Happy Thanksgiving

My 1st pumpkin pie

Andy washing Thanksgiving dishes

Moving Fun

Andy and I are moving to a smaller apartment in mid December. So we need to get rid of a lot of stuff. This weekend, we went through a lot of our belongings. We gathered a large load to bring to Goodwill and threw away and recycled several hundred pounds of books, clothes, paper, and magazines. We also got rid of our desk and kitchen table.

Here is the timeline of the desk on the curb:

Out on the curb

Having fun

More fun

Bye Bye desk!

The kitchen table with its leaf was by the dumpster for less than thirty minutes before it was snatched up. The desk was by the street for about 30-55 seconds before the nice lady in the minivan took it for her kid. It’s amazing how much bigger our current apartment looks with less ‘stuff’.

Trail Running

I joined a group of runners at Forest Park to run the Wildwood Trail. It was super cold and muddy outside. I wore my new running tights and new trail running shoes. As you can see, I put them to good use.

Muddy

Super Muddy

Now I’d like to say how fast I was running up and down those trails. Truth is, I was the slowest person. But the way you get better is to run with faster more experienced people, right?

Junk Food Binge

I ran 11 hilly miles yesterday. It felt great. But this afternoon my junk food side wanted to be fed. So I go into my kitchen and search around. All I could find was some stale crackers and Halloween candy. (I don’t buy or eat junk food anymore)The Halloween candy consisted of Smartees, Jolly Ranchers, and some other candy I don’t really care for. I had a bag of almonds, apples, whole wheat crackers, cheese, and Gatorade.

I did not want any of these things. I wanted salt, sugar, and high fructose corn syrup. I wanted chips (Cheetos!), soda (Mt. Dew or Dr. Pepper would work), donuts (glazed please), and I wanted Little Debbie snacks (oatmeal cookies). When the hell did I stop buying junk food? Seriously? I cannot remember the last time I bought any of the above. Sigh. Andy’s making homemade pizza. Maybe that will help. Somehow I doubt it. The Margarita pizza he is making for me will be wonderful!

I think I may have to make a special trip to purchase a few items. It’s been so long since I have bought them, I don’t know if I can do it. I have conditioned myself not to go down the snack aisle. I no longer see cookies or soda. It’s like they are there but I don’t notice anymore.

Eh. I think my desire to binge on junk food has disappeared. Better luck next time Aleta.

Searching For a New Home

Andy and I are searching for a new place to live. It’s a frustrating experience. For all you landlords, here is an example of what not to write:

2 bedroom duplex for rent $700 a month with a $825 dep new carpet hardwood floor in kitchen an bath please call 503-xxx-xxxx or 503-xxx-xxxx thanks

This is an actual listing on Craigslist. It did not include any photos. At the bottom it did say that cats were allowed but how much is the deposit. And what is the address of the unit?

Here is a quick checklist of things to have in your ad:

1. Location
2. Amenities: dishwasher, garbage disposal, ceiling fans, etc.
3. Lease terms
4. Date Available
5. Parking
6. What floor is the unit located
7. Contact information
8. Fees
9. Photos of the inside of the unit (no one cares about your sign-Seriously)
10. Square footage of the unit

Here’s another example:

XXXXX APARTMENTS

BEAUTIFUL 2 BEDROOM 1 BATHROOM

**950 SQ FOOT***

**FLAT RATE OF $15.00 UTILITY CHARGE**

**NEW RENOVATED KITCHEN AND BATHROOM**

** LARGE BEDROOMS AND CLOSETS**

** BRAND NEW CARPET**

**FULL SIZE WASHER AND DRYER ON SITE**

**ALL NEW HEATING**

**LOTS OF STORAGE**

** $695 DEPOSIT ON APPROVED CREDIT**

AMAZING DEAL FOR THIS PRICE!

ONLY 1 LEFT! COME TOUR TODAY

The ad above isn’t so bad but ALL CAPS. Really? And lots of storage. Is this storage inside the apartment or what? And the ad says they accept cats but how much is the deposit! What are the lease terms? And no more photos of cats sleeping together or grassy knolls with people hanging out. It’s stupid.

New Shoes

Both my mom and my mother-in-law Shannon bought these shoes for me.

New shoes!

The blue and white ones are my new road/marathon shoes while the yellow and gray ones are my new trail running shoes!

Look at that new tread!

I purchased both at Portland Running Company. The staff is incredibly knowledgeable, helpful, funny, and patient. I highly recommend them!

Girls Gone Wild

For my birthday, my friend Amy and I traveled to Seattle to watch Mumford & Sons. (Please note – this post contains no photos of the ultrahandsome Marcus Mumford)

Amy and I ate and drank (mostly drank) and had a great time. Here are a few photos:

Pike Brewery

Now is a good time for a beer!

Getting ready for the concert

ROAR!!

Most of what happens in Seattle stays in Seattle. Just joking. We’ll tell you the whole story.

Okay. I lied. Here is a photo of Marcus Mumford. I don’t know who took the photo but it wasn’t me.