Tidbits

I don't really have a ton to post about, but in the spirit of trying to post more regularly I'm gonna post anyway. :-) School is "out" for summer, and I'm officially on break. However, when I think about my summer, it's going to slip away very quickly.

Next week, I head to Arkansas to test for my fourth degree black belt. I'm excited, but right now my body is exhausted. If you didn't know otherwise, you'd think I'm being beat up. My right shin has a huge bruise from sparring without shin guards, my right forearm is swollen and yucky black and blue from sparring an out of control green belt who's about twice my size, and my right foot is bruised from breaking boards (sometimes they "bite" when you break them). Everything is sore, but it's all worth it. I've been training really hard and am excited that it will pay off. In addition to training at taekwondo, I've been keeping up the regular work out routine on the treadmill and elliptical. Testing is Thursday at 10 a.m. at the LR Convention Center.

When I come back from Arkansas, I have a few days until Chris and Susan come visit. We have plans to visit the coast, see American Idol at their first stop in Portland, and head to Seattle for some Mariner's baseball (and shopping!!). Then, Ricky heads to England for 10 days with the Soccer team. When he gets home, we will be packing for the move to Portland. We have August to spend enjoying the new city, and then work begins full time.

Somewhere in here, I hope to get my dissertation results and discussion section finished and passed on to my committee. I think I can do it! ;-) I really, really want to have it pretty much done by the time work starts in the end of August.

I'll leave you with a few pictures...

Family Portrait ;-)

Voodoo donuts in Portland. They make them almost any way you can imagine. A sure tourist stop for any of you who come to visit us while we live in Portland.

Ricky excited about voodoo donuts.

Running

Well, as I mentioned in a previous post, I'm learning to run as a form of exercise. Novel for me. I've always been intimidated to run. I know it's hard, and I have kinda gimpy knees. I always preferred to get my cardio an "easier" way (the elliptical, taekwondo workouts, biking). I've avoided running for most of my life---until recently. Several months ago, something inspired Ricky to start working out more seriously again, and this time he engaged in running as part of his regular workout. I'm not exactly sure if, for him, it was the chance to go to umpire school or just a more general desire to get back in shape, but shortly after he began, I became inspired.

This husband of mine (who I'd never seen be at all interested in cardio...he'd do it now and then because he should and then quickly jet off to the weight room to spend most of his time) was spending a lot of time on the treadmill. Not only that, he really seemed to be enjoying it. I was intrigued. I also thought that if he really learned to run and enjoyed it, that it would be good if I could keep up. After all, we live in "track town USA" where there are more running trails than I could ever explore and amazing weather to run outside.

So my quest began. I'm trying to retrace my journey and remember exactly when I stepped on the treadmill for the first time in ages. I know it was sometime before Mother's day but not much before. So, that means I've been learning to run (notice I'm not saying I'm a "runner"---F.A.R. from that and more on that later) for at least 6 weeks. I'm making good progress, but it is HARD. The first day I could jog for about 6-7 minutes at a time before needing to walk. This week, I had several days where I ran for 30 minutes straight a little faster than 5mph average (5mph is a 12 min mile). One day, I ran over 4 miles. I'm feeling more confident, but each date with the treadmill is a challenge. However weird it sounds, learning to run has been a fun challenge. I can feel the effects of the work out all day long. My body is re-shaping itself a bit, and hopefully, I'm losing a few pounds too.

Today, was a new challenge. I did my first outdoor run. It wasn't too far, and I wasn't too fast. But I survived. Running outside is hard for me. I knew it would be. I have no idea how to pace myself, and I have less will-power without the treadmill forcing my steps. But, Ricky ran with me (he's done the outside adventure a few times now) and encouraged me. We ran for about 20 minutes, came back by the house and got the dogs, and ran/walked briskly with them for another 15 or so minutes. It was fun, and I'm looking forward to the next time.

All this to say, I'm really enjoying learning to run. I'm enjoying the challenge, and I'm enjoying that Ricky and I are kind-of doing this together. I appreciate the support and competition to keep up with him. I appreciate that this is impacting other areas of our lives (how we eat, etc.). It's really not about weight loss (although, that's a nice perk). It's becoming something we can enjoy and do together, something that makes us feel better, and something that is a new challenge. I KNOW I'm far from being a "runner." I see others around me who are runners, and I am not there yet. Not sure if I'll ever be...don't really think I want to be (but that may change). But, I'm learning to do something new, and I'm enjoying it.

Related to seeing runners around me. Ricky and I got to go with his friend Tim to the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene last Sunday. It was great. It's a really fun track meet, and this year they had more olympic medalists (34) compete than ever before in an American track meet. We saw several fastest runs of the year and some other cool records. I definitely felt that I could appreciate what the athletes do now that I've embarked on the journey of learning to run...and understanding the work it takes me to run a mile in 11 minutes ;-).
Among lots of other neat races, we saw 13 of 16 men run a mile in under 4 minutes.

And we saw Jennifer Berringer from Colorado become only the 3rd American woman to ever run a mile under 4 minutes. She finished a close second in the race, but I'll leave you with this picture of her as she realizes what she's just done as an inspiration for us. So, while I may never be a runner like Jennifer, I am excited about learning something new and am looking forward to reaping the benefits in other areas of my life, too! Hopefully, we will remember to seize each day as a new opportunity and enjoy the challenges (and obstacles) as well as the victories.

Perspective for fun

I ran across this picture just in case you ever wondered how big Dwight Howard really is...Kris sang the national anthem at the NBA game earlier this week. 

Updates...

Hi my blog readers. Sorry I've been slow to post lately. Life has been busy... busier than usual, so I'll give you the quick updates and then I promise to be a better blogger this summer. My goal is at least 2x a week whether I have anything to say or not. ;-) I've found that some of my favorite of my blog friends' posts are when they are just random. But this one is purposeful, so here goes...

Last Wednesday I officially attended my last day of class as a student (ever) unless I go back to school for something else. The joke with my parents is that I should try law or medical school next, but I think I'm ready to see what it's like to be a member of the working world. As many of you know, I have accepted an internship position in Portland for next year as a Behavior Support Specialist, which means moving to Portland (2hours from here). I do still have graduate work to do--a dissertation to defend in October and internship requirements to fulfill. If all goes according to plan, I will graduate with my PhD next June.

Last Wednesday Ricky officially resigned from his job here in Eugene. He is on a ten month contract but spreads his pay over 12 months, so he will receive pay through August. He was hoping to take a leave of absence and have the option of coming back next year, but with budget cuts, his class was taken (for now) making his position either .8 or .9 FTE. The district won't grant leave of absences for less than full time, so he had to stay or resign. He chose to resign so that he can move to Portland with me and attend umpire school next winter. I know this was a very difficult decision for him, but he is excited about the opportunity to explore something he's always enjoyed. I'm excited for him (and for us). We will be completely out of our house in Eugene by the end of July.

So, last Friday we went to Portland so I could work for the day and we could look at potential houses to rent. It was a productive day, and we've found a house. You can see pictures if you follow the link:http://portlandcreativerealtors.idxco.com/idx/3112/photoGallery.php?idxID=037&listingID=8105432

The landlords are first time landlords who were trying to sell the house initially but had no luck. The furniture is theirs but you can get an idea. We're excited. It has a yard for the dogs and is in a good location. It's about 10 minutes from my office and about 15 minutes from downtown. There is a MAX stop a few blocks away, meaning we can take public transit to downtown easily. The bike path is only a couple of houses down as well, so we can take the dogs for walks or we can enjoy our bikes. There are a couple of great fitness centers within walking distance as well.

Speaking of fitness, Ricky has been working really hard to get in shape for umpire school and has lost at least 10 lbs. He started running on the treadmill and has made great progress. Somewhere along the way, he inspired me to try running (he seemed to be getting great "bang for his buck" in terms of an extensive workout in minimal time). I've joined him on the quest, and although it's hard, we are making progress. The first day I ran, I could barely jog about 6-7 minutes at a time. Now, I'm running 25 minutes straight at a brisker pace. Some days are harder than others, but I always feel great when I've done. So, thanks to my hubby for inspiring me. :) 

Also related to fitness, I'm headed to Arkansas June 22 to test for my fourth degree black belt on June 25 at World Championships. I'm excited. The testing requirements have changed some, and I now "get" to do a fitness test in addition to the testing. For the fitness test, I have to do a total of 300 techniques in 5 minutes one minute each of: push ups, sit ups, kicks, combinations, and punches. For my testing, I will demonstrate my form, sparring, and break 3 boards. Pray for my confidence for this. If I pass, I'll have the summer to work on my new form before moving to Portland. 

In other news, we are excited for Chris and Susan (Ricky's brother and sister in law) to come visit us early July. We are looking forward to seeing Kris Allen, the Idol concert (first stop is Portland). In addition, we are taking couple of days to head to Seattle and see the Mariners play, eat some great food, and do some shopping (at least Susan and I are excited about that). 

I think that's about it. Oh, and laura recognized my blog with this great award (the link to her blog is on the right of my page). Thanks, Laura!

4 years

Yesterday was a fun day. Ricky and I celebrated our four year anniversary. It's crazy to think how much has change and how much has stayed the same in four years. 

Since getting married, Ricky has worked at two different high schools, become actively involved in his umpire association, asked to join the college association, and learned a lot about photography. In the same time, I have completed my Masters degree, advanced to doctoral candidacy, proposed and collected my dissertation data, and accepted an internship position as a Behavior Support Specialist. 

We now live over 2200 miles from home and have made at least 9 airplane trips back to Arkansas for Christmases and weddings (and coincidentally Kris Allen day). We became parents of two dogs (and have made a total of 3 trips to the emergency vet), met new school/work/taekwondo/umpire friends, vacationed in Hawaii and on the Oregon coast. We have become god parents to Abby Shachmut. Since we've been married, I have learned to snow ski, and Ricky has learned to fly fish. We've bought and sold a mini cooper and now own a CR-V. We've paid off my car, the washer/dryer, our bedroom furniture, and several computers. 

In four years, Ricky and I are as at ease and comfortable with each other as we have ever been. We get along and try not to sweat the small stuff. Our marriage is strong, and we are still a great fit for each other. It feels nice to know I've found and am spending each day with the person God made for me. Being married and living with Ricky has been fun. I can't wait for the next 4 years, and the 4 after that, and after that and after that...

Now a summary of yesterday. The day started pretty much like most others. Ricky had a morning meeting and I headed to the gym and had some errands to run. Late yesterday morning I got the following email:

Sometimes you ask " why do you love me?".
Your laugh
Because you let me rub you
The way you kiss me when you leave in the morning
b/c how excited you get about owning a house with me and being a mommy someday
The way you support me with my overwhelming obsessions
b/c you appreciate my cooking
b/c you love our dogs
b/c you always put me first
b/c you care how you look to me
b/c your hair is so pretty when straight and curly
Boobies(you know me I had to go there)
Honestly there is a lot I could say. Mostly because God created you for me and it just feels better than anything else I could imagine.  Love you I do.

When I responded with a thank you and a mention of my teariness in response, he responded, "Oh yeah, I forgot to mention how you cry." :)

We received some nice congratulations from several friends. This one put it into perspective and was one of my favorites:

billie jo & ricky ro

congratulations on completing your undergraduate in marriage. i wish you much luck as you pursue further endeavors in the field. 
it seems like yesterday you guys were just freshman, just learning the ropes, jumping into cars & speeding all over the place. and laura got so sick that time...man...time flies ;-). 

Have a great day!
-Kyle-

 When I made it home to let the dogs out for a few minutes, I found a nice surprise in the fridge--An edible arrangement. Even better than flowers! :)

Cooper cracks me up in this picture. He was excited, too! ;-)

We met for dinner at one of our favorite places, "Hole in the Wall BBQ." This restaurant is totally us--low key, locally owned with regular workers who know us, southern comfort foods including sweet tea and cornbread, and great food. Ricky arrived first and let them know we were celebrating our anniversary. I walked in to lots of congrats and smiles. We ordered our favorites from the menu, and in southern style, we met some nice business men who were in for a quick trip from LA (one was a transplanted Bostonian, which was fun). They quietly bought us an appetizer (hot links) and asked questions about Eugene. It was a great visit. The waitress brought us a dessert on the house, which we shared. She also took our picture with their little mascot pig, which was kind of funny. 

A few more pictures from 4 years ago.

Surprise & Kris Allen Day

A little over a month ago Ricky started looking for airplane tickets to head to AR this weekend for the wedding of one of his good high school friends. What we found, reasonably priced tickets from Eugene to Little Rock with only 1 stop in Denver, led me to go ahead and buy a ticket, too. We then decided it would be fun to surprise my mom (since it also happens to be mother's day weekend). So, we planned just that. AND then we found out that Kris Allen made it into the top 3 and that his hometown visit just happened to be the Friday we were going to be in. So, the plan was to leave Eugene at 2pm Thursday, fly to denver, and be in Little Rock by 10pm Thursday night. My parents were going to pick "Ricky" up (my dad knew the secret but my mom didn't) so he could have a vehicle for his time in Eugene. 

Unfortunately, Ricky and I have not had the best luck traveling, and this trip was no better. We got on the plane about 2pm only to find that it had a low tire. Eventually (after over 30 minutes for a mechanic to come and another 30 minutes for him to confirm it was flat), we all got off the plane so they could change it. However, it seemed that they didn't have the correct tools and so they had to fly another mechanic (and tools) in from Portland. Needless to say, we missed our connection in Denver and had to stay the night. AFter working some magic, we ended up on the next flight to Little Rock, which got us in about 3pm. This was too late for us to actually make it to Kris Allen events but we got to enjoy in all the excitement, watch lots of it on tv, and surprise my mom. Ricky left me with my family while he headed back to his hometown to hang out with his high school friends and do wedding stuff. Today, my mom and I had a great time in Little Rock doing some shopping, and now I'm waiting for Ricky to arrive at my parents (with the suitcase, which got sent to Dallas)... So, I've been in the same clothes for 3 days and am ready for a change! Luckily, I got to wash them last night at my parents'... ;-)

Enjoy some pictures of Kris Allen Day. Arkansas definitely showed up Milwaukee and San Diego! Now, we'll have to see if Kris can win this thing!

Kris at Riverfront in Little Rock. What a crowd!

The brother and sis-in-law. :) They got to go to private lunch at one of our favorite restaurants--Stoby's. So fun!

Kris enjoying the parade in Conway.

Kris taking the stage in Conway for the final concert of the day. Check out the guy next to him--that's the body guard taking pictures! Super Fun.

A bird's-eye view of the crowd in Conway (reportedly over 20,000). Kris is standing under the green tent to the right. I stole this picture from our friend John's blog (johnshotme.com)

Hands in his pockets...looking quite impressed with the turn out and for good reason. :)

8 Things

Laura tagged me in this little note...

8 things I look forward to (in no particular order):

-Finishing my PhD

-Becoming a mommy

-Buying a house

-Living a bit closer to family

-The long days of Oregon summer

-Vacation and traveling

-Time with my hubby in the evenings

-Taekwondo

8 things I did yesterday:

-Spent a lot of money on my car service (timing belt, spark plugs, water pump, oil change...)

-Ate a chicken burrito (from Qdoba and thought of Laura & Kyle)

-Sat in 3 different classes for a total of 6.5 hours (1 I'm taking, 2 I help teach)

-Played in the back yard with my dogs

-Checked my email

-Watched Kris Allen make it into top 4 on American Idol

-Ate dinner with Ricky

-Talked to my dad

8 things I wish I could do:

-Get to Portland in 5 minutes from my house

-Know which umpire camp Ricky should go to

-Live closer to my family and have the great Oregon summers, too

-Travel A LOT and see the world/faraway friends

-Be "settled" (owning a home, starting a family, having my dream job)

-Cook as good as Ricky

-Feel comfortable in a swim suit (while eating whatever I want)

-Win an Olympic Gold medal and be on the cover of a Wheaties box

8 shows I watch:

-Amazing Race

-American Idol

-Criminal Minds

-CSI Las Vegas

-Heroes

-24

-Desperate Housewives

-House Hunters

I'm supposed to tag 8 people...but I don't know if 8 people read this, so if you'd like to do it, go ahead. :-)