It Was A Short Hike

First off, if you look at the top right hand corner of the sidebar, you'll see a new poll open where you can vote on whether you think we're having a boy or a girl. So far the consensus has overwhelmingly been boy, and I have to say I have a hunch its a boy. But we'll have to wait until March 8th to find out!

Last Friday night was Matt's birthday, and after tricking him into thinking all he was getting for his birthday was a coffee grinder (he was so sweet trying to act surprised and excited for it), I surprised him with a (used) Xbox 360.

When we got home that night he went to work setting it up, and I couldn't resist taking this shot to show you how cute my hubby is with a headlamp on.

Then, since this tired wife didn't have it in her to bake a birthday cake (much less a three-layer coconut cake a la 2009), we picked up a single size cheesecake from The Confectionary down at Pike Place Market, and stuck a candle in that.

Last Sunday we both had the day off, so after trying out a new church (which we'll be returning to!), we headed to Issaquah to do a bit of hiking. Neither of us had been on this hike before, but we soon realized that the combination of a sunny day + a weekend = lots of people on the trail. Half our time was spent pressing up against the side of the trail to let people pass up or down.

Then I realized that the baby was embracing its Irish roots and dancing a jig...on my bladder. Looking around, there was no cluster of trees or bushes dense enough to hide behind. Add that to the high traffic and it ended up being a very short hike.

So note to pregnant women who enjoy hiking: make sure there are plenty of places you can sneak off to if you want to hike for longer than half an hour.

That being said, it was really pretty out so we snapped a few pics along the way...

No I was not playing Ninja dress up wearing all black. Its just what I had that kept me warm...

This guy came trotting around the corner as we headed down, sans owner or leash (we were glad we hadn't brought Mr. Roy), and paid us absolutely no attention. He was just happy to be hiking.

Isn't my husband handsome? I think so.

By the time we got home we'd kicked most of the mud off our shoes, but I still gotta say it brings about a certain satisfaction to come home muddy.

Thanksgiving

I'm so sorry its been so long you're suffering withdrawals from your Morning Cup! Things here in Seattle have been a bit crazy this past week or so! And a Happy (late)Thanksgiving to you all as well!

As I write this (at least the beginning of this) I’m sitting in the living room of my in-laws happily tired from a day of hiking in Yosemite Valley and stuffed with steak and warm memories. I’ll rewind back to the middle of last week, when I finished stuffing my 2,000 newsletters and we were still hunting for a dog.

On Friday the 21st we got the green light from our landlady to go ahead and repaint our apartment. She agreed we could go “warmer” than the hospital white it was painted. It also was eggshell meaning every smudge, nick, scrape and scuff was visible on it. You could hardly find a square foot that was clean. I found my paint chips, sent her pics and got the approval.

The next day I headed out to Homeward Pets Adoption Shelter, but the dog I had gone to see had been adopted an hour before I got there. Disappointed I decided to look at the dogs who were still there anyways. I came across Cooper, a lab/german shepherd mix with a lot of personality in a 50lb bundle of 9 month old puppy. I (of course) got a bit attached to him and immediately called Matt and set up a time to meet the dog with him the next day. 

After I left Cooper I headed to Home Depot and found a ecologically friendly paint from the brand Fresh Aire (would definitely recommend!) that matched the swatch we wanted to paint our house. And wanting a cleaning-friendly paint I got semi-gloss so I could clean off any smudges or scuffs we accrued during our rental time. As I headed out the door with my four gallons of what I thought was “warm white” or “light tan,” I think my first clue should have been that the swatch was called “Ray of Hope…”

Back at home, I began painting our small bedroom feeling a great satisfaction covering all that nastiness on our walls. Our walls looked nearly gray compared to the new paint, and the lighting in that small bedroom is so bad it was beginning to look rather…yellow. No…I thought, its just the lighting and the small proximity of this room. Finishing that room I moved to the hallway and finished that. I left the doorframes and doors unpainted, and compared to the new paint they appeared a dingy gray. With the garish hall lights we have, the paint was beginning to look more canary yellow than warm white.

When Matt got home, we agreed it was the lighting and small space that made the paint appear more yellow than previously expected. At least we hoped it was the lighting and the space. The next evening after I had finished the halls and the dining area and realized it was looking way more yellow, we drove out to see how Matt liked Cooper. 

I got there before him, and so was outside playing with the little guy when the gate at the end of a dark alley rattled. Cooper was off in an instant barking with the hair raised up on his back. Well that turned out to be Matt…and that didn’t make such a great introduction for Cooper. Outside he just barked and barked at Matt, never getting close and eyeing him from a safe distance. We got the dog trainer outside with us and he suggested bringing Cooper inside and in his kennel to make him feel more secure. Once inside he took treats from Matt, did tricks and was fine…but as soon as we headed outside in the dark play area he began barking again. So it didn’t work out with Cooper, poor guy, but we’ll keep you posted in our search for a dog.

I got a “ray of hope” when I began painting the doorframe and baseboards with bright white, and that night as Matt and I finished painting the rest of the living room area and baseboards we realized it was the gray walls in contrast that made it look so yellow. Now, looking at our clean home with freshly painted baseboards and walls, it looks a wonderful clean butter cream and we’re very happy with it!

This brings us up to our “Sleepless in Seattle” night. Wednesday night we packed our stuff and got our house back in order (all that’s left to paint is the master bedroom and the doors), and ended up in bed by 12:30. Three hours later we were up and stumbling into our clothes in the pre-dawn darkness and out the door by four in the morning. We were headed to the SeaTac airport to fly to Oakland then drive to Groveland for Thanksgiving.

Matt had called a parking place the night before to make sure they had space, and tell them we were coming. On our way to the airport we had to call three times to get directions to this place…but since it was only $9/day for parking as opposed to $26/day at the airport and we were going to be gone 5 days we figured it was worth it. Finally we found the location…a bit late but at least we were there. Pulling into the dimly lit lot with one sign labeled “E-Z Parking” and cars haphazardly in every nook and cranny of spare space, a woman who looked like she’d seen the ugly side of too many mornings swaggered up to our car and in a surprisingly low voice demanded, “You got a reservation?”

We explained that we had called last night (i.e. 5 hours ago) and they said there was room for us and no need to make a reservation, and we’d been conversing with them all morning trying to get there (read: um…if we needed a reservation shouldn’t you have told us to make one during one of our 6 conversations with you?).

“Sorry, no reservation—no room. We’re full.”

We stared at her with gaping mouths…our plane was leaving in an hour and every sign we had passed on the way had said “LOT FULL” making us grateful they knew we were coming and had space…or so we had thought. Word to the wise…always make a reservation.

With no time to argue we pulled out of the shady parking lot and did manage to find a Park-n-Fly for not too much more, and as tossed our keys to the valet, grabbed our bags and jumped on the shuttle we heaved a sigh of relief. That will wake you up!

Eight o’clock we landed in Oakland and were greeted by both of our dads at the airport. A two and a half hour car ride later we were walking into Matt’s parent’s house in Groveland and giving hugs and kisses to his Mom, Katie, my mom, Ammah…and of course their black lab Max.

have to say not too much of that Thanksgiving is ultra clear other than the general feeling of being happy and full. Two very good emotions to have connected with Thanksgiving!

The next day Matt and I were woken up at noon (hey, three hours of sleep the night before!) by our moms and Ammah noisily (and purposefully so) talking outside our door…then two heads popping in with big smiles. I keep telling them they’re really going to regret that one day…

We headed into Sonora that afternoon, and Dave and Beth found prime real estate on the main street where the parade was going to be that evening. After wandering in the cute boutiques and quaint antique shops we cinched up our scarves and sidled up to a ton of Thanksgiving leftovers as the parade began. 

It began with the high school marching band, followed by fire trucks, an astonishing amount of nativity scenes (most of them missing baby Jesus though…but they were well stocked on angels of all shapes and sizes!), the cowboy vets, Chinese dragons, a slew of Harley Davidsons, old fashioned cars, more nativities, girl scouts, tap dancing reindeer, a “all snowflakes are unique and equal” float (i.e. gay pride), and it all finished with Mr & Mrs Claus. It was truly a small town parade with Katie waving to her neighbors who were riding their horses in the Sheriff’s posse, people from the café behind us running cups of coffee to their friends riding on the floats, and the drivers of the classic cars chatting with us as they rolled by.

I’m having to leave out a lot of great warm and fuzzy Thanksgiving times like hiking in Yosemite (yes we saw that bear!), watching old family videos, singing along with my dad and Uncle Chris on the guitar, snuggling with Max (the dog) and reading my book, going to church with my whole family Sunday morning, and Dave’s birthday dinner. All these wrapped up for a wonderful Thanksgiving, and I hope you had a great one as well.

And now we’re on to Christmas! Don’t laugh but I already have a garland and stockings hung and we still haven’t hung pictures on our walls! I’m just a Christmas nut…I start drinking eggnog as soon as it hits the stores and try to think of ways to maximize our Christmas décor.

Oh, and I officially started at Delta Marine today! Looks like I’ll be busy! I already have a blurb I have to write by Friday as we’re submitting one of our yachts for refit of the year! ‘Till next time, keep cozy and bring on the jingle bells!

A Job!

Allright, since this morning’s morning cup was basically a shot of espresso, here’s an afternoon mocha with some more caffeine and a lot of sweetness mixed in!

Yesterday morning was Matt’s day off but we still needed to get up early to go to the REI Issaquah’s one year anniversary staff event they were having at 8 am (I don’t understand morning people). We woke up a bit late and rushed out to door pulling on jackets and boots for our hike later that day. As we drove out east we were blessed with the sight of the Cascades and the base of Mount Rainier—usually all shrouded in clouds. In fact, in the two weeks Matt’s been working there he’s never seen those mountains!

We got to REI (late, of course) and the whole staff was assembled in the community room eating pancakes and listening to the manager talk about how well the store’s done and honor a few people. We got our pancakes from Dey (pronounced Yi—we met him earlier at the Flagship store remember? He interviewed Matt originally for this job, and now is actually paired up with him in a mentoring program) and then stood awkwardly between the door and the trash can since there were no more seats left. I had a Styrofoam cup (shouldn’t REI know better?) in one hand and a plate of pancakes in the other and awkwardly tried to balance them and eat but eventually gave up and put the cup on the serving table. After all the awards and honors were given out, people began to mingle and talk and I got to meet some more of Matt’s coworkers and his boss.

We had just bought some duct tape for my heels (to prevent blisters) and were headed out for our hike at North Bend when I chanced to check my email on my phone. It was a day past a week since my interview with Delta and I still hadn’t heard back from them. I didn’t want to put all my eggs in one basket, so I’ve been sending in cover letters and resumes to other openings as well…but my heart just sank as I sent one to a dentists’ office, a medical simulation technology lab, and even considered nannying again. I didn’t want to take a step backwards! I had just barely made it to the career position I wanted in marketing and in a field I loved (boats! Yes I’m my father’s child) and it was so disheartening to think of going all the way back to start. But these are tough economical times and I need to work (and soon!) so if that meant waitressing, then I’d need to get some comfortable shoes. I saw I had an email from Delta Marine…I read:

“Hi Kaitlynn,

It was a pleasure meeting with you […]Thank you also for your patience in allowing us some time to think about how we are positioned for 2009 and a storm, if one should hit us. We are very cautious of the uncertain economic times and are hoping for a prosperous year to come.”

My heart was pounding…did this mean they were going to play it safe and decide not to hire me? I kept scrolling down…

“In light of that, we would like to welcome you to our team!”

I looked up at Matt and a big ole’ smile spread over my face. “You got it?” He asked. “I GOT IT!” And we proceeded to produce a display of silly excitement and mushy kisses in front of one of his coworkers who was leaving.

I somehow managed to calm down enough to read the rest and realized there was an attachment with my salary and benefits so we went back into REI and to the lunch lounge computer where I opened it up. Now the salary was what I had been making at Grubb & Ellis, and was more than when I started at Driscoll, but quite a bit short of what I was making when I left Driscoll. After discussing how to approach negotiations with Matt and with Matt’s boss even (really nice guy—named Matt—who’s very business savvy) I called ready to negotiate but still willing to take the job no matter what. It turns out she was wondering if I could start working informally next week just doing the newsletter, and come in for half an hour that day for her to show me how and go over the benefits.

Matt and I had to cancel our North Bend hike, but we did end up going back to Discovery Park and having a wonderful hike there. One of the first things I said after I got the email was, “This means we can get a dog!!!”

Matt and I are definitely pet people. Not just pet people, animal people in general. We had passes to the San Diego zoo and once I start getting a paycheck we’ll become Seattle Zoo members as well. We get googley-eyed over every dog we pass, and are still like kids in that we point out every squirrel that we see when we go on walks. We weren’t allowed to have pets at our last apartment (we even considered a guinea pig), so two or three times a week we’d head down to dog beach in San Diego and play with other people’s dogs. Last night we were both up until 2 in bed with the laptop looking online for dogs—so to say we’re ready is an understatement! We have to wait until after our Thanksgiving vacation (I don’t want a dog feeling we abandoned it right off the bat!), but we’ll keep you posted!

After our hike I cleaned up and drove myself (yes, you heard me) to Delta without getting lost or frazzled! I met some of the office girls, found out my job for the next week, and when she asked if I wanted to go over the benefits I said yes. At the end of her explanation of the insurance and vacation hours and all that, when she asked if there was anything else I‘d like to discuss I said yes again with my heart in my mouth. I explained how I understood these economic times were difficult for everyone, but then went on to reiterate what I was brining to the company, and in light of my previous salary that I thought a middle ground between what they had offered and what I had been making was fair. She agreed and said she was sure that would be no problem! I was so shocked at how easy she was with it I thought, “Dang, I could have asked for more!” But it’s still more than I was making two months ago, and I’m at a high profile company in the field I want to be…I have no reason to complain!!!

That night our friends from college Thomas and Mica Kucera came over (Mica was kind enough to view the apartment before we moved up here, so we knew we weren’t being scammed or moving into a dump!) and we went out to Thai food. Matt and I went to their wedding in 2006 shortly before we were engaged, and since then they’ve moved up here and Thomas (who is in the Army) has served in Iraq. Mica sent “WA Update” emails and that was the inspiration for these “Morning Cups.” So even though its been (wow) a year and a half since we’ve actually seen them, it hasn’t really felt like it and we were really excited to reconnect with them.

After they left I remembered a bottle of wine I bought at Wilsons Creek Winery with Nadine on our wine tour that I’ve been saving for whenever I got a new job. The day of my interview I put it in the fridge to chill as an act of faith, and every time I would open the fridge and see the bottle it was a reminder to say a little prayer that God would provide a job. Matt and I shared a toast and put the rest away for a good dinner I’m making up tonight.

Well I’m off to a Queen Anne Artists’ Trunk Show—I’m finishing up my third cup of coffee and am buzzed and raring to go! Thanks to all of you who kept my job situation in your prayers—and in case you didn’t know my brother also got a job the day before I did at a high end men’s clothing store called John Varvados! We are truly blessed!

(now we just need a puppy…Lord? haha)