Firsts

Since moving to Seattle I've had a lot of firsts. An overwhelming amount actually!! Some I could have figured would happen eventually and some firsts have totally thrown me for a loop. So far I've seen a wild harbor seal, plane with water landing gear, and fog/clouds so close you could reach up and grab a piece off for yourself. All these things are normal and par-for-the-course here in Seattle. But yesterday and today have been a REAL treat for me! I went to West Seattle (on the "other" side of the Sound) and up to Ballard today through the Ballard Locks. In West Seattle (WS) there are freighter and crate ships everywhere! And I have never ever seen so many crates in all my life. And I'm not talking about a crate that will fit a couple hundred boxes of chips, I'm talking the 58' semi-crates!!! EVERYWHERE!! I have yet to see them pull the crates off the boats though. Stay tuned. But it was amazing to see the "dinosaurs" (crate lifters) so close and all the goings on of the port. Then it was off to Ballard today. Ballard and the Ballard Locks (BL) separates the fresh water Lake Union from the salt water Puget Sound via a large HUGE river called Salmon Bay. It's called that because the salmon swim through all the locks to get back to their native fresh water river homes from the ocean to spawn. Anyhow, the water level goes down (from the sea) with each lock. It's absolutely amazing!! And so many - thousands of boats from big crabbing and fishing boats with monsterous steel arms that extend high in the sky holding onto vast reels of cable for the nets to small teeny tiny dingys. Breathtaking.

I've been visiting my corps. We went to WS for Seattle White Center TSA, Renton for Renton TSA, and Seattle Temple in Greenwood. Thursday we go to Wenatchee, WA, about 3.5 hours (one way) away to visit the Wenatchee corps. I am having a good time learning about TSA and about my boss and I think she's having a good time getting to know me as well. The TSA corps are all very different from one another with very different programs and leaders at each. It's mind-boggling trying to comprehend how this organization does their business but I am bound and determined to make it work. I am also bound and determined to get a tuition grant for my master's degree - both of them. I intend to work up the ladder here, which I was assured by Rebecca today that as long as I keep ahead of the jobs available at THQ (territory headquarters) then I can look towards a future and promotions at TSA. I still have my eye on a CPA with lawyer designation, I plan to go into international accounting/tax law. It will be grueling but I know it's where I want to be. I don't care how, I'm going to work my way up the TSA pyramid and find myself in London or one of their other 220 countries that they are present in. I CAN'T WAIT!!!!!!

I hope Dane will be able to travel with me in all my aspirations. Dane, who is playing a game right now where he is a yellow bug and 4 blue bugs are trying to get him but all I see is bugs moving around the screen in a very lethargic, random manner. Completely silent. All green background. He is so weird. I love him. We are still reeling from the weekend's events and worried about the outcome. I can equate it to a break up. But it's weird because we are both hurting and processing the how's and why's but we are right next to each other. But then we get to talk things out and all is well. I think we have several back-up plans in case the worse should happen, we have an ezzz-COP-EEE route.

Dane's party was awesome - I really like the people here. Most everyone was cleared out by 1:00 which was fine with us, we were all tired. Everyone honored Dane's birthday and our housewarming, it was a wonderful, tame night. Friday, on the other hand, was marked by a couple (3.5) bottles of wine and an incident involving me, the 17 year old neighbor-boy, the Banshee, and the Fuzz! It's too good a story to ruin in a blog version so I will keep it at that. Plus I have to protect the not-so-innocent, namely me.

A special shot out to my very, if not best, friend Rebecca Peck Lane. Not only did she talk to me for hours about any and everything but during the Hurricane Rita she and her husband delivered over 90 gallons of water via ATV to the parched, trapped travelers stuck on I-45 for over 10 hours in some cases. Peck and Jeremy did this by themselves with the help of no one at an expense only to themselves - refusing to accept any sort of cash in exchange for the water. That kind of compassion wins them "Philanthropist of the Year" in my book!!! You are, and always will be, truly remarkable in my eyes Becky. Stay Strong!