Motivating Kids to Walk

Mostly, our kids like going on neighborhood walks, or nature hikes.  This weekend, Vicki and I discovered an added incentive - pedometers!  Both kids borrowed ones of Vicki's and loved seeing how many steps they could get in - continually begging all weekend if they could go out for a walk.  Kaylen's was a regular pedometer, but Kelton's was actually a "poke-walker," which is a pedometer tied in with a Pokemon DS game that allows the walker to build up the strength of one of their game characters, then upload it back onto the game.  The pedometer actually has a little screen that shows the character being worked on. It is not exactly of the quality of samsung lcd screens, but it is cute nonetheless.  I have a feeling there is a poke-walker in Kelton's future. Someone has an April birthday... *grin*

One more day until Hawaii

One more day of work this week, then it is off to Hawaii!  Work is getting more and more interesting as I learn and can do more. It is not that any of it is particularly difficult, but there are lots of steps and many processes to learn.  It's not rocket science, or like I have to learn medical cauterybut sometimes learning someone else's ways of doing things, or how to run reports from a totally unfamiliar database, feels a bit that way.  I still love the place I am working and enjoy the substance of what I am learning, even aside from my actual piece of the puzzle.

So, tomorrow I am on my own at work. I potentially have an added responsibility for the day - being on-call in case of emergency - which would be a great learning experience, but truthfully, I would rather not think about the follow-up paperwork that would be needed just as I am about to go on vacation. Oh, well, all will be good either way!

Star Wars Confession

I will start this by saying that I am not much of a Star Wars geek.  I only watched the first trilogy (episodes 4-6) and have never read the books. I do enjoy it, but have very little of any of the movies memorized, beyond a few lines of he original blockbuster movie that started it all. I admit I have seen that one probably 4 or 5 times.

Right now I am sitting watching the very first Star Wars episode with Vicki and the kids - the one where Anakin is just a young boy. My favorite Star Wars characters have always been Yoda, R2D2, Chewbacca and Han Solo. Now, I think I have a new addition to that list: Jar Jar Binks:



This character is not the brightest in the bunch, but totally cracks me up. He has so many funny moments that I have found myself laughing out loud more than once at his crazy antics. I appears I have discovered a new thing to love about Star Wars.

Weekend - Part 3

Now, it is nearly 3:00 on Sunday afternoon. We have spent the morning coloring pages we found on the computer, sweeping and mopping the entire house, vacuuming, eating and playing with Legos.  Now we are watching the very first Star Wars episode - from the second trilogy - which I have never seen. The kids are still coloring and playing with Legos. None of us has gotten dressed. We are just hanging out in our pajamas. I hopped on my netbook to check out my email, sort through advertisements about business intelligence software and whatever else may have popped in there overnight. Naturally, the minute I am truly involved in anything, both kids are starving and seeking junk food, so I have to get up, help them find healthy snacks, and tell them real food needs to wait just a bit longer. I am starting to think once the movie ends, we need to eat and get out and about just to get some fresh air. It is kind of weird staying in the house all day. I am so used to getting out and about that a day inside feels almost too lazy. Need fresh air!

Weekend - Part 2

After helping my Step-Dad get his new phone, I met Vicki and the kids at Target, where they had finished kid meals. After a small amount of shopping, the adults were ready for a trip to a local Mexican food restaurant (where Kelton ate one of my enchiladas!) and the kids checked out some trading cards and Littlest Pet Shop items they'd picked up.

It was a nice afternoon, and the kids wanted to go for a walk to add steps to the pedometers they had borrowed from Vicki. Kelton was using one that is hooked in with Pokemon games, so as he walked, he built up character strength. We found a nice trail just driving through a neighborhood, and ventured about for an hour or so, ending at a school playground.

The evening consisted of an easy dinner for the kids, and a couple episodes of Veggie Tales. We did not have time to walk around our own neighborhood, and I thought maybe we would today, but it is already getting late, so maybe not.  Our neighborhood has a great donut shop we often go to on Sundays, which is half-price day, plus a pet supply store, a book store, and more. We recently found out there are two hydroponics shops within a mile of us. I can't say that I have ever seen a hydroponics shop anywhere before, much less two so close together. It is a fun neighborhood!

Weekend - Part 1

Weekends go by so quickly!  It is almost 2:30 Sunday afternoon, and it feels like it should still be Saturday.  Yesterday, Vicki generously entertained the kids while I went over to teach my Step-Dad about his new Blackberry. It did not take long to be frustrated with the salesperson who convinced him that was a good choice as a replacement for his old Palm Pilot (I think it was).  I love my Blackberry, but it does take a bit to get used to - the buttons are small, the scroll button is unique, and the menus complex. He is 85 years old - and clearly in poor health. I cannot believe anyone thought a Blackberry was a good choice. We ended up heading to T-mobile to get a more appropriate phone - all he really needs it for is making calls and storing phone numbers.  He does have quite a few numbers - friends, family, refill lines, Blue Cross North Carolina - well, maybe not that one, but quite a lot. Fortunately, we were helped by a very nice person who was happy to take the time to get him what he needed.

Part 2 - Coming up next....

Hawaii - Here We Come!

It is hard to believe it is almost time for our Hawaii trip! Vicki and I have been together for a year, with lots of back and forth bi-coastalness, and the most time we have ever spent together without one or the other of us having to work is three days...there was almost four a time or two, but I still think checking emails is an interference and doesn't really count as a vacation day.  So, awhile back we decided it would be really good for us to take an extended break to someplace tropical (my preference!) to just relax and be together. With all the travel I have done over the past year, and only working part-time for part of the past year, many of you may be thinking that I don't really need a vacation. Think what you want - I am going! :)

It will be weird in some ways to be doing something this big and fun without the kids, I have a bit of mom-guilt going on - Kaylen really wants to go to Hawaii and learn to surf (!) - but I also know the importance of nurturing the adult relationship.  As for the kids, I have told them that this year, as long as everything stays secure with my job and Vicki's job, we will take them to Disneyland. Here's hoping! (As for Kaylen's surfing lessons, I have suggested we wait until she is a bit older. That should buy me some time!)

We are going to The Big Island, near Kona. We have plans to hike to the green sand beach, and see the manta-rays, but beyond that, are waiting to see what comes our way. If you have any suggestions, please let me know!

Thinking Laptops

I have gotten spoiled by technology. I think we all have, but this is my blog, so I suppose I should just talk about me.  I know I went on and on for part of a year about the netbook I wanted, and got, and LOVE! It was a great purchase (Thank you, Casey!). It has been my primary non-work computer for over a year now.  The size is wonderful for portability and the battery is great. (Do a search under "netbook" for previous posts and reviews on the one I got.) What is not great is the screen size. Sometimes, I need something a bit bigger, especially since my eyes are not as good as they once were, and I am often too lazy to get up off the couch and go get my reading glasses from my work bag - work being the only place I really wear them.  Every now and then I start to try to use my old law school laptop, but find it is too slow, or bogged down with crap, or something, to be of much use.  It is feeling like about time for a custom laptop - or at least something new, fast, and with a big screen!  Until then, maybe I can get my computer geek girlfriend to fix mine up a bit. :)

Restless leg - restless arm?

More and more I have been having bouts of what might be restless leg syndrome at night. It feels like I need to move and stretch my legs - they are somewhat sore - but not really. It is an odd sensation. I have looked up some info, and sounds like it could be a calcium or other vitamin/mineral deficiency. Mostly it has gone away now that I am being more conscientious about taking vitamins, but last night, it was in my legs AND my arms. My arms felt like I had been working out on a pull up bar, but alas, I had not.  I did forget my vitamins yesterday, and have been walking quite a bit, so maybe my body's demands for vitamins/minerals has increased.  Whatever the cause, I would be happy never to get that feeling again!

Spring is Starting to Tease

Yesterday afternoon was gorgeous and sunny: almost too warm for my heavy winter coat during my after-lunch walk.  Last night, I played with the kids in the backyard until after 6:00.  I did not need my coat at all.  I noticed daffodils starting to bloom.  Today is very dark, windy and rather foreboding looking outside.  It would be nice to see some beautiful Hartford flowers brightening up the day.  Ah, soon enough, cherry blossoms will be coloring the landscape pink and the smell of fresh-cut grass will be in the air. It is coming. I can feel it!

How Busy is Busy Enough?

Ever feel like you need a good pair of shoes to keep up with your life?  I often feel like I am not aking as much forward progress as quickly as I would like, but then I get hit with something, like getting sick for a week, and I look carefully at my life, and I see that, yes, indeed, I am busy and moving right along.  On any given week, I am learning a new job, traveling back and forth to Vancouver to spend the evening with the kids twice, and four times on the weekends when the kids stay with me, getting used to a new home, and learning the ins and outs of a still-fairly-new relationship.  Those are all great things - but do take time and energy resources.  Maybe I am being too hard on myself when I feel like I am just not doing enough and could use a real break. 

What great timing:  trip to Hawaii with Vicki starts next Wednesday!  I am a very lucky person!

Venting - A Stupid Situation

I have been accused of being too logical in work situations. I want things to work in a straightforward, predictable manner, guided by some semblance of logic. Many work environments do not work that way.  Fine.  Now - I find myself up against someone else's lack of logic in their work situation, but it is affecting my personal life. 

In whose world does it make sense to send a refund of a cleaning deposit to the address that was just vacated? Apparently, my past landlord's.

"It's the only address we had for you."

Uh...for the past 6 months, we have only communicated via phone and email. Do you think you could have contacted me to ask for my new address? Oh, by the way, I did contact you about 10 days ago with my new address. How was I do guess you would issue the refund before the end of the last month I paid for?

It has been two weeks. It has not been forwarded by the Post Office to me, or back to the landlord. They do not want to put a stop on the original check and reissue me a new one yet.  Did I mention that the past apartment had a fairly high crime rate? 

OK, well, thank you very much for the documentation proving when you mailed the check, that you knew I was no longer living there, and refusing to reissue the new check at this time. 

Some of this I did not say. I am trying to be polite and not tell this guy he is an idiot.  I am thinking it, though. I think the right thing to do is to admit he (or his office staff) screwed up and that he now remedy the situation by reissuing a check to my correct (read: current) address.

OK, I feel better now.

Tough to Date

Dating is tough.

I think that is even more true the older you get. It is much easier to meet people when you are in college, or just starting a new job, or maybe are involved in lots of activities - but the older you are, the more it seems that people your own age are already in relationships. With today's technology, we can use dating sites, which can be quite successful, but not without risk.

I know - dating may be an odd topic for me to write about, but it came about like this. I was talking with a friend about how Vicki and I got together, and how when we first met (well, met again after 25 years....we had been friends in high school) I was not going to get into a relationship with anyone, especially not someone who lived 3000 miles away.  I was certain I would be single for a long time as I built up my life and my career, raised my kids as a divorced parent, figured out who I was....etc.  We started emailing each other and texting - but I had not even spoken to Vicki on the phone when I picked her up at the airport the first time.  That somehow seemed like too much involvement or commitment. We were both adamant that this was a "just friends" thing.  That lasted all of about....uh.....most of the weekend?  We got emotionally involved fast.

Yup, dating is hard. Lesbians are very bad at it.

What does a lesbian bring on a second date?

A U-Haul.

I will say, we have not U-Hauled each other. In fact, it probably won't be until summer that I see Vicki's stuff arriving via any kind of truck.  Hey - maybe we set some kind of record in the lesbian world!

A Year's Time

It is sometimes difficult to know how much personal stuff to share and how much to keep to myself. Anniversaries are always a good time for self-reflection and, in between being sick and busy with life, I have been trying to take some time for that activity.  It has been a year and three months since my break-up with Casey, about a year since another tough situation in my life was concluding, and almost a year since Vicki and I got together.  Wow - a year - how did that happen?! It has been an amazing, full year - exciting and fun in many ways, such as travel and expanding friendships - and heartbreaking and scary in others - breaking apart my marriage, living through what that has done to the kids, having my job go part-time.

On the tests that measure stress by life events - I am way into the health danger zone.  Mostly I cope well - and much of my stress is "good stress," but still, sometimes, I would like for life to slow down so I can catch my breath.  I am learning to meditate, exercise more, and eat better.  I am building a relationship using the lessons I learned from the past - unwilling to make the same mistakes again.  I do the best I can as a mom - working to fit in fun, and discipline and life lessons all in the limited time I have with the kids.  Really, I get a fair amount of quality time with them - maybe more than a lot of working parents. When I am with them, I am generally actually engaged with them, or at least being with them watching tv, or sitting side by side gaming or doing artwork.  I do some chores with them - but not much beyond dishes and laundry - and sometimes other cleaning. So, our time together is well spent.  For that, I am grateful.

I try to be the best ex-partner I can. Casey and I get along well.  We still don't see eye-to-eye on some things, but are good at putting the kids needs first and realizing most of what we don't agree on isn't something we have to resolve.  We have both met people and heard stories of people behaving badly with one another and their children after a breakup that I think we are !both thrilled that the other is a reasonable person and not a selfish crazy person unable to see how their actions affect others.  Thanks for not being crazy, Casey!

I see I am rambling, and I realize I am tired.  It has been a wonderful year for growth and realizations and figuring out who I am outside of a long-term marriage and outside of being a law student. I have not done everything perfectly, of course, but done my best at the time.  That's all any of us can do, and what I will continue doing.

Wii are Still Having Fun

From time to time, I have posted about how much fun the kids and I have with the Will.  Wii still do! Although not the near-obsession it once was for Boy Wonder, he still plays a fair amount, and Vicki is a gamer from way back (can you say original Nintendo....or Atari...?) so Wii is very much a part of our lives.  Over the years, I have heard so many good things about Wii Fit. I always planned on getting it someday. Fortunately, Vicki already had it and has brought it to our home in Portland. The kids and I have all set up accounts and have had a great time with balance games like tight-rope walking and aerobic activities like hula-hooping.  Kaylen is a champ at that!  I can see how this could easily be more than just a game, and an actual way to concentrate on  losing abdominal fat and getting into shape. I actually did work out with the Wii three or four times this week and it felt good - with the added benefit of being fun.  Let the games begin!

A Quiet House

It is Saturday night, not quite 10:00. The kids are asleep. I hear Kelton's still-stuffy breathing although I am downstairs and he is upstairs. The house is quiet. Ah...peace.  I do hear Kelton's rock tumbler grinding away in the basement. It is a distant sound though, and not particularly bothersome. It is so nice not to hear traffic right outside my window.  Life is good.

I figure I will take a bit of time to write some blogs, read through my emails, sort through which are FB comments, or sensa reviews, or information I have requested, or maybe, just maybe, an actual email from a friend. Those are the best, aren't they? Just like in "the good ol' days" when people would look forward to a handwritten letter in their mailbox, now, it is an email from a friend we look forward to. It always feels good to know someone out there was thinking about you.

Being Sick Sucks

I hate being sick. Two weeks ago I was out sick for 4 of 5 days of my new job. Talk about both scary and frustrating. I cannot remember when I last missed almost a full week of work due to illness.  Kaylen had been sick with a fever for about 5 days, then Kelton had it, and the doc said it was the flu.  Then I started not feeling well, but for me, it was just extreme fatigue.  By extreme, I mean walking up the stairs to get to the bathroom was a daunting task.  I may have had a slight fever - but no sore throat, coughing, stuffiness, headache - not the usual symptoms. Still, I was so exhausted, I couldn't drag myself to work - well, I could have - and could have sat there, not able to comprehend anything because my mind was mush - and exposed all of my co-workers, who then could have gotten angry at me when they got it.  That seemed a bad option.

My supervisor was super cool about it, and this week, although tired by the end of each day, I was mostly feeling like myself again. After that week, I was looking like I might need some of the best anti aging products,  but this week, I think I appear  almost look normal again. Well, normal for me. :)

Appreciating A Sense of Place

I know with age, maturity and experience comes a deeper appreciation of things, both simple and complex.  I have really been noticing over the past few months what a deep appreciation I now have of “place.”  Don't misunderstand, I have always appreciated the beauty of my surroundings – and was hugely grateful for the view I once had of the Seattle skyline and Puget Sound.  I have never been deeply attached to actual physical dwellings – like my homes.  I appreciated them, but am the type who enjoys moving – wait, no – not the actual moving process – but being in a new place, so did not particularly attach to houses.

I have long considered Seattle my home town. It is where I was born, but left when I was five and did not return to until after undergraduate school.  I have always loved Puget Sound, Mt. Rainier, the San Juan Islands – all the amazing water places.  When it came to decide where to take the bar exam, I really went back and forth – Washington or Oregon?  Casey and I used to talk about returning to Seattle, so Washington was a serious consideration.  I had made a lot of legal contacts down here though, plus we had a home, and a life closer to Oregon. Also, the Portland legal community is closer-knit than the big city of Seattle and has a really good reputation for collegiality. 

I suspect there are several things at play – such as moving out of a nice house, and living in people’s spare rooms for 6 months, and then living in a small one-bedroom apartment with homeless folks roaming outside my window and the smell of urine permeating my garage, that make me very aware of  “place” now.  I am sensitive to my personal surroundings, and also the geography.  More and more I realize that I love Portland. I am gaining a greater appreciation of the history, the beauty, the personality, and the livability of this city.  I fought the idea for years – I lived across the river in Washington, damnit, not Oregon, and I was not a Portlander.  Now, I am, or at least, I am becoming one.

Living in the apartment was a perfect way to sample a local neighborhood and really get a feel for city life. It was not “downtown” – as in among the skyscrapers – but definitely inner-city if you are used to the suburbs.  I could easily walk to stores, coffee shops, restaurants, a mall, and the light rail system. I loved it,  so did Vicki, and so did the kids – so when an opportunity to move into a great place just three blocks from the apartment came up, we jumped.  I really, really like the new house – lots of “old house” personality, so much room compared to the tiny apartment (nothing makes you appreciate space like not having it), and great neighbors. Everyone walking by is so friendly, happy to introduce themselves and share things about who else is in the neighborhood. They clearly love it there.

If often find myself driving to work, or out on a walk simply appreciating the views.  The skyline is interesting, the historic buildings have character, the river and bridges are beautiful.  This is a great place to live!  I am very grateful for this opportunity to live and work in such a wonderful place.  My commute is between 6-11 minutes, depending on how I hit the lights. How fantastic is that??  The river is still no Puget Sound, but I think I can be content visiting Seattle – at this point, it feels more like a nice place to visit than to actually live.

Here are a few photos I have taken on my camera on those days I was just out enjoying the city. If you are a FB friend, you have probably seen these - but here they are again!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Last year, Valentine's Day pretty much sucked for me. Ah, what a difference a year makes!  Really, what a difference just a month, a week, a day, an instant can make.  From the pain and suffering of one event - or two - or three - can arise something beautiful, amazing and completely unexpected.

Although Vicki is back in VA, we arranged to meet in Seattle for a romantic Valentine's get-away.  We had thought about meeting half-way, but by the time I travel east, we would lose too much time, so Seattle it was! We got an amazing price thanks to Priceline - and ended up on the 34th floor of The Westin.  Here is part of the view...we could also see the water, but the bright sun made the picture not turn out very good.

Maybe if I would have thought to buy iphone instead of a Blackberry, the picture would have been better!  We lazied away all of Saturday - eating, sleeping, browsing at the Pike Place Market - and ended up at Hard Rock Cafe for dinner. (I had a nachos craving and had the best nachos ever at the Hard Rock in Atlantic City.)  It was a wonderful weekend and I am so grateful that we have both the means and the desire to do such crazy things. 

On a sad note, Boy Wonder ended up sick with a fever, stuffiness and sore throat.  I got numerous updates and checked in on him regularly. By Sunday morning, I was not feeling very good either...and still am not...but don't seem to be going downhill.  Casey and I are both desperately hoping this is what we all had last week, and not another round for us all to experience. Ugh.

Anyway, to those who have a special person to share this day with, and those who do not - Happy Valentine's Day! 

We moved!

What a crazy week! As I mentioned in my last post, we thought we might be moving - and we did - the very next day! Vicki and I met the owner Friday night, after a family party, rented a Budget truck the next day, shopped around for new couches (you may recall that I mentioned we were using the futon on the kids' bunk bed as a couch) and a couple area rugs, were loading the truck by 4:00pm, and got done unloading at the new house at 12:54. We did not want to be moving at 1:00am and we thrilled to have just met the goal. :)

We had to move last weekend because Vicki was going back east the next Tuesday - last Tuesday now - and won't be back for about 6 weeks.  So, I would have had to do it all alone, or hire people...which in retrospect might have been good!  Now, though, we have this crazy memory, which is fun.

Last weekend we also had to drive an hour, each way, to go pick up a puppy for Vicki to fly back to her mother. The puppy is one her brother raised - so, in addition to all the moving stuff (we still had a load of misc. stuff to move on Sunday that the kids and Casey helped with) - we had to pick up the puppy and puppy sit for a couple days. Talk about tired!

The new house is wonderful!  It is an old house, built in 1928 (maybe earlier) that has been made into a duplex.  We now have a living room, dining room (that we are going to make into an office/activity room, kitchen with eating area, 2 really good-sized bedrooms - the master bedroom even has a little reading nook, and a basement with laundry area.  It is nice having room to spread out in!  I had the kids this weekend and they loved it here. (Kaylen ended up sick after her Saturday birthday party, but that is another story. Let's just say that I was glad I did not have to go use coin-operated laundry machines in my old parking garage/basement. Poor girl. She is still not feeling very well and had to stay home today.)

The new place feels good. I still have a bit of odds and ends to remove from the old place, and boxes to unpack at the new house, but things are in a very livable condition.  I am excited for Vicki to come back so we can settle into our new home together.

Soon, I will need to go out and buy groceries, carefully avoiding the point of purchase displays, with all the activity, it has been awhile. Until then, I will get creative with things I found in the freezer!

Life is good.