In Bloom

TA DA!: It finally happened! We have a daffodil in full bloom! Isn't it lovely?

It's been such a long darn dark winter. This is a real pick me up!

I promise I'll stop posting about daffodils soon. Probably right after the dozens along our driveway do their thing. :)

IN PROGRESS: CJ is at The Museum of Flight tonight, for his museum apprenticeship program. He's working on a display that launches next week. Here's a sneak preview of just the background and the headline banner ...

You can probably see that it's going to be about how dogs were used in the war effort during World War II. 

It has been fun learning about how dogs were employed in the war effort, and which kinds of dogs were pressed into service the most often. In the photo below, they were still accepting all comers. This changed before too long, as certain breeds proved to be not really cut out for the military life.

Training Daze

FLOWER POWER: Though I've seen fully blossomed daffodils all over town, the ones in our yard seen to be taking their time. 

This specimen seems oh-so-close, but it's definitely not fully there yet. Maybe one more sunrise is all it needs.

NEW MOON: Did you hear the news? Earth has a new moon!

According to numerous articles online, about a week ago, astronomers at the Catalina Sky Survey in Arizona spied a dim object moving quickly across the sky. Researches at six more observatories spied the object, as well, over the next several days.  

Turns out an object about the size of a car has been gravitationally bound to Earth for about three years now. It's been dubbed 2020 CD3. 

The Minor Planet Center, which operates at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory in Harvard in Cambridge, Massachussets announced that “no link to a known artificial object has been found,” implying that it is most likely an asteroid caught by Earth’s gravity as it passed by.

This isn't the first mini moon Earth has had. Accourding to New Scientist, the first known asteroid to be captured by Earth's gravitational field was 2006 RH120, which stuck around between September 2006 and June 2007, before it left Earth's gravitational grasp.  

REMOTING IN: With me being at work from 8:30 to 4 or so, its a little bit difficult to ride herd over the MPA student body, but I'm doing the best I can with a smart phone. I am able to use texts, email, and, of course, phone calls to check in and edit work. 

Also, before I leave in the morning, I sit down and make a loooong to do list on the whiteboard that  helps keep us all on track.

Today, Christian was able to get off early and take the kids to the gym (Defy) and to their weekly "Game On" session at the White Center library, so that was nice. 

Tonight, CJ was supposed to have Japanese, but he was in class for all of 10 minutes before he tapped out, citing nausea. I'm really doubtful that he has coronavirus or something like that. I suspect that someone has been making really poor food choices while I'm at work ... 

Super Busy

FEEDING TEENS: It seems like they should feel so far apart, but the fourth Friday of each month  seems to come so close together. That's the date on the calendar we're responsible for helping out in a bigly way with a meal at Teen Feed.

This month we went with a relatively easy menu: Jumbo chili dogs with all the fixings. That means quarter pound franks with options of four kinds of chili, three kinds of cheese (or vegan substitute), onions, jalapenos, Fritos and more as toppings options. On the side, carrots and celery sticks with ranch, plus a cookies and milk dessert buffet. (Regarding dessert, guests had their choice from eight different types of cookies by my count, including all of the favorite Girl Scouts' offerings, since 'tis the season.)

The diners were appreciate, as always. And they were so hungry, as always. As the meal lead/planner, I usually help assign people to serving positions, then hang back and jump in where needed. One gentleman I  helped serve was coming through for seconds - and he walked away with FOUR quarter-pound hot dogs and heaps of chili. These poor young folks are so darn hungry, and so very grateful. One diner, as he left, made it a point to come back up to the counter and put his hands together and did a slight bow and effusively thanked us for the food and our service. It was very thoughtful and much appreciated. 

WORKING IT: So, suddenly I have a full time job. It's a bit of an upset to our schedule, but it's temporary (just for the next couple of weeks) and it's for a good cause (I'm helping with the 2020 presidential election). 

The King County Elections center happens to be at the bottom of our (big) hill. So the commute is a breeze! 

I've been in training all day since Monday, and will be working pretty much full time from here to March 10, election day, I do believe. I learned of the job from an ad on Facebook, interestingly enough. I applied not  knowing where or what  might be doing. Most of the jobs are screening ballot-oriented, but based on my extensive customer service background, I'm guessing, I was slotted to work the front lines, answering voters' questions. So, that will be interesting. This week's all training. I'm really looking forward to the hands on/public interaction part of the job. There's a lot to learn, for sure, but it feels super doable so far.

SUPER SONIC: On Sunday afternoon, the kids went to a move based on a character from a super popular video game franchise. 

Annabelle can tell you more about it. ...

Sonic the Hedgehog (2020) pays homage to the original Sonic games that it is based on in many unexpected ways. The film follows a CGI-animated version of the titular character, who has been living in the shadows on our Earth for years, observing humans’ lives and wishing he could be part of them. When he causes an incidental power surge at a local baseball field from running around it too fast, he’s forced to connect with the humans around him much sooner than expected in order to escape the evil Dr. Robotnik that is attempting to capture him for research purposes.

The movie is definitely meant to be a not-too-serious “fun for the family” type movie, not taking itself very seriously at points and making plenty of gags and jokes. That being said, it does have a surprisingly cohesive plot and well-done CGI, especially when compared to the original trailer’s meme-ably terrible designs. It’s a fun movie if you’re a fan of the original games or want an easy, for-laughs movie that can be watched with a large age range. It’s quite refreshing to see the character of Sonic given actual personality and motivations other than ‘being cool,’ especially for long time fans of the series. 

Here's a trailer if  you're at all interested. ...

Cramming

ORANGE BLOSSOM SPECIAL: We've had four days (!!!!) of blue skies in a row. That is cause for celebration, to be sure. All this sun puts us on serious daffodil watch. We don't have any blooming yet, but many look oh-so-close.

Meanwhile, out out in the garden, these mystery flowers have been blooming all winter, no kidding. We don't know what they are or where they came from. None of us recall them being here our two winters prior that we've lived at this place. Anyone out there know what they are? 

It occurs to me we had some earth moving done last spring in the area where these showed up, so maybe that unearthed these? 

ABSORBED: Seems I have a dearth of things to post about the past couple of days. I blame Japan.

More specifically, Japanese. More accurately, CJ's Japanese class. He's been studying for a big test, and we've been trying to help. (Believe you me, Annabelle is a *lot* more help than I am. She is learning it right along with him. My help comes in the form of implementing various study strategies.)

One of the things we've done to help us remember the new-to-us words is watch some YouTube videos with 'catchy' songs featuring Japanese vocabulary.

Here are a couple of the little ditties that have been rolling round in our heads the past couple of days.

The first one is a Japanese version of "Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes."

Much to Annabelle's chagrin, CJ actually sang during most of our walk yesterday.

And this song helps listeners learn how to count people in Japanese.


JOB FRONT: I mentioned a bit ago that CJ and I applied for (different) jobs. Yesterday, we each had some movement on that front. I had an interview at King County Elections as a temporary helper during election periods. 

It was an interesting interview. There was a timed data entry test, and a proofreading test. After that, an agility test. Yes, really. We had to move boxes of varying sizes in varying ways. Lastly, a group interview, seven applicants and two interviewers. 

Have I mentioned I haven't interviewed for a job since, oh, around 2005, I think?  And have I also mentioned I literally wrote the book (well, training manual) that was used statewide (15 years ago) to teach people how to prepare for a job interview? Needless to say, I had to dust off some cobwebs and remember advice I used to provide. It was funny, the three questions they asked were straight from the book - ones you could almost always expect to be asked, and so you should be ready for them. 

Anyway, I guess it went OK, because I got a call offering me a job this morning. It's funny, the training (5 days) lasts as long as the temp job, I think. Oh well. I am definitely looking forward to learning more about the election process, which is the primary reason I applied to begin with.

Also yesterday, CJ received an email that he'd passed the first screen for the library page position he applied for, so his resume and app are being forwarded to the hiring manager, who will decide whom to interview. That made him feel pretty good to learn he survived at least the first cut. It's the first job he's ever applied for.

Projecting

BIG ADVENTURE: Saturday night we went to a movie. Not just any movie. Not even a new movie. It was a screening of "Pee-Wee's Big Adventure." I first saw the film in 1985. I was pregnant with Rick. I remember laughing so hard, I was afraid I was going to deliver him in the theater that afternoon.

Fast forward 35 years, and this time I'm sitting in The Moore Theatre with Christian, CJ and Annabelle, watching the movie. Would you believe it was a sold out show? Eighteen hundred Pee-Wee Herman fans packed the place. We were in the very last row of the grand old theater.  

The screen wasn't that huge, and the sound wasn't that great, but the movie was wonderful, as always. Hardcore fans (ourselves included) often quoted along with the show, and we laughed as hard as we'd ever laughed at all of the sight and word gags. 

After the movie, Pee-Wee himself, Paul Reubens, came out onto the stage, sat in a chair and shared stories about the movie with the audience. 

It was fun hearing behind-the-scenes stories, including how a then 27-year-old guy named Tim Burton wound up being the director. 

Lots of the audience dressed up for the show, as various characters from the movie or Pee-Wee's Playhouse, a series on CBS back in the day. While our family didn't dress for the movie, Christian and I did dress up as "Pee-Wee's Big Adventure" costumes for Rick's wedding reception. (Christian was the escaped convict from the movie, and I was Pee-Wee dressed as his wife.) 

Funny how that came full circle - me being pregnant with Rick when I first saw the movie, and then wearing a costume inspired by it for his reception. Wow!

FUN WITH FABRIC:  At Christmastime, during a get together with one branch of the family tree, one of the members was wearing a standard button down shirt with a very-not-standard pocket on it. The pocket was a print of cute puppies. The wearer told us that he got it at a fair in Austin, Texas. There was a booth where people would sew a pocket on your boring ol' shirt and make it something special. 

That immediately went on our 'to do' list, and a couple weeks back Annabelle and I spied these fun fat quarters at Wal-Mart. We thought they'd make perfect pockets, and so we bought them. We then set about finding shirts that would work at thrift stores. 

Once we finally found a couple, it was pocket-making time. We watched a couple of videos, and then got busy. 

In no time at all, we had a couple of custom dress shirts. 

What an inexpensive, easy way to upscale a thrift store shirt!

RE-TREAT: On Sunday, midday, there was a knock at our door. My mind immediately went to, "Oh, no, door-to-door evangelicals!" 

Fortunately, it was not that. Instead, it was our across-the-street neighbor, bringing us a big plate of rice and chicken smothered in homemade mole sauce. A Hispanic family, they were having a big party on Sunday, and their get togethers always include a vat of that amazing sauce. They know we love it, and they were so kind to share some.

We four devoured it in no time. Christian had their plate in hand and was heading for the door, ready to return it. I stopped him and said, "We can't send back an empty plate!"

So, while CJ studied Japanese, Annabelle and I set about making cookies. 

Recently a recipe for THE BEST SNICKERDOODLES EVER wound up in my inbox some how, and I wanted to give it a go. I haven't made snickerdoodles since the '70s, I'm pretty sure.

During the process, Annabelle wondered aloud where snickerdoodles got their name. Naturally, that turned into a research assignment for her. Here's what she learned. ...

Snickerdoodle cookies have many different theories and stories surrounding their peculiar name. Some believe they are German in origin, with “snickerdoodle” seeming to be a corruption of the German word Schneckennudeln, meaning “snail dumpling.” However, it is also quite possible that the word is a nonsense name with no specific meaning that stems from a tradition of giving cookies whimsical names to match their sweet nature. The Oxford English Dictionary defines the word’s origin as “uncertain,” so we may never really know where the name snickerdoodle came from.

I don't know that they're THE BEST EVER, but our 'snail dumplings' turned out just fine. And it was much nicer to return the plate full. 

Applying Ourselves

FEB. 14: Today's Valentine's Day. I always look forward to seeing NASA's spin on the topic. 

This website lets you electronically send a space-y Valentine greeting to someone you admire: https://mars.nasa.gov/free-holiday-ecard/love-valentine/

I've included a few of my favorites below ...

HELP WANTED: A few days back, we were driving past a McDonald's close to our house and CJ wondered aloud, "Do you think they're hiring?"

"Yes. Always," I responded. That was quickly followed up by asking, "Are you thinking about getting a job?"

CJ answered in the affirmative. At that, I told him most any job is a good job, and that McDonald's can be a good first job ... but I also suggested he consider other options, and opportunities that he might be more enthused about, like working at a pet store, for instance. (A quick Google search for PetCo and employment shows they're hiring now, with immediate start dates.)

Shortly after CJ mentioned getting a job, I noticed a post on the Facebook page of the Burien location of King County Library System. The job is for a part-time, entry-level library page position. I showed the notice to CJ and encouraged him to apply. And so he did.

Naturally, it was no easy task. The application process involved updating his resume, writing a cover letter, answering supplementary questions, taking a typing test, filling out pages and pages of online forms with work history, references, certifications and more. Several hours later, he was finally able to hit "submit." 

I was able to help him through the process. Once upon a time I was, after all, a professional employment specialist who helped people write resumes and cover letters and fill out applications all the live long day.

Now that he has his resume up-to-date and a cover letter template he can use, CJ could apply for any number of jobs. But I think he's going to wait until he's done with spring quarter. The reason he applied for the library page job is because it's a plum position and rare opportunity to get in on the ground floor regarding working in a library.

He asked me if he'd hear if he's not selected. I told him not hearing anything is usually how one finds that out. ;) He also asked a few questions about job interviews. So, those skills are something we'll be practicing in the car as we drive to and fro in the coming weeks.

Speaking of applications, I actually filed one for my own self. I recently saw a post about King County Elections needing (very) temporary help with the upcoming election. Given the fact that I would like to learn more about how that process works and that King County Election headquarters is at the foot of our hill, I went ahead and applied. If hired, it could be as little as a day's worth of work, believe it or not.

I can't help but think, "What a lot of work for the county go to through for such temporary help. I wonder how much that costs taxpayers. ... " Of course the flipside of that is that elections are extremely important and need to be handled and funded properly.

Loose Ends

FINISHED: The birthday girl loves space. And Godzilla. If that doesn't scream, "Bake me a cake!" what does? :)

An astronaut Godzilla cake was Annabelle and CJ's latest Birthday Dreams donation. The work-in-progress lived on our dining room table for about five days.

Annabelle made modeling chocolate, sculpted a Godzilla skeleton, and covered that in a homemade marshmallow fondant spacesuit. We also made dozens of gelatin bubbles for potential helmets, but weren't 100 percent thrilled with any of them, so in the end opted for a plastic orb. Other than that, Godzilla's all edible, as is the UFO he's hitching a ride on.

What's under all the fun? CJ whipped up the four-layer chocolate brownie cake with mini chocolate chip filling. Annabelle airbrushed vanilla buttercream over it all to give it a galactic look, and arranged stars in a "12," the birthday girl's age (her name was on the gumpaste sign, in a Godzilla font).

This was a fun one, and we learned a lot. We hope the birthday girl liked it!

FRAMED: Right after dropping off the cake at Birthday Dreams headquarters yesterday, Annabelle and I stopped at a Dollar Tree store nearby. We were looking for some camouflage or other Army-like costume or material that CJ needs for his upcoming Museum of Flight display.

We perused the oddly hybrid craft/toy aisle, and at one point my eyes landed on this. ...

I was gobsmacked. "That's a photo of you!" I said to Annabelle, pointing at the frame. Oddly enough, the picture is more than 10 years old. CJ is missing a front tooth, and Annabelle still has all of her baby teeth. I remember taking the photo. I shot it through a sliding glass patio door during an anniversary party for my aunt Sally and uncle Mickey in Vancouver, WA. I was surprised the photo turned out at all, given the kids were standing in a light rain and it was shot through the double glass.

Seeing that photo there and then was kind of a surreal experience. So unexpected. Never in a million years did I expect to walk into a dollar store and find a photo of my kids hanging on the rack. I suspect the photo is from Morguefile, a site where I used to park photos for people to use (with conditions). I haven't contributed there in years, and I'm guessing they changed their user policies. 

I told the kids that they can add "stock photo picture frame person" to their resume. 

QUARTERED: Monday night, after we dropped CJ off at his Japanese class, I happened to glance up at the school's reader board as we left the parking lot. "REGISTER NOW FOR SPRING QUARTER" it read.

"What?!" I likely screeched.

I had no idea that registration was underway.

I do recall CJ calling down the hallway to me about a week ago about a Running Start (high school for college credit) pizza party. CJ's been in Running Start since fall and went to a pizza party months ago. During that, he received registration information, but I guess what stuck with him was the pizza was less than stellar, so he didn't want to go to this round's pizza party. What didn't stick with him was that it was also about registration. 

Keep in mind, since he's a college student, all of the communication from the college goes straight and only to him, so we're out of the loop.

Anyway, once we found out it was registration time, I wrote to our local school district, whom we have to have sign for his tuition $$ to be released to the college. Mercifully, I was able to get an appointment the next morning to get that paperwork, then we were off to South Seattle for CJ to sign up for spring quarter classes. We met with a counselor, filled our forms out, and got them approved and headed down to the registrar and cashier.

In the end, we went from not knowing he was supposed to register to getting him registered in about 18 hours. Not bad - but also not a situation I expect to happen again, as I told CJ.