Planes, Trains, and Automobiles

So, I just got back Monday morning from a lovely weekend spent in the sunny, mossy, forests of Oregon. I know everyone always comments on how rainy Portland is...but nearly every time I visit Kristen and Doug it's pretty darn sun-shiney-dreamtacular. We ran with the pups, ate really yummy food, partook in some hot yoga (I'm still recovering) and did some landscape consulting. (Kristen, the Asian pear will love it's new home. I promise :)) It was just delightful getting to squeeze my sweet friend, revel in a little girl talk, and leave the house! Thanks you two...I miss you already.

Next comes Nashville, or more specifically Myfreezersbroke, TN, next week for Easter! More ladies fun with my Neliie, some waffles with chocolate sauce, and of course, COLIN FIRTH! Oh the dreaminess. I can't wait :)

After that...a trip to San Francisco to visit Will's grandparents and, I hope, some time in the sunshine. Oh...and a little road trip back to Bozeman to squeeze my friends and try to eat as much Sola/Naked Noodle/Cateye goodness as I can pack into 2.5 days. It's all about the food for me these days :)

Otherwise...things are pretty status quo. Crazy doggies, crazy dude, adjusting to this new flow of life in a new town with new people (when I actually leave the house...that is :)), and trying to determine what's next on the career path. Although I must admit I don't miss those TPS reports :)

Oh, and Lily has decided that her dad isn't going to kill/maim/otherwise dismember her. She's even taken to chewing on his cowboy boots...which joyous act of devotion had previously been reserved for my meager collection of Uggs and running shoes :)

Happy spring friends.

Home Sweet Home

What's in a home? Is it studs and drywall? Acreage and fences? A doormat and microwave? I've been thinking about that a lot since I became homeless about six months ago. I have a storage unit and PO Box (thanks, sister). I have a car and two puppies. I have a dreamy dude who is an insatiable chess player. And I have lots and lots of boxes of, well, stuff. After four days in Bozeman moving out of my apartment and packing up stuff for storage and packing up the truck for Whitefish, I sat in the middle of my "stuff" for a good long while and thought about what was actually there. Memories that make me cry. Memories that make me laugh. Broken pieces of charcoal from an art class taken ten (yes, I'm old) years ago in college. My very first mountain bike. Photographs. Old jackets and bags. No less than five pairs of crampons and four pairs of ice climbing boots. Towels. Pillows. Blankets. Stuff.

What do we do with all of this "stuff"? What do we truly need? When I think about when I've been the happiest in life, everything i owned fit into a backpack and a few Tupperware bins. I lived in New Zealand for five months with two pairs of shorts, running shoes, climbing gear, a fleece and a rain jacket. Those were the most blissful, fulfilling, and meaningful days of my life. So far :) So as I was sitting amongst all of my belongings in my storage unit, trying to figure out what to leave and what to take...I had a bit of an epiphany (okay. It could have been all of the chocolate-covered-cinnamon-bears I was tripping out on). The reason why I have such a hard time letting go of the past, and moving on in the future...is because I'm afraid I'll forget all of the lessons I learned along the way. The ripped backpack that saw the summits of so many mountains taught me patience, perseverance, strength and humility. The scrapbook of all of the houses Chris and I built and remodeled taught me about love, kindness, trust, priorities in life, the importance of solid communication, and how to lay tile like a mo' fo'. And all of the random art supplies, mixed cd's and chock-full journals are reminders that I can see myself through just about anything...provided I have the right tools :) I cling to all of these reminders of the past because I need their strength to get me through the future. As you will soon find out...there are more and more changes on the way. Big changes, little changes, decisions that will forever take my life in a completely different direction than the course I've been charting.

So, stay tuned. In the meantime...come and visit me in my new temporary home :) It's lovely in Whitefish in the spring time...

McKinley the Super Hero

I always knew my sweet angel puppy McKinley was not a normal sort of Siberian Husky. He was always taller, faster, smarter than the other puppies at the dog park. He wasn't a simple people-pleaser...if he wasn't done backcountry skiing or trail running yet (even if his food dispenser mom was...) he simply chose to find new partners in the parking lot, and proceeded to turn tail and make me wait until he WAS ready to head home. And the older he gets, the more of a best friend/love bug he has become. Rough patches in life are scraped clean by his big paws...and his copious fluffy fur has soaked up many tears.

This Sunday morning, a normal walk through the blissful North Fork valley turned into another moment for MK to unfurl his SuperDog cape. Lily (new puppy and MK's napping nemesis) was brutally attacked by an non-neutered male Shepard/lab mix. While I watched in horror as little Lily was shaken and bitten violently by this big behemoth, our little wonder dog was galloping to the scene with lightning speed. Before Will or I could intervene and pull Lily from the jaws of death, MK leap on the dog, grabbed it by its throat and caused it to drop Lily. He then paced in between the still-aggressive dog and our sweet Lily, crying and shaken on the ground. He protected Lily, the new addition to his pack (which he'd probably rather do without) and me, his old food-dispenser mom who he has spent every day of his nearly 11 years prancing about as my sidekick, busting through the good and bad adventures of life with.

But little did I know, I've really been HIS sidekick all along.

Since the incident, MK has assumed a perch on the bed (normally a no-no for doggies), demanding bacon and bread to replenish his SuperDog resources. Lily, however, escaped this attack with four bite marks, a staple, a missing tooth and a VERY odd hair cut (don't worry sweetie, it'll grow back :)) She has since camped out UNDER (always in close proximity to her savior and pack leader MK...) the bed, right next to the rifle. We think she's plotting revenge.

So here's to my Wonder Puppy, McKinley Edwards The Great, protector of all, king of the mountains, hater of kitties. The next time you see him, give him an extra scratch and side of bacon:)