies. In addition, in June of 2008, Kate ran her first half-marathon, accompanied by two of her close friends. The race took place near Olympic National Park, about three hours from Seattle. The course was beautiful, starting near some very picturesque farms, passing through an old-growth forest, and then finishing up with a stretch along Puget Sound.
Our amazing friends helped us pack our apartment and load our rented truck, and we left Seattle on July 1st, 2008. Seattle had been good to us, and it was sad to leave a place with so many memories and friends (not to mention coffeeshops and cupcake bakeries!). We were incredibly lucky that Kate's good friend agreed to make the drive to Texas with us. The driving days were long and maneuvering the truck was a little stressful, but we kept ourselves entertained with walkie-talkies, audiobooks, and plenty of rest stops. We even spent the Fourth of July in Wyoming with Kate's relatives.
The good thing about arriving in Texas in July is that you don't have to worry about how much hotter it is going to get! That's right: the day we moved in, it was 102! Luckily, we had movers to help us unload the truck. Now that the summer heat is over, we're actually settling in quite nicely. We've met some really nice people and found some great restaurants - the Mexican food here is much, much better than it was in Seattle. Who'd have guessed? In the coming months we plan to adopt a dog from a rescue group and, hopefully, buy a house. Wish us luck!
Should you ever find yourself in Texas, please look us up.
We wish you peace and happiness in the coming year!
But in the meantime, I thought I'd share with you the holiday letter I wrote. I had grand dreams of printing these out on paper with a snowflake border and then folding them up and placing each letter inside of holiday cards on which I'd write a personal message to each recipient. I even went so far as to buy the snowflake paper and the holiday cards. Alas, um, no (but an A for the thought).
And then I thought I'd re-format the letter into a newsletter format, include pictures, and then send it out electronically to everyone with a generic message. Alas, um, no (but a B- for the thought).
And then - you know, now that it's January - I thought I'd just remove our contact information and some of the stuff I wouldn't want the whole internets to see (you know, like our employers and the like) and just post it here. Yes (and a C- for effort. But so it goes).
So, at long last, here it is . . . .
Dear Friends and Family,
Happy Holidays! We thought we'd update you on our lives since a lot has changed for us recently!
Mike completed his Ph.D. in July of 2007. Right after he defended his dissertation, we took off for a two-week camping trip to Farragut State Park in Idaho, Glacier National Park in Montana, and Banff and Jasper in Canada. We did a lot of swimming in lakes, sitting by the campfire, and hiking through some beautiful scenery. Highlights included a two-day, twenty-mile backpack in Glacier and meeting up in Japser with some of our Japan friends.
Mike was fortunate enough to find a position as a lecturer for the 2007-2008 academic year. This position gave him the time needed to prepare his applications for academic jobs, and gave Kate the time needed to complete her teaching degree. In January of 2008, Mike was invited for a job interview for a position that focused on teaching about Japanese politics. Two days after he returned, they phoned to offer him the job! Texas is affordable and not too far from either of our families, so it was a good fit all around.
Kate spent the spring of 2008 completing the last part of her teaching degree by student teaching American history, Advanced Placement American history, and second-year French. She graduated with a Washington-state teaching credential and endorsements in French and Social Studies. In addition, in June of 2008, Kate ran her first half-marathon, accompanied by two of her close friends. The race took place near Olympic National Park, about three hours from Seattle. The course was beautiful, starting near some very picturesque farms, passing through an old-growth forest, and then finishing up with a stretch along Puget Sound.
Our amazing friends helped us pack our apartment and load our rented truck, and we left Seattle on July 1st, 2008. Seattle had been good to us, and it was sad to leave a place with so many memories and friends (not to mention coffeeshops and cupcake bakeries!). We were incredibly lucky that Kate's good friend agreed to make the drive to Texas with us. The driving days were long and maneuvering the truck was a little stressful, but we kept ourselves entertained with walkie-talkies, audiobooks, and plenty of rest stops. We even spent the Fourth of July in Wyoming with Kate's relatives.
The good thing about arriving in Texas in July is that you don't have to worry about how much hotter it is going to get! That's right: the day we moved in, it was 102! Luckily, we had movers to help us unload the truck. Now that the summer heat is over, we're actually settling in quite nicely. We've met some really nice people and found some great restaurants - the Mexican food here is much, much better than it was in Seattle. Who'd have guessed? In the coming months we plan to adopt a dog from a rescue group and, hopefully, buy a house. Wish us luck!
Should you ever find yourself in Texas, please look us up.
We wish you peace and happiness in the coming year!
Saturday, January 03, 2009
Poinsettia Bowl
Last week, Kate and I visited her family in San Diego. While we were there, it happened that my university was playing in a bowl game against the Broncos of Boise State University, and my in-laws generously bought me and Eric, Kate's brother, tickets.
The game was fantastic. It was quite close, and the good guys won by 1 point. Because it was a bowl game, there were "thunder sticks" on the seats. I opted not to inflate mine (because my HANDS are thunder sticks), but here is Eric blowing his up:
The pregame show included the TCU band and, for some reason, a giant "Thomas the Tank Engine":
Eric and I both wore TCU gear to the game. I wore the TCU shirt that my dad bought me when I accepted the job, and Eric wore Kate's shirt that says "fear the frog." However, we both changed into the free tee shirts that we got at the game that say "Texas Christian University: The Collegiate Home of LaDainian Tomlinson":
The game was fantastic. It was quite close, and the good guys won by 1 point. Because it was a bowl game, there were "thunder sticks" on the seats. I opted not to inflate mine (because my HANDS are thunder sticks), but here is Eric blowing his up:
The pregame show included the TCU band and, for some reason, a giant "Thomas the Tank Engine":
Eric and I both wore TCU gear to the game. I wore the TCU shirt that my dad bought me when I accepted the job, and Eric wore Kate's shirt that says "fear the frog." However, we both changed into the free tee shirts that we got at the game that say "Texas Christian University: The Collegiate Home of LaDainian Tomlinson":
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