Decisions, Decisions.....

It's like these mass updates keep occurring :) but don't worry, I promise there are some fun things also.

I guess major announcement #1 is that Tall D and housemate G are still living in the house so far, albeit they're paying rent on their apartment also. The main reason behind this is that Tall D and I have been trying to figure out where we currently stand, because last week a prior decision was reversed for the time being, honest communication ensued, and hopes for a future (either together or apart) were shared. There have been major conversations since then and lots of time spent shared together---but we're still no where closer to a decision on which of three main paths to walk down. There's still much to work through..... and if I'm being authentic...then honestly I feel like I'm avoiding listening to my heart AND to my head. Avoidance isn't usually my subscription to life, but no one wants to be the one to make a final decision.

All this ties into announcement #2 which is that plans for the summer are on a stand-by. I've been looking forward to a summer of simple pleasures--river floats, hiking, gardening & yard work, travels, happy hours, etc, interspersed with my summer work schedule. While I recognize that all these things are still viable options, I'm not sure how readily they'll still pan out the way I'd envisioned. (Envisioning!!) Additionally Tall D's and my indecision places Z and Tall D's new apartment mates G and J in limbo as well.....

Ha--now add onto all this the end of the term that both Tall D and I are working through. Tall D's trying to bring his grades back toward his 4.0 status and I'm trying to finalize my students grades and prep for summer term. It's looking like I'll maintain in my other position until a new hire can be brought on, which extends my original contract into mid July. Great for the paycheck and my extra responsibility of bills (cell phone plans have already been broken up, half the utilities transferred to my name only, and did you know that car insurance goes up when you're separated?!), but I'm really just ready for some sort of a break this summer. But then again who isn't?!

And all of this leads directly into announcement #3: I've been asked by my supervisor to apply for a fairly big position within my campus...and per the usual I have mixed feelings about applying for it. I honestly don't even know that I could land the job because it's several steps above where I am now, but the recommendation from my supervisor would go far and the other campus administrators have all been impressed with the work I've done in my position this year. I meet many of the qualifications of the position, but I can also guarantee that they'd hope to get someone with more experience than what I have...and it's another position where I feel the fact that I'm only going to be 30 would be unnerving for some. I know I have the ability to do the job but it's also full-time, potentially high-stress, and I would have to give up most of my teaching.

Thus, in life currently, there are many DECISIONS, DECISIONS.

Now I promised some awesomes and I won't fail to deliver....although if you know me on Facebook, you've already seen many of these:

1) This lil' critter I found alive (albeit traumatized) hidden in my closet this week. Looks like Major lost one, but thankfully the bird was rescued and released (mainly) no worse for the wear.

2) I'd been pining for this awesome elephant mug from Starbucks for the last week or two. After sharing that bit of intel with Tall D, he hunted one down and had it in the cupboard to surprise me. Definitely has been making me happy as I sip my morning coffee.

3) My new passport arrived. The irony of life is that it arrived the same day that Tall D sat me down for our change-in-direction conversation. Whether or not it'll get used this summer as originally planned, I honestly can't believe how fast it came and it's still nice to have it available.

4) My buddies Z and B helped my aunt, uncle, cousin, and I rip out my aunt & uncle's old deck on Sunday. In one long day of fun work we got the whole thing removed, enjoyed lots of jokes, indulged in some great lemon drops, and ended the night with an impromptu dance party in their living room. FUN DAY! (Plus some of the wood from the deck is transporting to my place for chicken coop construction.)

5) Last Saturday I did my first organized running event: The Starlight Run which leads off the Starlight Parade. Tall D probably won't be very happy I'm including him in a picture on the blog, but I wanted to document so here we go. He, myself, and one of his college buddies ran the 5k together through downtown PDX. Costumes are encouraged, hence the ram's hat on his head. The run was a ton of fun and we even saw B and B's dog in the crowd! I've been getting a few other 5k runs in during the last week and with the help of Tall D's and my friend who is deployed, I plan to start training for a half. Woot woot---NEW GOALS! :)

So amidst chaos, enjoy the awesomes! How have y'all been?

A Productive Weekend Staycation

Whew what a weekend y'all, but although it was busy it was also relaxing and fulfilling. Much got crossed off the "need to do" list this weekend for sure! But before I get too far let me broach a few things first:

1) Last Saturdays event went pretty well. Lower turn-out than expected but everyone behaved, the food was decent, the decor and venue looked great, and everyone reported it was a good time. Even Tall D said it was much better than he ever would have expected and for someone who rarely gives compliment that should mean something! (His words, not mine.) The other plus side was that I was left with at least a dozen bouquets of flowers, which I got to bring home and re-vase for the house:

2) Tall D and a coworker of mine both also have made me think twice about leaving the world of veteran services. While I definitely need a break and the center really could use new blood to re-route it a bit more, I asked my supervisor of that position if I could extend until they actually bring someone else on. As much as I burn out, everyone tells me that I do a really good job. My original plan was to vacate as of June 20th and I still might, but extending also gives me the option to stay until the transition can be complete. Plus there are several projects that could get worked on this summer.

3) Tall D and Housemate G are supposed to be moving out this week. They spent the long weekend up at a major concert series in the Gorge and so Z spent part of the weekend here helping me around the house and making sure that we'll be able to live sanely together, as I'm not always the easiest person to live with. (Somehow, Tall D has actually been the best housemate I've ever had. We co-existed in living conditions extremely well.) With the boys moving out, Z will probably officially move in sometime mid-month.

4) Mid-week last week, I went grocery shopping....and it dawned on me that was the first time I'd been grocery shopping in six weeks. Tall D and G haven't been shopping either--how in the world we've existed over the last few weeks, I don't know. (Well okay, I take part of that back....Z brought over food for all of us on occasion.....) But hopefully this return foray into proper nutrition in the fridge is a good sign.

5) Albeit last week was also a bit harder emotionally again. As much as I know in my head that the upcoming split is the right one, some days as it approaches move out day it's a little bit harder for my head and heart to agree. And sometimes they want to agree....but in the opposite direction of it being the smartest decision....

And now without further ado....pictures and some updates from the weekend:

1) Dinner out on Thursday evening followed by an evening curled into blankets on the couch watching Blood Diamond.

2) Spring is upon us, which meant a 8-10 mile walk/hike with the dogs through Forest Park in the middle of the city on Friday afternoon. 

3) Friday dinner out with my brother, Z, and another Marine who you'll probably read a lot about by the letter of B. B will be spending a lot of time with Z and I here this summer...and has been tasked out to complete a few yard projects for me.

4) Saturday morning included a quick trip to the Beaverton Farmer's Market (the largest in the state) for tomatoes, onions, and a few other items for home cooked pasta sauce.

5) Saturday afternoon, I took my brother to meet with two tattoo artists to schedule his tattoo and to put down the deposit. Came back to clean the house, mow the lawn, and weed for an hour before my gal N, her hubby, her SIL S, and S's boyfriend came to join Z and I for dinner. Z's sauce rocked and N's cobbler was A-MA-ZING. It was great to have friends over for dinner, enjoy good food, and even to eat out on the patio!

6) On Sunday, Z and some of the center vets had organized to come over to help me out in the yard. Z and B were able to till my raised beds with a little help from B's wolf-hybrid dog, Rommel. I also spent part of the afternoon ripping out weeds and over-run berry brambles. I'd written previously that one of the guys had drawn up plans for a coop and Sunday was Day #1 for implementation. In this picture, three of them are digging the trench that will hold the gravel, cement footings, and cinder blocks so that hopefully no critters can dig under the chicken wire. B and Z are helping out my aunt and uncle by ripping out their deck for them next weekend, and some of that left over wood will be used to construct part of the chicken's actual shelter. After trench digging, Z grilled up brats and garden burgers for our work crew of 4 guys and 3 of us gals.

7) Monday was a day of errands and garden making. We returned the mini-tiller to my aunt and uncles. Then Z worked over the two chain saws in the garage while I finished my online grading. We headed out to Target (uh....CUTE dresses on sale y'all!), Home Depot, BiMart, and Ace Hardware. I picked up a pair of new work gloves because I'm not sure where my old ones ended up and I sliced the skin off a finger hauling cinder blocks on Saturday. We got a new chain for one of the saws and then Z bought materials to build a sort-of trellis for the beans/peas. When we got back, we planted the garden and then I finished weeding the front of the house. Laundry was done, the rest of my in-person grading and prepping was completed, and somehow even a work-out with Insanity was added in there last night (which felt GREAT!). 

Peas, beans, & various squashes that will run with the rhubarb in the corner.

First box: Tomatoes, the returning artichoke, a row of lettuce, two peppers.

Second box: a row of cucumbers, herbs, two rows of carrots, a row of koli rabi, and space for strawberries.

On trellis: grape making an effort and the kiwi is in full force.

Alongside the boxes: berries, rosemary, overrunning mint, and massive garlics. 

Honestly it was a great weekend and I'm so glad to have the garden in and the coop on its way. The yard has a great start to looking better as well. I worked on perfecting Tall D's blueberry waffles and for the first time made french toast from actual french bread and with my own chicken's eggs. The weekend was the perfect blend of socialization, productivity, and relaxation. However most of all, I feel so grateful to Z and to all the guys for how much they've been helping me out.....and in a lot of ways the future looks potentially brighter...

Hope each of you had a wonderful weekend too!

Last March Work Week Wear

Folks, next week is spring break and I'm going to do my utmost best to stay away from work....and that includes scheduling, emails, and the like. An entire week just to.....read, drink, enjoy, hike, breath, and just plain be.

So what did I wear this last week? Well here ya go:

MONDAY: Presentation & Office

A) Going in for a presentation on my normal day off, led to 3 hours in the office. B) This dress really is not my favorite, as it shows every bulge & bump except for when I'm in better shape, ie it's always worn with tights to hold it all in!

(dress: clearance Ross (3yo); boots: Penneys (this winter); belt (from other dress); cami & tights: Target staples)

TUESDAY: Office & Meeting

This outfit apparently made me appear as if I had a sign on me asking to be hit on. This color combo was a new twist but I enjoyed it. I always feel bad that this dress came out of Walmart from our Louisiana days...but I always get tons of questions/compliments on it.

Work today included being in the office most the day and running into some frustrating details with employees. Then I traveled to a different campus for a meeting. No class since it was finals week, but I spent the evening taking care of some teaching stuff.

(dress: Walmart (2yo); gray suede boots: outlets (this winter); accessories: Freddies (new necklace, 5yo tights); gray cardi: Target (recent))

WEDNESDAY: Office, Event Mtg downtown, & Teaching

You also should be realizing by now that when I get something new, I wear it ALL the time. Almost as if I think I need to diminish it's CPU as soon as I get it. :) (Which is probably also why hub hates that I wear cardigans so much!)

Today was a mixed bag at work. Office in the morning, followed by a meeting downtown with our event planning team to allocate payment coverage, and then back to the house to work on some stuff before heading off to proctor the first final exam. Hub and I grabbed lunch together downtown which was out of our norm but a very nice surprise. And then my students surprised me with flowers and a card signed by all of them---with how emotional I've been, it almost brought me to tears---it's truly the little things that matter. 

(brown tweed pants: Macys (fall); same recent gray cardi & white cami: Target; blue lightweight knit: Banana Republic outlet (1yo); same gray suede boots: outlets (winter))

THURSDAY: (SNOW): Office, Mtg, & Teaching

And so not office appropriate BUT there was another freak snow fall so thick socks and boots it was....which means jeans or a skirt/dress.....and this knit was warm with tights. Plus it gave me another wear of this new dress that I bought recently back home.

Remember the children's book....No Good Very Bad Day? Yep that about sums it up here. The morning started out with a big blow up in the office and I had to harp on another guy in the center. It was a day where I hated being a female in a male dominated culture. 90% of the time they appreciate it, 10% of the time it's a struggle. Yesterday was a struggle. I also realized I hadn't finished grading my students papers to hand back during their final exam, so I felt like a horrible teacher. I then spent four hours last night grading, calculating grades, and emailing every student their scores. Somewhere yesterday I ran out of much time to eat, so by the time 11pm rolled around last evening while I was waiting for hub to get home, I realized there was a major reason my stomach was grumbling. No Good Very Bad Day. I really just needed a big hug.

(dress: Ross (recent); boots: Target (2yo); long sweater: Old Navy (2yo); tights/socks: Freddies; black cami & brown belt: Target)

This morning hub and I scarfed down much food to compensate for missing nutrients yesterday. (Yea for backyard eggs & blueberry waffles!) And then I finished grading my class and inputted the info into the online system. My new online class is set. I sent two emails to both my bosses. Now all I have left for the new term is just to create new syllabi and online folders for students to access resources. Sigh...I am oh so ready on oh so many levels for happy hour this afternoon and va-ca-tion this next week......Now if I can just get my personal life to smooth into place..... :)

Hope y'all had a good week!

Outfits & The Week in Review

MONDAY: Meeting & Errands

Usually I don't formally work on Mondays (I do a lot of emails, planning, and grading at home), but last Monday one of my vets had a presentation to give to the campus president so I wanted to make sure he was there and it went well (he forgot the last time he was scheduled.....). Luckily it also gave me another chance to address some of the campus big wigs on veterans issues and events, so it turned out to be a win-win. However, I also stepped it up a professional notch.....and pulled some of my oldest work wear out of the closet.

(wrap dress & cami: Target; tights & jewelry: Freddies; boots: Penney's; blazer: Macy's)

TARGET PURCHASES

And then I "had" to stop at Target----which led to a big fat shopping fail on my part. :) I stopped to get gift cards for my sister's family (3 of them have March birthdays) and to pick up a baby gift for the front desk worker at the distance campus I also teach at....but I couldn't help but wander over to the clothes section.....

....and cardis & camis were on sale......and then the tweed dress you see above was on clearance....and they all made their way into my basket and out of the door. (Hub was oh.so.glad to see yet another cardigan, but I can't tell you the number of times I've wished I had a gray one......)

That cardi, cami, jean outfit got me through the afternoon and evening though---which included cleaning the house, finishing grading, picking up the yard, having a heart-to-heart with one housemate, attempting to read more, making an awesome take on a curry dish over couscous, and the like.

TUESDAY: Meetings & Teaching

The day started off with my dropping off one housemate at work before I headed to another campus for meetings. I meant to change before I taught, but I ran out of time as my morning meetings turned into a working lunch that continued into the early afternoon.....and then I was left with just enough time to drive to my campus, finishing prepping/make copies, and teach. I sort of feel like this was a bit too casual for the usual vibe I try to give off while teaching however.

(cardigan, cami, dark jean pencil skirt, black ruffled blouse: Target; boots: Penneys)

The rest of the evening was spent doing a P90X work-out, getting ready for the next day, and then keeping one of the housemates company while he made the most amazing gumbo from scratch (including a veggie portion for me!!). It seriously was delish and just may have been one of my first exposures to okra.

WEDNESDAY: Office & Teaching

You can't really see the plaid in the red button-up shirt, nor that it was tucked in. Nor do you see the brown belt that started up around my waist, then made it's way around my hips, then under the sweater as the day progressed (and somewhere in there I also had one of my vets put two more holes in it in order to distract him from whatever was bothering him). Today was my extra long day in the office this last week, followed by my usual late night of teaching, followed by 30 minutes with a student after class, followed by an hour of reading for the next day's meeting in another town, followed by showering/eating/cleaningthekitchen/throwing random clothes in an overnight bag and crashing into bed somewhere between 11pm and 1230am.

(red plaid button-up, brown suede boots, brown tweed pencil skirt: Penney's; cream cardi: Target)

THURSDAY: Out of town meeting

Cue random snow arrival over night. Okay, so the snow had been discussed but I was oh.so.hopeful it wouldn't arrive.....and I was oh.so.thankful for my AWD vehicle as I hauled down the interstate running late for my meeting/conference on veterans issues that was in the town an hour south of us. Waking up at 5:45am on a potential snow day (for a meeting that ended up only leaving me annoyed.....) wasn't exactly my ideal way to start a day, and I honestly struggled with selecting something appropriate to wear. The outfit I came up with above was attempt #3 or so and at that point I was already 20 minutes behind schedule, so while it's boring, it was also my last ditch effort. Beg your pardon of the photo, I had to snag it from Granny's bathroom mirror....... :)

(gray pinstripe pants & black cami: Target; white cardi: Walmart; black suede boots: Penneys; black belt: gifted)

And yep, you read that right. I'd already arranged for someone to cover my Thursday evening class (moved the exam to that date), so I was able to spend a few days with Granny. (First I stopped off at a friends place who I have hardly had the opportunity to see since we've moved back---SO great getting to catch up with her and see her beautiful pregnant belly!) But then I headed over to Granny's and off to dinner for burgers and beers we went. I ended up staying until this morning (Saturday) and it was amazing to go to bed super early both nights (9:30pm!!), eat on a regular schedule, and really just spend some time enjoying and butting heads with Granny. :)

FRIDAY: Errands

And you've seen this outfit before and will see it again.....it's one of my favorites honestly and I've been itching to wear it with my black pencil skirt and boots to work---but it's a standby. Granny and I woke up late, breakfasted, and then headed off to run her errands. She always loves to get cards at Hallmark, so we headed downtown to pick up three months of birthday cards for the family (and to grab me a stronger coffee!). After lunch and a rest, we picked up her groceries and a few other things she needed......and then we decided to see if my sister's crew could celebrate their birthdays with pizzas in their town. Soon enough Granny and I loaded up again and headed over there for pizzas and beer for dinner.....topped off with homemade cake made by my sister. We also got to see my great-niece (Granny's great-great grand-daughter), and it was so cute watching her play with the tea set Granny got her.

(jeggings: Walmart; cami & sweater: Target; scarf: Freddies; black suede boots: Penneys)

SATURDAY: Return Home

You've also seen this outfit before but it's another great weekend standby. This morning I changed the sheets on my bed at Granny's, breakfasted with her and got her set-up with her schedule for the day (2pm Beanbag baseball practice & 7pm Blazers on TV), and then I met my brother for coffee before leaving town. I made it back in record time and then was able to run up to campus to complete a few of the things that I'd scheduled to do this afternoon. Coming home, I did some laundry, unpacked, and picked up after the dogs & chickens out back. Blog completed, hub's dinner eaten (cod fish tacos w/ mango slaw), now it's time to attempt some quality time with hub before bed.

(black leggings & flats (not pictured): Target; purple sweater dress: Dress Barn)

Clothing wise I feel the week was a bit boring, but I'm okay with it. Sometimes we compromise in some areas in order to live our lives more fully in others. The two days of work in Portland were way busier than most, I'm "sharing" more in more ways than I used to, and the end of this week saw me getting to spend time with my gal (who I hadn't seen since last summer), my sister's family (also since last summer), my brother (last seen on New Years), and this was the first time I've spent the night at Granny's in almost three years. I'd say that the lamer outfit choices were well worth the extra time spent with loved ones and the busyness of the work days! :)

Hope you all had a good week too!

February Thoughts & Happenings

----The chickens are still making a racket multiple times per week. I'm thinking we'll be getting rid of them. The feed store owners (the mom of my gal N) said she'd re-home them if we want and offered new chicks, but I think I'm done til we have legit property one day. There's a good chance that hub would prefer to, um, eat them.

----We've offered hub's pride and joy old jeep to one of my vets who is in need of a vehicle. He's been hard pressed for months and as much as that Jeep is an extension of hub, these are the moments when I love hub's huge heart.....even when he tries to keep it hidden. However the jeep has its own quirky issues, is uninsured/unregistered/parked in the garage, so we'll see what happens.

----I don't know that this much TV has been on in our house non-stop and daily channel turning to MMA (mixed martial arts). We're still adjusting to four of us in the house but I'm oh so hopeful. My coworker has been looking at places and hopes to get a place in April. We have yet to discuss a timeline with hub's friend. My coworker is amazing though as a housemate. Luckily the guys and hub have been off enjoying themselves at the Newport Seafood & Wine Fest this weekend, so it's been nice for the doggies and I to roam the house freely.

-----My supervisor asked me to reconsider leaving my vet position, which I had a feeling she would. She also said I could re-create the job to better meet my and the center's needs. The pay is amazing and I actually found out that it bumps up my pay in my other job too.....but I'm still not sure I could do another year. There are pro's and con's to every thing---and honestly I keep hoping that something else might open for me to do a lateral transfer.

----Although I did "put the smack down" in the center last week, as mentioned in my clothing post. Ironically one thing I love about working with vets is a) some of them respect me more now because of it and b) they're so used to that sort of thing that most of them were back to being jolly and normal within two minutes......but for the most part, they DID get the picture and that's good to see.

----Book club was today. I was (sigh....) almost 30 minutes late....and yet this seems to be a return to hub's and my standard. We also were 15 minutes late to a joint vet mtg together yesterday....although in our defense, we were 10 minutes early to my work dinner! (Which work dinner went AWESOME btw!) Being late does make me feel bad...slightly. Only because I know that a lot of people that love me.....also despise being kept waiting. Anyway the gals also chose to go with Joy for Beginners---so we'll be reading that this month.

-----Today I was thinking of 3 high school gal pals and how much we've loved each other through different phases of ourselves. When I think back on all of our changes in 15 years.....it's amazing, and yet they've accepted me for me (almost) every step of the way. I love these girls because I can be any side of me and it's always okay. If I'm caring and idealist, withdrawn and needing space, or blunt and bitchy.....it doesn't matter. They accept who I am at each crossroads of life....and I am beginning again to realize just how much I appreciate it. I don't have to be anyone but me with them and I never have to worry about offending....and I seriously hope they feel the same way.

-----I have a weekend trip in April to San Antonio. I am beyond excited to see my gal....and in a total moment of irony, I'm seriously looking forward to being back in the south. Amazing culture/food in San Antonio AND 80 degree weather. Also on the docket: see my childhood friend again AND make it to Austin (definitely on the lifetime list)!

----I seriously love when Roxi comes running back into the house in the evenings and just careens into her cushy dog bed.

----I took a nap today and have been 100% lazy and it's been absolutely perfect.

----I found another awesome remix fashion blogger that y'all should check out: Putting Me Together.

----I'm still in my anti-social stage--I'm just not feeling it. I know I'm in a total selfish stage period---want my little moments with hub, want flexibility to spend lazy weekends grading and working out and running errands and flexible, and honestly I'm just not wanting to get too deep into thinking about life. I seriously love and missed my friends who care so deeply, but right now I'm just not there and it's hard for me to want to go there. I work with people who need a lot and who are hardened to the world in many ways....and well, I think it's rubbed off. My idealism is a whole lot more realism than I ever would have cared to have....and in a lot of ways I don't feel as much like talking about what could be or should be or thinking about how to make life better, etc ... it is what it is.

-----Hub aced both his bio exams this last week. He's such an academic rockstar---I'm legit proud of him.

-----The Air Force is supposedly recruiting for Public Health officers....I emailed the health professional recruiter for more info. Side bar: every 2-3 years I research and contemplate joining the Air Force or Coast Guard.... thus far it's never been the right fit. I still don't expect it to be the right fit, but it is interesting to say the least. However 5am and I have never been friends, and I'm also learning that while management might be an okay fit for me, I'm not sure it's my favorite.

-----We're headed into Week 8 of the term---although I'm headed to a conference in Salem on Thursday, so it's just two evenings of teaching this week. I'm thinking about trying to spend the night at Granny's and hopeful I can see one of my other gals who is pregnant and who I have only seen twice in the year we've been back.

-----On the docket this summer: two of my gal pals from high school and I are road tripping to our other gal in Arizona. We've been talking about a Summer 2012 trip for two years, and I re-arranged my teaching schedule within the timeline the other gals have available (K-12 schedule starts late August). One of the gals is in San Fran so picking her up is the perfect halfway mark, and it just happened to coincide with my 30th. (Three of us turn 30 this summer actually.) I'm seriously so stoked to be making this happen! And my parents deserve an award, because they're tentatively agreeing to swap the Sorento for their Prius---cha ching!

------On the docket in the next three years: potential opportunities for international travel, but I've been sworn to not mention any of it. Although I can tell you that one place would add a new dream continent, include potential mission work (my heart swoons), and get me that much closer to achieving my lifetime goal of traveling to all continents. The other trip would be a lifetime dream for a friend and would be an amazing celebration of her, of which I would feel honored to be a part. (And it's all of course dependent on what I do for work/finances in the next few years....and what all else life might decide to throw at us) Add on to this my heartfelt desire to buy hub a vacation, the fact that we currently have friends stationed in Italy, AND that in the next 9 years I legit need to return to Argentina. (Hmmm......when does hub start racking in the bucks?! :))

-----Have I mentioned my department head is amazing? He seriously recognized that I need a vacation this year and so allowed for me to plan my summer schedule to grant me most of September (to potentially visit my gals in Georgia) and to rearrange our original plan so my gals and I could make it to Arizona. He deserves boss-of-the-year award! And just in case you're wondering I'm teaching twice a week in person and two classes online.

----Tomorrow I need to run. Period.

-----But have I mentioned yet that at 10am today it was 39 degrees and slushing?!

-----And how totally bad a$$ is it that it's a Leap Year?!

And with my brain dumping successfully completed and you up-to-date (for the most part and only if you made it this far), I'm off to get teary some more about The Heart and the Fist....because damn it, I'm gonna read it first anyway! ;)

FW3: Three Days of Work Wear

TUESDAY: Office & Teaching

Something a bit different than I usually do but the layers were great for my too-warm evening classroom. Cardi came off, blouse was untucked and the class started. I also had white oval earrings on to provide a more youthful, contrary element to the uber-professionalism. I wasn't sure about the yellow-on-yellow, but decided I liked it better than the matronly look the white cardi gave it. This outfit also led to discussion with the guys in the office about the awesomeness of pattern mixing (polka dot top, pinstripe pants)---of which they laughed and indulged me---bahaha! The authoritativeness of the tailored pants and heels came in needed since I "put the smack down" in the office about some inappropriate commentary that had been happening---to say they knew it was coming but still didn't expect my furor is probably an understatement, but I had several other vets quietly tell me they appreciated it. 

(yellow cardi & gray pinstripe pants: Target; yellow polka dot blouse: Penneys; gray suede mary janes: Naturalizer)

WEDNESDAY: Office & Teaching

Honestly this is a wrap-dress that I'm never overly satisfied with, but it's long-sleeved and easy so I covered it with the white cardi & a belt, accessorized, and ran out the door. This look (dress, cami, cardi, belt) seems like it's fast becoming a new trademark outfit for me.... 

(gray/blue/black wrap-dress: Ross clearance; black cami: Target; white cardi: Walmart; belt: gifted; black heeled boots: Penneys; necklace: Freddies)

THURSDAY: Meetings & Teaching

This is called "I wanted 20 extra minutes of sleep," so I grabbed what I know to be my truly easiest and comfortable combo: cami under sweater, skirt, and flats. Since it's still chilly I pulled the tights on, and then accessorized with a black bracelet & earrings. Probably not my most professional look to lead the taskforce meeting this particular morning, BUT it worked. The biggest irony of this outfit is that one of my "hardest" vets told me this particular day that he considers me as "one of the guys," so I laughed and retorted "a guy in a skirt" to which he agreed. ;) (At least I know I've completely gained approval.....I suppose.)

(sweater, cami, skirt, flats: Target; jewelry & tights: Freddies)

It's been interesting starting to "follow" more fashion bloggers, although there are truly only a few that I regularly follow. The ones I enjoy the most are those that use budget conscious or thrifted items and repurpose combos of what they already own. What I realize about some is that even though their outfits are stylish and unique, they're almost always the same outfit----but I think most of us follow this. We find what works for us and we just make alterations on it. (Are you noticing this here?! :)) However there are also some fashion bloggers out there that I find and seriously think "what were they thinking?!".....only furthering me to believe that plain Jane sometimes truly is better. But anyway....one of my newest faves is Literate & Stylish if you're interested in checking her out. Sort of a Portland vibe with total professionalism on a social worker's budget---and always with thrifted or created pieces---love it!

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 :)

Moments of a Friday Morn

You know those moments when mindfulness falls upon you and you hold those snapshots of vision close to your heart all day? Hub and I had a lot of those moments that we pointed out to each other the weekend after we got married in order to hold us through some of the separate moments we'd spend in the months after. Sometimes though, mindfulness is less of a daily ingrained habit and something we stumble upon only in passing. This morning, I'm not sure if it's the groggriness of the cold I'm attempting to halt or just the relief of the end of the work week (for the most part), but I definitely recognized some of those snapshot moments this morning.....

Hub might kill me (not really) but here are some of those moments of the morning:
---The gentle chilly morning air hanging low and appearing like a protective coat around the community.
---Hearing the smack smack smack of Major swatting my chapstick off the dresser this morning and turning to see him sitting as regal as a king (at least a king in his mind!).
---Hub coming in to check on me still snoozing this morning, wrapped only in his towel after his shower---whit whew!
---Roxi licking my hand happily as I ventured out of bed and propping her paws up to "assist."
---The dogs excitedly following hub around the house hoping to tag along to campus.
---Major darting and rolling around the house all morning like he was a forgotten member of the mission impossible team.
---Gratitude for counters that have been wiped down, hot coffee, and delicious toast.
---And hub all bundled up for his first attempt to ride his bike to catch the MAX to campus, turning on his way out of the drive way with a wave and "toodles!" ;) Haha.

I've got fifteen minutes to throw on my outfit of the day and head out to a different campus to attend the afternoon session of the teaching conference being put on by my college. This evening I'll do my P90X session and hopefully make it another 100 pages in the book club book (which is to be discussed tomorrow morning--ironically I think I'm enjoying it the most out of everyone!). Tomorrow after book club, hub and I are maybe going to hit up BodyWorlds but the couple on the corner that we've enjoyed are throwing a birthday party for their lil girl so we'll have juggle what all we can attend. More assignments to grade online and from my in-person classes and prep-work are scheduled for Sunday, and a longer than normal work week coming up this next week too---woosh!

The extra busy of this last week (juggling meetings, micromananging employees, coordinating a donation drive on campus to raise money for a local non-profit providing services to homeless and low-income veterans, marketing at club fair each day, responding to the usual veteran needs and issues, weeding through 50-100 work emails each day, letting my boss know I'm not re-applying for this position next year, teaching conference attendance yesterday and this afternoon, and still teaching/prepping/grading my courses and responding to their emails) with the added extra busy of next week makes me glad for a morning of mindfulness and rejuvenation.

Hope you have your own moments of mindfulness to take with you through some of those extra busy moments of life! Sending postive thoughts, energy, and prayers your way!

It's Been a Week....and Now it's the End.

First week down, ten to go......and I hate feeling like that already.

First week back into the term was a mix of emotions. It started out great and ended with tears. Yes, folks, you heard that right, I cried. I felt great about the schedule I'd set up on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings. But by the time Thursday morning arrived, I was already wiped. In one of my positions, there's a lot that I'm micro-managing and responding to right now, and on top of it we also saw record numbers this week. My class that particular night included a major mistake on my part that while it was a total accident and not-really-a-major-detail of the night, I still made someone else's night incredibly difficult.....and in the type of way that is exactly against the prevention I attempt to assist with in my other position. I don't like to share details of that type on here, but let's just say that my two positions over-lapped in a sense....and in a way that made me realize that I'd made a mistake that completely saddened my heart. Two days later and it's still on my mind and heart. Additionally, I'm realizing that working with the population that I do can sometimes make me less patient to deal with the member of that population that resides in my own home...and I don't like feeling that way.  I'm seriously contemplating putting in a resignation.....even though I feel bad about it for other reasons.

Friday morning hub and I slept in......and slept in...and slept in. When we finally got up, we picked up the yard, cleaned out the make-shift coop, and picked up the house. Then for the first time since we married, hub and I completed a weights routine together, as he completed the Shoulders & Arms DVD with me and then the Ab Ripper X DVD too. It was interesting working out together but good too, as it made me push myself a bit more. Hub is loving his conditioning class he's taking through his college, but he enjoyed the additional "weekend" work-out yesterday. After working out, we ran separate errands that needed to get done, and then we relaxed while we waited for our weekend guests.

One of hub's Army friends from his deployment lives a couple hours north of us, and they hadn't seen each other in three years until this weekend. His friend and the girlfriend came down for the night and it was really nice listening to our guys catch up. I heard several stories I'd never heard before and it was nice to know that hub has someone who holds him in such high regard who is living within a day's drive from us. It actually was a pretty low-key night as we ordered pizzas, lit a fire in the fireplace, and just sat around the living room eating, indulging in much drinking, and chatting. Today we fixed waffles and espresso for everyone, and then we took them on a drive around downtown. It was raining so we didn't feel too much like walking around in the rain, but we did make two stops. One at Voodoo Donuts and the other at Stumptown Coffee---both are very local and/or funky Portland places. When they left late this afternoon, we made tentative plans to try to spend a day up in Seattle together and/or do some hikes around Mt. Rainer this summer.

After a late night last night though, hub and I were ready for some naps this afternoon. Rather than nap, I put in my Yoga X DVD which was on the docket for today, and which actually was much needed to stretch and restore my tired body from last night and my still-emotionally-saddened-from-Thursday self. A hot shower and left-overs to complete the evening, and then I dove into catching up on blogs and finding new things to "pin" on Pinterest (yes, I caved.....sigh). Snow dusts are on call for tonight and tomorrow---and I'm oh so hopeful that we'll get some dustings, and some rain, and some freezing...to extend this long weekend into an even longer and restoring weekend.

I've got some prepping/note reviewing to do this weekend still, a few emails from students and work to respond to, and some major reading to attempt to get through for book club the end of this month. But I plan to not do much of anything except to do nothing but prepare my soul for the week ahead.

I hope each of you had a fulfilling week just passed and that you are indulging in a restoring weekend. Best to each of you!

PS Tonight while hub was watching some of his DVR'd shows, this song was on one of them and there was just something about it that I loved:

First Day of the Term

....and we're back to a new term. I've been soaking up working from home and taking some days off over the winter break--it's been absolutely amazing, and it's been good for hub and I to have some quality time together. Today was the start of the rat race again for both of us however. Hub's got a full schedule although he might drop a class to get down to a better schedule. I'm attempting to just put in three FULL days (full work day plus teaching all three evenings) and then have two days "free" during the week. Free as in, I can correct papers at home, respond to other work emails, and prep for courses in subsequent weeks. The life of a teacher never ends even though the work day does.


Today I went into the Center for the afternoon in order to be there for part of the first day. It was great to see so many of our regulars (as almost all of them stopped by today) but we also had quite a few others with questions stop by (the first week of the term always increases the information needed by students). Lots of check-ins by students, definitely makes the day worthwhile! If I do forgo this position next year, I will seriously miss working with veterans, as there is no other population quite like working with them! I definitely never have to ask for an opinion twice and I always know where they stand on things! :)

While I was only at work for five hours, I already was not quite feeling the motivation to do my work-out when I got home this evening. Definitely going to have to make sure that it's the very first thing that I do when I get home, and I'm glad I set up the schedule to bypass my longest night. Tonight was Legs & Back again (pull-ups) and I'm going to have to get bands or something as I don't think I'm going to be anywhere near a real pull-up for QUITE a while---thus I'm not getting the whole work-out as intended.

I also didn't take any snack, so tomorrow I'm making sure to take enough healthy food options for both lunch and the afternoon. Luckily hub made enough extra pasta from his dinner tonight that I can take some of it tomorrow, plus a V8 and an apple....and maybe a protein shake. I'm usually opposed to protein shakes (I believe its better to get nutrients from REAL food, but they're filling and easy....so I'm joining the band wagon for now.)

*On a side note, great relaxing weekend. We didn't snowshoe and we tried to go to BodyWorlds but the line was out the door and then some! (We'll go snow shoeing before the season's over and we plan to hit up Bodyworlds on a week day in a few weeks.) But otherwise we slept in a lot, worked out, and I prepped for the term and did a few hours of work.

Hope you all had a a great Monday and a relaxing weekend! Here's to a hopefully great next few months ahead!

Cancelled Morning Meetings

Sometimes a cancelled morning meeting is a highlight to my week, and at least this time I was told ahead of time. Don't get me wrong, I'm really looking forward to the next time my supervisor and I can finally get together to connect about things....but I didn't mind sleeping in this morning, connecting with a few friends over Facebook posts, picking up the backyard, dancing with the dogs in the kitchen to Christmas songs on the radio, nor savoring my home-made peppermint latte while watching my new found HGTV love Dear Genevieve. Sometimes a lazy morning is fab-u-lous, even if that means I will now be spending this evening after I teach class, reviewing for the lecture I'll give tomorrow at noon and cramming in another meeting before class tomorrow.

So what's been up with us? Well a whole lot and a whole little. ;) Hub woke up yesterday morning at 2am with food poisoning (yea for eating left over bacon & cheese sandwiches from Safeway.....) so he spent most the day hanging out at home. We had made a trip to our hometown on the coast this weekend--the first time I'd been back since this summer and it was a nice change of scenery (literally too as the drive is always gorgeous). We took the trip so I could attend hub's best friend's baby shower and so hub could watch our high school football team's first play-off game. I spent the rest of the weekend hunkered down at Mom & Dad's and hub ran around with his buddies. But the trip itself was great for work, as I corrected about 75 assignments and 50 exams in 4 hours---woot, woot---maybe we should head south every weekend! Plus its always refreshing for me to spend a few days with my parents with their constant positive support, comfort, home cooked meals, and now their fuzzball of a new cat.

The last few weeks have been full of work, work, and more work for the most part. I'm looking forward to this next term when I hope to have a bit more routine schedule and I'll also be teaching one less class. I'm also beginning to think/plan for changes that will probably need to be happening work wise in the next year, as my part-time position will more than likely be transitioning and reposted as a full-time position. As much as I love it, I'm also starting to miss being able to really be present and true to my passion for public health. Many times in the last weeks, I've been put in the uncomfortable position of having to dodge questioning as to which job holds my true allegiance....but I'm also having to think about future job opportunities 5-10 years down the road.....and sometimes it can all contradict itself. Are you getting tired of always reading posts about my job(s) aka current life existence ;)

In other news, I'm incredibly looking forward to the holidays, when several close friends will be returning home to Oregon and there are additional plans to spend time with my siblings and their families, who I haven't been able to see as much as I had originally expected. Unfortunately though my eldest brother and his family won't be able to head out here from Colorado as they'd hoped, but it will still be great to see the other members of my family. I will still be arranging my schedule to work 20 hours a week, but I'm looking forward to a bit of admin time as well. I'm also wishing I already had a bit of savings as my host sister from Argentina is getting married in December and I would LOVE to be able to be there. I haven't been back to see any of my families & friends there since I left ten years ago, as plane tickets are over $1,000 round trip and as more time passes the desire to go and take hub only increases. Once we get there, the costs won't be that much, but those ticket prices always make me apprehensive!

A somewhat scattered post---again I've had multiple moments of things to post in the last few weeks, but the timing is always off. Speaking off, must get moving out of sweats and into work-appropriate gear. Time for afternoon meetings and teaching my evening class! Hope each of you has been enjoying a wonderful mid-November week (and that you remembered to thank a veteran last Friday!)..... Take Care!

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!

Fall Favorites

If you're on my facebook list, then you've seen most of this photos but these are just a few of my favorite simple fall moments thus far. Driving through the leafy streets with hub today, I realized that I'd forgotten just how much I absolutely love fall!

We're trying to make it as long as possible without turning on the heat in the house. The first goal was October 15th and we've made it that far. We'll see if we can make it to November 1st, especially since I'm hosting book club here on the 27th and I always hate making guests suffer. ;)

The last few weeks have remained crazy busy with days starting with checking my email before getting out of bed and ending with responding to work emails anytime between 10pm and 12:30am. I'm teaching night classes on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings until 9pm so on those days I get home about 10pm, and overall I've been putting in between 50-60 hours each week between the two jobs. I knew the first three weeks would require extra time and I'd been handling my stress well, but a negative comment from another employee pushed me to a bit of a breaking point on Tuesday and left me in a bit of a funk until Wednesday night. The irony is that I finally went for a legit 3.5 mile run on Monday evening and I'm also wondering if the sudden change in my lazy pattern didn't spike more of a physical stress response than normal. Although I've been doing a pretty poor job of taking care of myself and practicing what I preach as a health instructor.....so I must get back to the routine for all around benefits.

I put in 10 hours of grading and exam prepping yesterday and was able to create my first "non-work" day today for the first time since mid-August. It felt amazing and I almost didn't know what to do with myself. I ended up just doing the regular weekend things as most of the fun things I wanted to do weren't on hub's list of ideas for the weekend. However it felt amazing not to feel as if I had one hundred items hanging over my head--not that there aren't one hundred things still to be working on but at least I don't feel that any of those items are need-to-get-done-today items.

I'm hoping that I should be able to pull a more regular schedule for the next few weeks and luckily it's exam week which makes for an easier week as an instructor. In the midst of the craziness there have been some great little moments that have made the last few weeks enjoyable:

---Hub made his second batch of salsa
---We harvested our pumpkins and visited the local farmer's market
---Today the ottoman hub's been wanting was on sale so we brought it home
---It's cider and pumpkin beer season!
---Positive feedback from workers and students
---Excited greetings and cuddles from our furry creatures
---Nabbed a quick hair/bang trim from a favorite stylist at my walk-in place today
---Pay days
---Fireplace heat
---Comfy sleeps in the new bed
---Pumpkin pie, apples, soups, and delish strudel muffins
---Turning and falling leaves, spider webs, and chilly days
---A phone call from my brother visiting Peru needing translation help
---An evening spent with my baby cousin advising her on her upcoming transition into Army spouse
---Catching up on episodes of "Dear Genevieve" on HGTV
---Donations via checks, bags to Goodwill, & books for deployment boxes
---Espresso at home and coffee re-fills at the office
---Cat naps on quick breaks home before teaching
---Organic yogurt and canned peaches for breakfast
---Sundays of take-out pizza
---Scrubbed clean of grime tubs & shiny faucets
---Beautiful brides & left over flowers

Hope each of you has been well and embracing the changing of seasons in your own neck of the woods--best to each of you!