a gift for love

The first of many changes: For Valentine's Day (and my brother, Matt's birthday), my sister, Sara, who is visiting, and I took a little trip out this morning and donated my hair to Locks of Love. I needed a cut and although, I love my long hair, I am glad a child with cancer will get a wig with some of my locks! I truly hope that he or she will have the opportunities and adventures that I do in life; and see as many places as that hair has visited!

For posterities sake, here's the "before" picture Sara took for me.

some changes

On 21 February, it will be a year since I worked last. From that date in 2008, I have had quite the year. I hope that in hind sight I see less of the frustration and manic job searching; the nearly 250 jobs or companies I applied to, and more of the blessings in having time off. Listed below are some of the wonderful notables from the past year of my unplanned unemployment:

• My flight pattern since I was at McMurdo Station: ZCM-CHC-AKL-SYD-BNE-LAX-SEA-BLI, YVR-YYZ-ORD-SDF-ORD-DEN-MIA-PAP-MIA-DEN-PDX-SEA-BLI, SEA-DFW-GRU-DFW-SEA, BLI-SEA-DEN-SEA-BLI. I love to fly!
  
• I took two road trips: One by myself to California, and one with Storey, in Australia.
• Brazil. Simply Fantastic!
• There are a few new and way-old friends who I never expected to hear much from again, but who have become quite dear to me. Thank you specifically to, Janelle, Maria, Leeps, Amanda, and Scott.
• I have been able to see every member of my immediate family, including Sara who moved closer to me in Seattle.
• I served with my church in Haiti. Unforgettable.
• Finding my great coffee spot in Boulevard Park!
• I spent a wonderful amount of time with the children of my friends and cousins (thanks Aaron & Jen for the photo)!
• My 30th birthday rolled around!
• Somehow, I managed to stay financially afloat. You know that story in the Bible about the woman who's oil is miraculously replenished...
• Coffee...mmmm...
• I have been able to spend about four months in Washington, which is the closest I have to 'home.'
  

Things will be changing here on my blog and in my life this week. I am both excited and apprehensive about moving forward in my life. As I have been looking for a job, there have been a few people at the top of my list who have taken extraordinary amounts of time with me or made me feel valuable when I was most down. Thanks again for the patience and positivity; you know who you are!

my observations

Hunting down jobs is like going after a bee with a pitchfork.

In general, life is a mostly sunny day.

When I type a " :) " I really, actually, physically smile.

oatmeal follow up

I have been running errands like the proverbial headless chicken the last couple days; a sick chicken that enjoys oatmeal. More on the busy week soon, but I happened to be at Target again, today, and, while I was more interested in picking out toothpaste and mouthwash on this particular trip into the store, I did notice a little yellow tag sticking out of the shelves by the oatmeal that said something like: "new lower price." I couldn't resist, and walked down the isle to take a closer look. Low and behold, my oatmeal, that on Monday was $3.15 is now back at $1.19. Too bad, I already bought the extra large canister at the competitor!

So, perhaps someone actually listened to my complaint. Who says you can't change the world?

this is inflation-ary

A little background here: I eat oatmeal pretty much every morning. Most of the time I throw some apple sauce over it, sometimes I go out of my way to add some other fruit. This breakfast is pretty much a routine.

Yesterday I went to Target to buy my oatmeal with a few other items. You can imagine that when I realized my cute little 18 ounce canister of the commodity bounced up from $1.19 to $3.15 within the last couple weeks, that I was a tad shocked! Not only can you buy more than twice that much at Fred Meyer for $2.49, but the store brand now costs more than the Quaker brand by nearly 75 cents. Now, I don't work in food commodities anymore, so maybe the price of oats sky rocketed in the past month, but nearly tripling the price seemed rather outrageous!

So, I wrote a little note to the kind people at Target and received this response:

Dear Andrea,
Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts and feelings with us about the price of the oatmeal at our Bellingham Target store. I'm sorry to hear of your disappointment.
Occasionally, prices change due to factors beyond our control. Whenever this happens, we try to minimize the impact it has on our guests as much as possible. To help us serve you better, I've shared your comments with our Buyers and Store Operations team.
We'll keep doing our best to provide you with the value you've come to expect at Target.
Sincerely, Peggy

I'm not sure that there is a way to "minimize the impact" of a 264% price increase; suffice to say that I will find another place to buy my oats.

not for the faint-hearted

Something of note recently came to my attention. Of all the fascinating people in Antarctica, Joe, who I met last year on The Ice, is back again this year as a shuttle driver. He is also celebrating his 80th birthday! My friend, Kris, wrote a nice post about him. Happy Birthday, Joe!

on the pacific coast

On the Pacific Coast, we like to eat clam chowder. One of the famous brands for this delectable treat is Ivar's Seafood restaurant. Their chowder is thick and creamy and delicious.

However, for those of us who cannot frequent the Ivar's so much, there's always a good homemade recipe. I visited my friends, Dave and Chelsea two weeks ago and had some fantastic clam and corn chowder with them. Yesterday, I cooked up a batch and it turned out quite tasty. So, I recommend you give this recipe a shot, too. Use your big pan, it makes a generous amount.

PS. I used 'seafood' stock if you can find it. Only one of three grocers I visited carried it.

presentation and reception

Recently, I have been reflecting on the art of gift-giving and, more pertinent to my place in life, receiving.

I was a pretty good volleyball player in junior high and high school. Often times, after games people would give me compliments and I would brush them off or bring up all the errors I could think of. Finally, one evening, my dad told me that I should say 'thank you' and accept the compliment.

You would think I learned my lesson about being a gracious recipient from that point on; and it certainly gives me reason to pause and appreciate what other people give to me. However, I have walked around with a conception throughout my life that it's ok for me to extend myself toward others, but I don't need to receive anything back.

I love to send notes and letters. I feel guilty about how many birthday cards I am sending with 'belated' wishes, or not at all. I know what it feels like to get a "real" piece of mail in the post. I like to send thoughts, prayers, wishes.

But, here I am, more recently, learning again, to be so grateful for a little encouraging e-mail I might receive, for all the people who have let me stay in their home for a night, or a week, or more, for the occasion to have lunch out with a friend, or for the Starbucks card that shows up in the mail, or stopping by some one's house for an hour, or a few. It is certainly nice to be thought of; nice to know people take time to remember me. Instead of feeling bad that someone went out of their way for me, I remember what I feel like when I give something to someone else. We are blessed to bless others.

This concept was emphasized on Sunday when we were all given a challenge to bless others because we are blessed, based on Matthew's Great Commission. This also ties in with "to whom much is given, much will also be required," and the concept of philanthropy or tithing. When we are endowed with gifts or treasures, we should give back.

One more thing I found valuable last Sunday: Jesus uses the broken people in the Bible; he also uses us.

my penguins

Lest you think I haven't been creative lately. I found these stuffed penguins at Christmas with the most hideous green and red scarves and hats. So, I fixed their apparel and made them cute.

encountering encounters

I went to rent a movie (that hasn't been released yet) today. It was a bit disappointing that I left the store without it.

I did, however, notice that Encounters at the End of the World was on the shelf as a new release. It took me by surprise to see, not one, but four copies of this social documentary, and all four were checked out. This made me smile.

If you wonder why I am so fascinated by this, it is because this movie was filmed while I was in Antarctica, and I know nearly all the people featured in this film. And, I have a (probably coffee stained) copy of the Antarctic Sun with the producer, Werner Herzog's signature on it.

I know I've mentioned this flick before, but go rent it for an extraordinary and interesting look into the society at McMurdo Station and beyond.

no words, but my car grew frozen fur

fog

It has been cloudy, and rainy, and foggy for the last couple weeks. It's that kind of long spell of typical-winter-darkness here, in Western Washington, that prompts the weather folks to predict a sun spotting "tomorrow" for ten days in a row.

I can probably estimate the amount of bright stuff in the sky to be in the vicinity of under 4 hours since I returned from my road trip. Not that I mind. The clouds are sort of comforting in a strange sort of familiar way; after all, this locale is the closest thing I have to "home."

I took some pictures of the fog this morning on the water. Before I ducked into the coffee shop, for a morning on the internet with my double almond latte, and while I briefly walked through the chilling clouds around me, I drew an immediate parallel to the low-visibility in my own life. I felt as if I was peering out into the white fuzz of my limited right-now-knowledge; understanding that the sun, and the clarity it brings, are just a few feet above or beyond me.

This afternoon was the first time the haze blew off for the entire afternoon. Something of an "Ahhhh" moment happened; you know, like in the movie Finding Nemo when the Sydney Opera House comes into view and, every time through the course of the film, an operatic chord is played (by the way, that's really the sort of feeling it gives you to see that architectural wonder). That is sort of how it felt today to put on my sunglasses. I knew there was a reason I had been carrying those around for a couple weeks! I cannot wait to have that moment again when I find a job!

top ten places to travel

I have been thinking about the places I want to visit and see someday (if not sooner). Most of them are a bit off the beaten path. In no particular order:

one.
Maldives: a series of atoll islands off the southeast coast of India.

two.
Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania: I would like to climb the mountain before the glaciers are gone, please.

three.
Masdar City in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, United Arab Emirates: a small country packing a big global economic punch. Masdar seeks to be the first zero-carbon emissions city on earth.

four.
Croatia: said to be a beautiful country, yet-untouched by too many tourists, on the Adriatic Sea.

five.
Greece: who wouldn't want to see the history, the hillside of white villages, and the fantastic Mediterranean seascapes?

six.
Madagascar: An African island of oddities (unless you live there; then they are normal). I really want to see the Baobab trees!

seven.
Tierra del Fuego/Patagonia, Chile & Argentina: amazing mountains, glaciers, waterways, culture, and fauna all at the tip of the South American continent.

eight.
Taj Mahal, India. I would like my picture taken with it.

nine.
Cuba. Only because I can be Canadian and can go there freely.

ten.
Iceland. Extreme snow and ice, with hotsprings, waterfalls, volcanoes, and fantastic local culture.

hope

Patience is more than endurance. A saint's life is in the hands of God like a bow and arrow in the hands of an archer. God is aiming at something the saint cannot see, and He stretches and strains, and every now and again the saint says--"I cannot stand anymore." God does not heed, He goes on stretching till His purpose is in sight, then He lets fly. Trust yourself in God's hands...
-- Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest --

I have always found a place for this passage in my life. I re-read it again, for the first time in a long time, today and feel hope to be let lose when God's time is right.

interesting animation

I recently bumped into this German video. It's an eight minute animated short film that puts time into perspective. I couldn't help thinking of the verse: "ashes to ashes, dust to dust." But, watch it for yourself: Das Rad (The Wheel).

Other modern day life-applicable messages that I have found in culture recently:

Regarding the phrase, "don't rock the boat":
...sometimes, a boat needs to rock; a boat needs to head straight for the heart of a storm and come out on the other side, weather-beaten, but with flags flying. -- book: marisa de los santos --

Flying by the seat of our pants...often turns out to be the best way to fly. -- book: marisa de los santos --

A lot of great things come out of messy and complicated things. -- tv: brothers and sisters --

There's no weakness in forgiveness. -- tv: friday night lights --

A longer life isn't necessarily a better life. -- 1st presbyterian church, bellingham --

back to bellingham

I arrived in Bellingham on Wednesday, late afternoon. On Tuesday, I had arranged to meet with my high school friend, Andrea, in Vancouver for lunch and we had a lovely time getting reacquainted and talking through life's events since high school. She is an amazingly vibrant woman and I'm glad we were able to spend a couple hours together!

I had hoped to meet another friend in Tacoma, but, due to illness, canceled that and drove out to Shelton, Washington to have dinner with Rich, one of the Air Force crew who flew on my deployment flight last year to Antarctica. It is strange to reconnect with people from The Ice, but usually a lot of fun; and this was no exception.

From there I drove to Seattle, in a massive rain and windstorm (in three places, I could see that trees had fallen across the freeway only minutes or hours before). Sara played hostess for the evening and I slept at her apartment.

In the morning, I met up with Susan, another friend from high school who is home from studying in Switzerland. She and I have a great relationship and could probably talk for days.

Here's my trip by the numbers. I drove 2565 miles total; 1102 down, 1463 back. I was gone 3 weeks, or 21 days, visiting 3 states in that time, and stopping at 7 gas stations. I celebrated 2 holidays with 2 different kinds of my "family." I sat in 1 interstate closure for a 6 semi, 23 car pileup. I saw at least 15 elephant seals and picked up 1 new Starbucks mug for my collection (Portland). I returned to 26 Christmas cards in the mail. And, I drank lots of coffee.

friends and waterfalls

On my last day in Oregon, we decided to trek out to Multnomah Falls. The weather turned quite rainy, but it's a waterfall; so you're bound to get wet anyway, right? Due to the heavy amounts of melting snow and rain, plenty of waterfalls were cascading down rock faces on their way to the Columbia River. I am continually impressed at how much water escapes from the hills; it seems like it should run out.

I hadn't visited this falls for quite awhile and while it looks pretty much the same as I remember it, I really like rediscovering things with an adult mind. As a kid, I seemed to miss the significance of places I visited or things I saw. Now is a better time to remember and recreate thoughts about places.

In the evening, I was able to get together with a friend, Laura, who I went to kindergarten with. She has a family with three boys and lives in Beaverton. Our time spent together was filled with warm conversation and stories about the unusual paths that God has lead us on and how he has developed our lives to be where they are right now.

The next morning, I packed up and was on the road again.

an extended visit

On the way back to Washington, I spent a week in the Portland area to visit friends. My family has known the Leep family from well before I was a thought. In addition to spending a lot of time resting and enjoying the New Year, I gratefully took advantage of getting to know them a bit better again!

Some of the highlights with them were watching Uncle Carl, unsuccessfully roast chestnuts over an open fire, shopping (only a little bit) and going out for coffee several times; once at their family-favorite shop called Long Bottom, cracking open fresh crab and eating it with bread and butter, and sleeping in.

I found this week's stay to be just what I needed for some rest and relaxation!

heading in a northernish direction

Entirely unmotivated to drive for seven to eight hours, I finally got in the car and headed in the direction of Portland. I took awhile to get going since I had to get gas. I accidentally found the Sundial Bridge in Redding, so I figured I should get out and snap a photo of that. The park was quite lovely and the weather was absolutely stunning! I was very reluctant to leave that California sunshine behind!

One of the highlights of the northerly drive was the view of Mount Shasta. For a few hours, I had this volcano in my sights and caught a couple photos of it on my way. I wished I would have taken a photo of Castle Crags as the sun was glowing and casting shadows on the rock face; simply gorgeous!

another stop

I arranged to meet my friends, Storey and Austin, again, in Chico on the way back north. I had a fantastic time catching up with them both. I made my lime hamburgers for them over football and conversations about Antarctica.

Storey took me on a tour of the town. We walked around the park (I loved how still the water was in this retention pool), ran some errands, and had tacos with his amazing salsa for dinner. It wasn't quite like Australia, where we last toured around together, but still fun to get out and do something for an afternoon with a friend! I am glad I stopped through on my way back.