Category Archives: Life

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Normal Is Chaos

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Oh, by the way- we’re in Austin. We moved into our new home on Halloween, spent the night checking out the kiddo’s costumes at the B’s, then grabbed a plane at the crack of dawn. MK wouldn’t let me party style announce our trip because apparently we had so much to do – I think that was mostly he wanted to be in peace while he had his Rudy’s, Taco Cabana, and Rudy’s breakfast tacos. And Brick Oven, and more Rudy’s.

We did accomplish going through all our things and I now have nothing to whine about missing besides my desk. It at first felt depressing but I can remind myself better now than I did years ago that it’s all an adventure some people wish for. PH was hilariously thinking it was a dream come true without any drama, setting her straight on our virtual eviction from paradise was fun. Also letting the H’s know if they don’t visit us in Winter Wonderland they are dead to us was hopefully productive – and hilarious.

Important to note is that it is November. If you feel like perusing- here’s last November. For the last two years I wrote books with NaNoWriMo in November. Last year I also blogged every day for NaBloPoMo. This year, I am going to focus on publishing a book instead of starting another one. And this bog clearly didn’t make the first week, so I’m going to keep it normal around here this month. That’s plenty.

Most importantly, there was this election- maybe you heard about it. It meant something very meaningful to me. MK and I got to take his mother to vote for the first time in her life. Regardless of the outcome – you know I’m not going to fight with you about that here – moments like that make a statement too. It was fun to watch the news into the night with her and hear MK answer all her questions.

We’ll be back in Park City soon – apparently we already missed the first snowfall. But I’m not too worried – something tells me there will be more.

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Park City Rules

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MK is freezing. Under his three coats and four shirts. I’m in heaven. The B’s (TB and BB, not to be confused with MB and BB) keep telling us it was even prettier a couple weeks ago but I can’t believe it. The 12 hours in the car were totally worth it. Our drive wasn’t too bad if I overlook the fact there was no where to put my feet and there were boxes of Bisquick and dryer sheets in my face. We got in and I have to tell you it was the best “moving to a place” yet. In Seattle we got yelled at, in San Diego we had no home to go to. Arriving in Park City, we got a homemade delicious dinner, the cutest two year old ever singing the ABCs, and beer. FTW.

Some of you questioned this move. Some of you keep thinking I’m at the North Pole. Some of you think there’s no alcohol. I’ll keep you educated about how it’s a good move, it’s not (yet) the North Pole, and trust me, we’re drinking. Utah might be a little strange, but it’s definitely do-able. It’s another adventure in our big long list of travels and experiences and I already know it’s going to be great. Friends help. A change of pace is fun. Don’t get me wrong, I know we miss our San Diego friends, but they’ll come visit. We have four bedrooms ;).

We saw our new home yesterday. We already met some neighbors. We saw the sights. We got our Deer Valley *SEASON* passes. Our hosts keep cooking and baking and serving us drinks. This is the life. Even without the clothes hangers.

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The Short Version

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I’m sorry I haven’t returned your phone calls or answered your questions. If others are asking you about me, refer them here. There’s more, but you don’t really want to hear ALL of it.

We had our place until the end of the month. In writing. The 84 year old owner failed to tell the (probably stoned) 30 year old manager that she gave our place to someone else. We found out Monday. We needed to be out on Wednesday. We kept the (probably stoned) manager that had let us lease the place anyway from being fired by agreeing to leave. Then the market got crazy. And we needed the internet. And my car can’t get a tow hitch. And I remembered that I have to go to the dentist Thursday, fully sedated, all day style. So we packed and shipped some stuff to some random addresses. Then we moved almost everything to another apartment, upstairs. That smells funny.

Then we stayed downstairs with the computers until the old lady yelled at us to get out. I stuck my tongue out at her. I don’t think she saw. MK had a rough day. We almost started driving Tuesday. But we didn’t. So, as of today, we will stay one more weekend to say goodbye, and we will leave Monday or Tuesday. But at the rate we’ve been going, I wouldn’t count on it…

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Inefficient

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Packing sucks. And it’s making me feel guilty. I hate feeling guilty. It appears by my rough estimations via google maps that there are clothes that have journeyed 3642 miles, and that I have never worn. I have lugged them, stuffing our car to the brink of collapse, and never put them on. So now I get to drive them another 1300 miles to store them.

The clothes get me to my biggest tirade: clothes hangers. We couldn’t take them all with us the first two times, and being a no wire hangers kind of girl, I am now in possession of an obnoxious amount of hangers. That I paid for. I’m not sure how they’re going to get anywhere, but no clothes hanger will be left behind! 😉

There are also now two sets of a lot of things in my possession, and three sets of some other things. We purchased more dishes when our needs weren’t met here. We purchased Christmas decorations when we were depressed to not have ours with us. There’s some leftover wrapping paper, spices I can’t bear to part with, and the gifts from various birthdays and holidays that we’ve accumulated (don’t think I don’t like gifts, that’s not a complaint!).

I’ve done fairly well without all the other stuff that we left the first time we moved – our furniture, family photos, scrapbooks, paintings. It was hard initially but I learned that whole “it’s just stuff” lesson. I’m trying to remind myself of that lesson now, but it doesn’t make the task at hand that much easier! We’re having to leave much earlier than we expected and it’s not going to be fun. I wish my Grandma, tight-roll packer extraordinaire were here- she could do it all in a day.

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We Did Chicago

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There was a period of time there when I felt like I had a traveling job. We were flying so much I lived in an airport. We were pretty good at it. We recently changed that up for some road trips and so getting to the airport on time, parking, and checking in all had to be relearned.

We stayed at the Blackstone Hotel Thursday. I’ve never been to another hotel where they waited on us hand and foot. We ate and caught the VP debate. Friday MK traded a little from the hotel, which got us to a late start. BB and MB showed up and we met them at the Chairman’s Suite of the Sax Hotel. It ruled. There were a dozen TVs and a bar, dining room, living room, and enough hallway space for us all to try the moon walk. MB baked cookies and cakes and chex mix and brought all kinds of snacks. I decorated and covered the place in balloons and banners.

Three more friends of theirs and two of ours and it was a party. We almost didn’t want to leave! We checked out the bar scene and totally decided our room was more fun and went back.

The next day we enjoyed giant breakfast and some sightseeing, the Michigan Mile, Millennium Park, and had a drink at the top of the Hancock Tower. We went back for a little more drinking and football until we were starved enough to order pizza at Lou Malnati’s, then ate until we thought we might die. BB’s friends took off and we took MK out for birthday drinks. He got old at midnight and we went to our other not as big but still swank hotel room.

The next day was overcast but we ate and shopped and when the rain started went bowling. The hotel had a Microsoft Suite so we jammed a little Rock Band before MB and BB headed back home too. I took MK out for a birthday hamburger (his request) and we watched the end of the Red Sox game.

The next day we went to Navy Pier, then decided to challenge Lou Malnati’s with Giordano’s. It’s a tough call. Pretty much the only thing I learned about Chicago is the locals are overweight and I would be too if I lived there and ate Chicago stuffed pizza all the time…

So just like I told you here – we did enough but not too much. The idea was to be somewhere other than San Diego and to be with our close friends. We pulled that off and had a fun little break from reality. Now it’s back to work packing and planning. We’ll let my Daddy take us back to see all the good stuff we missed some time.

Don’t forget to read all my captions. They’re painstakingly there just for you.

Pictures Set One: Camera Phone pictures.

Pictures Set Two: Our Camera pictures.

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Fun Running Around

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Sometimes half the fun is in the normal stuff. Truth be told, we don’t DO normal stuff all that often. We skip the errands and get spoiled never driving during traffic. We walk around our little neighborhood and shop at the Farmer’s Market. This past week MK’s birthday necessitated me doing a little real shopping. I am lazy and got some things online, but finally decided there were things easy to pick up I couldn’t justify shipping costs for.

So I went to the mall. I haven’t been there since my little cousin visited. I don’t really need anything and have been pretty good about not wanting anything too. But it was great and sunny and the walking around put me in a great mood. The sales were good (which also helped my mood) and I found my dream purse (since I can’t NOT shop for myself – so much for not wanting anything). I went back later with MK since it was a lot of money, he had to approve. We also made a huge steal on new ski boots (mine were 400$ on sale for 74$, brand new, seriously) check them out:

After all the fun shopping we spent the end of the week and weekend watching football and doing a run and volleyball party with our running and volleyball club, kind of an end of summer party on the beach. It was a blast. We’ve made a ton of great friends here that we’re really going to miss and the change of the seasons and us telling everyone we’re leaving has had that awesome effect of just making everything really enjoyable.

MK and I took SH and JM out on the Hobie Cat after we checked out the Adams Ave. Street Fair. Then they picked up Chinese after deciding a bag of Doritos wasn’t enough while we watched football. JM said “Best Sunday ever” and even though it was a simple one, I had to agree.

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Crazy Octogenarian Antics

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With the recent popularity (for swearing?) of old people on TV (Dancing with the Stars was headline news yesterday) I figured a great topic of conversation today would be old people.

What’s the weirdest thing you’ve seen a senior citizen do?

Remember, I live amongst most of them. I mean, La Jolla is a prime old people watching place. A common quote from either husband or I on any given day could be “Gosh I hope we’re not like that” or “Look how cute they are holding each other up so they can shuffle” or “Holy crap if I turn into that swear you’ll suffocate me with the pillow”.

These people aren’t like my grandparents. My grandparents are young, for one thing, well taken care of, and hilarious. Old people around here are a little fuzzy, a little lost, and a little forsaken. I can’t get over that last one considering the cost of living around here, but you never see these people with any family! The old people I observe are categorically the worst drivers in America. They are crotchety. They cough all over you. They can be rather rude. I don’t think my grandparents have been rude to anyone in their lives. Their long, long lives. 😉

So today I cracked up as I saw this one guy, at least 70, walking through the store chugging a Monster energy drink. How many jokes can you make?

  • Is he drinking it just to stay alive?
  • Does he drink it when his heart stops?
  • Does it help him remember his name?

I’m terrible.

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Operating Heavy Machinery

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There’s more to recovery than just lying in bed. You’ve got to quit worrying about crap you’ve got going on. And if you can’t, well, chances are that crap is going to turn out like crap. Your brain totally counts as heavy machinery that you shouldn’t be operating when your face hurts, but here’s how mine’s been doing:

Husband won’t plan his own birthday. First he wanted to go to Tokyo. Because he’s odd. Then he didn’t want to go anywhere, but he didn’t want to sit at home. So then I planned him a surprise but he had to know what it was so we’re going somewhere that is not a surprise. And I’m supposed to do surprise things. At a place I’ve never been. And we’re meeting people, so his birthday PMS isn’t making it easier on them, either.

Then I have to get him stuff. If you’ve ever received a gift from me you know how good I am at that. But it’s his big super duper important birthday. So he gets one nice thing. That he’ll probably hate. I hate shopping. And gifts. And getting let down after you try and the person is not impressed.

Then we need to move. Not only that but we have to figure out when and how. It seems far off but we have stuff we need to get rid of, and probably a trip to Austin to try to get things out of storage (hopefully for good). We have friends to start saying goodbye to (friends to tell we’re leaving) and events in San Diego we haven’t experienced yet to get in before we leave. We have accounts to close and mail to forward. That stuff takes forever.

I have more dental work, if that can be possible. That was thrilling news to hear about in my foggy haze on my way out the door.

So I can’t stay in bed and read my nice little book and fall asleep and watch TV and fall asleep again. I have to get organized. My brain hurts.

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Least Fun Ever

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What is your least favorite thing in the entire universe? Mine is the dentist. It’s that water sprayer and air blower thing. It makes this noise that goes up my spine worse than fingers on chalk or styrofoam squeaking. I get goosebumps and chills and shakes. Ugh.

It also doesn’t help that my first dentist was what I would have to call technically not good. And I ended up with braces. Twice. And retainers. And a cracked tooth that fell off a lot. So when I grew up I got a better dentist, at least tried. There were many failed attempts to get that right. But then my hubby bought me some fake teeth to fix the cracked one and others, and I thought I was in the clear.

While you are goofing around on the internet reading this tomorrow, I will be thoroughly sedated as my crowns and caps and the veneer that chipped (a completely unrelated tooth to the OTHER chipped one, injured VIA cucumber salad at a cookout this weekend) are all going to be dealt with for once and for all. And while I look forward to finally finding a great dentist (my cleaning was painless) and the drugs should help, I am going to have a rough couple days. Hopefully I’ll never have another messed up tooth again.

Pity me, please. 😦