On The Road--Sort Of

                                                                  Near Teddy Bear Cove
                                                                 Bellingham, Washington

      I am still sitting here doing something I am not very good at, waiting and sitting.  Sitting and waiting.  My wife and I took off to meet up with our kiddos and their Nanna, and way to soon we ended up with truck troubles.  I did manage to get some great pictures of the downed bridge, over the Skagit river.  But I can not show you those yet because that camera is in our truck that is still in the shop.  I have been broke down a lot, and have an entire album of pictures of my stranded on the side of the road with the vehicle hood up.  Waiting for someone to come along, and tell me why the car was not running anymore.   I am not mechanical in any way, shape, or form.  As far as break downs go, this one treated us very good.   Except for now while we wait for the shop to get more parts in the mail and for them to empty out our bank account.   We even managed to stay at a new friends  house the two full days while the truck was being worked on.  The amazing odds of having all three of the rigs involved in our move break down, is beyond my calculation powers for sure.  But the only thing I can reason from these odds, is that we have way to much stuff!   The joys of having three kids, being boarder line hoarders, and of living in the same house for three years.   So any luck at all, we will leave this state tomorrow afternoon. 

     Needless to say, we are not going to move again.   Arizona is our new home for good.   Beyond missing our kids, who are also stranded with car trouble, I do not sit well at all. 

 

This is my face when I think about being with our kids again!

 And I have been bombarded online by what I can only call a new fan!  I wish I could say that the disgruntled comments came from someone that read my blogs.   Because I would love any type of comments on these blogs, any of the posts.   But this person completely feels that I do nothing for my family.   I would say that her opions are her thoughts and not give it a 2nd thought, but this person is never around me, so her thoughts are all started by talking to my mother in law.   Someone I have helped a ton in the last few months.   To help her that much and still get talked down that much, at first made me feel like sh*t  but than made me realize that I did not need to help this woman in any way for a good long time.   Neither of these individuals deserve any more space in this blog post, or in my life plans, so to lighten the mood, on with some jokes, yo!

      My personal diet plan, is brought to you by the letter C   It is the seafood diet, if I see food  I eat it.  I love food.  I have to pause to say how disgruntled I am to have seen that the Cookie Monster does not eat cookies anymore.   WTF?  Apparently it is not the right image for kids to see him eat so many cookies and is not a healthy image.  Although I do have a very large belly growing --I am not huge even after alllll of the Sesame Street I watched through the years.

 

 

                                                      One stop shopping for sure!

                                                            I love this one!!

     In case you did not pace yourself, and missed it, it was just Memorial day weekend. 
I was visiting friends and my folks  something I will post about soon.    But here is the true insight on the extended weeksend....

 

 

 

 

This is also a shot I took while roaming around Bellingham.

 

I will forever love the endless views and sights of the area.

This was the fifth time I have lived in the great town.

And it will always remain in my heart, but

on the same note it is an amazingly expensive town.

And it was beyond time for our family to move on.

 

Arizona or bust!

 

Mini-Vacation Rambling

                    Between the boardwalks, going into Fairhaven, Washington

   "Great things are done by a series of small things brought together."-----Vincent Von Gogh



     Many of my older posts have deep quotes in them.   I have been trying to continue this tradition, but have not seen many good ones.   The above comes from the wall in the coffee shop I am attempting to wake up in.  I am not sure if all of the small quotes put together would lead to anything great, but many of them make me laugh and a few inspire me, so I guess that is at least a good thing. 

 

One of the best coffee signs I have found while exploring.

Hoquim, Washington

    I have been posting much more the last few days, because I am on a mini vacation.  The hours at Seattle airport gave me time to post.  The same goes for my free/wake up time in coffee shops the last few mornings.  This trip is about visiting old friends and visiting my parents.   *One must note that I have know the friends for a long time, since fifth grade, and that they are old.  I can say this-because "Vegas Dude" is younger than me, but his birthday falls before me-so he must be older, and because his wife is having a birthday today.   For many reasons I have few friends of any type, at least that others can also see, so knowing them for so long is a special gift.  But not so special that one should wear a helmet when visiting them.   Another huge part of this trip is exploring and me time.   Taking pictures, being in nature, and writing these blogs is beyond calming for me.   I got some good exploring in yesterday, and many pictures.  Now I must guzzle coffee, walk six blocks, and than play tour guide to my parents for the rest of the day.  OK that almost makes it look like a chore---I am really excited about seeing them. 
   Reviving is important because right after I return home, my wife and I have a weekend together, and than we start our drive to our new home in Arizona, "Land of the sweating sun!"   OK that is still not the state motto, but it should be, or at least the motto for Phoenix.  Just typing that word makes me angry, I do not like anything about that town, the town that starts with and smells like P.  Of course we will be taking pictures the entire move, and once we are settled, the blog posts will return.  

 

What motivates you?

    As much as I would like it not to, this trip is also greatly about missing my family.  So the cell phone is getting a lot of use.   And I find my motel room much to quiet as I lay alone tossing and turning, to used to the one I love the most being beside me.   Yes we all need space, but the lonely that kicks in the darkness of the middle of the night --hurts a little to much.   My wife's undying love for me, and how much I have with our kids, a challenged but great dog, etc etc keeps me going.   But what motivates me the most, is that I will return to her arms early in the AM tomorrow.   I am not sure I really like my me time, because it turns me into an almost deep thinker.  

 

 

       

 

Annoyed yet?

It is never to early to start shopping for that perfect gift for me!

 

 

I will never claim to be the brightest crayon in the box, but every time I leave my house

I wonder about people for sure.

Maybe if I would just stop going to Wally World!?

 

 

Electronics and such have advanced so rapidly---do you know the number of objects our kids kids will never have even heard of.   Even our kids for that matter.

 

 

Exploring Beautiful Bellingham & Whatcom County: Skagit Tulip Festival

Exploring Beautiful Bellingham & Whatcom County: Skagit Tulip Festival:           Today we explore just beyond Bellingham and Whatcom county.  I have lived in this area off and on for many years, but until jus...


 My other page has some great exploring and personal picture. This is my post from today. Extra full of pictres. Please take a look and enjoy! I will be back tomorrow with a regular post on this page.  

Changes

                                                                Chill!

                                                By the bay     Bellingham, WA



        Everything changes.  For better or worse.  From the weather to relationships.   I have been through a ton of changes in the last two years.   Most of them for the better.  With us moving cross country at the end of the month, the changes are many and rapidly coming at us. Yesterday was my last day at a job I loved, a job I really enjoyed---- a job a liked much more than not. ;)   Actually all things considered it was a very good job.   And I have had much worse jobs and bosses *Wal-Mart  comes to the top of my mind with a huge list of negatives.   I realized how good a job I had last night, while a friend was over.   He just hit eight years of working at the same job, and was realizing it might be time to change things up.   The more perks I talked about in the year I worked at the casino, the sadder he seemed to get.   I can say that I would seriously have considered keeping this job, if the commute from Arizona would not be a b*tch, or if we owned our own leer jet.   I can also say that after eight years at Wally World, I was beyond ready for change before burn out completly took over.  The job lead me to great things including it being how I meet my wife.  I also can say that I lived a lot in the last eight years.   From numorous moves, exploring, getting married, getting my drivers licence back, landing an awsome job, etc.   I am not sure our buddy could say the same about his last eight years.   I also was not brave enough to ask him about all of that. 
       Today I am spending most of the day flying, off to visit my parents.  Because it has been to long since I have seen them last.  Also because the flight voucher we purchased earlier in the year is about to expire.   Actually I am spending a huge part of today in airports.   With cheap flights, comes long layovers.  Luckily the Seattle airport has lots to explore.   And free wi-fi.   I am giving my feet a break at the moment and writing this very blog post.  Lucky you!   Of course I have a camera with me, so at least one new exploring blog will soon follow.  
        My blogs have seen a ton of change.   From were I reside, to my marital status.   All the while my state of mind clearly changes with my attitude.   I would like to hope my writing style changes for the better as the years pass.   But that is still greatly open for debate.   This my first blog series just hit 15,000 views, with 300+ posts!   My exploring Bellingham, WA blog has over 2,000 views  now with 70+ posts.  And I have plans to use what I have learned and start a brand new blog series after our move.   
       I could fill another huge section about changes---but my butt is falling asleep so I choose to change the theme and post some jokes and such now.    Enjoy!

Not really a joke, but the truth.  

                                             Mmmmmmm coffee!!     
                                            If nothing else I seem to always post about coffee some how :)

                                                           Always!

                                                                Amen!

       I have vented about this many times in the past, but above is the cliff notes in a short neat package.

       With us preparing for a cross country move, and lots of extra work hours in the last few weeks, I have not been keeping up on posting my blogs.  To my 1.5 readers, I am sorry!  Tomorrow marks my last day of work, at I job I really like.  For the most part ;)   More on that after my last day.  

 

And you thought you had a bad job.

    And in nine days we start our move.  So I am not sure if I am about to be gaining or losing a ton of stress.   Every time I semi- retire I post the following job list on Facebook.   Mostly for my enjoyment.  It is not as entertaining as my list of run ins with the police.  But probably equally as long.


Someone just told me I had a lot of jobs----- So I tried to put them all down. Think I might have missed some.
            List starts about 1997 When I was a senior in High school or right abouts than.
Maybe next I will try to list allllll my moves--- good god lol
* Lawn Jobs --Big Horn, Wyoming 3 years
* B Horn School Maintenance half a summer * Got Fired*
* Perkins- host, server, bus boy-- 3 years Sheridan, Wyoming * Got awesome raise/walked*
* Jb's -Server 6 months or so Sheridan, Wyoming * Moved to Oregon*
* Pizza Hut -Server 6 months -- Eugene, Oregon * Quit on good terms*
* Lawn Ranger--Self employed lawn jobs Eugene, Oregon *Equipment got stolen*
* Denny's -Host 9 months Gleenwood, Oregon *Quit on good terms*
* Small new restaurant -- Server- 4 days! Springfiled, Oregon *forgot to show up 5th day*
* Wall Mart-- Cashier, sales floor, dept manager 8 long years-- Eugene, OR- Springfield, OR- Bellingham, WA-- Flagstaff, AZ-- Queen Creek, AZ *Quit before got fired*
* Flying J-- Server 7 months Kingman, AZ
* Carls Jr Cashier 3 days!! Kingman, AZ
* Home Depot Stock shelves 4 months Kingman, AZ
*Iron Skillet--- Server 2 months Kingman, AZ
* E Bay-Craig's list sales Kingman, AZ
* Everbodys supermarket Gopher 3 months Aberdean, WA *Fired for cashing a pay check!*
* IHOP dish/host 4 months Bellingham, WA
* Childcare/sales Blaine, WA
* Lawn Care---self employed Bellingham, WA
* Trident--- Fish gutting Seasonal Bellingham, WA
* Jb's Server Sheridan, Wyoming to Feb 2012
* Pilot Truck Stop/Subway Ferndale, WA 4 days!
* The Silver Reef Casino!!   July 2012- Present  Ferndale, WA

                                                              On the same note

 
  I am very sure that MANY things can be learned from watching the show "Cops."  But the insight I recently gained holds true in real life--- the longer the explanation ---the more possible the subject is guilty.   In short as my wife has been saying a lot lately -- not always to me,  "Excuses are like a$$holes, everyone has one."

    Have you ever started to over-think something  and than not been able to perform that task anymore?   Before you answer no, let me provide some examples.   Mostly because few people can follow my brains thought line.   A few years back while teaching our youngest how to tie his shoes, without using Velcro--I tried to over simplify it for him, and than soon found I was the one that needed Velcro shoes.   Sadly I found that only the very young and the very old should have Velcro shoes.  More recently, while I was trying to train people how to do my job, I started to over think things again---and found it amazingly hard to train for a very easy job.   Mostly just telling the newbies to "do the exact opposite of what I did, and they would have jobs there forever."   Most recently -I have been thinking a LOT about how amazing our bodies are.   All of the separate pieces and systems, it's amazing we can even make it out of bed each morning, which can not compare at all to how amazing it is that each of us was lucky enough to ever have been born.   All of this makes me pause and thing about how much effort is put into walking, nodding my head, or even scratching my butt.   And than suddenly way to much thought is put into the basic movements.  Making it almost hard to even walk or function.   Being a server is a hard job---being a good server is a hard job.  If you think it's not, you have never been a waiter.  Think of all the times you have eatin' out.  How many of those times, was the service lousy?   If it was easy-- 95% of your dinning experiences would be awesome!  Recall that next time you leave a $1.00 tip for $100 worth of food.  Although a great server needs to be on there toes and ready for anything, over thinking it at all, is equally as bad.  When you just react and use your experience and trainin' to make the people happy and content.  I have to use these things a lot, because I am a bad server.  Often stating it is my first week on the job, to get sympathy tips.  I also often say, that I am such a "great" server because I can not recall sh*t.    I am still not sure this paragraph makes sense to anyone besides myself, but maybe I am just over thinking it all. 

 

Another of my personnel pictures. 

Downtown Bellingham, WA  loving bush.

 

 

      Through all that is going on, I forgot to post anything about a VERY important day.....
   Mother's day!   I personally have the greatest mother ---mostly because she puts up with me.  ;)   My beautiful wife is also an amazing mother to three---well 7 if you count how good she is to me, our dog, her mother etc.   She runs the house hold, knows were everything is, and keeps us all in check.   This is true with my parents, and I believe in most house holds around the world.  And in retrospect none of us do enough for the woman in our lives.   We should make them feel great and or celebrate them every day not just on one day.   I really think this, not just because my wife is sitting near me, reading over my shoulder, and my because my mother is standing beside me.   Actually I am writing all of this rambling while I have a very rare few hours with no one else in the house.  

    My mother sent me this and now I must share:

                 MY MOTHER TAUGHT ME...
My Mother taught me LOGIC...
"If you fall off that swing and break your neck, you can't go to the store with me."
My Mother taught me MEDICINE...
"If you don't stop crossing your eyes, they're going to freeze that way."
My Mother taught me TO THINK AHEAD...
"If you don't pass your spelling test, you'll never get a good job!"
My Mother taught me ESP...
"Put your sweater on; don't you think that I know when you're cold?"
My Mother taught me TO MEET A CHALLENGE...
"What were you thinking? Answer me when I talk to you...Don't talk back to me!"
My Mother taught me HUMOR...
"When that lawn mower cuts off your toes, don't come running to me."
My Mother taught me how to BECOME AN ADULT...
"If you don't eat your vegetables, you'll never grow up.
My mother taught me ABOUT SEX...
"How do you think you got here?"
My mother taught me about GENETICS...
"You are just like your father!"
My mother taught me about the WISDOM of AGE...
"When you get to be my age, you will understand."
My mother taught me about ANTICIPATION...
"Just wait until your father gets home."
My mother taught me about RECEIVING...
"You are going to get it when we get home."
My mother taught me to APPRECIATE A JOB WELL DONE...
"If you're going to kill each other, do it outside - I just finished cleaning!"
My mother taught me about RELIGION...
"You better pray that will come out of the carpet."
My mother taught me about IRONY...
"Keep laughing and I'll give you something to cry about."
My mother taught me about CONTORTIONISM...
"Will you just look at the dirt on the back of your neck?!"
And finally, my mother taught me about JUSTICE...
"One day you will have kids, and I hope they turn out just like YOU..then you'll see what it's like."

 

 

 

 

 

      Always caught in the fine print   ;(

                 True story!     To bad I woke up   and it's not happining. 

Western Exploring---Look Out Tower

Thursday, May 2, 2013

 

         Last week again found us exploring the many trails through the woods near the WWU campus in beautiful Bellingham, Washington.  I say again, because it is such an enjoyable area to explore.  And I have several blog posts from on campus.   My personal favorite being:
http://exploreb-ham.blogspot.com/2012/10/wwu-campus-artwork-iii.html    Feel free to check them all out.   This page now has 70+ picture filled posts!  And I hope that it shows the best of the Bellingham area.    Please share the links if you enjoy what you see here!!  
     On this day I had two of our children with me, and the neighbor kiddo.  We have been to the area before, but I wanted to take my borrowed camera, and it's super duper powered zoom lens.  I tried to copy some of the same pictures I took years ago on a rare snow day, but getting the kids to stand still long enough to pose was a challenge.  Also our oldest was not with me, so it put a damper on that.   My attempts at similar pictures follow in this post.  As always I hope you enjoy this post!     Please do not forget about my first blog series---full of random rambling,  jokes, deep quotes, exploring, and coffee love :    www.wyomingjack.blogspot.com        This sight now has 350+ posts to roam through!     Enough self promotion on to the exploring!!

      Just past the parking lot--we prefer to park at the bottom of the hill and roam through the MANY trails in the woods.   One can park just feet from the look out tower though.  Anyways, just past the lower parking lot- is this great tree    well great to me.  

Looking back at the mountains in the distance.   

I would like to hike to the top of this one before we move.  But am running out of time.

Trails lead all through the trees.

And the area is marked with signs.  

But as most exploring in Whatcom -- it is easy to get lost.  

Luckily on these trails you mostly just need to head up to reach the tower.

         Similar structures can be found all around campus and Bellingham for that matter.
                   I have previously posted many pictures of habitats we have found.  
            This one was right off the trail, but is probably already gone.

If you take the right trails you will pass this old tunnel.

A passage through solid rock and time.

This is also a great spot for pictures and for yelling!

Stand near the middle of the tunnel for some great echos.

**Old picture from inside the tunnel**

Just in case you did not see the sideways date stamp from "09"

                                                      **Updated version**
                                             The child in the middle is not ours.

               

The tower peeks out through the trees!

And the view from the top....

Than time for some trail wandering and exploring.

Since it was no nearing dinner time we decided to follow the road back to our car.

Plus this route takes us through this natural arch way.

If you look closely above--you can see a tree growing straight up off of the middle of the arch.

**Old picture**

Next exploring blog is all about the Skagit Tulip Festival!