Roni 2

Such a unique time in world. My day to day has not been affected too much because I still go into work. I watch the infection numbers go up and up. The economy seems to be on the edge of collapse. Cheyenne is stuck inside because her school has shut down. Shes been off for 2 weeks, and has at least another 4 weeks before school resumes. I dont know if society will be recovered by then, I hope so. But I wont be surprised if this shutdown society is our new normal until mid summer.

Chey is going a little crazy. Her job seems to be pretty pointless and doesnt take up much time while she is working remotely, but thats just my impression. Been watching a ton of TV because there is literally not much more to besides reading, cleaning and hanging out inside.

I watch the numbers go up daily, and its kind of consumed everything. Everyone's thoughts and conversations at work are about it. After work Chey and I talk about it. Its hard when its the only thing on the internet and everyone in real life is talking about it. Its obviously very historical because nothing like this has happened in any living person's lifespan. Pullman is not hit with it very hard yet. Only 8 cases in the county as of this time. I expect that number to get very big very quickly.

This past weekend we went out and camped. Social distancing? Staying indoors? I dont think we had any impact because we didnt even get out of the car to interact with anyone and there was no one out in the woods.

Work people are getting a little anxious. I am not as worried as others. Maybe I should be. I can really only control what I can control. 

Not much to add outside of this. Work is weird, the world is weird. 

Stay livin

Roni

It’s crazy how fast your state of mind can change. How the world can being going one way and totally change direction in a matter of moments. One week you’re  putting the textile industry at risk with the inane amount of ripping that is occurring, the next you’re being told to hide insane away from other people. Yes, life has been awesome, I’ve got it dialed in, at least it feels like it. Ive got a smokin wife, good job, great hobbies, good friends and family. I’ve got  great goals and aspirations.

Most the stuff we worry about will never happen, that’s why so many people who speak professionally say that fear is just between our ears. The greatest fears are things that never cross our worried minds. The things that hit us on some idle Tuesday. That’s how it’s sort of been with the corona virus.

A week ago, Dalton and I were talking about it. I felt everything being done, all the media coverage, it was an overreaction. The flu kills a lot of people. Gun violence kills a lot of people. It seems that every year there is a sickness that scares people. I was obviously naive. I was shocked when they postponed NBA . The following day it was  the MLB, then it was the NHL, then it was all NCAA sports, they canceled the tournament, what was next?

As it turned out, a lot more was next. Next was schools. Cheyenne doesn’t have school until  April 27th—as of this posting. Every couple days, her return for planning is postponed. She is stuck at home, wondering what the heck the plan is. I could see the entire year being canceled at this point. Costa Rica closed its borders, there goes our vacation in a couple weeks. Grocery stores, pharmacies, and the essential stores are still operating. Toilet paper is sold out, oddly. A sense of uncertainty, unlike anything anything I’ve ever felt in my life, has taken over most everyone and everywhere. Seems like everyone is out of answers at this point. I was foolish and didn’t it was a big issue. Now life is being affected unlike anything I’ve seen before. This is unprecedented. It’s wildly interesting, and I can see my own work shutting down within a matter of days. That being said, I’m not living my personal life much differently. Outside of the social interactions:

Some quick panic buying some wine, everyone losing their minds:

Left to isolation

Continuing to avoid people and we rode our bikes around town and enjoying the spring air:

Hanging with Paisley at Rachel’s house:

Some snow late in spring, also we got our WSU plates which means we are unofficially- officially alumni.

It feels like every 48 hours the world gets a little crazier with this virus information, maybe that’s me being too tuned into the news. Hard to say what’s gonna happen. But I feel like lots of people are going to die, the response is too little to late, and it’s going to get really wild here in the next couple weeks. God only knows.

Keep destroying them textile factories and keep life ripping

Textile Factory Nightmares

Since my last post life has been ripping, and it’s all because attitude my babies. Life’s so good—both sides of the pillow are cool. I had my final week of swing shift and now I am working an 8-4:30 schedule. So much nicer and I’m only two days through it. It’s feels like I’m cheating almost because I get to see people and do stuff I want to, like a mini weekend.

But first let’s retrace a little bit:

Went snowboarding for the first time in two years with Sarah, Kayla, and Alyssa. I was super excited and couldn’t fall asleep the night before and only ended up getting like 4 hours of sleep. Sarah showed up in my room to convince me to go because I said I wasn’t feeling up to it since I got limited sleep. I was not a hard sell once she said if I didn’t go, I’d regret it. She was right, and we drove down to Bluewood which is around Walla Walla. It was my first time boarding outside of Snoqualmie pass in over a decade. Snoqualmie is very posh and I feel like Bluewood is what skiing/boarding was like in decades past. No extra posh stuff— just slopes and ropes. It was super fun, I sent it over every jump I could. Rode through tree coverage with Alyssa. Drank beer on the lift. Went home exhausted and woke up sore. Couldn’t have asked for more out of a day.

While I was boarding, Cheyenne was living her Roller Derby dreams and she was down in Oregon watching the Palouse Team and being their coach/moral booster. At least I think that’s what she was doing, derby is a mystery to me. She got to do some sight seeing and saw likely the most famous waterfall in the Northwest.

The day spent at Bluewood was a total bluebird day, until it wasn’t. A storm rolled in at lunch and we were pelted by the biggest hail I’ve ever seen, just under dice sized. It was brutal, but 20 minutes away we were back into the Palouse and the sky broke away into a classic scene:

Biking to work should’ve been problem free. I have been riding bicycles for my whole life and have never had a chain link snap on me mid ride. But it happened this past week.

I guess it was an excuse to break out the road bike and see how quickly I could get to work:

If you guessed 8 minutes door to door you’re on the money. It nearly killed me to cycle that hard but it was something to do. Rode the blue bike all week until Friday, when I skipped work and Chey and I took off for Tacoma. We chased the sunset for a couple hours as we headed west through the Palouse and back to the 253.

I know for a fact we have waited too long to go back to Tacoma, it was apparent immediately when we showed up Friday night. It is so nice to go back to a familiar place like my parents condo, it just feels safe there. This is pretty ironic, because for the longest time, the condo felt like a hotel room. Not home. It was foreign, but I think enough memories and time has allowed it to feel so homey. We spent time with Colin Williams and looked at a van with him. Colin always jumps into things head first and with a smile. I didn’t see him getting a van like Dalton, but here he is. Colins one of my oldest friends. Maybe it’s the closeness that surprises me, given the number of years we were apart in college, that we still remain good friends. Of course we are friends, it’s hard to explain but I’m sure some of you readers will understand what I’m trying to describe. It’s simple friendship, it doesn’t dwindle with time— like most relationships do— so to have it pick up seamlessly, surprises me. 

I’m sure it’s not unlike this for Cheyenne and one of her oldest friends Audrey, who we also saw this weekend. I have always like Audrey because she has been there for Chey and I many times. She is likely the most unique and confident people I know. You don’t have to guess what she is thinking, because she’ll tell you. I like that in a person. 

Rosa and the twins also came to the condo. Of course Hannah Banana, and my parents were there. It was a very nice evening. The wine was flowing, the tacos were cooking, the whole place had a warm glow about it. You could feel the good times in the air. It’s those day you live for. The ones you know are “the good old days”while you’re in them. Effortless conversation, with the people you love. I dont know what else there is. 

Sunday: Chey and I made a purchase 

This is Berty. She is a Volkswagen Vanagon. She’s been all over North America, she’s been to the east coast, she’s been to Nova Scotia, she’s been to California, she’s served time going up the 101 to Hood Canal. We were skeptical but decided she was a solid adventuremobile to bring home.

She ran up Hwy 18 perfectly, and up Snoqualmie pass without any problem. We stopped at the pass to use the restroom and show Jonathan, who was up there skiing. Berty got too hot when we took off again and we were left on the side of I-90 with a high coolant temperature. I guess I should’ve checked the coolant levels before we left, luckily we did buy coolant and oil for this exact scenario. And with smiles on our faces we made it to the next exit to have some lunch and check the other fluids.

Here is our lunch spot as I check oil levels, and coolant levels. With no real options, we set off again for the next 250–problem free— miles.

After nearly having the pop top come off on I-90, I latched that puppy down as hard as I could and we made a Pit stop in Ellensburg:

Had to stop at the Coug Barn for a picture:

Well, now we are caught up. Again, I’m working 8-4pm. Feel free to call me. I am horrible at reaching out but great at holding conversation. 

By the way, Chey and I made a pretty good +1 Family member announcement earlier this evening:

It’s about to be Friday again. This week has ripped. The previous week ripped. It’s like a nightmare in a textile factory out here. I’m sure Chey and I will get into something cool this weekend as wel

Stay livin’

On a scale of 1 to 10...

Its Friday night, and this week straight up ripped. I think I just convinced myself to be upbeat all week and it worked. I just sold myself on the idea that everything was awesome. In the moments at work, where in the past, I might've groaned and said"Aw man this sucks. Too bad its Monday..." I just said to myself and people around me "Like dude, its Monday, lets make it happen, lets make it worth being here today." I was talking to more people than normal and it was all just an easy little mental switch. Like I faked it for about half of Monday and it took over the second half of Monday and has lasted all week. Feels like I am back, I might've been in a funk there for awhile. Maybe a year, maybe a couple months, hard to tell being the individual who feels a little down. I am definitely happy and can see myself becoming the person I want to be. Meaning I am setting the principles by which I want to live by. Its hard trying to figure out how you want to be. I think the best people just keep evolving, never satisfied with who they are. They appreciate who they are, but keep looking forward a couple years ahead, trying to reach who they ultimately will never become. 

My outlook on work has changed for the better as well. I think I found a way to make it worthwhile, and make an opportunity for myself. I am now available to get into a 5-8 month apprenticeship in another department. Maybe in event coordination, or in administration. I think one thing I like is planning things. Planning the next adventure, I find joy in the preparation itself. Planning a party, and executing. Might be a path I might explore. Excited to only have one week left on the swing shift and to have my schedule parallel Cheyenne's. One thing I think I need to work on is others sensitivity, not just in work, but in life. I am obviously more reserved at work, but it makes me laugh how sensitive people are and how we must tip toe around saying what we really feel. Maybe its because I dealt with contractors and more rough type people in past work where you can just call people out on their bullshit or shortcomings. I am a straight to the point type of guy, if I have a question I ask it. I point out what it is even if it might hurt someone. If I am going to be happy in a more sensitive workplace, I think I need to understand that is how people operate. It just makes me wonder why people get so upset over such little things. It also makes me laugh because at work, the biggest shortcoming is communication (like most team settings), yet there is no true open dialogue. Work was awesome all week, but someone took a box cutter to their wrist on accident today and holy lord it looked like a murder scene and the blood trail was easily 50 meters long. It was really brutal and hard to watch happen. Kid is about 22 and he was pale as a ghost when the EMTs rolled him out of the building. Ive never seen someone loose than much blood so most of Friday was a little bit eerie.

Listened to some really cool podcasts as well this week while working. The one that stood out most to me was a conversation between Joe Rogan (who i'm not the biggest fan of) and Colin O'Brady. Colin is a legendary adventure type guy. He was the first person to solo walk across Antartica, he rowed across the deadliest sea in the world, The Drake Passage, he climbed the 7 summits within about a year. Just a super crazy guy who I kind of look up to. He talked about his adventures but one little bit really touched a note with my thinking about life. He had this idea about a 1 to 10 scale. The scale is about joy, so a 1 would be like someone you loved died, or something bad happening. A 10 would be like you just got married, or just having one of those true joy moments. One of those moments where its miles above happiness, that joy that brings you to tears. That is the 10. Here is O'Brady's theory: most average people exist in the 4-6 range. They might be happy when something good happens like their team wins a game, call that a 6. Or they might have a crappy day at work, their boss yelled at them, but it doesnt matter to them because they dont really like their job. Thats a 4. People get comfortable and cozy and they risk nothing. Why not risk it? Its because of the fear of having a day where its a "1". His idea is that without the 1 days you dont get the days where you score a 10. I can attest to that. Its in those days where it sucks, its a grind, and its painful, but its the 1 days that change you. You benefit from those crappy or hard days. You can play it safe, but why do that. If you read Dalton's blog before this you know that what Im saying echos this. A clear example of this was on our Kayak trip. You'd think it would be romantic to go out in the sea and kayak along with sea lions, otters, and your best friends. You'd be right. But it wore away quickly for us. A lot of those days were some of the hardest grinds I have ever experienced. I think we all cried at some point out of frustration or just pain. It was brutal, but eventually we had enough days (none of them were a 1, there were 1 moments, and some of the days were truly 2 or 3's) where we made it to Anderson Island. It was one of the most blissful moments of my life, a real unexpected 10. Laying in the sun and eating hot dogs. That trip was over 8 months ago and I have yet to sleep as hard as I did that afternoon. In retrospect that whole trip was a 10. It was in the hard moments, in the grind, where the true joy was found. It did not seem like it in the moment, only after did I realize this fact.

I rode my bike down the SEL at night, a barn owl flew overhead with me for 10 seconds. We were perfectly synchronized in our speed and direction. That was likely the most special moment I have had in some time here in Pullman. So unique and I gave myself that opportunity by cycling everyday to and from work. It was a nice way to be validated. 

Cheyenne is in Portland this weekend for a roller derby tournament. I am very excited for her, she is living out her dream. She is a lot more methodical than I am when it comes to stuff like that. She has been fully committed to derby from day one though. This is big for her, I know she imagined going on team trips before she ever really got involved. I am excited to her about all the things she and her friends got up to in that funky town down in OR. 

I have limited Saturday plans. Dalton is doing me a big favor this weekend which might result in Chey and I coming to the west side next weekend. I also hope to go skiing and snowboarding with Sarah, Alyssa, and Kayla this weekend down in the Blue Mountains just north of Oregon. Tickets are really cheap in the inland NW. 

I didnt clean up that garbage yet near the bridge I ride by every day. Need to get to it. Just trying to be more purposeful. Pullman is turning me into the ultimate granolie. 

If youre out there and reading this, stay livin'

95% Clean

Rode my bike to work every single day of the week. It was mostly beautiful weather on the way into work each day. I think I biked back home in the snow once this week. In some ways it feels like I have this little secret about how to make life a little better, I will elaborate in a second. My coworkers asked me questions like "Do you need a ride? Did something happen to your car?" Its funny to see the looks on their faces even when I tell them I only live two miles away. As kids didnt we used to walk miles, and bike miles all the time? It did not bother us then, why does it now? I think its because people think they have to live a certain lifestyle. Dalton and I talk about this. People's idea of success is so much different than what can make you happy. You could be successful in the eyes of everyone but have little joy in your life. You do not have to have it all to have what you want. I guess as I am becoming my own person, my perspective on ways to live is changing.

There are so many ways to live, to operate, and my bike commute is so simple but so enriching. I get all the smells of Pullman-- the coffee shop, the road, the air, the unknown. I see the minute details of the trees that I pass by, they look white but in the sun they are pink. I bet no one knows that drives by them at 35mph, because I almost missed it going by them on a bicycle. These are the secrets. I noticed out some of the rock walls have ground water trickling out of them even when its cold and they turn immediately into icicles. I didnt even notice the wall before I biked. All the biking trails are super clean in Pullman, no trash, I am sure some community group keeps it so nice. But a quick turn towards my work reveals a bridge where the trashed is piled up. Each day last week, I said I would stop eventually and pick some of it up and just throw it away at SEL, maybe this week. You'd never see this trash from the road, but if 95% of my ride is clean, why cant I make up for the last 5%?

My legs are getting stronger. I need to run more consistently. Chey has been doing a lot of derby and she is getting stronger than I think she has ever been before. I feel like I am normally the one in our relationship trying new types of hobbies and sports, so it is nice to see her find something that she is so passionate about.

Days are getting longer, summer plans are being formulated. There is a lot to look forward to.

Gaiter Repair

Fall of 2017 I taught myself how to use a sewing machine to make Chey a Halloween costume. Have been repairing my clothes here and there since then but I am starting to dial in my machine skills. Pretty handy to have. These are my gaiters. I’ve had em since maybe 2016 and I’ve beaten them up. Most recently on Mt St Helens I was completely exhausted and stuck my crampons right through them and even into my pants. Dalton did the same thing but without gaiters he literally torn his pants in half all the way down his leg. There has to be a picture of that somewhere. Anyway, in planning ahead for spring and summer I got these out and decided to fix them. 

     

 Lining it up and huckin it

Not bad at all 

You are the creator

I’ve always enjoyed challenging myself. I have sought out ways to challenge my body and mind. Mentally, the growth was to continue to fight when my body was breaking down and I could’ve just stopped. Like hiking or that silly kayak trip where my body screamed at me for days and my mind said let’s keep going. I’ve never really thought of other ways to challenge my brain. Obviously you can pull out a puzzle or something and engage it that way.  I have tried to develop mental toughness for life. Whatever challenges come my way I want to be as prepared as I can be. All that work to push the boundaries of my thinking. Not once did I ever consider trying to change my perspective on how I could live. I’m the type of person who makes snap decisions, I recognize that. I mean I just sold my car on a whim, in the middle of winter, to ride my bike to work in 30° rain and snow. I think I’m trying to slow down the pace at which I live. Which might lengthen my decision making. That’s where my new mental challenge is. How do I appreciate the little nuggets of my experience just a little bit more. I’m actively thinking about this throughout the day now. I used to just think about this while I laid in bed at the end of the day. It’s come to the forefront of my thinking. Which makes it easy to act on. Stop and smell the roses, right?

Even in a mundane work day of little significance, I am finding that I can find things worthwhile to make note of. Connecting more with people at work, learning more about them, bouncing ideas off one another, talking about their dreams and goals. Despite the fact that in general, I am a pretty friendly guy, I wasn’t actively engaging with my coworkers. Until I decided I could get more out of life by just engaging deeper with everyone. Seems simple but it’s easier to put your head down and tune out the world, though obviously not as enriching.  

I mean I even laughed when, on the second day of bike commuting, I came outside after work to find snow on my bike. I think a former James might’ve been a bit heartbroken at the sight of that. 

How could I complain about anything I’m doing in life when I’ve been blessed with the family I have? The wife I have? I think I’m slowing down my world and just starting to appreciate just how good I have it. I’m not taking things for granted anymore. Oh how I wish that was true. I don’t think it’s actually possible to do that, but I sure am trying to realize how great it is going. The world is still very open to us and the potential that lays before us is immeasurable. We are the creators of our lives. How exciting is that? 

We spent our Saturday in Moscow. This was a rare opportunity to see a sitar. I’ve never seen one in real life. Nor had Chey. It’s been on Cheyenne’s bucket list to play a sitar for over half a decade at this point. We saw that U of I was having a Nepalese Music Concert on Saturday night via a Facebook event. A sitar player was headlining the concert so we said let’s go. Who knows when we will even see a sitar again because they’re so rare. Might as well go see what happens. Well turns out that the concert we thought began at 5pm wasn’t slated to begin until 7:30, and we had plans for an art gallery auction later so we just kinda brushed the sitar idea away. But, In the super fine print of the concert details was a little footnote that said there was a workshop with the sitar player at 4:15. We threw our jackets on quickly and headed to the music hall. We found the hall and there was maybe 6 people sitting in the whole place. They had maybe 20 seats on the stage and the music director said we could go up and get a close view. There wasn’t even a conversation between Chey and I before we sat alone 3 feet from the performance platform. Two men with sitar cases and drums came in and urged anyone else to come on stage from the audience of about 20 or so other people. Everyone came onto the stage and for the next hour and a half we soaked in every word and note the two men produced. It was amazing to watch two men communicate with music in such a masterful way. The sitar is an insane instrument and is so powerful. I thought it would just be cool to see one but it moved me and literally had people on the stage in tears. It was an amazing opportunity to listen to stories from a very unique culture, hear the amazing life stories of two men who devote their lives to music. I thought the event was just going to be music but by the end I realized a sitar was so much more than that, it was an embodiment of both culture and spirituality. I think everyone on that stage could’ve sat there for the rest of the day listening to stories and the men speak with strings and drums. 

 I was hoping Chey would get an opportunity to touch the sitar or even play a string. But after hearing about the power and unique respect they have for music in the Nepalese and Indian culture I was nearly sure Chey wouldn’t be able to touch one. The sitar player himself wasn’t allowed to touch one until he had been learning fundamentals for years prior to playing one himself. The event ended and Chey, ever so bold, moved in on the guy and asked about the construction (it’s a pumpkin) and which strings where melodic, and if she could play a string. He said sure. It made both our days. It was truly an enriching experience. Chey and I talked about how special an opportunity it was to experience something like that. It was one of the coolest things I’ve done in a long time, all on a whim. 

Also had to try out Colters Creek Winery cuz we saw it the last time we were in Moscow and liked the look. 

Topped the night off at a wild art auction in downtown Moscow. We wore turtle necks to fit the crowd. It was the right call but we forgot our scarves and black framed glasses. I thought that was more of an architect stereotype but I guess it’s an art world thing as well. We bid 50$ on a blue spoon. We also bid 50$ on a cat painting. Unfortunately the cat bed that someone made was auctioned for like 500$ or something so a Chey couldn’t get our cats the bed they so deserve (it came with a matching nightstand as well)

Guess our cats will have to make do with using us as beds instead. 

Stay livin 

La Bicicleta

Today I sold my car. I had it for two years. Didn’t drive it all that much only about 20k miles total. I was definitely paranoid it was going to leave me stranded all the time. And it did once. But it broke several times and I always limped it home. I sold it to a guy who was very excited about it. Now he can worry about it’s quirks. Maybe it’s because I understand how cars work that I was paranoid about it breaking. Now I am free of that fear of being stranded. For some reason it just never seemed solid to me. All my other cars I’ve owned did feel solid. Even if they also broke down, I just trusted them more. Farewell my old friend.

Now, today was the first day I rode my bike to work. It took me 19 minutes door to door. Not bad considering I had to wait for 3 lights and the SEL hill is brutal. Holy crap my blood was pumping so hard when I finally got off the bike my legs were jello. The way home is going to be cake, but the commute to work is sure to make my legs soooo strong. I almost got destroyed by a huge splash of water coming from a car driving through a puddle on the road. I told myself I was gonna take the bike trail to avoid that but I was excited, forgetful, and just took the side walk path. I’ve now driven to and from SEL close to100 times and never once did it click in my head that the bridge I drive over was so tall. It made me a bit startled when the ground fell away so quickly as I drove over the bridge. I know for a fact no one in my building rides to work because there isn’t even a bike rack for this building, at least one I can see from my quick loop around the building. I don’t have a bike lock yet anyway tho. I need to get one this weekend. Also the brakes on the bike are toast. Need new ones cuz these do not work in the rain at all. Other than that a bike isn’t going to break on me and leave me stranded like my car might’ve. It’s not like everyday I was in constant fear of my car exploding on me. But it did cross my mind every once and awhile.

Stay livin’

Why does the word “deciding” look like it’s spelt wrong when you stare at it for awhile

It’s pretty powerful that on any given day you have the power to change the direction you want your life to go. It’s just deciding who you’re gonna be, what’s it gonna look like, how you’re gonna do it. Just deciding. One day last year on a whim, Chey decided to apply for a teaching job here in Pullman. She applied so late the job posting had closed two months before she sent in her application. We didn’t know that. As fate would have it she would end up getting an interview anyway. We had one day to decide if she would take the interview. We decided we would drive 10 hours round trip in a day and a half to go give that dream a shot. Turns out that the Pullman teachers and administrators she talked with decided she would be a perfect fit here. She was given a call back. I think she had a week to decide if she was going to take it. I also think we had decided she would take the job before we even left Pullman on her interview trip. So many decisions led us back to Pullman but what did Pullman really offer that we couldn’t find it Tacoma?

I love the mountains. I love the Puget Sound. I love the rain. I don’t love the traffic. But to me the southern Puget Sound was a place I never saw myself leaving. Both our families are in the area. Pullman was always a pipe dream and a fun thing to day dream about whenever Rachel would beg us to move east. Maybe it was that long 5 hour drive back west, when Chey finished her interview and we chatted about the upsides of moving to Pullman. I think in our hearts we were both trying to convince each other it was a good idea, even though we weren’t sure ourselves. For one, Pullman is nostalgic. Would living there capture that same magic that all Cougs experience when they go to school here? That intangible, but very real, electricity that exists on campus. Was it the messy brushstrokes of orange, red and purple that are cast across the evening sky in the summer and fall months? The warm summer breeze? Was the allure of Pullman that freeze which causes your nose to become a cavern of a dozen boogie-crystals on deep breaths? I’m not really sure what it is. But it very different from the Tacoma area. My guess is as good as yours, but that might’ve been the biggest draw. We decided we wanted something different.

It is different here. I’m not sure how yet but there is something about the people. It’s a small town, but it reels people in from all over the world. It’s a carousel of sorts. People only stay for a few years and maybe they come back like we did. Even professionals in this town seem to come and go like seasons (thx fergie). I knew this before we moved here. It’s safe here too. I never lock my car. People walk places. In Tacoma I never once walked anywhere. You don’t do that in Tacoma unless you’re right downtown and even then most the time you need to get into your car and drive to go anywhere. I knew moving here I could change the way I lived. I could become more localized. But my habits from living in Tacoma have followed me here. I still drive places even though I could walk. I will drive a mile. I’m not experiencing Pullman in the way it can be experienced. I think I am selling myself short of what Pullman is and has to offer.

In college I had no car and had to rely on rides from others, primarily Dalton (https://daltonandtammy.blogspot.com/?m=1 oh yeah go there and subscribe to email updates). But I also rode my bike around for 2 years and had no problems. I rode in the winter and I rode in the summer. My work commute is ridiculously short now. I had to commute further in college to work than I do right now. Why am I not doing that now? I’ve gotten lazy and I need to shake it up a bit, and experience Pullman. So, I’ve listed my car on Craigslist and plan to bike anywhere I need to go. Damn Thoreau must’ve gotten to me since the last post. Chey will still keep her Subaru for our errands and trips, and I plan to get a car again sooner than later. But I need to open my mind up to what Pullman is offering. I sound like a granoly.

Also Dalton and I have talked ourselves out of the Ironman race. I think we enjoyed the sound of becoming Ironmen. What that means. I think I liked the idea of completing the race for the status and what it meant more than actually having a desire to do it. I mean I enjoy doing races and training for hard physical goals and what not. But I like to run because it makes me healthy and stronger for things I enjoy doing like hiking. An Ironman is just so much training for something that is just a one liner- “I did an Ironman.” I dont think the reward would be worth the amount of time it would take to train for it. It’s not a lifetime dream of mine to do the race. I just thought it would be a good challenge. I’d rather spend the time training for that by instead working on my mind, or spending the time with Cheyenne, or hiking mountains. That being said we are still running a marathon in June. I guess I just didn’t want to waste my entire year in 2020 hanging out in the gym and committing to something I didn’t care enough about just to say “I did it.” So again, on any given day, you can plant your foot and turn around. You can change your course.

SEL is moving me to day shift in March. I look forward to it so much. I will be aligned with Cheyenne’s schedule and we can even carpool if need be. Another cool part of Pullman I wanted to experience is all the cool events at WSU that happen in the evenings. I haven’t been able to go to them since I work the swing shift. Working 8-4 sounds like the dream. I’m just going to be happy to see Cheyenne during the days instead of solely on the weekends. I think I got a little lucky to be changed cuz only last week did I ask to be transferred but this week they actually created a new shift time that covers both day shifts and swing shifts at SEL. It was a smart decision to ask about it when I did.

Things are tickin upwards.

Stay livin’

“The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation”

Reading a lot of books recently. The lord of transcendentalism, Thoreau, is quite interesting to read. the book, Walden, is nearly 200 years old but he hits on topics that I think about daily. He talks about how man can waste his life working and to what end? I cant help but think of my buddy Dalton and his aspirations to live super simply in his van. So bold, but I think if I was honest with myself about what I want in my life it'd be something along those lines. I do not like being tied down to one spot. Also I think breaking up life into something so simple might slow it down a bit. At least living like that interrupts the routine for a minute.

I think about what do I want my life to look like with Cheyenne as we go forward. On Saturday, purely out of boredom we drove around looking at houses that are the market. One thing led to another and we met with a Remax agent and are planning to go to the bank to go see what kind of loan we can get from the bank. Are these actions not now a juxtaposition from my prior thoughts? Absolutely. Its pretty easy to want more and more and to have it all and do everything. Thats why I think its harder to do without more. To live simpler is a lot harder. We just keep collecting and acquiring new things. I dont want to be like that. Whenever I clean out the closet, or the dresser, or get rid of all the loose mail, it feels so much better. Why not clean out your whole house like that. Do we really need that extra desk? Do we need that table when all we do it put mail on it? Lets see if I can make little strides this week to change my way of thinking on this stuff. 

I mean reading a book on it is one thing but to live it is another. I read a lot of cool stories and watch amazing films on stuff I would like to do. But thats all I am doing these days it seems. I am finding the more often I experience things second-hand the less often I go out to experience it first hand. Its not enough to see places on TV, I need to go there. I dont want to lead a life of quiet desperation as the title of this post would suggest.

Another thing that makes all this hit home just a bit deeper is the fact that Kobe died. I didnt even think I was that big of a Kobe fan, but that really shocked me. Someone omnipotent like that gone so randomly. Like it just drives in the point that you have to live hard. No one can call when its your time. It can all end so randomly, and who knows what follows life, but I want to enjoy every bit of it and not feel at any point like I wasted too much of it. Of course I dont live everyday to the fullest, but shocking accidents like that do make you stop and take a deeper breath, and soak in everything just a little bit more than normal. 

Chey and I went to the WSU Planetarium which was really interesting. Watched a little documentary on dark matter and honestly most of it went over my head (literally & figuratively) but it was really trippy and honestly amazing to watch. Id pay to just lay on my back with some relaxing music and just stare up at it traveling through the stars, that'd be quite the experience. 

The weather is unnaturally warm for Pullman this time of year. Its supposed to get up into the 50's this week and the snow nearly all melted away. Is this all a facade? Likely. Next weekend will probably be 15°F and we will be freezing again. 

Always Stay Livin'

x

Reading books and surviving the winter

Winter is brutal now. A haiku for you. 

Lord. Pullman is cold. 

Three seasons here are lovely. 

But now the light dies

It’s properly cold now. I couldn’t get up my driveway the other day and had to shovel the compact ice and throw salt down just so I could park. I was spinning all 4 tires trying to make it up the little hill. 

 I feel like I spent the week daydreaming about future plans and being somewhere else in the world. I realize I should probably appreciate where I am now. I mean I know almost every Coug would want a chance to come back to Pullman and enjoy its little things that make it so special. I know I gloss over them in my day to day routine. I spent the week day dreaming about van life with Dalton. Or talking to Rachel about Japan. Watching Hannah’s running app mileage rise. Wishing I was back in class like Sarah is. I know it’s all about perspective and in reality the world is really open to me. I can open myself to opportunity, I can create. I planned a climbing trip to Mt Adams and am gonna try to have a big crew of people in late spring go up and try and throw a party at 9k feet. See below.

 Another thing about Pullman is that it is small, but simultaneously it’s the epicenter of everything. I was wondering all week about me being somewhere else and all I had to do was look a mile up the road to see something special happening in my own backyard.

Chey cooked me dinner on Friday night when I got off work. We ate it and watched some movies. Shoot. I know plenty of people want to have a relationship like ours and I take it for granted.  And here I was wishing I was somewhere else, off to the edge of the world, and not realizing Chey is also one of the best adventures I could ever find. 

The weekend closes with a very familiar soundtrack. One that echos the blog posts of the Cougar Kid back in 2014. I draw up my post and sit on my bed. In the living room Cheyenne and Bose are laughing so hard the only sound I can hear are my own key strokes. 

a life in the desert

Man, getting in a groove is wild. I am caught in a routine now here in Pullman and I feel like life is on auto pilot. Days are predictable and the same. I can close my eyes and let my brain recline and I just go through my motions again and again. Time is pouring through my hands like sand. I mean I have not posted once on this blog in two months. I tell myself from time to time that I will get into the habit but it has not happened. I wanted this blog to almost be a journal, but it seems to just be a highlight reel. I have been reading a bunch lately which provides me with an activity that satisfies me. I just feel I have not been living very purposefully as of late. An interesting conundrum, considering I have a bunch of things I am working towards such as training for an Ironman race in June. Maybe I really need to just slow down and appreciate all the little wonders around me instead of trying to do as much as I can possibly do all the time. I guess I can qualify this bit as my journally bit, do a quick highlight reel of life since the last post and then (hopefully) write back sooner as to avoid the highlight montage...

lets see, since Nov 10th:

Cleaning Rachel's roof

thanksgiving in roslyn 2019

gym time all the time

Half Marathon December 2019

xmas tree hunting in Harvard, ID

potential vanagon in our future?

petroglyphs along the snake around 4500 years old (the art, not the guy)

north end of the blue mountains in SE Washington and NE Oregon

chey and buoy on xmas eve 2019

2020 Party in Roslyn New Years Eve

mug shot

a snowy keke picture

The palouse is cold and windy now. what perfect weather it is to keep on bloggin

Week of Nov 4th

Another good week in the 509. Got to work on some cool technology for SEL this week that was recently used to help create electricity in the village of Mohari in Nepal. Very cool to work for a place that gets us involved in unique projects like this. hydro turbine power in the mountains. 

SEL computers in use. 

How to I get the job at SEL that sends me out to take pictures like these?

On the training front this week:

4/5 days spent at the gym

5k race this weekend. Got 2nd overall in the 5k with a 7:38 mile pace. Chey also ran very well and was top 5 women 

I need new shoes badly. Over 300+ miles on my current ones. New ones this week.

Dang. This past week sounds pretty boring. Gonna have to change that up this week.