My Post About Being Busy

Good Lord, things have been BUSY. Since I posted that we had found a house, I can't even begin to describe the level of busy-ness I have been operating at. I still could have found time to write, but I honestly was not making it a priority.

My priority has been keeping my sanity.

Part of maintaining my sanity has been "To Do" lists like this one. The week after we moved, I had four pages like this one (front and back). I had to keep everything organized somehow. By now I can't even make a list. It is too overwhelming. Not because there is even MORE stuff to do, but because I already spent all possible energy and used up all of my superwoman brain cells. There is nothing left. I don't know how or when I get a recharge, but I am hoping it is soon...

Here is what we have been up to...

We celebrated Easter. This involved friends and food, presents in Raine's Easter "nest," bubbles, more food (including cupcakes) and more bubbles.

We went back to Illinois for a visit. There was a lot of playing to be had for Raine with his cousins, and then we had our fair share of food and beverages, and lots of time with friends and family.

We packed a lot for our move. We tried to pack a little bit every day. Raine liked to pack and then unpack, pack, unpack, repeat.

We finalized paperwork on the house and made several trips out catch glimpses as it was built.

We had it inspected and then had a new homeowner orientation with the builder.

We signed a lot of paperwork and closed escrow.

Then on Saturday May, 4th, we moved in!!!

We tried our best to help all pets adjust to the new house. This included training Rocco to use a doggie door. We crossed our fingers that he would use it while we were away at work throughout the week, so we wouldn't have to come home to accidents all over the new hardwood floors and carpet. It took about two weeks until I felt completely comfortable leaving him alone. Now he uses that thing like a BOSS.

Hobbes made some surprising trips to the vet, racking up ridiculously large bills. He had two teeth removed and was diagnosed with Hyperthyroidism. He has to eat expensive prescription food now, of course.

Rocco also has had to have some extra vet visits and tests. Most notably in just the last week, he has developed what we believe is Lymphangieasia, which is causing protein to leak out of his intestines. He started medicine yesterday and I am working from home this week to monitor him until we can get him back to the vet on Thursday and have his blood checked again to see where we are at. If he has stabilized on the medicine, there is hope we will have him around a couple more years (as we will continue to treat it with a prescription diet). If he does not stabilize, we will have to help him get more comfortable and say goodbye in the next two to three weeks. We are stunned and sad and nervous.

Immediately after we moved, we spent a week cleaning the crap out of our condo. (This included Mother's Day. However, before Raine went to the baby-sitter and cleaning commenced, I did get to have a groovy little breakfast en plein air with my boys at Henry's Hot Breakfast. And hubby gave me roses. Sigh.)

After listing the condo, we waited for six agonizing weeks to get tenants. Just as I was about to lose my shit, we found them. I just gave them the keys Monday. HALLELUJAH.

In between all of this, I have tried to attempt to baby step my way into tackling major changes with my daily job and special projects, including the business I want to start. The short of it is that nothing much has changed. ;) I am still at the same day job and it is still very stressful and even less ideal now that I live 30 minutes away. My plans to amp up posting and content of this blog has failed, but I did finally gather together my goodies for my side project, snail says. It is in early prep stages and I will not be formally launching it, or making any sort of announcement, necessarily, when it is up and running. The plan is to leak it on Pinterest eventually, when I reach a certain point in the content level (which I think is scheduled for late August or September). LOL. I wish I could tell you more, other than ... It will basically chronicle Dan and I's love letters and creative tokens of affection during our courtship, which was ten years ago this month. This is the only time I will likely mention this project because I want it to happen in a space exclusive of this blog, with it's own organic possibilities.

And, the business. It is forming. I have a P.O. box, email address, and company name with a blog/web site and Twitter account. It is in such early stages I hesitate to share details but if your really want a peek, you can get a glimpse here.

OH. AND AS IF THIS ALL WASN'T ENOUGH. I have also poorly attempted to be a super sister and super daughter and help and/or stay on top of (at least) my mom's medical progress. More about that at another time, because there really is no simple way to recap that.

ABOVE ALL, THOUGH. 

I have been falling in love with our home and our new town, as well as the greater community and county we now live in. I am beside myself with peace and joy having at last found my elusive Oregon roots. They are reaching deep quickly and finding nourishment here. I look forward to what they produce.

illinois stuff:

[dan + i with rita + doug at their new house in lisle]

[last bite at art of pizza in our old neighborhood in chicago]

[me, the nef, + big D]

[rocco’s uncle, BOB]

[dinner with friends]

Highlights from Trip to Illinois

Some of my favorite moments from the trip:

• Flying in over Illinois covered in a blanket of snow
  
• Surprising Hattie at her apartment. She thought I was in Oregon, but no! I was at her door.
  
• Joining Hattie at work the next day and seeing her interact with her students at New Millennium School of Health/Bowen High School. She is a phenomenal teacher and I am so happy now that I can picture her at work while I'm so far away.
• Dinner/drinks with Jim, Kate, John, Hattie, Andrea, Corey, Chris, and Linda. Very cool bar--check it out Chicagoans if you're in Andersonville: T's Bar & Restaurant. Shows all Cubs games in the summer. Ladies pick up ladies if you like.
• That "California" grilled panini - grilled zucchini, artichoke hearts, roasted tomatoes, pesto, fresh spinach and provolone (! yum) from the Corner Bakery
  
• Riding the Metra, reading and listening to music
• Jim & I on a wild goose chase to find my dad in the Joliet mall
• Hugging Char at JC Penny
• Riding in the car with my dad down I55
• Totally SHOCKING the PANTS off my sister and mom! Rachel burst into tears, my mom started crying after about 10 minutes of shock, and then they both started calling friends to tell them. ;-)
• Surprising Megan by showing up at HER door. (I was getting really good at this surprising thing)
• Spending time at my Aunt Connie's and Aunt Joan's
• Sleeping
• In Good Taste deliveries with Harrison and Megan
• Joining the Brents for Harrison's 6th birthday celebration
• Watching the Bears win at Keps with Hattie & Ally, and good ol' times with Hattie and her family--including Steve's bottle of 1998 wine from France. Wow!
  
• Guys trying to pick me us up at Keps and Gracies (I don't think I have ever been approached in a bar and been hit on. My ego swelled.)
• Christmas Eve with the family
• Brunch with Jim, Char, mom, and dad on Christmas day
  
• PLAYING WITH THE NEF
• Christmas evening, coming home to hubby waiting at the airport with red tulips
  

A One-Way Ticket to Nowhere

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

(D-IL) Weed

Barack Obama Interview
John McCain Interview

Sarah Palin Video
Funny Election Video

Baby Lennon Jeffrey

Say hello to Lennon Jeffrey, son of my second cousin, Dirk Trotter, and his wife Piper. Lennon was born Tuesday, November 25th, at 1:45 in the afternoon. He weighed 8 lbs., 10.7 oz. and was 21 inches long.

Look at that blond hair!!!! Too cute.















Just like Chris, Dirk is in love, and both mom and baby are doing great. More photos are on Dirk & Piper's web site, Meet the Trotters. I couldn't help but notice Lennon's hip little Tea clothing, so I have to send some more from Henny Penny.

Love and blessings to their new family....!

Missing Lo & Grandpa...

We've Been Back From Vacation

for five days now. Five days full of flea treatments, doggy treats and toys and the park, counseling sessions with Hobbes for his "abandonment," grocery shopping, sleeping soundly in our own bed, and sitting quietly on our own porch. AND! THE BEARS. WON. OPENING GAME. oh yes.

Of course we have plenty to blog about and photos to share of our week in Illinois, but it has taken me some sweet, fat time to organize them because Dan became super-ambitious with the camera this trip (--yea, tho!) To see all of the photos from the trip, follow the link on the photo below, but I'll have recaps coming soon!

[Me & Char at the trailer at Apple Canyon Lake]

Urban Nursery in Chicago?

Dan had a poop-tastic day at work and upon arriving home, he eagerly opened up his first informational mailing from a nursing school-Lakeview College. We learned that, not unlike all other nursing programs, Lakeview's second degree program will only accept former coursework completed within the past five years, and Dan graduated from ISU long before 2003. When he read this, his face looked like a deflated balloon. I'm wondering, Does this small hitch really matter? If Dan has to repeat Chemistry and other necessary prerequisite courses, wouldn't it be worth it in the long run? Accelerated nursing programs only take two semesters, and a semester or two of prerequisites would only tack on another year, right?

But Dan is disheartened, and I don't blame him. Something must be said for having acquired two degrees and facing getting yet another one.

His first degree, in Education/Biology, prepared him for teaching. He spent one year as Mr. Herzing at a high school in Bloomington, IL, and promptly moved back in with his parents and went back to school for his horticulture degree. He was interested in plants and had an intuitive and creative side that perked his interest in design. But Dan never pursued a design path in the landscaping business. Because he's good at anything he does, he's moved up the ladder into a top area manager at a local landscape company, dealing with customer service and sales.

Dan abandoned teaching partially because he was young and disinterested in a real job, but mostly because he didn't especially like teaching teenagers. He has detested his work in the landscape industry because he works too many hours and deals with adult customers who act like teenagers. Dan is stuck in customer service hell and his creative instinct and passion for plants isn't a part of his work.

My proposal? (And Dan is mulling this over...) We start our own business. I've been telling him this for years. I've always wanted my own store or business, but the concept has always scared Dan. But I say to him: You can take care of plants. You can design. I'll handle the rest. What I envision is something along the lines of Pistils Nursery in Portland. There used to be a company in Seattle, Urban Mulch, featured in an article here, that focused on urban residential potting, but I can't seem to find them online. My plan involves setting up shop (or online shop) in Chicago, which means we'd head back to the Windy City. I honestly can't say I have ever been interested in moving back to Chicago, but the thought of this business is nestled in Chicago for whatever reason. And I believe we are meant to have a business like this. It is perfect for the both of us. Can anyone in Chicago tell me if there are similar businesses? Check out Pistils Nursery and let me know...! I'm inspired and ambitious...Is there any better combination?

Musings on My Relationship With Illinois

Sometime shortly after Dan and I had brazenly moved across the country and set up our newlywed domicile in Portland, I began an intense internal dialogue regarding my love/hate relationship with Illinois, and to be more specific, Washington, Illinois, a small town outside the "big city" of Peoria, where I spent twenty-four years of my life, and where to this day, remains my immediate family and several beloved friends. On the one hand, it's where I grew up and holds myriad memories, including some very difficult times where I forged a connection with my surroundings, my heritage, and my self-identity. It is why I have a tattoo of corn on my arm. And consider family--All of our immediate family has built their nests in Illinois, not far from many of our relatives. Dan's entire kinship (save one genius cousin at Berkeley) splatters the greater Chicago area, and many of my aunts, uncles, and cousins reside in Illinois. We have great relationships with our families and both come from homes with fun traditions and tremendous love and support. On the other hand, we both wanted to get away--try something new, see a new part of the world. Chicago was a little too big, cold, and stinky. Washington was too small, cold, and boring. We found a place that was just the right size, temperature, and consistency. We made good friends, had good jobs, our marriage flourished. But Portland and Illinois are 2,000 miles apart. And we aren't rich. We are lucky to make a visit once a year.

My internal dialogue reached a peak one sunny afternoon as we took a lazy drive through the country up to Mt. Hood. As we passed rolling hills dotted with complacent horses and cows and dense patches of evergreens, I asked myself Why am I not content here? I decided that I would return to my small hometown, regardless of the qualities that made me flee--a lack of culture, vibrancy, diversity, opportunity--because I owed it to Washington. I thought, How can a place change if everyone leaves? I felt a burst of motivation and a combination of sentimentality, creativity, and entrepreneurship. I would return to contribute to the greater Peoria area as an active and progressive consumer, small-business owner, alumni, community member...Combined with an intermittent longing to be "home" for Christmas, spending shopping afternoons with my best friend, or taking Dan to my Aunt and Uncle's cabin at Spring Lake State Park for lazy days of fishing and reading, this newfound direction back to Central Illinois felt gratifyingly sound. I could justify cold winters and small town culture shock if I felt a dramatic sense of duty and fulfillment. Besides, as long as Dan was with me, I'd be happy wherever I was.

However, pros and cons still racked my brain constantly, almost unconsciously. Every time we tried a new restaurant or pub, the taste of gourmet vegan dishes and seasonal craft brews tugged at me. Every time I hopped on the streetcar, picked up a Willamette Weekly, met a friend for cocktails, saw a show at Doug Fir, or discovered a new locally-owned boutique, I relished in the creative bliss of Metropolitan living, and couldn't imagine giving it up! And how much harder to give up such a unique Metropolitan as Portland--small, nestled in Pines, rivers, and mountains, dog-friendly, and home to the Oregon Brewers Festival?

So the battle went back and forth. The last visit I spent in Illinois, last fall, I felt certain we would return to watch our new nephew grow up, spend summers at Apple Canyon with Dan's family, settle down and buy a house--the major bargaining chip the greater Peoria area had to offer--given its incomparable real estate prices. I could picture it: Our very own bungalow with a cozy kitchen, big yard for more dogs, a cute little nursery. I just had to return to Portland to finish schooling, and then we'd be back! Right?

Wrong. Because when I returned, and I returned "home," I was reminded that "home" is not a place where I was born, where I went to school, where I had my first job, or even where my parents are. The day I married Dan, "home" became Dan. My first priority is Dan, not friends, family, or hometowns. And I realized that my inner arguments had conveniently kept Dan's input out of the equation. What did Dan really want? How could I expect my husband to feel the same sentimentality and sense of purpose for a town he never knew and that offered him very little in terms of his needs and passions? I felt guilty and began researching aspects of Washington/Peoria that would appeal to Dan; nursing programs, state parks, real estate costs, organic produce and farmer's markets, friends living nearby.

Not long after, while we celebrated a friend's birthday at an Irish Pub downtown, I let slip plans to move back. Dan remarked firmly his dissent. Tears stung my eyes at his obstinacy, and I refused to talk about it. The rest of the meal was an awkward attempt at not really talking to each other and pretending we weren't having a DOMESTIC DISPUTE. I didn't want the night to end--as soon as we were alone, I would hear the words I didn't want him to say: He doesn't want to move back. Specifically, he doesn't want to move back to Washington. I couldn't be happy there without him, I couldn't be happy anywhere without him. My dreamy, nostalgic, and dutiful bubble burst.

After traveling back to Illinois to meet Logan, see our friends and family, and celebrate special occasions, we've come "home" again, and our path is clear: we will compromise. With both of us on board, we are exploring the possibilities of moving geographically closer to Illinois (as in, we're broke, but we can still go see our family and friends) while considering our central needs:

• Locations for nursing programs (particularly for second degree candidates)
  
• Milder climate than Chicago
  
• Access to outdoor sports and art museums, farmers markets, etc.
  
• Real estate prices lower than Chicago/Portland
  
• Job opportunities in our areas of interest: nursing, landscaping, brewing, writing, publishing, retail
  

I asked Dan, if we moved somewhere new, and someone asked, "Where are you from?" What would you say, Illinois or Oregon? He replied, "I moved here from Portland but I'm originally from Illinois."

Does anyone have any recommendations where we can go from here?

Together

Another Find in Wyoming...

I keep finding amazing houses in Wyoming (2 hours to Jim & Char's, 40 minutes to my folks)--for dirt cheap! We could buy this and furnish it!

I LOVE this house's wrap sun porch, built-ins, old wallpaper, and nearby hiking trail...

Back Safe and Sound

Dan and I are both home from seperate trips to Kentucky and Illinois. I went to the latter and will have photos up soon. Dan went to Louisville for GIC and called me every night drunk from gin and tonics, wine, or bourbon. I would have liked to have been there, but who knew flying from Portland to Louisville was STUPID EXPENSIVE? However, I loved my time with my family and can't wait to get back and see them next spring when baby arrives!

More later...

The Gods of Fate Are Tempting Us...

They've reduced the price!!!!