Changes

I'm typing this on my brand new MacBook. Can you tell? It's fabulous. I'm so excited but a little guilty too. My previous MacBook got me through my entire grad school career. I was sure she was going to crap out on my last year as I was studying for my comprehensive exams, but she didn't she stayed with me. I had that computer for 7 years and technically, she still works. Hence the guilt. I'm not trashing her though. She is just retired. Perhaps I'll use her to play my music in the other room. She will live in my house until the end, that is for certain. I owe her that much.

The school year is settling in and I'm back to loving my job. Not sure actually that I ever loved it before, so this is pretty new. I have a great group of kids and no other job but being a teacher. I love it. I'm so much better without all the side work. I hope the year continues to go like this.

The only down side of life for me right now is I'm injured again. Perhaps still is more appropriate. My second toe joint is all messed up and has completely affected my ability to run. My foot dr. is in the process of organizing some custom insoles which will hopefully manage to stabilize the joint through some pressure relief and allow me to avoid surgery.  I'm not interested in being out that much time (several months), although I've been out most of the summer, so perhaps I'm suffering from that at this stage anyway. Luckily we built a home gym this summer so I'm keeping myself entertained in the exercise department for now.  There isn't any substitute for running though that really gets the same results either mind or body. However, I'm at a stage in life where I take what I can and try not to complain much about it. There is always someone who has it worse so I need to appreciate what I can do, not what I can't.

Back to Reality

Tomorrow I return to work. What? How can that be? This summer has completely flown by. The last three weeks have been my favorite. I got to spend some amazing quality time camping with Sean and then we came home and dove into the house projects that I had been muddling through the rest of the summer. Boy, Team Ross can really accomplish things when we work together. We completely transformed the old office into a home gym. I'm excited to start loading the things back into it this week. It puts all local gyms to shame. I will post pictures when it's done. Needless to say, it's beautiful.

While I'm never ready to go back to work, I'm excited to only have teaching on my plate this year. With that pesky Master's Degree a fading memory in the review mirror of life, I should have time this year to better focus on my main objective. Teaching. Yay. Let's see how I am at this job without all the distractions this year.

I'm also committing to a life outside the classroom this year. This beautiful home gym should help with that. I've also got running to do and a niece, nephew and loads of family more than willing to spend time with me.

It's going to be a great year. On that particular note, I better get myself to bed before it's double digits. Getting up at dawn's butt crack makes me cranky all by itself, let alone when I didn't get enough zzzzz's.

Cheers!

Vacation!

Better late than never. I am the proud owner of the next 11 days of time with my husband.  Yahoo. We are going to rack up and entire summer's worth of fun in the next 11 days. Bring on the partay!

Zoom Zoom

That is the sound of summer flying by. I'm not really sure where it is going. I sure don't have much to show for it. My massive to do list remains undone. Little progress has been made. I've had lots of lunches out, many walks ending at a coffee shop and three great camping trips. There was the anniversary weekend at the coast full of fun memories, the sale of my beloved Subaru and the purchase of our new Honda Pilot (named Tiny). I've eaten lots of blueberries and generally had some good times.

Barrel to Keg was a blast this year. Unfortunately, my foot did not feel the same so I've spent the past 3 weeks in physical therapy and off running. So far, it feels much better and I was even allowed on the treadmill for 3 whole minutes of running this morning. I act like it was a piece of cake, and for my foot it was. But my cardio, well...that's an entirely different story. Why is it one can run multiple times a week, compete in a 69 mile relay less than 3 weeks ago, and after only 17 days of not running, I can barely maintain a jog for 3 minutes without falling off the treadmill dead? Aging, man it's a bitch!

This weekend is another in the Epic running life of Sean and Stafford. They will be competing in the 216 mile Cascade Lakes Relay. As if 216 miles isn't challenging enough with a team of 12 people, they are on an ultra team this year meaning there are only 6 of them. Crazy as shit. I just don't get it. I guess that is what separates me from the rest of my family. I like to run for fun. I don't like to run if it is too much work and I don't care if I'm running a 9:45 or a 10:15 min mile. If it feels good I'm happy. If it doesn't, I don't want to do it. Sometimes I wonder if I was just born into the wrong family and I sometimes get tired of all the running talk. I don't ever feel good enough to be part of it and it just generally irritates me. Running or exercising in general is something that should make you feel better about yourself, not worse.  That's why I love my running partners Annie and Melinda. I never feel like I'm anything less than good enough when I run with them. Plus it usually ends in coffee. Win win!

One thing I have perfected this summer is procrastination. I'm supposed to be working in the office. Well, the soon to be former office that is. After completely dismantling my grad school work space, I decided I want to turn the no longer necessary office into a home gym. We have lots of fun workout stuff but no good space to do it. I'm super excited. My work in there is pretty much done, the problem now is Sean's collection of things in there. Think, every computer part he's ever had. That boy can't part with electronics. I have my own vices mind you, so we won't talk about the other rooms in this house, I just need that room cleaned so I can finish up the transformation. I'm sure it's going to be so inspiring that I'll be a candidate for the hot tamale train in no time.

I guess, that space isn't going to finish itself. Believe me, I've given it multiple opportunities to do so all summer so I better go kick it in it's ass and get it going. I've got some fat to burn!

Maiden Voyage

After a bumpy start to summer (I spent my first week on the couch with a nasty case of bronchitis), we decided to hit the road for our first camping trip.

Isn't she adorable? We are hoping to downsize the monster truck sometime soon, but for now, it works great.  I'm pretty sure we could haul the baby trailer right in the truck bed. With me being sick this week, it was all up to Sean to decide where we would be going and to make the arrangements. He did not disappoint. Perhaps I should put him in charge of the anniversary trip this year? No?

We landed at Cold Water Cove campground. It's up on the Mackenzie River Trail at Clear Lake. Wow, I'm in love. Sean wanted to show me the place from his 50k last year. I'm so glad he did. It was perfect. Very quiet, no motor boats (I'm feeling the need for kayaks!) and a perfect little spot for us. Friday was the first day of summer, and mother nature did it up right for us to celebrate.

The next day we got up, drank some french pressed coffee (so fancy us campers!) and I decided to give my lungs a try on the trail. Sean wanted to hike to some falls he had seen on the race course, but didn't have much of a chance to stop and admire. No worries there, we took plenty of time admiring them. It was a fantastic trail with so much beauty. No wonder he is a trail runner. I may have to convert myself.

I sure never get a view like this from any of the miles I ever log. Seriously. After the 6 mile hike, I was about done, so we headed back to the campsite to chill for the rest of the evening.

While we were hanging around the campfire, two of Sean's ultra buddies showed up after having run a 50k "training run" in the snow around the South Sister. Seriously? Where do these people come from? It was really fun to have guests pop in though and I could see that both Sean and Annie appreciated some extra folks around the campfire.

Poor Annie is going to take some practice to get the camping thing down. She was horrified at the tiny new house, the different food dish and the no familiar faces. She has fit in with our family so well since the day she joined us last summer, that we sometimes forget she is a rescue dog. Change is very hard for her. She spent most of the weekend pacing or wanting to be right next to us. Luckily the next trip scheduled is with Sarah and family including Porter dog so hopefully she will see that camping is fun and not permanent.

All in all it was a perfect first trip. I'm so excited to start planning the next 10 or 12! I forgot how much I love camping in this beautiful corner of the world we call Oregon.

Decisions Decisions

Our entire family went their separate ways this weekend. Sean and I are headed over to his Dad's tomorrow, but tonight we had a lovely date night of happy hour, a little shopping and froyo. It was perfect!

While I was out I decided to get started selecting my summer reading list since I have free choice for my summer reading for the first time in 5 years. I still have a couple of books I got for Christmas on my bedside table and I picked up these three gems at the used store today.

Five fantastic reading options, a cute little trailer and a new pair of Teva Mush flip flops.  Sounds to me like this girl is ready for summer!

2 1/2 more kid days until the wrap up. None too soon. As my teaching partner stated after the particularly rough day today was "Friday arrived just in the nick of time this week".  Yup. The fact that everyone, kids and adults survived this week is a miracle in itself.

Home Stretch

It's almost the end of the school year. It can't come soon enough for me this year.  It's been a long, long, long, long year. Did I mention it's been a long year?

Oh, and I have this to look forward to......

Enough said.  4 1/2 more days with kids and 6 more days total and I'm a free girl! Bring it on!