Cougs Win!

This is why it is so fun to be a Coug. Just when it gets about as low as it can go, just when the talk starts to turn to despair vs hope, just when that tiny bit of doubt begins to creep into a thought now and then, that's when the true essence of being a Cougar rises to the top.

Thursday the Cougar basketball team blew a significant lead to lose to USC. It seemed that there was no heart left in their season. It made it hard to imagine watching the UCLA game on Saturday with any sort of anticipation almost non-existent. But watch we did and what we saw was sheer determination. WSU was clearly the underdog, clearly no one, including the announcers, gave them much of a chance. Apparently someone forgot to tell the players of their lot in life. They were tied at half time. They shook off their usual second half demise and fought through to victory at the end of the game.

This was more than just a game. It is the perfect example of the joy of being a Cougar. There is always hope, there is always tomorrow, the next game, the next season or the next year. A true Cougar will wear the colors proudly, even in the face of a purple clad Husky fan gloating over their first place standing in the Pac 10. It is especially easy today given that UCLA beat the Huskies on Thursday.

So, my faith in the Cougs is restored once again, not that it was ever really gone, just missing for a bit. I love being a Cougar!

President's Day--Birth of a Leader

President's Day is a national holiday to celebrate the birthdays of two famous presidents, Washington and Lincoln. It is celebrated on a Monday in February even if it isn't the actual birthday of either one. President's Day is the day that celebrates the birth of leaders.

In 1986, President's Day fell on February 17th. In 1986 another great leader was born on President's Day.

As the day started, I knew that by the end of the day, my second child would be born. At this point of course I had no idea if it would be Hannah Marie or Hal David. You see, this was small town USA. There were no ultrasounds to determine the sex of the child before they were born. I don't think I would have wanted to know but still, it was not an option. I already had the most perfect of sons and everyone around me was certain I would have a little girl. My son kept talking about the baby sister that was coming. I was afraid. I knew how to take care of a boy but what would I do with a girl?

About 3:00 in the afternoon we headed into town driving the 14 miles from Conconully to Omak and took our son to Grandma's and told them we were headed into town to check out the situation at the hospital. Omak only had one hospital, two birthing beds and as it turned out, both of those were presently in use so there was no room at the inn, so to speak. I checked in with a doctor at the clinic, mine was out of town for the three day weekend of course. He was immediately nervous because most women as far along as I was at that point would have been in bed in labor a long time ago. I told him the situation at the hospital and he said not to wait more than a half hour.

So we decided to go to the pet store. What could be more soothing than a room full of aquariums? We were walking around looking, nervous with anticipation and made even more so when the clerk innocently asked when the baby was due. I told her in about 4 hours or so and she proceeded to follow us around the store until we finally had to leave. I guess she just didn't want the baby born there.

And right on time, within 4 hours of our arrival at the hospital, a bed finally available, our second son was born, 8 lbs 13 oz. My doctor had made it just in time. I mean just in time. He had put his rubber gloves on so quickly that he didn't even get all his fingers in the right places. I was so relieved and happy to have another son.

This was the birth of a leader. My son. His entire life he was to follow in the footsteps of the best of examples of a leader in his older brother. This is where he developed the instinct of leadership. To this day he will deny his ability to be a leader but he is. And, in the shadow of Abraham Lincoln, he is also one of the most honest people I know. He may not be destined to be the leader of the free world but he will be a leader of his own world. I am so proud of him.

Now, a birthday tribute would not be complete without at least a few embarrassing photos but unfortunately, my scanner is not letting me scan those baby pictures. So this will have to do for now.

Happy Birthday Hal. Go for the gusto!

Things I have done

Okay, so I took this from another blog but it was such fun that I thought I would so something with it. This is supposed to be a birthday list of things done or to be done in life. There are 99, certainly not an all inclusive list, and I have done 55 of them, basically a little more than one for each year of my life. There are clearly some I wouldn't ever want to do (bounced a check, broken a bone, been in an ambulance etc.). Then there are those I have no chance of ever doing, adopting a child for instance.

I am very surprised at what I have done on this list. I have been very fortunate in my life to have been able to do so much.

The challenge now is what else on this list can I do. I can certainly serve in a soup kitchen, ride on a motorcycle but I would like to try to do some of the more challenging ones like run a marathon (maybe half or quarter) and I really secretly have always wanted to go skydiving.

Anyone reading this, copy this list and bold everything on it that you have done. I'd be interested in your results.

Have fun with this.

1. Started your own blog

2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been a passenger on a motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Kissed a stranger at midnight on New Year’s Eve
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Got a tattoo
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee

Degrees of Separation

Distance can be literal or figurative. Seattle is 4799 miles from London, England. This is a fact. It is 8 hours later in England than in Seattle or Gig Harbor.

It is not the distance or the time difference so much that makes this a difficult separation from my son. It is the glaring truth that from here on out, there will always be a distance. Right now it is miles, time, but it is soon to be a life difference.

It is hard to go from a time when I received a daily phone call, on the way home from class, nothing else to do so call Mom while walking home and talk. I lived for those phone calls. Just to hear that voice that was my last tangible grasp at all that was important to me. Now, there is no phone call. I don't even have a phone number to call. I am a slave to Skype and a time difference that doesn't seem to accomodate two lives 4799 miles or so apart. I hate to seem desperate but you could say I am. I miss my hugs! I love him more than he loves me.

On the other hand, I was able to have a great Happy Friday kind of conversation with Kale. He is so interesting and so much a part of me. I was so lucky to have three years and two months with him as a baby and toddler in Conconully, all by ourselves. I feel like so much of what he is today is founded in that experience. I love talking to him on the phone. I can tell when he is happy, concerned, sick or just bored (usually by the end of the convesation). He can distance himself in the world physically but never emotionally. I love him more than he knows.

Who loves their mom?

Thanks Dad and Carole King

It has been brought to my attention that my last post might have been a little sad. Well, maybe so, but anyone who knows me knows that whatever moments of sadness and self pity I have don't last very long. In fact, I have been accused of being over the top when it comes to optimism and being positive. But, just as there are always going to be things in life about which one can worry or get angry or sad, there are always going to be more things in which to rejoice and be happy.

This attitude does not come from religion, I'm admittedly not a big one on that subject, but does come from someone who was certainly a God in my eyes growing up, my dad. That man went through more downs in his life. He was raised by his mother, one of 6 boys during the depression. One brother died in WWII. He and my mom lost their second daughter at six months old to crib death. After hurting his back and changing professions to become an amazing photographer, he always struggled with money and yet somehow managed to get three children through college and help one follow in his photography footsteps. There was so much to this man I can't possibly go into it all here. But he lived a positive life. He told me and so many others during his life the one thing that keeps me looking forward. That is, we have a choice every day. We can choose to have a good attitude, be positive and optimistic or not. The day will be what we want it to be. No matter what happened yesterday, today can be the best day of your life.

So, Friday I was taking a walk at lunch because although it was cold, the sun was out and it was a great day. My iPod in hand, I needed to choose some good walking music. And lo and behold I chose Carol King Tapestry, quite possibly one of the greatest albums of all time. It starts with "I Feel The Earth Move", a superb walking song. So I was really into this all of a sudden. But then, as the walk progressed, song after song was so good! And, like a slap in the face, I came the song "Beautiful". Now, I had been having self pity thoughts all week, just because of trouble at work with a co-worker, not really liking my job much etc. And this was like fate that I took this walk, chose this album and found it channeling my dad to me in the lyrics of this one song.

You got to get up every morning with a smile on your face
And show the world all the love in your heart.
Then people gonna treat you better
You're gonna find, yes you will,
That you're beautiful as you feel.

Boy did I need that wake up call! What do I have to pity? I have a great job in this horrible economy. I obviously have two of the best human beings on earth as my sons and their love is always there no matter where they are. I had the best of childhoods thanks to the love and sacrifices of two terrific parents and three siblings who cared so much. I have been married for almost 29 years to a great man, not perfect by any means but neither am I. I live in peace every day when so many in the world don't. Man, I need to get over myself.

And so I did. I got back to work, made things better with my co-worker, kicked ass on my assignments and got home in a great mood.

Life is funny. So many ups and downs. But the downs make the ups so special. Currently, I am looking forward to so many things. And when I get down again, and I will, I am human after all, I won't let it last so long. It's not worth it. Thanks Dad (and Carole King).