Easters

We had a nice Easter. Zak's grandparents invited us over, so we left mid-morning to arrive for the feast. Our drive was mostly uneventful, the weather was beautiful and calm. There was a really obnoxious/dangerous driver that tailed us for about 10 minutes. She was even given half a dozen opportunities to pass us, but didn't take them. I was driving and trying not to hit the car in front of us or have a collision with the moron behind us. Eventually, she passed us, and then tailed the car in front of us. We watched them do that to a few cars, and almost get into an accident. A+!

I brought a cake to contribute. I got the recipe from my mom, who had made it a few weeks previous. It was a very delicious white cake, with strawberries mixed in with whipped cream for the filling and topping (the recipe is posted on my recipe blog, here is the direct link). I made the cakes the night before, and mixed us the whipped cream and cut the strawberries that morning. We filled an ice bag and put the whipped cream in there, and when we arrived, it was not as stiff as I had hoped it would be. I threw it altogether and put it in the fridge to set up for a few hours.

not as pretty as I hoped, as I was a bit rushed, next time it will be prettier!

Dinner/lunch was yummy. Ham, potatoes, even jello salad! It was nice to be around Zak's family and share the holiday with them. We stuffed ourselves and then relaxed for awhile, while waiting to enjoy the cake. The cake was indeed, delicious. And worth every bite! I quickly made sure a piece would be saved for Jenna, and stored it away. Everyone loved the cake and we ate the whole thing up!

yum!

Zak and I stayed the night, so we wouldn't be driving so much; Jenna was arriving in Spokane the following night. It was nice to relax, talk to his grandparents and walk around their property. It was fun to listen to Zak's stories of his childhood, running around with his cousin, all of the animals and machines they'd play with. Zak's uncle Rick has a chicken coop, along with some other animals. There were some rabbits, baby chicks, a few chickens, a turkey, and a peacock, that had apparently just wandered onto their land! He let the turkey out, and although it was supposedly friendly, it got a bit too close for comfort for me. I admired the animals from afar. Their cat followed us around like a puppy, it was very funny. He loved having some attention. We also wandered around the orchard and took some pictures of the pretty cherry and peach tree blossoms. Too bad there were no fresh fruit to pick just yet! Hopefully we'll be back later for some peaches and cherries.

two chickens & a peacock
stare-off with the turkey
our new 'pet'
mrow

peach tree blossoms

The next morning we left for Spokane. The weather had turned fairly nasty, but the driving to Spokane wasn't horrendous. It was pretty easy to get there, though, so that's something. We had a few hours to kill, so we wandered around Northtown Mall. It was nice to be in a mall with more than one story? We did a bit of light shopping, lots of window shopping, and spent some time in our favorite store: the reptile store. It is awesome. We spent forever in it last time we were in Spokane, back in the fall. I just love looking at the huge pythons and boas! I want to have enough money to buy one of those $600+ snakes, along with a feeder for it. That'd be pretty sweet.

Zak's newest animal friend; if it wasn't $70, we would've come home with it

We quickly grabbed some dinner and headed to the airport to pick up Jenna. The drive home turned out to be pretty scary about halfway home. The weather just got horrible, with heavy, rapid rain and low visibility. Plus, we were in the middle of the Palouse, so the roads are windy and unlit. We had to slow down a lot, have the wipers on full blast, and turn the hi-beams on just to make sure we wouldn't crash. It was definitely the scariest weather I've ever witnessed inside of a car. Thankfully, it only last about 10-15 minutes, but those were the longest, most silent minutes of the drive. Zak did an excellent job and didn't allow anything bad to happen to us, the car, or anyone else. It was a relief to be back home safe.

There are a lot more pictures from our trip that I uploaded to my Picasa account. I just figured it out (kind of) and you can view those pictures by clicking on these words, or by cutting and pasting this URL into your address bar: https://picasaweb.google.com/rozeharten/Easter?authkey=Gv1sRgCNOY0-i_1-_1iQE&feat=directlink

this was taken after I realized I needed to 'un-zoom', so it's the best we could do after 4 pictures

Spring Cleaning to the Max

This week we buckled down and did a lot of cleaning, specifically in the second bedroom upstairs. Jenna will be here soon, and shortly after her visit, Zak's mom Glenda will be with us for a few days. Plus, we haven't really done a whole lot with that second bedroom, save throwing it all in the closet, etc. Zak has rearranged some of it a few times, but we haven't gone through the bins and tubs of stuff since we moved.

We initially meant to just make the room look nicer, but I got started on one bin, and four hours later, had gone through everything. I decided that we each needed a bin for our individual winter wear, and one joint one for our summer things.

As we went along, we both found clothes that we haven't worn for years, and decided that a trip to Good Will was inevitable after awhile. I should've taken a picture of all of the stuff we gave away, it was a whole trunk full! I figured I would be able to survive without some of the shirts I used to wear years ago, or those old boots...We had a bag full of shoes and boots, and a huge bag of clothes from both of us. And these four chairs we got from our apartment manager for free when we first moved in. I also decided I could do without some purses and wallets. You're welcome, Good Will and the people of Moscow!

We also threw out a ton of stuff. But once it was all over, I felt incredible! We ended up fitting everything back into the closet, had used the bins smartly, and it looked wonderful. So now, Jenna, Glenda, anyone who wants to visit, our guest bedroom is nice and ready for you!

Look How Cute!

A few weeks ago we were leaving the house (I had an interview for a nanny position, unfortunately I didn't get it), and Zak put his sunglasses on, and his normal ones in his fancy sunglasses case (these are nice Ray Bans we got for him several months ago, thanks to my awesome discount at Macy's). When we got to the place to meet the people, Zak couldn't find his glasses, but we were in a hurry, so he just made sure that nothing fell out. An hour later, we returned home and after searching the car, could not find his glasses anywhere. I e-mailed the couple on the off-chance they fell out on the driveway or something. Nope. We looked all around the front door (where this happened), kitchen; everywhere. We could not find it at all.

After a week of not finding his glasses (he wasn't thrilled about wearing his old ones, they sit very loosely on his head), he ordered some on-line. He (im)patiently waited two weeks, eagerly checking the mail every day until they came. We both like them a lot. He is very happy, and stubbornly took some pictures. Sigh. It takes about 20 pictures to get a really good, genuine picture of this guy!! I tell him that if he would just take a nice picture, I wouldn't need to take some many. What a goof. Here are some of his model shots. Enjoy.

p.s. still haven't found those glasses; he's upset because that was a very nice glasses case he got with his sunglasses :(

Rachel and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

Blah. I woke up at 4:30; as I was returning to the bedroom, I heard lots of hamster squeaks [let me preface: they were fighting a lot, we clean their cage with some pet cleaner stuff, separated it w/cardboard, reunited them after five days only to have them fight again, but once the cardboard was back in, they discovered they could tunnel under it to get at each other]. I reluctantly went downstairs, grabbed a hamster and put it in a ball and let it roll around.

complete with demarcation line

Of course I couldn't go back to sleep. So at 5, I went downstairs and read for a bit. A few hours later, I noticed that the ball that once held Tesla was vacant. He had knocked the lid off and was no where to be found. We searched in vain for him, under the stove, fridge, couch, back behind the water heater, etc. Zak set up a little hamster trap in the hopes that Tesla would be hungry and come searching for food.

hamster trap

Fast forward to 10:15, I took Zak to work [another side note: we got our car back on Friday from the shop, fresh with new tires and a power steering system that actually works! the joy] and went to get some much-needed groceries. I won't go into detail about the frustration shopping at Winco with lots of slow-moving people, because it will go on forever. Shopping took a bit longer than I would like, but it was ok. I quickly ducked into the Co-Op for ground beef (it's so amazing), only to discover that my car wouldn't turn over/start.

Zak sent Mat, our wonderful friend who is a car genius, to figure out what the problem was. It turns out it just needed to be jumped (thank heavens), which Mat did for me. He advised me to drive around for about 10 minutes, and let the battery warm up. We didn't drive the car for about two months, so it was probably just sleepy and not very lively. I followed his advice and drove on the highway south for about 7, 10 minutes.

I found a place to turn around in and all of a sudden, the car just stopped working. The steering went out and I luckily, made it to the turn area and got it into park, etc. I got Zak on the phone, and told him what happened. Mat came to the rescue again! He is great. He got it started up, and said the problem was either the alternator or we just needed a brand new battery. He made sure to follow me home.

A few minutes in, I felt the car quit, and thankfully, there was another turnoff (just for me!) to safely turn off into. We got it going again and drove back into town. I panicked at a light, worried that it wouldn't start again after, but it did. And then right as I turned onto the road that is JUST BY OUR HOUSE, it died. Up a hill.

This all took about 30, 40 minutes. Mat started work on the car, only to be frustrated. It turns out the battery is under the wiper fluid ..container thing. I don't know, he is dealing with it. It looks like we just need a new alternator. The guys at O'Reilly's are doing a full charge on the battery. I am a bit scarred and don't want to drive the car for awhile. We are not friends.

I found the hamster. He was making some noise under the stove, so I pulled out the bottom rack and saw him sitting there, calmly. I tried to lure him out with some food, but nope. He kept going into this tiny crack that my fingers couldn't get to. Zak suggested a broom, so I ended up just scaring him enough to get him out from under the stove (after battling with him for about 10 or so minutes).

please excuse the utter grossness under the stove; I promptly swept the floor after I caught him

tricky little guy

He is now in solitary confinement. I am not as angry with him as I was initially, but still feel justified in my decision. He has a dish of food and that's all. Stupid little hamster, being a total punk.

So that has been my day so far. Oh, and last night as I was pulling homemade biscuits out of the oven (they were scrumptious), I burned a good part of my arm. Here is a picture because I have to share the pain. It hurts a fair amount, and some of the skin is trying to peel, revealing really tender parts. I apologize for its grossness; you may skip this picture.

yeah this boy hurts like crazy. it kind of looks like an eye...I have to be careful to not let things touch it, etc.

Hopefully the rest of the day will be better!

Some Pictures of Some Pretty Flowers

Zak got me a pretty bouquet the other day. I love this color combination, pink, orange and white. And now we have some pretty flowers in the house as spring hits Moscow. :)

Hamster Fight!

The hamsters have been fighting a lot lately. So we've had to separate them; each has their own cage now. Yesterday Vlad was in the little house and Zak decided he'd wake him up and play with him. Vlad was not happy and fought with him a little. So we let him be. Awhile later, Zak was laying on the floor, reading and went over to Vlad's cage. Vlad came out of his house, saw Zak, gave an indignant SQUEAK and went back inside.

It was the funniest little thing! It was funny that Vlad recognized Zak as the man who terrorizes him and gave him a piece of his mind.

We were reading on-line and think we know why they keep fighting whenever we put them together. We think it has something to do with their scents and they've gotten all convoluted living together. So we have to get an enzyme cleaner, clean out the whole cage and refill it with everything. And then we'll set up a demilitarized zone, so each hamster can have a half of the cage, mark their scents, and then after a week, lift the wall that separates them.

We're hoping this works. It's very cute/funny/sad to watch them fight. It's funny/cute because they squeak and tussle, but sad because sometimes there's blood on one or both of their backs. Sad! We hope to have both hamsters living together in peace very soon.

Spring is Almost Here!

Spring is more or less here, which means the birds are singing, the sun is shining and the neighborhood kids are yelling as they play all day long. It's a magical time, the weather is fairly stable and some of our plants are starting to come alive again. Even as I sit here, the windows and back door are open to allow the soft wind creep into the house. It's nice.

What have we been up to? Oh, a little of this, little of that. I have been looking for work, sending our resumes and e-mails. I even had an interview for a nanny position that would have totally rocked, but they ended up going with someone who had previous teaching and nanny experience. Oh well. I've been communicating with the local art gallery director about volunteering there, doing docent tours with the K-12 kids that come through. So I'll hopefully be starting that up soon in the next little bit. But other than that, I've been doing my best to keep busy during the days, especially when Zak's at work. Sometimes the hours pass soooo slowly and I am so unmotivated that I end up watching t.v. longer than I probably should. I have been doing yoga and watching what I eat (it's certainly hard being home all day and not eating everything, so this is kind of a big deal), and so far it's been going well.

Zak has been working and will be working for like, 10 days straight or something silly. They finally got a fourth person at work, so he won't be working as much, but the scheduling is still getting hammered out. I try not to complain, because he's bringing home more than I am (but may I add, the unemployment kind of rules? I don't mind getting paid for baking cookies or reading, but I am mindful that one day it'll end). The new C.E.O. (who likes Zak, so that's great) came by yesterday on a visit (he's visiting all the stores, it seems). Zak's district supervisor told Zak that she's secretly been getting every store to make the C.E.O. Sean's favorite cookie, milk chocolate chip cookies. Zak volunteered to make them with me, because he knows how great a cookie baker I am. So on Wednesday, we made cookies together and boy, did they turn out perfect. Zak texted me after Sean left to tell me he loved the cookies and was really impressed. Maybe I'll start my own cookie shop, since I apparently rule.

the most perfect cookies I have ever made

We also found out yesterday that Zak's new position not only comes with a bonus for the shows he does, but also a pay raise. We were expecting one or the other, but we are pretty happy that he'll be getting both! We don't know how much yet, but hey, more money is more money. He signed up to do his diamond certification class this week. The way it works is, he pays initially to do the program, and, upon completion, the company pays him like 75% or so back. And he'll be Diamond Certified and everything, so his resume will be superior. He's also thinking about becoming gem certified, which he plans on doing after the diamond course. So he will just be all kinds of fancy soon.

We finally got some new fish. Unfortunately, we grew a bit neglectful of the fish tank. We started out with a bunch of guppies, all different ages. And we went through a few generations of fish and then, slowly, just down to one, lonely pretty guppy. And about 3 dozen snails. Zak bought something like 10 snails for a buck or whatever to get something to clean off the algae on the tank glass. Well, those 10 turned into a lot of snails. So we had a ton of snails and one fish. And we decided that needed to change. So down to the local pet store (Pets R People Too) to get some fish. We ended up getting a pretty black platy (I think), a red male platy, a female orange/white platy (hopefully they'll mate), a funny orange fish, and a 'red-finned shark'. And some fake plants (the snails were eating the live ones/I hated them) and a background. So now our tank is pretty again and I tried to get some pictures of the fish. Please excuse the blurriness, they are kind of fast. Next month we're planning on getting some more. Or next week.

the fish, more or less
Zak loves this one, he calls it 'trumpet face'

well, the guppy is on the far left, the shark is the one most clear, the red one is somewhat visible

I have been pretty pumped for baseball season. I grew up surrounded by baseball and I've really come to miss it. For awhile I just didn't really have access to watch games, and this week I finally broke down and got the official MLB app for my iPad. So at least I'll have something, because our cable is basic and probably won't feature the A's a lot. I also really hoped to go to a game when we go home to CA, but of course they're out of town the weekend we arrive and then it's the All-Stars week. Just my luck! I guess I'll have to wait until next year's trip to CA...

Oh yeah, we finally got our plane tickets for California! We will be there for a week, and will be in time for Kenny's arrival home from Sweden. I am so excited I can hardly wait. I am pretty bummed we won't be able to go to L.A. this year, but at least we'll be home in the Bay Area. We talked it out and the main points for the Bay Area included: less sunburns, San Francisco, my brother's homecoming. I am dying to go to the City, and Zak is, too. He loved being in L.A., but he is just not a beach-y person. So I've decided the day my family is in Disneyland, I'm listening to the soundtrack and watching the movies to keep my spirits up. But anyways, we are excited for our trip.

We are also excited for Jenna's visit at the end of the month. Already I wish she could stay one day longer, but we'll have to survive. Zak may have his additional training that week, but we'll make it work. I am so excited to have my sister here! I don't know what we'll do first, or rather, eat first. Moscow has so many great local places that we have come to love and I want to share it all with her. It's something like 24 days until her visit!

This year we are going to make a garden. Seriously. The tulips bulbs are already coming up, so we are for sure keeping those, but the rest is fair game. The lady before us had a nice place, but we want to make it ours. We have just been waiting for a day off for Zak without rain and cold and it looks like his next one'll work. I better start planning what I want...

this is what it looks like now, so prepare yourself for when it looks better

Sorry this is a bit of a long post, but I just felt like writing today. I know it's been awhile since I updated, so I thought I'd give as much information as you could handle. Now here are some pictures with some captions.

a cute hamster

we finally got a full-size ironing board and Zak was so excited, he ironed all of his work clothes in one night while we watched t.v.

one of my tassels fell off my slippers, of course this happened

...and then this...