Solid Goaled

Yesterday, my brother Nick scolded Andy and me about not updating our blogs enough. Andy doesn’t have internet… my excuse is… I have no excuse. I’m sorry to all of you that have been on the edge of your seat waiting for an update from the eric/amber front.

As I was thinking of a topic to blog about, I was reminded of an old blog I posted on myspace four point five years ago entitled “Answers.” In this blog, I shared some of my life goals. So in this blog, I will re-visit those in greater detail, maybe add some new ones, and even enlighten you on Amber’s. Here we go…

-Own apartments- This is quite feasible, considering that my parents currently own the apartments that my grandpa Duane built, but it is no longer a life goal. I’m not opposed to the idea, but we can probably take it off the “goals” list and add it to the “take it or leave it” list.

-Own storage units- Just seemed like an easy way to make some money, so it made my list. We can add it to the previously mentioned list though.

-Drive a go-cart on the Great Wall of China- This is definitely still a goal, but I fear that it may never come true. If any of you have any connections, let me know.

-Have a pet duck-billed platypus- “take it or leave it” list. I still think they are cool, but I would rather have a dog.

-Sky dive- I don’t remember this ever being a goal of mine, so we’ll just take it off the list all together.

-Drive one of those giant dump trucks used in large mines in Wyoming that have tires that are twice as long as a man (name that movie)- I hate Wyoming… goal removed.

-Play a show in the orient- It’s off the list. But I was in a band called Climber that had our CD distributed over in Japan. Here is proof. Good company too.

-Invent something- Still would love to do this… although I did invent my travel pillow case that zips up and is equipped with a handle for easy transport through airports.

-Have enough money to not have to worry about money- self explanatory… not there yet.

-Have breakfast at a Starbucks in Seattle, lunch in Nashville at Miyako, and dinner in OK City at Tedd’s Café Escondido all in the same day- This goal will probably have to wait until the previous goal is met.

-Get hitched- GOAL ACHIEVED!

-Own a 62 ragtop VW bug- It will be mine… oh yes… it will be mine… (name that movie) At this point, the year doesn’t matter though. Just a ragtop bug please. I could also add a Vespa scooter and another late 70’s Honda Civic 1200 like this one I used to own… preferably not exactly like this one.

*I did not wreck this car... fire wrecked this car.

-Build a house- Maybe someday, but Amber and I just bought our first house in May!

-Take a photo that makes it into a book of cool photos- Need new camera.

-Record my own record- This will happen. Amber will be on it.

-Be in a cartoon as a voice or character- Who doesn’t want this?

-Have a song on a movie or video game soundtrack- Technically, this goal was achieved, since the old band I was in did the soundtrack for the critically unclaimed Bibleman game for PC… it was a lame game… I also played guitar on a make-up commercial.

Now on to Amber’s goals:

-Finish school- She will be done with her bachelor’s this summer. Very proud of her I am.

-Visit Rome, and oriental country, and Denmark- Denmark is the main one here, because her grandparents on her dad’s side are first generation Americans and she really wants to see the mermaid.

-(Kids>=2)- She wants to make at least two children. (insert grandma Doris quote here)

-Ride on a train- This seems within reach.

-Swim with dolphins- We could have done this on our Disney cruise, but we haven’t achieved the money goal on my list yet.

-Have a kitty- We mourned the loss of Amber’s 16 year old cat a couple months ago. She would like another at some point.

-Write a book- I think she probably could put one out right now called “Papers I wrote in college: A collection of papers I wrote in college.” So this one is virtually crossed off.

-Read the entire Bible- Lets see how she does with the genealogies.

-See Madonna in concert- I’m speechless.

-Own a Mini Cooper- It will be hers… oh yes… it will be hers…

So those are our goals at this point in our lives. I hope you enjoyed them, and I hope we inspired you to make your own. And that’s the way the cookie crumbles. (name that movie)

Maiden Voyage

After enjoying a movie with the wife tonight, I decided to start our own blog. Sort of a way to keep up with what is going on in the lives of Eric and Amber. The first one is the hardest, because how can I get you all up to speed on the last 877 days of our marriage? I suppose I’ll just start from the latest, and you can pick things up along the way. So here goes the maiden voyage…

Speaking of maiden voyages, we just got back from our first cruise. It was a Disney cruise that made berth in Cape Canaveral, FL. If you know anything about Amber’s mother, you will understand why it was a Disney cruise. Her dream is to be Mickey’s bodyguard… Whitney Houston’s Kevin Costner, if you will… and yes, I believe she will always love him.

The entire Evald family was present on this cruise, as it was a family vacation. Good times. Lots of food, lots of snorkeling, lots of water. We did a snorkeling excursion at a natural Stingray City, snorkeled on Castaway Cay (Disney’s own private island, formerly a pit-stop for drug runners), and saw plenty of ocean dwellers: rays, a turtle, Dory, starfish, lobster, and barracuda, to name a few. Please feel free to break into the first song that is already in your head at this time. Amber and I also went parasailing, which was great.

Funny story: Amber collected some shells from the beach and brought them home for her scrapbook or something. When she took them out of her suitcase, she laid them on our table and one started crawling. Turns out she brought home a tiny crab, which died shortly thereafter.

After 7 days of cruising, we set our feet back on American soil. That night, we hung out with some Floridian friends of ours, and their famous Chihuahuas (they were in Beverly Hills Chihuahua, and one of them licked my mouth). It was great seeing them again, since the last time we got to hang out was on our honeymoon, which was at Disney World (told you Amber’s mom was a fan). As we were all swapping stories, we came upon something that may or may not be an urban legend. It’s the story of a girl who has a pet snake that she lets roam free in her apartment and even sleep on her bed. As the story goes, the snake starts acting strange, not eating and stretching out next to her on the bed and the like. She calls the vet and the vet says she needs to have it put down immediately because the snake is fasting and sizing her up because it is planning to eat her. Ever heard this story? True story? Myth? Does anyone have the facts? Please let me know.

So there were a few moments I feel should get some face time in this maiden voyage of a blog. The first is an awkward encounter I had in the men’s room on the ship. I must preface this with the fact that there were only 4-5 US citizens on board as staff out of 1005. I walked into the bathroom to use the urinal, and a worker was standing by the sink. As a courteous Disney crew member would, he said hello and how are you as I stepped up to the plate. He then proceeded to ask me questions in the best English he could, which was at times difficult for me to decipher. I quickly realized he was asking me something about the teen club, to which I responded, “I’m 27.” He apologized, and told me I looked younger. Amber and I get that a lot… a girl asked her if she was 14 while we were on the boat. Anyway, the man began asking me where I was from, where I worked, what instruments I played, if I was any good at them, and so on. You may be thinking that he sounds like a kind gentleman, but need I remind you that this WHOLE TIME I am standing in front of the urinal trying to wiz? It gets a little uncomfortable when a few minutes pass and nary a drop has made it’s maiden voyage. This guy obviously doesn’t know American man law.

The second moment I want to share is something that you all have probably experienced at one point, and if not, you will. On both our flights to and from Orlando, there were screaming children in close proximity to our seats. The flight home was especially bad. The two young, out-of-control girls behind Amber and I must have thought the tray tables on the backs of our seats were complimentary drum sets, and the mother of the year next to them was equally loud and frustrating. Luckily, with about an hour left of flight, I finally heard the mother trying to explain that there were people in front of them and that they shouldn’t pound on the seats. It only took her two hours and forty minutes to realize it. The smell of cig smoke coming from her clothes was equally as frustrating. Someday, somebody will do a study and find out that cigarettes are actually bad for your health.

So that pretty much brings us to now. Our equilibriums are pretty much back to normal now, but the ship and the flights definitely threw them off. Glad to be back in the northwest, and glad to have thanksgiving in two days. I’m thankful for lots… especially for the person whose name gets mentioned most in this blog. Pictures will be coming soon from the cruise. Be patient, and keep your stick on the ice…