The title to this post is....18 Adults, 1 Child, 5 years....and that is exactly how many individuals I have shared space/house with over the course of the last five years (come March). That does not include the two dogs, two cats, and 6-9 chickens that I've had in this space, nor the additional small dog that I allowed to join us for a very short 6 weeks.
The overall breakdown is as follows:
2011-Spring 2012: Ex and I; fall-spring 2 friends lived w/ us
June-Dec 2012: I was solo in the house
Dec 2012-Nov 2013: 7 short term housemates; 1 guest dog
Dec 2013-Nov 2014: 1 repeat housemate (& baby grandma & kid), 1 long term housemate, 2 short term housemates
Dec 2014-Feb 2015: same long term housemate, 3 short term housemates, 1 repeat housemate, Reg D
A couple of my friends have joked that I should write a book about the experiences...because I've met a LOT of people and learned a ton about others and myself in the process.
Out of those 18 people, 2 were friends before they moved in, 3-6 became decent friends while they were here and I still actively am in contact/friends with 2-4 of those, and 1 was a romantic partner for a while. Two struggled with alcohol issues while they were here. One turned out to be a chain smoker who smoked in a chair on the property 2/3rds of the short time she was here. Two were given 30 days notice and asked to leave. One tried to retrain my dogs. One had issues with perpetually lying. Two ate other housemates food. One repeatedly hit on another housemate even though he was married and 2-3 actively hit on any/all of my single male friends (sometimes even including the men I was dating). One told me after moving in that she was not okay with any males ever staying in the home while she lived here...even in the guest room, even if he was married, even if there was no romantic notion whatsoever. The shortest stay was one month, the longest consecutive stay was 10 months, the longest total stay was one year, and the average length of stay for most was 2-4 months. Six were here on internships/fellowships, four had solid professional careers, 1 was exploring the business market in Portland, 1 was a fellow massage school student, and most were in transition in some form or another (either between travel/work, moving to Portland, moving out of Portland, or trying to live somewhere short term while figuring some long term options out).
I've always preferred short term housemates. Mainly because I'm a bit anal retentive :) I don't sleep well if people are up moving around or making noise. I like the kitchen & bathrooms to stay clean. I like things to look organized and generally operate in an "everything has its place" sort of existence. I can live with most things for a few months but once it starts to become a longer term situation, then my need to take back over starts coming out more. I'm not easy to live with long term if people do not operate in a similar fashion...thus it's better for them and for me if we co-exist in more of a transitional fashion.
Living with so many people I've also come to realize a few things:
1) People will ALWAYS present best foot forward. It's our human nature to do so. The longer I've been involved in the rental scene, I've come to operate by a 2/3 principle. 2/3 of what someone tells me generally tends to truly be how that individual operates. How we see & describe ourselves can be different from how we actually are...and this would go for myself as well more than likely. This also ties into #2.
2) Definitions of living standards differ. My idea of "clean" or "noisy" can be very different from someone else's standards. In my ads I always state that I'm a clean by appearances sort of person, but not a clean in terms of bleach or product sort of individual. I have had to explain to 1-2 people that clean also means that the bathtub does not have visible grime on it and no soap on the counters. If you're looking to rent, it's always a good idea to specify in writing whatever those standards of importance for you actually mean.
3) I'm always in awe of how some individuals are naturally not mindful. I found this to be true when I had to live in the dorms also. There are so many easy ways that people can do small things to make living with someone else easier, but frequently I've found that people do not recognize the ways that their actions can impact another.
4) People who are renting from another tend to somewhat expect to be taken care of. Out of those 18, only 1-2 actually bought their own cleaning supplies and routinely cleaned the rental room/bathroom & helped out consistently with other household duties. That same 1 person also contributed to baking supplies & spices, oil/butter, plastic containers/foil/baggies/paper towels, laundry soap, etc without being asked. Almost all the rest either never did or I had to ask them to purchase additional supplies.
5) People mean well but sometimes "when the cat is away the mice will play." I run a pretty utility mindful house--meaning I keep the heat low, turn off lights when I leave the room/home, and try to be mindful of water usage. I try to be upfront with housemates before they move in that I expect the same out of them. I also operate on a "I stay out of your personal stuff, please stay out of mine" manner. The times when I've traveled....that utility bill skyrockets however (as in higher than it's ever been both in summer & winter) and I've come home from countless runs/work days with the heat jacked higher than it needs to be (ie I'm sweating profusely). I've also had a scarf, a buddy's hat, and a pair of pants "disappear" as certain housemates were transitioning out. Additionally one of my dogs almost got out of her collar and ran into an oncoming car after a housemate continually loosened her collar even after she assured me she wouldn't do it again.... Rule of thumb: Most people don't communicate straight forwardly, don't want to deal with confrontation, & will agree to things even if they'll never put those things into practice.
6) When people are looking for somewhere to live, they don't always listen to everything you told them.....about your expectations, about your pets routines/needs, about the house and its natural quirks....Enough stated.
I sometimes get asked about how to write an ad or rent successfully to another. The truth is that I don't have any tried and true strategies. What I can say is that overtime my selection process got more fine tuned. I learned to write better ads, to wait & be more selective, to not compromise on house rules, and to read through the lines. This doesn't mean that in the last year or two I haven't looked forward to having certain individuals move out however, but it does mean that I've had better compatibility & success with matches over the last two years. For me the short term window truly has been best because in the case that you find someone who is good for short term but not for long term, then your time together is short anyway. There is always the potential to renegotiate together as the original timeline nears whether or not you or s/he would like that individual to stay. I've had some housemates completely surprise me in good ways too. One thing that I have not tended to do but would advocate actually doing, is to have some sort of established rental/sublet written agreement & a down payment established. At times I did call references and this is definitely a good practice as well. (Although let's get real, unless it's 2-5 years of prior rental reference that you require, no one is going to supply a "bad" personal reference to you...)
I can honestly also say that the individuals who I rented to during my short window on AirBnB also tended to be more established....but due to the nature of the site, many of those also had more of an expectation of being hosted. (And I also was very selective and communicated a lot with the people I rented to from there....). I'm contemplating doing super short term windows on AirBnB again this spring (ie 2 nights to 2 weeks) mainly for four reasons. 1) It truthfully does supplement my rent. 2) It's fun to meet new people. 3) Sometimes I feel bad having this large home and yet only having just me live here. Call it my environmental heart, but it's sort of a waste of total space...and the housing market in Portland can be challenging. 4) After using AirBnB for my own travel needs, I feel like giving back to other travelers.
Well...and then there's 5) if i DO travel again this summer for work...then I'm going to need to sublet the house for 1-2 months. (Note: this time payment upfront, down payment, rental agreement, AND references will be required.) Ideally I'm hopeful to sublet to a couple or small family, who is cat friendly (ie can feed the cat & give him the occasional lap to lay on), and who can pass the lawnmower over the lawn 1-2x a month. Hopefully if that is that case..the perfect match will present itself :)
All that being said...I'm incredibly fortunate....to have been able to share this space with so many individuals, to have shared time/stories/lives with each of them too, to have learned a lot in the process, to have a home that is flexible/changeable and yet constant, to have been humbled to share more than I always wanted to, to have to trust that His plan was bigger than mine, and to have landlords who have truly desired me to stay and supported/trusted me enough to allow me to continue to sublet spaces within what is truly their extended family's home.
March makes five years in this home, five full years back in Oregon, and the longest I've continually lived in the same house during my entire life. This house has seen my life go through enormous transitions. It's held my mutual tears & laughter, hosted numerous gatherings, warmed my heart & body, inspired decoration, benefited from kitchen dance parties, housed guests, watched the dogs mature & age, functioned as my nest/office/ground...but truthfully throughout these last five years its proved itself to be my HOME. What started out as a month by month rental agreement with the potential to only last six months and that every year I've questioned whether it would be better to move on elsewhere...this home has remained steadfast and grounded. In March (or potentially next month...even though it's slightly before I financially wanted but internally I'm oh so ready...), this house will truly return to be just that...my (& the animals') home. What a five years it's witnessed, but what a steady blessing it's been and continues to be....
I'm grateful, so grateful, for my home.
(...and ironically, more than likely....I have no doubt that this space will probably get shared again sooner than I might imagine. :))
Showing posts with label Housemates. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Housemates. Show all posts
Saturday, January 9, 2016
Thursday, January 15, 2015
Week in Review
Woo...what a full, stressed but also incredible week it's been.
After my first Saturday class (which actually it isn't too bad to teach on a Saturday!), I ended up coming home for a nap and then studying for a bit. I'd been really wanting to see the movie Fury and best bud just ended his relationship, so I convinced him to hit up the cheap theatre with me for movie time and beers and convo after. It ended up being a really fun night and the movie was really well done....but it also made for lots of sleeping and hydration needs on Sunday.
Mom & Granny were supposed to come for lunch on Monday but in the end they didn't. After multiple days of studying for my written massage exam the stress was pretty high, so the dogs and I used the free Monday hours to head to one of our most traveled trails to get a hike in. Much needed and it was so restoring! I realized on trail how insignificant my stressors truly are in the bigger picture and I made myself take time to actually stop and breath deeply and touch the surrounding things in my environment--it was great.
Monday evening was the big National Championship football game and I think most of Oregon was watching to see how UO would do. (We didn't play well...at all.) I also attended the first in a three class series on Wine & Food with my buddy/colleague and his fiance. It was fun to try something different, learn SO much more about how wine is changed by food pairings, and spend time with one of my favorite couples.
I spent the rest of that night chatting with my housemate and offering thoughts and insights. I'd allowed myself the day to NOT study at all....much needed and so well taken! ;)
Tuesday morning held the next Africa meeting....more incredible news and open doors...and as of right now, I'll be joining a group to Tanzania for three weeks in July. A few more things still need to fall into place and I need to apply for the actual slot...but this whole opportunity continues to be just.so.incredible. Dreams in motion...with the potential for it to be even more!
Tuesday & Wednesday evenings I taught, and much of Wednesday afternoon held a mix of studying and grading...and attempting to distract my returning stress.
Today I spent some time researching various options for travel and uh, PhD programs. Yep, don't ask...I don't want to think about it yet....but the potential need for that day might be on the horizon... I'm pretty tired of being a student at this point and really need a break to just enjoy/stabilize/focus.....but if I want to continue in academia and potentially transition to a 4 year institution...then I will eventually need a PhD....and this came to my attention earlier this week...
And then this evening.....I took the worst written exam I have ever had the distinct pleasure of taking...walked out of the test unsure of how I did and finally looked at the results to see that amazingly and thankfully I had passed the needed written exam. Thank God! Woohoo! One of two exams down....two weeks to study and re-memorize all the muscles for the practical exam. I cannot wait for this to be over. :) And I also have a new business idea for once I'm actually licensed that I've been running by people.
Post-exam this evening I headed to dinner & vino time with my nearby aunt and uncle. We haven't had the opportunity to really catch up since late Nov/early Dec, so it was great to check in with them and update them on all the new developments that have been occurring. It was the perfect way to destress after the exam tonight :)
Tomorrow holds a morning date and followed up with a running outing with friends. Dependent on how the day goes, there might be more grading and studying. Saturday morning will be the end of the teaching week with my morning class and I might hit up the gym on campus post-class. There's more grading to be had and more muscles to review over the long weekend, but Sunday night also holds a birthday party for an acquaintance at a wine bar and Monday has a coffee date with a friend and potentially an outdoor outing.
Besides the hike and the awesomeness of the Africa meeting, there were quite a few other moments of joy and excitement this week:
I made it through a Target trip in which I literally walked out empty handed...and with no desire to buy any clothes/shoes/accessories that were on display....pretty amazing.
Newest short term housemate is en route. She will arrive on Monday and should be here as long as all goes well until the beginning of May. She's also originally from Argentina...and I'm so hopeful she might help me brush up my Spanish! :)
Best buddy and I already had discussed a new snowshoe overnight trip for a weekend in February. I wanted to try snow camping but he suggested that we try an open shelter concept first. We're also planning on taking my gal T along and probably at least one other person also. AND THEN I found out the official wedding date for my buddy who is getting married in Alberta this summer and it's looking like I should probably be able to make it, which T and Reg D are wanting in on the trip too. If all worked out like a dream take 2 for the summer, then we'd be able to take a couple week trip to hit Glacier NP in Montana, Jasper NP & Banff NP in Alberta, and perhaps just perhaps swing a couple days in Yellowstone. Still in the dreaming stages BUT dreaming makes me oh.so.happy, even if it doesn't always pan out. AND THEN to add onto the dreaming, Reg D asked if I might be interested in a kayak camping trip to an amazing destination over Spring Break....uh yep, dude, I most.definitely.am. IF all of these amazing dreams work out for this spring/summer then I would literally cross six life goals off the list. Lots of research/planning to do regarding logistics, but the nice thing is that we at least already have most the gear. Here's hoping that the trips can truly work out! Especially since they give me so much to look forward to :)
Beyond all of the various camps of this week, it also dawned on me that I also need to start putting those snowboard lessons on the calendar with my gal and her husband. We're in a weird warm spell so who knows what the rest of "winter" is going to be like this year. I'm also in the process of scheduling a massage workshop at my place for a handful of my classmates and myself with one of our favorite instructors. It's always pretty crazy when the calendar already starts filling up months in advance!
With all that already has been revealing there is a good chance that this year is going to be more full and life re-directing than I ever could have possibly imagined. I never feel like I truly choose the 'word' for the year but rather that the word chooses me. The words already coming to mind for this year are EMBRACE and ACCEPT. We'll see how the rest of the year continues to evolve, but I'm hoping to focus on doing both of those very actions throughout the months ahead.
What's been going on in your neck of the woods?! Hoping you have a restorative weekend ahead!
After my first Saturday class (which actually it isn't too bad to teach on a Saturday!), I ended up coming home for a nap and then studying for a bit. I'd been really wanting to see the movie Fury and best bud just ended his relationship, so I convinced him to hit up the cheap theatre with me for movie time and beers and convo after. It ended up being a really fun night and the movie was really well done....but it also made for lots of sleeping and hydration needs on Sunday.
Mom & Granny were supposed to come for lunch on Monday but in the end they didn't. After multiple days of studying for my written massage exam the stress was pretty high, so the dogs and I used the free Monday hours to head to one of our most traveled trails to get a hike in. Much needed and it was so restoring! I realized on trail how insignificant my stressors truly are in the bigger picture and I made myself take time to actually stop and breath deeply and touch the surrounding things in my environment--it was great.
Monday evening was the big National Championship football game and I think most of Oregon was watching to see how UO would do. (We didn't play well...at all.) I also attended the first in a three class series on Wine & Food with my buddy/colleague and his fiance. It was fun to try something different, learn SO much more about how wine is changed by food pairings, and spend time with one of my favorite couples.
I spent the rest of that night chatting with my housemate and offering thoughts and insights. I'd allowed myself the day to NOT study at all....much needed and so well taken! ;)
Tuesday morning held the next Africa meeting....more incredible news and open doors...and as of right now, I'll be joining a group to Tanzania for three weeks in July. A few more things still need to fall into place and I need to apply for the actual slot...but this whole opportunity continues to be just.so.incredible. Dreams in motion...with the potential for it to be even more!
Tuesday & Wednesday evenings I taught, and much of Wednesday afternoon held a mix of studying and grading...and attempting to distract my returning stress.
Today I spent some time researching various options for travel and uh, PhD programs. Yep, don't ask...I don't want to think about it yet....but the potential need for that day might be on the horizon... I'm pretty tired of being a student at this point and really need a break to just enjoy/stabilize/focus.....but if I want to continue in academia and potentially transition to a 4 year institution...then I will eventually need a PhD....and this came to my attention earlier this week...
And then this evening.....I took the worst written exam I have ever had the distinct pleasure of taking...walked out of the test unsure of how I did and finally looked at the results to see that amazingly and thankfully I had passed the needed written exam. Thank God! Woohoo! One of two exams down....two weeks to study and re-memorize all the muscles for the practical exam. I cannot wait for this to be over. :) And I also have a new business idea for once I'm actually licensed that I've been running by people.
Post-exam this evening I headed to dinner & vino time with my nearby aunt and uncle. We haven't had the opportunity to really catch up since late Nov/early Dec, so it was great to check in with them and update them on all the new developments that have been occurring. It was the perfect way to destress after the exam tonight :)
Tomorrow holds a morning date and followed up with a running outing with friends. Dependent on how the day goes, there might be more grading and studying. Saturday morning will be the end of the teaching week with my morning class and I might hit up the gym on campus post-class. There's more grading to be had and more muscles to review over the long weekend, but Sunday night also holds a birthday party for an acquaintance at a wine bar and Monday has a coffee date with a friend and potentially an outdoor outing.
Besides the hike and the awesomeness of the Africa meeting, there were quite a few other moments of joy and excitement this week:
I made it through a Target trip in which I literally walked out empty handed...and with no desire to buy any clothes/shoes/accessories that were on display....pretty amazing.
Newest short term housemate is en route. She will arrive on Monday and should be here as long as all goes well until the beginning of May. She's also originally from Argentina...and I'm so hopeful she might help me brush up my Spanish! :)
Best buddy and I already had discussed a new snowshoe overnight trip for a weekend in February. I wanted to try snow camping but he suggested that we try an open shelter concept first. We're also planning on taking my gal T along and probably at least one other person also. AND THEN I found out the official wedding date for my buddy who is getting married in Alberta this summer and it's looking like I should probably be able to make it, which T and Reg D are wanting in on the trip too. If all worked out like a dream take 2 for the summer, then we'd be able to take a couple week trip to hit Glacier NP in Montana, Jasper NP & Banff NP in Alberta, and perhaps just perhaps swing a couple days in Yellowstone. Still in the dreaming stages BUT dreaming makes me oh.so.happy, even if it doesn't always pan out. AND THEN to add onto the dreaming, Reg D asked if I might be interested in a kayak camping trip to an amazing destination over Spring Break....uh yep, dude, I most.definitely.am. IF all of these amazing dreams work out for this spring/summer then I would literally cross six life goals off the list. Lots of research/planning to do regarding logistics, but the nice thing is that we at least already have most the gear. Here's hoping that the trips can truly work out! Especially since they give me so much to look forward to :)
Beyond all of the various camps of this week, it also dawned on me that I also need to start putting those snowboard lessons on the calendar with my gal and her husband. We're in a weird warm spell so who knows what the rest of "winter" is going to be like this year. I'm also in the process of scheduling a massage workshop at my place for a handful of my classmates and myself with one of our favorite instructors. It's always pretty crazy when the calendar already starts filling up months in advance!
With all that already has been revealing there is a good chance that this year is going to be more full and life re-directing than I ever could have possibly imagined. I never feel like I truly choose the 'word' for the year but rather that the word chooses me. The words already coming to mind for this year are EMBRACE and ACCEPT. We'll see how the rest of the year continues to evolve, but I'm hoping to focus on doing both of those very actions throughout the months ahead.
What's been going on in your neck of the woods?! Hoping you have a restorative weekend ahead!
Thursday, January 8, 2015
Frozen Gorge Waterfalls
The first true hike of the year happened on Sunday, as my housemate has been wanting to start hiking more. She had asked on Saturday evening if I would go on a hike with her and since I had been seeing the frozen gorge waterfalls show up on various IG feeds, I decided to arrange a little tour of the various easier falls in the Gorge. Due to daylight we ended up only having time to make it to three of the four locations, I'd planned on, but it was awesome getting to see the falls with lots of frozen sections as well. The trails themselves were slippery as they were frozen in patches and sometimes the mud was frozen without really showing that it was...so we had to be pretty cautious while hiking. But it truthfully it was a fun and beautiful outing...and it's always so neat to be able to walk so closely to the waterfalls :)
The housemate looking at Lower & Upper Latourell Falls.
The dogs and I on the bridge by Upper Latourell Falls.
Wakeena Falls
And beautiful patches of frozen Multnomah Falls (the tallest falls in Oregon).
If we get another cold patch, I honestly might have to go back to see more and to check out the other ones we didn't make it to on this day. But again it was so great to encourage my housemate toward returning to hiking and to see something I've been wanting to check out while also exposing her to something entirely new. I had the opportunity to ENJOY & EMBRACE (even while literally exhausted on this day) while also taking someone on a new outdoor adventure :) Loving making progress and relishing the simple moments presented by those 2015 goals.
Wednesday, September 17, 2014
The Unwinding of Summer
Summer is coming to a close.
My last two finals to take are tomorrow.
The last outdoor trek of the summer happens this weekend.
And what a summer it's been.
In the midst of all the current tiredness, I can't help but feel that I am so incredibly fortunate to be so tired. That all the moments of tiredness are and were so worth the moments with friends, with family, with movement toward the future, or with growth through goals.
So what were the highlights of Summer 2014?
1) I made it through another dual term. I taught three separate courses this summer-one of which was a new class for me. I thoroughly enjoyed my students this summer. I took four massage courses this term and I fell in love with many of the Eastern modalities. I'm registered for my final term. I'm scheduled and prepared for teaching this fall. I created a career plan that reflects the next two years and I know that I'm headed toward even more growth.
2) Per usual there were a lot of awesome outdoor adventures (all of which I wish I would have blogged about separately). There was a kayak outing on the Tualatin River, a solo SUP morning, and a day of kayaking with visiting friends. There were multiple solo day hikes, long day hikes with the ex-husband/Tall D as we reacquainted our friendship, and a few date hikes or runs with different dudes as well. There was a lot of running mileage as I continue to progress toward my goal of 900 miles this year. There was a women's weekend where I finally got to attempt surfing. There was the best back packing trip I've ever been on with one of my favorite massage school gals. There was a recent day of exploring Olympic National Park (with a hike, lots of driving, and a beach trek) with Tall D. And tomorrow he and I leave for a long backpacking weekend in the Wallowas in eastern Oregon.
3) There were a lot of awesome visitors! I had one of my best gals from high school in town for a night in August. Earlier summer included dinner/kayaking with one of my best gals from grad school and her boyfriend, my buddy R who relocated to Texas and I hiked in to float on a mountain lake, one of the housemates from last summer stopped by for dinner on his move to Seattle, one of my undergrad friends brought her husband for dinner while they visited to explore moving to Portland (they're moving here in December and returning for another visit in two weekends), and I met a favorite high school buddy and his fiance for happy hour when they passed through town. I also hosted local acquaintances who I don't get to see as frequently: an afternoon of tapas at the house with an old hometown mentee and her boyfriend and I happily reconnected with an ex-who-was-my-best-friend-for-years and his wife.
4) Granny celebrated her 103rd birthday! We celebrated per usual with a family BBQ on her actual day and the female clan tea party on Saturday. It's always great to honor the queen and to reconnect with many of the extended family who comes home to help celebrate.
5) I celebrated my 32nd birthday...and it was a phenomenal celebration this year. After all our history, Tall D still has a knack for making me feel especially special and appreciated on my day. This year I had my high school gal here during the weekend before my birthday and then on my actual day the two Ds and I hiked into a secluded lake and floated around in tubes with some beers. In the evening, I went out to my favorite Mexican restaurant with a handful of friends. And the day after my birthday, Tall D had gotten me tickets to one of our favorite soulful artists. It just so happened that one of my local gals and her husband also had tickets so we were able to connect with them at the venue. Such an incredible birthday this year--I definitely felt so special!
6) I dated someone new for several months and helped refine what I'm looking for and grasped a better idea of what matters versus what we think matters in the bigger picture. I had a lot of fun. I learned new things. I was amazed by the thoughtfulness he put into creating simple dates and at times I felt incredibly spoiled. ....and in the end, our timing wasn't right, the pairing was and wasn't right, and I decided to put dating on hold for a bit again...unless that "right" man falls in my lap of course. Har har.
7) I preserved a LOT of food. One of my personal goals for this year was to try to grow more and preserve more than any year before....and I am really happy with the outcomes, while also knowing that even bigger gains are possible in years to come. This year I canned: peaches, pears, salsa, pasta sauce, diced tomatoes, applesauce, pear butter, plums. In the freezer are: blueberries, raspberries, cherries, marionberries, strawberry freezer jam, kale, grapes, shredded zucchini, rhubarb, mint. This year I planted: tomatoes, zucchini, cucumbers, carrots, lettuce, kale, spinach, leeks, strawberries, brussel sprouts, cabbage, onions, peas, green beans, corn, and beets. The brussel sprouts got ripped out due to battling bugs that spread to the cabbage & eventually the kale, the spinach went to seed quickly, I battled with mean bee and yellow jackets nests (twice), I learned that co-planting snap peas around the tomato cages is a bad idea, the zucchini didn't seem to like it's new location, I can never keep up with the green beans in time, and my absolute favorite thing I grew were the beets. I also harvested grapes from the neighbors vines that I let go crazy over the fence, I replanted artichoke plants, I left the garlic alone, I picked mint/rhubarb/marionberries from the yard, and the kiwi is absolutely loaded (for harvesting in December).
8) There were a lot of chicken transitions and build projects. At the end of the summer I currently have four hens. Two separate batches of Americauanas with one gray hen from my original batch that produced her and two roosters and then two new brown hens that are still growing. There is also a lil black Banty that came from my middle hen acquisition attempt....and she's currently laying! :) Build projects included continuing to tweak the rebuilt/moved coop, indulging in a few hammock recoup sessions under the rebuilt arbor, and this summer also yielded a date day of demolishing and building compost bins from old pallets.
9) Beyond my long term massage classmate/housemate, there was a young housemate here for two months who desired lots of companionship and to see parts of Portland/nearby. I spent a lot of time in conversations with her and we also took trips to the Gorge, into downtown, and down to Silver Creek Falls. Her youthful energy was fun and reminded me a lot of a much younger version of myself. That gal is destined for some pretty great things.
My last two finals to take are tomorrow.
The last outdoor trek of the summer happens this weekend.
And what a summer it's been.
In the midst of all the current tiredness, I can't help but feel that I am so incredibly fortunate to be so tired. That all the moments of tiredness are and were so worth the moments with friends, with family, with movement toward the future, or with growth through goals.
So what were the highlights of Summer 2014?
1) I made it through another dual term. I taught three separate courses this summer-one of which was a new class for me. I thoroughly enjoyed my students this summer. I took four massage courses this term and I fell in love with many of the Eastern modalities. I'm registered for my final term. I'm scheduled and prepared for teaching this fall. I created a career plan that reflects the next two years and I know that I'm headed toward even more growth.
2) Per usual there were a lot of awesome outdoor adventures (all of which I wish I would have blogged about separately). There was a kayak outing on the Tualatin River, a solo SUP morning, and a day of kayaking with visiting friends. There were multiple solo day hikes, long day hikes with the ex-husband/Tall D as we reacquainted our friendship, and a few date hikes or runs with different dudes as well. There was a lot of running mileage as I continue to progress toward my goal of 900 miles this year. There was a women's weekend where I finally got to attempt surfing. There was the best back packing trip I've ever been on with one of my favorite massage school gals. There was a recent day of exploring Olympic National Park (with a hike, lots of driving, and a beach trek) with Tall D. And tomorrow he and I leave for a long backpacking weekend in the Wallowas in eastern Oregon.
At the end of our Herman Creek backpacking trip.
Short Sands surfing
3) There were a lot of awesome visitors! I had one of my best gals from high school in town for a night in August. Earlier summer included dinner/kayaking with one of my best gals from grad school and her boyfriend, my buddy R who relocated to Texas and I hiked in to float on a mountain lake, one of the housemates from last summer stopped by for dinner on his move to Seattle, one of my undergrad friends brought her husband for dinner while they visited to explore moving to Portland (they're moving here in December and returning for another visit in two weekends), and I met a favorite high school buddy and his fiance for happy hour when they passed through town. I also hosted local acquaintances who I don't get to see as frequently: an afternoon of tapas at the house with an old hometown mentee and her boyfriend and I happily reconnected with an ex-who-was-my-best-friend-for-years and his wife.
4) Granny celebrated her 103rd birthday! We celebrated per usual with a family BBQ on her actual day and the female clan tea party on Saturday. It's always great to honor the queen and to reconnect with many of the extended family who comes home to help celebrate.
5) I celebrated my 32nd birthday...and it was a phenomenal celebration this year. After all our history, Tall D still has a knack for making me feel especially special and appreciated on my day. This year I had my high school gal here during the weekend before my birthday and then on my actual day the two Ds and I hiked into a secluded lake and floated around in tubes with some beers. In the evening, I went out to my favorite Mexican restaurant with a handful of friends. And the day after my birthday, Tall D had gotten me tickets to one of our favorite soulful artists. It just so happened that one of my local gals and her husband also had tickets so we were able to connect with them at the venue. Such an incredible birthday this year--I definitely felt so special!
6) I dated someone new for several months and helped refine what I'm looking for and grasped a better idea of what matters versus what we think matters in the bigger picture. I had a lot of fun. I learned new things. I was amazed by the thoughtfulness he put into creating simple dates and at times I felt incredibly spoiled. ....and in the end, our timing wasn't right, the pairing was and wasn't right, and I decided to put dating on hold for a bit again...unless that "right" man falls in my lap of course. Har har.
A bonfire at the beach with the dude, dogs, brats, tunes.
7) I preserved a LOT of food. One of my personal goals for this year was to try to grow more and preserve more than any year before....and I am really happy with the outcomes, while also knowing that even bigger gains are possible in years to come. This year I canned: peaches, pears, salsa, pasta sauce, diced tomatoes, applesauce, pear butter, plums. In the freezer are: blueberries, raspberries, cherries, marionberries, strawberry freezer jam, kale, grapes, shredded zucchini, rhubarb, mint. This year I planted: tomatoes, zucchini, cucumbers, carrots, lettuce, kale, spinach, leeks, strawberries, brussel sprouts, cabbage, onions, peas, green beans, corn, and beets. The brussel sprouts got ripped out due to battling bugs that spread to the cabbage & eventually the kale, the spinach went to seed quickly, I battled with mean bee and yellow jackets nests (twice), I learned that co-planting snap peas around the tomato cages is a bad idea, the zucchini didn't seem to like it's new location, I can never keep up with the green beans in time, and my absolute favorite thing I grew were the beets. I also harvested grapes from the neighbors vines that I let go crazy over the fence, I replanted artichoke plants, I left the garlic alone, I picked mint/rhubarb/marionberries from the yard, and the kiwi is absolutely loaded (for harvesting in December).
8) There were a lot of chicken transitions and build projects. At the end of the summer I currently have four hens. Two separate batches of Americauanas with one gray hen from my original batch that produced her and two roosters and then two new brown hens that are still growing. There is also a lil black Banty that came from my middle hen acquisition attempt....and she's currently laying! :) Build projects included continuing to tweak the rebuilt/moved coop, indulging in a few hammock recoup sessions under the rebuilt arbor, and this summer also yielded a date day of demolishing and building compost bins from old pallets.
9) Beyond my long term massage classmate/housemate, there was a young housemate here for two months who desired lots of companionship and to see parts of Portland/nearby. I spent a lot of time in conversations with her and we also took trips to the Gorge, into downtown, and down to Silver Creek Falls. Her youthful energy was fun and reminded me a lot of a much younger version of myself. That gal is destined for some pretty great things.
Portland Rose Garden
10) In the down moments, I spent a lot of time continuing to reflect...on growth, on how to align opposing versions of myself and land somewhere in the middle, on where life might potentially head. I had a few great afternoons laying in the hammock or suntanning on the back patio. I watched a couple great documentaries and tore through some sessions with various books from the library. I met up and spent dinners/happy hour/coffees with some of my closest local Portland friends. I remembered to grant myself grace, to be comfortable with and proud of what I see when I look in the mirror, and to embrace the constantly evolving nature of life. And at the end of the summer, as tired as I might be, I'm again so grateful for a rewarding experience of life that passed along. While it might not have felt as epic or total fun as last summer, this summer felt pretty darn fulfilling!
Hope y'all had a wonderful last few months as well!
Thursday, June 26, 2014
Brain Dump of Recent Events
Life has been a whirlwind. I love how whenever I expect things to slow down, then things totally get packed in :)
--One thing I didn't mention in my last update post is that on the run date, we actually crossed paths with an old acquaintance of mine from my hometown. I got in touch with the guy via FB to find out if it was really him, which led to happy hour, which led to dinner & drinks during the next week with our one of our many mutual friends and his wife (who happens to be a former boyfriend and then we were best friends for years after the fact). So literally in the span of three days, I saw the two guys from my hometown who I hadn't really seen in 6-10 years, finally got the opportunity to meet the one guy's wife (who I loved...they are so wonderful together!), plus hosted my old undergrad friend and her husband who I had only seen once in the last ten years also (and they might be moving up here!!). Lots of reconnecting with some amazing people. Tonight I'm meeting up with the old acquaintance and another gal from our hometown in order to run Mt Tabor.
--I spent a morning Upicking cherries and then drove to my sister's for a fun morning/early afternoon of making strawberry freezer jam. And then on Saturday, I accomplished my simple goal of getting up with the sun on the solstice and embracing the whole day :)
--The second new housemate arrived and so far she's been great. She's only here for two months and based on how the summer is already going, I have a feeling those two months are going to fly by! Compromising some as with all living situations, but it's wonderful to feel like the house might be settled for a bit (fingers crossed....).
--I don't want to post too much about all my adventures and interactions lately BUT I had an amazing Sunday of making pies from scratch with left over strawberries from the jam making and rhubarb that was picked from the garden....followed up with riding on the back of a motorcycle through the backroads of my local area. It was SO.MUCH.FUN and I had a smile plastered to my face the whole time. It'd been forever since I'd been on a bike and it was incredible to see the country fields and farms from a different perspective with the breeze whipping us and the sun shining down. All of the mountains were visible in the distance, big American flags were flapping on farm lands, cows and alpacas were out in the fields, and it was fun leaning around all the curvy roads. The rest of that day was also pretty stellar with dinner thrown together and eaten on the patio with sparkly lights lit around and an easy walk with the dogs around the neighborhood. Things in life aren't always simple....but the moments that are easy and free seem to make life feel more spectacular.
--I celebrated the end of the massage term, so technically this week and next I'm "on vacation." Although my new work term started this week and I taught my first inperson course of summer term last night. My classmate and I are heading on our first backpacking trip Sunday-Tuesday and we're both pretty stoked. I just got a new backpacking book which has some great new trails to check out in it, and the old backpacking buddy (reg D) and I have been trying to figure out when we can get out on the trail together. He also came out with my massage classmates and I to help us celebrate the end of our term and so I could finally introduce old and new backpacking friends :) It'd be great if the three of us can manage a trip together. See again...this summer is going to be a blur! ;)
--We had our second book club meet up and I'm so happy to be back at it with these gals. Each one of them is so dear to me! We're reading: The Other Wes Moore this month, which is a book I've been wanting to read for a while, so I'm looking forward to it.
--Lil Jenny chicken passed on, so now the two mainstay ladies are full-time in the coop. They don't seem to be the brightest two of the bunch but they're still loads of entertainment at the moment! ;) In mid July I'll get two more chicks and raise them in the kennels until I can try to transition any survivors into the coop with the two that I have. Ideally I'd like to have at least 2-3 bigger laying hens for eggs and right now I just have one big bird and a small to mid sized bird.
--I've still been struggling with lower leg issues since trying to stage a comeback in the last few months. I'd finally paid to have one of my instructors work on my left ankle as it has been the thing causing me the most trouble. While it's definitely muscular, the bones in my foot and leg are pulling away from each other which isn't the most pleasant sensation and doesn't make running much fun. I've been wondering if different footwear might help, so I sucked it up this week and tried out new options at REI. While I'd been wanting to do minimalist shoes, none of them felt comfortable, so for now I'm trying out a pair of solid Brooks. Yesterday's run was less than pleasant also as my legs try to adjust to using my muscles a little differently. I've been hoping to run a half this summer, but at this point I know that I'd have to retrain back up to it and until I figure out the footwear issue....that plan might be on the back burner.
--The garden is seriously doing better than any other year that I've been in the house. Not only is my one raised bed going crazy, but the berries/grapes/kiwi are heavy with the start of fruit. I also was able to get the front planted like I'd hoped and it's fun seeing stuff trying to come up in a new spot. I have been lacking motivation for the last few days to work on yard stuff, but hopefully next week I'll get a few more projects done!
--Besides everything already mentioned there were a few other times of going out with friends or new people and hosting others at the house. Needless to say, as an introvert who sometimes passes as an extrovert, I've been spending this week in hibernation as much as possible so I can recharge. I've spent plenty of time just lounging on the patio or in the hammock doing nothing, working, thinking, or reading...relishing the simple pleasures and awesomeness of the backyard. As much as I absolutely love connecting with all the amazing people I have in life, I also tend to need some solo time for myself. It's been lovely to get a few days during the middle of this week to do just that....especially since tomorrow I'll see two separate friends coming from out of town, Saturday is schedule to be a hike/beach outing, and Sunday-Tuesday is backpacking time. For the fourth, I'm taking the dogs and Granny to the beach to save Roxi from the chaos of 4th of july fireworks in the neighborhood and then the following week is when I'll now have four different out of state friends all passing through in the same 4-5 days :) Ha! So excited to see everyone, but definitely glad for some time to recharge this week :) It seems like the theme of this summer is just taking things in stride. Accepting the chaos and seeking out the simple moments that exist too.
Hope you all have been doing wonderfully!
--One thing I didn't mention in my last update post is that on the run date, we actually crossed paths with an old acquaintance of mine from my hometown. I got in touch with the guy via FB to find out if it was really him, which led to happy hour, which led to dinner & drinks during the next week with our one of our many mutual friends and his wife (who happens to be a former boyfriend and then we were best friends for years after the fact). So literally in the span of three days, I saw the two guys from my hometown who I hadn't really seen in 6-10 years, finally got the opportunity to meet the one guy's wife (who I loved...they are so wonderful together!), plus hosted my old undergrad friend and her husband who I had only seen once in the last ten years also (and they might be moving up here!!). Lots of reconnecting with some amazing people. Tonight I'm meeting up with the old acquaintance and another gal from our hometown in order to run Mt Tabor.
--I spent a morning Upicking cherries and then drove to my sister's for a fun morning/early afternoon of making strawberry freezer jam. And then on Saturday, I accomplished my simple goal of getting up with the sun on the solstice and embracing the whole day :)
--The second new housemate arrived and so far she's been great. She's only here for two months and based on how the summer is already going, I have a feeling those two months are going to fly by! Compromising some as with all living situations, but it's wonderful to feel like the house might be settled for a bit (fingers crossed....).
--I don't want to post too much about all my adventures and interactions lately BUT I had an amazing Sunday of making pies from scratch with left over strawberries from the jam making and rhubarb that was picked from the garden....followed up with riding on the back of a motorcycle through the backroads of my local area. It was SO.MUCH.FUN and I had a smile plastered to my face the whole time. It'd been forever since I'd been on a bike and it was incredible to see the country fields and farms from a different perspective with the breeze whipping us and the sun shining down. All of the mountains were visible in the distance, big American flags were flapping on farm lands, cows and alpacas were out in the fields, and it was fun leaning around all the curvy roads. The rest of that day was also pretty stellar with dinner thrown together and eaten on the patio with sparkly lights lit around and an easy walk with the dogs around the neighborhood. Things in life aren't always simple....but the moments that are easy and free seem to make life feel more spectacular.
--I celebrated the end of the massage term, so technically this week and next I'm "on vacation." Although my new work term started this week and I taught my first inperson course of summer term last night. My classmate and I are heading on our first backpacking trip Sunday-Tuesday and we're both pretty stoked. I just got a new backpacking book which has some great new trails to check out in it, and the old backpacking buddy (reg D) and I have been trying to figure out when we can get out on the trail together. He also came out with my massage classmates and I to help us celebrate the end of our term and so I could finally introduce old and new backpacking friends :) It'd be great if the three of us can manage a trip together. See again...this summer is going to be a blur! ;)
--We had our second book club meet up and I'm so happy to be back at it with these gals. Each one of them is so dear to me! We're reading: The Other Wes Moore this month, which is a book I've been wanting to read for a while, so I'm looking forward to it.
--Lil Jenny chicken passed on, so now the two mainstay ladies are full-time in the coop. They don't seem to be the brightest two of the bunch but they're still loads of entertainment at the moment! ;) In mid July I'll get two more chicks and raise them in the kennels until I can try to transition any survivors into the coop with the two that I have. Ideally I'd like to have at least 2-3 bigger laying hens for eggs and right now I just have one big bird and a small to mid sized bird.
--I've still been struggling with lower leg issues since trying to stage a comeback in the last few months. I'd finally paid to have one of my instructors work on my left ankle as it has been the thing causing me the most trouble. While it's definitely muscular, the bones in my foot and leg are pulling away from each other which isn't the most pleasant sensation and doesn't make running much fun. I've been wondering if different footwear might help, so I sucked it up this week and tried out new options at REI. While I'd been wanting to do minimalist shoes, none of them felt comfortable, so for now I'm trying out a pair of solid Brooks. Yesterday's run was less than pleasant also as my legs try to adjust to using my muscles a little differently. I've been hoping to run a half this summer, but at this point I know that I'd have to retrain back up to it and until I figure out the footwear issue....that plan might be on the back burner.
--The garden is seriously doing better than any other year that I've been in the house. Not only is my one raised bed going crazy, but the berries/grapes/kiwi are heavy with the start of fruit. I also was able to get the front planted like I'd hoped and it's fun seeing stuff trying to come up in a new spot. I have been lacking motivation for the last few days to work on yard stuff, but hopefully next week I'll get a few more projects done!
--Besides everything already mentioned there were a few other times of going out with friends or new people and hosting others at the house. Needless to say, as an introvert who sometimes passes as an extrovert, I've been spending this week in hibernation as much as possible so I can recharge. I've spent plenty of time just lounging on the patio or in the hammock doing nothing, working, thinking, or reading...relishing the simple pleasures and awesomeness of the backyard. As much as I absolutely love connecting with all the amazing people I have in life, I also tend to need some solo time for myself. It's been lovely to get a few days during the middle of this week to do just that....especially since tomorrow I'll see two separate friends coming from out of town, Saturday is schedule to be a hike/beach outing, and Sunday-Tuesday is backpacking time. For the fourth, I'm taking the dogs and Granny to the beach to save Roxi from the chaos of 4th of july fireworks in the neighborhood and then the following week is when I'll now have four different out of state friends all passing through in the same 4-5 days :) Ha! So excited to see everyone, but definitely glad for some time to recharge this week :) It seems like the theme of this summer is just taking things in stride. Accepting the chaos and seeking out the simple moments that exist too.
Hope you all have been doing wonderfully!
Saturday, June 14, 2014
Times Flies....It's June, Baby!
Woo....hooo! A few days of freedom...sort of :) I finished grading and uploading final scores for spring term yesterday. Technically I have two finals this coming week for the massage program and my summer term in person course to prep, but I'm not too worried about any of them. So yesterday afternoon turned into my favorite end-of-term time: the time when I weed out, recycle, & organize all sorts of stuff I've been putting off doing. I still have more little projects to do but at least I made a sizeable dent in some of the stuff that I've been so behind on taking care of. This has been the term of treading water, as I never truly have felt "on top of" anything organizationally. I'm not sure if this term will be much better but only time will tell. :)
So a few pretty decent changes since the last update:
---I had a week or two to myself in the house (amazing!) after M moved out (which ended pretty poorly on his final day unfortunately). On Memorial Day, I helped my current housemate unload her storage shed components into the garage and then over the course of that final week in May she transitioned the rest of her stuff into her room. Granted the first few months are usually pretty good when sharing housing with someone new, but seriously...she's quiet, she's health conscience, she's focused, she enjoys the animals, we have similar interests/values but also lots of differences, and she helps take out the trash/unload the dishwasher/keeps the bathroom clean. (She also shares here Vitamix.....which is AmaZING!) In comparison to the last six months with M, my stress is so greatly reduced and I'm loving it. We'll be joined by the AirBnB gal in a week and she'll be here for two months. I'm hopeful the three of us will do well together.
---My brother came up again last weekend and helped finalize the coop and arbor. I painted the remaining boards on the arbor, hung my lanterns, and set up the new hammock yesterday. The kiwi is out of control per usual so I might trim it this week sometime. I finished the coop on Monday, returned the roosters (miss my sweet lil guy!), and found two new little hens to complete the flock. The hens are smaller due to breed so I might get one other larger lady also. They spent one night in the new coop so far but we dropped temps again so I put them back in the garage coop until wee one gets all her feathers in..or it heats up :)
---The kitchen sink backed up again. The landlords had me call a plumber. In clearing the kitchen line, the main line clogged so then he had to clear the main line. All in all, I learned a lot about the pipes in the house (which are incredibly old and small). We'll also be switching back to composting rather than using the disposal, which means that I need to finalize my compost project ASAP. :) In other related learning news, I was motivated last week by an external source, and I finally retaught myself how to use a drill and the saw.....my brother was very happy to have me help even more and now I can do many more projects solo.
---Technically I don't know if I can call it truly dating but at the very least I'm getting back out there with getting to know new options for potential partners. It's been interesting this time around, as I'm so settled in myself now that I really don't care either way if I meet someone or invest much time in the process at this point in my life. After everything the last few years have brought, I am much stronger in who I am and I'm not willing to lose that to anyone else again. I'm also okay with the notion of just being solo for a long while if it means being happy with myself. I have so much already in this life and while I like the notion of having someone to share that with long term, I don't know if all of us are cut out for long partnerships :) Regardless....I had a really awesome "date" this last week. We met at the Waterfront in the evening for a jog, originally planning on only 3-5 miles but we ended up doing 8, although there was some walking in there too. The views along the waterfront were incredible and I saw so many new areas that I've never explored before (wish I could have snapped pictures!). We were able to chat along the way, but really it was just fun to be out doing something we both enjoy. I don't really know that any of these outings will pan out into anything, but it's fun and low-key all the same.
---Lil' cousin got married...and it was such a gorgeous and really great wedding. Everything from her dress, to the center pieces, to the food, to the decor, to the speeches was spot on...and it was so wonderful to see her truly glowing, happy, confident, and totally in her element. So very happy for her!
---Three kayaking outings last term were incredible. I seriously loved the experience and eventually I definitely would love to purchase one. I had a paddleboarding outing last weekend that was wonderful also. This summer I only registered for the surfing weekend, but I am so stoked that my employment covers these opportunities. In other outdoor news, the dogs and I made our annual Kings Mtn summit. This summer I plan to thru hike all 22 miles of the Wilson River trail in one day and I have my first backpacking trip of the summer on the calendar.
---Tomorrow I'm hosting an old undergrad friend and her husband for dinner. They're visiting from Oakland (M and I saw them while in SF last spring break) and I'm so looking forward to catching up after all this time! In July my gal Christina and her boyfriend will be here from Atlanta, my buddy R who moved Texas will be in town for a couple days, and my old high school friend Matt and his fiance will be passing thru while visiting from Edmonton. In mid-August, my gal Caitlin will be here and we've scheduled a girls day with our gal Brook also. Then in early August, we'll also celebrate Granny's 103rd birthday and so family will be in town for the celebration. My cousin and her husband also get back at the end of this month from their six months of central America travels. :) So lots of great visits coming up this summer.
So ya....I'm sure there's more in there that I'm forgetting but those are the biggies. Really it's the little moments that seem to be the most awe-inspiring though: holding the chickens, Roxi's crazy expressions, delicious steak dinners & Argentine wine evenings, nailing out a fast run, structural work on my lower leg muscles, conversations with the housemate in the kitchen, flowers, wrangling strawberries, sunning on the patio, lawn mowing.
I'm making progress on my goals although slowly, but I'm not too worried about where I stand with goals as much these days. I know that I'm moving forward...and really I'm just happy with...well, being.
It's a pretty good place to be these days.
So a few pretty decent changes since the last update:
---I had a week or two to myself in the house (amazing!) after M moved out (which ended pretty poorly on his final day unfortunately). On Memorial Day, I helped my current housemate unload her storage shed components into the garage and then over the course of that final week in May she transitioned the rest of her stuff into her room. Granted the first few months are usually pretty good when sharing housing with someone new, but seriously...she's quiet, she's health conscience, she's focused, she enjoys the animals, we have similar interests/values but also lots of differences, and she helps take out the trash/unload the dishwasher/keeps the bathroom clean. (She also shares here Vitamix.....which is AmaZING!) In comparison to the last six months with M, my stress is so greatly reduced and I'm loving it. We'll be joined by the AirBnB gal in a week and she'll be here for two months. I'm hopeful the three of us will do well together.
---My brother came up again last weekend and helped finalize the coop and arbor. I painted the remaining boards on the arbor, hung my lanterns, and set up the new hammock yesterday. The kiwi is out of control per usual so I might trim it this week sometime. I finished the coop on Monday, returned the roosters (miss my sweet lil guy!), and found two new little hens to complete the flock. The hens are smaller due to breed so I might get one other larger lady also. They spent one night in the new coop so far but we dropped temps again so I put them back in the garage coop until wee one gets all her feathers in..or it heats up :)
---The kitchen sink backed up again. The landlords had me call a plumber. In clearing the kitchen line, the main line clogged so then he had to clear the main line. All in all, I learned a lot about the pipes in the house (which are incredibly old and small). We'll also be switching back to composting rather than using the disposal, which means that I need to finalize my compost project ASAP. :) In other related learning news, I was motivated last week by an external source, and I finally retaught myself how to use a drill and the saw.....my brother was very happy to have me help even more and now I can do many more projects solo.
---Technically I don't know if I can call it truly dating but at the very least I'm getting back out there with getting to know new options for potential partners. It's been interesting this time around, as I'm so settled in myself now that I really don't care either way if I meet someone or invest much time in the process at this point in my life. After everything the last few years have brought, I am much stronger in who I am and I'm not willing to lose that to anyone else again. I'm also okay with the notion of just being solo for a long while if it means being happy with myself. I have so much already in this life and while I like the notion of having someone to share that with long term, I don't know if all of us are cut out for long partnerships :) Regardless....I had a really awesome "date" this last week. We met at the Waterfront in the evening for a jog, originally planning on only 3-5 miles but we ended up doing 8, although there was some walking in there too. The views along the waterfront were incredible and I saw so many new areas that I've never explored before (wish I could have snapped pictures!). We were able to chat along the way, but really it was just fun to be out doing something we both enjoy. I don't really know that any of these outings will pan out into anything, but it's fun and low-key all the same.
---Lil' cousin got married...and it was such a gorgeous and really great wedding. Everything from her dress, to the center pieces, to the food, to the decor, to the speeches was spot on...and it was so wonderful to see her truly glowing, happy, confident, and totally in her element. So very happy for her!
---Three kayaking outings last term were incredible. I seriously loved the experience and eventually I definitely would love to purchase one. I had a paddleboarding outing last weekend that was wonderful also. This summer I only registered for the surfing weekend, but I am so stoked that my employment covers these opportunities. In other outdoor news, the dogs and I made our annual Kings Mtn summit. This summer I plan to thru hike all 22 miles of the Wilson River trail in one day and I have my first backpacking trip of the summer on the calendar.
---Tomorrow I'm hosting an old undergrad friend and her husband for dinner. They're visiting from Oakland (M and I saw them while in SF last spring break) and I'm so looking forward to catching up after all this time! In July my gal Christina and her boyfriend will be here from Atlanta, my buddy R who moved Texas will be in town for a couple days, and my old high school friend Matt and his fiance will be passing thru while visiting from Edmonton. In mid-August, my gal Caitlin will be here and we've scheduled a girls day with our gal Brook also. Then in early August, we'll also celebrate Granny's 103rd birthday and so family will be in town for the celebration. My cousin and her husband also get back at the end of this month from their six months of central America travels. :) So lots of great visits coming up this summer.
So ya....I'm sure there's more in there that I'm forgetting but those are the biggies. Really it's the little moments that seem to be the most awe-inspiring though: holding the chickens, Roxi's crazy expressions, delicious steak dinners & Argentine wine evenings, nailing out a fast run, structural work on my lower leg muscles, conversations with the housemate in the kitchen, flowers, wrangling strawberries, sunning on the patio, lawn mowing.
I'm making progress on my goals although slowly, but I'm not too worried about where I stand with goals as much these days. I know that I'm moving forward...and really I'm just happy with...well, being.
It's a pretty good place to be these days.
Wednesday, May 7, 2014
One Week Into May Already!
Apparently I need bed rest and a social media cleanse in order to be an active blogger :)
But all jokes aside, per usual, I've wanted to write some things down multiple times in the last few weeks. I'm still regaining in energy levels and trying to get my head and life organized, but I definitely have a bit more energy and organization that I did at the beginning of the term. Ironically, spring term for the regular university schedule is already halfway thru--say what?! I seriously cannot believe how fast this term has been flying by! It's going to be over before I truly feel on top of things :)
But let's see if I can try to recap the highlights of the last few weeks, if only for my own knowledge:
--My brother and his lady came on Saturday and we started round one of arbor construction and coop moving. I sort of thought the arbor would only take one day but I think we should be able to knock the rest of it out this weekend (if the rain cooperates) and it'll be awesome if we can get both it and the coop situated. It's so exciting to think of having my outdoor projects getting completed :)
--I bought three little chicks. Technically they're all supposed to be Ameracauna's which lay pastel (like Easter) eggs and are supposed to be quieter....but one could be something else or maybe just the wheaten variety :) So far, they're growing like crazy and at 1.5 weeks in they've all survived thus far. The dogs absolutely love checking on them.
--Lil Alex and grandma left on the 30th. It seriously was fun having him here and grandma and I especially bonded over the last few weeks, so it was a little sad to have them leave. Since they left, I've barely seen Housemate M but I'm not complaining....it's also sort of nice to have my house back some. My classmate is still trying to figure out if she can financially make the move happen, but I'm hoping and praying still that it'll be possible. I'd really like to not have to worry as much about housing for the next six months if possible. One of the guys from last summer sent a text yesterday asking about availability as he's contemplating coming back for a few weeks also, but we'll see. Still trying to figure out how to decrease overall life stressors....
--Reg D and I met for beers one evening last week and I so enjoy the moments I can have with that dude. As much as he and I would never be compatible as a couple, I so value his difference in opinion and hard living ways as a friend, and for days after we get together I'm thinking about the little tid bits that he gets me to think on. He pushes me to be a better version of myself and vice versa. It was a great evening together however, just sitting outside one of his local bars at a picnic table, finishing his environmental science homework, chatting about life and the future, sharing some laughs with another couple that sat with us for a bit, and soaking up the amazing sunshine we had that day. We also talked about trying to fit in a backpack trip this summer. Dude gets a little stuck between the ex and I (he lives with Tall D), but I appreciate the ways he tries to navigate both relationships.
--I've still been taking it easy in terms of work-outs as it takes me quite a few days to recoup my energy levels, but one thing Reg D did get me to think about is the notion of not falling so far down on the horse that I completely lose all the training I had done before. In his infantryman way, his exact words were "come on, cowgirl up." Ha. But it was a good kick in the butt...and I had my first decent jog two days after we got together...a five miler watching the sunset behind a big empty field... I also wanted to go hiking on Sunday but due to weather/schedule wasn't able to but due to a few things that happened that day I knew I needed to get a work-out in so I decided to try one of the Insanity DVDs. I definitely have felt my muscles in the two days since then...but I also feel stronger and healthier as a result. I might try to do a bit more Insanity rather than focusing on so much running then. In looking at pictures of myself from the last year, I've also realized that I looked healthier last summer when I ran less, ate more crap, and cross trained with Insanity a bit more...so I might try to get back there a bit.... :)
--In other news....I've been talking to a new guy. It might go no where....but for now it's great to feel myself moving forward and to feel hopeful for the future, whether that's a lifetime of being content as a solo female or whether that means someday being in a committed couple again. I truly feel like that period of Lent did what I hoped and that I was able to process through and grieve the rest of what I had yet to deal with. I also had some significant "aha" moments this last weekend where I finally listened to what my inner voice had been telling me in regards to what else happened in the past. Not fun things to realize (so I was glad I could dig holes and demo some stuff), but it also finally made me realize that my "gut instinct" always was correct, no matter how much I was led to try to doubt it---nice to know that maybe there's more to trust in myself! Regardless, the more I talk to this newer individual, the more hope I have that there are others out there who share my same values and general outlook while still being very different--woot woot! He also has been a tri athlete and marathoner in the past so he's been very helpful with getting me to think about dietary and health concerns :)
--Granny spent a great afternoon soaking up the sun on my back patio while I worked out in the backyard one day. She's been spending a lot of time down at my parent's, as it's harder for us to leave her solo in her apartment these days. At this point, she truly needs to be living with someone else, but that final decision has yet to be made. As much as I love that little woman, it's been nice having a bit more free time rather than having to worry and stress about making sure she's taken care of, etc. She loved the afternoon on the patio however and it was cute watching her rotate chairs to get more sun.
--We had two amazing days of sunshine last week, so I went ahead and planted more of the garden (second attempt at some seeds and other starts). So far the garlic and rhubarb is already going crazy. The marionberries I was able to clean up. The new bed I created has been seeded with some lettuce, cukes, and then zuke starts. The leeks, chives, and strawberries are all going crazy in one bed and I have radishes, beets, lettuce, kale, carrots, and spinach reseeded in the rest of that one. The last bed has brussel sprout and broccoli starts and I just seeded peas, bush beans, and more cucumbers. One artichoke start was planted and I have one cherry tomato for the front. I'll still have to get more tomatoes, some onions, and a few other things. I'm trying to figure out where to try corn this year also. It's my goal to freeze and can more from the garden and from local U-picks this year. I've been keeping in mind what I've used this year so I can accurately acquire correct amounts for next year....and I'm also hopeful to hit up some of the people in the general neighborhood who have fruit trees but don't use the produce....
--I was assigned three classes for summer term. That's a quarter reduction in my overall load (& paycheck) but compared to the one class I got last summer, I really can't complain! I also get to teach the health part of the online fitness course for the first time so I'm pretty stoked to teach something new (that I'm also really passionate about). As long as I get two renters in the house and try to live fairly frugally, then I should be able to make it through---Oct (and this June) might be tight but I'm trying to plan ahead as much as possible.
--I had my first kayaking outing through the community ed courses a few weeks ago, and it was pretty awesome to get back out on the water. I'm registered for two more this month and I'm trying to convince my one aunt to join as I learned in the last few months that kayaking is on her bucket list. I'm planning on doing more of the outdoor/community ed courses this summer (and I'm crossing my fingers that they'll offer an intro surfing course!!). It's a great way to get outdoors and also get to do so for free via my tuition waivers. I'm also halfway through a two week first aid/CPR course that I need for my massage board exam. It's been nice to be refreshing on those skills as well.
--And while there have been a lot of awesome social, learning, and other things going on. I'm not going to lie, I know part of my disorganization is because I'm still trying to juggle too many things at once and still have too high of expectations for myself. I'm hopeful that this summer will be a bit more streamlined with housing, massage school, and teaching, and that any extra things will feel fun rather than other things to try to manage and get to. :) I know it's all just a change in perception also, but my brain is sometimes trying to juggle so many separate camps right now that it just doesn't know what to do! :) But hopefully this summer will finalize my medical stuff, allow for settling of the house, create a bit more stabilization for work and finances, etc. I'm also gently trying to be okay with the fact that there's no way I'm going to make my financial goals for this year...my credit card will not get paid of at all and while a recent argument with my mother assured me that I will in fact be as stubborn as an ox in figuring out my financial situation, I won't be able to even come close to actually being financially independent (ie not have to rent rooms and have enough income to feel "ok") probably until March or so of 2015. I hate these facts, but based on the current course of action and life factors, I need to stop stressing over the details and just accept that things WILL eventually get to where I want them to be...if I would truly let myself do this, then there'd be a lot less stress, more patience, more enjoyment, etc. But all things considered, as of mid-June, some of the outside family obligations, interview stuff, potential perception shifts, medical procedures, and other random extras should be completed also. So as much as I hate trying to just get through the weeks..I'm looking forward to the mid-to-end of June and what will hopefully be an enjoyable summer... :)
Hope each of you has been doing well!
But all jokes aside, per usual, I've wanted to write some things down multiple times in the last few weeks. I'm still regaining in energy levels and trying to get my head and life organized, but I definitely have a bit more energy and organization that I did at the beginning of the term. Ironically, spring term for the regular university schedule is already halfway thru--say what?! I seriously cannot believe how fast this term has been flying by! It's going to be over before I truly feel on top of things :)
But let's see if I can try to recap the highlights of the last few weeks, if only for my own knowledge:
--My brother and his lady came on Saturday and we started round one of arbor construction and coop moving. I sort of thought the arbor would only take one day but I think we should be able to knock the rest of it out this weekend (if the rain cooperates) and it'll be awesome if we can get both it and the coop situated. It's so exciting to think of having my outdoor projects getting completed :)
--I bought three little chicks. Technically they're all supposed to be Ameracauna's which lay pastel (like Easter) eggs and are supposed to be quieter....but one could be something else or maybe just the wheaten variety :) So far, they're growing like crazy and at 1.5 weeks in they've all survived thus far. The dogs absolutely love checking on them.
--Lil Alex and grandma left on the 30th. It seriously was fun having him here and grandma and I especially bonded over the last few weeks, so it was a little sad to have them leave. Since they left, I've barely seen Housemate M but I'm not complaining....it's also sort of nice to have my house back some. My classmate is still trying to figure out if she can financially make the move happen, but I'm hoping and praying still that it'll be possible. I'd really like to not have to worry as much about housing for the next six months if possible. One of the guys from last summer sent a text yesterday asking about availability as he's contemplating coming back for a few weeks also, but we'll see. Still trying to figure out how to decrease overall life stressors....
--Reg D and I met for beers one evening last week and I so enjoy the moments I can have with that dude. As much as he and I would never be compatible as a couple, I so value his difference in opinion and hard living ways as a friend, and for days after we get together I'm thinking about the little tid bits that he gets me to think on. He pushes me to be a better version of myself and vice versa. It was a great evening together however, just sitting outside one of his local bars at a picnic table, finishing his environmental science homework, chatting about life and the future, sharing some laughs with another couple that sat with us for a bit, and soaking up the amazing sunshine we had that day. We also talked about trying to fit in a backpack trip this summer. Dude gets a little stuck between the ex and I (he lives with Tall D), but I appreciate the ways he tries to navigate both relationships.
--I've still been taking it easy in terms of work-outs as it takes me quite a few days to recoup my energy levels, but one thing Reg D did get me to think about is the notion of not falling so far down on the horse that I completely lose all the training I had done before. In his infantryman way, his exact words were "come on, cowgirl up." Ha. But it was a good kick in the butt...and I had my first decent jog two days after we got together...a five miler watching the sunset behind a big empty field... I also wanted to go hiking on Sunday but due to weather/schedule wasn't able to but due to a few things that happened that day I knew I needed to get a work-out in so I decided to try one of the Insanity DVDs. I definitely have felt my muscles in the two days since then...but I also feel stronger and healthier as a result. I might try to do a bit more Insanity rather than focusing on so much running then. In looking at pictures of myself from the last year, I've also realized that I looked healthier last summer when I ran less, ate more crap, and cross trained with Insanity a bit more...so I might try to get back there a bit.... :)
--In other news....I've been talking to a new guy. It might go no where....but for now it's great to feel myself moving forward and to feel hopeful for the future, whether that's a lifetime of being content as a solo female or whether that means someday being in a committed couple again. I truly feel like that period of Lent did what I hoped and that I was able to process through and grieve the rest of what I had yet to deal with. I also had some significant "aha" moments this last weekend where I finally listened to what my inner voice had been telling me in regards to what else happened in the past. Not fun things to realize (so I was glad I could dig holes and demo some stuff), but it also finally made me realize that my "gut instinct" always was correct, no matter how much I was led to try to doubt it---nice to know that maybe there's more to trust in myself! Regardless, the more I talk to this newer individual, the more hope I have that there are others out there who share my same values and general outlook while still being very different--woot woot! He also has been a tri athlete and marathoner in the past so he's been very helpful with getting me to think about dietary and health concerns :)
--Granny spent a great afternoon soaking up the sun on my back patio while I worked out in the backyard one day. She's been spending a lot of time down at my parent's, as it's harder for us to leave her solo in her apartment these days. At this point, she truly needs to be living with someone else, but that final decision has yet to be made. As much as I love that little woman, it's been nice having a bit more free time rather than having to worry and stress about making sure she's taken care of, etc. She loved the afternoon on the patio however and it was cute watching her rotate chairs to get more sun.
--We had two amazing days of sunshine last week, so I went ahead and planted more of the garden (second attempt at some seeds and other starts). So far the garlic and rhubarb is already going crazy. The marionberries I was able to clean up. The new bed I created has been seeded with some lettuce, cukes, and then zuke starts. The leeks, chives, and strawberries are all going crazy in one bed and I have radishes, beets, lettuce, kale, carrots, and spinach reseeded in the rest of that one. The last bed has brussel sprout and broccoli starts and I just seeded peas, bush beans, and more cucumbers. One artichoke start was planted and I have one cherry tomato for the front. I'll still have to get more tomatoes, some onions, and a few other things. I'm trying to figure out where to try corn this year also. It's my goal to freeze and can more from the garden and from local U-picks this year. I've been keeping in mind what I've used this year so I can accurately acquire correct amounts for next year....and I'm also hopeful to hit up some of the people in the general neighborhood who have fruit trees but don't use the produce....
--I was assigned three classes for summer term. That's a quarter reduction in my overall load (& paycheck) but compared to the one class I got last summer, I really can't complain! I also get to teach the health part of the online fitness course for the first time so I'm pretty stoked to teach something new (that I'm also really passionate about). As long as I get two renters in the house and try to live fairly frugally, then I should be able to make it through---Oct (and this June) might be tight but I'm trying to plan ahead as much as possible.
--I had my first kayaking outing through the community ed courses a few weeks ago, and it was pretty awesome to get back out on the water. I'm registered for two more this month and I'm trying to convince my one aunt to join as I learned in the last few months that kayaking is on her bucket list. I'm planning on doing more of the outdoor/community ed courses this summer (and I'm crossing my fingers that they'll offer an intro surfing course!!). It's a great way to get outdoors and also get to do so for free via my tuition waivers. I'm also halfway through a two week first aid/CPR course that I need for my massage board exam. It's been nice to be refreshing on those skills as well.
--And while there have been a lot of awesome social, learning, and other things going on. I'm not going to lie, I know part of my disorganization is because I'm still trying to juggle too many things at once and still have too high of expectations for myself. I'm hopeful that this summer will be a bit more streamlined with housing, massage school, and teaching, and that any extra things will feel fun rather than other things to try to manage and get to. :) I know it's all just a change in perception also, but my brain is sometimes trying to juggle so many separate camps right now that it just doesn't know what to do! :) But hopefully this summer will finalize my medical stuff, allow for settling of the house, create a bit more stabilization for work and finances, etc. I'm also gently trying to be okay with the fact that there's no way I'm going to make my financial goals for this year...my credit card will not get paid of at all and while a recent argument with my mother assured me that I will in fact be as stubborn as an ox in figuring out my financial situation, I won't be able to even come close to actually being financially independent (ie not have to rent rooms and have enough income to feel "ok") probably until March or so of 2015. I hate these facts, but based on the current course of action and life factors, I need to stop stressing over the details and just accept that things WILL eventually get to where I want them to be...if I would truly let myself do this, then there'd be a lot less stress, more patience, more enjoyment, etc. But all things considered, as of mid-June, some of the outside family obligations, interview stuff, potential perception shifts, medical procedures, and other random extras should be completed also. So as much as I hate trying to just get through the weeks..I'm looking forward to the mid-to-end of June and what will hopefully be an enjoyable summer... :)
Hope each of you has been doing well!
Saturday, March 29, 2014
If We Were Chatting Over Coffee
Since I'm at the beach this weekend (where it's supposed to be rainy and not as sunny as last weekend), I thought I'd pre-schedule a coffee chat as though we were sitting on the patio (or in the living room) staring out at the waves and talking about life.
If we were chatting over coffee this morning, I'd probably ask you all sorts of questions about what you're up to and how you're feeling. I truly want to know what's going on with others, but I've also learned that when people see you as a person of optimism, strength, and generally positive...you don't always want to tell them anything else. (Hence one of the reasons I have spent times of being quiet..and why it's been harder to talk to friends at times.) I'm also realizing though that when given the opportunity to talk in a comfortable, safe, and non-advising and non-judgmental setting...the thoughts and feelings pour out and I can probably become selfish and overwhelming.
So first, tell me about you, because I want to know what's passing or solidly remaining in your heart and mind.
When it's my turn, I would probably then tell you:
---about how Anna is shedding like a banshee which means almost daily brushing, multiple times a week vacuuming, and my newly vacuumed car already being coated in her dog fur. On the positive side, this gal (while already being an amazing dog) continues to evolve into an even more stellar companion (well minus her developed belief that she needs to mark her territory every 1/4 mile on our runs :)). I can't transmit the joy she brings though when she shares kisses and snuggles, nuzzles my face to wish good morning, sticks by my side on hikes and while lounging, and greets me with her stuffed puppy in tow upon my arrival home. :)
---about how the cats have a vet appt scheduled for Monday. In all honesty, I've never actually taken them in for a check-up or vaccinations (I know, I know, bad owner), but have wanted to do so during the last year. I had a classmate express interest in a cat and so we're in conversation about trying to rehome Lady to her next week and I want to ensure that she has a clean bill of health before giving her to someone else. I have mixed emotions about parting with this adorable little cat as we've actually bonded more in the last year than in all the years prior. However the truth of the matter is that Lady has transitioned to wanting and needing more attention than in years past and since she doesn't like being around the dogs or the other cat, it has been difficult to equally provide for her needs as well. My classmate and I have decided that if she's disease-free, then we'll transition her for a trial period to see if/how she adapts to a new location. As sad as I am, I do think it could be a good move for her, and selfishly the idea of having three pets instead of four is also appealing.
---about how housemate M got a DUI in February and his response to it has made me open my eyes about how lenient I can be with certain individuals in my life. Having the child and grandmother here has not been a problem thus far, but I also was less than impressed with the effort he put forth and the outburst he had just prior to their arrival. I also have concerns about my ability to sustain a second renter in the home based on the behaviors that I've seen (and his general lack of engagement) in the three and a half months he's been back in the home. In "holding" the room for him to use for his family (and overlooking offers from Airbnb renters), I also realized that I have lost approximately $1000 to this point with the potential of another $600 in May. For me that is a massively significant amount of money and one that in hindsight was not worth "being nice." This coming week we'll be having a "come to Jesus" conversation that might result in his needing to find a new housing option.
---about how finishing 7 last weekend made me remember how passionately I have had a desire to do mission work and adopt internationally...both of which are renewed items in my mind and heart while I try to see how life evolves over the coming years.
---about how it's nice to be shuffling through thoughts and responses to prior values as they arise and trying to discover which ones I want to reapply to myself. As previously mentioned, I'm realizing that a lot of who I want to again be and perhaps partner with (should that happen again) is really pretty similar to who and what I wanted before. Chalk it up to processing like a 30 year old when I was 16 and living like a 16 year old when I was grieving and emotionally lost at 29/30...is it any wonder that the version I'd decided on at 26 is pretty much where I'm returning to meet in the middle again?!
---about how interestingly one thing that I've felt surfacing for the last couple months is that running and outdoor pursuits is what I do but it's definitely not how I would choose to define myself. If you asked me about myself I'd probably tell you about my job and how important it has become to me to truly live out that which I teach to my students. (In fact one of my best pieces of feed back this term was that I was truly doing that...leading my students by example and showing that it is obtainable even while we're all constantly striving for increased improvements, ie I probably should use more sunscreen, still figure out nutrient loading, etc etc) These thoughts have all been important to me during this process because I'm not entirely sure that I will always be a "runner," "endurance athlete," or wanting to continue backpacking in the summer. I'm still figuring out what I'd like the five year version of myself to be and what I want that to include, but I also think these are important questions to ask myself in case I do want to find a new partner at some point. I don't want to mismarket myself and I also want to ensure that I know myself well enough to choose someone who yes has similar interests but also is representative of the life I want to head toward. I see myself wanting to continue living a healthy life style (and hopefully getting to travel more than the last five years have allowed), but I also DO want a family, to still engage in the things I've come to enjoy and to re-engage in others, but to probably do less non-stop physical demand to my body as well.
---about how in the moments and few days that I've had the house to myself (this week and in December), I'm realizing that I'm getting to the point where I do want to be able to live in my house on my own. At first during the divorce, it was incredibly lonely all the time, and while I do still feel it's a lot of house for just one person (environmentally) and in the evenings I sometimes wish I had that best friend/partner to which I could turn and share the random thoughts that enter and pass through my mind, I'm also relishing the freedom and flexibility of moments alone. I like being able to turn up the radio while making breakfast in the morning, sleep with the bedroom door open, not worry about anyone passing through while I'm reading on the sofa, and while TMI, it'd be great to be able to run through the house naked without having to worry about someone else catching the view! :)
---and about how for the first time in the two years since we initially separated, I just started sleeping on the opposite side of the bed. When the ex and I were first together we actually rotated sides of the bed because it felt fun (well and there were plenty of times that we actually slept in separate beds too), but in the three years of the time in Oregon one side was always "his" and one was always "mine." This is in part because we bought a mattress that was split based on firmness (although we could have rotated it). In the last two years, his side has been dominated by the dogs, who I let start sleeping on the bed to make the king size (needed for his tall frame and his dislike of touching) seem less massive. In my mind it has always been the "other" side of the bed however and this week I'd wondered if part of my sleeping issues might stem from my complete dislike of the mattress. Thus (even though the middle is a bit more rounded), I'm making it my personal goal for the next couple weeks to reclaim the entire mattress as my own--meaning reclaiming the "empty" side..and eventually trying to flatten out and claim the middle. So far the dogs (and now Major thanks to the rain) have had no issues with the disruption to what has been our normal. (And while it hasn't totally helped the sleeping...it at least feels like a step forward in conquering another small mental hurdle.)
I hope any of you who are reading are enjoying a renewing and restoring weekend, and if we were meeting for coffee, what would you share?
Monday, December 9, 2013
Happy December!
So yea...apparently I didn't exactly use my Thanksgiving break to catch up on blogging! :) Oh well...I relaxed and focused on trying to heal myself which was much needed. Currently I'm up to speed on everyone (I think) and I'm up to speed on grading/studying....and sitting in my kitchen area waiting for the repair guy to return and finish fixing my leaking shower faucet. So what's the latest?
a) I ended up staying home sick most the rest of that week after I last posted. I slept in way late for me (and even now on my "sleep-in" days I'm sleeping for 12-13 hours some days). I also chose not to receive any massages that week which was a nice break (yes, you CAN get tired of getting massaged!), AND I finally got an anti-biotic from the doctor. Apparently an article had come out that week in the Oregonian talking about over prescribing for bronchitis, so of course my request was poorly timed...BUT an antibiotic seems to be the only thing that actually kicks my chronic cough. I still have some coughing but WAY improved compared to 2-3 weeks ago. (Chalk it up to crappy childhood lungs!)
b) Housemate turn over! The late night comer and goer moved out and the room has been readied for M's return. He and I video chatted on Saturday night for several hours to get him up to speed on a few things and just to check in---it'll be great to have him back, even if it'll mean a whirlwind of activity next Sunday/Monday...right as I head into finals :) The gal who is still in the house was offered a job (her dream job mind you) at her internship site, so it's looking like she'll be here a few extra days this month and then be here at least part of January too. In looking at (and starting to stress about) finances recently, this actually will work out perfectly. M and I have also decided to try to switch from using Craigslist to AirBNB to rent out the middle room for short term individuals after January--we'll see what comes of this.
c) My work term ends this week, so all the major grading is already done, and this week I'll grade their finals and transfer grades over. Next week marks the end of my school term with a final this Saturday, one on Tuesday, and the other on Thursday. Hopefully the weather continues to hold out so that we don't have to extend any days on....wrapping up on the 19th/20th already seems far enough! Part of the two weeks of vacation will be used to prep for the next round of 12 credits I'm teaching next term. I'll be teaching four sections of the same class, but two are in the evenings and two are online.
d) My running has totally hit a new groove. I think sitting long hours in class has made my body just itch to still get mileage in. I'm running much less in terms of days but still smashing mileage out. My outings have just gotten longer...so now it's much easier to average a 5-7 mile run. Last month I had a goal of doing at least two 10+ mile days and that totally made it easier to achieve major mileage. My original goal was 70 miles for the month and I made 80! This month has started slow due to the COLD weather we've been having, but thanks to Lauren's layering advice yesterday I finally got out for 7.5 miles with the equally antsy dogs. I have 54 more miles to go this month to round out my 800 for the year. But the recent cold front has provided more than enough snow on the mountain already for snow shoeing season, so I'm hopeful to get up there at least 3x for at least 20 miles before the end of Christmas break.
e) I've had a lot of feedback about my being really thin in the last month or two, although it's not something I've consciously been trying to do and in fact I'm not really thrilled to have dropped down to where I am. Those black skinnies I bought and love are now too big...and honestly my ideal size is a 6 and I'm definitely below that at this point by at least one size if not more. Ironically I still weigh exactly the same (145ish has been my weight average/goal for about oh...15 years?! (I have been 10 more than that but I never let myself go below 140 even if the BMI charts say I can go down to 120....say what?!)) More than anything I'm annoyed that again my clothes are bigger though...although it makes it easy for me to be layering leggings under everything at this point with the cold weather! I finally had one of my instructors who also is big into fitness look up how many calories a LMT burns and it turns out that it can be up to 280 an hour depending on the individual of course. This term I've been giving 4 massages a week so that equates to 800-1000 more calories being burned potentially. Sigh....I just.can't.eat.that.
f) In other eating news, I've started eating chicken. Although I had to figure out how to cook it. And don't laugh at me....it's been 17 years since I've routinely eaten meat :) I've discovered I like breast meat....but not legs.
g) Thanksgiving was great. Very relaxing and it was nice to have time run, spend time with family, and enjoy friends. I made cranberry sauce, traditional bread stuffing, salad, and an apple pie and split my time between my family's and the Tall one's gathering of his friends.
h) There's nothing quite like the sparkle of a Christmas tree. I dragged my buddy R out with me to the Christmas tree farm the weekend after Thanksgiving and it was the fastest tree picking/cutting experience ever. We didn't have too much time but settled on a great one, we split the sawing duties, and then he hauled it up to the paying station. We loaded it into the Sorento--it just fit! And then we got it set up inside that night and decorated the next day. Super easy....and I love the nighttime sparkle of the tree.
Off to campus I go to pick up a make-up exam....after I eat breakfast #2. Bundling up, because this cold spell is COLD! :) Hope you all have been well!
a) I ended up staying home sick most the rest of that week after I last posted. I slept in way late for me (and even now on my "sleep-in" days I'm sleeping for 12-13 hours some days). I also chose not to receive any massages that week which was a nice break (yes, you CAN get tired of getting massaged!), AND I finally got an anti-biotic from the doctor. Apparently an article had come out that week in the Oregonian talking about over prescribing for bronchitis, so of course my request was poorly timed...BUT an antibiotic seems to be the only thing that actually kicks my chronic cough. I still have some coughing but WAY improved compared to 2-3 weeks ago. (Chalk it up to crappy childhood lungs!)
b) Housemate turn over! The late night comer and goer moved out and the room has been readied for M's return. He and I video chatted on Saturday night for several hours to get him up to speed on a few things and just to check in---it'll be great to have him back, even if it'll mean a whirlwind of activity next Sunday/Monday...right as I head into finals :) The gal who is still in the house was offered a job (her dream job mind you) at her internship site, so it's looking like she'll be here a few extra days this month and then be here at least part of January too. In looking at (and starting to stress about) finances recently, this actually will work out perfectly. M and I have also decided to try to switch from using Craigslist to AirBNB to rent out the middle room for short term individuals after January--we'll see what comes of this.
c) My work term ends this week, so all the major grading is already done, and this week I'll grade their finals and transfer grades over. Next week marks the end of my school term with a final this Saturday, one on Tuesday, and the other on Thursday. Hopefully the weather continues to hold out so that we don't have to extend any days on....wrapping up on the 19th/20th already seems far enough! Part of the two weeks of vacation will be used to prep for the next round of 12 credits I'm teaching next term. I'll be teaching four sections of the same class, but two are in the evenings and two are online.
d) My running has totally hit a new groove. I think sitting long hours in class has made my body just itch to still get mileage in. I'm running much less in terms of days but still smashing mileage out. My outings have just gotten longer...so now it's much easier to average a 5-7 mile run. Last month I had a goal of doing at least two 10+ mile days and that totally made it easier to achieve major mileage. My original goal was 70 miles for the month and I made 80! This month has started slow due to the COLD weather we've been having, but thanks to Lauren's layering advice yesterday I finally got out for 7.5 miles with the equally antsy dogs. I have 54 more miles to go this month to round out my 800 for the year. But the recent cold front has provided more than enough snow on the mountain already for snow shoeing season, so I'm hopeful to get up there at least 3x for at least 20 miles before the end of Christmas break.
e) I've had a lot of feedback about my being really thin in the last month or two, although it's not something I've consciously been trying to do and in fact I'm not really thrilled to have dropped down to where I am. Those black skinnies I bought and love are now too big...and honestly my ideal size is a 6 and I'm definitely below that at this point by at least one size if not more. Ironically I still weigh exactly the same (145ish has been my weight average/goal for about oh...15 years?! (I have been 10 more than that but I never let myself go below 140 even if the BMI charts say I can go down to 120....say what?!)) More than anything I'm annoyed that again my clothes are bigger though...although it makes it easy for me to be layering leggings under everything at this point with the cold weather! I finally had one of my instructors who also is big into fitness look up how many calories a LMT burns and it turns out that it can be up to 280 an hour depending on the individual of course. This term I've been giving 4 massages a week so that equates to 800-1000 more calories being burned potentially. Sigh....I just.can't.eat.that.
f) In other eating news, I've started eating chicken. Although I had to figure out how to cook it. And don't laugh at me....it's been 17 years since I've routinely eaten meat :) I've discovered I like breast meat....but not legs.
g) Thanksgiving was great. Very relaxing and it was nice to have time run, spend time with family, and enjoy friends. I made cranberry sauce, traditional bread stuffing, salad, and an apple pie and split my time between my family's and the Tall one's gathering of his friends.
h) There's nothing quite like the sparkle of a Christmas tree. I dragged my buddy R out with me to the Christmas tree farm the weekend after Thanksgiving and it was the fastest tree picking/cutting experience ever. We didn't have too much time but settled on a great one, we split the sawing duties, and then he hauled it up to the paying station. We loaded it into the Sorento--it just fit! And then we got it set up inside that night and decorated the next day. Super easy....and I love the nighttime sparkle of the tree.
Off to campus I go to pick up a make-up exam....after I eat breakfast #2. Bundling up, because this cold spell is COLD! :) Hope you all have been well!
Saturday, November 2, 2013
November Update & Randoms
Since I'm so sparsely writing get ready for an all-in-one randoms and updates! :)
1) I get so frustrated with apple updates. Why do I have update in order to continue to use my Icloud?! Frustrating!
2) I've never had a male cat before. I never knew that male cats could and do hump things. I've had to throw said male cat outside twice now in order to get him off (pun not intended) of the dog's fleece blanket. Suggestions from any male cat owners?!
3) I'm tired.all.the.time. Seven hours of sleep in one go seems like a luxury these days. Most weekdays I'm running on 4-5 hours of sleep thanks to being a night owl and my housemates followed by 5:30am wake-ups. Even when I try to go to sleep earlier, it just doesn't happen.
4) The dogs and I had our first taste of freedom on Wednesday (since our hike in mid September) when I bailed on my optional work meeting that was all the way across the city. 45 minutes into the commute I was still on my side of the city and I realized I had been uber bitchy to the gas attendant. At that point I took the next exit and came home to get the dogs before using a Starbucks gift card to get a chai I'd been desiring for three days and heading to our favorite trails. Spontaneous freedom was incredible and much needed---it was an eye opener that I need a day off now and again....and that I hope that what I'm envisioning for January's schedule and load is truly going to be the case.
5) I seriously can't flipping wait for housemate M to get back. He drives me crazy at times and I know he's going to be needy, but man, I feel so much happier and just plain comfortable in my own skin all the time when he's around. Plus he's my built in outdoor/running buddy, he's always up for a beer, and he'd make the perfect massage feedback client. One month-ish to go...
6) So far I've been doing really well in my massage classes and I can't believe how much I've already learned! It's definitely taking more time than I intended but it's pretty incredible how it's all coming together.
7) I think massage school is turning me more into a hipster though.....and I'm not sure how I feel about it. Especially cause I cut my hair (thanks to my hair stylist neighbor!) and so now I have (awesome!) thick bangs :)
8) I can't wait for winter break when I can relax.....and maybe paint my bedroom, and make curtains, and deep clean the carpets in the house....and get a christmas tree, etc etc etc
9) I'm not really hanging out with Tall D again. We're still chatting/friendly some and I'm going to use him as a massage client, but I wouldn't say we're "hanging out" anymore. Which really it was great to spend the summer with him and get affirmation of the fact that we made the right choice last year.
10) I absolutely positively am looking forward to November. I think it's going to go fast. But the leaves are still gorgeous, we're just having frosty mornings, and it just makes me think of fires, coziness, and warmth even with the coolness of the season. This month also makes me focus on gratitude (which I could use right now), and it's wonderful to have a whole month dedicated to being grateful for what I already have.
11) Speaking of being grateful for what I already have, I totally failed on my no buy. I held out great til I bought those black skinnies from Target and then several more trips to Target slid me further down the hill. I'm now up to several long sleeve shirts, a couple short sleeve shirts, a new cardigan, a new winter coat, a leather jacket, a pair of skinny cords, and two pairs of replacement flats. Will I wear it all? Yup and definitely have been! I'm going to TRY my hardest to get back on the wagon for November & December....especially since my finances could benefit from it.
12) Speaking of finances....sigh. I'm SO totally hopeful that this massage licensing will pay out in the end because it's going to be a lot of money up front. And on the financial note, I'm also really realizing that I totally miss my parents being here routinely each month. It's great support and just plain nice to see them for a night. As much as I need to rent out the middle room to create more financial freedom for myself, it'd be great to have Mom and Dad around on the regular again.
13) My personal stress reducer is to be on pinterest. I'm not going to lie. I love it. It calms and yet inspires me....and it just plain keeps me grounded to who I am and where I'm headed. I let myself get on there before I go to sleep and when I'm zoning out on public transit.
14) There is at least one guy who has sort of been hanging around, but honestly I need to just sit him down and have the direct talk. I'm back to that place of not really wanting to date. I never wanted to date when I was serious about my education before...and really, until I'm financially on my own feet again, I just don't feel like I want to try to create something new with someone else when I'm still totally trying to figure it out myself. Plus, I'm not going to lie....I'm just feeling lazy. There still seem to be some great guys out there...but I'm just not there yet. I mean how DO you know who/what the right one is? My gal D is giving me one more year before she starts kicking my butt in gear....and I'm also thinking about re-starting counseling to help me work through some of these thoughts/questions.
15) Two of my gals and I just started a monthly coffee date. I can't tell you how much I've missed them and how good for my soul it has been to have our coffee dates. I'm so inspired by them with babies and new home purchases and work advancements all around!
16) My buddy Randall let me go to church with him a few Sundays ago. It was like the universe (massage school, friends, random events) had been telling me to get my spiritual health back in order. I've been so frustrated and at odds with God in the last year....and I kid you not, the message that Sunday provided the answer I needed. That God strips us of all that matters to us to remold us into what He needs/wants us to be. "Give up YOUR life...." Six months ago, I wasn't ready to hear that....but where I am now and with the future I'm contemplating, it all sort of makes sense again. (This particular church also was all about how we are missionaires in our every day lives....where can we DAILY be of service to others??....for this reason, I have started opening my massages by grounded myself with a prayer of intention to provide what clients/students/friends need....)
17) And so these days, aside from the occasional social outing, weekends studying/grading, commutes, and teaching, My life pretty much revolves around this:
1) I get so frustrated with apple updates. Why do I have update in order to continue to use my Icloud?! Frustrating!
2) I've never had a male cat before. I never knew that male cats could and do hump things. I've had to throw said male cat outside twice now in order to get him off (pun not intended) of the dog's fleece blanket. Suggestions from any male cat owners?!
3) I'm tired.all.the.time. Seven hours of sleep in one go seems like a luxury these days. Most weekdays I'm running on 4-5 hours of sleep thanks to being a night owl and my housemates followed by 5:30am wake-ups. Even when I try to go to sleep earlier, it just doesn't happen.
4) The dogs and I had our first taste of freedom on Wednesday (since our hike in mid September) when I bailed on my optional work meeting that was all the way across the city. 45 minutes into the commute I was still on my side of the city and I realized I had been uber bitchy to the gas attendant. At that point I took the next exit and came home to get the dogs before using a Starbucks gift card to get a chai I'd been desiring for three days and heading to our favorite trails. Spontaneous freedom was incredible and much needed---it was an eye opener that I need a day off now and again....and that I hope that what I'm envisioning for January's schedule and load is truly going to be the case.
5) I seriously can't flipping wait for housemate M to get back. He drives me crazy at times and I know he's going to be needy, but man, I feel so much happier and just plain comfortable in my own skin all the time when he's around. Plus he's my built in outdoor/running buddy, he's always up for a beer, and he'd make the perfect massage feedback client. One month-ish to go...
6) So far I've been doing really well in my massage classes and I can't believe how much I've already learned! It's definitely taking more time than I intended but it's pretty incredible how it's all coming together.
7) I think massage school is turning me more into a hipster though.....and I'm not sure how I feel about it. Especially cause I cut my hair (thanks to my hair stylist neighbor!) and so now I have (awesome!) thick bangs :)
8) I can't wait for winter break when I can relax.....and maybe paint my bedroom, and make curtains, and deep clean the carpets in the house....and get a christmas tree, etc etc etc
9) I'm not really hanging out with Tall D again. We're still chatting/friendly some and I'm going to use him as a massage client, but I wouldn't say we're "hanging out" anymore. Which really it was great to spend the summer with him and get affirmation of the fact that we made the right choice last year.
10) I absolutely positively am looking forward to November. I think it's going to go fast. But the leaves are still gorgeous, we're just having frosty mornings, and it just makes me think of fires, coziness, and warmth even with the coolness of the season. This month also makes me focus on gratitude (which I could use right now), and it's wonderful to have a whole month dedicated to being grateful for what I already have.
11) Speaking of being grateful for what I already have, I totally failed on my no buy. I held out great til I bought those black skinnies from Target and then several more trips to Target slid me further down the hill. I'm now up to several long sleeve shirts, a couple short sleeve shirts, a new cardigan, a new winter coat, a leather jacket, a pair of skinny cords, and two pairs of replacement flats. Will I wear it all? Yup and definitely have been! I'm going to TRY my hardest to get back on the wagon for November & December....especially since my finances could benefit from it.
12) Speaking of finances....sigh. I'm SO totally hopeful that this massage licensing will pay out in the end because it's going to be a lot of money up front. And on the financial note, I'm also really realizing that I totally miss my parents being here routinely each month. It's great support and just plain nice to see them for a night. As much as I need to rent out the middle room to create more financial freedom for myself, it'd be great to have Mom and Dad around on the regular again.
13) My personal stress reducer is to be on pinterest. I'm not going to lie. I love it. It calms and yet inspires me....and it just plain keeps me grounded to who I am and where I'm headed. I let myself get on there before I go to sleep and when I'm zoning out on public transit.
14) There is at least one guy who has sort of been hanging around, but honestly I need to just sit him down and have the direct talk. I'm back to that place of not really wanting to date. I never wanted to date when I was serious about my education before...and really, until I'm financially on my own feet again, I just don't feel like I want to try to create something new with someone else when I'm still totally trying to figure it out myself. Plus, I'm not going to lie....I'm just feeling lazy. There still seem to be some great guys out there...but I'm just not there yet. I mean how DO you know who/what the right one is? My gal D is giving me one more year before she starts kicking my butt in gear....and I'm also thinking about re-starting counseling to help me work through some of these thoughts/questions.
15) Two of my gals and I just started a monthly coffee date. I can't tell you how much I've missed them and how good for my soul it has been to have our coffee dates. I'm so inspired by them with babies and new home purchases and work advancements all around!
16) My buddy Randall let me go to church with him a few Sundays ago. It was like the universe (massage school, friends, random events) had been telling me to get my spiritual health back in order. I've been so frustrated and at odds with God in the last year....and I kid you not, the message that Sunday provided the answer I needed. That God strips us of all that matters to us to remold us into what He needs/wants us to be. "Give up YOUR life...." Six months ago, I wasn't ready to hear that....but where I am now and with the future I'm contemplating, it all sort of makes sense again. (This particular church also was all about how we are missionaires in our every day lives....where can we DAILY be of service to others??....for this reason, I have started opening my massages by grounded myself with a prayer of intention to provide what clients/students/friends need....)
17) And so these days, aside from the occasional social outing, weekends studying/grading, commutes, and teaching, My life pretty much revolves around this:
Attempting to maintain balance, choosing to be happy, and lots and lots of massages :)
Monday, September 30, 2013
End of September Randoms
1) So it's been raining/storming in Oregon for days now...days I tell ya! Weather report is saying RAIN til Thursday. It's also been in the 50s, with some nights of lows in the high 40s. I already turned the heat on some to keep my housemates...and the flannel sheets on my bed....and a second down comforter...and it's September y'all!
2) I'm ready for October. Period.
3) Due to said rain, Major the cat wants to sleep inside at night. Major is not allowed to sleep anywhere except my bed or the garage cause he's a lazy feline who will pee (and not use the liter box). (And when he pees, it creates a puddle as if a grown man peed.) Major knows which sliding glass door is for my bedroom. At least 2x a night Major shows up and if I let him in, then he also 2x a night meows later to go out. I feel like the mom of a newborn....and we have some major "go in the dry garage where there is food and warmth" routine to instill.
4) I slept for 11 hours Saturday night. Don't hate me. You don't want to be around me when I'm sleep deprived...and various things have been pushing my late night hours even later. Those 11 hours were needed...and glorious.
5) I finished the book Beautiful Ruins. I didn't want to, but I made myself to do it. Verdict: not my fave.
6) Teaching started last week---first week went alright. I have smaller in person classes than normal and it's usually about week three when you really get a feel for your students. I had my orientation and first class for my own program on Saturday. Ironically the first class I had was pretty much the lecture I gave to my own students this week. Eventually I kept my mouth shut and let other students talk instead of supplying answers, and I talked to the instructor after class. The other two courses start tomorrow and will include....me getting up three times a week at 6am--oh man. :) Tuesdays will be my long day with attending class from 8am-230pm and then teaching my class from 6-9pm.
7) In looking at the schedule for the courses I'm taking, the vacation/breaks from my program never line up with the academic calendar from work, so except for the two weeks at Christmas, there will always be work or studying until next October.
8) My parents are en route to Portland to pick up Granny for the rest of the week. They're also bringing me the hand-me-down treadmill via Mom via my aunt. Refer to the rain in #1. Three times this week I wished I had a treadmill. I feel like a kid on Christmas right now waiting for it to arrive. (And in true form of my mother's parenting from throughout my life...she's already informed me that the treadmill that she got for free is now my Christmas gift....gotta love them....and anyway, I'll take it because it feels like Christmas today anyway...and we all know I'm not a big fan of actual gifts at Christmas....) I'm already planning on my final Sept exercise day....to be running on that treadmill!
9) Although regardless of the treadmill, I'm still going to have to get Roxi out on the streets at least a couple days a week....or else my bathroom trash will continue to be emptied all around my bedroom...as she gets bored and a lil destructive when she's not exercised or loved on to fill her quotas.
10) Since it's fall I've been in mad soup making routine. There was a vegetarian chili that was a mix of two pinterest recipes...and then a improv root vegetable soup. The crock pot is one of my favorite cooking devices in fall. Each go provides enough for two bowls for me, bowls for the housemates, and two servings for freezing. I also made a rhubarb blueberry crisp the other day too.
11) Housemates are going alright. Granted it's only been a couple weeks but I'm hopeful we'll keep trucking along for the next two months. One gal is a huge animal lover who doesn't agree with how I discipline/interact with my animals and she started to try to change their routines. We had a LONG heart to heart and she's finally backed off some and I've relaxed some. Other gal has a LOT of stuff going and....I'm not so sure she actually will be adhering to the usual routines I put out in my ads (ie she goes out and come home late multiple nights a week, stays up super late, apparently talks loudly on her phone during the night while the other gal is (trying to be) sleeping, and apparently already brought a guy home the other night....so we might need a conversation too). Whoo, but two months ain't too long, right?! :) Oh man. Oh and in usual housemate M form....now he's saying he might be back as soon as Dec 1st....go figure.
12) Have I mentioned that I'm glad tomorrow's October?
13) I didn't get the job. I'm glad. After the interview..I didn't want it for multiple reasons. I'm trying to have faith that finances will all work out. Keeping positive as I can.
14) Last week included a day trip up to Tacoma to go check in on my baby cousin who has been having a rough time...and to also pick up some text books from her. It was nice to be able to spend the afternoon helping her out...and to just get out of Portland for a bit.
15) There are all sorts of other family things...and a million other details flying around my brain. Like: needing to finish the garden, getting everything I need for school, redoing my taxes from last year, etc etc. I'm ready for routine...and checking things off lists....and well, again, October :)
Happy October to y'all!
2) I'm ready for October. Period.
3) Due to said rain, Major the cat wants to sleep inside at night. Major is not allowed to sleep anywhere except my bed or the garage cause he's a lazy feline who will pee (and not use the liter box). (And when he pees, it creates a puddle as if a grown man peed.) Major knows which sliding glass door is for my bedroom. At least 2x a night Major shows up and if I let him in, then he also 2x a night meows later to go out. I feel like the mom of a newborn....and we have some major "go in the dry garage where there is food and warmth" routine to instill.
4) I slept for 11 hours Saturday night. Don't hate me. You don't want to be around me when I'm sleep deprived...and various things have been pushing my late night hours even later. Those 11 hours were needed...and glorious.
5) I finished the book Beautiful Ruins. I didn't want to, but I made myself to do it. Verdict: not my fave.
6) Teaching started last week---first week went alright. I have smaller in person classes than normal and it's usually about week three when you really get a feel for your students. I had my orientation and first class for my own program on Saturday. Ironically the first class I had was pretty much the lecture I gave to my own students this week. Eventually I kept my mouth shut and let other students talk instead of supplying answers, and I talked to the instructor after class. The other two courses start tomorrow and will include....me getting up three times a week at 6am--oh man. :) Tuesdays will be my long day with attending class from 8am-230pm and then teaching my class from 6-9pm.
7) In looking at the schedule for the courses I'm taking, the vacation/breaks from my program never line up with the academic calendar from work, so except for the two weeks at Christmas, there will always be work or studying until next October.
8) My parents are en route to Portland to pick up Granny for the rest of the week. They're also bringing me the hand-me-down treadmill via Mom via my aunt. Refer to the rain in #1. Three times this week I wished I had a treadmill. I feel like a kid on Christmas right now waiting for it to arrive. (And in true form of my mother's parenting from throughout my life...she's already informed me that the treadmill that she got for free is now my Christmas gift....gotta love them....and anyway, I'll take it because it feels like Christmas today anyway...and we all know I'm not a big fan of actual gifts at Christmas....) I'm already planning on my final Sept exercise day....to be running on that treadmill!
9) Although regardless of the treadmill, I'm still going to have to get Roxi out on the streets at least a couple days a week....or else my bathroom trash will continue to be emptied all around my bedroom...as she gets bored and a lil destructive when she's not exercised or loved on to fill her quotas.
10) Since it's fall I've been in mad soup making routine. There was a vegetarian chili that was a mix of two pinterest recipes...and then a improv root vegetable soup. The crock pot is one of my favorite cooking devices in fall. Each go provides enough for two bowls for me, bowls for the housemates, and two servings for freezing. I also made a rhubarb blueberry crisp the other day too.
11) Housemates are going alright. Granted it's only been a couple weeks but I'm hopeful we'll keep trucking along for the next two months. One gal is a huge animal lover who doesn't agree with how I discipline/interact with my animals and she started to try to change their routines. We had a LONG heart to heart and she's finally backed off some and I've relaxed some. Other gal has a LOT of stuff going and....I'm not so sure she actually will be adhering to the usual routines I put out in my ads (ie she goes out and come home late multiple nights a week, stays up super late, apparently talks loudly on her phone during the night while the other gal is (trying to be) sleeping, and apparently already brought a guy home the other night....so we might need a conversation too). Whoo, but two months ain't too long, right?! :) Oh man. Oh and in usual housemate M form....now he's saying he might be back as soon as Dec 1st....go figure.
12) Have I mentioned that I'm glad tomorrow's October?
13) I didn't get the job. I'm glad. After the interview..I didn't want it for multiple reasons. I'm trying to have faith that finances will all work out. Keeping positive as I can.
14) Last week included a day trip up to Tacoma to go check in on my baby cousin who has been having a rough time...and to also pick up some text books from her. It was nice to be able to spend the afternoon helping her out...and to just get out of Portland for a bit.
15) There are all sorts of other family things...and a million other details flying around my brain. Like: needing to finish the garden, getting everything I need for school, redoing my taxes from last year, etc etc. I'm ready for routine...and checking things off lists....and well, again, October :)
Happy October to y'all!
Tuesday, September 17, 2013
Life Highs As of Late
So thought I'd share a few of the things that have been brightening my days as of late:
1) The dogs are SO loving these days and freely give much attention and kisses. Not that they weren't excitable two years ago, but it's amazing to see how much more happy and settled even they are...
2) I'm still in love with those black skinnies and I've worn them at least 7x since I've bought them.
3) The corner fence was rebuilt this weekend and it's TALL. Anyone who has seen my backyard knows that my back neighbors frequently are in my business (and we battle with dog issues) cause the back fence is 4.5ft tall in some places. This new corner fence is 6ft probably and with a new functioning gate. It makes my heart swoon.
4) The two guys who built the fence were highly entertaining. One was an older veteran (think 50-60 yo), who ended up leaving me a note with his number. Ballsy, but uh, I don't think I'll be calling him up. Even if he probably would build me the most awesome pallet furniture and new compost! :) Flattering all the same, and he was fun to talk to at least.
5) That day I had my car fixed....well I had to have my brakes replaced. The service guy found me enough discounts that I walked away paying only the price he'd quoted me for the brakes. In a sense, I got my seats detailed, new wipers for winter, an oil change, my tires rotated, and the car washed for the first time in months....for free. That's happiness right there. And with the pre-service vacuum job I did, my car feels like luxury.
6) My gal N and I met for dinner a couple weeks ago for the first time in months since I took my step away from socializing. She's been incredibly patient with me and it was great to catch up. Then to top it off, she sent me in the mail the new India.Arie CD. I've been listening to it for days when I drive...and it speaks straight to my heart too....
7) Both new housemates are in the house now and I think the two will balance each other out. The newest gal is also early 30s, just getting divorced after three years of marriage, traveled, originally from a small town, very involved with her family, and a runner....similarities much? I get nervous about living with women, but I'm incredibly hopeful that the next three months are going to fall into a great routine and go smoothly.
8) Last weekend my cousin hosted a movie night and BBQ in her backyard. It'd be a rough few days, but it was so good to sit among family and their friends and just soak up one of the last really nice days of summer. I also was able to contribute a delish blueberry & rhubarb crisp.
9) Got most my copies for the term made yesterday and was able to prep the courses as much as possible. I'll still have to look over notes etc prior to lecture, but at least exams, study guides, lecture slides, assignments, calendars....all are ready to go. Inservice is today and I'm excited.
10) Somehow upping my mileage has made my jogs turn back into runs and my body feel great while it's moving. The other evening I went out for a jog and it ended up being one of the best runs I've had in months. I must have been close to a 8min pace if not under. The jog I'd done the day before I wore my watch and in so doing realized that even when I feel like I'm moving slow, a lot of those days I'm still moving at under 9mins. Happiness!
11) Crisp mornings and gray days have arrived. Leaves are changing on campus. The down comforter is back on my bed. And we've had some of our rain return. (Including unusual Southern like thunderstorms!) Six months of this non-stop might be tiring, but in the beginning it always feels great. I'm already day dreaming about soups to make in the crock pot, roasted fall veggies, and....Thanksgiving :)
12) A new ethnic cuisine was had the other night (Venezuelan arepas). One of my colleagues has transitioned to the same position at another campus that my good buddy has at our campus, so I arranged an outing for them to meet. It was fun sitting with the three of them (buddy's lady joined too), chatting, and trying out new food.
13) Life isn't perfect. It's never going to be perfect. It was a year of struggle...but I'm hopeful, very hopeful that I'm headed into a year of renewal...still learning, still evolving, but going somewhere forward. Having that general returned hope....well that in itself is pretty rewarding. And in some ways, I feel like I'm ready to start "passing it on".....
Hope y'all are enjoying the transition into fall. Sending happiness and love to each of you.
1) The dogs are SO loving these days and freely give much attention and kisses. Not that they weren't excitable two years ago, but it's amazing to see how much more happy and settled even they are...
2) I'm still in love with those black skinnies and I've worn them at least 7x since I've bought them.
3) The corner fence was rebuilt this weekend and it's TALL. Anyone who has seen my backyard knows that my back neighbors frequently are in my business (and we battle with dog issues) cause the back fence is 4.5ft tall in some places. This new corner fence is 6ft probably and with a new functioning gate. It makes my heart swoon.
4) The two guys who built the fence were highly entertaining. One was an older veteran (think 50-60 yo), who ended up leaving me a note with his number. Ballsy, but uh, I don't think I'll be calling him up. Even if he probably would build me the most awesome pallet furniture and new compost! :) Flattering all the same, and he was fun to talk to at least.
5) That day I had my car fixed....well I had to have my brakes replaced. The service guy found me enough discounts that I walked away paying only the price he'd quoted me for the brakes. In a sense, I got my seats detailed, new wipers for winter, an oil change, my tires rotated, and the car washed for the first time in months....for free. That's happiness right there. And with the pre-service vacuum job I did, my car feels like luxury.
6) My gal N and I met for dinner a couple weeks ago for the first time in months since I took my step away from socializing. She's been incredibly patient with me and it was great to catch up. Then to top it off, she sent me in the mail the new India.Arie CD. I've been listening to it for days when I drive...and it speaks straight to my heart too....
7) Both new housemates are in the house now and I think the two will balance each other out. The newest gal is also early 30s, just getting divorced after three years of marriage, traveled, originally from a small town, very involved with her family, and a runner....similarities much? I get nervous about living with women, but I'm incredibly hopeful that the next three months are going to fall into a great routine and go smoothly.
8) Last weekend my cousin hosted a movie night and BBQ in her backyard. It'd be a rough few days, but it was so good to sit among family and their friends and just soak up one of the last really nice days of summer. I also was able to contribute a delish blueberry & rhubarb crisp.
9) Got most my copies for the term made yesterday and was able to prep the courses as much as possible. I'll still have to look over notes etc prior to lecture, but at least exams, study guides, lecture slides, assignments, calendars....all are ready to go. Inservice is today and I'm excited.
10) Somehow upping my mileage has made my jogs turn back into runs and my body feel great while it's moving. The other evening I went out for a jog and it ended up being one of the best runs I've had in months. I must have been close to a 8min pace if not under. The jog I'd done the day before I wore my watch and in so doing realized that even when I feel like I'm moving slow, a lot of those days I'm still moving at under 9mins. Happiness!
11) Crisp mornings and gray days have arrived. Leaves are changing on campus. The down comforter is back on my bed. And we've had some of our rain return. (Including unusual Southern like thunderstorms!) Six months of this non-stop might be tiring, but in the beginning it always feels great. I'm already day dreaming about soups to make in the crock pot, roasted fall veggies, and....Thanksgiving :)
12) A new ethnic cuisine was had the other night (Venezuelan arepas). One of my colleagues has transitioned to the same position at another campus that my good buddy has at our campus, so I arranged an outing for them to meet. It was fun sitting with the three of them (buddy's lady joined too), chatting, and trying out new food.
13) Life isn't perfect. It's never going to be perfect. It was a year of struggle...but I'm hopeful, very hopeful that I'm headed into a year of renewal...still learning, still evolving, but going somewhere forward. Having that general returned hope....well that in itself is pretty rewarding. And in some ways, I feel like I'm ready to start "passing it on".....
Hope y'all are enjoying the transition into fall. Sending happiness and love to each of you.
Saturday, September 14, 2013
Mid-September Happenings
Thought after yesterday's rant it might be a good idea to also post a quick update on life:
1) New term starts on the 23rd. I'll be teaching 14 credits. Two sections of our basic intro health course (2 evenings a week) and two of the stress course (both sections online). There is a new book for one class so that requires edits to lecture slides, planning, and exam questions. This next week I have to finalize the syllabus and edits to that course while the online courses are ready to go. Tuesday is all day inservice. While I'm happy to be "overloading" this term, there's going to be quite a bit of prepping/grading this term compared to others.
2) For the first time this year I broke my no new clothes challenge. I used a gift card to buy black skinny jeans...and I'm in love with them. Nine months and one new purchase still feels okay. Obviously I've purchased some thrifted wear and actually a few needed new items for running, but I think I should make it fine through the rest of the year keeping the no new purchase challenge back in tact.
3) I'm registered for massage school. I'll be in class Tuesday, Thursday, Friday days. It's a one year program. I have my financial aid set-up and with both rooms rented and my student loans deferred I should be able to make my payments and be okay. Again, I'm actually excited to be headed back into the learning environment and am hopeful for how this option will mesh well with the health instruction piece that I already do. Additionally I was told that after I practice for two years, I will be eligible to teach at the massage school also....how cool would that be? My idea would be to continue to instruct "part-time" and also massage part-time--both options together would get me squarely back on my feet as long as my course loads remain fairly secure....
4) T returned to California and the dogs were sad to see him go. M is back in Taiwan. My other male housemate moves out on Sunday and the new gal taking his place arrives on Monday (and starts school on the 23rd), so the rest of Sunday will be spent flipping the room. The other new gal arrived on the 7th and she starts her internship on Monday. Again, I'm crossing fingers that the three of us females mesh well and are busy yet patient enough to live well together until mid-December. At the very least, it's nice to know that I (hopefully) shouldn't have to worry about searching for another housemate until after M is back. While M was here, we discussed potentially renting the middle room out to short-term renters when he returns, although it also dawned on me that he's a lil noisier than some so we'll see. ;) If all goes according to plan (cough, cough...when does the plan actually work out?! :)), then M should be here as a renter until next summer so we'll see....
5) Ironically I'm also sort-of being considered for a full-time position at my college. Second responses ended Friday. The job sounds fun and like a good fit. I'm not anticipating getting it but how ironic would it be if I suddenly did when I already have the massage school option lined up? I'm seriously, seriously crossing my fingers that any decisions will be made prior to school starting on the 28th, otherwise I'm up a creek without a paddle (ie out a chunk of change if I take the job....). Even if I did get the job and with a full teaching load, I think I'd still try to take one massage class at a time. Now that I'm registered, I truly do feel like I should do the massage option regardless. It'd make for an incredibly busy fall (and massively neglected dogs...) but it's a HUGE IF anyway and it'd pay off big time in the long run.
6) That vet trip took care of lots of birds with one stone. I also had Roxi tested again for heart worms since it'd been four years since her last positive test (she contracted them while at the humane society aka puppy seeming mill where we adopted her....) and we've been "treating" her with the backwoods method offered in Louisiana. (The actual heartworm treatment is incredibly expensive, hard to come by at times, and requires keeping an animal less active for 30 days. If you've met this dog, keeping her less active would not happen...and she's happy go lucky and healthy seeming even with the dreadful worms.) Both dogs had their nails trimmed and a general once over. I also have realized in the last two days that all four animals are dealing with fleas (most months they don't have them) so a Costco trip for flea treatment for all of them is happening.
7) Car is also getting overhauled as it was due for an oil change and I needed new wipers as we head into the rainy season. Seats are getting cleaned as they were N A S T Y from all the outdoor pursuits: dirt, sweat, water stains. (All human related as the dogs are relegated to the back.) Also discovered I needed new brakes so they're taking care of all of that at once. This summer saw more off-road type terrain for the Sorento and I continue to be happy for the AWD capabilities and separate space for the dirty dogs (even if I still miss my Civic gas mileage). Hopefully all this car servicing will get me through until at least mid-winter.
8) Which as horrible of a financial choice as this is, I've basically started just putting stuff on credit again for now. I know that I should be living within my means but with things like the vet trip and needed brakes etc (and the reality that my credit card balance really is going no where right now), it makes the credit card seem like a viable option. It's always still my goal to get myself into a much better financial situation and I have to believe that in a year or two that situation will truly arrive. I just need to keep working ahead to get there...and as weird as it sounds somehow I have to trust that getting myself a lil more in a hole might actually pay out in the end. (I know, I know....)
9) I have this goal to come up with a better composting situation and to convert one of my raised beds to try my hand at winter gardening this year. We'll see if it all happens. I also need to get my hands on some apples for sauce, apple butter, etc. Canned 7 quarts of tomato sauce from my tomatoes and tomatoes from my aunts.
10) And that's about life in a nutshell. Some of the other stuff I'm hoping to post separately...maybe pre-scheduled :)
1) New term starts on the 23rd. I'll be teaching 14 credits. Two sections of our basic intro health course (2 evenings a week) and two of the stress course (both sections online). There is a new book for one class so that requires edits to lecture slides, planning, and exam questions. This next week I have to finalize the syllabus and edits to that course while the online courses are ready to go. Tuesday is all day inservice. While I'm happy to be "overloading" this term, there's going to be quite a bit of prepping/grading this term compared to others.
2) For the first time this year I broke my no new clothes challenge. I used a gift card to buy black skinny jeans...and I'm in love with them. Nine months and one new purchase still feels okay. Obviously I've purchased some thrifted wear and actually a few needed new items for running, but I think I should make it fine through the rest of the year keeping the no new purchase challenge back in tact.
3) I'm registered for massage school. I'll be in class Tuesday, Thursday, Friday days. It's a one year program. I have my financial aid set-up and with both rooms rented and my student loans deferred I should be able to make my payments and be okay. Again, I'm actually excited to be headed back into the learning environment and am hopeful for how this option will mesh well with the health instruction piece that I already do. Additionally I was told that after I practice for two years, I will be eligible to teach at the massage school also....how cool would that be? My idea would be to continue to instruct "part-time" and also massage part-time--both options together would get me squarely back on my feet as long as my course loads remain fairly secure....
4) T returned to California and the dogs were sad to see him go. M is back in Taiwan. My other male housemate moves out on Sunday and the new gal taking his place arrives on Monday (and starts school on the 23rd), so the rest of Sunday will be spent flipping the room. The other new gal arrived on the 7th and she starts her internship on Monday. Again, I'm crossing fingers that the three of us females mesh well and are busy yet patient enough to live well together until mid-December. At the very least, it's nice to know that I (hopefully) shouldn't have to worry about searching for another housemate until after M is back. While M was here, we discussed potentially renting the middle room out to short-term renters when he returns, although it also dawned on me that he's a lil noisier than some so we'll see. ;) If all goes according to plan (cough, cough...when does the plan actually work out?! :)), then M should be here as a renter until next summer so we'll see....
5) Ironically I'm also sort-of being considered for a full-time position at my college. Second responses ended Friday. The job sounds fun and like a good fit. I'm not anticipating getting it but how ironic would it be if I suddenly did when I already have the massage school option lined up? I'm seriously, seriously crossing my fingers that any decisions will be made prior to school starting on the 28th, otherwise I'm up a creek without a paddle (ie out a chunk of change if I take the job....). Even if I did get the job and with a full teaching load, I think I'd still try to take one massage class at a time. Now that I'm registered, I truly do feel like I should do the massage option regardless. It'd make for an incredibly busy fall (and massively neglected dogs...) but it's a HUGE IF anyway and it'd pay off big time in the long run.
6) That vet trip took care of lots of birds with one stone. I also had Roxi tested again for heart worms since it'd been four years since her last positive test (she contracted them while at the humane society aka puppy seeming mill where we adopted her....) and we've been "treating" her with the backwoods method offered in Louisiana. (The actual heartworm treatment is incredibly expensive, hard to come by at times, and requires keeping an animal less active for 30 days. If you've met this dog, keeping her less active would not happen...and she's happy go lucky and healthy seeming even with the dreadful worms.) Both dogs had their nails trimmed and a general once over. I also have realized in the last two days that all four animals are dealing with fleas (most months they don't have them) so a Costco trip for flea treatment for all of them is happening.
7) Car is also getting overhauled as it was due for an oil change and I needed new wipers as we head into the rainy season. Seats are getting cleaned as they were N A S T Y from all the outdoor pursuits: dirt, sweat, water stains. (All human related as the dogs are relegated to the back.) Also discovered I needed new brakes so they're taking care of all of that at once. This summer saw more off-road type terrain for the Sorento and I continue to be happy for the AWD capabilities and separate space for the dirty dogs (even if I still miss my Civic gas mileage). Hopefully all this car servicing will get me through until at least mid-winter.
8) Which as horrible of a financial choice as this is, I've basically started just putting stuff on credit again for now. I know that I should be living within my means but with things like the vet trip and needed brakes etc (and the reality that my credit card balance really is going no where right now), it makes the credit card seem like a viable option. It's always still my goal to get myself into a much better financial situation and I have to believe that in a year or two that situation will truly arrive. I just need to keep working ahead to get there...and as weird as it sounds somehow I have to trust that getting myself a lil more in a hole might actually pay out in the end. (I know, I know....)
9) I have this goal to come up with a better composting situation and to convert one of my raised beds to try my hand at winter gardening this year. We'll see if it all happens. I also need to get my hands on some apples for sauce, apple butter, etc. Canned 7 quarts of tomato sauce from my tomatoes and tomatoes from my aunts.
10) And that's about life in a nutshell. Some of the other stuff I'm hoping to post separately...maybe pre-scheduled :)
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