Can't even

Oh these last few weeks.

No filter

Scott keeps telling me not to be stressed out because everything we're trying to do is his stress, not my stress. But his stress is my stress #becausemarriage.

So, over the last few weeks, every outdoor tool and/or piece of equipment we use regularly has broken. This includes but is not limited to: lawn mowers (plural), swamp cooler, vehicles, pressure washer, sprinkler system...there's more I'm sure but keeping track is depressing. He has fixed all of these things as they decide to stop working.

In addition, we are trying to finish the new bathroom in the basement because we may be having some friends stay with us and they need functioning living accommodations. We are in the process of buying a second house (again, can't even) and we are doing a major swap/sale/trade of vehicles. We currently have 3 trucks and an SUV.

As well as...with the constant rain/hail of late, our dirt road has surpassed "mud puddle" and turned into "lake".

After picture is forth-coming

Scott bought a water pump, hooked it up to a generator, and is trying to remedy the solution under the suspicious eye of neighbors who are, I can only guess, okay with "lake". But when some saw what he was doing, they were very happy and offered whatever they could to help. We spent the weekend pumping water. He did at least and I helped the best I could because his stress is my stress. We also ate a lot of ice cream.

See the blue truck in the picture? That's our Nissan from Alaska. We got it back from Pennsylvania and it's my new ride until Scott fixes my SUV because there's an issue (never again, RAV4) and he can't fix the SUV until we have a garage and we won't have a garage until we close on this house (I won't even tell you where this house is yet because that adds another layer of complication). We're excited about the house for many reasons and are looking forward to a fresh bit of change but we can't close on the house until the end of September so that adds yet another layer of complication.

This is really just a story of cause/effect and complication. We have a good life and things aren't that bad but man. If I'm quiet, this is literally why. It's too much to explain but this is a rough summary.

Oh, and school starts tomorrow and I'm overwrought with nervousness. Today is the hard day though with meetings/planning and then Meet-the-Teacher in the evening. It'll be a 14 hour day. Brilliant way to start a week, right?

Things Military Wives Shouldn't Actually Say

This graphic is hard to see because I just took a screenshot when I saw a fellow military wife post it on Facebook a year ago. This is the original site, which is a bit easier to read than the text that was posted on Facebook. 

There are things we think and things we say. Lists like this are prolific on the internet. Whether or not this list is written for fun, vocalizing thoughts like this is exactly what gives military wives a bad name. I have my few years of experience so I feel, honestly, that I'm qualified to speak on the subject. I'd give specifics about what that experience has entailed but this is a public blog and OPSEC is important. I will say that, in 7 years, we've spent exactly half of our marriage apart. 

1. I am a dependent. I like that I know I'm taken care of. So if you don't want to fall under the category of "dependent", be prepared to give everything up (medical and commissary privileges, etc.).
2. Being a military wife is not easy, but the last thing I would do is try to compare it to being in the army. Have you seen the signs that say "Wife: hardest job in the army"? NO.  It's a lifestyle that you get used to. I don't deploy. I don't keep crazy hours.
3. I think any human being would feel this way sometimes.
4. I have a career. I don't want to say "it's not that hard" but...buck up and find something (anything!) to do that will keep you busy and is semi-enjoyable.
5. This is valid.
6 and 7. Hmmm....let's not call people names. It will get you nowhere and will greatly affect the way people view your spouse.
8. I think I hit a point, around age 26 or so, when I realized life wasn't fair and neither was how things worked in the military. I don't think I would ever complain enough to cause Scott to say that to me. I mean, I complain about lots of stuff, but rarely throw a fit because he has to work late or something because there's nothing he can do about it.
9. This sounds valid enough, I suppose, but sounds a little power-trippy too. I'm sure your husband doesn't need you saying that you are *the* parent.
10. The dogs love Scott and tolerate me. I'm used to it.
11. This is valid.
12. It's nice to be noticed and appreciated by anyone. But.. I'm not even sure what to say here.
13. This is valid. But some of the loveliest people I've met have been military wives. You won't click everywhere or with everyone, no matter the circumstances.
14. This is valid.
15. Let's not throw stones.  Maybe we could all use some PT. ("Stones" as in a measurement of weight...get it? ha   ha    ha)
16. If there's a 0.000001% happy feeling, it's because the stress leading up to a deployment becomes so awful that I'm just ready to have the worst, first days over with already. I can't imagine saying "You're making me mad. Just deploy or go into the field or something."
17. This is valid.
18. This is valid too. A lot of this comes from me thinking I don't know where/if I'm going to work if we move again. And I'm, I admit, used to being a dependent.

Thoughts? How do you feel about lists like this? 
Stereotyping at its finest?

Pictures at Red Rock Canyon

This is a nice little cop-out post on a Monday when I have to go to work after two weeks off.  

Such is life. 

The dogs rarely (never) cooperate when out of their element. They waited in the truck.

Pictures by Kayce Photography.  She's based in Temple, Texas. 

Stuff and Things 9/3

+We are acid-staining the basement floor.  Okay, Scott is acid-staining the basement floor.  We tried to do laminate but didn't like it and it was too hard to keep clean so we're moving the laminate up to the guest bedroom.  The reason why we're going the acid-stain route is because it's a basement and because it's the lowest possible maintenance.  It's not super labor-intensive (not that I would know...); it's just about 4 to 5 steps over a 48 hour period and then it's done and you can just mop it with whatever to clean it and it's sealed forever and ever.  Before the stain was applied, it was just regular old concrete.  

A lot of bars and restaurants use this method and we actually saw it in a winery in Missouri and loved it.  This particular part of the basement will be the living-room/movie-theater area. We do plan on dry-walling over the cinderblock.

+The water in Colorado Springs tastes awful.  We have a well, so I'm always unpleasantly surprised when I have to drink the water at school.  I can't do it. This is me, talking to my fellow teacher friend, about my plan to take in my own water.

This may seem simple, but it's a struggle.

+Did you read this article about Anna Duggar?  My personal opinion: The absolute failure of these sects of Christianity is the way they treat their girls like less-than.  That's all I can use to describe it: less-than.  Less-than what?  I don't know. Just less-than.  Even the pioneer families didn't treat their girls like this; they had just as much value as boys, though for different reasons. Look at the Ingalls family. They sent their blind daughter to college! 

If they'd have the technological advances and knowledge of today back then, I'm guessing the girls would've been treated in a rather equal way.  Also, I'm aware that I'm in the least-feminist profession that exists. But the idea that girls can't do anything really bothers me.  For reasons like this, I think STEM programs should be in all the schools (not that these Duggar girls would ever get to go to school...that makes me really sad).  Also, I'm hoping to coach with Girls on the Run this fall because it's a program that encourages girls to be intelligent, thinking individuals. 

+When I think about how many things are on my to-do list, I realize that writing this blog post is the absolute last thing I should be doing (literally, the last).  And on Tuesday, as I was getting ready to leave the lounge and head back to the world of teaching reading comprehension, I got a picture message from Scott:

That just about pushed my fried nerves over the edge. And that is Scott's friend obviously taking a picture to share photo documentation with others. 

+But then, when I got home yesterday, I saw Scott had cleaned the entire house before he left to go hunting. That made me happier than just about anything, and there may have been happy tears. 

+And again, this blog post is the absolute last thing I should be doing right now (literally).

Are you a Maximizer or a Satisficer?

Remodeling this house has taught me a lot about myself.

Gretchen Rubin said something in her podcast a few weeks ago that really struck me: Are you a maximizer or a satisficer?  You can read an article on the subject here but, in short, a maximizer must examine every choice from every angle in order to be sure the best decision is being made.  A satisficer will make a decision as soon as they find the need is met.

This can apply to almost anything and I can see traits of both types of decision-making in myself.
Gretchen gives the example of the wedding dress in the article I linked above.  I, for example, tried on about 3 wedding dresses, and went with the one I originally assumed I was going to get.  I felt no need to try on all the dresses I could find.  I was satisfied and I think this comes from knowing that there will always be something perfect out there that I didn't choose. I loved my wedding dress. If given an infinite amount of time, could I have found a better one? Maybe. But I only had about 2 weeks to make a decision. Wedding dresses need to be ordered quite far in advance.

Putting all of your time, energy, and money into finding that perfect something is draining. You're better off just being satisfied with a good choice instead of seeking out something that may not exist. This also goes back to "time is money" and I'm willing to pay for convenience and just suck it up once in awhile.

So, a maximizer devotes a great deal of time and energy to making perfect choices.  A satisficer just really likes to get things done.  I used to be a maximizer.  I grew up with maximizer parents so I naturally became one too.  There's nothing wrong with being a maximizer.  It's just tiring. Buying a car would take months. Buying a desktop computer back in 1997 took years.  I just naturally took on those maximizer characteristics and brought that into my marriage. I wanted to find the perfect towels, the perfect rug, the perfect pillows. And then I noticed I would always see something I liked more somewhere else when I wasn't looking for it.  Better pillows at Homegoods after I'd JUST bought them at Target, the perfect rug at a friend's house, etc.

Scott is a satisficer. After a few years of marriage, he has turned me into one too. I can't say when this happened exactly, but it was probably when we moved to Missouri and walked into a Toyota dealership in Kansas City and walked out with a new truck 3 hours later.

Scott is a satisficer to the umpteenth degree.  He knows how to fix things, solve problems, and get things done as quickly as possible.  Remodeling this house has been the biggest lesson in how important it is to just get over myself and be a satisficer.

I learned that when in Lowe's and Scott asks me what carpeting I like, I should just pick one because that means he's willing to replace the bedroom carpet, like today, and I want a new carpet and anything would be better than the carpet that is already there.

When Scott says, "Hey, let's go pick out countertops today", I don't hem and haw around about it.  I show him what I like, he shows me what he likes, and we make a decision.  Because I wanted new countertops in an almost desperate kinda way.

Therefore, a few weeks ago, we started talking about what projects I (Kristin) would like to accomplish on the house over the next month.  I said my priority was the guest bedroom floor because I use the guest bedroom (previously known as the unicorn room) as an office space and a Pilates space and I really, really can't deal with the carpet anymore and we have the laminate already bought and waiting to be installed.

He said he'd rather do the tile on the entryway floor first because that's what people see when they walk into the house.

Any cosmetic change to this house is, in my opinion, a necessary one, so I wasn't going to deter him.

The day after he returned from his deployment we went to Lowe's and he told me to pick out a tile.  He was silently offering to dedicate the weekend to laying and grouting tile (with my help, of course) and I was not going to let this opportunity escape.  I'd never even glanced at tile before.  But I walked up and down the aisle at Lowe's at 8am on a Saturday and picked out one I liked.  He liked it too.  We bought it.  We had glass/ceramic accent tile (backsplash material) already at home so we matched them up as closely as possible.  We chose a gray porcelain and I absolutely adore it. It will go in both bathrooms too.

By Saturday afternoon, the tile had been laid and then we grouted it on Sunday night.

This is a terrible picture.  Better ones to follow.

Often times, people really seem to question my decision to live way out here, in this house that needed so much work.  Co-workers, friends, family...I get the side-eye a lot when I mention where we live and how much land we have, etc. I usually explain it by saying that we lived in urban developments for 5 years and Scott wanted land and you can't find land in town and we're remodeling the house and it's nice and quiet out there.  That's all completely true, but the real reason I'm okay with all this is because Scott is 100% a satisficer.  But that would take a lot longer to explain and I'd probably get some weird looks.

You probably see this question coming, but....are you a maximizer or a satisficer?

Deployments in context

I've felt like a gigantic wimp for the last few months. I've had a lot of trouble reconciling my feelings because I know I'm not a wimp (not exactly anyway) but I've felt weak.  I spent nearly an entire year on my own during deployment #2.  And now 5 measly months was going to break me? That doesn't make sense.

Note: I'm not looking for praise or headpats here.  It is what it is.  Ryan and I talked about this.  If you're not used to your husband being away for a night, a night away is a big deal.  The first night Scott was away after we'd been in this house for a month last summer, I freaked out. I, the same person who'd spent 2012 by herself. 

Deployment can mean so many different things, in many different ways, to different people.  It's all context.  Context is very important.  To someone who has never dealt with it before, a 4 month deployment (like deployment #1 for us) was enough to push me to the edge of losing my mind.  To someone who tried her hardest to worry about other things, a 12 month deployment, though slightly torturous, was do-able.  And now, to that same person who now has a full-time job, two dogs, 35 acres, a remodeling project, and a 40 minute commute? Five months can seem like an absolute eternity.

I suppose my point is that I know other people have had it worse than me, and I know some who  have had an easier go of it. Our situations, our stories, and our context is what makes the difference.  I really doubt this is our last deployment, TDY, or training (even in 2015, unfortunately), but for now I'm really glad that it's over.

I don't really have wise words or sage bits of advice for anyone out there who may be going through the same thing.  I would say to get a dog to keep you company but dogs are lots of work.  So think about that first. Find a hobby maybe, or get a job.  Jobs help.  These last few weeks have crawled by in a painfully slow way.  I wouldn't have made it to this point with my sanity in tact if I didn't have a place to go most days.

Stuff and Things 6/25

+Here is an article that Jana posted last week and I think all of us would agree with just about all of it.
27 Normal Things kids can't do in school anymore.  Some of the things are still allowed.  We still play dodgeball.  We just use soft foam balls that won't leave welts.  They're kind of hard to throw.  However, I think it needs to be mentioned that the reason why these things aren't allowed in school anymore is because parents have insisted, over the last 20 years, that these things not be allowed in school.  Some parent got upset because their kid got hit with a dodgeball (while playing dodgeball) and so now we use soft foam balls that can hardly be thrown because they weigh less than air.

+26 Signs You're a Teacher on Summer Break. I haven't been able to remember what day it is lately.  During the school year, I usually get up at 5am and lately I've been letting the dogs out around 6:30am and then getting up around 7-7:30am.  Usually with a headache and general feeling of being exhausted.  I go to bed any time between 9pm and midnight, depending. I am definitely out of a routine.
But I am already unpacking my new classroom and brainstorming ideas.  My goal is to have the heavy-lifting/time-consuming work done by mid-July.

+I think I love my dogs more and more every day.  Tell me I'm not the first one to come up with "Paw-ther's Day".

+Speaking of Scott, I complained to him about how I need a desk because I know the second he gets back from his deployment/TDY thing, he will turn things into a construction zone again and my argument was that I need my own space.  Meaning, the kitchen table doesn't cut it anymore and I used to have a desk that I bought in college and we got rid of it when we moved here last year because it was only a $70 fake wood thing from Target and we never used it in Alaska but he used it in Missouri, but this house had a built-in desk in the bedroom in the basement, so now he uses that as his desk for his computer and whatnot and I STILL DON'T HAVE A DESK.

I ran all over town on Sunday looking for something cheap (yet sturdy and cute) at Homegoods, Target, and even Wal-Mart (because we have a Better Homes and Gardens bench from there that we love and I thought that brand might have a desk).  And then I realized that I don't have the functional capacity to to put a desk together because, hey, I'm no engineer and I could barely put together the filing racks for the filing cabinet in my classroom this week.  And I considered, for a brief second, a trip to Ikea in Denver and then I laughed about that for awhile and then I bit the bullet and looked at World Market's website and sent a link to Scott to show him what I was looking for...and then he bought me the desk.  Thank goodness I didn't have to make that decision on my own.  What do you think the chances are that it'll just arrive like this, already put together?

He also bought himself a wine rack.

Neatness is a virtue

I want things neat.  Messiness doesn't bother Scott in the same way it bothers me.  He likes to know where things are and gets a kick out of organizing all his stuff, but it doesn't scrape at his soul when there's a mess lying about.  I don't deal well with messes.

However, one day a few weeks ago, Scott went pheasant hunting with some coworkers.  He took them out and they came back here to clean the pheasants.  I should tell you that we have a rule:  no dead animals in the kitchen.  You see, there was an incident once in which 15 snowshoe hare were skinned and gutted in the kitchen sink and I ended up finding clumps of gray fur on the floor and in the dishwasher.  I completely lost it. It was one of those moments that would go down in the history of our marriage.  Like, it would get a special subheading in a book:  Snowshoe Hare Incident. Scott's friend's house served as the gutting/skinning/shelling/cleaning/plucking station from that day forward.  It was sort of a legendary moment that set forth a proclamation of "Let's go to Taylor's house. We know we can't do that stuff here anymore". That was in March of 2011.  Scott knows that the fish and birds and carcasses must be dealt with outside.  Of course, on this day a few weeks back, it was only 10 degrees out and they had a lot of birds to ...clean.  So I granted access to the kitchen.  But first, I suggested the sink in the basement.  Weren't we thrilled to have that thing down there for this very purpose?  Why yes.  Would Scott escort his buddies through the basement and into the laundry room before the plucking and de-feathering could begin?  No.  He could not.  Because "it's kinda messy in the basement".  At least he had the good sense to look sheepish when he said it.  You see!  He does care.  While it doesn't shake him to the very fiber of his being like it does for me, messes DO bother him.  This felt like a small victory.

Birds were cleaned in my copper sink.

He also had the good sense to clean and sanitize the space.  And then I went over it again with more Lysol because that's just what I do.  It's a trust thing.

Anyway.

Last week, I continued my mission of get-rid-of-all-the-cardboard-boxes.  We still have a lot of things packed up in boxes that came from Alaska and we've spent hundreds on Rubbermaid tubs in the last few months but organization isn't cheap.

Basement before picture:

After:

Those are boxes full of my teaching stuff and all of our books that cannot go on the living room bookshelves (because I'm picky about that too).

Stuff and Things 11/20

Last week, Scott was flipping through the channels and we were deciding what to watch.  Out of all the hundreds of channels and all the amazing shows on the DVR he chose…CBS.  The Big Bang Theory. I'm not saying that show isn't funny.  I chuckle at it.  However, I said, "Out of EVERYTHING, including Netflix, you choose this?"  He said, "What? You don't like it?"  I called him a plebeian. He shrugged.  My insult didn't have its desired effect.  I KNOW I'm a T.V. snob.  It's a fault.

The next night he made fun of me for watching New Girl because it's on "regular t.v."

Scott bought himself a birthday present.

I've noticed a disturbing pattern.  In 2011, he got a snowmobile.  In 2012, he got a pile of cross-country skiing equipment.  In 2013, he got a camper.  Now, a four-wheeler.  This seriously concerns me.  When I asked what I got, he said "the kitchen".  I told him that he keeps saying that and while I enjoy our kitchen, he HAD to provide that kitchen.  I let him buy this house. It's not the same thing.  

Before the 5K last weekend…

Me:  Are you going to run with me or leave me behind?

S: Well, I have a PT test next week, so I should actually run.

Me: I run.

S: Yeah, okay.

I went a little craft-fair-crazy last weekend:

I've had a Scentsy since 2010.  But I rarely buy new scents because those things last forever.  I got Very Merry Cranberry and Salted Caramel Cupcake on Saturday.  Fun fact:  We ended up with our first Scentsy because a kid came to the door selling them and Scott couldn't say no.  I totally would've turned him away in a Scrooge-like manner.

We were looking at some carved walnut bowls but they were like $80.  Unreal for just a bowl that would probably turn into a crap basket. These functional and cute bottle holders were only $30ish.  

….maybe all of this is why Scott can rationalize a four-wheeler.

Joey and I would like to thank you all so much for joining in on this lil' link-up, so we're hosting a giveaway next week with a special Thanksgiving Day edition of Stuff and Things.  Join in next Thursday and you'll be entered into the drawing for a couple of fun prizes!

Hope to see you next Thursday for the link-up!

The dogs' playpen

Our lifestyle has become considerably more expensive since we brought Scout home in July last year.  I'm sure people think this way about having children moreso than having dogs, but one of the reasons we put off getting a dog was because dogs are expensive and we didn't have a whole lot of money to spare that first year or so of marriage.  We didn't want to have to budget in food, treats, vet bills and have that be the make it or break it point each month.  Scout was an investment in growing our family and I won't lie:  it was kind of painful handing over ….several… $100 bills when we got him.  As someone who has never spent a cent on an animal before, it was a weird feeling.  Because then it was like three more $100 bills to buy his: microchip, AKC registration, Heartgard, Frontline, and food.  I remember we didn't have enough cash with us because we didn't expect it to be that much!  They tell you a dog will cost xyz, but they don't tell you that you have to add tuv and w on top of that right off the bat.  Not to mention the carrier, toys, leashes, etc.  I used to keep track of how much I spent at the vet with him and now it's just something I have to forget about as a necessary expense.  Like putting gas in the car.  You can't not do it.

Scout wasn't cheap, and now I see why my parents never bought me a dog.

And now we have Jett.

I've written whole monologues about Jett.  He cost more than Scout and I try not to think about that because I spend twice as much time cleaning up after him.  It doesn't make sense.
 Essentially, we loved Scout so much that we bought him a friend.  It was all we could do for him because quitting our jobs to be here with him all day wasn't an option (I'm only kind of kidding here…when you look at his sad face when you're leaving for work, you're ready to quit your job).

Dusty floor and a blurry action shot.

So we needed a place holder and that place holder came in the form of a French Brittany from Minnesota.

I'm also pretty sure that we bought 35 acres because of Scout.  Don't get me wrong:  Scott has been talking about "land" for years and I'm lucky I talked him out of that land in Alaska a few years ago.  This wasn't anything new when he came home one day last winter and was all, "LAND! In COLORADO!".  However, Scout was the clincher because then it was, "If we're going to have a hunting dog, he needs a place to train and hunt…"  and then we got Jett and Scott ended up with his land and I'll get my quartz countertops.  It all evens out, I suppose.

So one of the stipulations was that this place had to have a fence.  There was a half-finished fence here. For some reason, it wasn't completed and just kind of ended.  We may have 35 acres, but that doesn't mean that Scout won't take off as soon as he gets the chance.  Plus we have neighbors with horses and dogs and whatnot.  I was sick of having to walk the dogs outside and tie them up and Scott, who refused to tie them up, was kind of over having to chase and yell.  I refuse to yell unless its really warranted (at school too…what an unnecessary expense of energy).  I mean, it's not like the dogs are entirely undisciplined.  But if you had the chance to run unencumbered through fields with your ears flapping in the wind, you'd probably take it too.

We tried to plant a flowerbed of mums but the dogs quickly destroyed that. 

I will say that I did not contribute a lick of effort toward this fence.  Scott did most of the work while I was sick two weekends in a row.  We still haven't cleaned up the tools and whatnot and this area, where you see the scattered bricks, will eventually house a brick oven for all the pizza we make.

Anyway, I was impressed that Scott finished the fence as quickly as he did.  We still need to add logs, rocks, and landscaping to the bottom.  But it's serving its purpose.  Opening the door and letting them go at 4am instead of putting shoes on and tying them out:  priceless.

What's on Scott's MP3 Player

You were going to get an awesome outfit post today (because didn't I just promise such things yesterday?), but I went to the doctor yesterday and then all motivation to take a picture was lost.  Plus, I can came home to a sick little Jett-Jett and spent an hour or so cleaning up after him.  I'll have to repeat that outfit soon because I really, really liked it.

So, today, let's talk about Scott and the music he likes to listen to.

Last week, we listened to his MP3 player on the way to Eleven Mile State Park.  His music is usually the go-to on long car trips because I rarely download music onto my phone.  We listened to Imagine Dragons from Alaska to Missouri.  That's a long trip and I'm still not really sick of them.  Also, it's worth mentioning that Scott has a Sony MP3 player because he thinks Apple is ridiculous.

Currently, I noticed he'd downloaded a Colt Ford album.  This song caught my attention.

That is a song about duck hunting.  

Listen to it.  There's a cameo "rap" from Willie Robertson.  We were able to listen to that, while using a Duck Commander duck call, all while driving around looking for a duck hunting spot at the state park.  It was a fantastically good time.  

What am I listening to these days?  Well, I go through phases.  Just this past weekend, I started listening to music again.  I was on a strict audio-book only kick while in the car (currently I'm in the middle of an AMAZING one, but you'll have to wait on that).  There's a pretty good country station here in Colorado Springs though and then Pandora is always a nice option when connected to the bluetooth.  

My favorite is the Thomas Rhett station.

I have no idea what the point of this post is.  I have a 12 hour day at school (including open house) ahead of me, and I really just needed you to know about that duck-hunting song.  I think everyone should have the opportunity to listen to Willie Robertson rap.  

Photos and Explanations

Remember me?  The person who used to blog a lot?  Yes, well, those were nice times, weren't they?  Between this place, school orientation this week, and dogs who look at me sadly every minute they are kept indoors not a whole lot of blogging has gotten done.  Plus, I find that I have to leave the house at 7am to get where I'm going on time and that puts a crunch on my mornings.  Mornings were my prime blog-writing time.  Until I come up with a solution to this terrible problem, I'm giving you a cop out post.  

This is designed to describe pretty much how I feel about most things social-media-ish these days.  I'm actually TOO apathetic to post these pictures to Instagram.  So here's all the phone pictures that I've taken in the last couple of weeks that could've made it onto social media, but haven't…just because.  

Jett at the Starbucks drive-thru.

They catered Noodles and Co. for lunch the other day.  I think everyone just fell into a food coma and heard nothing that was said all afternoon.

I won some PB2 on Brittany's blog.  It's the perfect addition to smoothies.  If you're a smoothie drinker, pick some up!

How to keep half an avocado good in the fridge for 3 days:  leave the pit in it, wrap it in plastic wrap, seal in an air-tight container.  I was impressed. 

I ordered some necessities from Amazon Prime Pantry (have you tried it?) because the worst thing in the world is going to the grocery store.  The second worst thing is having to buy cleaning supplies while you're there.  Such a hassle.  My only complaint with Prime Pantry is that it took a WEEK for it to get here.  We pay for Prime, so that should be 2-day shipping, right? 

Side note:  I used to like grocery shopping.  I should correct that to "the worst thing in the world is going to Wal-Mart". 

I asked Scott, when he came home from work on Friday night at 8pm, if he could "raise the curtain rod in the unicorn room".  He just laughed and went to sleep.  I did it myself and I only messed up twice.  Much better, right?

Scout is so spoiled.  He will ONLY eat salmon dog food.  He is an Alaskan at heart.  

The man at the library scolded me, for the second time in 2 months, because I didn't know Scott's staff duty number.  Since my library membership is dependent on the army, they won't let you borrow without all the information filled out.  Apparently, I look like the kind of person who doesn't return library materials.

These books were brand-new and free, so I took a bunch in exchange for the embarrassment I had to deal with at the counter.

And today, I made sure to return an audiobook that was due…today.

Hiking in Pueblo and Stuff Scott Says

These pictures are from Lake Pueblo State Park.  

They're unedited except for the "enhance" feature on iPhoto.

As I'm rewatching season 1 of Gossip Girl and he's already watched the finale with me so he knows who Gossip Girl is:

Scott:  So stupid.

Me:  It's all very interesting…

Scott:  And it was _______ the whole time?!  So dumb.  (walking away) XOXO, Gossip Girl.

As he puts ice into the homemade green tea, Scott makes a face.
Me: Does it taste bad?
Scott:  What?  Oh.  No. It's fine.
Me:  Why'd you make a face?
Scott:  Oh, you didn't see.  I spilled it. I was just waiting to get yelled at…you know, like how when Scout puts his ears back when he's in trouble.

As I'm sitting at my computer, trying to format my lesson plan template…for the 3rd time in the last few years.

Scott:  What are you doing?

Me: Being overwhelmed.

Scott:  It's a hard knock life for Kristin…it's a hard knock life for Kristin (goes back to nailing plywood into the floor)

When he couldn't find something…

Scott:  You threw them away, didn't you?

Me: No.  I don't see how I could've…

Scott:  You did because I saw them in the garbage and then I took them out because I knew you were going to throw them away.  

Me:  Where did you put them when you took them out?

Scott:  Behind the garbage can.

Me:  That's a really dumb place to put something that's not garbage.  I probably thought they fell out and put them back in the can.

These are sneaker soles that we were discussing.

…and after the above conversation

Driving into the Home Depot parking lot…

Scott:  Oh, a Goodwill bin.  I'm gonna need that when I gather up all your stuff and drop it off tomorrow.

Me:  What?

Scott:  You throw away my stuff, I take yours.

Lake Pueblo State Park is south of Colorado Springs and it really feels like the desert.  The town of Pueblo is pretty booming…lots of stores, restaurants, little shops, and a river walk. We plan to explore it again now that we know where to go. When I think of all the places we've been, this is definitely a new kind of environment!