Place of Growing-Up

Last Sunday, Ryan and I ventured to my hometown - West Seattle.  We spent the day picnicing in Lincoln Park (definitely my all-time favorite park), walking along various nature paths, and simply relaxing in the sun.  When the day at the park was over, we had walked all the way from the upper park – and I mean beyond the wading pool – down to the lower park, along the beachfront, past Colman pool (big swim meet going on), and almost to Lowman Beach Park.  Then of course we had to climb back up to our car.  Quite the adventure/workout.  But it was gorgeous out & only reaffirms my love for the PNW.  After the park, we visited the “new” Barne’s & Noble in Westwood.  What?? A Barnes & Noble in Westwood Village??? I know! I was shocked to see it too! Not to mention the Bed, Bath, & Beyond and other various “superstores” that had taken over the once struggling shopping center.  Then it was off to pick my nana up for dinner.  All in all, it was a great day spent with amazing people.  Can’t beat that! 

The photos below are a few Ryan & I took while goofing off in the park.  My favorite is the one of us laughing on the beach – we had set the camera up to take a timed photo & decided to sit on a log that was stretching across 2 other logs.  Apparently it wasn’t as sturdy as we initially thought because it snapped the moment we both sat on it…and of course that is when the camera decided to capture it’s photo.

Please Pray…

It has been exactly 44 days.
That’s 1,056 hours since my sister had surgery and was equipped with two rods going into her pelvis on the right and left side, with an external rod holding the 2 pins together.  The damage was extensive; 3 fractures and a crushed pelvis, so the heavy-duty appliance was necessary.

Today is D-day.  She goes in to get new x-rays and receive either news that will crush or brighten her day.  It’s all in the doctor’s hands…although technically it’s all in God’s hands, the doctor’s just get control of the “yay” or “nay”.  Hopefully her pelvis is healing properly and she can have the bars and pins removed today, but she’s not so confident.  So please pray that all goes well and that she keeps a positive outlook, no matter what the verdict is. 

We’re all hoping for the best, but her complete healing is the most important thing, so if her pelvis hasn’t knitted itself back together quite right, then I am all for the bars staying in longer.  However, I can understand her desire to be rid of the contraption.  I mean, it’s like having a coat hanger resting across your stomach.  A coat hanger attached to your bone with bolts and nuts the size of quarters.  Once it’s off, her mobility will greatly increase and she’ll regain some of the freedoms she has sacrificed.  But I’m also concerned she’ll push herself too soon.  I just want her to recover completely.  Or at least 90%.

And so, I give my concerns over to God.  He is way better at handling it all then I am anyway.
But I do pray that the best decision for Laura’s recovery will be made and that she will be able to accept it if it isn’t the one she is hoping for.

Incredibly Touching

As some of you know, my younger sister was recently involved in a very serious ATV accident. Fortunately, she is alive & recovering, but it could have been life altering, if not worse.

Anyway, a co-worker of my dad and sister, wrote a blog about Laura that I just felt had to be shared. He cares for her a lot and they have always had a special bond. Probably all started when Laura, in second grade, told him to quit smoking. And he did.

His words touched my heart and brought tears to my eyes.

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Written by Rich

Where to begin………

A week ago, I witnessed one of those life changing experiences, which happened in a big way, to a very dear friend of mine.

I work at a fairly small sign and graphics company, we are a tight knit group, and most of us have worked together for years.
In my case, I have been working off and on with Martin (the owner) for the last 23 years, which is incredible.

The company is definitely a family affair.
Martin is the president and owner of the company, his wife works part time doing books and office work, and his daughter Laura has been working there for the last few years in the graphics department.

She runs a couple of the vinyl and large format print machines, and whenever I go out on an install, I take her along, she is an exceptional installer!

I have known Laura “for ever”, and since she was just a little babe, she has always been glued to me. Though there are many years between us, we are the best of friends, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Plus, we make a good team. I have the years of experience, and she has that wide eyed youthful exuberance which I find to be a wonderful change, especially since the rest of us are old and jaded.

Ok, I am wandering.

On Saturday of the Memorial Day weekend, Laura was involved in an accident which could easily have ended her life. She was on the back of a ridiculously souped up 4 wheeler, riding with her boyfriend, when he got sloppy at the controls and flipped the ATV.

Laura was wearing a helmet, and was thrown from the vehicle landing some distance away where she sustained damage to her pelvis in at least 2 areas.

She crushed the left Anterior Inferior Iliac Spine (that large part of the pelvis/hip just under the skin that looks like an ear made of bone on a skeleton), and also suffered a break at the Sacroiliac Joint.

It could have been far worse. Her boyfriend, an ex Marine and a few others who were involved in the accident panicked and actually moved her instead of leaving her with a person and getting help.
One of them left, found someone with a small car up the road, loaded her into the back seat, and drove her to a hospital in Shelton Wa., on the Olympic peninsula.

Unbelievable.

Who moves a person after they have been in a serious accident???

After she arrived at the hospital in Shelton, it was determined that they needed to medevac her to Harborview hospital in Seattle.

Laura at the hospital, a day or so after the surgery she underwent to stabilize her pelvis.
The surgeons drilled into both sides of her pelvis, inserted metal rods which are now screwed and bolted to an external rod which runs across her lower belly to keep both halves of the pelvis aligned so they heal correctly. She was in a great deal of pain, and very dizzy when I took this shot.

So it goes without saying, when Laura gets injured, we not only lose Laura, we lose Martin and his wife, all three of them, which has been the case for a week now. A nightmare situation for the rest of us, but all I really care about is getting my friend healed, and well again.

The doctors state it will be 6-8 weeks before the rods are removed, then there will be extended physical therapy for another month or two.

Hard to be mindful and patient, I want her well NOW!

Not What I Had in Mind

Memorial Day Weekend brings to mind images of trips to the lake, camping, hiking, playing croquet on a nice velvet green lawn while waiting for the BBQ to heat up, toasting marshmallows over an open fire, laughing deep into the night, and spending time with family and friends. It’s the welcoming of warmer weather, the celebration of the beginning of summer. At least, it is for some people.

This Memorial Weekend, I took work off early on Friday and headed down to Portland to play in a soccer tournament all weekend long. We had games scheduled for Saturday thru Monday. Nobody goes home early in this tournament. The drive down was fairly uneventful. There was traffic, of course, but nothing too depressing. We made pretty good time and checked into our hotel around 5:30pm. Not too bad for a 2pm departure. After settling into our room, Carrie, Kara, and I headed out to get some dinner. We wandered across an abandoned parking lot/hotel, passed under I-5, and crawled through hole in the fence to make our way safely to the shopping area. Sound creepy? It was. I’m pretty sure drug deals happen in the shadows here late at night.

Saturday morning came and we played two games, losing 2-0 both times. I actually played sweeper both games…can’t believe that one, as I’ve always been outside mid or forward. Surprisingly, I enjoyed myself and would even play back there again. After our games were done for the day, we headed to Downtown Portland to watch the Portland Timbers take on the Vancouver soccer team (honestly don’t know their team name).

About 10 minutes after the second half started, I received a phone call from home. I answered, assuming my mom just had some random update to share. I only wish. Instead I heard this, “Laura’s been in an accident.” Immediately my eyes got big and my heart started racing.

Apparently, she and her boyfriend had been on their way back to his grandparent’s cabin on his quad when the accident happened. When he tried to slow down to maneuver the curve in the road, the quad fish-tailed throwing them both off of it. Laura landed hard on her left side and later learned that her pelvis had been broken in the fall. Beau walked away with just a bruise (although it’s pretty swollen and painful), but she was airlifted to Harborview. Being the thrill-seeker that she is, she requested to be awake for take-off, so she’d at least remember her first helicopter ride.

Broken pelvis? No big deal for my sis!

I’m sad that she’s hurt.

Mom decided her hair needed attention.

She has to wear these air-casts on her calves to keep circulation in her legs.

She’s doing well, but is getting frustrated with waiting for so long. Originally, her surgery was supposed to happen Sunday morning, but she keeps getting bumped since she’s not considered critical (i.e. doesn’t have a tube down her throat). Plus, she’s an ortho case, so they figure they can always re-break her bone if they need to in order to perform her surgery. Sad day!

Definitely not the way I wanted to spend the 3-day weekend. I know it’s not what she had in mind.

Of course, in my family, the drama doesn’t end with just one sibling. I had driven home Sunday morning from my weekend of soccer to be there for my baby sis in the hospital. So that night, I decided to spend the evening at my parent’s home in Snohomish. My mom and I enjoyed a nice long respite in the hot tub and then settled into the basement with some coconut cream pie and a Billy Crystal movie. We were about halfway done with our pies, when the phone rang. Assuming it was Laura, my mom got up and answered it while my dad and I continued watching the movie. There was no one on the other line, so my mom hung up. Seconds later the phone rang again and still no one was on the receiving end. The phone rang a third time and finally someone was there. And it wasn’t Laura like we all thought. Nope. This time it was D. And she was hysterical.

She had decided to cook hash browns at 10:30 at night. Don’t ask me why, this is just D’s way. She left the pan of oil on the burner and walked into her bedroom to change & check her e-mail. A few minutes passed and she started hearing a popping sound. She exited her bedroom to investigate and saw flames curling out from under the lid of her pan and licking the top of her stove. She attempted to pour salt on the increasing blaze, but to no avail. Unfortunately, she made the mistake of lifting the lid on the pan. The flames leaped out of the pan of burnt oil and climbed their way up her microwave & cabinets. She called for help and a nearby neighbor rushed to her aid with a fire extinguisher, but it was too late. The sprinklers came on and began flooding her kitchen and the tenants below her. In the end, 3 fire trucks arrived, a fire & rescue truck, and she displaced the people living below her on the 2nd and 1st floor.

The remains of her kitchen.

All in all, it could have been a lot worse. It just needs a little TLC and she’ll be back in there whipping up cookies to thank her neighbors for being so understanding.

But then again…they may want her to stay away from the stove for the time being.

My only thought, “I’m sure glad the weekend is over!”

Rest for the Weary

Yesterday, I came home exhausted. I didn’t fall asleep until 1AM the night before & was awoken throughout the night by my obnoxious kitties, which didn’t help my REM sleep at all.

Consequently, when I arrived home yesterday at 4:30, I decided a quick nap was in order to re-energize my body so I would be able to function for the rest of the night. I curled up on my ridiculously soft L-couch and immediately melded into the cushions. With my down blanket pulled tightly around my shoulders and face, I quickly fell into a deep slumber. When I awoke, I thought maybe an hour had passed, but was horrified to see the clock mocking me with a blinking 7:58. I had already missed more than half of my bible study, so going to that was officially out. Now, I was left with the question “What to do?” as all my plans had been thrown into upheaval.

So I decided to continue resting. I relaxed by reading and watching Grey’s Anatomy & The Office. Not how I originally envisioned my night, but definitely what I needed.

This of course got me thinking. Why is our society so against rest?

In today’s world, it’s so easy to get caught up in the go-go-go of things and neglect the fact that our bodies need rest. I mean, geez! God even made a day specifically devoted to rest, yet we still can’t sit still. We are always dialed in. Be it on the phone, text messaging, emailing, surfing the net (i.e. facebook/myspace), playing video games, or watching our favorite shows…it seems like technology follows us everywhere. I was at the movies a few weeks ago and sitting next to me was a couple in their mid-forties having a night out. However, what saddened me was that neither one of them was acknowledging the other. There were no entertaining slides up on the movie screen, so instead of engaging in conversation, they were both on their I-phones; checking email or reading the news. Whatever they were doing, it was solitary…with the illusion of being social. Because, hey! We like to think that e-mail keeps us connected or facebook & myspace friends are “real”, but it really takes a lot away from relationships…making them simply impersonal.

Anyway, these were just my thoughts last night. And it’s something I try not to become to consumed with. I enjoy talking face to face so much more than over the phone or the web. I love going out in nature & being active with my friends. And I try to leave my cell phone behind whenever I get a chance. Because I don’t want to be dependant on it. In fact, I loathe the idea of becoming one of those people who feels naked when their phone is more than ten feet from their side. Or who can’t go on vacation anywhere that doesn’t have a television or cell service.

So please, embrace rest! Make time to just be still. To talk to God. To venture outside without your cell phone, iPod, or laptop. To have coffee with a friend. Or even, simply to catch up on much needed sleep. Most importantly, rest in the Lord.

More Creations

I know all of you (the 3 people that read my blog) have been waiting for another stunning (sarcasm) Photoshop design. So, without further ado, I present my two latest and greatest (or not).

One I had help with from a tutorial. The other I created on my own.

Accidental Collision?

Wednesday morning started out calm and full of promise. I was out the door at 6:48 and there wasn’t a spot of traffic on the road. I turned onto the road in front of my work and still had 3 minutes until 7. What would I do with this rare free time? Go to Starbucks and get a warm drink? The thought crossed my mind and if only I had heeded that fleeting thought. Instead, I decided to go straight to work. I put my blinker on, slowed down to a stop, and waited for the bicyclist and lone motorist to pass me by so I could make my left hand turn. Right as I was about to begin my turn I was jolted out of my seat. I let out a cry of rage and an “Oh no you didn’t!”

Yes, he did. A taxicab had run into my rear passenger side bumper & tire. Obviously not looking at the road, he had made an extremely wide right-hand turn out of the parking lot to my right. Instead of turning into the near lane, he turned right into me – in the inside lane! So, I spent my free minutes pulling over, exchanging my information and gathering his, all the while trying to understand what he was saying. He didn’t want to involve the police or insurance companies. Yeah right! Like I’m just going to hope he pays me back…sure. He seemed nice enough. And gave me his insurance and contact information willingly. But I contacted my insurance company and filed my claim. I told them he wanted to pay out of pocket & that I was going to give him the opportunity to do so (with a cashier’s check or something equally legit). I took my car in, got the estimate, and began the repairs – all on Wednesday. The estimate currently stands at $1200. I called him & informed him of the price – on his answering machine. I waited. And waited. He called late Wednesday night & said he wanted to meet to discuss things. Okay…fine. But I’m bringing my dad along.

So, at noon yesterday I went to the Starbucks to meet him. My dad and I waited for over half an hour & decided that was ample time for him to show up. So I called my insurance company and told them to proceed with handling the situation. Later in the day, I saw I had a missed call & a new text message. Both from this guy. He called almost 2 hours after our scheduled meet & greet and left a voice mail that I am certain is in a different language…possibly cussing me out. That part I couldn’t tell. The text said to “Call ****”. But I feel like I have accommodated him enough and now it just comes down to the fact that I want my car repaired. I gave him 2 days and feel that that was more than generous. I could have simply said no and gone straight to his insurance company, but I didn’t. I gave him a little time. But the fact is, I can’t wait forever because I need my car fixed & I need to make sure I’m not footing the bill. Especially since I wasn’t at fault in the situation.

I have always had a certain phobia towards Seattle taxicabs. They always appear to drive erratically and I fear I’ll get hit every time I’m stuck next to one.

Now I know that it was a healthy fear.

I feel bad that I’m hurting this guys driving record, but insurance is there for a reason…right?

Please let me hear some feedback…if only for my peace of mind!

Thoughts of This and That

A collection of random thoughts…

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Today is my little sister’s birthday and I can’t believe she’s 23 already! Honestly it seems like just yesterday we were 8 and 10. Riding our bikes around the neighborhood, making up rollerblade routines in our neighbor’s carport with our boom box blasting the Lion King CD. I mean, we had to have music to plan our routines to and who wouldn’t choose the Lion King? Other memories of those days include spying on our big sis from our not-so-secret secret hide-out, playing paper dolls in my room – forever fearful that Darcie or my mom would catch us in the act, and who could forget our drawn-out Christmas Eve ping pong matches?

Sadly, those youthful days have passed and we are now in our twenties. All three of us “King girls”. (It’s okay for me to use the “girls” phrase) Sometimes I wish for what used to be. The carefree days and lazy summer afternoons. But it’s also fun to watch how we have each transformed from child to adult. The child in us still rears its’ head on occasion, but a little more subtly than before.

So I will send a shout out to my sister…not that she reads my blog, but still. Happy 23!

***

I’m getting back in the groove. Slowly, but surely. I’m working at being more consistent in reading the bible and spending time journaling in my prayer journal. I used to be really good about writing in it, but then something happened. I started dating this guy and he began stealing away my moments alone and I let it slip. My entries became fewer and fewer, until one day I opened it back up and saw that my last entry was from 3 months ago and the one preceding that was several months back too. Of course, I knew this was unacceptable, so I am trying to be better about taking 15-30 minutes a day to sit with God. To listen. To hear. To reflect. To talk. It is so important and necessary to my life. And I know that when I take this quiet time, I’m so much more prepared to face the day.

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Side note: I’m going to Disneyland in May! I’m super excited because I’m going with my family and my dad hasn’t been back since I was in first grade. The park has changed so much & I’m excited to experience all the “new” rides with him.

Fact of Life

Sometimes sweatpants, a heating pad, sappy chick flick, and a pint of chocolate ice cream are just necessary for a girl to indulge in.

Not to mention a good cry for no reason at all. That is simply imperative.

Appearances Can Be Deceiving

Darling aren’t they?

When you arrive home they are immediately at the door to greet you, nuzzling your legs, crawling into your lap, and purring up a storm. How could you resist stroking their soft, silky fur or scratching behind their ears? They knead softly on your lap while looking at you with their sizzling sly eyes. All of a sudden the hair on your neck stands up and you get a cold chill down your spine. For a fleeting moment you wonder if they might be plotting something against you. But then the kitties relax and resume their purring. They snuggle closer to you and curl up oh-so-sweetly on your lap, warming you and taking that chill right away. You shrug off that feeling of doom and slip into a false sense of relief and contentment.

Welcome to my life. I love my boys to death. But they don’t always return the favor. At least not once they have received the attention they’ve been craving. Sure, they greet me at the door and cuddle with me on the couch when watching Lost or October Road. However, as nice as that may sound they have a devious side to them. And it never benefits me.

Their meow can compete with the sound of nails on a chalkboard. Just as nails slowly screech across a blackboard, so do their meows squeak out in the most grating and loud death howl you can imagine. And it doesn’t happen just once. Or even twice. No, they can cry for an hour straight if they so choose. It really depends on how angry they are with me. Did I mention this typically happens at 4am? Yeah, exactly. They don’t do it when I’m awake. They wait until I’m deep in my REM sleep before belting out their shrieking tune. Are they crying for any apparent reason? No. Their food bowl is overflowing, the water in their dish straight from the tap. So what is the reason behind their cry? My only answer is to test my patience as much as possible. And cause more stress lines around my eyes.

We have a plant. In our house. It is large and green and receives water whenever I remember. The boys are intrigued by this plant. A little too much. I should have known from the beginning that the plant in the house spelled trouble. But I trusted them and granted them access to the plant. Only to come home to find this: The boys had dug around the base of the plant, chewed the lower leaves, trotted around the house with dirt all over their paws leaving a nice brown trail in their wake, and rolled in the dirt, covering their entire bodies with grainy crumbs of soil. The look on their tiny faces when I discovered their dirty deed? One of pure joy mixed with contempt and a side of smug.

Fact: Cats have claws.
Discovered: Cats like to sharpen their claws.
Result: Cats sharpen claws on whatever they can find. Wicker furniture, bed spreads, couch, carpet, foam that the water heater rests on. Pretty much anything they can find, they will use. Destructive little beings. And they relish the fact. They will purposely sharpen their claws on my chair right in front of me, looking at me with an evil grin as they slowly lift one paw into the air, place it softly on the arm of the chair, extend their claws, and then pierce. So triumphant they are. And they know that even if I shoo them away they can simply come back when I’m asleep or away. My house is really under their control.

Moral of the story: Don’t judge a cat by it’s purr.