How to clean your house - or - when things go missing

The house was taken apart, swept, cleaned, vaccuumed, and searched.  Repeatedly searched.  This is NOT a good start.


We were leaving Friday and I was so excited because it was our honeymoon!!!  I BARELY made it through the end of the day and I remember asking the team, as they walked by in a cluster suggesting disaster, what was up.  One of them (or maybe all of them in unison) replied, "just go home, you don't need to know."  (I found out later, and really, I didn't want to know).    I left work with a lifted spirit and excitement over the next few days of our first real vacation together.

I walk through the door, my husband comes out of the bedroom, looks at me and says, “did you hide my wedding ring?” This is a bad sign. 

There are many things one could say to this. .. and the amount of things that went through my head were plenty.  And it’s probably a really good thing that I just said, “why would I do that?” Because, come on, WHY WOULD I DO THAT??

He went on to ignore me and continue (I can only guess he was continuing) to search vigourously for the missing wedding ring.  I joined in, as a good wife must, with no words (it was clear he was upset).  I knelt on the floor by the bed, moved all the things that could swallow up a ring.  I moved on to under the bed stands, in the closet, in the bathroom.  I looked through the garbage and the recycling.  I picked up items and put them down and move them around; things I know Mikal had already picked up and put down and moved around.

Then I made my first mistake. . . I asked a question

“Can you remember the last time you were wearing it?” – the answers were gruff and incredilous – OF COURSE!  IT WAS LAST NIGHT.  Ok, lesson learned, he was wearing last night.

I made my second mistake (because we had been looking for an hour or more and I know he’d been looking for even longer than that).  I said, “It’s ok, we can replace it”. . .Um, yeah, not the best sentence I ever said.  Mostly because I underestimated my husband’s fondness for his wedding ring. It’s first one and he doesn’t want to lose it.  And, well, it cost a lot of money (which is a big deal to him too).  The money part – we spent the money. . . and it’s not coming back, so – eh. . .

The fondness for it was endearing to me, but the looking when we couldn’t find it was futile.  So, he finally started to do something else to try to calm himself or distract himself, or something.  And I think he then accepted it.  I told him I was sorry and we hugged.  He was sad.  It’s important to him.

Then it happened
.

He came around the wall from the kitchen and said, “I don’t understand.  I sat here, and took it off (and with a wildy exaggerated movement of taking his ring off and putting it on the coffee table) and put it here.”  I was watching him do this when I noticed that Roku remote.  It was upside down and was sitting on something.

NEITHER ONE OF US HAD MOVED THAT ROKU REMOTE!!!!!!! It’s about 6 inches by 1.5inches by about a half an inch thick. . . small – sometimes hard to miss – but in the MIDDLE OF THE TABLE! We had moved the couch, the bed, all the computer stuff, all other items on this table – ALL OTHER ITEMS ON THE TABLE (yes, we did).

I picked it up and WAH LAH! Wedding ring found.

I started laughing so hard and the smile on Mikal’s face was like a sunrise that happens very quickly.  I said, “get over here and thank me NOW”! He started laughing and came over to give me a big hug.

The moral of this story is (and is for EVERY time Mikal loses something) – if you are missing something, pick up the remote control.  Or the piece of paper. Or the hat. Or the sock. Or the belt!  

We call this Mikal eyes.  

It’s right there, but Mikal’s eyes can’t see it because he’s covered it with something and as we all know – out of sight, out of mind!

crisis averted

The walking bug

my magic best friend

Sunday I will be walking a half marathon.  I have now done two 10Ks and a 5K  -  I cried when I walked over the finish line.  It's a pretty emotional thing, this walking.

Ciara got me started.  She asked me if I'd walk a Seattle Marathon (that's like 26.2 miles. . . ).  I don't think I've walked that much at one time. ever.  I supposed I've walked at least that much in my lifetime, but to walk it all at one time, before the sun goes down on a given day?  That sound pretty challenging.  So, what did I say when she asked?  I said yes.

Ciara happy to be walking 7 miles with me

Yes?!?!?! you say?  Yes, I said yes.  I trust Ciara and she was loving all the walking she was doing.  And this was in June, so I thought I'd have enough time to train and I really wanted to do something since I retired from Theater.  This was perfect timing (Ciara has a knack for having perfect timing for me - another day I'll tell you how remarkable and fantastic she is and how much I couldn't do any of this without her) - I was going through a change and this was healthy and something I did every day anyway; it was just *more* of it.  And we started to walk for miles each week.

People's reactions are interesting; supportive, confused or incredulous.  Supportive comes from those individuals that understand what it's like to have a goal and try to accomplish it.  They know that I'm going through change, and this is one of the things that's helping me through that.  Confused comes from those that know that I have never done this sort of thing before.  Incredulous come from people like me (the me before I committed to doing a marathon) who think that walking that far is crazy.

so glad Trish crossed the finish line with me

she loved it - really

At first, the magnitude of the actual amount of miles that I've committed myself to seemed CRAZY!  And I guess, it is a little bit.  But I've now done two 10Ks and one 5K which add up to be more than a half marathon and I haven't died yet from all that exercise.  And not only has Ciara been there, I have had the privilege to walk with my step-daughter, Lauren and my friend, Trish.  Laughing and crying with them has been amazing as well!  I couldn't have gotten through some of the races without my girls.  They rock!

Ciara and I ready to take on more miles!

I'm so excited for this weekend.  I can't wait to cross the finish line in Vancouver, WA at the Girlfriends Half Marathon.  The feeling you get when you cross the finish line is indescribable.  It isn't something you can explain, it's something you feel, starting deep in and under your heart where it spreads outward, lifting you and filling every part of your body until the only way to release the energy is to cry and laugh - yes, both.  It is the amazing feeling of accomplishment, yet another gift Ciara has given me.

So, is saying yes to a marathon crazy?  Not to me.  I get to finish this.  I get to finish this with my best friend and she'll laugh and cry with me at the end and we will feel burst with pride - together - and it is awesome.

On Being Lazy

I often say I'm lazy; mostly because I feel lazy.  Then I say it to someone that responds, "yeah, cuz raising money, walking 10Ks and working 50 hours a week is lazy. . . yeah, you're lazy".  Perspective is always everything.

I haven't published any posts in more than two months which only compounds my feelings of laziness.  I have 10 posts that I COULD publish, however, if I don't give some sort of context, timeline or, let's say. . . um. . .a story, none of it will make sense.  So, again, I ask for forgiveness in my lack of comitment to publishing.  But please know that I have been writing; writing A LOT.  And I'm really excited to share with you all the things that have been going on.  So, in an attempt to give some context, here's my timeline and story of the last two months.

In July and August, I started, and successfully finished a crowd-funding experiment fundraiser.  I introduced you to the idea in early July in my post Stumping for Food. Then, a couple of days later, I posted a humbling update.  After that update, a collegue from work, Chris Dettmering (he's a whole funny story in an of himself that I will try to do justice to at some point) took up my cause and really got us going!  With his help (and his family and friends's generosity) and two really big last minute donations from some super cool guys at work (they know who they are and would rather be less than famous about it), we made our goal AND paid the fees to the funding site.  In the end, we got to give $1522.47 to the University District Food Bank for a silver level sponsorship!!!

Then - STUFF HAPPENED!  Stuff like, sponsorship names being created on the fly, logos getting created, walking two 10Ks and a 5K, going to Turkey, and applying and getting into a Literary Fiction program.

SO - those 10 posts I haven't published have something to do with all of that stuff.  Tomorrow I'll start with the sponsorship name and logo for the fundraising event - it's kind of funny and a little bit cute.

After writing all of that, I know I need to kick myself in the butt and say - "I am not lazy, I am not lazy, I am not lazy".  I guess until I actually publish regularly, I'll not feel lazy, especially NOW since I am going to be a writer (at least that's what my admission says about me. . .).