A Wild and Wonderful Day!

What an amazing day yesterday was! Just closing on our house was a huge accomplishment. Our lender was keeping us in great suspense by not turning in the paperwork until the final hour, but the title company really came through and did everything completely on the fly for us. But when we went over the papers, we realized that our lender had structured the deal in a way that left about $2800 of our money sitting on the table. Drat! So we got lender on the phone and worked out a way to make the deal happen so that we got all of our money, and we also got an even lower interest rate than we had originally bargained for! Our title agent was "double-fisting" it with phones on both ears, talking to people at the national HQ for her company and our lender down in Texas. It was pretty crazy, but for some reason I never got stressed out about it, at all. I think I knew it would all be o.k. A closing can be difficult, but I imagine it's rarely fatal, so I didn't get too worked up.

Nevertheless, afterwards I still needed to decompress, so I stopped for a mani/pedi and that really helped (even if the guy who gave it to me was highly unlikely to've been legally licensed... oh well).

Shortly thereafter, it was time to check out the exhibit. Here I have to stop and thank my friends for being open-minded to learn about the history of Tacoma's architecture. Just because I moved here in September and became fascinated with Tacoma's history, doesn't mean my friends did. But they still came and supported and that means the world to me. I also have to thank the director of Tacoma Historical Society, Mary Bowlby, for believing in me and my vision. It was amazing to see it played out in an exhibit, even in the cramped THS space. Many thanks also to Jeff Cunningham and his family for bringing treats to the reception, and Sanford & Sons antique shop, who let us use their space for the reception (very cool shop btw. I'll be there for an auction on July 20 if anyone cares to join me).

We all started to get hungry, so went down the recently-repaired Spanish Steps by the Elks (soon to be McMinemins!) to get to the Matador. It was a beautiful night, and the walk felt good. Matador was bustling with hip couples and groups of friends, and my Seattle friends seemed surprised that Tacoma is indeed fun and lively. Get used to it! We admired the wrought iron and wood decor, and crammed about 12 of us into a giant booth that still didn't feel big enough. My friends who arrived later were relegated to another large booth right next to us. Let me tell you, for me to butterfly between these two tables and still manage to get some dinner was no small feat, but I think I managed quite well. The mood was very festive and I had a fabulous time. Also, I am very blessed because I have not one but two friends who are jewelry-makers with great taste. So I got some pretties (thanks!). I also appreciated getting a book by Victoria Beckham called "That Extra Half an Inch" -- I'm told it refers to fashion, not to her hubby. Hee hee.

As we unfolded ourselves from our booths, the plan began to form of going to The Tempest for karaoke night. We said our goodbyes to those who had to go, and then several intrepid souls joined me at this fabulous joint on Hilltop. The Tempest is like a wonderfully shady living room, with funky secondhand furniture and plenty of atmosphere, and a bartender and karaoke host that almost immediately felt like family. While performing, I lost an earring (due to my insistence on wearing a platinum blonde prop wig and then flinging it away from me), and the bartender assured me in serious tones, “We will find that earring. Don’t you worry,” – and she did, minutes later. Many of us sang, and all of us seemed to have a great time. I did a reasonable job on “Hard to Handle” by The Black Crowes – you know what? That song is hard to handle! I realized while singing it that I’d never understood about 95% of the lyrics (who knew it says “Boys’ll come along a dime by the dozen/that ain’t nothin’ but dime-store lovin’”?) My friends said that my enunciation shed a whole new light on the song. Anyway, I never respected Chris Robinson, the singer of that band, the way I do now. Think rock stars don’t make enough money? Try belting that bad boy out at a stadium! That’s twice as hard (hee).
Anyway, we had a great time, and many great songs were sung, and I loved every one, even the country songs.

After we left the karaoke behind, Alex and I couldn’t resist a quick peek at our new abode. We went on in and practical me, I had to close the blinds in all the rooms to make sure no one can look in (at what? Beats me.) I took off my grey t-straps with their little maroon platforms and let my feet glide on newly-refinished hardwood floors that are mine-all-mine. Alex and I walked into the kitchen and my feet loved feeling my tile floors. We marveled at our bread box, our dishwasher, our butcher block island, our very own wonderful kitchen! We stepped out into the backyard around midnight, and the air still felt warm as I walked on the smooth wood of our deck, the cool concrete patio, the damp grass of our backyard. I hear the soft sounds of our new neighborhood, and I loved my life so much that my little heart nearly burst.

Sometimes life can be so hard, so terrible, and I don’t lose sight of that. It just makes me cherish days like this even more. Today I thank you, my friends, my family, the universe, and above all, God, for giving me such a day as this.

And now on to less lofty thoughts, such as packing my breakables and making a trip to Goodwill.

My Latest, Greatest Discoveries

I got a wonderful early birthday present from my husband: a bike! It's a little Trek commuter bike, very light, indigo blue, and I love it! I love biking right now the way I loved it as a kid, riding down dusty red roads in southern Maryland, loving the sun on my face and the breeze you get only riding a bike. So fabulous. So that's my first discovery, that apparently I love to ride my bicycle.

Today we rode over to my friend Lara's place in Hilltop; she and her husband are apparently moving to Kirkland. That's too bad, but I cannot imagine leaving the cool stuff I'm finding here! After we saw her baby and chatted a bit we caught this bike path to the Narrow's Bridge. Along the way, we stopped and saw the War Memorial. A little late for Memorial Day, but still meaningful. This park smelled so good; I kept thinking, I hope those POWs and MIAs who are remembered at the park get to smell beautiful flowers like this in heaven. I hope souls can still enjoy beautiful fragrances in the world after this one; hopefully it can make up for the terrible things these brave men had to endure during this life.

Anyways, back to my trek. We went over the Narrows Bridge! It is so incredibly beautiful. Absolutely breathtaking, the blue waters and Olympics to the west and on the way back over, Mount Ranier. Wow.

We were starving, and we just happened upon this place called Papa Eddie's Corner Cafe & BBQ. We got the barbequed chicken breast plus collard greens, cornbread, and yams. Just one dish was enough to feed us both! So delicious.

I also recently discovered this amazing Filipino restaurant in Lakewood, WA, called the Polynesian Grill. If you're ever in Lakewood, check it out. Actually, might even be worth a trek down there. It's at 10518 S Tacoma Way #G.

The last discovery of today was Don's Market. Yummy milkshakes. Not as good as Frisco Freeze (delicious Dick's-like burger joint) but still quite good.

Life is good! Today is Pentacost, so this could just be the Holy Spirit talking, but thank God for all this. I am so grateful to be alive and well today. Praise God for all this good stuff! Whoo-hoo!

This Just In: Sexy Hair Possible in Tacoma!

I finally did it. I had to lay off my Seattle hairdresser (thanks for all the good hair-dos, Sierra) and find a new stylist in Tacoma. A new business owner has to be as frugal as possible in all things, but she also has to look sharp. So this means finding ways to save, like driving less, and seeing if I can get less expensive haircuts. I had heard about Embellish, a salon in downtown Tacoma, and decided to give it a shot. I went on a "hair model day" which means, "we let the new girl practice on your head" day. It also means, hairdo is half-price!

My stylist, Eleanor, had a reddish pixie-cut 'do and big hazel eyes. I respected how she had come to styling hair a little later in life (she's in her late 30s), and just finished up at Gene Juarez. We had fun talking, but when I sat there with sopping wet hair, I was freaked out. What would this woman do to me? Was I going to look like some freakshow stereotype of Tacoma white trash? I imagined that I would look like a meth addict with slightly better teeth than average. "Do you think it's going to look o.k.?" I asked nervously. "I hope so!" said Eleanor, sounding a little worried. She blowdried me and a beautiful head of hair revealed itself. Then she asked the owner, Trish, to do that "thing she did" with my bangs and the fringey, piecy bits along the sides. Snip-snip, snip-snip, and voila! Perfect! I love it.

I feel more like I'm at home now. This is my place, now that I have a salon in town. In fact, Eleanor gave me a wig brush (of all things) and showed me how to backcomb the crown, for those days when I need some big, extra-sexy hair. Good stuff. Tacoma offers a more luxe lifestyle on my budget, without foregoing sexy hair. This means I can stay.

Point Defiance: BEST Park in the Northwest

I love walking down at Point Defiance. The garden area with the roses and hydrangeas and duck pond and pagoda are beautiful, but better still is the long, long waterfront walk. I went there the other day with Alex and we saw seals diving and playing in the water. A baby seal popped its head up above the surface and stared at me for a long time. Its dark eyes were like a playful, shy child's. I returned its gaze and looked forward to the next time I can dive and be under the water like him.

That same night, we saw two beautiful egrets at the water's edge. One flew away upon seeing us. The other just shifted down the beach a bit. It seemed to meditate as it was standing there, though I imagine the main thought in its mind was, "Fish?" I envy that kind of focus and clear sense of purpose. An egret's purpose: fishing. A seal's purpose: fishing, and playing. A Heather's purpose: that's a bit hazy. Bringing delight and innovation to people everywhere? Um, sure.

Alex saw a fox at Point Defiance. I wish I had seen the fox too. I'd love to see a fox in the wild.

Tacoma is so much nicer than I thought it would be from my limited previous experiences of just passing it by on I-5. I just wish my friends were here. I am starting to meet people but it doesn't replace the 12 years of making friends in Seattle. I miss everyone today.

Superfunds in Tacoma

I'll start with the bad news. Superfunds. Yes, those big, toxic nasties that you hear about? Well, they're real and they are right in our backyard. there's a big superfund site from toxic company ASARCO in the town of Ruston, better known as the place just west of Tacoma near my beloved Point Defiance. Ruston seems like a great place, but this smelter created tons of toxic waste. The company causing the problem is now in Chapter 11 (of course), and they're literally building condos on the site of the superfund, saying that that portion of the land has been successfully reclaimed. I'd never seen a superfund before, so tonight after work, I drove down there.

It's weird to see something that you know is dangerous intellectually, but where you're unable to see the danger. Sure there's environmental impact signs everywhere and chain link fence, and "Private Property" notices -- but that'd be the same at any construction site. Maybe what scared me the most was the cheerful sign that said "Welcome to Point Ruston!" and the fact that there's a huge sign reading "Condos! For Sale NOW!!" What's really scary is how normal and everyday it looks. What's scary is that people are going to buy those condos and maybe not really understand what happened there. It's scary that that must happen all the time. It's scary that the only reason I know about it is because I'm a little obsessed with the history of this beautiful place I happen to be living, and I love researching these little mysteries.

And why did I get so obsessed with Tacoma history, already? Because it's a wonderful place. As someone once said, "Scoffers may scoff and be damned." I mean it -- it's gorgeous here. Commencement Bay gazes back serenely whenever I look to the north. There are so many old, lovely homes. There's a real sense of community here. I think I really like it.
I had my housewarming and my neighbors came. The across the street neighbors brought a big ceramic fish filled with pepperoncini, and an amazing fresh tomato and basil salad with veggies fresh-picked from the garden. The next-door neighbors like cats and offered to catsit for us. I think I can live with that.

Other exciting news: I go to Point Defiance about every other day. It is the coolest park ever. It's got the pretty coastline and internal beauty similar to Stanley Park in Vancouver, but it has also has a zoo, rose garden, beautiful pagoda (where I insist on planning weddings at some point), an old Fort, and a logging camp. Everyone is invited to come ride the Santa train with Alex and me at Christmas, and to take a tour of the Zoo Lights, which are supposed to be beautiful.

My big news: Friday is my last day at work, so I'm looking for a new job. I'm really looking forward to a little time off.

Other news: I'm planning on doing a lot more hiking! These hour-long walks at Point Defiance are inspiring me. I'm also interested in trying camping. If you have gear you want to get rid of, let me know.

I'm just really enjoying life lately. I like being that lady that walks forever along the shores of Salmon Beach, and the lady that knows where the superfund is.

Tacoma, Ellen DeGeneres, Monkeys

Last night, we finished moving into our two bedroom craftsman in Tacoma. With our things in it, the vibe has switched markedly from somewhat creepy to mostly homey. I love it. We still don't know where to put the tv. Apparently they didn't think about tvs when they designed homes in 1930.

I had somewhat troubled dreams. The Tacoma version of Ellen DeGeneres was showing me around the Point Defiance zoo, saying how ridiculous people were for not getting how cool Tacoma is. She pointed at the monkeys and shook her head, saying, "See? Just as cool as Seattle monkeys."

I thought the neighbors would be a little nicer in our beautiful neighborhood. So far, only one neighbor has said hi to me. I live across the street from an older man who drives a Subaru Outback and has an immaculate garden in front of his huge colonial-style house. You think he'd say hi, welcome to the neighborhood, right? Wrong. He looked towards my general direction and glared a little, then walked into his house without even waving. However, a local five-year-old drove up to me on his tricycle, abruptly shouted "HI!," and then pedalled away as quickly as his little legs would pump. The welcome wagon it was not, but it beats the neighbors by Marcus's place who welcome you by furtively smoking crack and leaving greasy nacho containers in your yard.

I drove to work to day... only took about 40 minutes and on the way I listened to "Guns, Germs & Steel." I love the drive to my new house, actually. As I get off my exit in North Tacoma I see the port on the right side, and as I pass through Old Town, it makes me feel like I live in a small harbor town. It's beautiful.

Things are good!

Prospects on the Proctor District

Last night we took a trip down to our new place in Tacoma. It's right in between Old Town and the Proctor District, which are both nice, old fashioned neighborhoods. Proctor District reminds me a bit of Wallingford or the Admiral District in West Seattle. The neighborhood is quiet and pretty, and most of our neighbors have flags. I want a flag too.

Our house is a 1930 craftsman, with sage-green painted wood. It's all one floor except for the requisite creepy basement. There long, awkwardly shaped front room has a great view of Commencement Bay. The house is quaint, but it has that slightly-off feel that old homes sometimes get. It's been remodeled somewhat, but obviously in a fairly hurried manner. The new walls make strange shapes in the rooms. The "office" is tiny and oppressive feeling, so I'm trying to scope out a way I can do my writing in the front room. The kitchen window overlooks the stairway to the basement instead of outside. I wonder if plants would improve the situation? We were dismayed to learn that there's no dishwasher, so I'm going to be hand washing dishes all winter long. There's no fireplace either. That really bums me out. This winter could be depressing -- moving away from my friends in Seattle to live in an old house in Tacoma with no dishwasher and no fireplace.

We went to dinner at a place called Knapp's. It's one of those classic places that's been around for 70 years. You'd think in that amount of time you'd learn to cook a steak. Alex had the surf n' turf, and his medium rare steak was medium well. It was actually pretty gross. My salad was frozen, the meatloaf so-so, the service was pretty terrible. The only saving graces of dinner was the baked potato, though actuallymy sour cream was frozen, so I take that back. Dessert, however, was great: the coconut cream pie was fresh and delicious and very coconutty.

We stopped by the Metropolitan Market and the Safeway. The vibe I got was that eventually we could call this area home. It'll probably be o.k.