Tanner's Visit

28 August 2010

We've had a lot of excitement lately, with Amy's brother Tanner coming into town. The occasion of the visit is worth mentioning.

Most of the rest of Amy's family paid us a visit last spring. Tanner couldn't go, however, because one of his teachers wouldn't let him because her choir class more important. This would seem unjust, even if his self-important ego-driven choir teacher hadn't been the one behind it.

Anyway, since Tanner has a job he managed to save his sheckles and fly up to make up for his lost spring break opportunity.

And boy did we make up for it.

We did everything with Tanner that we had done with the rest of the family, and then some.

The centerpiece of our activities was a visit to the museum of flight. It's really amazing how much stuff there is to see there. We spent maybe three hours with Amy's family last spring and only really got an introduction to their vast collection. This time Tanner and I spent about five hours there and saw a lot more. Even after all that time, we left two entire wings of the museum untouched. Tanner especially had an interest in the space collection, which had a lot more going for it than I remembered. They have a Mars rover replica, a full-size, high fidelity replica of a module from the International Space Station, a full-size replica of the Lunar Excursion Module (LEM), a replica of Sputnik, a LEM simulator, and that's just a sample of what they had.

This time we made a point of not missing the actual Concord, the first 747, and the original Air Force One. We also got another good look at the WWI exhibit. I'm an aviation fanboy, I know, but if you find yourself anywhere near Seattle and can take a day, the Boeing Museum of Flight is well worth the price of admission. Their collection is as inspiring as it is complete.

I think the highlight for Tanner was probably the ferry ride in Seattle. I think he enjoyed getting a good view of the city and Amy and I enjoyed being along for the ride. Maybe one of these days we'll actually drive our car onto the ferry and see what's over there on Bainbridge.

It was a fun surprise when Devin came through town on his way to the Canadian border (again). He joined us for our activities on Sunday and left Monday.

We had a great Sunday afternoon up at Discovery Park. I was surprised how clear the traffic in Seattle was. I don't think I've ever been up there on a Sunday, but I think we might just do that again on our own.

Our trip to Seattle on Monday happened to coincide with Amy's doctor appointment up there, so we would have gone up anyway. (by the way, it looks like she has Minear's disease and the doctor prescribed a diarhettic). We spent some time on the waterfront, but most of the day we wandered Pike Place Market. We visited a cool little book store in the "down under" area run by a big gregarious Russian. He joked with customers, called all the ladies and kids "darlingks," and dispensed advice to the tourists.

Tanner walked away with a small gift for his girlfriend and Amy walked away with a new bouquet of fresh flowers from me. Every time we go up there we pledge to shop there more often.

It was a pleasure to have Tanner as our guest and get one last shot at some fun this summer. I hope we can do it again soon.

-Tom

Eugene Gunn Fawcett

Note: This post is old. Months old. I wrote it at the time, though. Just don't let that confuse you.

Yesterday I attended the funeral for my grandfather, Eugene Gunn Fawcett. I wanted to take this opportunity to record and share some of my thoughts and memories of him. He was born in 1931 in Hoytsville, Utah to Leo Fawcett and Clairene Gunn Fawcett. He was educated at Utah State University and was sealed to his wife Lois Renee Palmer in the Logan temple.

He was a Boeing engineer and father of four, including my mother Janet. He loved his work and his family and is easily the best example of manhood I’ve had in the course of my life.

Most of what I know about him I know second-hand or from pure example. When his children were young, I’m told, he was the one who could be there when they got home from school. He always took his responsibilities as a father most seriously. He was quiet and rarely got angry except when his sons needed scolding, or when any of the children had disrespected their mother.

My personal memories of him go back to his wood shop. His degree was in industrial arts education and his love for creating things followed him to the end of his life. Even now there are projects on his work bench left unfinished.

I remember vividly the smell of the sawdust, the well-worn work stools, the mind-bending array of tools hanging on peg board, and the old wood-burning stove he used to have in there. Most of all I remember the big chest freezer that always had popsicles, vanilla ice cream, and chips ahoy cookies.

My grandfather used to say “Life is too short. Eat dessert first.”

In that shop he made beautiful things, from small toys to major pieces of furniture. Their home is filled with his creations, and each of his children have more than one item that passed through his shop. The toys he made for us were well-finished, intricately made, and always entertaining. A few that stand out in my mind are the rubber-band guns, a dinosaur bank, and a dog that walks its hind legs and sniffs the ground as you pull it along. One of my most prized posessions is a cylindrical box he made for me out of the wood from an ancient plum tree that I loved to climb and swing on as a kid.

He absolutely loved his work as a Boeing engineer, and always had an enthusiasm for aviation. He was a kid during World War II. At the funeral I learned that he hung models of fighter planes from the ceiling of his room--something I can identify with since I was hanging spaceships from my ceiling when I was the same age.

He was the first to take me to the Boeing museum of flight, one of the many experiences that’s made me fond of aviation to this day. Later this year I plan on becoming a member of the Museum of Flight so I can go as much as I want.

He loved history, particularly World War II, the Civil War, and the American revolution. I got a fascination for these subjects myself, maybe through pure osmosis. I was always amazed at the number of history books he had, and the collection of National Geographics he had collected over the years. Perusing these as a kid fueled my appetite for learning and stoked my curiosity about the world around me.

Since he was a young man he carried a handkerchief in his pocket, a practice I’ve tried to keep myself since my missionary days.

I remember his truck. It was Ford Ranger from the late 70s or early 80s. There’s something distinctive about a vehicle when a man puts personal time and effort into maintaining it. I think a bit of his personality can’t help but get into it. That truck helped neighbors in times of need, took us on rides at the beach, went on camping trips, and even served as a loaner vehicle when I was a young adult and my car was in the shop.

That truck inspired me to want a truck of my own. I once thought I wanted a Ranger like my grandpa, but since then I’ve found that my personal taste tends toward the Jeep Wrangler. I haven’t got it yet, but hardly a day goes by that I don’t look forward owning it and putting it to as much good use as grandpa did with his truck. I plan on doing as much of the maintenance myself as I possibly can.

Camping was something approaching religion in his family. In the Pacific Northwest camping means Man vs. Rain. He fabricated his own tarps back before plastic tarps were commercially available. He used army surplus and things he scrounged together to keep out the rain and keep everyone comfortable. In many ways he was “MacGyvering” stuff long before the term was invented.

He grew up in the midst of the great depression. He truly lived by the old Mormon pioneer maxim “Eat it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without.” I’ve been learning the hard way the need to do this myself.

Another thing that helped me identify with my grandfather was his leg problems. His hip was injured when he was a boy and it impacted his health and mobility throughout his life. For most of my life he used a cane, something I joined him in off and on through my teens since I had serious leg injuries of my own.

My grandfather was one of the primary influences that showed me what it is to be a good man. I was fortunate to have been able to move up here to Seattle almost exactly a year before he died. Towards the end, when Amy I would stop by to visit, he almost never failed to tell us that our apartment building was built on the site of the old Boeing mock-up building, which was dedicated to building wood mock-ups of aircraft before computer aided drafting made that method obsolete. He loved local history and passed on things that he thought I would be interested in learning about. I love the fact that I live so close to the home he raised his kids in, and in which I had so many good memories of my own.

Shortly after I turned 18 years old I changed my last name from Higginson to Gunn. My mother was against it because she thought I was just lashing out at my dad. I had a lot of reasons for changing my name, and one of them was that I wanted to follow my grandfather’s example in my life.

On the day I wanted to go to the courthouse my car was in the shop, so my grandfather drove me. At the funeral my mother reminded me of that and told me that he defended my decision to her whenever the subject came up.

“Why not?” he said. “It’s a good name!”

I agree.

Now that he’s gone and I have a chance to review what he meant to me, I see how much he’s quietly influenced my life. He’s set a high standard for me to reach for. And while the challenge to live up to his example is daunting, I’m encouraged by the fact that he and I had so much in common. I’m proud to carry a name from his family, and I’ll try to think of him every time I speak it.

-Tom

Ocean Shores Beach Trip

20 July 2010

We finally got out of town. It was the first time since Amy and I moved here that we pulled up stakes and got ourselves a change of scene. My Mom got us a condo to rent for several days and we shared the costs. We had a much more elaborate vacation than the camping trip we had planned on, and for even less than we had planned to spend.

There isn't much to tell. We ate junk food, played on the beach, read books, and generally did what we pleased. It feels good to just play. It's a secret to life that I think we forget or have shamed out of us at age 11 or so.



John and I had fun building Disneyland in sand. I couldn't have had a better partner since he's the only one I know who knows the park as intimately as I do. We only had the energy to build Main Street, the Castle, the Tiki Room, and the Jungle Cruise. IT was mostly recognizable and we had a lot of fun. Did I finish? No, and that's okay. Did I know it was just going to get wrecked? Of course. It's a sandcastle. After all, that's what cameras are for.

One of the highlights was having our niece Lorena around to entertain us all. She's cuter by the day, and is able to do more for herself all the time. She especially lights up around Grandma, her aunt Amy, and her uncle John. She has a sweet disposition and just loves to be part of the fun.

Amy and I decided to break away from the group on one of the days to visit Lake Quinault in the Olympic National Forest. It was only about an hour and a half away, and well worth the trip.


We went on a short nature trail through the rain forest that took us over a beautiful gorge, all under a canopy of trees that have been around since the time of Columbus. We spent some time on the shore of the lake.


The water was so clear you had to resist the temptation to bend down and take a big drink of it.

We came back yesterday rested with full health points and ready to take on our work again. Meanwhile, we'll look forward to going back while the last of the sand in our shoes slowly vanishes.In the final day we managed to stop in at the Star Wars shop in Aberdeen. It's full of previously owned collectibles in varying condition. I was pleasantly surprised to find items identical to some from my own collection in poorer condition retailing for much more than I might have thought. I resisted the temptation to walk out with a few unpackaged storm troopers, but I doubt I'll always be leaving empty-handed if I ever manage to go back.

-Tom

Amy models a wildflower found in the rainforest

This driftwood guitar was out in front of a winery on our way to Westport

These deer came to visit almost every day while we were staying in the condo.

A Touch Of The Dizzies

ATTENTION: This post is WEEKS old! When I say "last Monday" I mean June 7th. Ya. We're slackers.

Amy's had a lot excitement these days. I suppose that's putting it kindly. She's had increasing spells of vertigo over the last few years, and we finally got her to an ENT to find out what's going on. He says it sounds like Minear's disease. If that sounds familiar to you, you might be remembering that the astronaut Allen Shephard had the same condition.

It's a building up of fluid in the inner ear that puts pressure on the ear drum. It tends to cause ringing in the ears, vertigo, dizzyness, and permanent hearing loss.

Yeah.

Scary.

We don't have an official diagnosis yet, but Amy's had a hearing test. She came out with normal hearing, so that should serve as a baseline, but we're going to get her back to the ENT to see what's next.

Meanwhile, Amy's having to stay on a low-salt diet. It's tough for her, and I try not to rub in the fact that I can eat salty things and she can't. I'm trying to support her however I can, though, and this is mainly accomplished by nagging and pestering her about keeping track of her sodium in-take. Like any diet change, she has good days and bad, but I like to think we're making a difference. Worst case scenario? She could be legally deaf in a few years. I don't see that as too likely, but it is possible. Best case scenario? She's going to live with this all her life, and we'll always have to be aware of it. It might be a while before we take another flight on an airplane.

Meanwhile, our lives go on. I'm getting a lot of freelance work, and Amy keeps getting plenty of clients at Massage Envy. We miss our nieces and nephews and think about them a lot.

Amy and I had a great date last Monday. Since we had to go to Seattle for her hearing test anyway, we made a day of it and had lunch after her test. We also stopped in at Twice-Sold Tales in the capitol hill neighborhood, a used bookstore we've both been wanting to check out. Amy had to drag me out. We both walked away with a little something at a fraction of the price it would have cost at, say Barnes and Noble.

We'll be back. I think I could have spent the whole day there, not to mention half my monthly pay.

-Tom

New Lace

It's finally finished and blocked! I've been working on this latest lace project since Christmas.


I've never worked on anything this large before, so I allowed myself time to switch over to other projects to give myself a break from it time to time.


Doing the same pattern over and over for so long gets rather monotonous.



This is the first time I have ever done a knitted on border. Though I think it does add a lot, HOLY COW - it was difficult to figure out on my own.




Well, I guess I'll have to start another lace project soon to do in tandem with the half-dozen other projects I've already got on the needles. :D

-Amy

Spaulding family visit in March and other updates

Okay, I have a confession. Tom sent me this hugely long blog several weeks ago, and because of computer issues, doctor's appointments, a busy schedule, and me just being so dead tired when I get off of work, I took this long to find photos to go with the posts so they could finally go live. Yes, I know; totally lame excuse. Hope you enjoy. I tried to post a ton of pictures here to make up for the fact that the blog has been such a disappointment.

-Amy



Our spacious 800 sq ft apartment has seen as much traffic per square foot per day as SeaTac airport. (and 97.24% of statistics are made up on the spot)

Amy’s family came to town in March, just one event in a month that’s left our heads spinning, hence the reason for our nonexistent posts.

Nearly the whole gang showed up. We played host to Amy’s parents, her brothers Jeff, Devin, Jeff’s wife and two kids, and Amy’s sister Summer.

Only Summer actually stayed with us, but everyone spent plenty of time here. We really missed Matt and his family, not to mention Tanner (who’s teacher deserves whatever she gets for not letting him come).

Anyway, I don’t think our place could have held too many more.

We had a lot of things on our itinerary, and very few things on that list went undone. We didn’t actually spend much time in the apartment.

On our first day out in the city, we went down to the waterfront. Nothing went quite according to plan, but we all had a good time. We spent some time browsing at Elliott Bay Book Store.

Kim and Becky stayed there entertaining themselves while the rest of us headed down First Avenue, stopping for a Cow Chip cookie, and browsing around at the Utilikilt store.

We even paused for a photo op in front of the totem pole in Pioneer Square.

We headed back to the cars and I picked up Kim and Becky so they could join us for lunch.

We all headed out to Discovery Park (no relation to the famed cable channel) and had a weenie roast.

Jeff and Ryan worked at impressing each other with handstands. Some of us threw the Frisbee.

The next day we were back in Seattle and we all took a ride on the Bainbridge Island ferry. Ella and Leo had fun imagining mermaids swimming in Puget Sound.

We all loved the great view of the city, and the Olympic Mountains were bold and clear to the west.

We had a great picnic lunch on the waterfront and took a look around the oddities and tchotchkes at Ye Olde Curiosity Shoppe. I was especially impressed by a highly detailed model of an English village made entirely of cork.

The next day, Jeff and his family, Devin, Ryan, Amy, and I went to Boeing museum of flight. It had been some time since I’ve been there, and there was more to see than we could get in. I was especially geeking out over the new World War I exhibit.

Everyone pitched in to help buy and cook meals and nobody had an excuse to go away hungry. By the end, I think everyone was exhausted, but pleasantly so.

We had a great time hosting everyone and showing off our new stomping grounds. For us, it was also a great excuse to get out of the routine and experience the beautiful place we live in.

Amy and I have been getting through life just fine. It’s been a struggle to adjust our routines and get back into the groove of things. Our efforts for fiction have been woefully neglected as a result.

We had Amy’s brothers and a friend of theirs staying for a short time while they get their work situation figured out. It was quite a fiasco for them. As for us, we just enjoyed having company around. Ryan stayed with us for a few weeks, and I must admit I especially enjoyed that. I’m used to being completely alone during the day, which is fine, but it was a nice change to have someone else in the room. I worked on my articles and Ryan worked on his manna or whatever it is they do on World of Warcraft.

To further shake things up, Amy recently changed her work schedule. She cut back a little on her hours, which she badly needed to do. Now she gets a somewhat shorter day on Thursday. She also starts earlier on Saturday and finishes at 5 pm, which is great. It’s good to see her a little more often and I think it’s working wonders for her to see daylight more often.

I’ve been getting more clients these days. When it rains, it pours. The orders seem to be coming in all at once, so they’ve been keeping my fingers flying. I guess that makes a decent, relatively plausible excuse for getting behind on the blogs. I re-repledge to do better in the future.

Bringing us to the present . . .

This weekend has been another adventure. My cousin Carrie and her new husband James have been in town for a family party. Abby and Jeremy were in town, not mention my Dad who was here to visit his new Granddaughter. You’d think it was Christmas time with all the family buzzing around here these days.

Amy had a great birthday. We went out to dinner, did a little shopping. My brother made her a great big cake and I gave her a good, long, full-body massage. The perfect gift from the husband who has no money to the wife who has no energy. We had a nice evening renting movies; Julie and Julia, and Where the Wild Things Are. We’re pretty wild and crazy people, we know, but quiet evenings suit our budget and our disposition.

-Tom