The Final Stretch

My intent is to document our experience last night for memory's sake, as I so desperately want to cling to the laughter and comfort that embodied the bbq our friends threw, but it must wait for a moment, because there is something else that so desperately needs our attention:

Oakley sunglasses.

Not just any Oakley sunglasses, though. We're talking about the Women's Radar Path.

I've had these for a couple weeks now, but haven't had time to get out on my bike. I wore them running, and loved them, but couldn't fully appreciate them without the 17 mph breeze created when cycling. This weekend was my chance, however, with the beautiful 65 degree weather and virtually no responsiblities (well, Bobby had finals this week, but that would only count if he actually studied). I put them on and was feeling pretty good about myself, because these actually fit my face, and they're bright pink.

There was a slight problem, however, when I got on the bike and started going. In spite of the protection, I found myself squinting. A lot. After a couple miles of this contortion, my face was tired. Why the heck was I squinting? So I consciously forced myself to open my eyes, and I almost cried from happiness. My glasses were so light that I didn't notice any weight difference between wearing glasses and not wearing glasses. They fit my face so perfectly that they did not shift or fall, allowing me to focus completely on the road and my surroundings rather than worrying about a frame falling in my line of sight or having to push them up the bridge of my nose.

Not only did I look hot, but these glasses were actually doing everything they were supposed to. If they could reproduce, I would have their babies.

Speaking of looking hot, I already have a well established cycling tan. I was sporting a capped sleeve top yesterday, and a client said, "Nice farmer's tan." I think it was meant to be snarky, but I took it as a compliment.

So on to last night. First, Bobby left me to go on a bike ride and said he would meet me there, and I ended up very lost in Springville, having never gone to Rob's on my own before. My GPS was of no service to me, as Rob's address doesn't exist in the world of Garmin (blast!). After finally making it there, we chatted, laughed, made awkward jokes, and just had a really good time. Rob and Kelli made some veggie kabobs for me, which made a fabulous addition to my homemade black bean burgers (which, Rob said, actually tasted like real hamburgers). Peli enjoyed a hotdog and a half, the half being a gift from Elise (Rob's daughter) where Elise almost lost all of her fingers. Kelli told some funny stories about waiting for Rob while he served in Guatamala, and I talked with Sarah about her wedding plans. Kelli let me try on her new running tops to see if they fit. Thank you, Pearl Izumi, for making me a small! We're ordering Kelli some replacement XS tops. The whole night was just a comforting setting, and ended with Sarah and Marty giving me a ride home while Bobby went running with Rob and Chris. It was bittersweet-- such a fun evening, but I know we're leaving in a couple weeks. Why did I have to really start liking Utah when it was so close to time to leave? It's so much easier to deal with the crazies when you have your group of friends that you can turn to. I'm really kicking myself for not seeing all the good Utah had to offer sooner. It's really a lesson Heavenly Father has taught me, and I am going to look for the good in every situation, circumstance, and environment. It's not worth spending any time feeling sad about something when there's an abundance of good surrounding it.

So on that note, I'm still excited about Kansas. I'm excited to do some triathlons and bike races this summer, and perhaps even a half marathon (I'm really starting to enjoy running again). I'm looking forward to having a garage and counter space and time to spend with my husband. I'm really excited about my brother's wedding and being so close to family.

The beautiful thing about being an adult means that we don't have to be away from any place for long.

And something to think about.

Garage sales are your friend.

We had a garage sale today with the intent of having another on the 2nd, but this one was so successful that we don't have to have another. Rock! Of course, our landlords ended up buying most of our stuff to put back into our apartment for the next tenants, but that's certainly okay by me.

Peli has a weird growth on her foot that she didn't seem to notice until we took her to the vet. Because her doctor had to poke and prod to try to figure out what it was, she also figured out it was there, and has since taken to trying to chew it off. She's part pit bull, and thus has a very high pain tolerance (one of the reasons they are the preferred breed for fighting), so it's okay by her that she chews it right off and has a gaping wound in her foot. We've wrapped it in gauze and prewrap and tape, but she just chews that off as well. Sadly for her, we had to get a cone to make her leave it alone, and when it's on, she refuses to move. It'd be comical if I didn't love her so much and I hate to see her uncomfortable.

Work yesterday was an absolute nightmare. I woke up Friday morning thinking, "Man, I only have two weeks left. That's so sad!" and before the morning was over, as I cried in my office, I thought, "I still have two weeks left of this?!?" It was the craptastic day from Hades, and while the events would make a very excellent blog entry, I've fulfilled my need for processing (thanks to amazing coworkers, froyo, and a dance party in Kim's office) and confidentiality means I share nothing. I can say yesterday showed me why many social workers opt to get their concealed carry permit. It wasn't actually that bad, it just felt that bad for a little while yesterday, and I almost had Bobby come sit in my office with me just to feel safe. Here's to the next two weeks going more smoothly.

My application for a research position was sent in a few days ago for a social work professor at KU, and I received an email today to schedule an interview. As wonderful as it would be to have a few days off between the move and school starting, I'd feel kind of lame not working. It's nice having a purpose and doing something with my time, and it will certainly help out with the old debt problem. Dave Ramsey would not be pleased with our recent bike purchases, but it isn't certain that Bobby will be working at a bike shop in Lawrence (we're hoping!), so we have to stock up on a few things. Some people have food storage-- we have bike storage. That's almost as important, right?

I mentioned before that Chuck was being extra affectionate. Whatever the reason was, somehow its magnified itself, and Chuck cannot get enough attention. No complaints or anything-- I am loving it! I just hope it lasts after he's in a car for a couple days, which is pretty much his worst nightmare. Ah, well. I'll savor the next two weeks (TWO WEEKS!) just in case.

From CAWS, an animal rescue.

Declawing! What You Need To Know

Declawing is akin to cutting off half the cat's toes. When the end digit, including the claw is removed, the sensory and motor nerves are cut, damaged and destroyed. They do not repair themselves or grow back for many months. Following the surgery there is a wooden lack of feeling, then a tingling sensation during the long convalescence while the cat must walk on the stub end of the second digit. Remember that during all this time the cat may not "rest" his feet as we would after a similar operation but must continue to scratch in his litter box, walk and attempt to jump as usual regardless of his pain. Most veterinarians in other countries refuse to do the operation.

Besides the physical mutilation, consider what declawing may do to the cat's emotions, the personality changes that may occur. Knowing he has not the means to defend himself, some cats follow the precept of the best defense is a good offense, and will bite at the least provocation (and it may truly be the least provocation.) Often times cats become "biters" when they can no longer rely on their security of their claws. Others become depressed and lose the loving personality that made you choose him to start with. Many cats also experience litter box problems.
If you really love your cat, you will want him to lead a long, happy life, giving and receiving love and affection. If you really love him, and care about him, don't declaw him. There are many alternatives such as nail trimming, training and soft paws claw covers. If you feel you must have a cat that is declawed due to outstanding circumstances please adopt a cat who has already been through this procedure rather than subjecting another one to it. CAWS has several cats who are already declawed. Please visit http://www.caws.org.

Best. Sunday. Ever.

Sunday morning started with general conference, and I absolutely ADORED President Monson's talk. It was like it was catered just for me, and I love it when I walk away from a session feeling that way. Really, they're all catered to me, but this one struck a chord so strongly that I could feel my heart actually smiling. My daily prayers have consisted of asking for help in seeing the good in all things, and it's genuinely improved my attitude. I feel so much less stressed, which is good.

After the session concluded (and I had two loads of laundry folded-- because I'm a rockstar), we went over to Mapleton to spend some time with Chris, Linda, and their kids. They live on a fabulous piece of property with goats, chickens, and a cat. Chickens, in case you were wondering, are probably the most entertaining birds on the planet. They also lay an egg every 25 hours, and when you have 25 hens, that's a lot of eggs. We left with two dozen, and since they're free range, the eggs are so delicious. Two of the goats also gave birth in the past week, so I got to play with a very precious baby goat, and pretend to play with a very shy 4 day old goat (she wasn't feeling very social). They have the perfect setup-- a giant garden for fruits and vegetables, a few fruit trees, chickens for eggs, and then very friendly goats to play with. Who needs cable when you have that in your back yard? I wasn't even tempted to spend any time inside-- we went in quickly to grab a bite to eat, and then I was outside again, playing with their adorable little girls (who are SO stinking smart!) and feeling very centered in their very localized petting zoo. Our goal is to have a similar set up once we're done with school, hopefully in Colorado (we've grown quite fond of mountains) with chickens (just for eggs) and a cow (just for milk) and goats and sheep. Then our food won't have all the hormones and our animals will be treated humanely. It'll be a lot of work, but it'll be so much fun! And how nice will it be to feel so self sufficient?

When we returned home, I was sunburned and exhausted, but we went for a run anyway. Peli had been cooped up in the house all day and needed some mountain time. As we were running along the Shoreline trail, we saw some deer. A LOT of deer. We stopped to watch them, and Peli was completely oblivious, until one of them kicked a rock down the mountain. That immediately got Peli's attention, and OFF she went! Up the mountain, chasing what I'm sure she thought were dogs waiting to play. She made it pretty high up the mountain, but they ran off before she could get too close. The sudden sprint almost completely vertical made her very tired for the rest of the run, but when we went on the same run last night, she kept darting up the mountain to find deer. When she finally did, she was already worn out enough to not go all the way up to where they were, but she was so excited. I love that she would make such a terrible hunting dog.

28 days until we move to Kansas. I'm still extremely excited about graduate school, but I'm not as excited about leaving Utah anymore. The culture is still crazy, but we've found some really good friends, and like I said before, we're very fond of the mountains. We were laughing with Chris and Linda about how it "only" took us 2 years to find people we clicked with, and they said it was the same for them. Maybe it just takes that long to find a group of people when you're getting old like us. Of course, we were trying for the first year and a half to make friends with people our age, and we ended up becoming such good friends with people well into their 30s. Ah, well. We'll know better next time.

To work! 19 days left of that. I really hope the girl they hired to replace me is so stinking awesome that my coworkers are glad I left. I've grown quite fond of them as well, so I'd like to leave them with at least that. Let's just hope my training skills are effective.

Now really... to work!

OCD at its finest.

Is it sick that I get a high from writing my class schedule in my planner? And that it makes me giddy to apply for jobs and such for when we return to Kansas?

Yes. It does.

I'm okay with that.

My first class as a Master's student is May 28th and ends June 13th. 3 credit hours completed in 6 days of class. I figure it can't be much worse than being at work for that time as far as my attention span goes, so it should be grand. My other class meets every Monday in June, and the first and last Tuesdays in June. By the end of my birthday month, I'll have 6 credits toward my graduate degree.

It makes my heart cry that it's snowing outside.

This would've been the ideal week for Kathleen to visit, because I have no desire to be outside on my bike. Last week was perfect riding weather, but I strapped myself to the trainer and did intervals so I wouldn't be riding as long. Ah, well. Another week of being on the trainer won't kill me.

We had a small dog staying with us for a weekend because a client couldn't hold on to him and he therefore risked being put to sleep. I think Chuck has noticed that we have had several animals come into our home that were temporary, and he's now worried that his status as a permanent family member isn't so secure. As a result, he's been a lot more affectionate. I won't complain.

40 days until we move back to Kansas. ROCK.

I might throw up.

Tonight marks the first of what will become many, many visits between Kathleena and myself since we've been married folk. I didn't realize until Bobby asked me last night if Kathleen had visited before (silly Bobby and his silly memory), and I said no. Then I thought about it-- I haven't visited her either! We saw each other in Kansas over Christmas, but we hadn't visited one another in our living quarters since going from KS's to KB's. Craziness. So she will be here, and I am SO excited! No work for a few days (except Thursday-- silly group) and spending far too much time with my other me. Bobby may end up poking his eyes out by the end of her trip.

Last night was all sorts of crazy. I can't really go into details because it was with my job (and being a social worker is kind of like being a CIA agent), but how glorious it was to come home to a wonderful husband who made me dinner and wanted to go hiking with our dog. The hike may have gone better if Peli hadn't found something dead to roll in (why does she ALWAYS find the one dead thing in a five mile radius to roll in?), but she needed a bath anyway.

So how many folks watched the Big Love episode? I didn't, because I'm poor and don't have HBO (and having HBO may try to take away from my biking/hiking time, which no thanks), but I did find it on Youtube (everything is on youtube). I watched it out of curiousity, and because I wrote my article on it this week and thought it'd be good if I checked whether or not I had a reason to write the things I wrote. And... I did. I didn't write anything controversial or anything, but I did write that I pretty much had to choose between my family and the things I experienced in the temple, and as a result, my parents don't really speak to me anymore. Those things were so sacred to me that I lost my dad to experience them, and as a hardcore daddy's girl, it wasn't easy. But those experiences were special to me, so it was worth it. It was worth losing that much. So Tom Hanks (yes, the actor) and his grudge against Prop 8 decided to "cast pearls before swine" (not that I consider the public to be swine, per say [depending on the day], but they're not prepared to see/hear the things the episode showed). It made me sick to my stomach to watch it-- kind of like a car wreck-- but I must say, that ex-member consultant they got has an amazing memory. I've been going to the temple for a couple years now and I still need help. It won't hurt the church, of course, but it does make me sad that human decency and respect were the cost of getting a few more viewers this week.

And now my PSA since it's humping season: protect your dog/cat's carnal treasure. Get them spayed or neutered. If you have a dog and want to take them to the shelter, it's going to get put to sleep, simply because it's make-like-a-bunny time and puppies and kittens are everywhere. There's no room. And if you do adopt an animal, you've contracted with that animal that you will care for it and give it the best life possible until it dies. That's not until you kill it, but until it dies. You don't get to put an animal to sleep simply because you can't care for it but you don't want it to go to someone else. Geez.

It's been a week.

58 days and counting

Seriously counting. I like to make lists and get all OCD with things that I'm excited about. How many paychecks do I have until we move to Kansas? Calculate how much goes to rent, insurance, bills, etc-- add up money from my newspaper articles and Bobby's bike shop pay check-- minus the bike stuff we're getting. Consider possible amount being added from TWO garage sales we'll be having come end of April. Sell sell sell! It's all I can do to now get boxes now and pack everything up. It wouldn't be so bad living out of boxes for a couple months, would it?

54 days until my last day at work. I have a lot to do between now and then-- organize the files, write a manual for my job, rewrite the volunteer training manual, figure out a system for tracking statistics for the new employee-- all in addition to my normal every day stuff.

9 days until Kathleen comes to Utah. YAY! It's not going to be fiscally exciting (zoom in on my empty wallet), but it'll be good to have time off of work and just chill with my best friend. I see lots of temple hopping in our immediate future. I saw her just this past Christmas, but hot dang, I could go for some Kathleena time on a daily basis (and according to my phone bill, I usually end up doing just that).

I've skipped a few articles that I've written as far as posting a link here goes, but someone left a comment on my article that seems especially potent. It might sound familiar (it's a post I put here last summer with some modifications), but it's something to pay attention to-- watch for cyclists. Seriously. We could die. http://www.tmi2day.com/2009/03/05/resist-the-temptation-ape-man/