Passed!

I passed my fourth degree testing!! It only took about 2 months for me to get the results, which makes things a little anti-climatic. However, I'm still really excited about getting to advance in rank and learn new material (and even more excited about avoiding another fourth degree testing). ;-) I also get to put a cool black stripe down my white uniform pants! Oh, the little things in life.

In other news, things are falling into place in Portland, and Ricky & I are enjoying the new city. He's taking off with his photography and is learning to ref football for the fall. He's also done a pretty good job of rounding up random athletic training work to help us pay the bills. I still need to take some pics of the house and get those uploaded...it's in the works.

Portland

It is official. We have moved to Portland. We packed everything up in a big truck and got it all unloaded on Sunday. We've since had some of the hottest weather on record in Oregon, and so it hasn't really felt like we moved only a couple hours away. It's felt a bit more like Phoenix or New Mexico. However, we did have sense enough to buy a little window unit on Saturday before the heat wave really hit, and we were so thankful that we did. I'm not sure how we would've survived without it (and there certainly weren't many left in stores after Monday). It was money well spent. The window unit is in the living room, and Ricky and I have slept on the couch or blow-up air mattress since we've been here. It's returning to normal (even though the high is still 92), and I've finally found the sheets for our bed and put them in the washer. Hopefully, we'll be sleeping back in the real bed pretty soon.

Our new house is starting to feel like home, and we both like the character and charm of it. It's only two bedrooms, but it's working out nicely. The guest bedroom/office is going to work double duty (we pushed the bed in a corner so it's like a daybed) and there's plenty of room. We've made a couple of trips to Ikea (worthy of a whole separate post...Laura, do you know what Ikea is?) and are getting organized. Ricky finally has his much coveted recliner.

We joined a gym, and it is literally across the street. It's a local place, Cascade Fitness, and I really like that. We checked out some other franchise gyms but I wasn't super impressed. I like that people know you when you come in and care about your well-being...not to mention I like that the employees look like normal people and not like they have been on steroids since they were toddlers.

The dogs seem to be settling in nicely, too. The house has a pretty large back yard with a deck and a privacy fence, so they've got new area to explore and sniff. Chip loves that there's carpet in the bedrooms, and his new favorite spot is under our bed. Cooper likes the daybed set up in the office and has made that his favorite napping spot. The front yard is almost fully fenced, and Ricky has a project in mind to make a little gate so that the dogs can have the run of the front or back yard.

So, I'm off to do more unpacking. It's amazing how it seems to be never-ending (but unpacking is way more fun than packing). I need to get the office organized soon or I'm never gonna finish my dissertation. I'll post pictures when we're a bit more settled.

Exercising

Well, it's been a while since I posted on my newfound interest in running, so I thought I'd give you a quick update. I'm hanging onto my routine for the most part. I send Laura my updates almost daily, which helps with accountability (and for celebrating accomplishments). I've been doing a good job of staying in the workout routine even with the busy summer. The nice thing about running is that you can do it anywhere. I've gone on a couple outdoor runs around the park in our area but for the most part I've been sticking to the gym. My regimen has typically consisted of 25-30 minutes on the treadmill, and I always go at least two miles. Even days like today when I didn't feel well, and I told myself I was only going to do one mile, I stayed on for the second. Some days I push myself to run more for endurance at a steady pace and other days I push myself in intervals. I've also added a bit of incline for interest. In addition to the time on the treadmill, I've also jumped back on the elliptical regularly. I find this to be easier on my body (I don't feel totally exhausted the next day) but still a good workout. Plus, it breaks up the monotony. So, I've been doing at least an additional 2 miles on the elliptical. I also like increasing the resistance and the incline on the elliptical to get a different workout from running. Since last Thursday, I've gone to the gym 5 times and logged about 25 miles total. I took two days off (one for a wedding and one for a haircut) and still got that in. I've also added back some weight lifting every other day or so. It feels good to be sore in my upper body again, too.

So, what's the goal? I'm not really sure. I know I've probably lost about 7 pounds from where I was before I started running (and I was not happy with my body at that time), and I'd like to lose about that much more. After that I think I'll be happy to maintain and keep toning. I can really tell my body is re-shaping itself, and that is keeping me that much more motivated to keep working out. Not to mention my hubby. He's been doing great and has lost about 20 lbs.

In addition to my physical motivation, I got new running shoes at the nike outlet store and it makes the biggest difference. So, if you are exercising, make sure you have running shoes that are less than 6 months worn or you're doing yourself extra harm and enduring undue hardship.

A quick shout-out to Laura who is back to the gym after some time in Florida. I'm proud of her and know she will meet her new short-term goal. ;-)

A bit more...

I can't believe it's already been almost a week since Chris & Susan went back to Arkansas and Ricky headed to Europe. I've been crazy busy. Here's the rundown of the last few weeks.

I spent the week after father's day in Arkansas. World Championships for taekwondo went well. I passed my fit test and am waiting to hear about the traditional testing (it was close either way). I got to visit with my parents quite a bit, work out with Ms. Danley (my amazing first taekwondo instructor), take my parents to their first opening ceremonies for ATA (and their first visit to Verizon arena), go with my parents car shopping (they bought a new honda accord in charcoal gray), see Ricky's parents and family a couple times, and squeeze in a half day of shopping with my mom.

I returned from Arkansas late on a Saturday, taught taekwondo all afternoon the following Monday, and then went to Portland on Wednesday (7/1) to sign the rental agreement on our Portland house and pick up Chris & Susan from the airport.

On Thursday, Susan and I had a great girls day. We had lunch, got pedicures, and went and saw My Sister's Keeper at the movies. It was fun. We met up with the boys for a trip to Autzen stadium (where the UO Ducks play football) and some dinner.

Friday we went to Portland to have lunch with Kris Allen. It was a blast. We laughed so. very. much. First, Ricky was navigating us (on foot) in the total wrong direction of the restaurant, then we had a waitress who talked out of the side of her mouth funny (which became quite amusing), Kris Allen got asked to sign an autograph and spelled "Thanks" like "Tanks." On the way back from lunch, both Chris and Kris needed to pee. But suddenly, Kris Allen was no longer just Kris. Four grown men ran out of a restaurant to ask him for a picture (he obliged and then had them take a picture of the five of us), then a lady with a baby in a stroller wanted one (but she realized her memory card was full so she needed another on her phone), then another couple. We kept stopping in shops and banks to look for restrooms but no one had public ones. We kept heading toward the hotel and only had to pause for a few more autographs. Once we made it back to the hotel, we enjoyed really yummy fruit popsicles that the hotel gave out. It was a good time. In all the hustle of picking up Kris and deciding on a restaurant for lunch, we forgot which floor we parked on in the parking garage. Subsequently, we had to stop at every floor in the elevator until we found our car. (I think it was like floor 7).

On the way back, we stopped at an apple store so Chris could purchase an iphone. And that evening we went to a fireworks show. I love love love fireworks. It was nice.

Saturday was July fourth. We went to the Saturday market (so Chris and Susan could have the true Eugene experience), had bbq for lunch, and we grilled out (chicken, corn on the cob, baked potatoes, etc) for dinner. Cooper went crazy barking at all the fireworks, which stressed me out. But we all survived.

Sunday was the AI concert. We stopped at the outlet malls on the way up, and I got a new pair of running shoes from the nike store. They make running so much more pleasant! The AI concert was amazing. Our seats were far away, but we had a good view. The show sounded awesome live (and it was the first one). Kris got us backstage passes, and we were able to meet all ten idols. It was fun. Sunday night we stayed at the Portland house.

Monday was a BUSY day. We got up and grabbed Kris from his hotel again and headed to the Original Pancake House BUT the silly restaurant was closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. So, we had to find somewhere else to go. We ended up at a diner that had a crowd waiting outside. It was featured on "Man vs. Food" so we knew it must be good. We had to wait for---ever.... But the food was great. I had banana bread french toast, Chris had a "mancake" so huge he ate less than half of it, and the others also had good food. The service was not good but the company was. ;-)

After dropping Kris off, we headed to Seattle. We arrived in the afternoon, checked into the hotel, and headed across the street to Cheesecake Factory for an early dinner (Chris & Susan's first experience). It was yummy. Susan and I sent the boys to a Mariner's game, and we hit the stores. I found a new bag/purse that I love and a few inexpensive tops. I learned that WA doesn't charge sales tax to OR residents...Yay!!

Tuesday we hit up Pike Street Market. It was wonderful. Vendors of all types from fish to flowers to jewelry to purses to artwork to baseball cards and candy.

Ricky also found this cool hat store that had been in the location and owned by the same family for 75 years.

Indiana Jones times two.

The perfect one.

We saw the original starbucks and ate lunch at the crab pot--another "Man Vs. Food" feature. The crab pot was fun. You order steamed pots with variations of seafood and just eat with your fingers.

Tuesday evening we all went to a Mariner's game (got to see Griffey leg out a double) and then drove back to Portland.

On Wednesday, I took Ricky to the airport at 6:30 am, dropped Chris & Susan back off at 11:30 am, and headed to a research meeting from noon-2pm. After that, I headed back to Eugene and went to a bachelorette dinner for Miranda that evening. I had the coolest drink--a lava flow that was a berry flavored margarita but get this...with Pop Rocks on the rim. It was kinda weird but good. ;-)

Friday was the wedding rehearsal and dinner, and Saturday was the wedding at King Estates Vineyard. It was cool and windy but a beautiful wedding. I didn't get home until after 1am. Sunday was the "picnic" taekwondo testing that had to be moved in doors because it was cold and storming all day.

Today was my first day to start packing and preparing for the yard sale. I made good progress on the office and will tackle the rest of it tomorrow. I should also mention that it is Kyle and Laura's second anniversary (well, here it still is anyway). Happy Anniversary!! Phew! What a summer so far. I need a vacation!!

Preview

Hi,

I'm running on fumes and am off to a bachelorette dinner for my friend Miranda, but I wanted to give you a taste of what's to come. I have LOTS of updating to do. We had an amazing visit with Chris and Susan (and even quite a bit of KA, too). :-) Enjoy the preview. I'll be back with lots more pictures and details soon.

Enjoying a warm afternoon in Portland.

The girls and Kris.

Waiting to go backstage after the idol concert.

Girls with Allison.

Adam poses for a picture post show.

Kris and the Arkansas friends after the first show.

Seattle Mariners game.

Pike's Market, Seattle

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.