April 21st, 2008 kellyschnell
I can’t remember the last time I needed a vacation as badly as I do right now. Work has been intense the last few days. I must have gotten over 25 phone calls today. I sent out 57 emails and received twice that many. I crossed 8 things off my to-do list, but added 13. My project is in its final stages, which is exciting, because a real-life inhabitable building is unfolding before my eyes, but it also means that every single little (and big) issue suddenly needs immediate attention and resolution. The inspectors want things changed. The contractor wants the go-ahead to make these changes. The owner wants to stick to the original budget (not happening). Everyone wants the project to finish on time. And I want a vacation. The good news? I’m getting one. I leave on Thursday for sunny, beachy, blue-watery Hawaii. Woo-hoo! It’s a five-day getaway with four other women from my office, and I am stoked. Because of cheap airline tickets, the opportunity to split the cost of a room five ways, and an unselfish husband, I am boarding a plane in 59 hours and 40 minutes bound for far-off, 84-degree lands. After yesterday’s hail storm, nothing could sound better. Come next Monday, I will be one of the very, very few people in Seattle with a tan. I am so looking forward to stretching out on the beach with a book, my biggest concern being whether I’d rather go for a swim or take a nap. And it will be good to have some girl-time. A large part of me certainly wishes I were going with Shane (the romance of Hawaiian sunsets will be lost on me this time around), but I’m also due for a little estrogen-fest. Story-sharing, late-night giggling, a little shopping… My only concern? Five women sharing one bathroom will be interesting. Good thing I’m planning on going for that sun-kissed, breeze-blown, au natural look while I’m down there. I might even leave my blow dryer at home (gasp).
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April 12th, 2008 kellyschnell
For the first time in months, I opened all the windows today and enjoyed the feeling of a fresh breeze flowing throughout the house. Heaven! The joys of spring can officially begin: walks along the lake after work, barbecues in the backyard, tending to my new little herb garden… Days like today make the months of gray drizzle all worth it. I hate to let my mood be dictated by the weather, but my God, this sunshine is making my happy! Is there such a thing as a Vitamin D high?
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March 31st, 2008 kellyschnell
Shane got back last night from his 5-day business trip down to Tuscon, and it is wonderful to have him home again. While I enjoyed having some time to myself, and appreciated being able to spend my Saturday afternoon watching chick flicks instead of the NCAA tournament, I was starting to get a little lonely. Spending a few days on my own has caused me to appreciate all over again just how integral Shane is to my day-to-day life. He keeps the blankets from falling off the side of the bed in the middle of the night. He is that shoulder I need to lean on after a stressful day at work. He doesn’t let me spend all morning watching reruns of Beverly Hills, 90210 (I found I need someone to call me out on my trash-TV binges). He makes sure that I laugh deeply and regularly. He remembers to always close the garage door and turn the heat down at bedtime. He keeps me from being freaked out by the noises that the house makes at night. He takes the garbage out when it’s cold and raining outside. He makes certain that I always feel loved, appreciated, and pursued. He leaves his socks on the floor and his empty glasses on the coffee table (wait - that might be another post…). Anyhow, I’m happy he’s home. Life is better when he’s around.
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March 28th, 2008 kellyschnell
It’s been a busy week at work. No, I haven’t been sitting at a table engaging in intense design discussions and sketching ideas for the next Dezeen-bound project. I’ve been meeting with scientists to help them determine how their research equipment would best be arranged in the lab spaces we’ve designed for them. I never thought that the words “Biosafety Cabinet” and “Fume Hood” would become part of my regular vocabulary. My last two years of college were a time of such incredible creative growth and exploration. Little did I know the amount of unglamorous practicalities that must go into putting a real-life building together - fire codes, handicap accessibility, budgets, time constraints, door hardware schedules, etc. I spent my thesis year at Cal Poly pouring my heart into a project that was very conceptual and sculptural (see the image of part of my thesis model below), and so it’s been an adjustment to make the shift from architectural student to architectural professional. Don’t get me wrong - I have been blessed with some amazing opportunities at my current job and it is extremely rewarding to actually walk down the halls of a project that I’ve worked on. I’m just still getting into the groove of things. And I suppose there’s something to be said for becoming well-rounded…
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March 10th, 2008 kellyschnell
I don’t want to dwell too much on this “Where is my home?” question, but it’s something that weighed on my mind throughout the past couple of days in Turlock. I took my seat on the plane back to Seattle a few hours ago and the gentleman next to me asked, “Heading home?”, and I caught myself hesitating before I responded with an emphatic “Yes”. That 90-minute plane ride was host to a number of emotions for me: one part sadness over having just said good-bye to my parents and girlfriends; one part thankfulness for the time I got to spend shopping and hanging out with Amanda and Francine (dearest friends), chatting with my parents, and stuffing myself with some absolutely fabulous burritos from the local Mexican joints; one part (or maybe two parts?) excitement over returning to Seattle and seeing Shane; and one part bitter-sweet acceptance that Turlock really isn’t home to me anymore. That town holds sooo many memories for me, and there’s comfort of the familiarity of it all, but I was reminded throughout the weekend that it just doesn’t “fit” me anymore. This is largely due to the fact that my parents have sold the house in which I spent many of my adolescent years and are moving up to Oregon later this month, but that’s really only part of the reason for my emotional departure from this small town in the Central Valley. I’ve realized that I belong in a city where new construction consists of high-rises rather than strip malls, where I have a choice of spending my Saturday morning in a local cafe or an art museum, and where I can have Thai food for lunch on Monday, Indian on Tuesday, and Greek on Wednesday (though Turlock’s Mexican food trumps Seattle’s any day). I’m not knocking my small-town roots - my two closest friends lead very fulfilling lives in Turlock, surrounded by people they’ve known and loved for years, and they’ve proved that staying there has its advantages. Shane and I don’t get to run into old friends from high school all the time, and we can’t pull together an impromptu family-wide picnic on a Sunday afternoon. But still, I’m happy in Seattle, because God has wired me with this “urban craving” that I just can’t suppress. There are people and things in California that I will forever miss - which is completely ok, but I can’t let these things keep me from further rooting myself in Seattle. Next steps? Stop obsessing about this whole singular definition of “home” (why is this such a big deal to me?) and simply enjoy the transition from Californian to Seattle-ite…
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March 2nd, 2008 kellyschnell
I’m heading back to California next weekend for a quick visit with friends and family, and I’ve caught myself telling people that I’m “going home” for a couple days; then I pause and think to myself “isn’t it about time that you start thinking of Seattle as home?” And then I realize that finally (after 2 1/2 years), I think I’m getting there - this past week has contained several reminders that we are slowly but surely rooting ourselves here.
Being involved in our church has been hugely meaningful in our connection to Seattle. The small group that we host every Tuesday is a source of so much joy and encouragement (and calories - we’ve shared a number of pretty indulgent desserts over the past few months!). We took a break from our regular Bible study this past week and decided to just kick back and enjoy a movie together. And as much as I enjoy the depth that comes out of our studies and discussions, this night was a reminder that the greatest thing about about this church-based community is that we have really become a group of friends who really like just hanging out together. Six months ago, most of us didn’t even know each other. I also volunteer a couple of times a month in one of the Sunday School classes and got together with several of the other teachers last Thursday. Nothing big - just a couple of hours of catching up with one another and sharing ideas about children’s ministry, but I left that meeting feeling so supported and uplifted. Again and again, I am inspired the passion and sincerity of the people we’ve met at Quest.
Another one of these root-setting reminders came in the form of the wonderful dinner we shared last night with some friends. Thanks to Jack (lawyer-by-day, chef-by-night), the food was incredible. But the conversations we had that night were what sent me home with a smile on my face. We spent several hours at the table sharing about our families, our travel experiences, our restaurant recommendations… We pondered the origins of chapstick, Shane revealed his dreams of opening up a fast-food Indian restaurant, we reminisced about the days of Atari… Good times. It is encouraging to see these much-needed “local” friendships growing and deepening.
And finally, a couple of simple experiences this weekend reaffirmed how much we really love our neighborhood. Shane spent much of yesterday and part of today helping our neighbors lay new sod - not a “fun” task per-se, but still, it’s nice to have someone just around the corner that he can play in the dirt with. And we had our first backyard barbeque of the year this afternoon when our neighbor a few doors down pulled out his grill and called us over for hot dogs. A few other neighbors wandered over and we sat around in our lawn chairs and chatted for awhile, pretending that it was much warmer than it actually was. I love being a part of a community where these spontaneous gatherings are so natural - Shane and I lived in our previous apartment for a full year without meeting anyone else in the building. We have been so blessed here by the warmth and generosity of the people that live around us.
So are we home yet? I’d say yes - actually, we’ve been home for awhile now.
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February 21st, 2008 kellyschnell
It is surprising and shaming to find out how much power money can have over your mood. Shane and I have been incredibly blessed in that we have always been able to buy the things that we need. We certainly have to pass from time to time on the things that we want, but I’ve accepted that as perfectly normal. Healthy, even. I’m ok with the fact that I need to make my 5-year old laptop last a little longer. I’m ok with not going out to dinner every weekend. I’m even ok with skipping the Nordstrom semi-annual sale (well, “ok” with it is a stretch, but willing to do it, nonetheless). I’ve accepted self-restraint as a good thing. It makes the occasional indulgences that much sweeter. A healthy and well-adjusted outlook on money, right? But when Shane and I were handed a $557 repair estimate this morning for our Honda Civic, I was less than cool and casual. I would have loved to say, “Hey, it’s only money…” But that was far from how I actually reacted. Frustration and anger filled me to the point of tears. That sucks. We can pull this money out of savings, but those hard-earned, carefully-saved dollars were not sitting in the bank so that we could spend them on something like car repairs. That money was supposed to go towards the trip to Europe that we hope to take later this year. That money could buy that new bed I’ve been eyeing in the West Elm catalog. That money was being saved to allow me to take a decent amount of time off from work when we have a baby. Somehow “unexpected car repairs” was not on my 2008 wish list. I keep reminding myself that I should be thankful that we can actually afford unexpected expenses such as these. But it’s hard. The real kicker? After being given our $557 estimate, I came into work this morning and was asked by a group of my female coworkers to come along on a 5-day trip to Hawaii in April. They had found some deals on airfare and hotels and estimated that the whole trip would come out to somewhere between $550-$600. Shoot. Sometimes I wish the voice of reason wasn’t so dang loud.
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February 6th, 2008 kellyschnell
I hate to complain about the weather, since I did technically choose to leave San Luis Obispo for Seattle, but these cold, gray, rainy days are starting to wear on me. I feel so cooped up and lethargic. I went to the gym tonight in an effort to get my endorphins flowing, but I was only reminded that I am so dang tired of running in place. Spending half an hour on a treadmill in a stuffy room with sweaty strangers on my left and right is no substitute for a jog around Seward Park. I’m tired of getting up when it’s dark and leaving work when its dark. I’m tired of shivering in the cold while waiting for the bus. And I’m really tired of the pasty white color of my skin (vain, I know, but it’s true). I can’t wait for the days when Shane and I can hop on our bikes after work and ride over to Lake Washington. I’m looking forward to spending time in the backyard, drinking white wine and barbequing with the neighbors. And more than anything, I just want to remember what it feels like to step outside in a short-sleeved shirt and feel warmth. But for now, I suppose I must be content with curling up on the couch with a blanket and a cup of hot tea. There are worse things.
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January 24th, 2008 kellyschnell
I was really encouraged by this article in the Seattle Times: “Riders Pack Buses in Record Numbers“. I am a huge supporter of mass transit - major props to anyone who takes the bus to work every day. However, doing this favor for the environment can sometimes come at a cost. I have had some less-than-pleasant experiences lately while on my way to and from work. Cases in point:
A few days ago, a rather large, not-so-good-smelling man hopped on the bus and was absolutely convinced that he could fit into the 6-inch space on the bench seat between me and the woman next to me (this was a 3-person bench and he was #4). It wasn’t pretty. I ended up standing, while he and the woman I’d been sitting next to shared a number of 4-letter words with each other.
My bus driver was reading the newspaper while he was driving one morning last week. This made me nervous.
I took a seat next to a nice-looking gentleman one night a couple of weeks ago. I pulled out my book and before I could get my headphones on (yes, I am one of those anti-social bus-riders), he asked what I was reading. I told him it was a collection of poems by Sylvia Plath. He launched into a speech about the merits of strong, intelligent, well-read women. I buried my nose deeper in my book and tried to make it apparent that I wasn’t up for chatting. He took the hint and stopped talking to me, but then began to mutter to himself about how much he loves Yeats’ poetry and about how his high school English teacher was such a bastard. Creepy.
But, woes aside, taking the bus has its definite perks. I get a lot more reading done now than I did in my pre-bus days, I never have to worry about finding a parking spot downtown, and I’m decreasing my ecological footprint. And so I ride.
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January 22nd, 2008 kellyschnell
things that are bringing me joy these days:
cooking something, then watching Shane wolf it down (this is the only sure-fire sign that he likes it)
Sunday afternoon naps
having an empty laundry basket (this does not happen very often, but it’s amazing when it does)
thinking about being able to hold my soon-to-be-born niece or nephew in my arms
SUNSHINE (even if it’s cold sunshine)
walking through our house and thinking “wow! we own this!” (well, techincally we won’t “own” it for another 29 years and 2 months, but at least we’re slowly getting there)
the view of the Olympic mountains as seen from Beacon Hill on my way to work in the morning
the falafel plate from Falafel King on 1st Ave, complete with the most garlicky hummus you will ever taste
the soundtrack of “Once” piping through my ipod
coming home each night to a husband that is always eager to greet me with a hug and a kiss
the buttery, flaky deliciousness of a pain au chocolat at Cafe Besalu in Ballard (this is a recent discovery - thank you Jack and LaVerne!)
new episodes of Project Runway
the sound of French being spoken
occasionally taking time to sit back and breathe deeply
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