Washington, My Home

It was a lesson in state history and songs, and the music program at Sean's school was very cute. I took some pictures, but most of them have a lot of kids in them and I don't want to post those without the parents' permission.

The songs were all about Washington, and things and places here. There were songs about Tacoma, Puget Sound, and even a Geoduck Song.

Chuck went with us, and Sean's dad was there, too.
All the kids did a great job. It reminded me of the programs at the school David and Jewel attended when they were in kindergarten and first grade. I like small schools.

After the program we stopped for dinner and time for Sean to get some of his nervous energy out before coming home.


It was a good end to a great day. I started the day by making calls to all of my friends and family in the South. Tornados ripped through there yesterday and the destruction is unbelievable. Death count was more than 280 today. Some of the places I've spent time and visited have been devastated.

After accounting for everyone and finding out they were all OK, I went to spend time with Chuck on his day off. We had a great morning and ate lunch at a Mexican restaurant - El Sombrero. It's always nice to reconnect and catch up with what's going on after being apart for a few days. He was on shift a lot this week, and taking care of some important stuff on the days in between.

We both have been feeling a little overwhelmed by all of the responsibilities and obligations we have. I said I feel like I have too many jobs, and he said he feels that way too. We put our phones aside for more than an hour to have a decent conversation and time together, and ignored them as they buzzed and rang. Can't do that for very long or it just makes that overwhelmed feeling worse.

I left his place and it was run, run, run. Check messages, return calls, make calls, get Sean from school, rush home, check emails, and get ready for the program. I'm so glad we had a few hours to stop and relax before we had to hit the ground running again.

I got this list through someone on Facebook, but it goes along with the program tonight, "Washington, My Home." It will give you a glimpse of what people do, and are like, in our wonderful state.

1. If someone in a Home Depot store offers you assistance and they don't work there, you live in Washington. 
2.  If you've worn shorts, sandals and a parka at the same time, you live in Washington.  
3.  If you've had a lengthy telephone conversation with someone who dialed the wrong number, you live in Washington. 
4.   If you measure distance in hours, you live in Washington.  
5.  If you know several people who have hit a deer more than once, you live in Washington.  
6.  If you have switched from 'heat' to 'A/C' and back again in the same day, you live in Washington.   
7.  If you can drive 75 mph through 2 feet of snow during a raging blizzard without flinching, you live in Central, Southern, or Eastern Washington.  
8.  If you design your kid's Halloween costume to fit over 2 layers of clothes or under a raincoat, you live in Washington.  
9.  If driving is better in the winter because the potholes are filled with snow and ice, you live in Washington.  
10.  If you know all 4 seasons: almost winter, winter, still winter, and road construction, you live in Washington.   
11.  If you feel guilty throwing aluminum cans or paper in the trash, you live in Washington.  
12.   If you know more than 10 ways to order coffee, you live in Washington. 
13.   If you know more people who own boats than air conditioners, you live in Washington.   
14. If you stand on a deserted corner in the rain waiting for the "Walk" signal, you live in Washington. 
15.   If you consider that if it has no snow or has not recently erupted, it is not a real mountain, you live in Washington. 
16.   If you can taste the difference between Starbucks, Seattle's Best, and Tullys, you live in Washington. 
17.   If you know the difference between Chinook, Coho and Sockeye salmon, you live in Washington.  
18.  If you know how to pronounce Sequim, Puyallup, Issaquah, Snoqualmie, Wenatchee, Spokane, Umpqua, Yakima, and Willamette, you live in Washington.  
19.    If you consider swimming an indoor sport, you live in Washington. 
20.   If you can tell the difference between Japanese, Chinese and Thai food, you live in Washington.  
21.  If you never go camping without waterproof matches and a poncho, you live in Washington.   
22. If you have actually used your mountain bike on a mountain, you live in Washington.   
23. If you think people who use umbrellas are either wimps or tourists, you live in Washington.  
24.  If you buy new sunglasses every year because you cannot find the old ones after such a long time, you live in Washington.   
25.  If you actually understand these jokes and forward them to all your Washington friends, you live or have lived in Washington.     By: Laurece Bonner Rust