I’m Dreaming of a Big Chinook

When I was a little kid in Richland, we anxiously looked forward to snowfall. Especially if it happened during the school week. Back in my day, a little snow meant two things- School closures and Carmichael Hill.

Now days, even if we get dumped on here, they only give the schools a 2-hour delay. A complete rip-off for both my kids but not really for me. For me I don’t have to worry that my kids will be home during the day if I’m not there, and that it might mean coming back to a smoking ruin of a house. Ok, I have great kids, so that probably wouldn’t happen. But it could, so let me have my little irrational concern!

As an adult, I’ve grown to hate the idea of snowfall in the Tri Cities. Now most people who know me, if asked (and don’t do this- I don’t want this statement to be found out to be a lie) will tell you I’m a pretty easy-going and patient member of society. That holds true until the complete morons come out driving on MY roads in the snow and ice. Just check out how many 911 snow/road/accident related calls were made the first day of snow this last week by 10 am. News reports said over 300! Probably due to the truck and 4-wheel drive folks who were doing the same speed on the road they do in July. I mean I’m going down my neighborhood street of Bellereive (a 2-lane arterial) at a completely rational 15 miles an hour (posted normal speed is 25) when a woman comes tearing up behind me, attaches her front bumper to my back one, rides me like a merry-go-round pony for a block, and then PASSES me on the left (fish-tailing while she’s doing it) and goes tearing off towards the stop light about 50 feet ahead.

Oh, and she slid right through the intersection of Gage Blvd. on the stop light and narrowly missed getting nailed by three cars on Gage. This was not an isolated experience for me this week either. Where’s a big chinook wind when we need it???

Ok, end of rant. Now onto Carmichael Hill.

Carmichael Middle School (or Jr. High to those of us from the Neolithic period) in Richland has an incredible hill on the back side of the school. It’s gotta be close to 4 miles wide (ok, maybe 400 feet)  has a 90 degree slope (ok, I get out of breath climbing it) and is 2 miles to the bottom (or 15 seconds from top to bottom on a store-purchased sled or just an old refrigerator door). Everybody would race to the school and spend the day sliding down.

In my day, the school’s baseball field was at the bottom of the hill. Surrounded by a chain link fence supported by steel posts. Only the weenies (and the fairer-and smarter-of our species) would slide down the far sides of the hill to avoid their otherwise fate of going down the middle to the fence. For the less-fair (and less blessed with intelligence) the object was to either slam your boots into the snow when nearly reaching bottom to lightly tap into the fence or to steer (a relative term with the Neolithic sleds we possessed) to a graceful curve at the bottom and pass the fence on either side.

This picture was taken by a Tri City Herald photographer, Paul T. Erickson (hope I don’t get sued- I am giving him credit!)

When I was 10 years old there was an angel in my class (who’s name I won’t print here- this is still a small town, she probably still lives here and I don’t want her to suddenly realize the ruin her life is when she finds out the missed opportunity she had with me after all). For this vision on earth in her pink snow jacket with matching gloves and hat, I abruptly ended my day in Kadlec hospital’s ER requiring over 20 stitches to my head. I left the field of battle both scarred and triumphant. No kiss or scarf from the fair maiden. I did receive a very nice valentine’s card from her later that year.

This week that institution again hosted a mob of young children. However, the field has been moved to the left and the fence is now mostly gone, so I can’t imagine how a young squire can capture the heart of his fair maiden as we once tried. I guess they just have to settle for having fun….

Here’s someone ’s video off Youtube of the experience.

True Street Cred- Review your Neighborhood

I love my neighborhood. When my kids and I first moved back to the Tri Cities from Orange County, CA it was such a quick transfer I didn’t have time to find a house to purchase, so I called my mom while still in Cali and asked to her find a house for us to rent. In talking with her I found that, after selling the house I’d grown up in the prior year, the 2 bedroom apartment they were in was driving them bonkers. Quite a comedown from the over 3500 square foot house they’d lived in for over 30 years; and now they actually had to see each other more than just at meals! I asked them to move in with the kids and I,  and directed her to find us a large enough house that all of us would be comfortable and have our own space.

I’d grown up in central Richland, right off the main drag of George Washington Way smack in the middle of town. But with my work now, I needed something a little more centralized for the entire Tri Cities. We found a house in SE Richland in the Meadow Springs area. This area has historically (well, since I was a kid in the 70’s and early 80’s anyway!) been the hoity-toity area of beautiful homes surrounding the Meadow Springs Country Club. I knew kids that lived there- you know the ones. They actually got cars when they turned 16 bought for them by their parents- and the cars ran! And if they wore Chuck Taylor’s it was by choice! Ok, I never really wanted for anything growing up- it wasn’t like I was “Please sir, may I have some more?”

Anyway, I digress.

I spent a year looking around for just the right house to buy, in just the right neighborhood. We’d grown up buying little prefabs (see previous post here ) and fixing them up as rentals, so I was really looking for a bargain house that needed updating.

I found the perfect house, in the perfect neighborhood. After buying, I stumbled upon a great informational site called Street Advisor. You can write a review praising the merits of your neighborhood. And if you’re looking at buying a home, you can look to see if that neighborhood has been reviewed!

Check  out my write up here.

Remember, an ode to your neighborhood could mean the next neighbors moving in will be more likely to be more like you!

I’m Loving it! (with apologies to MickyD’s)

 

In this edition of this blog to you, I’d like to share a video that really shows why this is such a great place to live. I grew up here, my kids have grown up here, and my mom grew up here- see the pattern??

 

We spend as much time as possible on the river during the summer. On the Columbia River the Hanford Reach is beautiful, the Snake River is warmer and slower and makes for great skiing and wakeboarding, and fishing is great on these two or even the Yakima River. The Tri Cities may be in the desert, but with the two rivers, the Snake and Yakima, ending at the Columbia River here in the Tri Cities, we have a boating paradise to offer. This is the origin of yet another nickname for my town- Three Rivers.

 

I could go on and on (and my friends from southern California can attest to that!) about the area, but see the video below for a visual feast, and thanks for checking out my hometown!