Weekend Fun!

What a great weekend it's been so far and it's only Saturday afternoon. Last night, Devon, Haley, Sue and I went to Jen's house for dinner. We have a regularly scheduled monthly dinner and we decided to bring it to Jen since Layne is just a week old. So the four of us met at Fonda San Miguel for a drink and then got carry-out. Jen's husband and mother-in-law went out to dinner and we had some fun girl time!


It was great to spend time with my girlfriends and snuggle with baby Layne.

Then this morning, after my walk with Buster (I'm sticking to it!), Devon came over and we finished Operation Kitchen Cabinets. The pulls I bought were a bit more tricky b/c it required quite a bit of math and measurement. As opposed to the knobs, you have two holes to work with so it was quite a challenge to both get them even on the drawers and ensure that the two screws were drilled in at just the right spot. I seriously don't think that one person could do this job.


In fact, we discovered some pencil hash marks (like the ones we'd been making to denote where to drill) on the inside of one of the drawers and decided that the contractor must have decided against putting pulls in because it was just too hard. Yes, I realize he built an entire house but putting in drawer pulls may have really pushed him over the edge.


Both Devon and I felt much more confident in our drilling skills this time but we just couldn't seem to line the holes up quite right. Devon brilliantly suggested to start with the bottom, less obvious drawers, and thank goodness we did. After about 5 drawers with some mishaps, Devon had a break through and broke the code to ensure success (on the first try).


While I'm thrilled with the end result, I beg of you not to look at them too closely.




We then went outside, on this beautiful 60 degree day and did some yard cleaning. It was step one in Operation Yard Work. Because there had been construction on my lot, there is still some debris. Things like glass and screws were to be expected. Some other things didn't make as much sense to me. If I were in the cast of Lost or Alias surely all of these things would mean something. But they just made us laugh especially the necklace charm with a picture of a house. The other side said, 'I love my home.' Too adorable!







So now that the yard is ready to be tamed, I've made a call to a lawn service to make an appointment. I've even started thinking about long term yard projects like a patio (which someone else will build) and a garden (which I will build). It's days like this when the weather is perfect that I'm highly motivated to stop avoiding the jungle that is my yard.

Snow!

Our winter weather has been wacky. It's been cold and rainy since December but we've had the occasional dry, sunny and warm day. For example, last Sunday it was 78 and sunny! Alas, two days later we had this:

It was raining and sleeting when I woke up. I made it to work safety (it's less than 2 miles away) and watched as the weather got more interesting throughout the day. It was a mix of sleet and rain for awhile but then snow! And for several hours. When I got home after work, there was still snow on my grass and deck. While it was nothing compared to the blizzards my family and friends back east have experienced this year, the light dusting of snow was enough to make me excited. Although I've lost all track of time. I can't believe it's almost March and I'm still regularly using my heat b/c it's in the 30s every night. If this means we have a shorter summer, though, I'm all for it.

Also, one final thanks to Kelsey and Jim for watching Buster last weekend. He clearly had a great time as he was worn out Sunday night. Here's Kelsey and her doggy boyfriend:

My Hood

I'm often asked (by those who don't live in Austin) what my neighborhood is like. I've taken to saying, 'I live in a transitional neighborhood.'

What this means to me is that while I don't feel unsafe (really, I don't!) it's not the most sought after neighborhood in town. Although according to my (two) appraisals the home values are only going to increase and this area of town is one of the most up and coming.

But I digress.....

Things you may find in my hood that make it 'transitional':

1. An occasional home (or two on my street) that is boarded up
2. Neighborhood cats
3. Some of your neighbors include towing companies
4. A fairly close cemetery
5. For every boarded up a house, a re-do (like mine!)
6. Yards with lots of stuff. Sadly, I'm part of this problem right now.

And, today, a horse. Yes, you read right. There was a horse in my next door neighbor's yard. My neighbor doesn't have a barn or a trailer so I'm not sure what he was doing there. He was then later walking down the street (with a guide) to who knows where. The funny thing is that this isn't the first time I've seen this horse. I just have no idea where he lives or what his purpose it.

Since I moved in during the winter, though, I don't think I have a great feel for the neighborhood yet. Until today. It was a beautiful day in Austin - sunny and in the 70s. While our winters are nothing like the east coast (especially this year), we have had a colder and wetter than normal winter and, up until last week, it was still in the 40s and 50s most days. To Austinites, that's winter. So we don't go outside as much.

But today was one of those days we all attribute to the reason we live in Austin. And my neighborhood no longer felt 'transitional'. It felt like a community.

I live in walking distance of Givens Park, which is a pretty massive green park with basketball and tennis courts, baseball fields, swings, a pavilion and an Olympic distance pool. Buster and I have been taking our walks through Givens Park and it's usually pretty empty. But today was different. It was alive and energetic and it made me smile to walk through it today with Buster. We waved to people, watched some kids play soccer and relished in the fact that my neighborhood is pretty amazing.

Long Distance Post

I'm in New Orleans for work and am grateful that I'm here after Mardi Gras. I don't have the stamina in me anymore to stay out until 2am (let's be honest, I'm often in bed, even on weekends, by 10). But it's fun to be here, eat fresh seafood, beignets (which are really just fancy donuts) and be professionally developed (maybe that last part isn't fun but it's why I'm here so I'm grateful for it).

But it's certainly been a busy week. Not only did two of my friends have babies (welcome to Anna Langston Everett and Layne Drummond Long) but Lent started.

Shockingly, I'm not a practicing catholic (although if my goddaughter ever asks, I will do my best to 'guide her spiritually' as it's part of my job). But I like traditions and challenges and rules and structure - wow, I'm a thrill to be around aren't I?

So every year I still give up something for lent. The past few years it's been food related - cheese (that was a doozie) and chocolate chip cookies (while specific it was very hard for this cookie lover). This year I decided (at Kelsey's advice) to add something to my life. It's all about 'making a sacrifice' I realize so I wasn't going to add something like 'more clothes, massages and manicures'. Instead I'm committed to walking Buster more.

I used to walk him regularly -once, sometimes twice a day - but then the house hunting and move happened. Next, I was training for the half marathon and between leaving my house when it was barely light out to get to work early and running after work before it got dark, it was rare that Buster and I saw the light of day together. Even on weekends when I had more time, I often felt restricted by my running schedule.

And, to be honest, I'm not quite comfortable in my neighborhood yet. No, I'm not scared, Mom and Dad, but there are more dogs out and more heavily trafficked roads so I just needed to find a good path. I think that I've found one - and it leads through a large park that borders my house.

So this week Buster and I went on two walks (I won't walk him on doggy daycare day b/c that wears him out enough) and I'm so happy that I'm doing this. Not only will it help me get into a routine with him but it's good exercise while the weather is still cool enough.

While maybe it's not a true sacrifice - it is a change and I think that's good enough for this non-practicing Catholic.

'Be Good. I Love You.'

This is what I always said to Max (and now to Buster) when I leave the house. Although, to be honest, it took me awhile to say it to Buster. I stole Devon's line of 'Be good. I'm fond of you,' until I felt like I truly loved Buster.

And now I find that I say it to my house when I leave (not out loud, just in my head. My neighbors may already think I'm crazy so I don't need to add to it). I'm not sure what sort of trouble I think my house may get into but either way I miss it when I'm gone.

Tomorrow I'm leaving for my first work trip in months. I think I'm out of practice packing, which used to be so second nature for me. But I also find that I'm not super excited to go but only because I am going to miss my house.

Is it possible to miss an inanimate object? Is it like Haley's desire to wear her wedding dress all the time around her house? She just loves it so much, she wants to always 'experience' it. I guess that's the way I feel about my home.

So for the next few days while I'm in New Orleans and Buster is having fun with Kelsey and Jim, my house will be quiet (and safe b/c of course I'll turn on my alarm) and, of course, 'good'.

Open Sesame

Finally, a housing update! Back to the roots of this blog, I have a home improvement project to share.

As previously mentioned, I decided to splurge on some kitchen cabinet knobs from Anthropologie. Because I both wanted to be financially responsible and creative, I am not using the same knobs on all my cabinets. The cabinets that are above the counter top will have my fancy knobs and the cabinets and drawers below the counter top will have the not-so-fancy Target 'brushed nickel' pulls.

After borrowing Jim's drill and enlisting Devon's help (she did go to an engineering school after all), the knobs are in! After some crafty measuring, some diagram drawing, some smoking from the cabinets and the use of a hot pad that has a grippy side (those knobs were tough to screw in) part one of Operation Kitchen Cabinets is done!

2:15

Okay, so now I'll admit it. I had a goal time in mind. Of course I just wanted to complete it and feel proud of how I did but numbers will keep me on track. So I had two goals - to beat my last half marathon time (2:31) and to finish around 2:20. The 2:15 goal was my dream goal.

But I wanted to manage my expectations; to be realistic. So much of running is mental and while I've spent months physically preparing for this, I knew that my attitude would play a big role today.

I typically know how any run will feel within the first few steps. If it feels good and 'easy' then I know it's going to be great. If I'm breathing heavy, feeling like my legs are dead weights and just counting down the minutes until I'm done, then I know that it's not going to be a great run.

Today was the former. In the first few steps, the first few miles, I felt amazing. I knew it was going to be a great run and it was. Let's be honest, though, while all my training definitely prepared my body for this, a few other factors helped:

1. The 8 hours of sleep I had on Saturday night - I'm not a great sleeper. I wake up a lot and toss and turn a bit. Last night, I barely moved from when I went to sleep at 8:45.

2. The weather. The day couldn't have been better if I'd placed an order. It was chilly at the start line but the 45 degrees and mix of sun and clouds was perfect.

3. Kelsey. I could not have done this without her. I was fully prepared (Ipod play list and all) to run without her if she wanted to pull ahead. But she didn't. And I'll be eternally grateful. It may not have been the most talkative run but it was great to know she was right there (literally, on my right. Thanks to all my runs with Jess, I prefer to run only on people's left side now).

4. Team LIVESTRONG. The support and encouragement from my colleagues, their (early) time at the mile 3.3 water stop and the tasty and filling pasta dinner from last night played a huge part in my success.

5. Music. As I said, I didn't even listen to my Ipod. Both because Kelsey was with me and because there were great bands along the course. My favorite, though, was a guy who rigged his Ipod to some speakers and was blasting "The Eye of The Tiger". This is my go-to run song (Haley's even heard me sing it to her a time or two when running) and it was perfect timing - just before (another) big hill.

6. Friends and family along the course. From Chris, Missy and Lucie at multiple locations to the purple (Mylar) balloons that Devon, Haley and Sue (and the mini-Potts) had to the cheering from afar from my pregnant friends(see a picture example below), I couldn't have felt more supported today. I'm only sorry that I missed Jess and Ken who got up early to get to the course but I somehow didn't see them. I felt them in spirit though.

7. And last but not least, the inspiration of cancer survivors. Back to the reason I signed up for this race - my dad and the millions of other survivors out there and their strength and determination, which I channeled today.

I won't bore you all with a play by play but beyond the feeling of success of completing this race in 2:15 (and 32 seconds) I had some other accomplishments. I ran a 10K in 1 hour flat and hardly walked (literally only 30 seconds after a powerade station to refuel and gear up for yet another hill).

So words can't express how proud I am and how grateful I am to everyone who supported me in one way or another. I wondered if I'd feel inclined to do a full marathon (as I decided to do after my last half) and the verdict is 'no way!' So now I'll take a week off of running, determine next steps, look forward to swim season and the next half marathon I train for.

Half Marathon Eve

Tomorrow's the big day and I'm ready.

I can't wait to get out there and see how all of my training has paid off. I know that 13.1 miles may not seem like a big deal. Those who do Triathlons, Marathons and Ironmen may not think this is a big accomplishment. But I'm pretty proud of myself.

As I've said a few times, it feels different doing this in my 30s than in my 20s. No matter what happens tomorrow, I don't have any regrets. I'll never be the fastest runner and while I may have some time goals in my head, it's not about that for me. I just want to look back and feel proud of my efforts.

People keep asking me how I feel about tomorrow. As I've lay out my clothes in anticipation of a chilly start to the day I'm just grateful that the previously predicted chances of rain are gone. If the worst thing I have to deal with are some cold temps at the start line, I'll take it. Otherwise, it appears to be the perfect running day - high 40s and partly sunny.

So wish me luck. While I know it won't change my outcome, I'll take it.

Between the adrenaline, my newly created 'Move Your Ass' play list on my Ipod, my friends and colleagues cheering us on at a water stop and on the course and the reminder that I'm doing this because I raised money for an organization that (while yes I'm biased) I truly believe can make a difference in the lives of people affected by cancer I have no doubt that I'll cross the finish line with a smile (and maybe a hobble).

One Year Later

After this year, I promise this date will be about Lucie. Well, mostly. But a year ago today, 2/09/09, still means a few things to me. It was not only the day Lucie was born. The day my dad started radiation for his recent cancer diagnosis. The day my dog, Max, died.

It's amazing how I've healed in a year from that loss. The most tragic, sudden, chaotic experience I've had. Thanks to the magic of time (not time travel, though...) and the great support of loved ones, I'm doing pretty ok. I still miss Max but I've been able to think of him fondly today and remember his OCD ways - the way he ate his food, walked in the yard and the amount he slept. I miss that most sometimes. Buster, while great and adorable, has a little bit more energy. I used to have to wake Max up before I left the house for work to coax him to go outside. Those days are no longer.

On April 19, 2009, I held a memorial service for Max. It would have been his 9th birthday. Some of my closest friends and people who loved Max the most gathered on the Lamar pedestrian bridge over Town Lake (Lady Bird Lake? it may not have been yet...) and we shared our memories and spread some of Max's ashes.

I asked everyone, even those that couldn't attend, to contribute a 3 line haiku about Max. I then compiled it into one large haiku and the following is now hung in my house, framed, with pictures of Max.

Max, such personality
Small, grey, lots of love
He will be missed by many
Always in our hearts
Max counts Lambies when he dreams
Ready to play fetch
Run, run, max, run fast
Max chasing Lambie
Lovingly defiant walks
Eat greenies in heaven
Hiccup hiccup hiccup - Max
Eating greenie vomit - yum
Max was a cutie
Max“tastic” you were to me
His wags won’t be forgotten
Melissa’s best friend
Always there for her
Waiting in the car for Mom
Loves to play fetch all day long
Still watching over
Taking care of his mommy
Sending her Buster
Bailey wants to play
How exhausting; he’d rather sleep
Perched on the sofa
Max was a great dog
Bonds unparalleled
Good dog, Max, good dog

Stay Tuned....

I promise that this blog is really about my house and the adventures of home ownership. I know that many of my posts lately have been unrelated (sadly, I'm reminded how much TV I watch). But I'm trying.


I think every night, 'what can I post that's related to my house?'. Detailing my cooking projects, cleaning Buster's muddy paws, the sudden overnight move out of my next door neighbor and overgrown grass in my yard don't make for exciting stories.


This blog is really holding me accountable to getting my home in order. And I promise that I've been working on things. The two latest projects are related to my kitchen. I bought fabric from Ikea last month to make curtains for my french doors and window in my kitchen. They're cut and ready to be sewn; however I don't have a curtain rod yet and I want to hang that before I sew them and drape them over the rod to see if I really like how they look.


I also bought knobs for my kitchen cabinets. I splurged and got ones from Anthropologie (my happy place) but don't own a drill so I need to borrow one in order to get those installed. I still need pulls for my kitchen drawers but those will be much more basic than the cute ones I got from Anthro.

My goal is to get these items completed by the end of February. Honestly, and maybe this is lofty thinking, after the half marathon I'm going to have a lot more free time. Kelsey and I still plan to run regularly but not 5x/week. So I really and truly will have updates to post in the coming weeks.



In the meantime, I'm on the hunt for art work for my bedroom. I'd like to stick with the color palette of greys, purples and blues. I don't want it to be too geometric and I'd like something with texture. So if you come across anything that fits the bill, let me know.

Lost and Confused

Oh, Lost, how you confuse me? Season 6 (a.k.a. the last season - thank goodness!) premiered this week. I watched with the usual suspects, Haley and Jen. It's been a long journey and while I'll miss Sawyer's sarcastic remarks, Ben's lies and smirks, Locke's wisdom and faith and Smokey's smokiness, I am ready for things to get wrapped up.

For any of you who watch Lost and haven't seen the season premiere yet, I promise there are no spoilers in this post. I'm not sure I even understand what's going on so how can I spoil it for you?

Between time travel (which many of you know I'm not a fan of) and clones, I have no idea how I got hooked on this show. But I did.....

Is it because of the 8 months Jen and I invested in watching the first 3 seasons together via DVD - yes, together. Try coordinating all your TV watching with someone else. It was impressive and disturbing how much time we spent watching Lost (although it doesn't beat my friend, Nicole, who just watched the first 5 seasons in 1 month). I would explode from the intensity.

Regardless, there are plenty of other Lost-addicts out there, many of which work with me. The amount of chatter at work about Lost on Wednesday morning was amazing. Theories are flying around; people are trying to make sense of the nonsensical.

And then Devon sent this out: http://www.theonion.com/content/video/final_season_of_lost_promises_to?utm_source=videoembed

I'm pretty sure that Devon and some of my other colleagues and friends who don't watch Lost may need to seek shelter.