The Hazard Chronicles

Can I make a confession? I don’t really like winter. It’s not all bad, of course. I like sledding and skiing (when I can afford it), and for some reason, hot chocolate and scones and fireplaces and warm blankets and old movies and family board games all seem to be so much more meaningful during this cold and dark season. I like those parts. Overall though, despite these wonderful things, winter just isn’t my favorite time. Sometimes I think I could do without it.

But not really.

Because winter also means something else- despite my dislike toward the season, I have to admit that it plays an important role to me that I could not replace with anything else. Winter, to me, means change. It is a cycle that I love watching and being a part of each year- the hope and newness of spring, followed by the slow and lazy summer, leading into the brisk and hurried autumn, all to be washed out in the cold, sleepy darkness of winter. But because of winter- because of this darkness- there will always be a spring. And spring wouldn’t be spring without winter, and neither would summer, or fall. And this cycle just keeps repeating again, and again, and again.

For this reason, winter HAS to exist for me, or the cycle gets stuck. And when things get stuck, then something happens that is more dreadful and scarier than even the coldest, windiest, and bleakest of days. Without winter, life becomes dull. Because as much as I love summer, an endless summer would eventually seem…well…endless. It would get boring. No change means that I would never get to enjoy new beginnings, or look back with fond memories on good times past. And summer? Well, summer would just sort of lose meaning altogether, as one day would fade into the next with no purpose or significance whatsoever. Really, as good as it sounds at times, the joys of summer, without change, would quickly fade into a bright and warm and wonderful…nothingness. And that is scary.

And so I embrace winter. I try my best to find ways to enjoy it, and I have found that by doing this it can actually be pretty tolerable, and even fun at times. But more importantly, to me, winter gives vitality to life in all its seasons. Winter gives me a reason to hold out till spring, and to bask in the warmth of summer, and to breathe in the crisp smells of Autumn. Winter, not in spite of, but BECAUSE of its darkness and my own dislike for it, becomes a momentous occasion in its own right. And so as much as I hate winter, I love it. All of it.

Does that make sense? Probably not- and I totally recognize that there are people of a different ilk who think that I am crazy for these “chilling” thoughts (get it?). But not me. Maybe it turns out in the end that different people like different things. Crazy, I know. Just my own musings for the week.

Anyway- on to more interesting things. Our kids.

On Wednesday I got a call from Evelyn’s school. She had head lice and needed to go home. Since my office is just two blocks away, I quickly went and picked her up and then brought her back to work with me where she did homework and watched movies until Rachel could come get her. That day after I finished up with my last patient, I went to Wal-Mart and bought an arsenal of lice-killing paraphernalia and prepared to wage war at our home. 3 tubes of medicated shampoo, 5 cans of lice spray, endless hours of hair combing, mountains of laundry, and lots of tears and screams later we felt we had finally won. These lice didn’t stand a chance. That night, Rachel and I got a babysitter and went out on a double-date with friends. Inwardly, we congratulated ourselves on our quick and decisive victory. We are awesome.

The next day I took Evelyn to school (she wasn’t allowed to ride the bus until she was cleared by the school nurse) and waited anxiously as the person at the front office ran a pencil through Evelyn’s hair looking for signs of bugs, eggs, or nits. I’m not sure why I was nervous, but after a careful and thorough inspection she was finally pronounced “clean” and I cheerfully waved goodbye as she headed out to the playground. Yep. These bugs were “in the bag,” so to speak. I high-fived myself on the way out to my car (which must’ve looked pretty awkward to anyone who was watching) and went about my day with an air of a champion.

Two hours later, she was back in my office doing homework and watching movies. I think we celebrated too early. The battle continues. Bugs=1. Hazards=0.

As for me, things are going good. I think I mentioned a few weeks ago that I had joined a climbing group who goes out together a couple times each week. I’ve made a lot of friends and connections through this group, and I am excited to have met some really good climbers and cool people to do bigger trips with. This year, climbing has really entered back into my life to a degree that hasn’t been there since my high-school days. I have done more “hard” climbs (5.12 and up) this year than ever before, I am in better shape than ever before, and I am a more confident leader than ever before. It’s been a lot of fun. I have even started training specifically for the sport, and I am interested to see where my limits are as a “weekend-warrior” who has a lot of other hats to wear during the week as well.

The campus board I made for the shop

Even Lindsey helps me train!

Rachel has also had a good week. She has joined a group of women- all moms of young children- who go out regularly and do stuff with each other. A lot of times they do play-dates at the park, or at someone’s house. Other times they do retreats just for the moms (no kids allowed) where they socialize with one-another on a more adult level. This week I took the kids for a night while Rachel went out with some of these friends to play “artist” for the evening. The way I understand it, they all painted the same picture (maybe with a little instruction?) while at the same time indulging in the luxury of culinary bliss…or something like that. Anyway, they had fun, and Rachel did a pretty good job on her painting which hangs in our bathroom. Now, every time I step out of the shower, I can feel like rather than being in the privacy of my home, I am instead stepping out of a Japanese public bath surrounded by cherry-blossoms. I only think about this sometimes, but it’s strangely liberating when I do J

Besides her ladie's night, Rachel also had an interpreting conference. Originally she wasn't planning on going because it was a little too expensive and she didn't need any more CE for her license. At the last minute another interpreter had an emergency come up, and rather than forfeit her spot she gave her ticket to Rachel for the entire weekend! For those who know Rachel, you will know that she loves these conferences, and it was a nice surprise for her to be able to go. I think she had fun.

Last, but not least, I’ll post a few pictures of the fair. We have sort of started a tradition on Fridays that I take the kids and meet Rachel after work at some sort of fun or interesting place. Last week, this place was the Spokane Valley Fair, and the kids had a blast. I did too. I like fairs (see the last post), and I especially like live music. I think we’ll keep this tradition going for a long time.

Well- I feel like that was a really long blog post. If you made it all the way through, then congratulations! (Or maybe “I’m sorry” is more appropriate). Anyway, thanks for reading- have a good week!

Oh…one more thing (I almost forgot). Heartwood Family Dental had its two-year anniversary this week. It’s been a great two years. We all went out to celebrate, and I have to say that the people I work with are some of the best, hardest working, and funnest people to be around that I know. Thanks to my team for making these some of the best years of my life. It’s been a good run. I actually took a picture of this celebration lunch, but this picture was lost when I broke my phone jumping into the river to save Adalie's life (seriously). Oh well- obviously, Adalie is more important. Just know that it was a good picture though.