WAXING PHILISOPHICAL--WASHINGTON STATE PONDERS PISS BOMBS, FRIENSHIP, AND LIFE


Friday night dara and i found ourselves in a place that is fast becoming our "friday night spot." We were sitting at the bar chatting with the bartenders and a friendly man next to us gave us an impromptu beer lesson and then, himself a few beers deep, began to wax philisophical (i always think of anne bode with when i use the word philisophical.) He reminded us that should we decide to stay in olympia (i guess we didn't mention we're leaving in december) that the adjustment will only get harder before it gets easier. Ourselves a few beers in we momentarily became contemplative, and while his statement rang true, certainly, we refused to let it wretch us from our new-found positive feelings about the place--and life intervened at just that moment to reaffirm our faith that the worst of the adjustment was over!
Our very first night out on the town, at the very same tavern we happened to be in that night, we met a guy at the bar who chatted with us for a bit and was friendly. We hadn't seen or heard from him since, and guess who should show up at that moment--chad! He, apparently, had been in earlier and asked the bartenders if they had seen us around--they said that they had, we generally came in on friday's and he said he'd come back--and he did--and we were there--and that is how we made our very first friend.
Saturday i started the nannying job and spent 6 fabulous hours with my new children. They are 5 and 7 and a bit of a handful, but generally good kids. Subsequently I have spent every afternoon with the girls making them fun snacks, writing stories, walking the dog, training the dog, washing dishes, playing soccer, riding bikes, and generally assuming the role of "mom" for a few hours every day--just what i've always wanted ;)?!
Sunday Payam moved home and the whole house has a new air about it! You know how you can be just busy all the time at home. Friends to see, errands to run, classes to go to etc etc. Well dara and I have seen a whole lot more movement since Payam showed up and we're loving it. We lucked out with the craigslist matchup. Payam is chill--for sure. Our first assessment of him was near correct with a few details here and there changed, altered, or generally left untouched ;) He's got a quality that I can't quite name that just works. Unlike I, he has mastered the art of "double booking" and his life seems to flow in a "no worries" sort of path. Its refreshing. He's got an attitude and an approach to all things that dara and I see as a blend of Dan and Mike G. The three of us have been having family dinners (P made us persian food, I made us lobster tails, and D made us sole) and last night P took us out to a Potlatch dinner among friends. We met some of his friends, all of whom were really sweet. Its funny how much things can change just a few short months out of college. I love their college mentality, and I love being around it, but i feel a little old--which i've never felt in my whole life before! After dinner there was cake and after cake their was a near attempt at kitten kidknapping--i tired so hard, but in the end dara's lack of soul (she doesn't like kittens) and Payam's allergies won out and the kitten remains with its mother :(

This good week, coupled with the below excerpt of advice received from the wise and talented Rachel "Tubs" Retrum:

you can't expect things to be good yet. sorry,kiddo. but if they were always good, if things were always the wayyou wanted them you'd never REALLY know how happy you are. you haveto know what it is to be displaced to know what home feels like. youhave to know loneliness to know love. and you have to know fear toknow assurance.

means that all and all Olympia is looking up, and our philisophical friend from the bar had a point, a good point, and perhaps we'll find later a very true point, but it isn't resonating with our present experience, and that is just fine with us!!


Remember to Compost--J

I DIDN'T OVERDO IT--I JUST DID IT FUNNY




Things are shaping up here in Olympia. The house we're staying in at the moment is really only a two person place, and, while our third housemate was willing to overlook that fact, the landlord, it seems, was not--so we've been looking to find a new place starting in October and we've found one! Its a gorgeous one bedroom apartment in the center of downtown (got a view of the Capital building) and is literally next door to a starbucks (amazingly exciting as we're pretty sure we'll be able to borrow their WI-FI access for free). Additionally, it overlooks a gorgeous park that for the time being has white christmas lights strung all around the peripheriy and has a gazeebo in the center. All for a startalingly low price so it seems like we've lucked out.


In other news, Dara has been working at an eatery for a few days, and her boss has given her the task of opening the store each morning, which is pretty hot. She gets to make coffee and lattes and sandwiches. I can't vouch for anything but the lattes, but they were pretty good! We've gotten cooking down pat (dara is the queen of guacamole making, with a pretty advanced degree in cut and bake cookie perfection--but thanks to the gym that's no problem) and we're having fun with it all. I add another twenty hours a week to my work schedule this coming monday which should be overwhelming, but the money will be good. Got lots of big plans for weekend trips to alaska, canada, oregon, and CA. Fot the time being we're on a solid mission to find me a day planner, and I am still interested in trying to audit a class at the University in town--if not for the learning itself, for the social opportunity!

Remember to compost--J

Its true, WE ONLY GO TO THE GYM FOR THE HOT GUY



Life in Olympia is good, clean, organic, and healthy. Its a hippy town in many ways with the food co-ops, the mutual respect for the enviornment societes, neighborhood composting projects, etc. People get outside here. Bike riding is so prevalent that the intercity transit (read bus system) provides a method by which people with bikes can easily transport themselves and their bikes to their desitination. Every bus is equipped with a bike rack on the front which can accomodate four or more bikes at a time. The weather has been sunny so far which means people on bikes are everywhere.

We've taken a more East coast route to our health routine and we've joined a gym. This allows us the opportunity to work out away from the gorgeous shining rays of sun, and stay off the main roads where people constantly stare, honk, call out, and occassionally throw things at us ;) Its about a mile and a half from home and we've been pretty good about walking there (though now that we've got the gold KIA we'll see if that lasts!) Despite our best attempts to convince ourselves that we go for the mere health benefits, and the added appeal of giving our afternoons a purpose, we know that more often than not, we drag ourselves outside after a day of work to hit the gym just for the oppotunity to see the BEAUTIFUL man who works there. You know who he is, every gym has one--the gorgeous male trainer who sits at the front desk enticing women to join the gym--and it works! Our interactions with him have been limited but every afternoon when we leave, sighing deeply in exhaustion and mutually affirming our belief that he is gorgeous we decide tomorrow is the day we're gonna speak to him. Not just the mundane chitchat regarding the facilities, or the subtle flirtation which i am sure he hands out in ample quantities, but a real conversation leading to an invitation to meet up. Our first "friend" in Oly is going to be good-looking, of that we are determined. With that in mind, it is a gorgeous day here in the NorthWest--its time to go to the gym!

remember to compost--