Serendipitous Kismet

You guys, there is an owl living in my chimney.

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OMG...

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I'm over the moon about this. I cannot believe how awesome it is.

Ok, so I'm not really certain this owl has taken up permanent residence in the chimney, but I do know that the past few days when it gets quiet cute little hooting sounds come from the chimney. It sort of freaks the cats out, which is entertaining.

I haven't seen the owl, so I don't know what type it is, but I looked the National Audubon Society Portland's website to see what sort of owls can be found in the area and I'm fairly certain is HAS to be either a Northern Pygmy Owl or a Northern Saw-Whet Owl because those are the only two types small enough to fit into the holes in the top of the chimney.

Northern Saw-Whet

Northern Pygmy

I'm hoping to get a glimpe of him/her soon. I think I'll name him/her Athena or Archimedes. It only makes sense.

Quest for Something New

Sometimes my cardio gets boring. Boring to the point where I don't want to do it because it just seems tedious and lame.





When I start feeling like this I realize that I need to switch things up and try something new. This week I tried Spinning.





They have a cycle class most evenings at my gym, so I figured I would try it. I looked up online to see the average calories burned in a 1 hour cycle class and was delighted to find that the average is between 500 and 700 calories in a 45 minute class. My class was an hour long so I'll assume I was closer to the 700 area... and there was a puddle of sweat under my bike when I was done so I know I was really working.



I'm only a little sore from it (afterall, I have been lifting weights) but what I'm feeling the most is where my butt-bones (aka where your femur inserts in your hip/pelvis) from the dang seat. I could hardly sit down this morning and eat breakfast. I've been sitting on my wadded up jacket at work all day to give me some sort of cushion.



Now I see why those avid spinners buy the cycling shorts with padding. I thought they were just being dramatic, but lo, they are just trying to protect their poor little bums from bruising. I haven't looked, but I'm pretty sure I have bruises.



So I'm going back on Wednesday night.



Also, why is it so cold? It's MAY for Pete's Sake. Where is the warm spring sunshine and the DRY weather? It got down to almost freezing last night and I woke up in a ball inside my sheets and blankets this morning.

Vegas, and Then Some

I was in Vegas last week.



I was a little nervous because I haven't been to Vegas since 8th grade so I didn't really know what to expect.



We departed Portland on Wednesday morning. It was a nice morning and beautifully clear once we were at cruising altitude. I sat in a row with a bunch of 20 something guys on their way to Vegas for a birthday party. They were all taking shots at 7am. They invited me to join and of course I declined. Needless to say I didn't get a nap on the way.



The flight was pretty tame despite my row company, but ten minutes into the descent into Vegas things got a bit bumpy. I guess there were a fair amount of wind gusts and we definitely felt them. I was totally glad to be on the ground! Later on Wednesday they grounded some flights due to the high winds in the area.



The weather was pretty nice, in the 60's and low 70's and sunny. Meetings, Meetings, Meetings for Wednesday and Thursday, but we did manage to squeeze in a little shopping at NikeTown Las Vegas and the Hurley Store. I got some sweet pants for $9. Seriously.



Left on Thursday night EXHAUSTED and ready to be home.

Spent the weekend trying to get caught back up on laundry, etc. Nothing terribly exciting. I did get to spend some quality time with BF. We hung out and played Clue with his sister. I forgot how much I liked board games.

This week is all about prep work for the Bill Pearl. Hotel reservations made, BF has a spray tan appointment for Friday afternoon, and I'm cleaning out the car in preparation for our travels.

Don't let me forget my camera and extra batteries.

Beverly Beach...

BF and I went to Beverly Beach the weekend before last. Mostly I just wanted to get out of the house and away from the norm.

Also, I LOVE when I get to use my camping stuff.

I wanted to stay in a yurt, however there weren't any available so we got to camp in my tent instead.

We built a fire and roasted hot dogs, marshmallows, etc and just got to hang out which was super nice. It was also BF's last cheat meal before the Bill Pearl Classic in less than 2 weeks so he stuffed himself full of goodies.

We completely FROZE at night and I don't know why. I've been using the same tent and sleeping bag and pad for two years now and I've never gotten that cold. I was a little damp when I went to bed, so that could have been one reason. Anyway, I woke up all achy and stiff because of the cold, and then I remembered I had those handwarmer packets you use while skiing in my car so I broke those babies out. Those are marvelous.

We had eggs and toast and sugar free hot chocolate for breakfast and took a lovely little stroll down the beach. It made me want a dog, sort of.

We eventually headed back home and wished we had longer weekends.

BF has pictures. Eventually I will post some.

Throwing A Fit

Let me just do this.

I need this.



Why can't it be about me? Why can't one day be solely based around me and what I want and what I like and what makes me happy?

This is what I want. I think I need it for my sanity.

I work EXTREMELY hard and tirelessly. I pour my soul into what I do at work, for my family, for BF, for my friends and yet I don't feel like I get a lot of that back and it's starting to wear on me.

I'm not saying I'm entirely forgotten, but for the most part days and weeks go by without any recognition or any relief for my efforts.

On my day dedicated to me I want flowers and massages and hugs. I want lovely conversations and humor and pretty things. I don't want to be asked to do anything tedious or time consuming or requiring any effort. I don't want to hear complaints or whining. I don't want to do the dishes. I do want to spend most of that day with BF since our together time is rather limited due to work and his school/exercise schedule.

Will someone please give me this day?

This Would Be Heaven For Me...

Ridiculous Things I Did This Weekend... Jealous?

Friday was awesome because I didn't have to do anything. I got off of work at a reasonable hour, then I went to the gym and had a nice work out, and then BF and I hung out around my house and watched movies.

Doesn't seem like the most awesome Friday night, but it was. Sometimes you just need to sit around in sweats and watch movies. It doesn't mean you are old and boring, it means that you know when to take a break.

Saturday was also full of awesome, but in more exciting ways. I went to the gym- which was the best because no one else seems to work out on the weekends so it was pretty much deserted- and had a nice long work out. I got to try out some new ab exercises without the Douche Squad in my way so that was nice. In case you didn't know, the D Squad is a group of meat-head guys at the gym that take over the mat area where you are supposed to do ab stuff and they just sit on the mats and talk and eat protein bars and drink protein shakes. There are chairs in the lobby for that sort of thing. Get off the mats if you aren't working out or stretching (and they never are). Anyway, so BF came over in the afternoon and we oiled him up and put in him in his "posing suit" so he could practice his poses for the Bill Pearl Classic (in 3 weeks!!!). Can I just say that I didn't realize how difficult posing was. You have to find exactly the right angles to make yourself look just right and you have to flex as hard as you possibly can for what seems like an eternity. I'm not sure that is something that I could ever do- without giving myself an aneurism. The best part of this was that BF came to my house to do this becasue I have huge full length mirrors and just as he was standing there in barely anything my mom comes in the room and starts talking to me. Then she noticed an almost nude BF standing there all glistening looking in the mirror and she stops cold and starts backing out of the room. Of course BF could've cared less, mostly because he's used to it ( I mean, come on, he stands on a stage in front of hundreds of people AND judges like this) so it was mostly my mom's reaction that was hilarious.

After posing practice, BF and I picked up BF's little sister (LS for short) and then we all went to Kells Irish Pub for dinner. I had the Veg Sandwich and BF had the Ballycastle Sausage Roll. In the midst of eating dinner, Kells was taken over by ridiculous golf-apparel-clad middle agers on a pub crawl through Portland. I wish we had taken pictures, but as always seems to happen in these situations, I didn't have a camera with me. The group stayed for about 30 minutes before rallying and heading off to greener pastures. We finished our dinners, ordered the Guiness chocolate cake and then headed down the street to the Thirsty Lion. We hung out there for a bit and then the Golf Gang showed up again so we left before it could get too out of control. We headed for the Shanghai Tunnels since LS and I had never been there. It's totally deceiving because when you walk in you see a bar with maybe 4 barstools and then 2 little cafe tables. But then you go further inside and see a stairwell that leads you into a basement of sorts where there is another bar and pool tables, pinball machines, booths and tables and chairs all around.

We headed home just in time to catch SNL, so we watched 20 minutes of that before deciding we were much too old and tired to stay up any later.

Sunday morning BF made us eggs and toast (again, what else?). Then he drove me home so I could go for a run in the glorious sunshine. I then sat outside and read a book, decided it was time to get real clothing on for the day, then watched movies as I tidied my room and played with the cats.

I woke up this morning hating the fact that I had to go to work- even though I like where I work and who I work with. I just wanted my fabulous weekend to continue.


Now BF and I are getting ready for the Bill Pearl Classic on May 8th. I'm. So. EXCITED. BF's going to win a trophy and a sword.

SWORD.

Sort of like Conan.