New Year Is Coming!

I must exercise daily, stop eating out, learn spanish, clean more, save more money, get organized, be a better employee, stay in better touch with friends and family, meet more people, and somehow learn to love Yakima. These are my post vacation goals that will also work for the New Year. So far I have been pretty successful exercising daily and not eating out. I am at about the 4 week point which is how long it takes to change behavior (if you cared). The last week hasn't been great but we only had 3 days of work - I am blaming holidays and Tylenol PM. I have saved more since I haven't been eating out and I audited my accounts and cancelled a bunch of strange charges (gotta love the internet) and I have finally - I think got my student loans corrected. Yes, they can add close to 30000 dollars to your loans and then once they take it off they don't drop the monthly amount you pay until you call and ask them too. Go figure. I am a pretty good employee. I could be more on time, but I make up for it on the lunch hour. Plus, when you get denied the car pool...what do you do?? Organized and cleaning I may just give up on, but we did clean out our extra bed room and make an exercise room. Maybe on New Years Day I will get rid of 200 things. It is harder in winter - in summer we just pile our junk up and put a FREE sign on it and away it goes. I love Yakima for that.Do you know it is almost impossible to learn Spanish in Yakima? I do not love Yakima for that. If anyone has any tips please, please, please send them my way. Surprisingly the blog does help stay in better touch with friends and family. I love checking everyone's blog. Right now I am following Nate, Sue, and Harper through Germany and loving it! Happy New Year all! I hope that it is the happiest and healthiest year yet!

Before and After

We finally painted the midnight blue accent walls that we have hated for the last 8 months. It was an all day affair. I hate painting! But it is over and we are happy with the results. It brightens up the room a lot. Now we can start the New Year with a bright living room and we will have to hang all of our pictures that have been hiding in the closet. We still aren't feng shui, but that is part of our future decluttering in the New Year.

Silent Saturday - Snowshoeing PCT

Merry Christmas -Favorite Pictures

Damon is on a Diet

Damon is doing Nutrisystem and has officially lost 12.6 pounds since we got back from Mexico. Look at him melt away. He wants to race his bike, so he has to lose 30 pounds in 3 months! He is doing awesome.

Mullets

I am getting very excited to come home for the holidays, so I started looking for pictures of the family and friends I am excited to see. In the first picture I found of Heather and Micah, Heather has a mullet. So then I just started looking for pictures of mullets. Tony was easy, since I have a whole role of his mullet. Look at Nic and Nate, their hair isn't really a mullet, but it matches. Happy Holidays everyone, I hope it is the best ever. I am so happy and grateful that I get to spend time with my family and friends!

I want to crawl back into bed!

Everything is falling apart. I didn't get accepted in the car pool. Tarn has a bald spot by his tail. Some a$#hole won on Survivor. I am late for work and have more to do than I can complete. I did work out today but not yesterday. It is snowing again and making the drive annoying.

Kellogg, Idaho Wedding October 20th

Our favorite things about the wedding!

1. Family and friends
   


2. Fantastic Heather: Best Lady/Photographer Extraordinaire/Wedding Planner/Florist
   


3. Best man Gary looking like the angel he is in all the photos
   


4. Music by the multi-talented Jon
   


5. Painting – by Janice with help from the guests
   


6. Registering at Nate and Sue's shop
   


7. Bartending and drink service by Jeff, Nate, Erik, and Justin
   


8. Our special gift of the double bicycle from Revolution Cycles
   


9. The location of Kellogg, Idaho childhood home of my grandmother, Hazel Kingsbury
   


10. The team of our family and friends who truly pulled together and transformed the house into the perfect place to get married and have a reception
    


11. A pre-wedding bike ride for Damon and a golf course walk for the decorators
    


12. Getting married and looking up at the peanut gallery along the bridge
    


13. Gold Run Retreat the perfect location
    


14. Downloading so much music on the Ipod – the gift that keeps giving during my 5 am workout
    


15. That there really was a Texas Hold 'em poker game at our wedding
    


16. The pre-wedding bbq that was attended by almost all of the guests
    


17. Post wedding reception at the Civic Center with more family/friend time and included Roller-skating!
    

The day was truly a special experience for us. Having a wedding always freaked me out, and to tell you the truth, I think weddings can be creepy. But thanks to so many helpful people in our lives: our family, our friends, our families' friends it was actually executed somehow – 100 times better than we could have imagined. Our guests made it happen, so thanks for coming and getting to work. We would again like to thank everyone who contributed to our special day, it is a memory that we will have for the rest of our lives.

Baja - This is a long one

We spent 12 relaxing days on the Baja. We flew into Loreto, Mexico. The town is small, about 10,000 people. We spent a week staying at Baja Outpost, which was perfect. In town and we didn't have to worry about anything. Just get up, eat breakfast, get in the boat and go to one of the most beautiful areas I have ever seen. We spent two days snorkeling and two days kayaking around the Loreto Marine Park.


We used the most recent Lonely Planet for Central Baja, most things have changed. If I go again, I would do a kayaking tour from Mulege to Loreto. The water and scenery is so beautiful there is no reason to spend time anywhere except camping on the beach, snorkeling and kayaking. Rumor is that things are changing fast, and you can see and feel it in town. Loreto is so small, laid back, safe, with very nice people, plenty of bars and restaurants, and absolutely nothing to do except hire a boat to go snorkeling and sit on the waterfront walkway and watch the locals cruise. We drove to Loreto Bay a luxury resort which is actually a dump at this point. I chased a donkey around and almost got arrested. Not really, but the cops showed up as I was hopping back in the car then 5 minutes later the Federalis showed up, I guess just coincidence. Check out their website and compare to the following picture.
Finally, we rented a Jeep and drove on four wheel drive roads. Four wheel driving gets old pretty fast so maybe I have to rethink my list. I think I will cross out the driving down the Baja. But we went to an old mission and saw some cave art that we wouldn't have done without the Jeep. We spent two night in Mulege and then spent some time around the Bahia Conception. The best thing about the vacation is we were actually excited to come home and that we made some healthy lifestyle changes. What is the saying, it is not the destination, it is the journey. Annoying saying, but true.

They Think I am Crazy!

This is my favorite outfit. My coworkers make fun of me so I wear it more. At Patagonia web special you can find good deals in all of the best colors. Who can't be happy when wearing orange. Yoga on Saturday. Up every morning this week even Monday. We have snow again so I have to go fight that on my way to work. Wednesdays I try to be late to avoid the meetings. Sometimes I call in late, sneak in, so I can work during the meetings. Oops did I say that? I am trying to get "accepted" into a vanpool. It will save me over 100$ a month and a lot of driving stress. Cross your fingers for my "acceptance".

Things to do in this Life

I wrote this list after I went to Mexico in the year 2000 or 2001 with Heather, Jon, Karen, Ember, and Ryan. I can't remember what the date was. Again I was inspired to assess after travelling. I would change it some if I wrote it now. Maybe I will write a new one soon. The bold ones are officially crossed off the list. They are done to my satisfaction. Like being on the beach for a month, since in total I have spent at least that long on the beach, and it isn't for me as a lifestyle. Hey it's my list. Driving down the coast of Baja stays since I have driven around on the Baja, but it isn't accomplished to my satisfaction. It will have to be top to bottom or bottom to top. It can be done easily – so it stays. If you write your own, send it to me. My favorite is number #44.

Written in the year 2000 or 2001

1. Start a business
   


2. Fall in love and get married
   


3. Learn Spanish
   


4. Hike Half-dome in Yosemite
   


5. Climb Mt. Rainier
   


6. Go to India/Nepal
   


7. Volunteer in a foreign orphanage
   


8. Go overland in Africa
   


9. Visit Australia
   


10. Spend a winter at a ski resort
    


11. Be healthy
    


12. Have or adopt children
    


13. Own a home or cabin
    


14. Save 1 million dollars
    


15. Study yoga
    


16. Cherish my family
    


17. Find something I love as a job
    


18. Write a book
    


19. Study psychology
    


20. Be a tour guide
    


21. Figure out how to be an artist
    


22. Have a dog
    


23. Spend a month on the beach
    


24. Own a Volkswagen van
    


25. Backpack for a week
    


26. Buy a bike
    


27. Eat healthy
    


28. Lift weights
    


29. Go to a counselor
    


30. Spend 48 hours alone
    


31. Avoid gossiping
    


32. Take dancing classes
    


33. Learn to rock climb
    


34. Do something that has a positive impact on the world
    


35. Climb Mt. St. Helens
    


36. Run a 10k
    


37. Learn to play the guitar
    


38. Stay at a healthy weight
    


39. Spend a couple of years as a financial advisor
    


40. Help people learn to save
    


41. Be the best friend you can
    


42. Clean more
    


43. Live in the moment
    


44. Quit Amazon.com
    


45. Drive down the coast of Baja
    


46. Go to the Olympics
    


47. Learn/try to surf
    


48. Meditate – Live mindfully
    


49. Read part of the Bible
    


50. Study religion
    

Exciting Friday at the Roberts-Kingsbury House

Tarn went to Doggie Daycare today. Damon went to the work and gym. Kitty and I are the only ones awake at 8 pm. The most exciting thing in my day was one of the clients asked me if I was an elf in a Christmas movie. (If you didn't know-I wasn't). I guess that is what getting up at 5 am will get you.

What a difference a year makes!

One year ago, I was fighting bears and sleep deprivation. Working in Lake Tahoe at a boarding school, trying to keep my head above water among a bunch of crazies. Crazy kids, even crazier headmistress and headmaster. I have never been so happy to pack my stuff and get out in the middle of the night. I was proud of how hard I worked and that I knew when to call it a day. A year later, I am working in a job that is challenging and I learn everyday. And the job is actually in the same town as my husband, house, and animals. Of course, there isn't a constant battle with bears. You'd think they would have control of that after 25 years of running a school. But I guess when your not dealing with a full deck, it is hard to keep the kids in and the bears out. At least it is not on my conscious anymore.

Goat Rock

Goat rock visit this fall for Damon's birthday. We didn't see a goat. We did meet some gypsies on our trip to Mexico and they had a goat in their trailer. I love cacti, goats, gypsies and trailers. I guess that was my lucky day.

Bravo

To Nate and Sue for bringing the first piece of wedding furniture from the The Pine Shop. A bed.

To an empty extra bedroom soon to be an exercise room and Tarn having a bed/couch.

To snow angels.

To an early morning call from Jon taunting me about getting up at 5 am.

To me for getting up this morning at 5 am.

Bullied by Big Dog at Home and Abroad

The back room is empty. The room had become the dumping ground for everything. You literally couldn't get in there. It is officially empty after two trips to the goodwill. Damon did one and I did another. Both of us hate doing goodwill drops. Why are they so picky? Why won't they take my dirty rug? I had to go to two places to get rid of all my load. We moved the old couch into the living room and put a cover on it so Tarn can have his own couch and stop being stinky and filthy on our the other couch. He is having trouble adjusting to only his new boundaries. Moving towards organization at the expense of a 5 am workout.

Assessment

The snow is still falling. When I got out of bed -yes 5 am- my big dopey dog, Tarn corralled me into the corner of the living room. He likes to punch, so he sat down and started throwing punches. I quickly hopped on the stairmaster and he cast a disgusted glance and went back to the bedroom to sleep. My guilt got to me and Tarn and I went for walk down the Greenway and enjoyed the 3 inches of new snow, or Tarn enjoyed it, I tolerated it - It is 5 am. Presently, Tarn is shaking his neck chain at me so I will move my stuff off the couch so he can lay down, I am being bullied by a giant mutt. Assessment: so far so good. I am on 3 days of 5 am workouts, each day when I get up I come out in the living room and raise my hands in victory. Damon claps. We have not eaten out all week and I am tracking my calories on http://fitday.com/. So far I haven't learned Spanish, cleaned, gotten organized, saved money or stayed in better touch (does a blog count?). As for being a better employee, after 3 hours of meetings yesterday my coworker asked me if we always have to g - ahh the cat just put his paw in my coffee and shook it on me - okay is work really that interesting? I guess I better get there, it is going to be a long drive in the snow.

Let It Snow

Mondays are always crazy as Mondays always are. Making it through the day was enough and I quickly ran and joined the new 24 hour fitness gym - that you can only join from 10 am to 7 pm (hmm). So tomorrow 5 am will be my first post vacation workout. Motivation has to be stronger than the snow is deep.

Motivation

Damon and I just spent 12 days in Loreto, Mexico on the Baja. Days filled with relaxation, snorkeling, driving around, reading, kayaking, playing with stray dogs, long moments drinking very bad and very good coffee, staring into space, and in the end getting silly. Vacation always gives perspective. The perspective usually adds to already busy days of the future. I must exercise daily, stop eating out, learn spanish, clean more, save more money, get organized, be a better employee, stay in better touch with friends and family, meet more people, and somehow learn to love Yakima. It all seems so easy - all those things you are going to do after the vacation - while you are downing your second cup of coffee watching the stray dogs circle the block for the third time. Maybe this time I will actually start living the way my vacation muddled mind dictates or at least I will have to document my failure. This will be my motivation.