Finding the Time

As I attempted to complete thirty minutes of writing this morning I was interrupted twice. I was interrupted to the point of having to get up from my desk and attend a meeting, and the second time to witness events in the office. Both interruptions were required of me. These were work interruptions. At home I don't even get thirty minutes in any one chunk of time to attempt to write in an unbroken segment of thought.

It's great to be wanted.

I came across an old blog about 30 minutes for 30 days. It refers to writing - almost speed writing - but just writing for 30 minutes straight every day for 30 days. It might be time to try it again.

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.

The Sound and the Mountain

I've moved lately. In one friend's point of view, I've moved finally. It may have taken a long time from the decision to the execution but I was in no particular hurry to change up the scenery. I liked my apartment. Some of you may remember the day I posted a photo of doing cartwheels in my own new apartment back in 2009. I was happy. For goodness sake, I was thrilled.

I am still thrilled for myself for that move. Thrilled for that WHOLE move - from Wisconsin to Washington - without benefit of a job - with a truck and a 4x8 trailer. That, my friends, was thrilling.

This newest move is thrilling for a whole new and opposite set of reasons. I have traded the wide, fulfilling expanse of the waters of the Puget Sound for the majestic, humbling and empowering force of Mt Rainier. And I have moved in with someone.

I have traded the thrill of knowing for myself, knowing my self, the thrill of proving that I can do it, that I am capable, that I am not a nitwit. I have traded the empowering self-ness that I gained in living by myself with the thrill of bringing my self to this table, the thrill of sharing my self with another person who is fully capable of self-ness as well. I have two feet now, and I know how to use them.

I am living with someone. (Note to self: Cartwheel pictures?).

When will there ever be time for my collection?

I miss writing here. There was a time in my life when I felt there was never enough money. Somehow I just couldn't come up with the funds to do the things I thought I really wanted to do. Now I am finding money has no place in the equation. Now I am finding that I'm just not able to carve out the time to do all the things I think I really want to do. It's not that I make more or less money than before. It seems that the days fly by so much faster and I have collected far too many interests to be able to fully enjoy any of them. I love my collection of interests. I hoard them close to my heart and spend small moments each day saddened that I cannot spend any time with any particular one. These small moments of regret invariably occur as I am racing along to the next new and shiny interest. And the days fly by...