Category Archives: Moving

Unknown's avatar

Park City Rules

by

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.

Unknown's avatar

Third Time’s A Charm

by

Remember when I startled you with this announcement?

Then confounded you with this one?

Well, we’ve been in San Diego a year, which is longer than we thought at first, but at the same time, after seeing the winter we had to see it in summer, and what a difference there was (winter was better!). All the same, last winter we made so many ski trips that we decided it would be easier to spend a whole season skiing. Having great friends permanently residing there doesn’t hurt either. If you can believe it, they ran around looking for the perfect place for us. I am so blessed.

So at some point around the end of October, we will be moving to PARK CITY UTAH!

Good news for everyone around this site that knows me, you’ll have a free place to stay when you come on your winter ski trip! You know I’m expecting you all to come see me – and bring some good booze in your luggage…I’m not gonna be able to handle that watered down Mormon crap without you. 😉

Unknown's avatar

And We Were Gone To Oregon

by

It was hard to leave. Literally, difficult. We had to cram all our things in the car (clothes hangers, I miss you, I’m sorry you couldn’t come). We had to clear out of the place and chit chat with the landlord. We had to have our last Seattle clam strips from the best pier with the worst service. Finally, after filling up the gas tank (which read permanently empty due to the weight of the car, hilarious) we got out of Seattle at about 2pm. Less than 2 hours later, I’m taking pictures of the bridge you cross to get into Oregon. The ride was beautiful. Oregon is amazing. Our only goal for the day was to explore Portland, so I could try to make MK love it even though I’d never been.

Every street was lined with trees. It was Seattle’s Pioneer Square, with younger bums and prettier scenery. We drove up and down every street and stopped for dinner near some college park area and sat out in the chill and enjoyed some coffee. Gorgeous.

As a reminder, the fires had already started at this point. To be brief about the issues, MK is also sometimes a realtor and knew well that as soon as insurance checks were written, people would be snatching up fire-free properties. We had planned to make a very, very leisurely trip down the coast, over a week or maybe even two. However, with the uncertainty of the traffic and condition of our destination, we agreed to get down there ASAP. That decision would pay off.

I wish we could have spent more time in Portland, but we were able to get as far as Eugene that night. I, for the first time ever, worked out in a hotel, not willing to skip any days on my Body for Life program. I think I rule. It was negative 1000 degrees in the morning and the car was miserable. So maybe I’m not moving to Oregon after all. Also, the gas is all full service in the entire state, which I think is silly. That’s your random information for the day.

Here are the Oregon pictures.

I’m pretty sure this blog has more crossing state line signs than I ever expected:

img_3493.jpg             img_3545.jpg

Unknown's avatar

Firsts Over Lasts

by

It seems to me that doing things for the first time is more fun than doing them for the last. I’ve turned in my last library book, made the last trips to my favorite places, gone for the last car ride out to Bellevue. We’ve eaten our last Pike’s Place Chowder. Just like when we left Austin, we had to get it all in, although this time I haven’t gained 25 lbs.
I’m excited about our new firsts, but getting ready to go is bittersweet. I know I really like Seattle, I’m going to miss the new friends I’ve made, and I’m really going to miss my little gym. It all flew by so quickly.

MK and I canceled our Globo Gym memberships, there isn’t one near where we’ll be moving. I’m (sort of) two weeks in to this intense Body For Life routine (that guy is insane, certifiably, I can’t lift my arms) and well, it’s depressing to think the next place we’re at might not even have a gym…

So there’s the pros and cons.

Do you prefer the firsts in life, or the lasts?

lonely
www.oceandharma.com

Unknown's avatar

One More Time

by

Not that it will, by any means, be the last time, but it’s time for another
official announcement!

Our time in Seattle was amazing. KD, RD, LC, RD2, AC, NN, ND, Mom, Dad, MIL, and DW all came to visit us! We explored the city, took trips to Vancouver, the San Juan islands, the Olympics, Mount Rainier…

Six months is too short. There were so many adventures, and still so much we didn’t have time for. But, this is going to wrap it up for now. We’re moving next week again, this time to San Diego!

MK’s visited, and knows people there. I haven’t and don’t. Somehow, I ended up in charge of the trip. So I need some help. Anyone ever driven the entire CA coast? Have any suggestions? So far I know we’re stopping in Portland, and stopping to drive through one of those cut out Redwood trees! That’s all I’ve got, then it gets tricky. There are just so many options!!

We’re getting all packed up, and OF COURSE – I’m resending an open invitation to everyone I’ve ever met (and haven’t) – to come visit us there! I don’t know how long we’ll be on the road, we are looking at it as a little vacation. Hopefully I can find thestandin for you guys, she’s MIA these days…

road trip
www.roadtripusa.com

Unknown's avatar

April Tally

by

Moving made everything crazy. It’s so frustrating, when you don’t want to make excuses, but being in a car for a week made jogging a little impossible. There’s no excuse for the rest of the days I took off. It was hard to get back into the swing of things this week, it’s amazing to see how much momentum you lose by taking a little time off!

Final count on the Calendar of Progress:

  1. The letter W (for weights) appeared a total of 7 times.
  2. The letter C (for cardio) appeared a total of 14 times.
  3. The letter D (for drinking) appeared a total of 5-ish times.

Hopefully now I’ll be running out of doors, and drag MK along. This should be a good month. I keep threatening to try and get a trainer job at a gym just to keep getting in better shape.

girls working out
www.targetwoman.com

I found a blog that has some info and honestly made me laugh: 3FatChicks.

Unknown's avatar

Then We Were There

by

Reflections on the road trip: We had a great time seeing the sights and driving up through the northwest. MK is the worst side seat driver of all time, so I was happiest when he was sleeping. He also kept me committed to my diet by not allowing any junk food to be consumed in the car. Isn’t that terrible? We had Oatmeal breakfast bars, grocery store sandwiches, and plain almonds for snacks. Dinner would be more sandwiches and bars. To me, road trips aren’t real unless they include McDonalds (esp. for breakfast) and chex mix and cokes and slurpees and honey roasted sugar coated peanuts. But Noooooo. MK was convinced that the eating out we did the week before while saying our goodbyes more than negated this past 6 months that I’ve spent committing to working out and losing ten pounds. He is still waiting for me to thank him.

We roll up into Seattle on a cool bridge that goes through a cliff or something. And there is a traffic jam. Good start, huh? We are about 3 hours early for the realtor that is letting us in our place, so we drive around the city to see what we can see. It comes up on lunch time and we start to look for a place. There is nothing within 30 miles of our new place, as we drive by and around over and over, where we can eat and park the car. Hmm. We pull into “Taco Time” just because they have a lot. MK thinks it will be fine. I think it is not taco time. I was right, and it will never, ever again be taco time as long as I live. Suffice to say, without elaborating: yuck, yuck, yuck.

We still have time, and in my SUPER SWEET AUSTIN PERSONALITY THAT THINKS THAT EVERYONE IS FRIENDLY, I decide to run in to the lobby and ask where we can leave our car until it is time to meet our realtor. I have been driving. 10 hours. I have jeans and a striped shirt on. I even have makeup on. But WHAT does mr. works at the front desk tell me in his terrible accent? Basically that I couldn’t possibly be moving in to this luxurious downtown upscale residence. He looks me up and down and hands me his ‘card’ in case he can help me ‘clear up my confusion’. So help me, it was all I could do to get in the drivers seat and turn that bus around. MK is lucky he was there. I was irate.

Rant: Clearly, who do these people think they are that just LOOK at someone and make assumptions? You don’t know me! I could own the building! You just work in it. Can YOU afford to live there on your salary!?! Don’t get an attitude with me. I have never been so upset. The being in the car all day and being tired and cranky didn’t help. It took MK a long time to calm me down. We parked down by the south side bridges and walked along the north end of the international district. Me, of course, looking at my reflection everywhere trying to see just how bad and poor I looked, lest another Seattle-ite break my heart talking down to me.

Finally, it comes up on 4 and we head back. I’m not smiling. Our realtor lets us in and re-introduces us to the HELP. I get over that when I see our place. It’s just like the pictures.

Realtor leaves and we start taking things up. He let us know we were going to have to have a meeting with the HELP that they call ‘orientation’. As though all these rich snooty snootertons don’t know how to work an elevator…MK goes to the front desk to arrange it. Of course, he’s in an FC UK pressed polo, he gets no slack from jean-paul-conciergey. WHO THEN TURNS TO ME, AND ASKS MK “WHO IS SHE TO YOU?” I swear, friends, he is fixing to get a beat down.

We unpack most of the car and get hungry again. There is a Whole Foods a block away, so we load up on dinner and breakfast and head back. MK unpacks and organizes, I work on the closet and learning the new cable channels, and cook dinner. By the way, it was plenty sunny out, and we headed up to the roof. We had the wine dude at WF get us a WA red and white. We brought the red up there, and toasted to the view, the sunset, and me not murdering any helpless old gentlemen. I’m not sure if day one was a success or a devastation. I’m going to need more time.

roof.jpg

Yes, that’s our view from the roof. Click on it, it’s lovely.

Unknown's avatar

On The Road Again

by

Sunday morning started at 5 again, much to my wanting to beat my husband unhappiness. The part I was awake for watched and saw everything of was Wyoming. It was beautiful.

view.jpg view2.jpg

MK drove most of the way. I took over in Utah and got us to Boise, Idaho. I will never be able to tell you how he heard that Boise was cool…but it wasn’t. There was a cute little downtown and whatever but it was a college town. In Utah, I learned that when your car dies, that’s where it goes. We saw tons and tons of abandoned motor vehicles. Not on the road, just around. In huge piles. It was just the little corner, but it wasn’t very pretty. I wonder who owns that land…since it was Sunday, the stores in Utah were closed, even the Subway we tried to eat at. WTF? I wouldn’t want to be moving there…hahaha just kidding, Mrs. Standin.

Anyway, so we’re in Boise, at the hotel, and they were nice enough, and told us to go eat at some brew pub. At least the Red Sox were on. The service was brain dead. It was late. So, we went back to the room for sleepy time. We were really exhilarated though, knowing that we were about to embark on the last leg of our journey. BUT, we put on the alarm on my phone and turned it up. That was dumb, since with the time change, people might accidentally call and wake you up!

We got back to bed okay, and up a little later that usual (6am) to get ourselves to our new home. We drove through Oregon, where there were great big trees – which I missed in Texas, and it was beautiful. Crossing the Washington border got me really excited. This is our new home state! Since the last time we where in Seattle, we flew, we had no idea what the rest of the state looked like. I felt like I was exploring my new territory. MK drove but I was awake and excited. Even though we were still 5 hours away. We drove by the place that the music festival we’ll be attending next month is at, that was fun, to know we’d be back. There was water and snow and great views everywhere. There are tons and tons of vineyards in the Yakima Valley, where we drove up through, and that got me excited. I’ve never had any WA wine, but I will!

Unknown's avatar

Weird Week

by

The last week before you put all your things away and drive for five days is very odd.

Your diet: I’m eating cans of tuna that have been in the cupboard for a while. I made pancakes without a spatula. I’m over-seasoning everything. Because we’re trying to get rid of all the odd stuff. We have no pans or anything now, so it’s Lean Cuisines for dinner. Mmm.

Your wardrobe: I’m wearing and washing things over and over, half of my clothes are in suitcases to bring, the other half are in storage. And some things I can’t decide what to do with are sitting lonely on one little closet rack. Don’t make fun of me if I’m in the same shirt for the week.

Your schedule: I’ve been getting up earlier and earlier, and in the middle of the night, thinking of things to do, and then not being able to relax until I’ve done them. During the day, I don’t feel like working out after moving heavy things, so I wait until late – or don’t go at all.

Your communication: I’ve been calling friends to let them know I’m leaving, reminding family, and writing through email, myspace and blog all over to make sure everyone knows and cries. It’s like having a baby, it’s all we talk about. Get a grip, somegosoftly, it’s 6 months.

Your mood: MK and I are a little insane. We’re trying to fit everything into the back of the car, so we’ve turned into snoopy snoop comparer’s.

Actual conversation tidbits: “Well, if you’re bringing three toothbrushes I don’t see why I can’t bring these notebooks..”

“Like you’re going to use that dictionary. You can’t spell.”

“Maybe if you quit burning CDs and got our taxes done, we could pack that computer.”

“How about you just buy me a new laptop when we get there?”

That last one was me, duh.

____________________________________________________________

In other somegosoftly news, last night I had a very exciting dinner conversation, and bartered some of my time for a guest blogger that will tide you over while I’m on the road. A really good, funny, better than any guest blogger ever guest blogger.

Yay!!!