Monday, January 29, 2007

Clean Air






We're experiencing an inversion in Salt Lake. It's a fancy word for bad-ass smog. Thick smog. Can't see the mountains through it smog. It's even taking on a color - I call it taupe. Yesterday we drove up to Park City to breathe. The health officials advise against outdoor exercise right now. They even say that we should cover our mouths and noses when we go out. (And I chose to move here for the beautiful nature and scenery?) So we drove above the smog into the mountains and went to our favorite park. We avoided the movie stars and enjoyed the suburban lifestyle where people have houses with more than one bathroom.

It was blissful.

Saturday, January 27, 2007

As you can see, we've been busy.


I would like to blame my slowdown in posting on my harried schedule, but truthfully I've just been uninterested. Or more honestly, I think my "audience" is uninterested. I have a lot going on. We are busy and fulfilled, but I can't seem to get these things down on paper in a creative way. Because of this, I hold back from posting. It's really a vicious cycle because I vowed I would never get like this. Worried about my "public". Who am I kidding? I have no public. I have a few faithful readers who I've "known" since forever, but other than that - I'm just one of the millions of mommy blogs out there with no specific niche. Why do I care? I never used to. I started this as a place to keep a journal of my kids' lives. I used this forum because I was surrounded by bloggers and they made it sound fun and interesting. Hell, one of my friends makes money doing this. Me, however, I struggle to make my bed daily (recall my latest post about being lazy) let alone write tons of creative, funny posts that would attract advertisers and readers.

Enough complaining...just thought I would explain my thinking of late.

Actually we have been busy. Working part time has afforded my sanity the peace it needed to become a more balanced mom. I have now entered the extracurricular circuit. We have explored many free trial first-time classes and seem to be narrowing in on some choices. Ella has chosen gymnastics (although Harry seems equally interested) and Harrison has started karate. I'm happy with the gymnastics venue and classes, but not so much with the karate. We are attending a class in a room off the gym in the neighborhood middle school. I like the "pay as you go" set-up due to Harrison's fickleness, but dislike almost everything else about it. Too much talking in language WAY over his head, and not enough direct instruction. What do I expect for $6? I also enrolled him in a great art class that is downtown in a really funky art studio. Unfortunately, I think I love it more than he does. He can't stay focused if they are doing an activity that he doesn't love - which means pretty much anything beyond building LEGOS or drawing ships. We'll stick with it. It is much more than $6.

Chris and I are having fun planning things that we want to do in the future. I planned a trip to see my dad in April. Never could find any reasonable prices for tickets to Florida, so we decided it would be best for me to go alone. My wonderful husband will single-parent for almost a week during this time.

We have our summer almost completely mapped out. On the horizon is a trip to Minnesota, and a trip for the two of us to Napa (HELP!! we are clueless on this one). This will be the first overnight away from the kids since Ella was 15 months old.

Also, we are also planning a major remodel of our house. We need more bathrooms and more space in general. We don't really have the monetary resources to do a major re-haul, but we can dream! We measured all the walls in the house and Chris is putting all the measurements into his computer on a program that can map it all out. It's so fun to take down walls, add walls, and just generally re-work the whole place. I love the entire process. I may not love it as much when reality hits and we realize that we can't do everything we'd like to.

That's about it. Nothing extremely exciting, but actually very fun for us. It's kind of like when you played "house" as a kid and everyone got along.
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Monday, January 15, 2007

Type L

I’m not sure why, but I just don’t have the desire to do a lot besides what’s required. I’m hoping it’s because I give so much to my kids. Or that it’s because I have yet to find my “passion” – the one thing I want to do so much that it won’t feel like work. It transgresses into my journaling.

It’s not that I don’t have material – hell, my kids give me tons to write about, as well as my job (and the clientele I work with), my marriage (and all the planning we are doing for 2007) and of course my dad (and his dating life) – it’s just the lack of energy I feel about pretty much everything. The following little story kind of sums it up.

Two weeks ago I went to the gym to workout for the first time after our vacation at Christmas. I hadn’t worked out at all in about ten days, had eaten more than one should and felt unusually bloated. I got on the same elliptical machine I always use, but there was a guy on the one next to me. I usually go at 6:00 AM, when the place opens, so that I can work out before work, and enjoy the quietness of the place. He had headphones on, so I didn’t worry about making pleasantries, but he took them off and said “hi.” We chatted about his upcoming triathlon within about 30 seconds and that transitioned into his world travels and multiple graduate degrees. About 15 minutes after we started talking, I looked down to see that my heart rate was through the roof. I had subconsciously started “racing” this guy and my lack of fitness couldn’t keep up.

As we segued into talking about his mid life crisis – and I tried to throw in some of my counseling techniques – I asked him if he was a Type A personality. “Of course, I am,” he laughed. I responded, “Well, I’m not at all. I would be more of a Type L – for “lazy”.

I’m perfectly comfortable with this part of myself. Honestly. I wouldn’t want to be Type A. I like the idea of it, but know that it is a hard badge to wear. However, I’m not sure this Type L thing is all it’s cracked up to be. I think I may more realistically be something in the middle. I ebb and flow – energy wise. I just think this drag on my energy has lasted a little too long. The last time I think I felt more normal was about December 12, 2005. I’m due for an upswing. Hopefully all the plans we have for 2007 will come to fruition – I think they will help.

Friday, January 05, 2007

Photo Friday - Theme: Sister


I'm so glad that Harrison has you in his life.

Thursday, January 04, 2007

I need a travel agent

We just got home, yet I’m already planning a trip to Florida in February to spend a week with my dad. I can’t find a plane ticket for under $435. Anyone know any tricks?