In the Last Five Years

In the last five years I have had the opportunity to do some amazing things. I moved to Washington State 5 years ago this week and today is a great day to mark the anniversary of my arrival.

In the last 5 years I -

Ran a half-Marathon.

Went to Paradise (and had a snowball fight while I was there).

Wrote 2 novels - one 50,000+ words, the second 100,000+ words (edits are NOT complete yet).

Got a job.

Got a promotion.

Married off a daughter.

Launched another daughter.

Changed cell phone plans (harder than it sounds.)

Changed cell phone plans again (I got it down this time. I have no FEAR)

Dealt with and defeated the Wicked Witch of Stupid Office Politics and Power Mongering (and I got a better job out of defeating that witch...damn I'm good)

Furnished an apartment exactly as I wanted.

Bought a car for $100 - and I've been driving it for 2+ years now.

Sold my truck for good money while it was still a working vehicle.

I have visited my family every year that I have been here. Sometimes they come to me. And sometimes I go to them.

I was named Women's Division Leader at my "house of worship". That was cool.

Broke my ankle.

Took up skiing again (in that order).

I caught a HUGE salmon!

I pulled clams out of the sand.

I held a starfish and tiptoed through Sand Dollar beds.

I went to a parade of Naked Bicylists (three years in a row - I have photos to prove it).

Went to a professional baseball game.

Went to a professional Football game.

I've let Green Frogs sing me to sleep and wake me up in the morning.

I sang to Calliope music.

I rode a Ferry across the Sound.

I drove over the pass in late winter.

I'm going to keep thinking on this. Maybe add to the list. I've done a lot in the last five years. And in remembering all that has occurred lies a happiness that I cannot deny.

Life is good.

Better than a Field Trip - Marine Biology

The beach was full, absolutely full of starfish.  They were all lazing around in the sun, turning pink, waiting for the tide to come back in.  I didn't have any starfish sun screen on me.  They should have brought their own if they are going to laze about on the beach. 

I really had to watch my step.  The Sand Dollars were thick as thieves.  I have never been in the presence of so many sand dollars.  Still alive.  Living, moving purple disks, with wiggly anemone bodies.  The sand dollar beds are just below the surface of the sand.  In the first photo, just above the shadow of my personal photographer is a sand dollar bed.  I don't know if it's possible to zoom in.  If so, there are dark cresents just peeking above the sand.  Those are the edges of sand dollars.  They are at least three deep in these beds.

 I don't think I will ever feel bad about picking up sand dollars again.  They live in great harem's on top of each other, thousands thick.

Sun burnt starfish