Suburban Bliss

Back where I started

2010-01-03T14:46:00.000-08:00

I have a new post up at my old place...I think I'll be doing more writing over there for a while, in case you're interested.

End of Year Wrap Up

2009-12-29T09:34:00.000-08:00

1. What did you do in 2009 that you’d never done before? Tried acupuncture

2. Did you keep your New Year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year? My only resolution from last year was to cry less and enjoy my life more and I do think I've done pretty well with that. (Except for the menopausal crying jags...and I'm not sure you can count those.) I feel as though I've given a lot of time and energy to enjoying Life, and I'm proud of that.

I don't think I'll make resolutions for 2010 because I don't need that kind of pressure. Perhaps I'll just carry last year's over again?

3. Did anyone close to you give birth? Yes, Alcott's girlfriend did.

4. Did anyone close to you die? No.

5. What places did you visit? I think the only place I went this year was to the Bay Area (San Francisco, Sunnyvale, San Jose).

6. What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009? Not a thing.

7. What dates from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? April 11, the day TCB arrived home from Japan.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? I raised over $4,000 for the Breast Cancer 3-Day in the midst of a recession.

9. What was your biggest failure? I didn't stick with the 3-Day training schedule enough to finish the entire event.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury? Nothing major.

11. What was the best thing you bought? iPhone

12. Whose behavior merited celebration? My cat, Harry...he always makes me feel happy and loved.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? The mortgage company for TCB's condo. We've worked for over a year trying to come to a workable arrangement that will let us keep it and only lose a small amount of money each month, but they will accept nothing but the full amount for a condo that is worth only 40% of the mortgage value, and we simply can't support that kind of loss every month any more.

14. Where did most of your money go? Eating out. (At least my clothing budget was more reasonable this year - progress, not perfection!)

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? TCB's homecoming

16. What song will always remind you of 2009? "Defying Gravity" from Wicked (Glee cast version)

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:

a) happier or sadder? Happier, most of the time

b) thinner or fatter? No change

c) richer or poorer? Probably about the same.

18. What do you wish you’d done more of? Fun physical activity (as opposed to forced physical activity)

19. What do you wish you’d done less of? Flipping out on people (and my poor puppy) because of my stupid hormonal mood swings.

20. How did you spend Christmas in 2009? Went to see Blind Side with TCB then had a quiet dinner with just the two of us.

21. Did you fall in love in 2009? Not in the literal sense, but I have certainly spent the last eight months since my husband's return understanding how tough it is to stay in love when faced with adversity.

22. What was your favorite TV program? Glee. Love, love, LOVE.

23. What did you do for your birthday in 2009? TCB and I met my parents for lunch at our favorite seafood restaurant in Oceanside.

24. What was the best book you read? Sad but true...I don't think I read anything really memorable this year.

25. What did you want and get? I wanted to have a life so full that it left me feeling giddy, and I do.

26. What did you want and not get? I wanted to see Alcott graduate high school and head off to an out-of-state school. (See #3 for the reason why this didn't happen.)

27. What was your favorite film of this year? Blind Side or The Soloist

28. Did you make some new friends this year? I did in fact, mostly within Junior League

29.What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? Being able to tell TCB what I'm really thinking, even when it might hurt him to hear it.

30. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2009? To heck with baggy, saggy clothes - bring on the fitted dress!

31. What kept you sane? Um, I'm not sure that I AM sane.

32. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? Michelle Obama (another woman who is not afraid to wear sleeveless outfits even when it's cold outside)

33. What political issue stirred you the most? The movement to withhold the right for couples in love to legally marry based on their sexual orientation.

34. Who did you miss? My grandfather (he passed in 2008)

35. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2009. You will be about as happy as you make yourself...there are no magic pills.

How am I doing so far? - Days 1 and 2

2009-11-13T20:45:00.001-08:00

OK, here's the scoop for yesterday and today in terms of Leading a Healthy Life:

11/12 -
How did I feel when I went to bed? Not exhausted, just tired and ready for bed. Woke up refreshed, too!

How did I deal with stress? Pretty calm most of the day and I remembered to take my Chinese stress herbs

How's the house? Still a disaster

11/13 -
How do I feel now, just before going to sleep? Tired but not wiped out

Stress? Um, I plead "week before TTOM"...I cried in my office and just dragged myself around most of the day after a morning meeting

House? Total wreckage

So...we see that there are some good things going on (generally not completely wrecked at night) and still some areas to work on (stress relief). I need to do more work in some areas (walking and yoga first, I think) while some things I would have thought would be tough have been easy (eating veggies with every meal). All in all, I'm pleased.

In other news, Alouysius had his "Boy Into Man" surgery today and he's got to wear one of those conehead things for two weeks. (Poor him, poor us.)

Also? A week from today, I'll be crying, bleeding, and soaking in the tub after the first day of The Breast Cancer 3-Day...oh poop.

Lead a Healthy Life - Project Charter

2009-11-12T06:55:00.000-08:00

OK, every successful project starts with a great plan, so here's what I've got so far:

Project Goal - I want to live a healthy life!

Project Team - Sara (nutritionist), Judith (acupuncture practitioner), Dana (chiropractor), Dr. Bevan (general practice doctor), and me (project manager)

Requirements -
1. Get some exercise every day
2. Work on flexibility
3. Keep up with vitamins and Chinese herbs
4. Eat vegetables with every meal
5. Plant a Fall/Winter garden
6. Prepare meals as designed by nutritionist Sara for breakfast and dinner most days
Note: If scope of project has to be reduced, #s 1, 2, and 4 are Critical Path and must not be deferred, while the other three requirements are negotiable

Success metrics - (to be measured by posting here every single day of the project schedule)
1. How do I feel each night when I go to bed? Am I exhausted? Am I stressed out and barely able to make it up the stairs? Or am I pleasantly tired, relaxed, and ready for sleep?
2. How do I deal with stress? Do I mindlessly eat? Am I screaming at the puppy? Or do I take it all in stride and go for a short walk to burn off nervous energy during the day?
3. Is my house clean? I hate a messy house and yet mine usually is messy because I'm just too wiped - mentally and physically - to deal with it when I come home. A healthy life for me would also mean not just wanting to do something about the house but actually creating a daily chore list that would allow me to have the clean house that I want/need.

Schedule - November 12, 2009 through February 14, 2010 (Yep, that's Valentine's Day...)

You'll note that there's nothing in the metrics about "Did I eat my veggies today?" or "Did I get some exercise?" and that's because those are the means to the end I want, not the end itself, so it doesn't matter if I do them or not if I don't achieve the requirements for the project.

Angry

2009-11-08T10:14:00.000-08:00

Today has not started well. My hip has been bothering me for days and now my heel is killing me, too. This does not bode well for my 3-Day walk in two weeks. I'm sitting in the house, with the air conditioning on, sweating like a pig. And I just shook Al and screamed at him for ruining (another) pair of shorts. Who is this person and where has the real me gone?

Is it the lack of sleep talking?

2009-11-07T05:22:00.000-08:00

I don't know I'm just too tired to think straight or if this is real, but I'm suddenly overwhelmed by the urge - nay, the NEED - to live a healthier lifestyle. I just want to get what I'm thinking down on paper (virtually), so here are my Five Principles of a Healthy Lifestyle, in no particular order:

1. Get some exercise every day (yup, I'm calling it exercise, not"movement" or some PC thing). My body needs to move so that I don't end up stiff and sore every night, and even worse first thing in the morning. I have enough pairs of walking shoes now (thank you 3-Day!) that I can keep a pair at work, a pair in the car, and a pair at home...no excuse not to strike while the iron's hot

2. Keep up with my vitamins and Chinese herbs. Things just feel easier on the days I take them and it takes less than 5 minutes every day

3. Get the five fruits and veggies thing going. I can't remember the last time I had a meal that included veggies unless they were covered in oil or some fat-laden sauce; no fruit in any form for months. I'm pretty sure it won't kill me and perhaps I won't feel as lethargic...worth a try

4. Get the garden going again. Will help with #3 plus help with the depression PLUS it's a good excuse to walk 10 minutes each day when I have to water it

5. First, go and see a primary care doctor for the first time since 2003 (yes, really) so that I can get a referral to a nutritionist/dietitian who can write up a bunch of breakfasts, lunches, and dinners that I can cook or grab and go, depending on my mood. I'm fed up with eating every meal either out of a take out bag, a box (microwaved, processed within an inch of its life, nothing fresh or healthy), or at a restaurant which eats up our bank account as well as my good health

6.Write here every day so that I can report on how I'm doing and how my ideas morph in the light of day

(Yes, I know I said I had 5 Principles...consider #6 a bonus, if you will.)

OK, the puppy's snoring (TCB probably is, too) and I see light coming through the blinds...let's see if I can get some clothes on and my walking shoes and go for a little stroll, huh?

Totally decadent

2009-11-06T07:23:00.000-08:00

Well, no progress as yet on the plan to do 20 minutes of exercise plus 20 minutes of yoga, but I have a lot of hope for today because it's MY day for myself. I have one meeting from 9:00 to 10:00 am and then I'm done for the day. Here are things I'm thinking about doing: Walking and yoga, soak in my huge tub with lavender bath salts, a visit to the chiropractor for evaluation and possible treatment for my back pain, and a little retail therapy at my favorite department store. I might even take my bicycle out for a little ride before TCB gets home. Read a book. Buy a newspaper and read it end to end. Who knows?

I'll come back tomorrow to report on what today brings.

Progress, not perfection

2009-11-04T07:47:00.000-08:00

No walking or yoga yet, but I did have a better evening than I usually do, possibly because I remembered to take my anti-stress Chinese herbs (8 little pills that I am supposed to take 2x a day) just before I left work.

Today I'm going to make sure I grab my shoes, socks, and a hat before I leave for work so that I can walk at work if I have 20 minutes free plus email my ex-husband, landscape designer extraordinaire, to see if he'll design my fall/winter garden as well as coordinating day laborers to dig out the horrible soil in our community garden plot and replace it with good stuff. I think I'll grab my Plus Sized Yoga DVD and put it out where I can't miss it when I get home, too - can't hurt, right? (Hey, I just saw these DVDs, too...perhaps I should add them to my Wish List.)

OK, I need to run so that I can get ready and take Al (the Pug) to his doggie day care with the girls at the vet's office...more tomorrow.

Dealing with what's ailing me

2009-11-03T10:46:00.001-08:00

I haven't written here in a very long time and, for those that care enough to check back here, I'm sorry. I haven't been any busier than I usually am, I just haven't been inspired to write. Truthfully, I have been inspired to do much of anything. I feel tired, sad, angry (very, very angry!), sore, old, creaky, unappreciated, unloved, and - most of all - frustrated by my seeming inability to do anything to break out of this cycle.

Cycle, cycle, cycle...hmmm, could this possibly be the start of the next phase of my (womanly) life? I decided to Google "menopause" and was quite surprised to find that everything I have been experiencing (and more that I won't detail here because you just don't need/want to know) can be explained by my having entered menopause. Some of you will say, "But, Denise, you've only just turned 42, how is that possible?" I started menstruating at age 10, so I've had 32 years of this fun and thus it isn't as out of line as you might think. (Mom also let me know that she started menopause at 40, so there's family history as well.)

Once I got my head around this probability, I started looking for holistic ways of dealing with symptoms and found the following things that I am going to implement or have already implemented:

1. Acupuncture - helps with the aches and pains as well as rebalancing hormone levels

2. Chiropractic - help with aches and pains, too

3. Magnesium and Calcium supplements - Magnesium helps me fall asleep at night, Calcium fights monthly depression

4. 20 minutes of walking every day - good for fighting off depression, movement helps keep joints healthy, burns off calories/makes my body more insulin-sensitive

5. 20 minutes of yoga every day - same as #4

6. Write about how I'm feeling - fights the depression, helps me remember that I'm not going insane, I'm just entering another phase of my life

7. Soak feet in warm water with lavender oil - relaxes the body and mind

8. Plant a garden - relaxes mind, fights the depression

9. Cut out caffeine - caffeine inhibits body's ability to use nutrients like calcium and magnesium, can also make it tough to sleep properly

I've implemented #s 1-3 already plus #6 as soon as I hit "Publish Post", but #s 4 and 5 are going to be more challenging, so I'll keep track here of how I'm doing. There are also other items on my list of things to try in terms of dealing with the menopause thing and I'll write about those as I go along as well.

Basically, if you're not interested in menopause or depression or when I'll ever start to feel like a normal human being again, this journal is probably no longer for you. If, however, you think you might like some information about what works and what doesn't (or are just ready to be entertained by my Tales from the Dark Side), stay tuned.

Props to the parents

2009-08-06T15:02:00.001-07:00

TCB and I are hosting our 12-year-old nephew for two weeks and I am quickly gaining a deeper respect for the parents I know. He's a great kid, really, he is, it's just that he's a kid: forgetful, messy, and high-maintenance. I honestly believe he'd forget his head if it wasn't attached permanently! And then there's the fact that TCB and I are self-indulgent and lazy...if we don't feel like eating until 8:00 pm on a weeknight, that's what we do. If we want to lie around on a weekend doing nothing but watching TV or surfing the internet, again, that's what we do. We cannot do this sort of thing with The Kid around, though.

New rules in place while The Kid is visiting:
1. No more than an hour of TV or video games or internet. That's an hour total, all three media combined. This is about to kill me, I think.

2. Bed must be made and all clothes put away properly before we leave in the morning. This is killing me more than TCB because he leaves earlier than I do and so does not have to contribute to this. (Things are going to change Saturday and Sunday mornings, though!)

3. Non-screen based activities (see Rule #1) must be planned for every evening and weekend day because a bored Kid is not a joy to be around. In the last week, I've played Monopoly, Life, and Sorry, and I think Clue is on deck for tonight. (TCB and The Kid played Yahtzee Tuesday night but I had a headache and didn't participate.) I'm trying to figure out what to do over the very long weekend...I'm even contemplating bowling, and I've never bowled.

4. Lunches must be packed each day. The Kid has to take a lunch plus two snacks plus adequate water for the entire day to Day Camp, and we are doing so as well.

5. The Kid must be dropped off at a local parking lot between 8:00 and 8:10 am each morning and picked up at the same location between 4:30 and 4:50 each evening, something that requires a discipline not often seen in the Denise/TCB household. The result? Text messages such as, "I can't get him tomorrow, can you?" and "Do you have him? Are you really sure, because I'm stuck in traffic and I hope you're there!"

We will survive this challenge, certainly, but any pipe dreams I might have had of our fostering or adopting a child are distant memories; at this point, just watching Burn Notice together after a stressful day at work sounds like Heaven. To those raising children or grandchildren, I salute you...you are doing God's work!

Just the facts, ma'am

2009-07-16T15:28:00.000-07:00

I just discovered this post in draft format sitting in my dashboard, so I'm going to finish it and then hit "Post".

--------------

Wow, it's been a while since I wrote a real post here, huh? Hopefully you will understand my absence when I tell you that I've been living instead of writing about living? Hope so.

The 3-day training is going well after a few minor bumps in the road (like skipping about 2 weeks of training). I finished 7 and 6 mile walks this weekend, and I finished them strong. A little whining during and a little Advil afterward, but otherwise strong. There was a point during the 7 miler when I really felt horrible - tired and fed up - and then I looked to the side of the road and there was the brightest pink geranium plant I've ever seen, and I remembered why I signed up in the first place. That keeps happening to me...something comes along out of the blue and helps me adjust my perspective - thank you God.

Took my new bike out for its maiden voyage this weekend, too - fun. How can anything that involves a pink girly bike, complete with white basket and pink bell, NOT be fun? I'm still wobbling around a lot, but oh how fun it is to coast down a hill feeling the wind whipping my hair back. If you want to recapture a piece of your childhood, buy yourself a bike (not a serious bike, though...that's too much effort).

I will be picking up Alcott, the 18 year old joy of my life, later this afternoon and he will be spending the next four nights with us. Tomorrow morning, he will have to hitch a ride to SDSU with The Husband and that means his being ready to roll by like 5:45 at the latest. (Yes, I will produce video of the "getting ready" experience.)

My role at work has changed and I'm going to have my version of the "Dream Job" - words fail to express how happy I am. You know how people say that "when you love what you're doing you never work a day in your life"? Yeah, it's like that.

Life is good, people. Really, truly, and deeply good. And for those kind souls who sent supportive messages after my last (now deleted) post: thank you so much.

engineering marvel

2009-06-14T14:03:00.001-07:00

halfway through a 6 mile walk on the heels (literally!) of 7 miles yesterday and i feel fine. wow

Suburban Bliss

2009-06-10T15:34:00.000-07:00

It hit me last night, as I was pulling up to Rubio's for dinner. Something I'd been ruminating on for about a week and had finally put my finger on: we're so lucky and so blessed. This - this moment right now, and the one before, and the one before that, and every one since he got home - is the brass ring, this is what all of the work and sacrifice and tears are about. This life. This bliss.

We have soft, cuddly cats who love us (and tell us so frequently - and loudly)
We have an amazing bed with soft bamboo sheets
We have our little plot in the community garden, with squash and cucumbers o'plenty, the occasional strawberry, and hope yet for tomatoes
We have Saturday morning Farmers Market, with our cloth bags and the vendors we see week after week who know us because we're always there, too
There's laundry - clean, mostly, and tidying, and ceiling fans, and refrigerators to be cleaned out before trash day
And his calling to ask me what I want from Starbucks because I've had a bad day at work

I was so afraid, when he was in Japan, that something would happen before we'd get to the "good part". That nearly two years would go by and then, before we could celebrate his being home, we'd be torn apart by some other, unspecified challenge to overcome. I have always, and will probably always still be, worried about the horrible things that the future might bring. (Yes, I know it's stupid, but that's why it's an irrational fear, people. Stay with me.) But just now I've realized that, while that terrible thing might happen, it can't happen before the good stuff does because the good stuff is right now. Right here. In my amazingly beautiful house (don't ask about the furniture, but the house itself is gorgeous). With my handsome husband. During the college courses I'm taking. While I walk to raise money for breast cancer.

Right now is the very best time of my life and I want to take it all in through each of my senses so that I never forget. No matter what happens tomorrow, I have experienced pure love and joy today.

This will not do

2009-05-27T15:26:00.000-07:00

I've been allowing myself to progress in my journey toward a more active lifestyle while completely ignoring the nutritional side of a healthy lifestyle. I've done this very purposefully - I don't want my disordered thinking about food to throw my 3-day training off - and I'm totally OK with it, not feeling guilty or manic or obsessive or any of that. But now these two worlds that I've been trying to keep separate have collided and I need to do something I've put off for a very long time - deal with my diabetes and put together a nutritional plan that supports walking long distances day after day.

What's pushed me to this point is that I'm having a lot of difficulty walking back-to-back long distances. It's not the walking itself that's problematic - my five mile on Saturday was easier than I had any right to expect! - it's the fact that I feel completely drained afterwards and that my blood sugar gets low and then my body starts to shut down bit by bit. Saturday afternoon, while we were on base looking for an iMac, I felt as thought I would faint and had to sit down to eat something immediately. Once I had some food on board, I progressed from feeling faint to feeling hungover. The next afternoon, after doing several loads of laundry plus vacuuming, I started feeling weak and nauseated again - no breakfast, no lunch! I wasn't able to do my planned 4 mile training walk for Sunday even after eating because of the same hungover feeling.

I'm trying not to panic because that's not going to help at all, but it's creeping in anyway. I can't keep missing training walks, and I don't want to, either. (Isn't it crazy that I'm starting to ENJOY walking and being active???) Mick made my lunch for me this morning: sandwich, pickle, apple, soup at hand, and some chips. I need to eat my two fruits and three veggies every day. I need to not eat so much fried food with no nutritional value. I don't want to be obsessive about food because I know where that ends, but changes do have to be made.

Crazy in Love

2009-05-18T16:52:00.000-07:00

You think you know what love is about. You date. You laugh at his jokes, even when they're not funny. You go to nice restaurants and dive restaurants and like them just the same because you're with him. You fumble over the three words the first time you say them...who will say them first? Will he feel the same way? Am I going too fast? Where are we going? And you meet his family (and they meet you). You spend years together, dating, and then you marry and it's the apex of your love. You will never love each other more than you do at that very second that you say, "I do."

Except that's not true. It's not about the big things, the grand gestures, the public displays of affection. It's the smell of his skin when you bury your face in his shoulder while you wait for your deli meat to be sliced. It's the sound of his footsteps, running towards you in the dark because you've forgotten your headphones for the 3-mile training walk you've put off until 9:00 pm on a Sunday. It's feeling the car shake with his laughter when you make fun of the silly suburbanites. It's the first 13th of the month since you were married passing without flowers arriving at work. It's finally - Lord, finally! - being able to sleep soundly through the night in the bed you share with him, because your body and mind have finally - finally! - accepted the fact that he's home, he's yours, and you're safe.

Love validates. It liberates. It makes you feel simultaneously bigger than your house and infinitesimally small. There is no size limit on love, nor time limit, nor any limit at all (unless you place one there). I didn't realize two years ago that we weren't as much in love as we could be, or should be - how could I? Love isn't love until it's tested, until you have to fight for it, until you realize that it can break your heart...and then you hold it even tighter.

I am the luckiest woman in the world and I need no Kate Spade purse (no matter how cheap they are at the Exchange) to feel that way now.

Building mileage and confidence

2009-05-11T09:26:00.000-07:00

This weekend I completed my first 4 mile walk in preparation for the Breast Cancer 3-day. I've done many 3 mile walks, and this was part of my week 2 training program, but I was still nervous about how I would come through. Turns out that I had nothing to worry about because I sailed through. No, it wasn't easy by any means, but I did it and I didn't die. I have several hundred more training miles to walk before my birthday on October 12 (day after the event) and each step brings me a little closer to the active lifestyle I need to adopt and the confidence that will take me there.

(If you'd like to donate in support of my 3-day walk, click on the pink widget on the right side of this page and it will take you to my personal fundraising page.)

Getting lost in Surburia with bad directions

2009-05-03T21:19:00.000-07:00

Ok I dropped my wife off at work the other day so I can run some errands like to go my new job to scope it out. Well my loving wife wanted me to drop somethings off in the mail for her. Not a problem she told me that the Post Office is off this one road. Well it all depends what you consider off. If you consider you have to get another road and than you will see the Post Office and get off that other road than yes she was right. My right off the road means you exit that road into whereever you are going. Crazy wife.

Well I spent a good hour lost looking for my way home. Only to see where my wife works and not be able to get to it since there was no direct roads to it. True craziness. Well I finally got home for a 10 minute stopover before I had to go to my new job only to get lost in National City.

Supporting independence

2009-05-01T11:58:00.000-07:00

I just purchased a few used hardback books from Powell's Bookstore in Portland. I did this for two reasons: 1. I just love Powell's. I wish I lived in Portland so that I could spend my Saturdays perusing all of the wonderful books they have. 2. They are an independent bookseller and there just aren't enough of those left in the world. There's nothing wrong with Amazon, and I have certainly donated plenty of money to the continued well-being of their company, but you can't walk around Amazon and smell the books, touch the books, enjoy an afternoon of being around others who love books.

If you have a favorite independent local bookseller, perhaps today would be a good day to drop by and spend some time (and money) at their establishment.

In other news, how is it that a four-day work week has taken forever??? Ugh.

And, in my final bit of wisdom for today, I share with you that I've begun the formal, 24-week training program for the 3-day. If you'd like to donate, I have a pink widget on this site, or you can follow this link.

A little bit of this, a little bit of that

2009-04-27T09:01:00.000-07:00

Today marks the last day of my vacation with the hubby. I had originally made ambitious plans to go out of town for the day, but realized over the weekend that I want to spend today with him instead.

We have done some research/shopping (and endless discussion) to try to find new seating for our living room. My old Ikea sofa and chaise have definitely seen better days and need replacement. We are considering either the Oxford collection from Crate and Barrel (latte or chocolate colors) or the PB Comfort collection from Pottery Barn (espresso brushed canvas, I think). They are roughly the same price, so that's not really a huge factor in the decision. I honestly think we're going to need a designer in the end because we simply cannot come to a shared understanding of how to configure the seating arrangement in the living room. Trivial disagreement, I know, but it's something we'll have to live with for a long, long time, so I want to make sure we work through it properly.

In other news, I found a college buddy on Facebook over the weekend and I'm thrilled to be given the opportunity to catch up on her life over the last 15 years. Say what you will about the deterioration of culture brought about by the Internet, but you can't beat it for bringing back friends from your past!

Valet in Surburia

2009-04-25T21:57:00.000-07:00

I thought my wife was crazy when she text me to let me know that our new Sushi place has Valet parking. The funny thing about it is not a big strip mall just has the Sushi Bar and Starbucks. I just found out that my favorite Sushi place in Oceanside before I left is the same one. I am so lucky.

Two new residents at Casa Suburban Bliss

2009-04-24T16:38:00.000-07:00

I have two dwarfs living with me as of today. No, I'm not being politically incorrect about little people, nor am I referring to Sleepy, Happy, or Dopey...it's my new dwarf Meyer Lemon and Clementine Mandarin (orange) trees that I'm talking about. The trees themselves arrived yesterday and the awesome 14" pots today, so Farmer Mick and I went out and did the honors with potting soil, stakes, and garden tape and now their leaves are brightly shining in the sun in front of our entry way. Yay!

Honestly, it's hard to put into words how excited I am about all of our gardening exploits. Running out every day to see how big the soon-to-be-a-gourd squash blossom has gotten, removing the plastic water bottles from atop the lettuce plants (take THAT, Sally Squirrel!) to water then replacing afterwards, and hoping against hope that we'll have plenty of strawberries from the abandoned plot adjacent to mine that I've been watering for a month now...it all makes me irrationally happy. There's something so organic about it (pun not necessarily intended but it does apply as well) and it just makes my spirit sing even though I haven't gone for a walk since Mick got home and the house is cluttered with stuff that came home with Mick and hasn't found a permanent home yet: none of that matters. I am woman and I can grow food, people!

On a separate but related note, I signed up for a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) weekly delivery of organic produce today. I'm not crazy enough to believe that my little veggies that I just planted a month ago are going to provide for all of Mick and my fruit and vegg needs year-round, so we'll get a small box of produce each and every week to help me reach my goal of 3 veggies and 2 fruits each day. (No dieting, just eating better.)

Also, I found a local, free e-waste recycling service in case anyone's interested in getting rid of a bunch of electronics stuff. Perhaps we're the only people in San Diego with way too many old computers, monitors, routers, etc., but I'm guessing not.

Finally, I have to share a little suburban craziness with you: our local strip mall sushi place next door to Starbucks has valet parking. Seriously. (I couldn't think this stuff up.) Because walking two steps from the empty parking spaces surrounding the valet sign is just too much effort out here in Suburbia.

Happy Earth Day!

2009-04-23T00:01:00.001-07:00

What do suburbanites do to celebrate Earth Day? Why, we go to the e-waste recycling event at work then water our veggie garden, of course! Seriously, we are just too obsessed with being eco-friendly...it's hampering my ability to get stuck in and clean through the boxes in the garage. I'm just going to have to set the timer for 30 minutes, do some work, and then re-evaluate, because that garage is not going to clean itself.

Starbucks

2009-04-21T23:12:00.000-07:00

Ok our local Starbucks closes at 2030 what Starbucks closes on a half hour. What is up with that?

I have to realize I live in Suburbia and I can't do a midnight food run close by.

Worth the wait

2009-04-18T21:54:00.001-07:00

Mick and I at Island Divine event in La Jolla today. Can't you just see us growing old together?

Nothing but bliss

2009-04-16T08:54:00.000-07:00

OK, the title of this post is not quite true...we've disagreed a few times (more than a few) already, but we're still living in the same house, so that's good.

Things we've done (and not done) since Mick's been home:
1. Bought a new bed. King sized, eco-friendly, and crazy comfortable. I'm still having trouble getting to sleep with another person in bed with me, but I'm hopeful this will pass.

2. Shopped for new couches. Result? We don't agree on what we want/need, so we're passing for now.

3. Got the advanced wireless network technician out to set up our Airport Extreme so that the internet at our little piece of suburbia doesn't drag anymore. (Yay!)

4. Found Mick's new unit on the large base he'll be assigned to until he retires. (Note: This was a tougher task than you'd think.)

5. Started in on the large piles of clutter in the garage. Yes, this has so far been limited to Mick, but I'll join in soon, I promise.

6. In the "not" category, we haven't gone for a walk yet. This is more on me than Mick because I'm sure he'd go if I asked him to, and I need to do so today. Formal 3-day training program starts in less than two weeks and I can't let the work I've done until now to fade away because I'd just rather not.

7. Also in the "not" category, we keep meaning to do a full grocery shop and then do not. Not really sure why that is other than we keep trying to put too much into one day and then run out of steam. This needs to happen today as well.

8. Still need to plant two cherry tomato plants plus sow beet seeds in my veggie garden. We now have blossoms (future veggies) on eggplant, tomato, cucumber, and squash plants, and actual veggies (v. small!) on the green bean and bell pepper plants. Nothing on the strawberry plants but that's OK because everything I read tells me I shouldn't let the fruit set on those plants the first year anyway. I think I'm going to subscribe to Sunset...when did I become my mother/grandmother???

It's time to get going on the day - things to do, people to see, clutter to clear!

Hello World!

2009-04-12T00:24:00.000-07:00

Did you know that there are people who go door-t0-door selling vacuum cleaners? It's true, I promise you, and I know this because I experienced it first-hand this afternoon. I was preparing to pick the husband up at the airport when there was a knock on the door and there he was...a door-to-door salesman. About an hour later, he left without a sale and I rushed off to the airport. Still, it left me wondering if this is a common experience or if it's just because I live in Suburbia. Certainly there are a lot of people with more money than common sense out here, but I'd think even they would be watching their finances more closely given our country's current economic state. Anyway, tell me if you've experienced something similar, would you?

No walkies today, so we'll make up for it tomorrow when I take Mick out for a nice Easter walk in the neighborhood. The formal training program starts in two weeks, so I'm also going to try out a water exercise class at the Y this week...there's a "one week free" offer on now, so it seems opportune because I need to do two days a week of cross training and water exercise would be a gentle way to be active for 30-45 minutes at a time. We shall see.

Happy Easter to those that celebrate it and Happy Sunday to those that don't - do something joyful today!