Feel Like Complaining

A week has come and gone since we moved the kid into her dorm and she's actually home this weekend, much to our delight! Move in day was easier and less stressful than I thought it would be. I had planned to take lots of pics but only got a few. This one of all of her stuff lined up ready to be loaded in the car. We had to take the bench seat out of the van and everything fit nicely then. Then we drove over to her old High School's parking lot to get a few more of a full car. She took a few of her room when it was mostly furnished. Oh well, we were on a roll and just wanted to get done. I wasn't smiling like this at the end of the day It was easy to find a parking space and they had large totes to transport things. My step-son the Professor was working so he came to help and we got it all done in two loads, such a help. Then we got to see his office and had a wonderful dinner before coming home. We were all putting off the inevitable; saying goodbye. We went ...

Although the kid is already gone I wrote this last week . T-minus 7 days until our Daughter moves off to college. Just a few thoughts on how I'm feeling about that. One of my FB friends said "It's not like she's moving to Bolivia, you'll be fine". I don't care if it's 30 or 3000 miles away, it's still a turning point. It's the next phase of my life in which I'm not sure I want to enter. Friday the 13th. Several times her and I looked at each other and said, "Next Friday at this time....." It went from we'll be unpacking stuff, having dinner together at EWU, to crying ourselves to sleep. Saturday. She went to EWU with her big brother to help him get his office ready. Since she will have 2 classes in his building, she took her map and figured out her route from her dorm and other buildings. The evenings will be the hardest. We all watch TV together, probably too much. She sets all the shows to record so we'll have to lea...

The week following our wonderful brunch we headed back to Idaho to do some hiking. It's a place we stumbled across after looking for Bald Eagles one day in February. Mineral Ridge National Recreational area is a 3.3 hike with the highest points looking over Wolf Lodge Bay and Beauty Bay in Lake Coeur d'Alene. The hike alone wouldn't have been bad, but it was so steep with many switchbacks up and down that by the time we got back to the car I was almost crying. My legs were wobbly and in pain and my toes felt like they were going to poke through the fronts of my shoes. I'd say it was a little over a mile of the steep downhill trail. By the time we got to the car and ate lunch I was spent, done, kaput. It was a beautiful view from the top but I sure would't do it again. Wolf Lodge Bay Beauty Bay The following weekend we headed downtown, just to walk around and take some pictures. We have a lot of beautiful churches and old buildings that are usually only see...

Well that was a mouthful! The kid and I have started following a local FB page, Spokane News. I was surprised to hear that they started in '09 but we have only known about it since this summer. Now with over 40K likes it's grown into more of a community. I don't know how they do it but they have the news online before the news channels do. I imagine geeks sitting around a police scanner and updating the FB page. And now with so many page members there are constant pictures being uploaded as events happen. This summer they decided to have their 1st annual community event and BBQ and since hubby has to work, the kid and I went to it. Not just a BBQ though; they had several K9 units, a SWAT vehicle, 1936 fire engine and ladder engine, It was cool to see some of these things up close and personal. The SWAT truck was huge but nothing fancy inside. We got to look inside an ambulance and all the little kids loved climbing in the firetrucks and putting the hats on. I enjoyed ...

When I graduated from high school, my Mom put together a basket for me with all of the essentials a new college student would need. I went straight to an apartment instead of a dorm so maybe the items she packed were more geared for that. To be honest I don't even remember what she put in my basket but I thought it was cool, and as my daughter has grown I always knew I wanted to do the same thing. The basket my Mom used was an old produce basket and she painted it white. One little space was left untouched where one of us kids drew a cute little house. The basket must be at least 40 years old, but it's still in good shape. I started buying supplies at the beginning of summer and by the end of August it was so full I could hardly lift it; it weighed in at 32.6 lbs.  I've got it packed full of laundry soap/softener, towels and wash cloths, umbrella with EWU logo, EWU logo'd pen and pencils, snacks and drinks galore, fruit cups, Top Ramen, small cereal boxes, peanut...