Top 10 reasons why this was a good move for us!

I've been a pretty lame blogger these days and with my job responsibilities I don't see that situation ending anytime soon. I have been active on Facebook but mostly because it takes just seconds to upload a picture or status update. Blogging isn't like that or at least for me its not. I seem to take a long time to put down into words what I want to say. Except for today. Today I'm doing a Top Ten. That's right...I've gone there. A list post. It's a sad day for me I can tell you.


Here are the Top Ten reasons why our move to Washington State has been good for us

#10 The local farmers market is amazing. While not as big or year round like in Houston, this market is friendlier and very local. Such as know the name of the farmer, local. Or get invited to their farm, local. 

#9 JR can find his way around the town. Our town is so small that it is almost impossible for JR to get lost. You may be thinking; "What he lived in Houston for 4 years and he was lost?" JR can get lost in his own museum (name that movie quote?). JR is directionally challenged and in all the cities we've lived in it usually takes him many many years to know his way around. Oh, he can get to work and back and maybe to the grocery store but any place new is out. Our town is very small. As in there are only three streets in town that have stop lights. Getting anywhere in town is a 5 minute deal. I suspect it takes longer to get the car out of the garage than it does to get to the store. In good weather we walk.

#8 The scenery. You can not beat the views from my office. Even the drive to Costco (30 minutes away) is amazing.

#7 We live 1.2 miles from my office. See number 9 above. I can get in a little exercise going to and from work. Of course, that is only if the weather is nice. When it is 14 degrees out and windy that just doesn't happen. The campus is gorgeous, small and friendly. I've felt very welcome here.

#6 Wineries. We have at least 2 dozen or more wineries within 60 minute drive. We may or may not have visited several of them when we first got here. I may or may not have signed up for a wine club in a wine sloshed haze.

#5 Friends. Our long-time friends are all very close. In 2 hours we can be visiting with them or visa versa. Pretty happy about that situation

#4 My job is amazing and while it keeps me very busy I'm liking what I'm doing. Plus, the benefits are the best ever! 

#3 We are saving enough in reduced rent, power bill, health insurance, car insurance, etc that JR can retire to whatever it is he wants to do. At present, I believe that is read books, watch copious amounts of ESPN and taking the dogs for a walk. Pretty sweet deal for him.

#2 I've lost 14 pounds. With all the walking and such, the fresh produce and a bit of disciple has almost got me back into my bikini. Not that I'll post any of those pictures. 

AND the NUMBER 1 reason
These guys are only a short drive away.

Stay groovy,
M

The big adventure starts soon

First off I'd like to apologize for being a bad blog friend. I haven't posted in for ever and I've barely visited your blogs. I do have an excuse. One that many of you know about but for those that don't, I've was offered and accepted another job.

This job is 2300 miles from Houston. We will be moving back to the state of Washington, putting us closer to our children, closer to my mother and closer to the friends we grew up with. Everyone is happy. When I told my mother I thought she was going to cry...or wet herself (I mean she is at an age that that is a reality, you know).

So now the planning, packing, and driving begin.

I'm in charge to logistics. Finding a new home to live in, setting up all the utilities, reserving the moving truck and most importantly dealing with all the financials. This is the part I'm good at it seems.

JR is in charge of packing. Packing and driving the rental truck.

In most of our recent moves and there have been too many local one for my liking, JR has been in charge of packing everything we own in boxes. He has become something of an expert. Rarely do we get to our destination to find something broken or missing.

I'm sure you all will be pretty tired of me talking about this whole process so I'll try to keep to my same rarely posting schedule in order to not bore you silly.

Stay groovy,
M

Walla Walla, Washington - It's not just a funny name

JR and I owned a 5th wheel travel trailer several years back and would go RVing.
We didn't like to call it camping because, really, we had a full sized fridge, a 3 piece bathroom, a tv and a recliner.
That ain't campin' folks.
That's taking your home with you.
We loved it.
We would take that thing out every other weekend to somewhere in the states of Washington, Oregon or Idaho.
We also went up to Canada. Not often but a couple of times.
Mostly, we went places that we could get to within 4 hours. We had such a great system down that we could get home from work, hitch up, and get somewhere by 8pm. If it was dark we would leave the set up for the morning. Ah, the joys of a travel trailer.

That leads right into this postcard from the 1910s.
One of our favorite places was the Yakima Valley, Columbia River Valley, and Eastern Washington.

Why?
I like to tell people that it was because our oldest was attending college at Central Washington University and we just needed to visit. I missed him. He needed his mommy.
What?
Why, Yes, I am that big of a liar.

See those gardens?
That's the real reason.
That volcanic soil grows some of the best wine grapes outside of France.
In fact, according to all those vintners, the Columbia River Valley is on about the same latitude as France. Which, once again from the vintner's mouths to your ears (or eyes as the case may be), is ideal for wine grapes. Being able to control the water that the vines get is essential also.
How do I know these lovely wine facts?
The oldest boy took a class at university all about the geography of wine.
What kind of a mother would I be if I DIDN'T go on the field trips?

Love,
M

Jeff Foxworthy knows his Washingtonians

THIS IS WHAT JEFF FOXWORTHY HAS TO SAY ABOUT LIVING IN Washington !

If someone in a Home Depot store offers you assistance and they don't work there, you live in Washington. (I do this all the time)

If you've worn shorts, sandals and a parka at the same time, you live in Washington. (sad but true)

If you've had a lengthy telephone conversation with someone who dialed the wrong number, you live in Washington. (I've been known to engage in lengthy conversations with strangers, on the phone or otherwise. Just ask my friend Terry)

If you measure distance in hours, you live in Washington.(there is another way to measure distance?)

If you know several people who have hit a deer more than once, you live in Washington. (I've only hit one deer. When I got to work all my co-workers wanted to know if I wanted them to drop it off at the butchers.)

If you have switched from 'heat' to 'A/C' and back again in the same day, you live in Washington. (HA! Very few people have A/C in Washington)

If you install security lights on your house and garage but leave both doors unlocked, you live in Washington (Why ever would you lock your doors?)

If you can drive 75 mph through 2 feet of snow during a raging blizzard without flinching, you live in Central, Southern or Eastern Washington. (I hope you're traveling in the slow lane or you better move your ass over.)

If you design your kid's Halloween costume to fit over a 2 layers of clothes or under a raincoat, you live in Washington. (this is so true and so very very sad)

If driving is better in the winter because the potholes are filled with snow and ice, you live in Washington. (In Western Washington the potholes are filled with water making it impossible to know how deep they are. Great for tire salesman)

If you know all 4 seasons: almost winter, winter, still winter, and road construction, you live in Washington.(sorry this is wrong. the 2 seasons are: cold rainy season and a little bit warmer rainy season.)

If you feel guilty throwing aluminum cans or paper in the trash, you live in Washington. (and his point is?)


If you know more than 10 ways to order coffee, you live in Washington.(only 10?)

If you know more people who own boats than air conditioners, you live in Washington. (there is very little reason to have air conditioning and plenty of reasons to own a boat. There is tons more water than there is heat.)

If you stand on a deserted corner in the rain waiting for the "Walk" signal, you live in Washington. (It's all about following the rules)

If you consider that if it has no snow or has not recently erupted, it is not a real mountain, you live in Washington.(mountains that don't are for just hills)


If you can taste the difference between Starbucks, Seattle's Best, and Dutch Bros, you live in Washington.(but Tully's is still the best)

If you know the difference between Chinook, Coho and Sockeye salmon, you live in Washington. (Copper River from Alaska is the best ever)

If you know how to pronounce Sequim, Puyallup, Abiqua, Issaquah, Oregon, Umpqua, Yakima and Willamette, you live in Washington. (that's Yak-ki-mah and Pu-al-lup)

If you consider swimming an indoor sport, you live in Washington. (swimming outside is advisable only after you become numb from the cold.)

If you can tell the difference between Japanese, Chinese and Thai food, you live in Washington.(Dim Sum, enuf said)


If you never go camping without waterproof matches and a poncho, you live in Washington.(and extra clothing, wellies, and Bailey's Irish Cream to put in your hot cocoa.)

If you have actually used your mountain bike on a mountain, you live in Washington.(my mountain bike has only found wineries so I can't actually attest to this statement.)

If you think people who use umbrellas are either wimps or tourists, you live in Washington. (people who even own an umbrellas is a wimp)

If you buy new sunglasses every year, because you can't find the old ones after such a long time, you live in Washington. (sunglasses? What are sunglasses?)

If you actually understand these jokes and forward them to all your Washington friends, you live or have lived in Washington. (Done!)

We lived in Washington State for 42 of my 50 years. Most all of these statements are true.

Love,
M