Karl Adventures!

A lot of adventure with Karl before I knew him involved stories with his belated (aka: given to a friend) Subaru with water or mud, lots of digging in basements, countless road trips, European wanderings, and of course hiking of various extremes. Since being married to him, I've had the fortune of being apart of new European wanderings, hiking, and even basement digging! Unbeknownst to us both, when he said yes to teaching a new course this semester his adventure recently has been this: 

Exciting, huh!! :D Well, mentally anyway. I'm so proud of him. He has had a new course for the last six semesters. That is a total of three years and not one semester without a new course needing to be created. If you're not aware of college course creation - in Karl's definition not some bored, unexcited college professor's definition (not that there's any like that!) - it's a lot of time, effort, creativity, etc! Not only does he create each course with diligence and creativity to engage the students, but he also continues to refine and develop the other courses he is teaching. 


The current new course, Mechatronics, is in the mechanical engineering side of things. Since it was his Master's emphasis, it's not foreign to him. His PhD and latest study and teaching, though, has been within civil engineering so this particular course has definitely been more of an adventure to create since it's not as recent material for him! His days have ranged from 12 to 18 hour work days. It's a good thing we have not been given kids yet - and one reason we choose to say yes to a new course now and not later.

Needless to say it's been quite the semester! We're still glad we made the choice to have him teach it. It's highlighted some good things for us to talk through and it also means we get the summer to play again! Yes, please! It also continues to give him diversity in his teaching and role within the school of engineering at WSU. With one year contracts each year as a clinical assistant professor, it's always up in the air what we'll be doing the following year, especially with state budget cuts. Always an adventure with Karl. Always an adventure living life with God! I love and enjoy being apart of both, even if both do involve growth and change!

As busy and long as this semester has been, there are two things that have been good to have on the horizon. The first was a work conference for Karl. In early Januray, we talked a little about me going with him. I was hesitant since I had already asked for spring break off in December (second thing to look forward to!) and was the next week after the conference. I am so used to throwing myself into work as a single - how can I ask for another two days off!? Long story short. I did. Big deal for me! I realized my relationship with my husband is much more important than my part-time work. I want to invest in my husband.

A sneaky plan began forming. I touched based with his dad and asked if I could use some of his airmiles to join Karl for the conference to be held in Washington, D.C. His reply, "That's what I love using the airmiles for!" Big smile on my end - I have great in-laws! I then had to contact the administrative assistant for the civil engineering department who did some footwork for me to get Karl's exact flight schedule - Another win! With info in tow, Dad Olsen booked my flight even scoring seats next to Karl on all our flights, except our final leg from Seattle to Pullman on our return home. Hurr-rah! A nice dinner with a decorated birthday envelope at his plate and VOILA - an early birthday present. OH! Did I mention it would be Karl's birthday on the last day of the conference and when we would be flying home?! An added reason for me to get the time off and join him! He loved the surprise.

And we throroughly enjoyed our time! A few highlights.....

All of sudden Karl is standing next to this sign as we wonder why....look closely....upper right...

After a delicious finger-lickin' Ethiopian meal at Dukem's with Karl's buddy Amos Saturday night, we ended up at H Street Country Club for a little putt-putt and for the guys to enjoy a beer. Karl: "I'm feeling a little awkward."

More eating ensues with Amos on Sunday after church at Logan Tavern. I was very excited about the "best french toast, carmel pecan sauce & bacon" - sounds amazing, huh! But first, Karl realized Donovan McNabb was waiting for a table too. Who? Yup, my point exactly. Apparently the quarterback for the Washington Redskins. Cool. Back to the french toast! I was told they had just served the last one. Mmmm-Hmmm. That's okay -  the mango key lime pie made up for it! And then it was off to see the Cathedral. We really enjoyed our time wandering!

Karl's conference started Sunday evening and he was there all day Monday as well....until we hopped on the Metro to head for a tour at the Pentagon with Amos. It was fantastic! It's a small city in there along with some amazing American history displays. 

Karl and Amos met at WSU, went to bible college together in Austria and have some funny travel stories  of their time in Europe! It was great getting to know Amos throughout the weekend as we hung out and he taxied us everywhere! 

After dinner at La Tasca, a very delicious tapas and sangria place in Old Town Alexandria (can you tell our theme was to eat a wide variety of food not found in Pullman?!), Amos drove us to the Iwo Jima monument before he dropped us at our hotel and we said good-bye.

The next morning was more "conferencing" for Karl and then we began the trek home. The stewardess' learned it was Karl's birthday and gave him a free digeplayer (or whatever its name is!) to watch movies on for our flight from DC to Seattle. AWESOME! We also received Alaska Airline wings. It was a big deal. 

Happy 34th Birthday to my creative, hard-working, full of integrity husband!

The second middle marker of this busy, long sememster to look forward to?! Spring break. In Cabo, Mexico. A-maz-ing. Thank you, Lord, for splurges that at the time of booking seem extravegant yet You know how much we'll need it before we do. Thank you for creating seasons - a time for laughter and play.

Cabo. Here. We. Come.

A Girl and Her Shoes

Girls and their shoes are somewhat of a mystery. Even to me, and yes, I am a girl. Some gals have oodles of them or, like me, have what I need (maybe one or two more!) and then enjoy many pairs from afar! They come in all sorts of styles, shapes and, of course, sizes. I'm referring to the shoes...not to girls, which would hold true as well, of course! Each of us unique in our own God-created way! But that's a tangent....back to shoes.

I do enjoy shoes. I'm not a fanatic as I know some to be. I enjoy being simple. I don't need a lot. I've kept most shoes until they're well-used or aren't comfortable anymore. I'm way too practical to "just buy shoes" and any pair that I do have, I've needed for something - be it fancy or day-to-day or exercise or travel or hiking...that pretty much sums up my shoe wardrobe. I definitely re-use shoes too! I don't need another fancy pair when the pair I have will work just fine!

I try to be sensible in the amount of money I will pay for shoes yet at the same time have learned quality is important! I do resist the urge and use self-control when that ever-so-cute or adorable pair of shoes comes across my path (pun intended!) but I don't need it. Let's be real - that's not to say that I don't look at them and enjoy them for a moment and think of all the fun ways I would wear them out and about! But back to reality....I put my realistic hat on and think of what else the money could be used for - or what it is I/we actually need. "Want verses need" is a good shopping partner!

Enough about my shoe shopping tendencies.....because they have ALL changed. Ever heard of bunions? I'd heard of them....kind of. They're things on your feet. Right? Yes. I can now answer in the affirmative. Let me show you....

The way I see them.

The way you would see them.

No, bunions are not all the veins popping out or the short, pudginess of my feet. See the nubs sticking out of my feet below the big toe? It's easier to see on the left foot in the above picture (which is really my right foot!). If you google "bunions," you'll get much, Much, MUCH worse looking images. I'm really thankful for the stage my bunions are at.

You'll read all sorts of things and get all sorts of answers I've learned about whether bunions are caused by heredity or the type of shoes you wear (read: scrunch your feet into narrow shoes). Then I was given this definition from the second podiatrist I saw: "Bunions are a progressive disorder. They begin with a leaning of the big toe, gradually changing the angle of the bones over the years and slowly producing the characteristic bump, which becomes increasingly prominent....Bunions are most often caused by an inherited faulty mechanical structure of the foot. It is not the bunion itself that is inherited, but certain foot types that make a person prone to developing a bunion" (American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons). Hmmmm....I have that "certain foot type" and as far as the "inherited" piece, I learned that my great-grandmother Lucy on my mother's side had bunions - a much worse case than mine.

My bunions literally seemed to "pop" out one day in early December. I'd been feeling some abnormal pain in some of my shoes but didn't think much of it. That happens every now and then. No big deal. The weird part as well was that as my mother-in-law had been telling me over the course of several months of the bone spurs in her feet, the pain they were causing and the physical therapy and different shoes she was needing, I thought off-handedly that maybe I was experiencing empathetic pain for her. Is there such a thing?! Maybe. But not in my case.

One morning I looked down and it was so remarkably shocking to see these pointy things coming off my feet! "Oh my gosh!" That was it. And then dumbfounded silence while I looked at my feet. "I can't deny my pain anymore. This is really real" is what went through my head as I blinked to make sure my feet were really staring back at me with "those pointy things."

The first podiatrist's response when he looked at my feet was, "Surgery is the only thing that will fix that." End. Of. Story. No thanks. Not the friendly doctor/patient relationship I was looking for. I felt like I was in the office being told "here are the drugs to help your diabetes." Meanwhile knowing that with the type of diabetes I had (no, I don't have diabetes...this just an example!) I could help it with diet and exercise! ARAH-ARG. I had to be my own doctor. I asked question after question to probe into further solutions and knew I was going for a second opinion!

The second podiatrist I saw was more conservative in his approach. He actually examined how I stand (imagine that!) and saw that I pronate (roll inward) and that I don't have much of an arch. He said orthotic inserts and "certain" types of shoes will help slow the progression of the bunions. He said in cases such as mine if patients want surgery they can ask him for it. Two things I'll be watching for - continuous pain that affects daily life and increased deformity. I remind myself that even though these "certain" types of shoes that will help with the pain may not be my-kind-of-cute, I'll be thankful for my feet and all they do without pain.

Thankful. There's that word again. Just like the warmth I am thankful for that I blogged about previously. I've taken my feet for granted. Have you? They do SO much for us....without me even thinking about it.

My feet. I'm thankful for the many, many years I had no pain and have worn all sorts of fun shoes!! Without even thinking about it. As a person with small feet, it's not an easy task to find shoes that fit me well, fit "my style," and look like a grown woman should wear them and not a little girl. And when I did find such shoes - WAHOO!! I loved them. I know love can be a strong word used for so many things in the English language but just go with me on this one - I loved my shoes because they always managed to come with a story with friends or family by my side that got to be apart of the fantastic moment when a pair of shoes actually fit well, felt comfortable, and "looked like me!" Silly I know. Yet, it's true. Shoes come with memories.

New memories will now be made! It's not lookin' pretty on the style side of things that my "new" feet are now requiring. I continue to hold out that I will find a brand that fits the wide toe space so that the bunions aren't continually being rubbed along with the type of sole for the pronation. As the hunt begins, I'm thankful....

Thankfulness

So many things on my mind to write about!

First things first….I mentioned last time that another adventure had come later in the week. See the pictures below…..

On my walk to work! Yes, it is uphill both ways (you just can't see the hills yet!). 

That means I also go downhill both ways too. Just in case you were confused.

Proof that I'm walking to work!

I believe these capture the weather of the new area I am now living. (Although, it's just cold now. Most of the snow has melted away.) I’ve “done” the snow thing with the years I spent in Canada and Montana. It’s just different to realize that this is where I LIVE. This isn’t a “season” of snow for a few years and then back to California I go. It’s now – life. Just a little adjustment. Maybe more than a little on some days more than others! I must say though, Pullman isn’t so bad since the snow tends to come and go and doesn’t last a super long time....at least this winter. Only the cold weather lasts a really long time. I’m always thankful to see the sunshine even if it isn’t warm!

Other things I’m thankful for in this new adventure of weather: 1) God led me to Canada and Montana for a few years so I really experienced cold weather and snow. It makes the transition a touch easier to know what it could be like! 2) Warm layers that keep me warm! (This has also given me a much bigger heart for those that experience cold on a daily basis because they do not have a warm layer). 3) Heat in our home – see sentence in parentheses again except exchange it for those that don’t have a warm place to go. 4) And yes, warm food and drink have also been much more meaningful. New adventures, I believe, can bring new things to be thankful for – and help with the transition that adventures tend to bring.

That being said….the next post brings another thing to be thankful for that I took for granted for way too many years. Until then….

Be Careful What You Say

It's apparent I won't be a blogger that writes updates as soon as they happen! That being said, the first chronicles of the Olsen Clan occurred a bit over two weeks ago....


Friday nights. I enjoy them. A lot. They tend to be relaxing. Whether we're enjoying time together or with friends or family, Friday nights bring a different feel than any other night of the week. I think you probably know what I mean. 


This particular Friday night, Karl and I were eating dinner at home and he says to me, "I'm craving an adventure." This only brings a grin to my face because if you know my husband - well, he's all about adventure and this should not be an out-of-the blue comment for me to hear.  He's always ready for an adventure. I asked him if he meant something spontaneous or if he was thinking bigger and planning an adventure of some sort. He said spontaneous. I knew what he meant. He wanted something different to happen from the normal, every day rhythms. 


Be careful what you say :)


The next morning we received a phone call from a family Karl knows well that have four girls. The parents needed to be on the West Side for an extended family meeting. (For those learning the Washington lingo along with me, the "West Side" in Washington is known as the Seattle area. It is approximately five hours, and a mountain pass, from those of us that live on the East Side.) 


The parents were calling in hopes of finding some willing and capable people to care for their girls so they could care for the family meeting without the added logistics of taking their family. (Note: They love their girls and pretty much do all things together as a family....this event needed just mom and dad though and needed to happen quickly.)


As soon as Karl told me about the call, I told him he had his adventure! Allow me to repeat a section in case it didn't register the first time: Four girls. Females. Ages 7 to 12. Ahhhh....this was going to be, yes, an adventure!


Another couple began caring for the girls Sunday evening and we took over Monday afternoon. We cared for the girls through Tuesday night when the parents returned home around midnight. All in all, it went well. The ages of the girls is such that they don't require much hand holding. AND you sleep through the night. Bonus.  


I took several things away from our time and instead of recounting all the details that this detail mind could articulate for you, I will share some tidbits:

Snow was beginning to build up as we took this phone call and answered "yes" to helping take care of them. Believe it or not - the typically cold person that I am (temperature wise! I hope I don't come across 'cold'!) was actually looking forward to taking the girls out sledding! Lo and behold, the other couple did it the hour before we took over. Bummer for me.


Tidbit #1: It's good to know that in the midst of this change of weather from California to Washington I am adjusting to the different climates! God is working :)

Tidbit #2: Baking cookies with kids is fun. It's messy and eggs end up on the floor instead of in the bowl but the fun that is had and the memories that are made are worth the mess.

Tidbit #3: I love my husband. He'll join in on anything.....cookies and crafts.

Tidbit #4: If we ever build a house and/or stop buying places that we live in for a couple years and then rent out and move on to the next, we'd both LOVE a wood burning stove. 

Tidbit #5: In said house, there will be a loft constructed as well. SOOO fun! :) 


Karl was given his adventure and lived life with four...excuse me, five, girls for two days! He did very well. You should have seen him in the "let's get the house straightened up for your parent's return" game. He is one helpful man!


That was the beginning of the week. The latter half of the week was also full of adventure. But that will come in the next blog. It might take me two more weeks to write that up...I'd also like to make this look less plain and so spaced out. I will take all comments on how spruce up your blog. Until then....

New Seasons and Upcoming Adventures

We're blogging, family (and any friends that care to join the ride)!! We'll see how we catch on - or not - to this form of keeping you up-to-date on the going-on's of our life. What intrigues me about blogging is that it becomes a record of various happenings in our family. Maybe, just maybe, funny stories, edge-of-your seat stories - most likely occurring from Karl - life lessons, and so on and so forth types of stories will be captured for us to look back on over the years to see the growth and changes we go through. And most of all, how God provides in the midst of it all. Here's to the new seasons and upcoming adventures ahead......

The establishment of our family: June 11, 2011

First adventure as husband and wife: cake cutting and feeding