multi-hyphenated-me

A few years ago I started a cooking blog, Funky Chicken and Alligator Tongues.  I enjoyed this first blog attempt, but postings were sporadic.  The problem that I had with my cooking blog was that it only provided an outlet for my cooking.  All of my other talents, thoughts, stories, blunders and commentaries were left bottled on the shelf.  Last year I started Multi-Hyphenated-Me as an outlet for all of me.  One of my 2013 New Year’s Resolutions was to blog more frequently; in fact, to blog every day.

Blogging every day is no easy task.  What was I thinking?  With my life?  With all I juggle?  I, obviously, didn’t start out the year as hoped, though not for the ridiculousness of the idea.  I couldn’t blog what I couldn’t talk about.

Our plans to move were top secret.  At first the secrecy was because we were unsure that Spokane was right for us.  We chose Spokane as a possible home based on internet research and what we heard from friends and familiy. My daughter and I took a “Day in the Life” trip.  We went with to see and experience what a day in our life would be like if we moved to Spokane.  We checked out school districts, neighborhoods, shopping, restaurants and activities to see if we could live there.  We needed to see Spokane at its’ “worst” so we went in January, a steady 24 degrees F, snow on the ground, roads icy.

To a Southern Californian, “worst” and “winter” sounds really cold and miserable. I’ve had my share of earthquakes and fires but I’m not a true SoCal Gal.  I’m weathered.  I lived through the Ohio Blizzard of ’78, one of deadliest winter storms in Ohio history.  I also lived in Teton Valley Idaho during one of their worst winters on record.  I also lived at 7200′ in Parks Arizona where snow and whipping wind were a challenge.  I know cold and 24 degrees F without other conditions for 5 days was manageable and tolerable.

Once we made the decision and moved forward with the house, we still couldn’t talk about Spokane because we wanted to wait to tell the kids first.  This wasn’t  a devious plot, we just wanted to enjoy our family ski trip in February and we wanted our sixth grader to have fun at Outdoor Science Education in March.  We told the kids on Easter, after the egg hunt and breakfast. In case you’re wondering, nothing pulls your kid out of a sugar high quicker than kissing your life-as-you-know-it goodbye with a newsflash like “We’re moving!”  Go ahead, try this at home.

Did you pick up on the point that goes unsaid?  We researched Spokane.  My daughter and I went to Spokane in January.  My oldest son and I went to Spokane in May (see post T-29 Soccer Success).  There are three other people in my family that have not yet been to Spokane prior to our move:  our two younger sons and…my husband!

[The plot thickens]  Yes.  My husband is packing up, moving 1,237 miles all because I gave Spokane, a place he’s only read about yet never been, two thumbs up.

My husband has clearly lost his mind.  He has placed total trust and completely blind (hello!) faith in me with this move.  My husband is smart.  He’s strategic, extremely focused and incredibly particular. All of this makes me uneasy.  I make kneejerk decisions based on my gut instinct, say what I think and clean up the mess later.  It’s not always pretty. In spite of my eye twitch, I really think I got this one right.

Wives – would your husband trust you with this big of a decision?  Husbands – would you trust your wife with making this decision?  Discuss amongst yourselves.

As moving day nears, I’m getting more and more nervous.  He won’t hate Spokane.  How could he?  Spokane is beautiful.  Our house is beautiful.  There is a yoga studio within walking distance and he has already talked to several people about boating and waterskiing on the many lakes.  He may freeze his skinny little Southern California born and bred butt off even though he did survive the Parks AZ years just fine.  My response to complaints of the cold are already prepared – dress appropriately.

Now that, true to my resolution, I’m blogging everyday, good luck shutting me up. Or is it shutting me down in blogspeak?  Though our current focus is our move, I love our journey and our story thus far.