Movin' on up!

So, Steve and I are moving. Yes, again. This time will hopefully be the last for a long long time. We found this AWESOME house to rent in Northeast Portland - in a great neighborhood and I think it will suit us very well. Parker is peeved though because there is no doggy door at the new place and he's being downsized from a half acre to a tenth of an acre. But you know what I told him? I told him it would all be worth it because the place will be big enough for him to have his own doggie bed back - which, if you have been to our current place, you would know there is NO ROOM for a doggie bed. There's barely room for a people bed.

The landlords are going to grad school in southern california so they are looking to rent their place for a few years and then move back - which is perfect for us because maybe in a few years, Steve's business will have enough "history" to let us qualify for a home loan and we can just buy a place.

I will provide photos when possible.

New Year's Resolution Update

This year, as you may recall, I resolved to live more in the moment and to take advantage of opportunities presented to me. I have to say that I am excited and astounded by the results I've received. I said "yes" to training with a friend to run a marathon (she's running the marathon; I'm participating in some of her training); I said "yes" to a concert with a friend I hadn't seen in over a decade; I took advantage of some last-minute Blazers tickets given to me by a coworker, etc. There have been a lot of really good spontaneous adventures so far this year. I am learning to enjoy and embrace the unplanned.

Running

So... I made a resolution several months ago to run a 10K and I did. I ran the Butte to Butte on July 4. And I'm still running - with many thanks to my friend Annie, who is keeping me motivated. Today, I conquered a mileage marker I never thought I would EVER hit. Today, I ran nearly 11 miles. And I have a new goal: a half marathon on September 20. Going into this morning's run, I thought I was only going to run 8 miles and I was thinking there was no way I would ever be able to run a half marathon (13.6 miles), but it didn't work out for me to have an 8 mile route, so I ended up going about 10.7. I am feeling totally inspired after today's run - like I can do ANYTHING. I admit, the last 1.5 miles were miserably hard and there was no way I could have run another 2.5 miles, but I still have a month to get there. I'm feeling pretty awesome (aside from the lingering pain in my ankles and knees). Hooray.

No More Chiquita

So, I'm feeling very inspired by the movie "What Would Jesus Buy." If you haven't seen it, I would recommend it. Know that it's super one-sided propaganda, but I am willing to be brainwashed! It inspired me to go to the website: www.responsibleshopper.org

Steve and I have decided we're going to make one change every week or so, and slowly change our consuming habits. This week, it's NO MORE CHIQUITA brand items (e.g. bananas). According to the website, Chiquita is responsible for so many human atrocities. I'm done with them forever.

Organic bananas, here I come.