U-Pass

One of the best perks of being a student at UW is the U-Pass. The U-Pass is a brilliant idea that UW conjured up to encourage students to use public transportation. U-Passes cost $99 a quarter (roughly 10 weeks). Assuming I go to campus 3x a week (often more, and sometimes I require 4 in a day), that would require me paying bus fare six times...and at $2.25 that really adds up. When our house was broken into, they (he, she, whoever) took my ID beloved U-pass. I was lost without it. I had to stop by RiteAid on the way to school on Tuesday to conjure up $1 bills and quarters to pay the bus fare. I had to take the little transfer ticket. Ugh. I definitely needed a new UW ID, but wasn't sure whether I should buy another U-Pass for the remaining 3 1/2 weeks of the quarter left, as it cost $40 to replace. I did the math and calculated that it was worth it. Even if it hadn't have been cost effective, I think that the value of not having to worry about dollar bills and quarters and transfer tickets would have been worth it. Simply having to flash my U-Pass to the bus driver on the way out is brilliant (brilliant in the British sense of the term).

When I was inquiring about purchasing my new U-Pass, I discovered that not ONLY is it good for King county transportation, but KITSAP as well. Meaning, Bainbridge! Why haven't I figured out this before now! Reuben graciously drives me to and from the ferry. He's a dedicated chauffeur. I've always seen the buses waiting by the ferry, but the only thing I've ever known about them is that they only run at peak commuting times (a.k.a. mornings and afternoons/evenings, not during weekends). There's a bus stop right outside our street, and now instead of wasting gas and Reuben's time, I can take the bus home! Hooray for buses and the U-Pass!

Spring?

I need a break. I have so much to do, a grant to write, another paper to finish, and hours of reading for class tomorrow and Friday. I have to babysit this evening. It's not raining outside, and, shockingly, the sun is shining. I want out. Although I'm all about being outside no matter the weather, I can't seem to justify taking that time in the midst of so many other things I need to do in the next 2 weeks.

I went out today to go for a walk around the neighborhood, but the birds were chirping right outside my door and I didn't get past our driveway. Although the trees are what shades our house from receiving any sort of sunlight in the winter, how lucky we are that we can live amongst such great and tall things.




I'm tying really really hard to see signs of spring, not just because of how beautiful how the world becomes, but because I think my spirit needs it too. Here's what I've found so far in the space of our yard:






Come spring, come! (And with it, a lighter work load for me!)

Valentines Day

Although Reuben and I have observed several Valentines Days in the past few years, this is our first Valentines Day as husband and wife. Last year when I was living at IslandWood, he arranged to have flowers and chocolate sent to my cabin along with the help of my friend Zoe.

This morning I woke up to Reuben sneaking out the door. I knew he was up to something (last minute something!) so I hung out in bed and read the only pleasure reading I have at the moment: Little House on the Prairie (Pa left for Independence!). When Reuben had come home and I came out of the bedroom, this is what was waiting for me:


I had been eyeing the tulips that I saw last week at Pike Place Market. They are the ultimate sign that spring is on its way (despite the look of the sky today!)

I have been a avid user of "Stickies" on my Mac, and this morning Reuben had left a message for me:



For breakfast I made our favorite, french toast with a little Valentine's Day theme.



Happy Valentines day and thanks to my wonderful husband :)

Break-In Blessed?

This morning Reuben and I woke up to discover that our house had been broken into. When we woke up, Reuben had asked me if I had gone to the kitchen in the night and had left the light on, because he could see that it was on from our bathroom window (we never leave the lights on). I was the first to walk about, and the first thing I go look for is my laptop. Check. All is well. I start to get onto ITunes because I wanted to download some new music for the run I was going to go on, when I looked over and saw my school backpack wasn't where I normally leave it. A little odd, but not so because Reuben sometimes moves it around. I walked around the corner to see where else it might have been placed, when I saw that the basket of keys by our door was missing. THAT was odd. Then I had a mini-panic attack and went to the front door (unlocked) to make sure that our cars were still out there. Check. Then I saw that the sliding-glass door next to our kitchen table was unlocked. Odd. Ugh. We called the cops and the very nice man that came by said that 4 other break-ins had been reported in this neighborhood this morning, and by the end of the day the total number of break-ins in this neighborhood last night would total 7. (And our neighbor's house had been broken into this afternoon around noon). My school backpack with my UW library books (perhaps they really wanted to read "Brown, not White" and learn about Chicano school segregation in the 1960s?), my wallet with my UW student ID and U-pass, ferry pass, cash, credit cards, and license were in there, along with my phone. My Ipod is gone, along with its charger. Smart guy, at least he knows that Ipod batteries go downhill as the device starts to age. Reuben's wallet was gone, along with all his cards and IDs. Even my babysitting money was gone that I had earned for the past two weeks :( A few other things were missing too, that took us awhile to remember: A jar of spare change, Reuben's yellow plaid jacket hanging on one of the chairs was gone (the thief will be easily spotted if he ever dons that on the island!), his sunglasses, a head-lamp, 4 mini-cheapo-bottles of red wine were taken (and spilled all over the next victims house!), and some Bath and Body peppermint hand soap from the kitchen sink, that my sister gave me for my birthday. It was delicious smelling soap, and it was antibacterial, but.....really, soap?

I had class this afternoon starting at 12:30, and I needed to be on the 10.25 ferry. Luckily Reuben went to Wells Fargo and was able to get a temporary card to get some cash out, and luckily he had a spare key to his Subaru. So he dropped me off at the ferry and I left for school, like always. I thought about staying, but there was nothing I could do to change the situation and I didn't want to hang out in this house all day and dwell on it. When I started thinking back about the morning as I rode the ferry, I didn't have an ounce of anxiety or anger. In fact, a sense of gratefulness welled up in me...truly peace that passes all understanding. I was able to bring my computer with me to school....it was sitting right next to the couch, but the thief didn't see it. Losing my computer at this point in the school year would have been quite a blow. I took Reuben's cell phone...Reuben had brought it to our bedroom during the night, so that wasn't taken. It seems like I passed an unusual number of ambulances today, and I was so grateful that even though our home was violated, neither of our bodies were. It could have been so much worse. Everything that was taken is replaceable. Completely replaceable. I cancelled my bank cards before there was any new activity on my account, and new ones are already on their way to me. My mom has sent me a spare Subaru key. I still have my temporary drivers license since I only got it renewed a few weeks ago. My passport was sitting right on the dining table and it wasn't touched. Reuben and I just had our interview for his green card application yesterday, so we had all of our important legal documents sitting out in the next room, which they didn't go near. Both of our road bikes (one borrowed from Laura) are still sitting inside in our entryway.

I'm so grateful. We won't get our cash back, I have to get a new license and a new student ID and U-pass, eventually a new IPod (but these days I only listen to the sounds of nature when I run!), and a new backpack. I'll have to pay for my library books. We'll change the locks on our doors and cars (since they took our keys). But once that's done....it's done. That's it. They didn't really harm us, just inconvenienced us. God is good. Maybe I should have listened to the USAA guy when he tried to sell me renters insurance. Oh well. We haven't had health insurance either for the past 5 months, but God has graciously spared us from any injury or need for medical care.

Perhaps tonight we'll be more intentional about closing our blinds or at least keeping our valuables out of sight. Despite what was taken, we are richer than we've ever been, because of the knowledge that God is watching over us and because we still have each other.

Laura and Valentino

One of the books I'm reading for my Forced Migrations class is called "What is the What", the story of a man named Valentino Achak Deng, one of the thousands of Lost Boys of Southern Sudan that were resettled in the United States.


I've read some pretty depressing pieces in my life (including lots of them from last quarter, which my last blog post can attest to) - but the story of Achak is beyond tragic. Imagine everything awful in this world coming upon one person in the span of a few short childhood years. I read and I'm shocked and I think that it'll soon be over (like how most of my hardships in life eventually came to an end at some point) - but it keeps going and I keep reading and the tragedy never ends. I keep reading not just because it is assigned for class but because I am beyond belief about his life. Not exactly bedside reading material.

In order to cope with such a depressing topic, and so I can get some decent sleep at night, I decided to pick up another book to finish off my day with - something I can read myself to sleep with. I thought to myself, what is one book that makes me feel the exact opposite of Achak? Not heavy, but light. No violence, but peace. No destruction of childhood, but playfulness and wonder. I knew exactly what I needed: Little House on the Prairie.


One of my favorite books of all time (right behind Little House in the Big Woods). It's been awhile since I have read this children's story, but it still evokes feelings of everything pleasant. I can feel myself bumping along in the covered wagon with Laura as they move out West, and I can smell the prairie plans that she describes so well. I started reading and realized that not everything in Laura's circumstances were perfect, either. First of all, she had to wear a sun bonnet (so that she wouldn't turn into a brown Indian, her mother commented). Second, her family was actually squatting on Indian territory, which was why they eventually were forced to leave. Her mother almost got her leg crushed while lifting one of the logs while building their home. They almost lost their beloved guard dog Jack when they forded the raging river! Intense circumstances for any 10 year old, perhaps, as those stories are still vivid in my mind from so long ago. I love Little House on the Prairie. I love Laura, Pa and his fiddle, and how her Ma is always mending while Mary is minding baby Carrie, but I think what I loved about it the most was the life that they lived. I wanted to travel by wagon out West, live on the Prairie, in a little house that smelled like sweet cut wood. I wanted to run barefoot chasing rabbits and wading ankle-deep in the river with the fish nibbling at my toes. I wanted to eat molasses and enjoy tiny candies that cost a penny a handful and could only be found in Independence, the nearest town 40 miles away. Let me make a correction: I not just "wanted" but I also "want". Still. When we were driving back and forth from Phoenix in December, I told Reuben that I think I would have been one of the courageous adventurers to head out West. At least I like to think I would have. I was, after all, enormously successful at playing the Oregon Trail. And one of my favorite childhood movies was "Far and Away", and my favorite part was when Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise claimed their plot of land once and for all.

I wish wagons still existed and there was still land to claim. Then I would pack up all of my meager belongings (or get rid of most of them) and head out. I'm sure Reuben could learn to make a log cabin. What adventure!

December sunshine

In early december we made the quick decision to go to Phoenix for Christmas. I'm not the "long-drive" kind of person; I fly places. Reuben, on the other hand, loves to drive great lengths. We decided so late that airfares, especially around the holiday season, were insane. So drive we did!



Our first stop on our long trek south was the University of Oregon, to the famed Hayward Field at the University of Oregon in Eugene. That's where Prefontaine made running history, and Reuben was thrilled. We also drove through Los Angeles, and made a quick stop (because we couldn't drive through LA without stopping!) at Griffith Park. It was a lovely visit, but the traffic reminded me why I don't like Los Angeles. Somehow we didn't take any pictures of that stop! We managed to make it to Phoenix unscathed and happy to have arrived. Here are a few highlights of the visit:

A hike to a view of Phoenix


Dave, Benjamin & Reuben built a hardy solar oven


We celebrated my birthday at "my big fat greek restaurant"


We had a great hike to the top of Picacho Peak!


At the top of South Mountain, near Darcy's house


Paige and I put together a puzzle that nobody believed we could!


we made gingerbread houses



Reuben and I spent Christmas eve at Darcy and Dave's, and had an impromptu jam session.


Christmas day we spent a Mary's house, and the present opening was the most chaotic I have ever experienced!


We had a looooong trip home. And a cold one, through Nevada.




Joshua Trees


We stopped at Hoover Dam



We even made a stop in Las Vegas. Las Vegas is probably the number one place I never wanted to go in life, but we were driving right by it, and it was New Years Eve, so I felt we had an obligation to.


We were walking through the mall in Caesars Palace and a huge crowd had gathered in front of a store that Jennifer Lopez was shopping in. Maybe I would have been more starstruck if I had known how great she would be on American Idol!


And....this hotel, somewhere in the middle of NOWHERE in Nevada, is where we spent New Years Eve. What a party.


That's our trip! Seems kinda boring when I go over this, but I'm writing it in retrospect. And I'm tired. Good night!

Back

I'm back to this blog. For the next few minutes, at least. I decided this morning that I needed some processing time. I remembered the days when this blog was an outlet of sorts, for me. I went back to the last few blogs I've made. Yep, I'm still sick of weddings, I'm failing as a naturalist (I haven't even tried), and I'm still trying to process what the last 6 months of my life have been. There has been so much change and so many new things. Overall, it has been wonderful. I love being married. Love love. I could never have dreamed to feel like this. Before our wedding I had no idea what it would be like to be married but I am perfectly content. It's not perfect, and no marriage is, but its challenges make both of us stronger and grow us closer together.

I am also in school again. REAL school, not IslandWood style. I am commuting 4 days a week to UW. Car --> ferry --> Walk to Pioneer Square station --> Express bus --> class --> reverse. Six weeks in to fall quarter, I can say that it hasn't been so bad. Reuben warms my seat in the car every morning (class starts at 8:30am for me 2 days a week so I have to take the 7:05am ferry), and I get work done on the ferry as I eat my breakfast. The bus is only 15 minutes or so, and I enjoy walking the streets of Seattle. There's something quite empowering about commuting. I know exactly where I am going. I can give people directions when they're lost. I walk en masse. The weather has been pretty decent this fall, and I haven't really had any super rainy-day commutes. I think that is about to change.

Classes are challenging. Academically challenging - only slightly, but it is more challenging to me on a more personal front. The classes that I am taking are Curriculum & Instruction (a class which I despise, and is excluded from this discussion), Global Health, and Economics of International Development. The latter two: I love. Global Health is way beyond what I expected. I'm not so much learning about sicknesses and diseases from a medical perspective as much as I am learning about the politics, socioeconomics, and history of the aid industry. It's fascinating. My economics class is hard and I can never wrap my brain around the concepts, but I think that makes a point in and of itself. Economics is confusing. The development industry is caught up in all this confusion, which has created a complicated, bureaucratic and global mess. I am always surprised, often aghast, and constantly being confronted with challenging ideas and points of view. It is a collision of my past experience, what I am currently learning, and (what I thought were) my future goals. It's developed a little bit of a crisis in me. I want to work with the poor, I want to help (as well as so many other good-willed people out there), but how can I do any good when the 'helping,' in and of itself, so often hurts? It would be easy to sit for a million hours straight and talk about everything that's wrong with the industry these days. That we blindly trust big aid agencies to use our tax dollars charitably. Don't get me started on child sponsorship. Is there any hope to be found? Is there such thing as a solution (or solutionS) I'm getting so muddled down and burdened with the crisis that I don't see anything positive coming out of it all. Only lately I've realized that this is exhausting me. What I'm learning is so interesting, but it's a dead end. There are some people out there perhaps that live to confront and critique. Take William Easterly for example. But that's not me. I'm not the confrontational type. What I've realized is that for all of the negative things I have learned, I need to channel them into something positive. And over the past week I've realized that I need to start to volunteer again. For the past few months (ok...year) I've been so caught up in my own life, my work and teaching, planning a wedding, and now being married that I allowed myself to take a break from reaching out to the community. From now on, I'm going to make it a goal to start that up again. It's so fulfilling that every time I go I think, "Why haven't I done this forever?" With all the synthesis that has been happening in my brain lately, it will be exciting to synthesize everything else with current real life experiences. Yay!

I guess that's all I want to say for now. Hopefully I'll be back soon for some more processing.