The 90% Solution

I have been meaning to write this blog forever. I cannot believe four weeks has slipped by without a natty comment on life in the PNW. Which is cold by the way. This is not a complaint, rather a statement of fact that I am acclimating to slowly. We arrived to the 40-50's. We have had three days of 80+ degrees in the last four weeks. I wore long sleeves and jeans for the fourth of July, which was a first in my lifetime. I have come to realize that for all of my vagabond roots, I am truly a southerner at heart. I thrive in heat and everyone else has a definition of humidity that differs from my own experience. If it's not 90% or greater, it's really not that humid. And if it's less than 80, it's cold. On the upside, my hair is not quite as frizzy as usual. :)

I am slowly coming to love this area. It's vastly different from anything I have experienced before. The days start grey and overcast--a long lasting fog from the cool air off of the Pacific. It takes most of the day for the sun to burn off the fog, but then the afternoons stay heated late into the evening and the sky is crystal clear. And if you are lucky and facing the right direction, THE MOUNTAIN appears. 'Round here, it's "THE Mountain" or "My Mountain." People own Mount Rainier. I have a secret belief that once upon a time, it really was pronounced "Rain-EE-r" but I think the locals got tired of the jokes and really it is "Ruh-nEER." or so my twang pronounces it. Regardless of your pronunciation, THE MOUNTAIN is unbelievable. I can only imagine the Native American stories about it. It is unlike any mountain I have ever seen before. Sometimes it appears to be floating out of the sky, at other times, it looks like it is smoking, still others it looks bigger than the day before. It is a constantly changing giant that looks benevolently down upon us all. You NEVER get tired of seeing her and a glimpse of THE MOUNTAIN after a particularly dreary day can lift the spirit of anyone. I have a friend who blows kisses at her. Our first hike around Paradise in Mount Rainier had 10 feet of snow still on the ground on the trails. We slipped and slid and hiked our way through it giggling like the silly southerners that we are, in which snow is a constant surprise.

We have been welcomed with open arms in this community. I have noted before that the PNW has some of the best customer service and friendliness of service people of any place I have ever lived. This extends to the military community who have gotten us involved and belonging right off the bat. I thank them all. It's one of the things that I love most about being military. Instant Friends! Free food! Free parties! Free advice! I have never felt like I did not have a home in the military, even when I am homesick for my kin.

And so, I am closing with the 90% solution. The house is mostly unpacked. It's somewhat organized, it's certainly ready for guests, but that last 10% of unpacking will probably remain that way until 6 months before the next move. And every military wife knows what I am talking about, unless they are superwomen, somehow, life sort of catches up with you and that last 10% gets shoved into a corner of the garage or the attic or drawer and maybe it will get there, but the 90% solution means my house is livable, there is beer in the fridge, food for random guests and a home has been created.