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May 22 Please do that in privateFor whatever reason, people clipping their nails in public is a huge pet peeve of mine. The click-click sound is like nails on a chalkboard. It is not just the sound of the nail clipping tool. The sound doesn't bother me when I cut my own nails (in the privacy of my own bathroom), or when I am at a nail place. What gets me is the sound of the clippers, coupled with the flying nail bits in a public setting. Why is it that people just whip out the clippers and start hacking away at their fingers? All the little clippings go flying. They don't collect them. I hate it when I happen upon a bit of a nail somewhere. It makes me feel sick to my stomach. Many years ago, I was temping in Redmond and the woman in the cubicle next to me started clipping her nails. I could not help but fixate on the sound. I felt all tense as I tried to continue with my data entry. I wanted to walk over to her space and kick her chair. But, it isn't something you can directly address with people, "Um, excuse me, could you stop grooming your nails in public? I'm disgusted" or "excuse me, could you make sure to pick up every single one of those nail bits"? Saturday afternoon I am sitting at a red light and I heard the all too familiar clicking sound of fingernail clippers. I had KUBE blaring and I could still hear the passenger of the car next to me cutting his fingernails. Ugh. It just makes me cringe. Where were all those little nail bits going? The guy wasn't even sticking his hand out of the window, so that means the nails went flying around inside the vehicle. That is gross. Am I just a prude? May 19 A week in the lifeSome of you may be wondering...What is it like to be a consultant?" or maybe, "Why are you insane enough to be a consultant?" Sometimes it is great job because I have a diversity of work and a variety of context to work within. Rather than working for the same jurisdiction all the time, I can work with a range of people and environments. I have been able to travel all over the state as a consultant, and it has given me the opportunity to travel to obscure places in WA and really get to know them well. That's pretty cool. That is the best part of the job. If it weren't for my occupation, I would rarely head east of the Cascades or over to the Olympic Peninsula. However, the local traveling can be exhausting, such as when you have multiple night meetings in a week and need to travel around to get to them. This week was definitely a "where in the Sound is GinaMK?" This week's work adventures took me to:
I took four separate ferries:
Whenever I live out of my truck for a week, it gets totally disgusting in a 'Febreeze gross' kind of way. Empty bottles of water, mapquest print outs, junk food wrappers, smelly fast food bags, pens and papers tossed about, changes of clothes and shoes, kung fu weapons, etc. It is just gross. You can always tell my mental state and busy schedule by the cleanliness of the truck. Right now, it is a total sty. I have also started hoarding food in my truck because I am now constantly hungry and need snacks. With meetings and driving around, you never know when you will get a chance to eat. So I just snack while driving in case I can't grab lunch when I am hungry. I think I got a tapeworm while in Jamaica. Ever since we got back from vacay I feel like I am going to gnaw off my arm half the time due to hunger. May 18 waste of a good sunny spotI don't really like having grass in my yard. I consider grass to be a waste of a perfectly good sunny spot. Rog and I are hopefully tearing apart the front yard this summer. The front yard is uneven and pocky and contains a mix of large evergreen bushes and weedy grass. We are going to make it a more usable space and add some entertainment areas. It will hopefully improve the street appeal of the house. Anytime I tell someone that the plan is to remove the grass (including the planting strip between the sidewalk and the curb) and put landscaping and hardscape (retaining walls, patio, path, steps, etc) people exclaim "what, no grass!?!" Why is grass considered the norm or the be all/end all with a yard? I feel like I always need to explain myself. Why is it assumed that a yard must have grass? What value does grass add? The yards that I loved in Berkeley were totally landscaped with perennials and shrubs. The same is the case in Seattle--the gardens I love the most are the ones that maximize every square inch of land with plantings...no grass.
To me, grass is for parks and golf courses. Grass requires maintenance-mowing, edging, fertilizing, weeding and watering. I have high standards for what grass should look like in a yard b/c I am related to my grandfather. I was raised to believe that you gotta mow it weekly and it has to look nice with no weeds. The edges have to be perfectly clean with no grass extending into the sidewalk area. If grass doesn't look perfect (and it takes a hell of a lot of work to make it look perfect), it just looks ugly. In addition, most Seattleites consider watering your lawn a cardinal sin during the summer. So not only do you need to keep it up, but then it turns yellow and looks nasty during the summer months. Let's just say that at the old house, Roger and I would bicker about when was a good time to mow the lawn. I felt it needed to be done weekly during the summer, including sweeping the street. He did not feel as strongly about that. Which is fine. To each their own, but in the end I'd be out there after work with the push mower, feeling grumpy about how things looked, mowing grass I didn't like to begin with.
My dislike for grass definitely started at the Cherry St house. There were so many trees on that property, and the good sunny spots were very limited. As a result, I slowly but surely started to carve away at the grass areas. If the choice was 1) veggie/flower garden or 2) grass, you know what I am choosing. Certainly I appreciate looking at a nice lawn...on my neighbor's property. Some people like grass and that is cool. I don't tell them "what?!? no flowers?!?" I mean, it would be different if we had an acre of land. With an acre, I would need grass to cover the expanse. But we don't. We have an urban lot, and space is at a premium.
I love to garden and spend time maintaining the yard, but I like to do so b/c I get rewards from it--cut flowers, produce, visual interest and year round texture. What does one get out of grass? In my opinion, not much. You can't harvest anything from grass except for bug bites and itchy spots. Maybe it is also that I am not very skilled at keeping grass looking good.
When outlining my vision for the front yard, Roger's first question was "where will little Rogina play without grass?" Well, for one, we don't have any little Rogina's running around and won't for a while. Little Rogina would not be playing in the front yard anyway b/c it isn't a large expanse of land and will be terraced to begin with. I responded that the kid could play in the garage, backyard, patios, or in the cul-de-sac behind our house. I played in the street all the time at my dad's house growing up. It was fun and safe b/c there was limited traffic. Besides the fact that we are one block from a large lawn area on Lake Wa Blvd, and 2 blocks from one of the largest parks in the City. Isn't that why we build parks? To recreate there and commune with nature?
There is still a small patch of grass in the backyard (affectionately called the Kurtz Bog this winter). That grass looks ok and the dog likes it. It isn't wet anymore and the drainage situation seems to have been corrected. I'll leave that grass there for a while until I can think of something better to do with that space. Or maybe we'll keep it for little Roostie and Rogina to play in. For now, the grass in the front yard is on its way out. Hopefully soon. Maybe I am unreasonable and illogical about my dislike of grass. That's how it goes. May 17 Sounds of summerAt the old house, summer and warm weather meant that the neighborhood would go crazy. It was like clockwork, the first hot day of the year, and the noise levels went up exponentially. People are more likely to stay out at all hours of the night--yelling, booming their car stereos, and throwing trash/bottles/dumping old appliances. Add into that the sketchy things that could occur in the vacant lot across the street (like the dude from the church living in his camper with his son who ended up running drugs), and it was always dramatic during the summer.
With all of the warm weather we have been having, it definitely feels like summer. Rog and I spent most of the weekend out in the yard. Our neighborhood has also transformed during the warm weather, but in dramatically different ways. Our 'hood went from this quiet residential area to a summer destination. Everyone is outside of their homes, walking, biking, boating, gardening or bbbqing. We met so many neighbors this weekend. Saturday, Lake Wa Blvd was closed. Neighbors say that it will be the norm every other weekend, in addition to events at Seward Park.
With the start of the boating season and the heat this weekend, the lake was totally jam packed. Used to be you could sit outside in the sun and listen to a cacophony of bird sounds. You can still do that, but now the pretty bird calls are interspersed by the dulcent tones of...speed boats. I was sitting in the living room the other day and thought, "what the heck, is someone drag racing on Lake Washington Blvd?" Nope, just some boat pulling a water skier. Some boats pull into Andrews Bay because of the calm waters and bbq or spend the night. If it is warm this weekend, I think we might have to test the water and see if it is time for swimming. Seems like summer is going to be a lot of fun at the new house this year. I'm ready to start enjoying the perks of the new location. May 10 The training begins!I'm taking an agility class with Roo this summer. I am surprisingly excited about it. For one, I think the dog is going to LOVE it. I am hoping she will be talented at it and I think she will enjoy the mental stimulation. Secondly, I always enjoy watching the agility dog competitions on the tube. It is kind of funny to watch the trainers run around and the dogs are so cute! Though, I will just say that I will not be wearing large khaki shorts, a polo shirt or sweatshirt, and a visor when I become Roo's trainer. Why do the trainers always dress so dumpy and lame? Anyway, I think it will be amusing to be one of those people that run around between the equipment with the dog. It will be good bonding time with the Rooster. Who knows, if she is good at it, maybe we'll keep it up.
To prepare for the class, Roo needs to have the basic commands down, including total voice control. We did obedience training with Roo when we first adopted her. She's really good with the sit, stay, down, commands, but only so-so with heeling and come command (at least with me, she is better with Roger). Roo and I have some mixed results with the come command. Sometimes she comes, sometimes she lazily comes, and sometimes she is downright obstinate and it requires me to do some loud clapping and loud verbal 'pay attention' commands for her to come. I've been half heartedly working on the come command with her since we moved to the new house b/c all the dogs in the 'hood are often off leash and I want her to be able to be one of those dogs too without getting into some trouble. Also because there is no gate around our front yard, and we spend time in the front yard, I want to make sure I have total voice control over the dog.
This morning I started on a more rigorous training program so I can properly handle her with the 'come' command. Today on our walkies we went down to the lake and the nearest grassy field. I wanted to start training her in a context where there are distractions like birds/ducks, etc. I came equipped with a small baggie of tasty dog treat morsels. She is not very food or treat driven, but I found some little soft treats that she really likes that are shaped like small burger patties. She gobbles those down. So I cut it into small pieces. I have to say, I am quite proud of Roo's performance today. She came every time I called and was rewarded with the tasty morsels. She was attentive, and only once looked like she wanted to chase a duck. But she didn't. She was a good girl. As a reward for her good behavior, I tossed some sticks in the lake for her to swim about and chase. Even when she was all 'Crazy Roo' after the swim, I found a moment to call her from the water and she came and sat, attentively waiting for her treats. She was quite attentive during the obedience training and I am really excited to take this class with her. Now that I found the magic treats to lure her with, I will begin a daily regiment of voice control training with the dog. We'll see how it goes. Maybe soon we can take her on an off leash hike again without her being naughty and darting off into the wilderness. May 05 She's a Big Ol' FreakShe's a freak of the week! That's right. It is that time of the year for....
SILVER ROO!!!
I can't stop exclaiming about how simultaneously cute and freaky the dog looks when we shave her. The shave signals summer to me. Wooo! Especially with this nice weather we are having. Boo-yeah the weekend is here! Island TimeAfter a week back to my normal life schedule, I reflect upon the beauty that is 'island time.' Island time is a favorite expression for the pace of life in the Caribbean. It is kind of a 'whatever happens, whenever it happens, don't stress' kind of mentality. The entire pace of life is just much slower, more leisurely, and relaxed. Every island that Roger and I have visited in the Caribbean (St. Croix, St. Thomas, Tortola, Ambergris Cay, and Jamaica) have functioned on island time. I assume it is the case with all islands. Island time can be simultaneously good and bad.
The good: Hey, mon no stress, just cool your foot and things will happen when they were meant to...don't panic. Rush hour, traffic, rat race, deadlines, or conference calls do not really exist in the islands. Why rush? Things will work itself out. If things are late, so what? Is it really that important? Fundamentally, this is what I love--you are forced to contemplate what is truly important in life, and getting all stressed out is not what is important. There is just this faith/understanding that things will get done...just at a slower pace, whenever it does happen. What does it matter when? Being chill, letting things roll off your back, having faith--this is the way to approach life in the islands.
The bad: The bank says it opens at 9. You get there at 930 and it is still not open. You return at 10 and find out they don't have any money and you are told to come back later. When later? Unclear. Or say a shop is supposed to be open on Friday, but it isn't. Come back some other time. Island time is only stressful when you are trying to get something accomplished, like my father, who is trying to rebuild his house. The permits took forever because the processing was totally on island time. In St. Croix, even the airplanes fly on island time. Your flight may say it departs at 11 a.m., but at 11 the crew isn't even there, the plane doesn't actually board til 11:30, and you don't take off til noon. Then you are left in a panic and the end of a relaxing vacation wondering if you will make your connection home. You just have to learn to roll with it. Otherwise, you will not get by very well on the islands.
I find the notion of island time quite liberating. Yesterday, on the commute into work, I was wondering what my life would be like if we ran on island time on the mainland. I think it would be pretty great, though I doubt we'd be very productive. Would we ever get anything done in life? But then, does it even matter?
What can I take away from the 'island time' mentality? Well, maybe some of the little things I stress out about are really not worth it. Perhaps I should let things roll off my back a little more. Rog and I have talked at great length this week about trying to 'extend the mellow' from the trip. Everything from how we handle house chores to how to communicate with each other. Maybe I don't need to be rushing around all the time and stressing over inconsequential things.
After a week in Jamaica, I was left wondering why I work so hard all the time. Oh yeah, it is so I can travel to places like the Caribbean and experience island time. May 02 Comfort ZoneIt is so nice to return from a vacation and fall back into my comfy routine. The best thing about returning from vacation is it makes you appreciate the simple things in your life like:
I'm happy about being home again. That's a good feeling. May 01 The therapeutic qualities of the Caribbean OceanThe Jamaican vacation was just what I needed. A whole lot of mellow (or to use the Jamaican expression for chillin' out-- "Cool Your Foot"). I cooled my foot a whole lot on this trip. We stayed in Treasure Beach, which is on the southwest part of the island, a good 3 hour drive from Montego Bay airport. I didn't realize this before getting there, but the island of Jamaica is about the size of Connecticut, or the Los Angeles metropolitan area. Compared to the other islands Rog and I have been to, this was quite HUGE scale wise.
Treasure Beach is this chill fishing village with a small and close knit community of locals. Sunsplash Villa was the perfect getaway--West Indies architecture, approx 1 mile from town, a pool, a napping cabana with hammocks, a covered patio area with chill out places, and direct access to our own private beach/reef area. We were really the only tourists around where we were staying. Mostly just local folks in the immediate area. I have returned feeling rested, with a renewed fondness for island life and culture, and of course some serious jonesing to live the Caribbean lifestyle my father leads. I have to say, going to Jamaica really, really makes me want to visit my pops in St. Croix and then permanently stay there :)
Overall, the trip was great. The quick summary--we ate some delicious home cooked meals, read a lot, drank a lot of Red Stripes and rum, listened to some AMAZING Jamaican radio, absorbed some culture, laid in the sun, swam, snorkeled, napped, took a boat trip and swam in a crocodile infested river, and walked into town a couple of times. Mostly we just lounged around the villa and beach, sunned, swam, and drank. All quite wonderful things for a vacation.
Rather than providing a detailed accounting of what we did, which I am assuming people will read on either Chloe or Beth's blogs, I thought instead I would focus this week's blog entries on the things I love most about the Caribbean, using examples from our Jamaican trip.
Today's entry is about my lust for the Caribbean Ocean.
I spent as much of my time as I could (given the intense sun and heat) in the water or on the beach. What I love about the Caribbean is how glorious the ocean is. When I visit the Caribbean, I realize how very much I miss living near the ocean. Puget Sound is just not the same thing. I love the Caribbean sea, viscerally. It is one of the most beautiful things I have ever laid eyes on. The aqua blue color is indescribable, and the ability to stare out at the ocean and not see anything along the horizon is awe inspiring. Just miles and miles of blue ocean. I feel at peace when I stand at the shore and watch the waves crash or see the water gently lapping at the shore. This peace is something I have never been able to achieve in any other context. Being in the Caribbean Ocean is quite therapeutic. I feel most calm when my toes are digging in the sand or I am tide pooling or floating in the ocean. This is hard to describe properly. I am a very tense person, and I try hard to find things in life that help to make me mellow. Being in the ocean is just one of those things that makes me feel the most mellow and tranquil. It is more than just being on vacation, I feel a connection to the ocean that I don't feel for other landscapes or water features. If fact, one of the things I do to help calm my brain when I meditate is to imagine myself, in the meditation position, sitting on the shore of the Caribbean Ocean, looking out at the water. It is the only thing I have found that works to slow down my brain enough to allow me to focus on breathing and clear my mind when I meditate. So I was thrilled to actually have the chance to meditate on the beach and do what I imagine in my head when I am back home. One of my favorite things to do is float in the Caribbean waters and stare up at the clouds above, letting the current gently move me along the shore. I did a lot of that on this trip. I also passionately love to identify reef fish and invertebrates and I spent many hours searching around for cool stuff, trying to identify the things I know, and seeking out new critters that are unfamiliar to me. I feel like a kid when I go out exploring on the reef, looking for critters, gleefully exclaiming when I see something neat. It never gets boring. My father started taking me tide pooling when I was about 5 years old, and ever since then I was hooked. I have been mesmerized by ocean critters ever since. If I wasn't so crappy at chemistry in college, I would have pursued the Marine Biology degree instead of City Planning. Ah, but I digress. Much of the marine life I know and love in St. Croix is also present along the shores of Jamaica. Our beach/reef area was surprising in the diversity of fish species (mostly babies), sea urchins, as well as some amazing sponges, coral, and algae. We saw some really cool, healthy sponges and that was comforting given all the bad news these days about coral dying off in the Caribbean due to global warming. Unfortunately, the swimming area near our private beach area was kind of choppy for most of the trip, so we went on mini adventures to the neighboring bays to get our swim on. We mostly explored the reef in front of our villa and did shallow snorkeling. On the last day, however, the water was so calm that we were able to swim and snorkel in our private beach area and that was awesome.
We spent time on the beach every day, sunning, snorkeling, tide pooling, the guys played frisbee, and we also had a cool out spot under a tree where we could drink Red Stripes and read in the shade after we had too much sun.
Rog and I didn't do any diving on this trip. The diving is not so good on the south side of the island, and we didn't have the energy to take a long 3 hour ride to the other side of the island to do it. We were content to snorkel, swim, and tide pool. I was so happy that we found a place with direct beach access. I was most sad to leave the ocean when the time came for the vacation to come to an end. So much so that I cried the morning we left Jamaica. Early in the morning I went down to the beach by myself and waded and just sobbed as I looked out over the reef. I wasn't crying because I was sad the vacation was over. I was crying because I felt emotional and I don't know when I will be back to the Caribbean sea and experience that same sense of calm and tranquility. I'm getting choked up just thinking about it now.
I had a great time on the trip with our friends, and the trip reinforced in my mind that I need to find myself in the Caribbean permanently...some day. It is a life goal. At least it is a worthwhile retirement objective that makes returning to the grind all the more manageable. |
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