Former Employer

I'm sitting in the basement of a building where I used to work. The Mister is finishing up his degree at this university (10 more weeks, hallelujah!) and so I rode along with him tonight. There were papers that needed to be graded and we're leaving for Steamboat after he gets out of class, so it made sense to use the free wi-fi and do my work. Driving around the campus made me nostalgic, a little sad, but mostly relieved. We lived the first two years of our marriage here, so it has sweet memories, but the reality is that moving on was the best decision we could have made. I took a big risk by stepping out of a career path that rarely allows re-entry in the hope that I could find a new career path that would allow us to buy a house and settle down. Moving eight times in eleven years makes a person crave for stability; I had an intense desire to get rid of our moving boxes. The Mister wanted to quit his job so that he could enter a new career. No matter what decision we made there were going to be many changes that resulted, so we decided to stay in Denver, throw caution to the wind, and hope for the best.

We're not natural risk-takers, so the decision making process was laborious and (dare I say it) slow. I am sure other couples can come to an agreement much sooner, but we process everything, multiple times. The Mister is one who doesn't like to make a decision without examining all of the alternatives, and I don't like to make a decision until he's ready. It wouldn't feel right. So we walked, and talked, I cried a little, then we rested. Then we came back to it, walked some more, talked some more, I cried some more, and then we rested. This process went on for almost a week while a potentially fabulous job offer waited for our decision. When we decided to turn it down we felt elated and more than a little bit nervous. We were exhausted from our own process and so relieved to have finally made a decision. Nervous because we were leaving a secure career path for a plan where both of us would be starting over at the bottom.

I'm pleased to report that I'm very happy in my new career path. The Mister has started interviewing and we're guessing he'll be employed in his new career path in the next month or two. You make these decisions and hope for the best, but you never know how it's going to work out.

I'd say it's worked out fine.

Things I'd Like to Learn

Here's a random list for today:

How to eat just one cookie.

How to design my own website.

• What the "phenomenological method" is. It came up in my reading for school this week and I'm not quite getting it.

How to sew in a zipper. I've done it once but I'm pretty sure it was an accident.

Where my retirement money is invested. This is embarassing, but I give my money to my retirement fund every month and I'm not sure what happens to it after that.

What eating pasta in Italy tastes like.

If the Pope ever wears jeans under those robes. Or wears jeans at all.

How child development progresses through the toddler years. Because there's got to be a rational explanation for my nephew's behavior.

MindLESS

I know that every magazine geared toward women in the supermarket check-out has at least one article about being more mindful, being present, and being in the moment. I am taking the opposite stance in one area of my life: my appearance. My goal is to have a wardrobe, makeup, and self care routine that is essentially mindless. I am building a wardrobe where everything matches with everything else so when the morning rush is on I don't have to think about what to wear. My makeup routine has been pared down to the bare minimum and can be done half asleep (as it is most mornings). Routine self care is going to be done on a regular schedule (toenails, hair, eyebrows, etc.) so that a minimum of effort is required to maintain it.

These things simply aren't important to me anymore. Don't get me wrong, I want to look nice and present a clean, professional appearance. But I don't want to have to think about it any longer. In a culture that is obsessed with image, my goal is to step out of that game and start thinking more about the things that are important to me. I realized a few weeks ago that I was wondering what the girls at work would think about this outfit or that outfit and I knew I had to stop. The comparison game only leads to greater dissatisfaction and competition.

Anyone else have experience with this?

The Mister Needs A Job

Me (calling home at lunch): "Whatcha doin?"

The Mister: "Funny you should ask! I was throwing apples at the squirrel."

Me: "I'll call back later."

I did receive an explanation for the bizarre behavior but his afternoon activities did leave me shaking my head and wondering what else he was doing when I'm not around.

Colorado Symphony Orchestra

I love classical music but I don't know much about it. My folks always had Bach or Beethoven playing in the background when we were growing up, but there wasn't much in the way of education about classical music. I am married to a classically trained guitar player, but he is really only interested in guitar music. After much discussion and a few successful forays to CSO concerts last fall, we decided to become season ticket holders this year because we could create a package with concerts across the musical spectrum--jazz, pops, holiday, etc. Our first concert is this Friday night and I am so thrilled because it means we have seven date nights this academic year, planned and paid for, and that's something I've been looking forward to all summer.

Christmas Music

Last December Kimberly and I went to a concert that I'm still talking about 10 months later. The Colorado Symphony Orchestra did "Too Hot to Handel", a gospel interpretation of Handel's Messiah. At the end of the concert I was crying and had goosebumps because it was so powerful. The familiar sounds of the Hallelujah Chorus plus an amazing groove with drums, bass guitar, and piano filled the auditorium in a way I've never experienced. It was a given that we would go again this year.

The good people at the CSO sent me a coupon this week for 25% off all holiday concert tickets, so not only are we going to the concert, but we're also going to have better seats than last year!

Update

So much has happened since the last time I posted! Life in bullet points again...:

• My niece was born last week! Her big brother is very excited.
• The Mister and I celebrated our 6th anniversary at the Melting Pot.
• I got a big fat promotion at work.
• Still in school, but I have a plan to finish and I'm scheduled to graduate in May of 2013. Only 8 semesters to go!
• Our veggie garden was awesome. Next year, only 1 squash plant--I'm so tired of squash.

I have no idea if I'll be able to maintain this blog, but I'm going to try.

Family

Last night I went to dinner with my friend Lindsay and we were discussing family--the family you're born with versus the family you choose. I've come to depend a lot more on my chosen family in the last year and didn't even realize it until our conversation. Kimberly and Lindsay are two of my favorite people in the world and I'm grateful to have them in my life. They are both such an encouragement to me. Thanks so much, ladies! Hope you don't mind the very public shout-out (hee, hee).

The Mister and I are off to Wyoming this weekend for my EdD orientation. I am hoping that my peonies will work very hard on breaking the surface while I am gone.

Time Flies...

It's been almost a year since I've posted. It's amazing how quickly you can fall out of a habit and how hard it is to regain it. Last summer was very busy with work and teaching and I was barely able to keep my head above water. In August I started my doctoral program, so fall semester left little room for writing for fun. I had the best of intentions to pick this up again over Christmas, but naps and shopping took up most of my time. Now it's almost April!

I've always felt conflicted about this blog because I don't think I add much to the internet that's meaningful or helpful. Not that blogs have to, but I never fell into a rhythm or a niche that I was comfortable in. I'm careful not to expose too much of my life, and I think my caution has kept me from feeling like I'm contributing. I have almost deleted this blog several times, but something always stopped me. For the last couple of weeks I've felt the pull to come back to it so I'm giving it another try. Who knows where I'm headed now?

Life in Bullet Points

Summer is slipping away from me...and not in a "we've done lots of fun things" kind of way. The Mister and I will be sitting down with the calendar soon and blocking off weekends where we don't schedule anything except "FUN!".

On a positive note, my flowers are blooming and going outside to check on them every day brings me a lot of joy.

Remainder of summer resolutions:
* Have my morning coffee in the backyard every weekend.
* Do at least 3 more hikes.
* Hit the farmer's markets at least 3 more times.
* Pray more, stress less.

Can you tell I've been grading lesson plans this morning? My objectives are specific and measurable!

Life in Bullet Points

• Flowers are blooming in the yard!
• Almost done with my marathon of working weekends. I'm on the home stretch!
• Finished Brain Rules, using it for a class I'm teaching next weekend.
• Sun tea is awesome.

Tagged

I was tagged a long time ago by Kimberly but I'm finally getting around to doing my part:


I am to list 7 awe-summm things about myself!

1. I am persistent--if there's something I want to know/do, I keep at it.
2. I am a good teacher. I work at constantly being better.
3. I am a good gift giver.
4. I read a lot. Research is my passion, so that helps.
5. I am making good use of my gifts/talents.
6. I'm a good wife/friend. I work at the relationships that are important to me.
7. I strive to focus on the positive - I'm not always successful, but it is always a goal I am pursuing. In the last 6 months I've really been working on contentment even when life is stressing me out. The Mister and I are incredibly blessed.

Priorities

Hastily shouted instructions during the hail storm yesterday:

Me: Mister! You move my car under the carport! I'm going to try and save the tomatoes!

Mister: It takes two people to move the cars--you have to help me!

Me: But...but...THE TOMATOOOOOOES!

Letter Regarding Adoption

Dear Senators Michael Bennett and Mark Udall:

I've written e-mails (more than once) and I called both of you today, but I am hoping that whoever monitors your names on the internet will see this blog post, too.

Please attend the CCAI meeting on Friday, May 29th and advocate for my friend Kimberly (resident of Centennial) who is one of the 65 waiting families who is trying to adopt from Kyrgyz. Her sweet girl has been waiting to be adopted for two years. It's time for her to come home to a loving family in Colorado. Both Kimberly and Moonbeam need you to step up and start pressuring for these adoptions to go forward.

Thank you for your assistance in this very important matter.

Beulah

Steamboat Springs

We had a delightful time in Steamboat this weekend. I will be posting pictures/stories for the rest of this week.

Whenever we go to the ranch I feel a compulsion to take a lot of pictures. Steamboat Springs has changed so much just in the last 10 years that I've been going, and it feels like there is a way of life that is being lost. More restaurants, hotels, and traffic and fewer glimpses into the agricultural origins of the town. Skiing and tourism have run out most of the family farms and ranches. BILs family has been in the valley since the late 1800s so they have deep roots, but the way they run their business will eventually have to change. There's no way around it. So every time I go I try to document their life as it is now so there's a record.

I'm no Pioneer Woman, but I'm doing my part to maintain an account of ranching life in the Yampa Valley.

Weekend

We're in Steamboat this weekend with Nephew, Little Sister, and BIL. Pictures and stories to come! Hope you all have a delightful weekend.

Thinking in Bullet Points

• Class was awesome. Students were a real joy. Second half at the end of this month.
• Bought a new sewing machine. Aaaiiiiyyy! Very excited. More to come...
• Headed to Steamboat this weekend to see Little Sister, BIL, and Nephew. Weather should be gorgeous, hoping to hike Service Creek.

No Time

No time for blogging...teaching my class this weekend! Aiiyyyy! I'm still in the "I'm going to make a total fool of myself!" phase which will drive me to perform Herculean feats of instructional design until 2/3 of the way through the Saturday session when my adrenaline will wear off. I always design a group activity for Saturday afternoon because that's when I mellow out. When I finally relax and enter the "OK, this is going well, I'm not an idiot, these students might be getting their money's worth after all" phase. This teaching business, it's an emotional roller coaster.

Encouraging image for the weekend--the flower pot I put together a few weeks ago at Echter's is blooming and looking gorgeous.

The Nerdery Increases

My dad was at our house this weekend and suggested going to the Star Trek movie. There was an awkward pause after this query because just the week before I'd been mocking the movie. Relentlessly. Specifically mocking The Mister and his desire to go to the movie. I believe I said he'd have to take his other wife if he wanted a spouse to go with him. Dad suggested it and we had nothing else to do, so I swallowed my pride and went to the Star Trek movie. In fact, I waited in line even, because it was opening night (oh, the shame) to see the movie that I had made fun of.


And I liked it.


A lot.


(Crap.)

A Recent Conversation

The Mister: You have a problem.

Me: I do?!?

TM: Yes. You do. I was in the shower this morning and couldn't figure out why there wasn't any room in there. I realized it was the abundance of bottles ...so I started counting.

Me: Yes?

TM: Yes, I started counting. I counted four bottles for me, which came as a surprise. That's too many. Then I started counting your bottles...do you want to know how many bottles you have in the shower right now? Right at this moment?

Me: I'm not sure I do.

TM: SEVENTEEN! You have SEVENTEEN bottles in the shower!

Me: I don't see how this is a problem.

TM: How do you have seventeen bottles in the shower?

Me: I'm a girl.

TM: mutter...mutter...Can you maybe get rid of some of the bottles?

Me: I'll do what I can.