The hard drive has failed. All of Anna's doctoral work, Hal's master's work, the photos from our first four years of marriage, etc., etc., etc. This public service message reminds you to back up all your work on the computer!
But how about happier news? Let's start with our move into our apartment. Anna was able to select the paint colors for all the rooms before we painted. Although she thought she may only have a couple of choices, Anna was happy to hold a rainbow to select from.
One of our new friends is Amanda, who is currently amidst her Master's program and is an intern for the housing office this summer. Her parent's are pictured below with her at the Taste of Tacoma festival.
At the Taste there were plenty of foods to choose from. Anna is enjoying an Australian BBQ sandwich and Hal is sampling the Teriyaki chicken. Although they did not have a Dingleberry at the ShiskaBerry's (located behind), they did enjoy a crepe with apples and caramel.
Last weekend was the Tall Ships festival which comes to Tacoma about once every three years. This bridge which goes over the Foss waterway reminded me of the Duluth lift bridge.
The festival was free, but we paid to go down and climb aboard some different ships. Some went out to take people on a couple hour tour and would perform mock cannon battles with other ships in the bay. Unfortunately, all tickets were sold out for the ships when we were there. In the next three photos is Hal's favorite ship, the Hawaiian Chieftain. 
Yes, I did wear my pirate shirt. But there were plenty of people there that had dressed and talked like Pirates, so I didn't stand out at all.
Although I was fond of this ship, the best named ship goes to the S.S.S. Rejoice. The man who had her commissioned named it after marrying his wife Joyce for the second time. Re-Joyce. Get it?
This is Anna aboard the HMCS Oriole, the oldest commissioned ship in the Canadian Navy.
These four ships were the most sought after for tours. Left to right (starting with the farthest ship) is the CGC Eagle (the only active duty commissioned sailing vessel in the US Navy), the Premiere Class Nina (a historically correct replica of the 15th-century ship sailed by Christopher Columbus in 1492), the HMS Bounty (as seen in the Pirates of the Caribbean movies), and the Kaisei (travels the globe on international peace missions).
A closer look at the Nina.
Hal in front of the HMS Bounty. Argh....
A better look at the HMS Bounty.
Hey, did I mention that the Hawaiian Chieftain was my favorite?
On of Anna's friends from UMD, Nils, lives in Tacoma. We joined him to watch The Shifty Sailors before. (Nils has an uncle in the group.) Click on the group web page and listen to their Washington song (or other sea shanties if you prefer).
The weather here has been absolutely beautiful, but it did sprinkle while listening to the music. But I'm still having a fun time because I have my new rain jacket to keep me dry!
Which brings us to this weekend. Anna and I went with Amanda on Saturday to Vashion Island for their strawberry festival. There weren't very many strawberries on the island, but we still had fun and a great lunch. The adventure was navigating both the bus system and the ferry system (and their non aligning schedules) to get to and from the festival. Here is a picture of Mt. Rainier. I've taken several photos, but none of them do it justice. It truly is a beautiful sight.
Anna and I also celebrated our fourth anniversary this weekend (4th = fruits and flowers). We went out to dinner but didn't bring the camera, so this photos will be our official "fourth" photo.
After dinner we came back and had some cheesecake for dessert. The berries here are always plentiful (whether in the grocery store for cheap or at a road side stand for even cheaper). We decided to go with the blackberries as a topping.
Oh, I also added some chocolate syrup to mine "restaurant style" where you just put it all over the plate.
So, we have been on a huge fruit kick since arriving. The fruit is so fresh and so cheap I won't be catching scurvy any time soon. At the grocery store there were raspberries several different colors (flavors). Anna's new found favorite are the Rainier cherries whereas Hal has been eating mostly apples.
So, my new place of employment is very environmentally friendly. Here is one example: our lawn mowing service. I have about 200 goats outside my hall "mowing" the lawn. They are surrounded by an electric fence and have a Shepard and a sheep dog to protect them. Once they finish munching on this section, they will be moved to another section of campus. In addition to getting the thicker brush that most mowers can't get, they are also kind enough to fertilize the area before they move on. (Jen, I'm sending one to Southwest. It should be delivered to the inside of your apartment while you are gone.)
Other exciting news is that we finally got our car fixed. Hooray for mobility! Also, Anna's temporary licence finally arrived so she was able to start work on Thursday. In celebration, we went to IKEA and looked at some items we plan to buy once she gets a paycheck. :)
Sorry that we are not able to phone you frequently. Our evening minutes begin at 9pm, which is 11pm central time, so it is too late to call. But please call us if you would like to hear more!
