wayofthebeta.com

You're welcome, cold-blooded friends

2010-06-28T23:31:20Z

No need to visit we'll all meet at Disneyland forgo inferno.

Right?

2010-06-28T23:30:36Z

what is being gained is more than what we're leaving that's always the hope.

another haiku explosion

2010-06-28T23:27:36Z

Come, grab your lasso let the adventure begin! We are not afraid!

Now I know I wanna win the war

2010-06-01T18:48:37Z

We spent Memorial Day weekend at Lake Osoyoos on the border of Washington and Canada. On the way back, we were driving through these insanely pretty valleys of apple orchards and Chad suggests we become apple farmers. We talked about what it would cost to start up a farm, paying for land and equipment and apple grafts, but ultimately decided that I don't want to raise kids in such a small town. It's been an odd few months; we're trying really hard to stay upright as life is pounding us down pretty relentlessly. But what will fix it all? This is what I would like to accomplish in the next 10 years: buy a house Move to AZ have a chicken coop and a garden get a nicer car finish my degree have a cutie little family have Chad get a job he really loves That's it. It's crazy how my goals and aspirations for life narrowed down to the most suburban and predictable things. I used to want to be be so...interesting. I wanted to wear interesting clothes and have interesting hobbies (accordion, anyone?), and listen to the most obscure music, write the saddest songs, ride the prettiest bikes. I wanted to concoct adventures and have vast collections of obscure or pedestrian things a la Amelie. I see beauty in things that you don't. I am affected. I read more than all of you. Blah, blah blah. It's all so tiring. A few weeks ago I read a quote by the great Mark Frauenfelder of BoingBoing in response to the question, "What's something you know now about happiness that you didn't know when you were 18 years old?" His response is exactly how I feel:

When I was 18 I thought that I had to go out and find things to make me happy. Now I am happiest when I don't venture past my property line. There is a world of adventure in my house and yard -- books, my family, drawing and painting, making yogurt, sauerkraut, and kombucha, beekeeping, raising chickens, making things. I still enjoy going out and seeing the rest of the world, but I also am at the point where I am never bored by staying home. Life gets more interesting as I grow older.

I want to experience things because they make me feel good. I think one of the major burdens of our generation is finding sincerity in our actions- choosing to do things because you want to do them and not because it would make a great blog post or Facebook album. I will go on bike rides, have movie nights, walk around Greenlake and eat really great food. I will listen to music that makes me feel good, some of which is on the wrong side of cool, even the ironic type: Huey Lewis, Phil Collins, Joanna Newsom, The White Album, Bon Iver, NMH. I will read books that I like, not ones that I'm supposed to like (ahem, Chuck Palahniuk). I go to church because it feels right and good, not to prove a point that you can be a democrat and religious. And to include a level of schmaltz heretofore unseen on this blog, I'm just going to put it out there-- I just want to hang out with Chad. Everything we do, I want to do because we're together and that's what makes it fun. I want to paddle through the Arboretum and sleep in on Saturdays and go to Target for paper towels together. It's what makes me feel good and complete and interesting and I am wholly aware at how fortunate we are for that. If there was one thing I could tell myself when I was 18, I think it would be very similar to what I would tell my 19 year old sister:

Don't be afraid to spend time alone. That makes it easier to emphasize quality over quantity of your friends. Don't try to be interesting- read the books and listen to the music and spend time doing the things you actually enjoy. Forget all about Polaroid film. Don't buy an accordion. Don't get a credit card. Don't think he's the best you can do. Call your parents more. Do more street art.

This video was shot the night after we got married, a reprise of the song I sang Chad at our reception. The sounds of little kids yelling in the background, the bright orange toy in the shot, the general pitchiness of the vocals would have made me very unhappy before, but now I think it's just perfect. It is all good. All of it.

Hey! Megan!

2010-04-08T10:16:46Z

Hey Megan, remember that one time we made you a painting with kitties all over it because you love kitties and it was titled, "Boots...NO!" because the little kitty wading in the water is going to get attacked by the HUGE, EVIL, MOUNTAIN CAT!? Yep, me too. Anyway, I hope you like Utah and I hope you are kissing nice boys and none that wear lady pants or have hipster mustaches, because, really, who needs those guys? Meow, Wendy

Happy Easter

2010-04-06T10:19:43Z

So, basically... Chad wins the most bitchingly awesome Easter basket award. I love the DOG the BOUNTY HUNTER-like mullet on my little yellow bird. And it sparkles (just like DOG's) I know it looks like the Easter basket of a 6-year-old, but I give the people what they want. And that is Spree, Rocket Balloons and Hot Wheels. Since we both have no patience, we swapped baskets at Midnight. We also had a sleepover in the living room and watched LOTR. So, Chad had just gotten Hot Wheels, was watching Gandalf and Frodo, and laying next to a girl. NERD HEAVEN. We lazed around all Sunday and watched conference and napped. We had a few friends over for dinner which included some stinging nettles that we foraged from the park before dinner. This is my first foraging foray (please pardon/applaud the alliteration), and it was so cool. I bought some nettles at the farmer's market a couple of weeks ago and put them in a quiche, and it turned out great. It was interesting to seek out and pick and eat a plant that I avoid and curse every time I see. For dinner, I just blanched them and served them as a side, and while they didn't sting my throat (thanks to the blanching), they weren't exactly to die for, unless you like your greens wilted and soggy. Much better in soups and tarts, I think. Tess and her awesome midwife sister Bri (Bree? Brie? mmm) foraged two big bags full to dry for tea. I'd like to publicly apologize for wanting to talk non-stop about home-births during dinner and using words including, but not limited to: massive tearing, perineum, poop, crap, turds, bloody poo water, etc. I'm really interested in possibly doing a home birth, but as you can see, I'm sort of fixated on one particularly gross part of the childbirth experience. The rest of the evening was spent dyeing eggs and playing the new game I got Chad. The rocket balloons were the surprise hit of the night actually, and provided many minutes of spit-sharing fun for us and our friends. It was great. Also, I embarked on a more-difficult-than-I-would-ever-have-imagined sewing project that has kicked my booty. I think I'm such a know-it-all because my mom taught me how to sew scrunchies in the 5th grade. On the quilting forums that I consulted before I began this project, everyone said, "DO NOT BIND A QUILT WITH SATIN!" I understand that satin can be an unforgiving fabric to work with, but then again, it's soft and shiny. How bad could it be, really? The answer, I came to find out, is really, really bad. It's a mess. Enough of a mess that justified a trip to The Fabric Store I Hate to get a seam-ripper to try to salvage what I can. I'll post pictures soon, maybe. Anyway, Happy Spring to all!

spiders (or) for the show!

2010-02-15T09:40:51Z

I know you check my blog everyday from work and see if I've posted. I never do. But I will post today to say thank you for the most lovely, dainty-lady presents that you gave me, on this, the second Valentine's day of our married life. I hope you liked the hot-pink lemon cookies I made you tonight. I love, love, love the jewelry box you gave me. A beautiful, vintage, darkwood with red velvet lining. It fits all of my lovely-lady jewels perfectly. I also love the awesome vintage glove box. It's lined with lace and just perfect. Last Valentine's Day, we were waiting in the Cancun airport for our plane to leave. We had more than 2 hours to wait, and we passed the time by taking turns buying presents for each other. I got you a GORGEOUS tile with horses galloping across, to display in the satillo tiled breakfast nook we would someday have in New Mexico, where I would wear clothing from Maya Palace (google it) and wear large amulets as necklaces. I also got you one of those head-shaking turtles and a rainbow pencil with a foam shark pencil topper that was wearing earmuffs and had a block of cheese for eyes. You got me a little harbor seal with a fancy sombrero. You thought the price was in pesos, not dollars, which explains why you spent $40 on a small stuffed animal and a hat. The chin strap on the hat broke as soon as you bought it and Juan, our little seal, has a place of honor atop the bookshelf in our office. His little eyes are so irresistible, aren't they? Writing any blog or journal is as much for your kids and grandkids as it is for you and your family and friends. So, I want to tell my future kids that our first two Valentine's Days as a married couple were excellent. We had so much free-time and money and fun until you came along, sweet children. Just kidding. mostly.

Happy Anniversary

2010-02-06T07:15:37Z

This weekend marks the one year anniversary of the day Chad and I sealed the deal. At the risk of sounding too poetic, it's really been a totally awesome year. In it, we: Got married, duh Went to Mexico Moved from out starter studio into a indulgent 2 bedroom apartment. Went to Arizona twice to visit family Went to Utah once to visit friends Went camping twice (shi-shi beach and some other place in Eastern WA) Went white-water rafting Ate duck Made macarons that were consistently edible I started school full-time Chad was re-organized at work into a position that he LOVES from a position that, well, he didn't exactly love so much. Moved into a new ward with some seriously incredible friends (I'm looking at you, Judkins' & MacD's) Got LOST together Bought and killed two goldfish, one after another Gave up trying to keep a goldfish alive Made each other's birthday cakes, both were awesome Went to six flags and rode roller coasters until we were sick Got car insurance and updated tabs/title Got, then cancelled Netflix Hosted Thanksgiving dinner Had our first Christmas as a married couple Painted an enormous credenza together without filing for divorce (BRAG) Cooked, cleaned, laughed, kissed on the mouth, held hands, had a two week lapse in judgement that made us decide to have a baby right away Came to our senses Cancelled our iPhones, rejoiced, moved to Verizon, rejoiced Attacked every issue, every problem as a united, unbreakable force Fell in love, then in some more, then in some more For our anniversary, Chad bought me a beautiful antique ring. He said he wants to make it our tradition to get a new ring every year that we're married, which I, of course, have no objection to. Chad knows I know I love everything gaudy and sparkly, and this ring is no exception. It's beautiful. We got it at the antique mall that is almost annoyingly vast and well-stocked. It is the store that I will miss the most when we move from here. We're giving serious thought to packing up our lives and moving back to the Motherland. We love it here; Seattle is like a sweet salve on my yearning for bustle, busy, and short walking distances. But we're living a very indulgent life here, and when we start popping out those babies, they deserve grandparents and cousins and a yard. There are better things to spend a half-million dollars on than a condominium, methinks. We are biding our time, intoxicated by the hope of leaving the romance and excitement of Seattle for the much more romantic, much more exciting prospect of planting the roots of our family into dry, dusty, southwest soil for good. So thank you, Chad, for the most lovely first year of marriage that one could ask for. Thank you for doing the dishes and always finding the keys and always kissing me goodbye before you leave in the morning, even though I don't always remember it. You're the most bad-ass husband that exists. Truth. Lovelovelove.

everything is sweet

2009-12-07T08:53:11Z

parties and pastries are what make December the best. we've got such lovely friends.

holly and jolly and such

2009-12-03T04:50:11Z

Ever since the GREAT PURPLE POM-POM EXPLOSION of 2009, I haven't been able to get enough of them. To wit: Our Christmas branch cluster-cuss. Merry Christmas!

Giving thanks for Thanksgiving

2009-11-30T07:10:07Z

Thanksgiving came and went with great success. Addy and Ryan came up from Utah to spend the long weekend here. They are lovely houseguests.

Brock and Layla joined us bearing gifts of the most excellent stuffing and mashed potatoes. The whole dinner went swimmingly. I got a pretty gnarly migraine, so I excused myself for the majority of the afternoon, but we all reconnected to play Trivial Persuit and enjoy the general merriment. It was the best.
I found myself being insanely grateful for Chad, the fearless husband. He is the best sous-chef and stress reducer that I could ever ask for.
Thanks to Alton Brown, we made a turkey that was basically the best one I've ever had. Ever. The white meat was moist!

We hung pom-poms!

It was basically the perfect first thanksgiving to share as a married couple. Next month, Christmas in Arizona with family!
This is my sweet niece singing Thanksgiving songs. I've been singing, "Pass the CRANberries I'll have a shcoop of those!" in a little lisp all weekend.
I've been pretty bowled over this weekend by how much love I have. We are settling into a pretty nice groove. We have so many great friends here. I'm excited for the next month of fun and finals and road trips.

solid ground

2009-09-25T06:24:52Z

I am currently in Arizona visiting my sister who just had a baby boy. He is the cutest little lima bean. At 8+ lbs, i thought he was going to be a little chunk, but as it turns out, 8 pounds is still really, really little. I'm here for the long weekend. I went to Illinois last week to visit Tina and listen to 2,4 and 6 year olds sing Beat It, Eye of the Tiger and Barracuda with remarkable accuracy. (Don't forget Beyonce's Single Ladies!) This year has been busy: we got married, honeymooned, visited family, business tripped, camped, camped again, went to Colorado for a wedding and slept in and saw a movie on a weekday afternoon. So Chad is hoarding the last week of his vacation for Christmas. I stopped working at the end of July and effectively had a sweet two month summer vacation. After many years of offices in Corporate America, I am going back to school. Full time, seventeen credits. I'm really excited to go. It will be the first time in memory that I will spend my days working on something I'm really happy about. Microsoft was great; it felt good to accomplish goals and do good work, but my heart was never in it. I am beside myself at the thought of working hard. Though Chad would disagree, I don't feel like I've done any stimulating, frustrating and rewarding work in a very long time. Bear with me, I'm slowly snaking my way toward my point. So, I went to Illinois and now Arizona without Chad. I think, married people do this all the time right? Dad stays at home to work and Mom and the kids head off the cabin to meet up with Dad later in the week. I mean, I know I will miss him but we're such a connected people now: texts, calls, video chats. I can watch Iron Chef America with him from two thousand miles away. But the thing is...it's unbearable. Aside from the physical distance, which makes face smooshing and hand holding impossible, we aren't that type of couple. We can't live separate lives, only to reconvene in the evening or after a weekend to "catch up". We are...different. We are not whole without each other. I always hesitate to talk in any length about Chad on here, because he is so exactly the person for me, so perfect in his ability to love me, that I feel like however I choose to express it will not ever be enough. He doesn't want to make me be a better person in the abstract, I constantly want to adjust my behavior so that I can more closely resemble his goodness. I feel so...at ease. I can be a better friend, student, sister and daughter because I am married to Chad. Last week, at Sea-Tac airport we hugged and cried and I swore I would never go anywhere without him again and then bam! My sister had this perfect little lima bean a week early and the opportunity to be Super-Aunt before school swallows me whole presented itself. And I am back, writing this on the side of a Wendy's bag in the airport sending him a picture of the airplane patterned carpet. We are just so perfectly in love, and that idea doesn't give me sea legs anymore.

still here!

2009-08-21T04:12:10Z

Hi team. Still here. I'm currently overcoming a cold that's knocked me down. In the last month, I celebrated my birthday at the park with friends. We double-dutched, barbecued, and Chad made me a totally sweet birthday cake, to celebrate my 25th year of life and the 40th anniversary of the moon landing. he made the whole cake, found black food coloring and made the lunar module out of chocolates! It was perfect. All in all, life is really great right now. like, really great.

Friends, Countrymen, Lovers of the sea and sky, lend me your ear

2009-07-15T20:05:56Z

My friend Andy sent out the following email: My friends and I entered a video contest thing for Apartments.com and are finalists!!! It's all about how my cat Harvey and my beautiful girlfriend Jen are best friend roommates 4eva (based on a true story). If you have a second it would be really awesome if you could watch the video and vote for us. Our video "Jen + Harvey 4eva" is here: http://roommateoftheyear.shycast.com/submission/show/155/ It's pretty epic and we could really use your vote to crush the other cat lady in our category and come out of this thing victorious. " Rock the vote people. Regarding his personal worthiness to win: he gave Chad and I one of our most favorite wedding presents, boxes and boxes of dishes that we use every single day. See? So go spend 4 minutes out of your hours and hours of web surfing and help them get free rent for a year. Come on, team!

A partial conversation culled from an email exchange with my aunt

2009-07-14T22:54:02Z

"It's sometimes weird to think that I'm not the only person in my family who knows who Ray and Charles Eames are." "Take heart, at least they know who Ray Charles is." indeed. and that's why they're the best.