A...morning person? *gasp*

I know, I really didn't think it was possible!

Let me start of by saying I *despise* getting up at 5:30am. Despise. Really. But I *love* leaving work at 3:30ish, so it does have it's payoffs. And by the time bedtime rolls around, I'm actually tired and sleep all night. Who knew I could do that? And on a regular basis?

It hit me while I was at work this morning...my energy level in the morning far exceeds the small mass of energy I have in the evening, which I use to cook dinner and perhaps unpack a box (watching Brothers and Sisters is more like it). I am in bed by 10:30, 9:30 or 10 if I care to read before slumbering off to dream land. It's wonderful, the feeling of actually being tired at night? And sleeping? Glorious! Better get used to this before kiddos come along.

And may I say how wonderful it is that Matt loves his job so much? Wish I could say the same. Undertaking such a massive project, and all on my own, is a bit exhausting. Overwhelming. And somewhat daunting. BUT I do have my own office which is a bonus, and no more picking up the phone when it rings. It's glorious. Simply. Fantastic.

So yes, back to me being a morning person. I think it really has to do with the sun being out in the morning (or rather, here in the Pacific Northwest, it's light, even when raining). I doubt I'll feel this energized when it's winter and 30 degrees outside, raining, and freezing cold. Better prepare myself with some flannel sheets and a down comforter.

Routine

I have a routine.

Wake up at 5:30am. Leave for work by 6:30. Drop Matt off at work, arrive at my job around 7:30 or 7:45. Get shit done. Leave around 3:30 or 3:45, pick Matt up, get home around 4:30 or 5. Rest. Fix dinner and eat dinner. Unpack boxes. Have a glass of wine. Go to sleep.

Repeat.

Guess I've entered that thing called "adulthood".

I am hoping in 6 months or so, I can work one or two days from home. But first, there's work to be done on the new website (launch is scheduled for 7/15). We have to get part of the e-commerce store up and running before I can think about sleeping in on a weekday.

Life is pretty routine now, so not much exciting news. Although this weekend was fantastic. We celebrated Matt's cousin's wedding, which was great fun. I love his family and it was wonderful to catch up with them. Yesterday we stayed home ALL DAY. It felt incredible to just get stuff done AND watch TV (our tv is working now, yay).

Tonight is craft night at Sam and Phil's. I am excited to see their place and get a little creative. Hopefully this week we will get to see Ben and Rita during waking hours. :)

Werking Gyrl

Seriously. I am now working for da family business. I am back in the land of nine to five. Really, it's more like 7:30 to 3:30 thanks to Matt's working hours. Matt's office is 3 miles from mine, so we get to take the carpool lane which is such a saving grace! We take turns driving in the afternoon but he drives in the morning. If I don't sleep well, he graciously drives and let's me take a quick nap on the way to and from work.

I have hit the ground running at work. Literally jumping in with both feet and seeing what happens. As most of you know, I am managing the website for my dad's company, and they are really far behind. As most of you also know, my major in college was theater. And I have zero to little experience with this. I am just asking questions, making phone calls, and figuring out where we are at. They hired someone to build an online store 2 years ago, and nothing has happend in those 2 years, so we are also a little time crunched, and might I say, desperate? In this economy, online sales are hugely helpful. Plus, once this gets off the ground, maybe I'll be just one of the peeps rather than the bosses daughter.

In any case, I am enjoying my job. I do like being in an office. I'm not as distracted and it's kind of cute to see how proud my dad is to have me here. I have missed the sarcastic humor at work, and unlike 5 years ago, I can now fire back with my own observations and remarks. I'm no longer a sensitive 20 something. I am a self-assured woman who can handle her own.

Speaking of which, I really should go back to work. Spreadsheets are calling my name. Joy of joys!

As if we didn't have enough stuff...

...we unloaded our storage unit today. Rather, the boys did, while Tina and I jetted off to three different stores to find curtains for the other bedrooms and downstairs, and another few stores were thrown into the mix to find her some new shoes. No shoes were found, but curtains were bought and have been hung (thanks to Tina's manly skills --as she says "grrr" and flexes her muscles while drinking tequila). Then as I was unpacking boxes, I found more curtains...sigh...figures.

It's been a long week. Tomorrow we go get my grandmother's china, her china, and my parent's dining room table and chairs. I'm actually just "borrowing" the table and chairs from my sister, who wants to have them as her own, but as she's in college, she doesn't have space for them in her tiny apartment. So until she has a place of her own, Matt and I will gladly use them for our own family dinners.

And with that, my friends, good night. Pictures will NOT be posted until there are no moving boxes in sight. Or at least until I get them all into the garage.

Year of Gratitude #27

1. I am so very thankful for friends who are willing to tote me around while Matt is at work this week and I am sans car. Whether it's to go shopping or just get out of the house (or a little of both), I am very appreciative of my dear friends!

2. Money in the bank. Yeah, I know, it won't last long, but for setting up home and the lack of food (meaning we've gone out to dinner every night this week), it's been a relief knowing I won't look at our checking account balance and burst into tears.

3. My hard-workin' hubby. I am so proud of him, and so grateful that he found work, and that he loves where he's at and what he's doing.

A new look, a new life

I figured the raindrops were appropriate considering the weather these days.

I'd just like to write a quick note:

Dear Mother Nature,
I realize that it's not officially summer yet, but do you think you could warm things up just a little? Fifty-five degrees isn't really warm enough for me right now, and I know my long-term PNW friends and family would appreciate some temparatures in the 60's. Please do what you can. Thank you!

Moving-in is overwhelming and we've had lots of visitors, friends and the cable guy, someone from the geek squad, and the bird-removal people...it's been pretty hectic. But I'm glad we're home. It's an amazing feeling!

More to come...brain full...and there's more boxes to unpack...

Goodbye, Los Angeles

Goodbye, Los Angeles...

We've had a strange relationship, the two of us. Wouldn't you agree? When I first got here, you were overwhelming and busy, made no sense, and decided that temperatures in the 100's were the best way to welcome Matt and I to Hollywood. Then winter came, and you warmed us up with sixty degrees. At night. I remember the first time I walked outside in December in a shorts and t-shirt, thinking that life couldn't be better, and neither could the weather. Over time I came to love the winter and hate the summers, like most of my friends here. I learned the value of drivers who know how to drive in traffic as opposed to coming to a dead stop. I learned how to navigate your ridiculously unusable public transit system (seriously, get a subway stop at LAX and at the beach already). You then warmed the hearts of several of our friends, persuading them to live here, and we welcomed them with open arms, extending our community, our family of dear friends. You were aggravating at times, but kept that carrot dangling in front of me, hopeful that good things would continue to come along. Even with those crappy jobs, I continued to hope that you would help us stick around for the long haul.

Then the writer's strike happened, then the housing bubble burst, sending the economy into disarray. We tried to stay, we tried our best to figure out our bleeding finances so we could afford to stay. And we couldn't. We could afford a house in our home state that also offered a slightly cheaper cost of living. We tried, we did our best to stay, even moved to a cheaper apartment that offered critters in the kitchen with no dishwasher, but I'm sorry to say it's just not going to work out this time. We have to break up.

I was a different person then, and you helped shape me into the person I am today. I will be forever grateful. You will always have a place in my heart.

Five Days and Counting

Our apartment is a mess. Matt and I are exhausted. My brain isn't functioning properly and I forget things quite a bit nowadays. Total chaos in this California Vancil home. He is amazing at packing boxes. And I am doing well at the admin stuff (setting utilities, making multiple phone calls, running errands...I am an assistant in my home). We are making great progress but I know the day of the move, we'll be running around thinking "Shit! How could we forget that? And why didn't we take care of *insert project here* sooner?!"

Plans this week you ask? Hm. Well tomorrow is church and then our farewell party. Monday our car goes to the mechanic for an oil change and overall inspection to make sure it won't fall apart while we're driving up. Tuesday is dinner with a friend. Wednesday is more meals with more friends. Thursday we hopefully get our TV fixed and final chiro appointments, not to mention our last night in town.

The movers arrive Friday morning. Hopefully late Friday morning or early afternoon we'll be on the road. We'll spend the night in Etna with our dear friend Erik (sadly Gayvin will not be home) and son Jack. They don't care that we have three nutty cats, they'll be welcome too and put in a separate room. Saturday we make it to Tacoma and set up camp for the cats in either the rec room or a bathroom. We will probably spend that night at my aunt and uncle's in Puyallup and enjoy their hot tub. Sunday, we hope the movers will arrive. June 14 is when Matt starts his new job. Our new washer and dryer will be delivered and installed that day. June 15 our internet and phone will be hooked up, and I hope to make a trip to the DMV that day. June 16 we have a consultation with 3-day blinds to see about some, y'know, blinds for our naked windows. Then June 17th I am officially back at the office. Even though the commute will completely suck, Matt's office is three miles from mine, so we will be able to carpool. Brilliant I say! I will be commuting every weekday during the summer, and hope by fall to be working from home once or twice a week.

I wrote this all out so I could remember. Sometimes the calendar just doesn't make sense to me. It sounds crazy, and hectic, but seriously, would I have it any other way? Never! Can't wait to go home! :)

To Emilie - Same here m'dear!

To Jenny - Oh joy of joys. I think I will want to hear about it at your party. After a glass of wine. Or five.

To Brie - Birds nests = multiple birds who have lived in our attic, probably for months since it was an investment home and no one has lived there for quite some time. Should be lots of bird poo and germs up there. Blech. Yes, I know it could be worse, and the reason we bought this house is because most everything is up to date. I'm just really mad at our inspector (and ticked at our Realtor) for not catching it in the first place so we could have had the seller clean it up instead, thus saving us money. Blech, I say!

Seven Days and Counting

In one week we'll leave California. I don't want to say "forever" because that is a long time. But I would like to say we'll leave indefinitely. I don't think we'd mind coming back so long as we could make enough money to be comfortable rather than bleeding money every single month.

Found out yesterday that we have birds' nests in our attic. GROSS. Found a bird removal company in Seattle that can help us. I am waiting to hear back from them as to a free inspection and how much this might cost us.

We are in packing/cleaning-stuff-out high gear. Every day, Matt is asking me what I can pack in the kitchen. We are really trying to watch our spending because the first few months in a new place is always expensive with ending services at the old place and starting new ones at the new home. We have never owned a house before, haven't had to pay a water bill in years, and have no idea how much blinds will cost. It's all overwhelming and exciting at the same time. Though right now I have to say I'm closer to overwhelmed.

Right now, though, I'm off to get a massage. My tired, aching muscles and harried brain are in deep need of relaxation!