Where'd Last Week Go? and a To-Do List for Today

Those of you long time readers know that last week was much more typical of my usual blogging style....and honestly will probably be more typical until this summer again. How I wrote so many posts in January floors me---except obviously my brain is back to constantly going again and I have a lot on my mind. My mental check-out/hiatus time in Louisiana is apparently over. Well, and I'm sure the fact that I'm trying to be more authentic in my writing has to help also! 

So what have we been up to? Oh you know, the usual busy busy. 

--Did I mention that hub is volunteering in the vet office on his campus and he's still been acing his exams? 

-- Mondays are now an extra catch-up day (read: everything I can't do in the actual office gets done & any leftover grading/prepping). Plus house work and errands.

--Week 6 of the term---which means students are stressed. Love my jobs but Tues-Thurs is usually very draining. Last week had many more meetings and lots of isolated issues to solve. 

--Thursday evenings have continued to be his and my catch-up nights...and we're living for our weekends of downtime. We're trying to continue to be engaged with others, but I'm not going to lie, for the most part I've been feeling purposely anti-social lately.

Extra busy: 

--Friday was the Northwest Environmental Health conference. Most the information I'd already read..but networking within the environmental health scene was great. A current colleague is a friend who I don't get to see enough, and she and I were able to grab (many) drinks after the conference.

--Saturday the health dept I teach in had a volunteer afternoon at Oregon Food Bank. We were part of a larger group, and together we sorted & bagged over 9,000lbs of frozen green beans! Afterward we had a casual dept meeting.

The weather has had a few bright moments so we've started thinking of all the yard projects to tackle this spring/summer. Also need to start thinking about the garden...and hub is looking at used food dehydrators. Obviously the good weather gets us back out running/hiking too! We've been letting the chickens wander around outside more during the days we're home. Pretty funny to see them at the backdoor with the dogs, as if they think they want in too:

Hub is seriously cracking me up with this whole "one-green-change-a-month" thing, which apparently has changed into a challenge between us at being "greener." Um, hub, I hate to tell ya but I was queen of the green & simple living scene before we got together...ahem, ahem. I'm not going to lie---it's been AWESOME because he's doing many of the little things I didn't want to nag about, except on his own accord. Our Feb challenge items (biking and green cleaning) are so-so, but bigger picture wise, I'm really proud of where we're moving toward...together. Just for your entertainment,  here's a recent convo in our house:

Hub: Did I see that you've finally started following my smart green trick of using the quick wash cycle in order to save water?

Me: Yes, weirdo, for most things I am....AND I almost always use cold water to save energy....beyond the green detergent we use.

Hub: Hmmm....(wearing an expression of "damn, she's got one on me....), well I just might have to start trying that.

As mentioned we focused much weekend energy on organizing and cleaning the house. Got word this morning that the new coworker will arrive Wednesday night---his room is ready! Hub and I have been joking that it feels like we just moved in with each other honestly: first time we've shared a closet and a bathroom in two years. With how much we like change, this house overhaul has been great so far. Hub rearranged the kitchen, we moved the desk into the living room, and the entry way shelf will be used as a bar in the dining area. Much cleaning and rearranging of pictures has occurred. And I'm not going to lie, I'm actually liking being in the back bedroom:

Which leaves me to today's docket. The system delete/recovery just completed on my old laptop, so it and two bags of stuff will be taken to Goodwill for donation/recycling. Need to make a return to Freddies and get groceries. Need to buy a bale of hay for bedding for the chickens. Need to grade the online assignments. Need to finish two picture collages and finalize cleaning the guest bathroom.  There's a bag of random recycling to be donated, and about 15 items I should take care of for my other job. Plus a few other things: but we'll see what all gets done!

Hope you all have a great week ahead of you! More than likely, I'll catch ya next weekend :)

One Green Change

So I have to say---our one green change challenge totally rocked our worlds in a good way last month. Honestly, I had envisioned that we'd make lots of smaller changes and it would be challenging. Ironically, in January I feel like our one green change got the wheels a'spinnin' and we incorporated many of the other ideas I'd intended to use throughout this year.

Our green change in January was to only buy used for items beyond personal care products and groceries.....and we both did amazingly. We both only bought one new thing a piece (hub bought new clips for the dumbbells and I bought a new set of leashes for the dogs), and I honestly don't think I bought anything else the whole month. Hub ordered a few other used things but his overall spending was cut way back.

So what else in January did we do?

--Hub started to take his own lunches---this was going to be another thing for me to try to tackle and he did it all on his own accord. I've heard him mention at least three times how much money he's saving and it's great to hear. (He used to buy his lunch and sometimes dinner from the food carts---probably $5-$10 each go.) It's only really cute AND cool to see him packing his lunch of left overs the night before.
---Leading to: we've started actually eating left overs again!
---I started taking lunches period--making sure that I'm eating during the work day.
---I've started using my collapsible tote bag almost every single time I go to the grocery store OR carrying out items in my hands if I can.
---We've also started grocery shopping just once a week on Sundays---one list, one trip.
---We cancelled catalogs and a few magazines that we don't have time to read.
---Hub got himself set-up to be able to ride his bike to public transport to go downtown to campus.
---I've stayed out of Target.....and focused on using and reusing items already in my wardrobe.
---We are switching the dogs to dog food in recyclable packaging and that supports the local economy.

And honestly, I've been struggling to think of something realistic and energizing for February.....and it's now the 4th day of the month. I thought about not eating out---but we like it on occasion as a treat, it's a great social outing, and in reality we always eat places that support the local economy. I could choose some less-preserved foods or something else to benefit me on that level, but I'm not going to lie...right now time and energy for most things are lacking. So I asked hub the other day what he thought we should do for February. Our original idea had been not to buy anything this month, but I think we're going to stick with January's version of buying used...and also just trying to do without period. But anyway.....

Hub reported that his green change goal for February is to ride his bike to public transport to go downtown at least twice a week. A good goal and one I hope he sticks with.....especially if it starts raining again! :) So tonight, for me, I'm thinking beyond not trying to buy much of anything, I'd like to try returning to greener cleaning products in the kitchen and bathroom----mainly vinegar and baking soda. If I make it my greener challenge, then I'm more likely to follow through with it!

Our green change for March might just be plain sharing the house with the new housemate(s)....and yes you saw that "s" right. There might be two--as we've also agreed to open our guest room up to a potential new hire for my college who would be moving out here from NY, should he desire to take it. Don't worry.....I'll keep you all posted. Sharing square footage is one of the greenest changes we can make---and with how particular I can be, it just might truly be a real challenge! :)

Any new green changes for any of you out there?!

A Week of Attire

So last week Rags to Stitches wrote a post that ended with a quest to wear and repurpose into new loved outfits, the items that we already own and have in our closets. The day before she'd hosted Four Flights of Fancy who had written a post about Lifestyle Dressing. Both posts made a lot of sense and got me to start thinking again about digging around in my closet and trying to actually put into use the many items of clothing that I own. In actuality there's too much in that closet, so I need to get in the habit of trying different combos and realizing whether the items are some that I LOVE (and hence should keep) or some that I just hang on to. (Plus this goes great for our two months of nothing new----I need to realize what I have!)

When I used to student teach and sub, I'd make a challenge for myself not to rewear any outfit exactly the same throughout the entirety of the month or term. (This is something Granny and I used to talk about too....infusing diversity into the classroom by looking presentable but with different combos, rather than falling into the rut of many teachers and wearing the same outfit over and over.......). Now that I'm working both jobs (and being "younger" than many expect to see in a college instructor), my professional attire has had to up the ante. Plus I got in the habit of the South and their version of professional attire (dress slacks, skirts, button-up shirts) rather than the uber-casual business wear of the PNW (fleece, a polo, and khakis anyone?!). It's interesting to see how one's style consistently evolves.....and last term I noticed myself reaching for the same standbys over and over as the term continued.

One thing I lecture on in my stress class is about how creativity is actually a stress reduction strategy.....and so rarely do we engage in as many creative endeavors as we once might have. While I need to do some planning ahead, so I don't increase my stress due to morning time constraints, I used to get a lot of creative enjoyment from mixing and matching outfit combos. SO for this next term, I'm going to attempt to come up with some new combos and really try to dive into the numerous items in my closet. Now that I'm on pinterest, I'm hitting up the outfit combos on there especially since I have similar items actually in my closet (although I'm forgetting to actually look at the inspiration board when I'm standing IN front of my closet!). You also already know of my love of What Not to Wear and I'm attempting to take items from my wardrobe and style them into similar things from the show......but just keep in mind that I'm a simple, plain jane sort of gal generally speaking.

But anyway, here's what I wore during this work week (and please forgive the distracting man cave background and horrible Iphone lighting):

MONDAY:

This is a look I got from WNTW actually, although it probably could have been better overall. I tend to not wear flats as much anymore to work, but my calves were sore this particular day. That skirt, cami, and those flats have seen so many uses that their CPU (cost per usage) has got to be close to pennies these days. Get ready to see that belt's CPU diminish to pennies too....

Cardi: clearance Sears, Cami & layering Tshirt: Target, Pencil Skirt: Penney's, Flats: Target, Belt: gifted, Jewelry: Walmart clearance & Target

TUESDAY:

I think you saw this in one of my other outfit posts but it's been one of my go-tos and I was running behind schedule this day.

Brown tweed pants: gifted Macy's, Blue ruffled tunic: resized Target, Boyfriend cardi: Target juniors, Brown suede boots: old Penneys, Chunky gold jewelry: Walmart and mom's collection

WEDNESDAY:

Simple & comfy business attire. Love argyle!

Argyle sweater: Penneys, Black pants: Thrifted Express, Black suede boots: Penneys, Same white cami underneath, Jewelry: gifted Lia Sophia

THURSDAY:

And you've seen this before too but I LOVE it! Comfy like pjs and totally work appropriate.

Black sweater dress: Dillards (South), Black sweater: Old Navy, Belt: Target clearance, same boots, Jewelry: Target & gifted Lia Sophia

FRIDAY CASUAL WORK AFTERNOON & ERRANDS:

Love this dress too and I've never worn it this way before. Usually I wear it with bare legs in summer, with brown tights/shoes/tank/belt, or with white cami & black tights/shoes/belt.

Green shirt dress: Banana Republic outlet/clearance, Cami, leggings, same belt & flats: Target, Same chunky gold jewelry

FRIDAY EVENING:

Never worn this either but liked the looks of it once put together.

Jeans: clearance Gap, Shirt: clearance Penneys, same Target shoes & cami, same gifted belt, Jewelry: Target & walmart clearance

Definitely a few new combos which made me happy! You'll see some of these pieces again, but here's hoping I'll drag some other items out of the closet that haven't seen as much use either. And have I mentioned yet that the heels on my black suede boots had gotten worn down so I took them to the local shoe repair guy to be resoled----worked out beautifully and had them back in 5 days---LOVED IT!

What are you wearing and enjoying these days?

Mark #500 with A Hair Story

This is my 500th post folks and it just dawned on me that this summer will mark five years that I've blogged. I haven't always been a continual blogger as there have many quiet moments when I didn't feel like sharing life or didn't want to push my ideology onto others, but it's been a journey in it's own right.

500 posts about life, love, and the pursuit of both. Posts about pets, daily captured moments, gratitudes, environmental and public health issues, donating, social justice, spirituality, travels. And today a post about....well, my hair. I mean why not mark #500 with hair, as it's had it's own major journey in the last five years too. ;)

When I started blogging my hair was down the middle of my back:

And then I chopped it up to my shoulders to donate to Pantene's Beautiful Lengths program  (as I'd heard that Locks of Love gets too many donations to use)....and then a month later it went a bit shorter and cuter.

My hair even was personified in the ring tone for when I'd call my gal N: I'd always hated being judged on my hair (As a kid I had some pretty crazy cuts & perms. Really it's thick and luscious, but 99% of the time I don't do anything with it and just have it hang there), and I had mentioned several times to my gal N about people always commenting on the changes with my hair. Since we have a mutual love of India.Arie....she set my ringtone when I called her as I Am Not My Hair. :) (Idk, maybe it still is?!)

Being the lame hair style type person that I am, I even hate scheduling hair appointments and I like the walk-in method. I LOVE Bishops Barbershop (walk-in only, Portland funky, and you can have a beer if you desire....) but sometimes it's been hit or miss....and at one point it was a definite miss that I had to get sorted out just prior to hub's and my legal contract together (aka when we got hitched). Hub likes my hair short however and while in Louisiana, it was just too much of a pain to grow out with how much I was running and the humidity, and I honestly couldn't find anyone who could cut it into a good style while it was growing out. I made it to the length where it'd just fit into a pony tail and then I couldn't take it anymore.

Plus....I'd always wanted to try a pixie, so I took the plunge in Fall 2010.....and the first go around of the pixie was cute and fabulous for my no-maintenance preference (bar soap to wash and a bit of hair gel to style). And somehow it actually framed my face well--I got loads of compliments near and far.

Right before Christmas 2010 I had a second stylist re-do the pixie (and right before the military formal ball) and it was SH-OR-T---as in I almost had a crew cut with a funky bang.

At that point I decided for the entirety of 2011, no hair chopping or real cuts, only trims to help with grow out....and during the entire year, I only had 4 trims (3 of which were done by the most amazing stylist I've ever had.....who is at the nearby Bishops here. She's so amazing that when I showed up for the 3rd trim, she asked what I was doing there cause she knows I want to grow it out!).

I have seen all sorts of friends hair grow like crazy and through multiple chops in the last year, so I've come to realize that a) while pixies take a while to grow out b) my hair is slow growing and c) I'm wondering if using "natural" shampoo w/o hormones has something to do with it?! But while it's taken forever, my hair is finally between my chin and shoulders at one year and one month later! Today was the first time I was able to tuck it back into a sort-of ponytail again.

I'm not sure how long I'm going to grow it out, but maybe I'll see how long it can go for the next year and try to donate it again if its long enough. Sometimes I miss the super short hair, but I also am ready to have some long hair again!

(PS Usually I don't post many face shots of myself cause I try to blog somewhat anonymously, but for #500 and for this new plug at authenticity, you got to see me)

One Green Change a Month

Sometime during the last two years our "green" behaviors have greatly reduced. Sure we're still doing some green things:

-We're enrolled in renewable energy options for our electricity sources
-We mainly buy organic dairy products
-Most frequently my personal care products are safer alternatives (Burts Bees & Alima make-up)
-Our recycling bin is frequently more full than the trash
-Hub canned his own salsa and we've made a few soups from scratch
-We planted & harvested from our raised beds this summer
-We bought the chickens to hopefully have good eggs
-Kitchen scraps go in the compost bin
-We switched to a HE front loading washer & eco detergent
-We buy about 1/5 of our food & home products in bulk
-The heat is set at 62 at night and no more than 64 during the day if we're home
....and I'm sure I could list a few others

However I/we have gotten out of the habit of a few things like:
-Cleaning with non-toxic products
-Using reusable tote bags rather than plastic
-Only using safer alternative personal care products
-Choosing second-hand rather than brand new
-Driving less
-Buying less
-Using less disposables (ziplocs, razors, paper towels, etc)
-Using less plastic everything
.....and I'm sure I could list a few others

Now I can't remember which blog it was where I saw the idea, but somewhere in the enviro blog-o-sphere someone wrote about the idea of trying to embrace a new "green" change for an entire month in the coming year. One change each month for the twelve months. You could continue that change beyond the month or you could just move on to a different one. I thought it might be a good idea (especially to try to re-embrace some of the behaviors that we already know are better) so I approached hub with the idea, and we've decided we're going to give it a try. I'm not entirely sure how it will work, but hopefully it'll help push us back into the right direction.

We haven't exactly laid out any plan, but the month of January is supposed to be "Only Buy Used" except for food & personal care products. The month of February is supposed to be "Buy Nothing Extra." And so far, that's as far as we've gotten.....but I did happen to pull out my reusable shopping bag for my grocery run last night, so hopefully that'll be one of the months too.

We'll see how it goes, but hopefully we'll stick with it and get back into some of our healthier and greener behavior patterns!

Time for A New Work-out Plan

Image from here.

So here's a confession folks: in recent months I have pretty much stopped working out. I can blame it on a crazy schedule, I can blame it on the weather, I can blame it on the lack of good sidewalks to run on in my neighborhood....but regardless of what I want to blame it on, the fact of the matter is that I've joined the hundreds of thousands of Americans who do not exercise. And that fact is one I have a problem with for two major reasons.

Reason #1: I'm a HEALTH teacher. While not every health teacher feels the need to practice what s/he preaches, it's something that I want and need to do for my own health and for the authenticity of my instruction.

Reason #2: I'm genetically "blessed" with a crappy metabolism.....and I also happen to have developed a taste via Granny and marriage for amazingly flavored foods (read: full fat, real butter, cream, etc). What this means is that if I don't work out, it doesn't take longer than about two weeks for the fat to start packing on...and that's even when I'm eating a much more balanced diet.

So these facts aside, over the course of the last term...I've started to pack on some fat. I won't use the word "pounds" because my weight hasn't really changed, but I've officially inched past my regular & ideal pant size. I still feel like I look okay, but it's not where I like to be on a regular basis.

Two of my past coworkers swore up and down on the P90X program (a series of 12 HIGH-intensity workout DVDs about an hour in length each one) and both looked fabulous because of the program, but until recently I'd barely considered it very seriously. In the last month however, I'd started thinking about other routine work-out options besides a gym membership or purchasing a treadmill, which led to my researching P90X and reading the reviews online. And after much thought I finally took the plunge the day after Christmas and ordered a used (read: reduced cost) set online.

The used dealer was a Portland location, so the package/program arrived today. I still have to get some basic free weights but we already have a pull up bar in the garage, and the other "extras" I'm going to do without. Amazingly the boxed set looks like it's brand new and has all the booklets still included.

Not wanting to wait around, I skimmed through the introduction booklet this evening and estimated that I should be able to pass the fitness test. (Hub on the other hand kept saying he wants us to follow the program to a T, which would mean actual body measurements & before/after photos......I personally just want my pants to fit correctly again and to feel like I'm in better shape.......) There are three different set ways/plans to navigate through the 12 DVDS and I decided to start with P90X Lean, which is more cardio based. Any of the plans run for 90 days and if we stick with it, I might consider doing the P90X Classic plan (read: more muscle) after completion of the Lean plan. There are a lot of things I like about the concept behind P90X, especially since many of it's foundational pieces are part of what I frequently lecture on when we talk about fitness (read: cross training for reduced plateaus/injuries; increasing intensity for better results; including cardio, muscle endurance & strength, stretching, and body composition into any fitness plan....).

So jumping right in with Day 1 today, I pulled out the first DVD for my "Lean" plan and turned it on.........and about 25-30 high intensity minutes later I pushed pause on the player and seriously almost lost my "cookies." (Although I was saved by the lack of food in my stomach due to not eating enough today.....Read: Not smart start....) After getting my heart rate stabilized and myself slightly cooled down, I pushed play and more or less completed the rest of today's DVD, which was a mix of muscle work & cardio....and way more push-ups than I've done in a while.

While the work-out totally kicked my butt (in a way it hasn't been kicked since my high school swim team days).......let me tell you, it also feels AWESOME. Even ten minutes after completing the DVD, my body & brain were on their own natural highs....and I was already reading up on tomorrow's work-out. We'll see how it turns out, but I haven't been this excited about a new work-out plan in a really long time......

PS. Heather M......you totally need to get a copy and be my Southern work-out partner :)

Cheap Forks & Cinnabon Rolls

This morning I spent five minutes reflecting on cheap forks & cinnabon cinnamon rolls. (Yes, you can officially declare that I'm back to my analytical self!) Last night hub had a hankering for Cinnabon rolls, which we can get at our local Fred Meyer (sort of a one-stop PNW shopping). We went and bought a box of four, which also became our breakfast today. When I warmed mine in the microwave this morning to eat alongside my coffee, I knew that I wanted to eat it with our cheap, college-esque silverware....and here's why:
Remember being a poor college student when paying for a Cinnabon cinnamon roll was a luxury (and the splurge of the month) and the only silverware you had to eat it with was a plastic dorm fork or a cheap, Wal-mart fork variety in whatever locale you were currently living? Well every once in a while I feel it's important to remember those days....and to reflect on where life is now and how much I have become accustomed to the lifestyle we currently have. Sometimes its good to remind ourselves of what was...and to maybe reflect upon how the Cinnabon roll probably tasted a lot better back when it was a splurge......

Life continues to be busy.....and I'm tired.....and whining way more than I ever really want to be. This last week I lectured on stress-prone & stress-resistant personality types and ended by asking my students to reflect upon which type of personality they think I am. Ironically, they reported they think I'm Type B, which is laid back, creative, and a dreamer. Type B is where I strive to be and is why I love the idea of a life based on simplicity....but its not where I currently am. The irony is that I must be doing a good job of still allowing others to see me as being in a Type B state-of-being, which is better than the Type A that I'm quickly becoming again. Type A's are multi-taskers, time-oriented, highly stressed, easily frustrated and angered, rushed, among a host of other traits.

Type A personality means that I'm constantly juggling the different parts of my two jobs and never feeling that I'm able to give the animals enough attention, keep the house & yard picked up and organized, or ever feel completely rested. Type A makes me just want a break and increases my irritability. Both hub and I are realizing we're eating whatever we can easily grab these days and that's not exactly where we want to be. ......Knowing all this reminds me again of why I opted for the more relaxed lifestyle in the first place! :) There will be some changes with the two jobs coming up in June and at that time I'm pretty sure I'll have to make a choice....until then I'm interested to see how the differences in scheduling for the next two terms will pan out. Six more weeks in this term!

Some enjoyable things have happened in the midst of the last two weeks though that have brought smiles to our faces and created some "down" moments when possible.

--Last weekend I took my baby cousin to create her bridal registry--she did a great job of primarily registering just for the basics and it was fun to help her along!

--Last weekend we had one of hub's high school friends in town and per her request were able to take her out on the town. Since it was near Halloween, we got to enjoy some wonderful costumes, good food, and great drinks. This week one of my high school friends is here, splitting her time three-ways. Wednesday night was a long one picking her up from the airport after teaching and catching up in the wee morning hours. She'll also be here on Monday evening and we'll grab dinner at the house of another high school gal. On Tuesday after my morning meeting, I'll get her back to the airport, and then on Friday, hub and I head "home" to spend time with family & at the baby shower of his high school friend. It's been nice to grab a few moments with friends, and it's increased my excitement to see so many others who are flying in from Georgia, Arizona, California, and Canada over the next two months.

--Book Club happened also and it's always such a highlight to my month to spend quality time with these gals. We enjoyed an evening together over chatter, food, and wine, and threw in a bit of convo about my chosen selection "Crossing the Heart of Africa." Since I love Africa and travels, I thought the book was alright, but I'm the first to admit it wasn't the best book club selection. We scheduled out November and December dates and books however, and this month's "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" is A-MA-ZING. In two nights, I'm about 100 pages in and not really wanting to put it down. Who knows---It's already 3pm and no grading or prepping has yet occurred today, so maybe this month's book will get some more reading in! ;)

--New goals & financial pay offs achieved. New bed and mattress were paid off this month, and the ring will be paid in full next week. On Halloween, we also went ahead and bought a new vehicle..... Knowing I wanted a crossover, I've been trying to find the right fit for my wish/need lists and ended up taking a Sorento for a test drive. It had everything I've been wanting, is a top pick by my insurance, and financing all fell into place. Originally I was looking at buying new, but in the end I went with my original values and a 2011 which had been a rental in its previous 1.5 years. The only catch: its a V6 rather than the 4cyl I'd planned to get and my environmentalist side feels a bit guilty. My frugal side is happy, as we got a great purchase price and trade-in on my car, so much so that we could sell our new vehicle and come out ahead. While I had originally intended to pay off our truck first before purchasing something new, the deal we got ended up making it worthwhile and I still plan to have the truck paid off by next summer.

--Donations continue to occur and this year for Christmas I'm planning on a large donation to charity in the name of all of our families rather than purchasing any separate Christmas gifts. I've done this in smaller parts in the past, but this year it will just be one whole she-bang, as giving to others in need and spending TIME with loved ones seems to be more what Christmas is supposed to be about. Through the Center on campus where I work, we plan on doing a donation drive for deployment care packages, so I'll be ransacking our cupboards and book shelves to find what all I can to share. And the campus is also participating in a large book drive that is being sent to a local corrections center--so I continue to purge our bookshelves for that. If anyone is local and has used books you'd like to donate, let me know!

--And in the midst of the madness, hub and I seem to be trucking along. I'm not an easy person to live with when stressed, and we've definitely had some rough patches in the last six months for more fundamental reasons. Yet, at times in the midst of the chaos of late, it feels like our underlying care for each other continues to grow & develop. Hub always handles stress amazingly well (he's more of the "Survivor Personality" type) and most days he's being a wonderful support for me. Case in point: the other day I came home Hangry (hungry & angry/frustrated). I had a hankering for our favorite pub with solid food & good beer, which hadn't come to fruition earlier in the day. The minute I shared this with hub, he loaded me into the car no questions asked and drove me to "our" pub. We ordered food, shared about our days, and hub even picked up the check. We then came home to get ready for bed and spent a solid hour in laughter. It was the perfect ending to a somewhat-frustrating day. These are the moments I live for and the ones that go unforgotten. 

Right now in this moment, hub's off to the store with the dogs happily in tow, Major's curled up purring on my lap, good coffee's been enjoyed, texts with friends have been shared.....and while no work has yet to be completed today, it feels fulfilling in its own right. Some days I need to remember to give myself a break and realize that somehow, someway all the details will get completed in their own accord.

My wish for each of you is for slow, happy, enjoyments of your own---today and all days throughout this fall and holiday merriment to come!

Confessions

One of my Army spouse gals just wrote a post on Confessions and asked some of the rest of us to join in, so I thought I'd oblige her, even if it's just cause I miss her and even if many of my recent confessions might be more like environmental downfalls ;) Haha. The other fun part of this is that it reminded me of when hub and I were getting married...I sent him an email with a list of the things I was afraid of having someone else know about my daily habitats and living tendencies!

So without further ado, a list of my recent and maybe past confessions:

1) My green journey has taken a somewhat dive: I've turned on the AC at night, we forget to use our tote bags almost 90% of the time, we use paper towels, my tampons aren't organic and I failed at the Diva cup, the food garden feels like more of a hobby than a necessity, I scrubbed the shower with harsh chemicals two weeks ago, and (sigh) hub has sprayed chemicals on some of our weeds. I'm not entirely sure what's happening to us....I still love the planet, I still want to be sustainable, we still make strides more than many, but I think living in the South sort of disenfranchised my heart a bit to feel like it's going to make much difference. Although it's not that I don't care....because I most definitely do.

2) I have to take a daily shower, and usually it happens at night in order to save time in the mornings. Plus somehow I feel like it keeps my sheets cleaner for longer, since I go to bed clean then. ;) (Although side note: for the last few years I've become a night time sweat-er....so I'm not so sure how well this theory works anymore!)

3) When people ask for a word to describe oneself, I almost always choose eclectic or contradictory. I'm a small town girl with big city tendencies. I'm a hippy chick from a log town. I love all things international yet with nationalistic pride. I'm big on peace and anti-war, yet believe in the need for our military and its troops. And all this also transfers over to my professional life. People tell me that my resume is impressive and it is, but I also have had a lot of very different jobs already. My main professional experience could be said to fall into social services, teaching, and research...but in a whole host of areas. I tend to like to work in the fields that I am most passionate about---adoptions, teaching, health, social justice, independent living skills, career and educational advancement, Latinos, international relations, environmental exposures, literacy, and veterans. I honestly expect to see a continual evolution of my professional fields....but who knows maybe I'll actually find a niche.

4) When I'm stressed (or PMSing), I clean and organize my surroundings like a maniac. When my surroundings are ordered, it makes the rest of life feel manageable too. I also like it to be quiet rather than loud for the same reasons. However this all also means that I'm not always the most wonderful person to live with.....

5) As much as I'm big on saving the dollar signs, when hub and I go on vacation we absolutely love to eat out. I'm not sure if this is because we want to soak up as much of the local flavor as possible, if we're just super lazy, or if it's because as kids we rarely ate out on vacays with our families....but regardless if we're away-from-home we're almost always in a restaurant if we have the budget available. This was incredibly apparent when we were down in our hometown over the long weekend: dinner out two nights at hubs favorite restaurants in town, evening pre-football game pizza and a separate lunch out with hubs fam, breakfast at our favorite lil country diner, pie with one of my gals, and at least two trips out for coffee. Beyond the dollars....my waistline also shows the effects.....

6) Since getting married, I have this irrational fear of putting on weight. I'm not sure if it's because a) my body type within my fam is predisposed to obesity b) the fact that hub is an incredible hottie and I feel I have to try to keep up c) the fact that hub has gotten a lot thinner in the last year d) that I feel I need to represent "health" since that's what I teach e) that I find it uncomfortable to sit when I feel extra inches piling up on my waist or f) that I'm too cheap to want to buy a whole new wardrobe if I do go up a size. Regardless of the reasons, in the last 2-3 years I feel a lot of internal pressure to stay the size that I am. This size is healthy for my body size and bone structure, but ironically it's also much thinner than where I was for several years in my life.

7) This last month I feel like I'm 30ish...in a good way, although it also makes me wonder if I'm selling out. I ordered the Pottery Barn bed, I'm researching a trade-in for my vehicle and paying off hub's truck, I'm planning on buying a new/used wedding band, we're talking about where we could take a "real" vacation in the next three years. Without getting overconfident (cause we're never certain!!), finances feel like they're failing into place a bit more. Hub and I pretty much function independently financially, each covering separate things, but I've reached that spot where I could actually completely function comfortably and financially solo... and its sort of a nice spot to finally have arrived at. However I feel guilty because I'm noticing a tendency to fill my life with "things" (albeit increased quality) and I'm not sure that's the direction I want to be moving in. Yet, it also means that my giving is increasing and for the first time ever I'm signing up for regular monthly giving to my charities of choice. This is something I'm still thinking on....and in the meantime hub's snapped me out of my 30ish facade by bringing up the idea of having his friend move in to an extra room... ;)

8) Three things are always on my heart even if I don't always let them consistently into my mind: adoption, equitable distribution/social justice, sustaining God's creation. In the midst of getting caught up in society's expectation of the World, sometimes I forget about the expectation of the Word and of the items that have been placed on my heart.

9) Of the new vehicles I'm looking at getting, they're all SUVs/crossovers. Although I'm being incredibly mindful of gas mileage, I'd really like something that would allow for me to haul both dogs and non-furry passengers. We're in the research and information gathering stage still and will need to sell off my Honda. Multiple little stages still, but the vehicles currently in the running: Subuaru Forester or Outback, Toyota Rav4 (prob with 4wd), or the GMC Terrain/Chevy Equinox. Feedback is always greatly appreciated.

10) Today I attended a training/retreat for the new job and one of the sessions I attended was about the five love language types as I've always wondered what my types actually are. Big surprise my LEAST love language is gifts aka I'm not a fan of receiving THINGS. ;) And then it was an almost even 3-way tie for the top scores of service, quality time, and touch. Touch has been a big one, as my family has always been big on giving love via touch but hub hates touch, which was an incredibly hard adjustment for me to our marriage (and still is at times.) Ironically even after almost 6 months back in Oregon though, I still have to mentally give myself permission or think about hugging or touching other people aka family and close friends....

Okay and a couple quick links:
I LOVE Flower Patch Farm Girl. She speaks to my heart. She's walking toward a Christ centered life. She's an adoptive parent x3. She's now a foster parent. She's a farm girl. She loves JCrew. She's hilarious. And most of all she's real. And she just posted a link to a video that her husband and her are in for their church that I think is great message to all of us. (They're Cory & Shannan...listed bottom right.)

If you want to know what it can be like for an adoptive parent, truly, really....then this post is fabulous. Adoption isn't always pretty....just like being a parent isn't always pretty, but even through the hate, the confusion, the extreme disruptive behaviors that can occur at times, kids need someone who is steadfast, who is full of love unconditional, who can compromise, who can give....and it ain't easy.

Be good, be real, be true, be confessing ;) Enjoy!

Confessional: The Telephone Has Been a #1 Hate Relationship

While I've hinted at this numerous other times, tonight I'm just coming out and saying it: Talking ON the phone has been an awkward and difficult event for me throughout the last ten years. Now hear this: I'm attempting a goal to work on this hate relationship.

Ironically, back in the days of ol' high school, the phone was forever attached to my ear. I'd yak at whatever long term boyfriend I had at the time for hours on end and then I might yak at a gal pal or two to discuss just what was said between the boyfriend and me. Oh the days.....and what a waste of time and youthful energy!

I'm pretty sure it comes down to two things that established my hate relationship with the phone. 1) Pay usage. 2) The rise of the internet. And okay, I lied...there's a third, the rise of the unlimited text message....but this came much later.

My first experience with real pay usage occurred during a year spent studying abroad in Argentina. It cost per minute for me to make local calls and it was an arm & leg on both ends for me to talk to my family at home in the United States. Since I didn't want to pay to use the phone, I instead relied on the internet and rise of email (two thumbs up to internet cafes!) to keep in touch with family and friends back in the States. In all truth, I talked to my parents three times on the phone that year and I made one other call to a good buddy of mine as well.

My use of the internet as my main means of connection continued when I was in college, as that's how I continued to check in with family and friends. My freshman college roommate talked to her mom daily on the phone, but I still just checked in with Dad via email for the most part. By this point, I had my first cell phone, but even when I had a long-distance college boyfriend I was incredibly vigilant of how many minutes I had available and how many had been used.  And I also remember late night conversations staying on the phone even though I really didn't want to---somehow my year abroad had erased any desire to "waste time" chatting. The beauty of the internet is that you can say what you need to say (and sometimes what you can't say in person or via the phone) and allow the person to respond when it's convenient for them.

So I suppose I should also call this my ode to two people: my gal Nancy (who is also an avid blog reader but just never comments!) and Granny, as they've put up with my phone awkwardness and left me with the reality that a phone call can be a positive relationship builder. I should also give a shout-out to hub at this point in my confessional as well, although hopefully this will be one post he overlooks in his reading. ;) Anyone that knows hub and I knows that the first 6 months of our relationship/marriage we were constantly attached to our phones as we weren't located in the same state. You generally could find us either engaging in non-stop texting (hence my introduction to the need for unlimited texting and here I offer a big shout out of apology to my dearest friends who put up with this at the time....) and/or a nightly phone call when hub wasn't working. Hub always liked to check in before we went to sleep and even though talking on the phone wasn't always my favorite, I went along with it to keep our communication and connection going. (Although much in his favor, he did also introduce me to the webcam which I liked much better than the phone, but now always find awkward to use with most other people.....)

But anyway...back to my gal and granny. During my 1.5-2 years in Louisiana, my gal and granny were my most regular phone communicators back home and whether any of us realized it at the time, the consistent communication that I had with both of them got me through some pretty hard and lonely moments. Now I'm not going to say that it was always easy for them to get me on the phone, but what I will say is that more than anyone else they both made sure that phone communication happened. My gal always checked in via text to see when I might be available but the monthly-to-every-six-weeks phone conversation forced me to talk about my reality honestly while also brought me back into the other world that I'd left behind of a good friend, professional development, and conversations about incredibly serious subjects. Even though our conversations were about the beauty and frustrations of our daily realities, she got me through and focused on something else in more way than one. With Granny, not talking to her on the phone was never an option, as she wouldn't have had it any other way. My move to the south was difficult for her as she'd gotten used to my steady visits and companionship, so throughout my time in Louisiana I knew the expectation existed that I would talk to her on the phone every week or at least twice a month. Even now when I argue that she gets to see me at least every other week, she gives me a hard time that now that I live in Oregon she technically hears from me less. ;)

But throughout this week and last...I've been thinking of how important those phone conversations were to me. As much as I like the fact that I can quickly find out what I need to know via a text message rather a conversation, there is something to be said for the importance in actually letting someone know that you care by making an actual call. And I actually might argue that in some ways my relationships were more meaningful with many of my friends before text messaging and facebook, when we only had phone calls or a real email to maintain communication. So I'm hoping to bring back the phone call. Now don't worry, I'm not going to get all crazy and call all of y'all up all the time, but I AM going to make it a goal to actually a) communicate more by phone calls and b) to check in more with people to actually let them know that I care. I find myself missing the real details of people's lives.

I don't expect to ever love talking on the phone again, but I also can say that in the last week I've chatted on the phone twice with my gal and seriously got more out of it than I ever would have via text message. Although my apologies to her and all others as I do have serious awkwardness with starting and ending phone calls ie a) I never give a proper introduction but instead launch into my string of thoughts that led me to calling without the proper how are you? etc and b) I have a horrible habit of just deciding I'm done talking and ending the conversation. Case in point: today I suddenly realized late conversation that I stunk from my evening run with the hub so instead of appropriately getting to a goodbye point with my gal, I just interjected "Hey, I smell, I need to shower." Great right? Even hub laughed and told me I'm horribly awkward at getting off the phone.

So what do you say though? Care to actually use those monthly cell phone minutes with me and let people know that you care? :)

Needing an Organized Routine

The days seem to be out of whack lately with late nights leading to sleeping-in mornings. I haven't slept this much nor this long since college, but somehow I feel like it must be good for me?! I'm sure it's a by-product of a) time changes b) stress (both from pre- and post- move) c) the reality that I'm using my brain power a bit more and in new ways d) travel and e) a change or lack of any real routine....

SO a couple of my newest goals should be: to develop a new routine and to get a bit more organized. An established routine should probably reflect on my health background and include set sleep schedules, consistent exercise, and proper nutrition---as it's dawned on me that recently I have not been focusing on balanced nutrition either. On a positive note, I've gotten in four 3-4 mile runs since being in Oregon so far though.

In the course of 10 days that we have been in Oregon, I feel like we have done much, but scattered--ly. ;) Hub took a weekend trip to our hometown this last weekend to see many of his friends and family that he hadn't seen in over two years, and I held down the fort while completing three social/family outings of my own and taking a day trip to meet family at the beach house. We've had a couple afternoons working in the yard, several trips to Home Depot, and a great recent visit from my brother. I had a meeting at my new job and hub met a friend for lunch while checking out the commute to downtown via public transport. We've set up all utilities, installed a new thermostat, researched the kiwi tree out back, ordered a replacement dishwasher for the rental, and run numerous errands.  Somewhere in the midst of all the other daily details and social visits, we're also attempting to relax....I think.

Today itself was a pretty productive day all around, even if it took until about noon to actually get motivated. The hub finally found a decent wood source on craigslist and bought/hauled/stacked half-cord that he can use to heat the living room. I got tired of having little odds and ends and half un-packed items lingering all over the house, so I finished unpacking 3 more boxes, hung the rest of the pictures on the walls, rearranged and updated a few picture collages, organized our living spaces, and did three loads of laundry. The hub organized his office area while I set up my syllabus for my class, introduced myself to the online system, and took care of some other needed online details of life. This evening we went on our first Oregon run together and then hub made dinner while I vacuumed the house. And I'm pretty sure tonight was our first real meal eaten at the table together in the new house---finally. In fact, it finally feels like our house is a home...and that in a sense we have settled.

We still have much to do--people to see, work to get started, and the entire yard to start on....but I'm pretty sure I need to be starting my days off with a check list of things to get done and an earlier start time that includes a better balanced breakfast. :)

Hope each of you has been well and blessed!

Pillow Talk

So last night we had one of those conversations that really are every once in a blue moon around here...the ones that you have oh so frequently when you're newly in love with your head on the pillow or sitting in a coffee shop surrounded by your philosophical loving cronies, the type of conversation that leads you toward examining life, explaining and questioning concepts, and asking about what you want out of the bigger picture......which is exactly what the hub has been pushing me to reflect on throughout the last month.

It's amazing how quickly this gal went from being someone who never stopped thinking/dreaming/examining/wanting to talk about the big philosophical statements of life to being one who had to force herself to re-examine the big picture and take some time to ask the big questions all over again. Somehow this role, this (military wife) life has made me realize how easily one can deny themselves in order to aim for a larger picture of happiness or maybe status quo. Sometimes we end up having to put some of our tendencies on the back burner but that's not always a bad thing.......and everything in life teaches us something else toward the next step.

So after a week of more "deep" thoughts than normal, I finally started talking last night about some of the realizations that I've had lately....

A recurring thought of mine in my teens was that I just wanted to aim for being average. After being pushed through the educational experience as an intelligent female encouraged to achieve, achieve, achieve (educationally and professionally)....somehow deep down I knew that middle ground is where I wanted to end up. I realize that compared to many throughout this nation and the world, I have had amazing opportunities available to me...even though hard work and commitment were always required and I don't know that I would say that "opportunity" was ever just handed to me on a silver plate (even though in the bigger picture, I imagine that it was....). When I first started embarking on a re-examination of my life priorities in my early twenties, I recognized how my desire for average and lack of materialist tendency (especially in comparison to many of my peers and the US society as a whole) coincided nicely with the values and philosophy of the simple living movement.

NOW what I've also realized this last week is that...I sort of feel a sense of settling or maybe even completion. Sure, I still have things that I'd like to do in life, some more than others of course, and some that it's okay if they never happen. But in the larger picture, I already feel like I've had the opportunity to see, do, and achieve... I'm a couple years shy of 30 and I've already been able to live and/or travel on 4 continents, to complete three degrees, to travel throughout 75% of my nation, to recognize my body's ability to physically go where I never thought it could, and to interact and help individuals from all walks of life.

Thus at this point, I feel myself already having "achieved." I feel less of a desire for achievement of personal goals and am wondering more again about enjoyment. And I'm not talking enjoyment in that sense of waste of resources enjoyment, and maybe more of it is wondering about how to increase enjoyment for others.....

Ironically one thing that I have come to enjoy while being here is the one thing that I never expected to really enjoy....and that is work aka in the form of a full-time job. Sure, all things considered I'd probably enjoy a lil bit under full-time, but at this point I feel fortunate to work and to work in a position that actually brings me: enjoyment. (And truthfully, it'll be a while before any amount of work pays off those half-a-mortgage size graduate school loans....)

Doubly ironically, my realization of this focus not on achievement, happens to be when the hub needs to most focus on achieving....which hopefully will turn into a win-win situation, a sort of needed balancing act I suppose.

So while I don't have all the answers and maybe this is all a round about way of getting me back to Square One of simplicity and appreciation.....it's sort of nice to be moving back into a stage of deeper thinking, evaluating, (hopefully) increased giving, and maybe even a bit more life enjoying...

But then again, maybe I need to just stop asking "what's next?"

Flexibility is King

"The best made plans are those made in pencil."

This is similar to a quote that was posted on an old friend's fridge for years and it's one that has stuck with me ever since I first noticed it. It's one that I consistently tell my clients as I attempt to help them de-stress and successfully plan their own transitions out of the military.

And it's one of the first thoughts that came to mind today when the hub let me know that a slight miscalculation on the military's part has pushed back the day we'll be leaving Louisiana by a few days. So we're doing what every good military family does.....we're being flexible. Maybe the new "plan" brainstormed today will follow through and maybe it won't, but we're rearranging what we'd started out planning and changing up reservations. We'll also be spending a few days with our pals down the road.....but regardless, this weekend, we've got to start packing!

So we're hauling out the boxes I've used, flattened, and reused for the last 10 years of moves. We've collected extra boxes from shipments to my office and the local GNC store. We'll haul out the old packing paper I've used throughout the last ten years and we'll pull down extra towels and bedding for packing filler. We'll pack what we can now from the kitchen and spare bedroom. We'll start to clean up parts of the house. And then we'll just enjoy what we can until we can get to the next stage of the moving process. But better to start now on what we can than leave it all to the end.

Hope you each enjoy a wonderful weekend! 

January Countdowns

Not only did we participate in a count down as part of the New Year's celebration in New Orleans, but the new year also marked the official count down until we are back in Oregon. Ironically the last months have also seen us better settled into a regular routine here. Never fails to strike me as ironic when we find our groove right before relocating. The hub and I are definitely excited to head back home, although I'm probably adding apprehension to the equation too. I gave myself until February before I start stressing (as I'm so prone to do with any change that I cannot control), but the more people ask me for the details, the more I can feel that stress coming on early. Luckily, so far, the hub is doing a great job of putting up with my attempts to control as much of the rest of my life as I can....and I must say, it's doing amazing things for my running! ;)

We've started scoping out some housing options. All three college applications for the hub are now out there for consideration by admission committees. I've been applying for additional full time positions (which hopefully would be somewhat flexible at least spring term with my instructor gig), although without much luck so far. And it feels like the communication levels between the husband and I have been forced to increase as we try to sort out finances, potential timelines, and the few details we can brainstorm this far out in the game. It seems like most of the actual move planning won't be likely until mid next month, so hopefully I can hold off the stressing until then. So far, I have won one battle though, and I will get at least one dog riding INSIDE the truck with me to keep me entertained on the four day drive back home. ;)

Hub and I both are focusing on enjoying the last few months of our jobs and appreciating the aspects of them that we love the most. We'll probably head up to another Louisiana city for a day trip in the next month so we can appreciate it's history and cultural opportunities before relocating. There will definitely be little things about here that we'll miss, but it'll be great to be back home on so many levels! Although I can honestly see us itching for change at the completion of hub's 4 year degree.

Can hardly believe that we'll be in Oregon re-integrating into family, friends, and a more sustainable lifestyle within two months....

Now here's hoping that all the pieces fall together as they should. 

A Year of Running

JANUARY 2010 started off with my no longer fitting into my largest jeans and thus was the start of a new running plan. The plan was to run every day of the month, and the hub got me started off on the first two weeks. Now I will mention that the plan was that he was to stick with me, running at least a couple times a week, but that didn't exactly happen.....although he did continue to be ever present in my head. In fact, I still hear him cutting me a deal that I can go as slow as needed but walking and stopping is not permitted! :)

FEB 2010 included about two weeks of slowing down or decreased activity, but March is when I began working full-time with my skinny coworkers. Nothing says motivation like working with thin, assertive women.

MARCH-JUNE 2010: Pretty much ran at least 5x a week, but only covered about 1-2 miles each outing. When I started thinking about total mileage in early June, it dawned on me that I really hadn't covered all that much ground...somewhere in early April I wore out my shoes and suffered from shin splints. New shoes took care of the splints and the running continued without much of a missed beat. And by mid June I was back in my slimmest pair of jeans.

----Pause for a bit of running history here-----------

I've never been much of a  true long distance runner (although somewhere in my mind I've wanted to do some sort of mini-to-full triathlon). I ran cross country my senior year of high school just to prove to myself that I could in fact do it, but the highest mileage I ever ran in one day was 7 miles. In the last 10 years I've had bouts of becoming enamored with running again (mainly when I wanted a quick drop in fat--nothing slims you down like 1-2 weeks of daily doubles.....well until you turn 26 and your body suddenly doesn't respond quite as fast as it used to.....). When I was teaching high school health, I ran frequently after school to shake off the day but also because I knew I needed to be a healthy role model for my students. However, most of these outings have always been 2 miles or below...

Three other lil' fun running facts about yours truly: 1) I almost always run better WITHOUT headphones 2) I always cover more distance when I run with a friend and 3) Being from a hilly area in rainy Oregon, I have always hated running indoors on treadmills and preferred instead exposure to various weather and terrains....

---------BACK TO PRESENT RUNNING TIME---------------

JUNE-JULY 2010 is when I changed my goal in an effort to increase total mileage. Quickly it went from covering 5-7 total miles, to 7-9, and then on to 7-11. The end of July with these great turn-outs and the fact that running started to feel easy, I decided to take off a week to rest my body.

AUG 2010--getting back into grove after taking a week off was not fun. The month itself was somewhat shot due to the family events that unfolded that particular month, however running definitely still happened just back to 3-5 outings per week with an average of 2 miles each outing. At least two weeks though I still made the overall mileage goal.

SEPT 2010: Back covering original 7-11 miles although occasional treadmill running is getting thrown in more frequently. By this point, have discovered that treadmill running allows me to go farther (5K) which transfers into an easier time and increases road distance to nearer 3 miles also. By this point, I've beat my high school PR (personal record) and the new PR is just under 26 minutes. By end of month, shin splints returned with a vengence.

OCT-NOV 2010: Try to run through shin splints as I start to think it's just because I'm starting to pound out the mileage/outings again. I finally think of overall mileage since the last new shoes and I purchase a replacement set. Within 3 runs, shin splints are gone--amazing what shoes can do! Carrying on with 3-5 outings and about 11 miles a week. Somewhere in the summer I mastered running with one dog/leash per hand, and the gals eagerly look forward to our outings. I'm able to tackle the 2.5 loop I've created pretty easily with the dogs in tow.

AND THEN NOV-DEC 2010: Somehow, someway last week I mastered 20 miles split between 6 treadmill and outdoor runs. While some people get excited about 20 miles in one day, I was pretty stoked that I made 20 miles in a week. And for the first time in a LONG time, I have a committed running buddy who I meet on the gym treadmills after work. While treadmill running might not always be my favorite, I'm much more motivated now that I have a friend. And let me tell you, if you want to be motivated and pushed to go further than you thought you could, take up running with a good gal pal who is trying to get back into shape after having an adorable kiddo! ;)

For someone who can easily become bored with the same work-out plan and who doesn't consider herself an actual runner, I can hardly believe I have stuck with running for just about a full 12 months. I'm not entirely sure I'll stick with just running after our move home, but I'm honestly excited to see what I can accomplish with what's left of our time here. While this might seem a little downerish and I'm not entirely sure how people might perceive this, one of my primary motivating thoughts when I'm struggling to keep going another mile is to think of those individuals I work with or personally know who would love the opportunity to be able to flex their muscles and pound out another mile along the pavement....

So to quote the Gingerbread Man "Run, run, run, just as fast as I can!" :)

Still Coughing, But Life Has Perks

We are now in October which is a month entirely after my heart! The weather has finally taking a turn toward fall. The chill in the morning and evening air has been great and I'm loving making extra coffee to start the day. The first few leaves are turning, the squirrels are darting around gathering their wares, and the sun still streams strong in the afternoons. We're turning off the air and opening the window at night, bundling under covers, and the hub's in full football season swing.

The last 2-3 weeks have honestly left me wallowing--ready to be back home, surrounded by family, friends, and more like-minded support. As much as I love fall, it always makes me a bit more introspective and desiring to be a part of a pack. Some days in Louisiana are lonelier than others, but a good tearful call with my father on Sunday left me battening down the hatches again for the coming 5 months.

After 3.5 weeks of continuously coughing, I made two medical appointments. First one, my preferred choice of course, was an hour long Swedish massage with the masseuse electing to use natural oils to stimulate my lungs. The massage was amazing--pretty much perfect in every way--and the location only uses organic and/or natural lotions, oils, etc. The second appointment was with a Physician Assistant on post here to appease my coworkers who are all tired of hearing me hack at work. Two prescriptions later just to dull symptoms, I'm still hacking, especially after our evening to the rodeo in the cool night air last night...

Yes, folks, that's right. The rodeo's in town! And I hadn't been to a rodeo in years! Small town fun at its finest, but it was pretty enjoyable, especially when the rodeo clown and "friends" did their own rendition of the old favorite song: YMCA!....However the hacking could also be the fact that I'm getting tired of not having the ambition/energy to work out, so I've been running anyway this week....at least I'll hopefully be able to fit back into my jeans again if I can get back to my pre-cold mileage. I'm pretty sure this virus is here to stay for a bit, so it's going to just be working/living through it.

In other news (in no particular order):

--The hub and I had the most amazing up close observation of an armadillo last night. Even after a year here, we're both still fascinated by the creatures and there was one poking away in the grass near our trash can last night. We sat and watched him, trying to catch it on camera, for about five minutes before he finally startled and scuttled across the street.

--My gal back home is getting married next summer---woot! I'm so excited for the two of them and am so in support of their fabulous union. She's asked me to be her matron of honor and really I am so, well, honored! I haven't been in a wedding in a really long time, but am so appreciative and looking forward to the opportunity to help in any way I can. The two of them are a phenomenal couple together and its such a blessing to be a part of their life.

--I have a job lead and really its an amazing opportunity.....the catch is, its part-time and requires me to fly back home to interview sometime in the next few months probably. If you know me, then you know that part-time is perfecto, but not always perfecto for the bank account, especially when the first six months back I'm to be the primary breadwinner. So right now, I'm continuing to explore more options and am just trusting that everything will fall into place as it should....even with how difficult that is at times. But it's an AWESOME foot in an amazing door and definitely is in line with where I hope to be professionally during the next 30 years. Here's keeping my fingers crossed that I can tag-team this opportunity with something else.......although we're being smart budget wise so there may be the option that it would all work out financially anyway...

---And I guess the other big piece of news, while I usually don't report too much on the hub, is that he's talking/dreaming/beginning to plan to backpack the Pacific Northwest Trail from Montana to Washington for two months next summer with a few other veteran friends. We'll see how/if it pans out, but pretty exciting for him all the same.

Obviously I continue to ebb and flow with blogging, but I'm okay with that! The long weekend may include a new blog header though so we'll see about that! :)

Personal Enviro and Health Highlights

Just some wonderful environmental and healthy highlights:

1) We got our monthly electricity consumption report today. If you remember, our housing covers all of our utilities, but recently the privatized company has decided to pay up to a certain amount of usage and charge/reward for differences in the average consumption amount. (While I definitely agree with energy conservation, I don't agree with how they are calculating averages on this nor the fact that there's no true baseline amount but rather the rates of usage of some of the other homes like yours. PS Have I mentioned our homes have old, leaky alumnium windows and no insulation?!) The hub and I do a really good job of attempting to conserve energy: keeping lights off in rooms that we're not in, drawing most of the blinds during the day to keep down cooling/heating costs, hanging 60% of our wash on clothes lines to dry, washing in warm/cold, filling the dishwasher to the max before running, turning off the outside porch lights except when needed, recently flipping a power cord switch for the TV some nights, and this summer we're keeping the AC at a much more reasonable temp. While we're definitely major conservers in comparison to most of our friends here, we're still always within a few dollars of the comparison amounts---some months we're over and some we're under. Today we finally broke away from the pack and our consumption difference equalled about $20 less!!!  While I can't guarantee it'll stay low, I'm thrilled to at least finally see some proof in the pudding!

2) It dawned on me the last few weeks that very slight environmental changes have been happening at work. While there's no official recycling program on post for offices, I did drop a recycling container in the kitchen. I've never really mentioned it, but even my coworkers who aren't huge recyclers are dropping their plastic bottles (I haven't exactly lectured on this to all of them! :)) into the bin. There's still a lot of what I consider to be recyclables that end up in the trash, but it's so nice to see the contributions and attempts!  Every other week, I bring home the bag of recyclable plastics and a bag of paper from our shredder. And usage of the real plates and silverware is up too!

3) So far this week, I've ran 7 miles in three days. Not big to some, but a huge step in the right direction toward my newest goal and I'm definitely proving to myself that having a motivational goal is the ticket! I haven't exactly figured out how to approach the working out conversation with my coworkers, but I think I've realized that solo running after work is part of my individual self-care needs. I need the time to be alone, to think and process, to focus and yet meditate, to breath and pace as necessary......and its hard to do that when I'm not running (or swimming) or when I'm trying to meet the work out needs of another.  I'm sure it'll come up sooner rather than later however. ;)

Goals, Gratitudes, & Update

The last few weeks have been all over the place but there is much to be thankful for and much that has been accomplished:

---2 care packages constructed and 2 notes sent off (all of which definitely lifted my mood)

---2 pairs of holey, old running shoes sent to Nike-Reuse-A-Shoe. If they were in better condition I would have sent them to one of the organizations that provides shoes to lower income countries....but they were pretty beat up. So this way their parts can hopefully be reused!

---New furniture is settled: Last weekend we got the king sized bed and yesterday the hub picked up our sectional.  Unfortunately it appears I ordered the wrong lay-out of the sectional, so we'll have to rearrange the furniture yet again to make it all fit correctly, but I suppose flexibility is the key.  And we finally have all the furniture that we need. Might be a couple more shelves/desk but that's it.  It's nice to have those purchases completed!

---Got the discount applied to our car insurance for the state of Louisiana and paid the six month premium in full yesterday. Spent some time yesterday better organizing a calendar of when my paychecks will arrive and which one is designated to my student loan payment.

---This is the first week of my 7-10 mile goal, and I made it!  Even though I didn't necessarily want to run the last two days....the goal got me there. Although I'm pretty sure it wasn't much over 7 miles, but maybe 8. My muscles are tightening in different ways now.

---Am looking forward to visits from friends and family. We purchased tickets for my mom and Granny to come out in August. Granny turns 99 and will finally make it the Big Easy (NOLA: New Orleans). Due to work/conference schedules, I'm going to miss a buddy of mine who is there next week but he's talking about visiting here for a bit in Oct/Nov! Another friend will be presenting at a conference in Austin in Sept, so work schedules presenting we might try to meet up with him again. And lastly one of my MPH gals landed a CDC fellowship in Atlanta (awesome!!) and may be able to stop by on her move in Sept/Oct. Definitely exciting!

--I just discovered Tom's Shoes.....and may be ordering a pair. I'm a lil nervous though as my ankles are really thin and have a tendency to pull out of closed back shoes......I wish there was a pair of mules...

---The dogs continue to keep us occupied with tons of smiles and love! I actually just looked out the back window and saw the two dogs and Major all sitting in a triangle.  I'm also cat-sitting for a coworker who has been on vacation this week.

---The hub has a new road bike and has taken up biking with several of the other guys in his group. This week they covered over 30 some miles in one ride. Its nice to see him working out other than his required physical training, even if this means I'll never get a P90X partner!

---Pulled my first vine-ripened tomato yesterday!!  We have about three more turning. I've picked two jalapenos and there are quite a few just about ready. The bush beans are just about done, but I'm pretty impressed with the handful I was able to get!  And the basil has bolted which I'm not entirely sure why it did that....plan on finally ordering the worms this week. The grass in the backyard continues to spread....and we had glorious rain pours yesterday!!

---I'm also thinking about doing some postings on job searching and resumes.....

---I spent the most amazing solo evening on Thursday: red wine, cheese pizza, dark chocolates, smiling dogs, the second CNN toxin special, and then Its Complicated--a chick flick and very entertaining!  Simple evenings are the ones that replenish my soul and keep me feeling alive.....

Hope everyone has had a great week!  Enjoy your weekend!

Increasing the Distance

After starting to run again in January, I finally decided today that it'd be a good idea to alter my running goals. My previous goal focused on running 3-5 times each week, primarily as a means to decrease and regulate my weight. The first several months were a definite struggle, but in the last month or so I've felt my body relax back into running. I'm able to now regulate my breathing and switch up my stride as needed in order to push myself farther and/or longer. Thus rather than just focus on getting myself out there in my running shoes, I'm going to now focus more on increasing my mileage. Initially these thoughts stemmed from a conversation I had with a woman in my neighborhood about two weeks back. She had stopped me in my backyard to ask about my running technique and how long I'd been at it, as she has been hoping to slide into an easier groove like the one I have reached.  It was incredibly nice to just chat with someone over a similar interest, and her questions influenced me to begin to think about how to increase my running distance.

However, as much as I want to increase distance, I also don't want to take the fun out of it all!  The hub and I had measured some neighborhood routes in January. Most of them that I have been running equate to 1.5 to 3 miles, with my most regular two running routes being about 1.5-2 miles. Although when I run on the treadmill (which may be more common during coming hot summer months) I'm averaging slightly over 3 miles (although I never think treadmill running is equal to nor as difficult as running terrain outside). However my apparent motivation with running appears to be the desire to achieve my goal, which up til now has just been 3-5 times a week (equal to 4.5-8 miles a week).  When I started to calculate how far I've run in six months.....well I was less than impressed.  I definitely have the capacity to go farther and push myself more (although probably not too far over an average run of 3-4 miles as even when I ran cross country that was a good day for me). Yet I usually choose not to do more because there's nothing motivating me to go the extra mile--literally! 

Interestingly side notes: I've discovered that I run much better without music & headphones and so for the last two months I have been running mainly just focusing on my breathing, my surroundings, and processing my thoughts from the days activities. Ironically, I also still run best in the middle of the afternoon---something that seems to be ingrained in me from high school practice times, which were always held directly after school. 

So my new goal will be for me to run 7-10 miles a week, in whatever form that entails. I figure this increases my range by about 2 miles on either side, which makes for a good push for the coming month or so until I see how it all pans out. I also recognize that I could choose to run at least twice a week at 3.5 miles or I could run 5 days in a week at 1.5 miles and still make it in my goal range for that week. I like that it still allows for flexibility, while pushing my competitive side to up the ante slightly. 

We'll see how it goes---but always good to readjust those goals!

Home and Life as of Late

Beyond work, the house seems to be the primary thing on my mind as of late. My mother and granny are coming to visit in August (exciting!), which has also influenced me to have the house situated before they get here.  Luckily, our financial plan was based upon getting the new bed and sectional during these summer months.  As I've mentioned before, we've had much difficulty with delivery to our current location.  Our primary couch we ordered last summer from West Elm took an unexpected extra 3-4 weeks due to our location, and while we enjoy their style we've opted to no longer do business with them due to their unwillingness to alter delivery options. Macy's will not deliver to this side of Louisiana, but allows for scheduled furniture pickup from the Houston warehouse. Penney's guaranteed delivery within 4 weeks to any continental US location, but 2 months after ordering our sectional our delivery date had yet to be determined. We have a very modern taste that is difficult to find in most stores, but we've definitely been wishing for the ability to find a store that would allow for furniture to be purchased and picked up in the same day. 

Hence one of the reasons we decided to purchase a king bed from.....Ikea. Definitely not the most environmentally friendly option, but since Ikea is 3 hours away we were able to purchase and set up our new modern style, king bed in the same day.  Add on to that the fact that we purchased a new bed set w/ two night stands, mattress, and almost all organic bedding (I've been purchasing sales for months) for about $1000, and I'm definitely happy we decided to go this route. I have no doubt that the particle board, veneers, and new mattress are off-gassing all sorts of chemicals, but in this case the cheaper, easier method won out.  Ikea did offer a natural/somewhat organic mattress but in the end we went with the regular one.  I will tell you that the enlarged sleeping space has been amazing, although the dogs aren't too happy about being relegated back to the floor! We won't always have walk-in closets so down the road I'd like to get the matching chest of drawers also.

Also at Ikea we purchased this great picture of a lime tree that is hanging in our kitchen.  I know that reproduced big box artwork isn't exactly the greatest, but it goes with our kitchen and we both love it.

Last weekend I painted my childhood chest of drawers, shelf, and night stand in the same brown spray paint I used on the end table.  It's amazing what a new coat of paint and some new hardware can do! All of these will be used in the guest room. Our neighbors have been wanting to increase a mattress size also and will swap out our queen size mattress set for one of their full size sets.  As long as this queen set is comfortable for them then they won't have to purchase a new one, and we'll make the swap official. We also will return their extra futon that we've been using as an extra bed in our spare room.

This is the current living room lay-out after rearranging due to the TV.  If you haven't noticed, we keep ourselves occupied by rearranging furniture! ;) In this room we swapped the lay-out so the table is at the back end of the room and the sitting area is near the front.  The furniture placement will change slightly next weekend when the hub picks up the Macys sectional from the Houston warehouse. At that point our futon will move into the extra kitchen area, and people will have a more comfortable place in there to sit. In the above photo, you can see the lil' quilt that my gal's sister made-to-order for me!  Eventually we do want to find a second hand buffet/bar and a better desk option, but for the most part our furniture buying is now complete! 

Feels like a lot of purchases, but I know they're budgeted for, well researched, and are items that will serve us for years to come. We still have some special touches with art work, etc, but altogether I'm so glad with our lil' home.

We didn't take any pictures of our recent trip to Houston as I forgot the camera, but one of the things we made sure to do on this trip was to drive through part of downtown.  It reminded me a lot of Portland to be honest and was very pretty.  There are a lot of things that the hub and I would love to check out in Houston, but honestly after this next trip for the sectional I'm not sure we really want to head back due to the insane traffic we always face while there.  Traffic jams galore and crazy drivers definitely decrease our desire to explore and check out the wonderful museums and the like that are there. Houston would be a great place to check out if you direct flight into it and easily transport downtown, but I have yet to meet a single person who enjoys driving in it.