I am a walker

Some of you may already have heard: I am crazy. That is, my wonderful girlfriends have talked me in to getting a team together for the Seattle Breast Cancer 3 Day in September.

So here we are: Team TaTas for Tots. A team of women dedicated to raising money for The Susan G. Komen foundation for breast cancer research. We're training, we're hosting parties, we're going to walk! And we'd appreciate your help.

We know not everyone is crazy enough to walk 60 miles in three days, but we are! So here's your chance to get involved too. You see, we've agreed to raise a minimum of $2,200 each in order to participate in the 3-day walk. Every donation, small or large, will be appreciated, and of course, put to good use. People who sponsor a TaTas for Tots team member for $100 or more will receive a special gift as a way to say thanks.

So, if you've got some spare change in your couch cushions or are looking for a good way to spend that newly received economic stimulus check, head on over to the 3 Day website and make a donation for participant 2058488 in event 1189. Thanks!

Read more!

marching, marching

It's been a very busy March in the Anderson household. We've both been working hard. My husband finished his National Board Professional Teaching Certification Portfolio and the regular debate season. Between my classes, my internship, and my job, I've been too busy to do much of anything else. And yet, we still found some time (where we found it I have no idea) to celebrate Easter and six, count 'em, six family birthdays. Including the birth of the newest member of our family.

On Monday March 17th 2008 at 2:42 p.m. Emelia Midori Pendergraft made her early debut.




Sunday the 16th was my hubby's birthday and Tuesday the 18th is shared by my younger sis Melody, my father in-law Gary, and my younger sis in-law Caroline. What a week.

On Saturday the 22nd we attended the baby shower for Emelia--who made sure she could attend her own bash by coming two weeks early.





After which, my family went out to Red Robin for a drink in celebration of my younger sister finally hitting the big 21.





And on Sunday the 23rd we headed north to Redmond to celebrate Easter and multiple birthdays with Jim's family.

Read more!

suggestion box

One of my very few readers has politely requested that I blog more about what I'm learning in school. This is a great idea, one which I will try to implement. No promises, though. I am taking 18 credits this quarter (and doing 20 credits worth of work--more on that later). And, as if I didn't have enough to do, I just started working for a local purveyor of legal highs.

Read more!

dinners for two, by popular demand: tasty chicken fajitas

I made dinner tonight just as I do most nights of the week. And just as I do most nights of the week I created a meal without following any recipe. Rather, I threw into my concoction what looked right and smelled good--a technique I learned from my mother a long time ago. Back then I complained, "How am I ever going to learn how to cook if you don't write anything down or measure ingredients?!"

Despite my complaints, I learned how to cook quite well. Now it's my husband who has taken up my old query. Frustrated that I put together meals that he can't recreate because I don't use recipes, Jim has helpfully suggested that I make a recipe file on my blog. So, here it goes...

Tonight's meal was chicken fajitas--a pretty easy undertaking for just about anyone especially with the myriad seasoning mixes to be had at the grocery store. However, I discovered the last time I tried to use packaged seasoning that I didn't much care for it, so tonight I improvised. Using the standard chicken, onions, and bell peppers I made the dish my own by substituting cayenne pepper, garlic, black pepper, and soy sauce for the yucky fajita seasoning packet. Here's my best approximation of the recipe:

1/2 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 large sweet onion, sliced
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp black pepper
2 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
1 Tbsp olive oil (or your preferred vegetable oil)
Flour Tortillas

Place olive in large skillet or non-stick pan over medium heat. Slice chicken breasts into thin strips approximately 1-1.5 inches in length. Place chicken breast strips in pan and add cayenne, garlic, and black pepper, mixing to season evenly. Cook chicken until done and remove from pan placing on plate covered in paper towels to drain excess oil.

Return pan to medium heat and add onions. Cook onions for 1 minute before adding red peppers. Cook for an additional 1 to 2 minutes and add 1 Tbsp soy sauce. Cook for 2 to 3 more minutes. Add chicken and remaining soy sauce to vegetable mixture and cook until vegetables are done. The onions should be completely grilled while the peppers remain just a bit crisp.

Warm tortillas for 10 seconds in the microwave and fill to your heart's content. Fajitas make a great light meal on their own or can be pared with beans (tonight I used white beans, other times I use black), rice, or any of your own favorite side dishes.

Read more!

the efficiency of the system

Over two years ago I was temporarily laid-off from my job at a local floral greens distributor. Much like any other person who had spent the last 9 years of their life working full-time, I filed an unemployment claim and followed the standard Employment Security protocol of applying for other jobs. Simple.

Somewhere along the way this process became much more complicated than I had initially anticipated. Paperwork that I had filed with Employment Security was lost, my worked hours were miscalculated, and another person's Statement of Wages and Hours was sent to my home (with all of their personal information--fortunately, I'm no identity thief). All the while I tried to maintain the utmost of patience, working with State of Washington Department of Employment Security to provide the lost paperwork, correct the miscalculations, and inform them of their grievous mailing mistake. Eventually, my claim was denied because as a "full time student the Department finds that you are unavailable to actively seek employment."

In the meantime, despite the Department's confidence in my inability to secure employment, I managed to do just that. And then I filed an appeal, informing them that I was not only available to actively seek employment, but that I had found said employment. I also took the time to remind the Department of Employment Security of the many ways in which my claim had been mishandled, offering names, dates, and forms filed as evidence (my mother would be so proud). Satisfied that I had made my case, I went about doing my new job schlepping handbags and awaited the compensation I was due.

My claim was denied again. This time because I "did not work 680 hours during" my base year. Overwhelmed by frustration at the thought that I would once again have to submit all of my pay stubs proving I had indeed exceeded 680 hours, I gave up.

You might wonder what all this preamble is leading up to...

Today, August 31st 2007, I received a letter from The Washington State Employment Security Department informing me that my claim from July 10, 2005 was DENIED. That's right folks: over two years later and with absolutely no prompting from myself, Employment Security sent me another Statement of Wages and Hours to inform me that my long forgotten, hopeless, incompetently handled claim, is still denied.

Evidently, parking fees were all that was holding the system together. God help the system.

Read more!

something to aspire to

Today my parents in-law celebrate 32 years of laughter, tears, bocce, dominoes, tent-trailer camping, road trips, and sheer craziness. That is, 32 years of marriage. Congrats, Mom and Dad. We love you!

Read more!

Spain: the aftermath

My husband has been after me to update my blog which is suffering a new post drought thanks to my recent return to the real world. What he really wants is for me to recount my time in Spain in full, no easy task.

You see, despite my smiling face in many of my photos, my two and a half months in Spain were not the mostly-easy adventure I had been anticipating. In fact, just about everything about my study abroad experience in Spain was surprising, often rather unpleasantly so.

Rather than rehash all of the dirty [and believe me they are] details of my ten weeks in Spain, I though I'd just share a few of the things I learned while I was there.

1) If your flight is longer than 6 hours, pay the extra money and fly business class. You'll regret it if you don't.

2) No matter how you say it--two and a half months, ten weeks, 71 days--it's still a long, long time to be away from home, especially if you're married.

3) There is absolutely no way to pack light for ten weeks away from home.

4) However much you pack (90 pounds or 900) you will never have everything you want from home, never mind the things you need.

5) Roommates are best when they're heavily screened for undesirable behaviors such as filthiness, thievery, and general lack of consideration for others.

6) Despite what everyone in Spain may tell you to the contrary, ham is NOT the perfect accompaniment to every meal.

7) Coffee, wine, beer, and food all taste better when you can eat them at a table outside in the sunshine. Especially if the street has been closed to automobile traffic to make way for said table.

8) Life without a car is possible. Enjoyable even.

All joking aside, the ten weeks I spent living in Úbeda were, at times, nightmarish. I had to deal with things I never imagined possible. Granted, most of the problems I encountered had to do with my fellow classmates and not with Abadat Escuela or the city of Úbeda and its inhabitants, but there were problems nonetheless and they served to make my stay in Spain [during the first five weeks] very nearly unbearable.

Imagine my surprise, then, when upon driving out of the city for the last time (very fittingly to the musical accompaniment of "It ain't over 'til it's over") I found that I was sad to go. Overcoming homesickness and horrid roommates, I was shocked to discover that I was coming away with a few more good friends and lots of experiences to laugh about in the years to come. More than anything, I realized that despite the drama and frustration and bad food, this small Spanish city had managed to steal a place in my heart.

Read more!

1095 and counting

Three years ago today I stood in a backyard garden and said "I do" to my best friend, soul mate, and the man of my dreams. I love you, Jim. Happy Anniversary.

Read more!

The best Valentine's gift that money can't buy

I will be the first to admit, I am not a big fan of Valentine's Day. Growing up, my mother taught us that giving someone a gift was not a matter of what day of the year it might be, nor did you do it with the expectation of receiving one in return. Rather, gift giving was something that you did for no reason whatsoever, except to show someone you cared. And you didn't necessarily have to spend heaps of money; a gift could be anything, from a thoughtful note to an act of kindness and generosity.

This Valentine's Day Jim gave me something wonderful; something which cost him nothing at all, save for a moment or two of his time.

I hope all of your gifts were as grand.

Read more!

an open letter to friends and family

Late last night my husband popped his head into our bedroom, "Babe?"

"Yes..."

"Are you still awake?"

"I am."

He then quietly asked if he could read me something. To which, thinking he was going to supply the latest clever commentary from his blog, I replied, "You're lucky I love you."

His solemn answer was a barely audible, "I know." This is what he read to me:

We drove in snow tonight. The wipers batted feebly at snowflakes glowing in halogen beams. I hunched over the wheel, staring at diminishing ruts in the slush, distracted by sopping whiteness that kept coming and coming and drawing my gaze from the road, nursing the accelerator, trying to stay ahead of approaching headlights and behind nearing taillights. Branches laden with early snow jutted out of the darkness. My wife sang along with the CD over the noise of the road and the sound of splashing tires.

This morning, fifteen minutes before the first bell, the staff met in the library to hear bad news. Usually I stand on the margin unaffected, unaware of the loss, but not this morning. This morning they said Brittany's name. Car accident, life support, brain dead, words that swirled in a snowy blur, dazzling, blinding.

In my memory: a persistent smile. A wicked grin, sometimes. A hello in the hall, a chat every week or so. Laughing about last year's class. Trying to predict the future. Fidgeting, shaky confidence, typical for a junior. Slight hesitation. Looking for approval. Tossing out big plans of school overseas, community college first, though. Running Start. Maybe soon, maybe later.

What should I do, Mr. Anderson? Don't wait, Brittany--sign up now. You never know how life could change, what'll happen in days or months. Yeah, she says, unsure but sympathetic. I dunno. A goofy grin. Take your chance while you've got it. Circumstances change. You'll change. You never know.

I said that. A day before the crash, I said that.

We drive in snow, searching the darkness for the road ahead, looking for the friendly glow of taillights, spurred on by the headlights behind us. We take our chances, we guess, we stray. We smile and press on until our moment comes and the snow and the darkness swallow us up and we are but shadows of ourselves in the memories of those who drive in snow.

On Sunday November 20th, my sister was shopping at JC Penney in the Tacoma Mall when gun fire erupted less than fifty yards away. My brother was hit by a car while riding his bike on the streets of Bellingham. On Monday the 21st my mom got the unofficial word that she had gotten a long-awaited new job with her employer. That same night while she was driving home she nearly ran over a woman lying in the road who had already been hit, and left, by another car.

On November 24th my family had every reason to give thanks--we were all okay.

Our lives can change forever in the blink of an eye and we often have no control over it. My husband sometimes teases me because I sing all of the time, but recently I think he got it when he said "You always have a song in your heart." And I do--because I love my life, my family, my friends, and I know that at any given second they may not be around any more.

We're all driving through this snow storm of life together; When you're leading my headlights will be shining behind you to encourage you to go on, when you're following my taillights will be there to guide you; I know you'll do the same for me.

I love you all very much and wish you a wonderful holiday season this year. Please remember this as you're going through life. Live each day of life as if it is a holiday, joyous and worthy of celebration.

Read more!

dilemma

I hawk handbags for a living. You know which ones I'm talking about; they have vivid colors and high visibility logos, they have trendy sounding names and cost more than my husband and I spend on groceries in a month.

Many of you may know these accessories simply as purses, (things that most women find vital for the transport of every day personal items) but at the unnamed upscale retail store where I'm employed the entire department I work in is officially called Better Handbags. Why better you might ask? Well certainly because they're "better" than other handbags, or at least that is what the prices on said handbags would lead you to believe.

The quandry that I find myself in is that I'm often forced to sell overpriced handbags--clutches, satchels, wristlets, shoulder bags, crossbodies, totes, hobos, etc.-- to underage girls, against my better judgment. Now I know that there is no legal age at which one can purchase a handbag, but should a 15 year old girl really be buying a $250.00 Dooney & Bourke to use as a book-bag? Certainly, I've met very few teens whose behavior would warrant such extravagant rewards (I know my own never did and I was a good kid).

So, what do I do? I have to sling handbags to help out with the expense of being a full-time college student, and to give my husband and myself a little financial breathing room. What do I do when I faced with the very real possibility that I am promoting conspicuous consumption among the youth of America?

I smile and nod encouragingly...

"Your friends are all going to be so jealous when they see you at school with a Coach. I'm sure you'll be so happy with your new handbag."

I'm certainly going to be happy with my 7 percent commission; at the very least it will help me to silence my conscience.

Read more!

A sneak peek...

At long last...

A mere fraction, an iota, a tiny glimpse of the hundreds upon hundreds of wedding pictures that our photographers took on our happy day. And believe me when I say these don't begin to scratch the surface of the number of photos that we actually received. A big shout-out and thanks-a-bunch to Mathay Photography. Our photos turned out better than we ever dreamed and the experience was much more fun than either of us could have imagined.

Without further ado...

Read more!

It's official

Well, after much prodding and prompting, my husband (who has been blogging for over a year now) has finally convinced me to create a blog of my own. Will it be my platform for discussing world issues and literature? I don't know. Will I have a readership outside my family and group of friends? I don't think so. So why, you might ask, am I creating a blog? As a quick and easy way to share big and small moments from the lives of Melissa and Jim Anderson with those who would care to "hear" about them.

On August 20th, 2004 Jim and I were wed in a very small, private ceremony to which we invited only our parents and siblings. Almost two weeks ago, we celebrated our first anniversary by saying "I do" all over again in a much larger ceremony to which we invited (what seems like) everyone we know. Shortly thereafter we winged our way to Washington, D.C. for the nerdiest honeymoon in the history of all honeymoons. Our week of fun included visiting tons of museums, checking out government buildings, even attending and participating in a panel discussion on Biotechnology held by Reason Magazine.

Honeymoon now over and regular life resumed, I thought it would be a good idea to share some photos with everyone. Some are from the day of our "re-wedding" and some are from the honeymoon.

Enjoy!

Read more!