And just like that.......plans change.

Whoa.

So we were getting all ready for Brant to fly off to Maui this Friday, New Years Eve. We had to-do items listed out in order of importance for each day, all culminating in a dinner with family and friends Thursday night. He would fly out Friday morning.

Hahahahahahahhahahhahahahaha.

Yeah. Well.

He found out today that the shipping yard where his car is currently being stored will not be open on Friday. Nor will they be open the following Monday. Something about it being New Years Eve and then Monday being a 'recovery' day. :) Why we didn't think of this when we booked the car shipping and his airline ticket, I don't know!

So basically, unless he (or someone he authorized) picked his car up before 4 on Thursday, he wouldn't be able to pick it up until the following Tuesday. And would be charged a storage fee for each day. And would have to pay for a rental car to get around, since there's not a whole lot of public transportation options on the island. Needless to say, that adds up to quite a bit of money.

Turns out the cheaper option was to change his airline ticket. So we did. And now he leaves 6:50am Wednesday morning. As in, THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW.

He is not packed.

(That was on the list for Wednesday night!!)

The family and friends he was going to say goodbye to in person over the next couple of days, will now have to settle for a phone call.

The pile of junk sitting next to our house will have to be taken to the dump by someone else (me?!?).

Everything that was going to be fit into the next 3 days will now be fit into 1.

Many things probably just won't get done.

It is crazy and awesome and of course it will all be just fine.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Now I have to go start packing. :)












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Christmas Aftermath

It's the day after Christmas and we are sitting here drinking coffee and eating microwaved eggs. Microwaved eggs are not as gross as they sound, I swear. We buy the carton of egg whites, pour some in a glass bowl (sprayed with PAM) and add in whatever toppings we have on hand - usually cheese, ham, turkey, chilis, whathaveyou. Microwave for 2 or 3 minute and whala, it turns into a yummy egg white omelette. Until recently, I never even thought to microwave eggs, but hey, when you don't have a stove, you learn lots of new tricks.

Anyway, enough about eggs. Let's talk holidays.



We spent Christmas in Idaho Falls with my side of the family. Sadly, we did not get to see my brother and his family because they've spent the last week or so cycling family members through the stomach flu. With Brant having so much to do before he leaves this next week, we couldn't afford to get sick. Not seeing them sucked.

But, we did get to spend lots of time with my mom and step-dad, and that was awesome. Pretty sure my mom spent all last week baking non-stop. We ate fudge, toffee, macarroons, gingerbread men, sugar cookies, all GLUTEN FREE!!!!!!! We keep telling my mom she needs to start her own gluten free bakery because you seriously can't tell the difference between her gluten free treats and the usual gluten filled stuff. And her homemade bread? To. die. for.

I wish I had pictures to post off all this, but my camera died after about two pictures Christmas morning. Lame.

Here's one caught before the camera died.

My nephew in his new Christmas jammies.

Ahh, so now we are home and it is Brant's and my last day to relax together before he leaves for Maui.

I cannot believe it is here already.

We are going to work out, watch movies, and just try to relax today. Because tomorrow, the work starts (or continues, really). Brant has about a million and one things on his list to finish before Thursday night. I have to work. Family will be arriving throughout the week. And then Thursday night we will all go to Brant's farewell dinner (um, at a pizza joint - would my husband have it any other way!?) and then 6:30 Friday morning he will be on a plane to Maui. Just like that.

So yeah, we've got a few things going on this week.

I have to say that I am mildly jealous that he will soon be in warm, tropical Maui, while I will be here in cold, gray Boise. :(

But, on the bright side............after his plane takes off Friday morning, my mom and I will be spending the whole weekend together - celebrating our birthdays!! Mine is New Years Day and hers is Groundhogs Day. We are playing it by ear - we might decide on an impromptu birthday roadtrip or we might hang around Boise and shop, shop, shop. Whatever we decide on, I am so excited to get to spend the weekend with my mama!!

My mom and Brant last summer.

Now I'm off to drink more coffee, think about lunch, and be LAZY with my man.


Cheers.

Can't turn back now

We drove to the Bay area this last weekend and dropped the coupe off. It was picked up by the shipping company today and should be headed to San Diego to board a boat and be shipped to Maui. It's done.

Gassing up.

Somebody was excited.

The road lay out before us.

The water we hit over Donner Pass 'pinstriped' the car. Sweet.

It was such an awesome trip. We ended up being able to spend the weekend with Brant's parents - drove down to Monterey Bay, Ca and spent Saturday and Sunday exploring. They go to Monterey often, but it was my first time. As a John Stienbeck fan, I was super stoked to see Cannery Row and especially stoked to see Ed Ricketts labaroratory and the tide pools he waded in, collecting his specimens.

It's all touristy now. But still cool.

Pretty. Wish you were here.

The opening section of the book Log From the Sea of Cortez is one of my favorites. Steinbeck talks about his friendship with Ed Ricketts and I've just always been in love with how he talks about and describes his friend.

"Knowing Ed Ricketts was instant."

I feel like I've been lucky enough in my life to experience meeting someone and having a connection that felt 'instant.' It was like that with my bestest girlfriend. We just connected, as sisters. We've lived on opposite sides of the country for more years than we lived in the same town now (and soon it will almost be opposite sides of the world). I have little idea what goes on in her daily life - we talk when we can, but when there are kids and husbands and jobs and geography  hurdles it's just different from the days we used to spend laying on the dock at the lake, talking for hours and HOURS. But, now matter the distance, I know I could see her tomorrow and that 'instant' connection would still be there. That's just how soul sisters are. She is my Ed Ricketts.

So the trip was wonderful. Good time with family we will miss very soon. An unexpected reprieve from the crazy moving, packing, schedule we've got going now.

Brant leaves in 23 days and one sleep.

Complained about it till night fell, and then I stopped to look.

Walked up to the main house to put wet laundry from the washer to the dryer. The snow has been falling all day. I think it is most beautiful at night.

Thoughts from this past week:

We are small (in relation to the universe).

Our bones are finite.

Our water content (body %) matches the earth.

Our perception of our world (intimate and beyond) is very often different than reality. Even when you really think you are right.

We are so very, very loved.

Perfect

 It is a day for rest around here. A rainy, somewhat dreary day. After so many weeks of non-stop work and travel, it feels a bit weird to rest. Like we are being lazy. Like I am supposed to be doing something.  Then again, the things I could be doing (finish painting the kitchen, go through the rest of the photos) I don't want to do, nor do I feel the need to do them. Hence the rest.

It took me most of the morning to be reminded that resting is okay. That it's okay to start watching movies at 11 am.

 

Now that my reminder is in place, my head in check, I think I'm ready to embrace this lounging.

We've got a pot of split pea soup in the slow cooker.

Extra blankets on the bed.


Tazo Refresh tea in my mug.


Lucy is stalking the surviving (but not for long) housefly buzzing around our little casa.


Maddie is sleeping in the closet. (Yesterday she pulled the two rinsed yogurt containers from the recyling bin, tore the lids off and licked the insides clean of any yogurt remnants. So you know, she needs her naps).


Brant is posting ads on craigslist and coping with my neurosis.


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As I finished writing the above, there was a knock at our door. Long story (that I don't feel right about spilling all the details on yet) short.....the issue of what to do with our house has been dealt with. Not all the details are worked out yet, but the main storyline is established. It is a scenario I never would have come up with on my own, yet is so incredibly, incredibly perfect. The wondering of how it would all come together is over. And even more, we don't have to do a thing to the house. She wants it exactly how it is! 

I am reminded again and again that it is not about what I do.

Let's celebrate with a picture of my favorite Birds of Paradise. Can't remember the name of this particular variety, but DUDES, it is monsterously tall (like 15? 20ft?) and the bloom is black and white!!! Does it get any better? No. It doesn't.

Few words tonight. As in, I don't have many.

Goodbye 'garden' truck.

We drove my truck to Reno last weekend, dropped it off to Brant's best friend, and flew home.

I loved that truck.

But now we are one step closer to moving. So, it's worth it.

Reno was super fun. Good times with family.

We left Boise around 3pm.

Drove and drove.

It was smoky in Nevada.

Which made for super cool pictures.

The next day Brant and I hung out while Mom & Dad were at work.

Love the cool old hotel signs in downtown.

And how close the clouds always seem to be in Reno.

 I am obsessed with the sky in Nevada. Must have taken 50 pictures - all of clouds. 

We flew home Monday night. 

And in other news...........................................

We found out today that Maddie and Lucy passed their rabies tests (duh) and were given a date they can officially enter the state of Hawaii:

January 21, 2011.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This is all beginning to seem very real.

And I am so freaking excited.

Pineapple Tomatoes

Wiped Out

Oh man. Where have I been?

I am posting this - no pictures - just to say hey, I'm still here. Just really tired.

The past few weeks have been crazy busy. We went to my mom's one weekend, to burden them with more furniture we have to get rid of, and to help my brother and his family move into their beautiful, brand new house. It was a fast and furious trip - gone friday afternoon and back sunday. But it was awesome fun.

The next weekend I spent 9 hours on Saturday going through what I thought was the last of our 'paperwork' for the move. You know how the IRS says you are supposed to keep income and tax related materials for 7 years, in case you are audited, or abducted by aliens, or just want to read them and get really, really bored? Yeah, well, we have a whole crapload of paperwork from the last 7 years - especially with the last 5 years of records for Brant's business. We have to figure out how to get it to Maui. So yeah, that Saturday spent organizing all of that crap, was as fun as it sounds.

Today is Sunday. We spent yesterday working on clearing out Brant's shop. The man has a 4 car garage, filled with car stuff.

I almost lost my ever-loving mind.

But it is now sorted into piles: stuff to give back to people, stuff to sell, stuff going to the thriftstore or dump, and stuff we need to get to Maui somehow.

And you know what we both realized mid-way through yesterday? Two things:

1. We have a lot of crap.
2. Back at the begining of this move, when we said that if it wasn't for the dogs holding us up, we could be in Maui in 30 days? Total. Crap. Complete delusion. No. Freaking. Way.

Here's the thing: it takes a lot of time to go through your stuff and decide what to do with it all. It would be easy to just pack our suitcases, burn our house down - possessions and all, and hop a plane to the island. But being the somewhat rational people that we are, we choose not to do that.

So we continue to sift through everything, working on it as often as we can. And we are getting really, really close. Wait. No. I'd say we are about halfway there.

Thank God we have more time!

In between the sorting and packing, we are:

•  working full time.
• soaking up as much time as we can with our friends here.
• running with the dogs at the park.
• taking a spinning class on Wednesday nights.
• doing lots of yoga (just me, no Brant on that one:)
• eating jelly filled powdered donuts (Brant).
• really enjoying the beautiful fall that Boise is on the cusp of. The leaves are changing!
• thinking about marathon training again someday soon (me). 

So it is all good. It really is. Although it is a ton of work, these days are really freaking awesome ones. I feel really happy, blessed, and just so dang excited. It is a somewhat surreal time in our lives right now - and I forced myself to blog this, just so I can be sure to remember what this time period has been like.

Brilliantly exciting. Scary frustrating. Completely serene.

How's that for a few contradicitons, eh? But it's all true.

And now, I must go pass out on the bed with my husband. Our work is done for the day and now we will watch movies.

Give that dog a bath!

Scene of the crime.

In an effort to get them ready for their vet appointment (rabies blood test yay!) tomorrow, both dogs got a bath tonight.

Maddie does not like getting a bath. 

I smartly sensed that Maddie was close to the end of her rope, what with the soap, cold running hose water, and her mom yanking her this way and that - trying to get a good picture of her pain. Not wanting to be the next recipient of a face transplant, I put my camera away.

Lucy, on the other hand, is a whore for the camera.

Yup, totally just called this dog a whore.

Her hatred/fear of baths are outweighed by her need for anyone's love and attention, so the camera stayed out and we got busy.

She may have regretted her decision at one point. 

But remained brave.  Or at least too scared to run away.

When we were done there was a lot of shaking. 

A lot of contemplation.

A huge, disgusting  mess.

And a whole lot of begging for a treat. And a walk. And a pony.

I agreed to the treat first. Then the walk.

You know who stopped writing emo poetry and emerged from her graffiti covered bedroom at the mention of treats.

All in all it went pretty well. Everyone is still alive, faces intact, bodies clean. Except for me I guess. I'm covered in dog hair.

Monday Night. September. 2010.

My bike, she wants to ride. 

I intended to ride my bike to the store tonight (Brant needs hydrogen peroxide for an infected fingernail, I need Zevia to feed my latest obsession) but lo, I cannot find my keyring with my bike lock key.

I walked the dogs instead. We are trying to get them used to walking through crowds, by other dogs, etc so that when we get to Maui, they can hopefully just be chill and walk if our neighborhood happens to be more populated than the one we live in here. We don't need them pulling on their leashes, lunging at tourists.

Tomorrow is Brant's birthday. He is going to be 36. What an old fart! If you are reading this, babe, I love you - but man you are getting old! Just a second ago I could swear we were both in our early twenties. We were young and hot and had bodies that didn't creak when we walked or bent over.  Of course we were also both really, really stupid. And just had no idea. About anything.

I'll take you at 36 any day, babe. You just keep getting better and better. I couldn't ask for a better husband, best friend, or soul-mate.  Happy Birthday love!

 

If you don't hear from me again,

It's because I dove headfirst into this jar of syrupy blackberry deliciousness and decided to never come back.

 We were gifted this jar from a wonderful friend. Well, actually, I don't even know the woman who crafted this but my husband knows her husband and after tasting this jam she is wonderful in my book forever and ever. Amen.

Except not really 'Amen" because I have to tell you this:

We have had this jar in our possession now for under 1 hour. So far I have, taken pictures of it,  eaten it drizzled over one piece of toast (foolishly half-smeared in chunky almond butter), finished that piece and immediately toasted another which was dunked crust first into the jar and devoured. It is the perfect blend of sweet berry syrup with just the right amount of smoky tang. Brant just had his first taste and from the look on his face as I am typing, I can also tell you this:


We will be fighting over the rest of this jar.