Category: Misc

Reentry back into “real life” is kinda hard. I have been exhausted. But for the past two days, I have actually gotten up early gone running. Just short ones, mind you, but I've been working on my nemesis: hills, so they need to be shorter. It's a good sign in any case.

It is starting to feel quite fall like here now, especially in the mornings. The afternoons still get to be pretty darn hot, but the trees are turning and my morning commute is once again clogged up with tons of kids and parents off to school.

We've been trying to hang closer to home this week, cooking at home and letting the kids play with their toys. But last night we had to go out to check out a couple of gyms, namely the YMCA and our local rec center. They are some of our closest replacement options for our beloved gym. They are nice enough and cheaper and have pools but their locker rooms are more like a high school gym and their facilities are older and there is not enough cardio equipment. But we may join one of them … or we may not. The rec center at least has punch cards and we may use those for a while while we decide. Blah.

So far our weekend is pretty clear. The one thing we had planned was canceled and now my biggest ambition is to make a butternut squash lasagna … mmmm.

Last night Matt and I went to a Vanderbilt Alumni Event. Despite being alums for 8 years, we've never been to one and it was fun. One thing we noticed was that pretty much everyone who attended was a “self promoter.” But, Matt pointed out, self-promotion isn't necessarily a bad thing. I mentioned that I'd read a post that very day (yesterday) that Jayesel had written about how adults are very much loathe to say they're good at something lest they be found out as impostors. Except she says it much better than I am saying it right now, so go read what she wrote (related: she is a good writer!). At any rate, she challenged people to come up with 7 things they're good at.

Seven for me:

1. I am a good mom. I am working hard at molding my kiddos into nice polite members of society that can think for themselves, stand up for themselves, and know right from wrong. And overall, it's going quite well.

2. I have a good eye for layout, design and art in general. I create beautiful holiday cards, websites, and other print material. I may not know every single technical aspect of photography, but my eye frames shots well and knows what looks good.

3. I am a good programmer. Programming makes intuitive sense to me and I can almost always find a way to achieve the outcome I desire. I can also pick up a new language pretty quickly.

4. I am a good cook. I don't need a recipe to pull a few ingredients together and come up with something pretty tasty. I know what ingredients will work well together and I can adapt recipes to use what I have on hand or to be more to my taste.

5. I am a super-fast reader. I am able to blaze through just about any book or article very quickly and still be able to tell you all of the highlights and most of the details.

6. I am miss organization. I love to organize and this extends from work to home to finances to packing for trips to getting food on the table. I love lists and calendars and they love me.

7. I am a good friend. I am loyal to those I love and try to do right by them and think how I can help and actually carry it through. If you need a meal, a hug, a help-it, I am there. I don't make friends super easily, but I don't let them go easily either.

Try it yourself… it's harder than I thought!! The whole time I wrote I kept wanting to qualify each statement. “… most of the time, anyhow” “… so far, that is!”

Dang it's been a great summer. We've been super busy. And you all know my love/hate relationship with busy. But every time I think about our crazy schedule, I don't want to give anything up, so busy it is. We've done a lot of great things this summer.

An Update to my list:
• Get in a few NEW hikes. Beaver Brook Trail 6/25, Castlewood Canyon (July sometime), Keyser Wilderness 8/1
• Take the kids to Berry Patch Farms.
• Take Tabby to Film on the Rocks (I'm thinking Princess Bride!). Done!
• Make homemade ice cream.
• Cook pizza on the grill.
• Take a bike trip to the library (with picnic).
• Run a race I haven't run before . Bolder Boulder 5/31, Apex Father's Day 5K 6/19 and soon to come: Heart and Sole 10K 8/22, Skirt Chaser 5K 8/28 and Disneyland Half 9/5
• Actually make it to the neighborhood pool (harder than it sounds). Done!
• Take the kids to The Splash or another water park.
• Go camping with my dad. Done!
• Take a day off, without the kids, somewhat for organizing, mostly for RELAXING. Done … Happy birthday to me!
• Visit the Paris Street Markets again. Done!

Not much summer left … but we've wrung a lot of fun out of this one!

It was a nice, typical, busy weekend. Did more shopping than I like, including a $200+ trip to Costco. I have decided we're not going back 'til September.

After we went to the gym on Sunday (sans kids, they were at my mom's), we went to Jamba Juice over by her house before picking them up. As we were leaving, Matt had to tell me the big news.

Matt: Denver's getting a Blueberry.
Me: A what?
Matt: The ice cream place.
Me: I think you mean Pinkberry.
Matt: No I'm pretty sure it's Blueberry.
Me: No, I really think you mean Pinkberry. They serve frozen yogurt – they're kind of a big deal, at least to some people.
Matt: Oh. Maybe so … They have them in California.
Me: Yep, that's the one.
– a minute or so elapses-
Matt: Oh Blueberry. They're the British Clothing company, right?
Me: No, that's Burberry. Plaids galore.
Matt: Oh.
Me: I'm so blogging this.