I got you, babe

  I'm not going to pretend like three years is the longest time, because I'm not stupid, and I know it's not. But goodness, I sure don't where they went! Some days I feel like we've been married forrrrr-evvvv-errrrrr (I hope you read it your mind how squints says in in the Sandlot, if you didn't...go back and read again, the right way please)! Other days I look at Taylor and I don't know how I've held on to him for THREE WHOLE YEARS! I really do consider myself the luckiest. I mean, those of you who know me know how weird I am. Like, suh weird. Promise. And yet, Taylor's not even embarrassed by me! (Pretty sure that was the selling point when I decided to buy him...oh wait, that's not right...marry him)

  I sure am grateful for this guy, I tell you what! He cleans up after himself (and sooooometimes me, when a little menstrual, I mean, mental), he cooks (and cooks well!), he surprises me all the time, not only on days that he should! Plus, just look at him! He's a fox!

  I love you Taylor! You are tall, red, and handsome, and I'm so glad you are all mine!

tunnel helmets on

  Did you ever play that game when you were young? You know the one: you're riding in the car on a trip with your family, you're approaching an endless looking tunnel, and your dad yells "TUNNEL HELMETS ON!". You put your imaginary helmet on your very real head, hold your breath, and count how many seconds it takes to get through the tunnel. But you better be careful, because you know what happens if you don't make it on one breath!
  That was probably one of my most favorite games to play with my dad and brothers, and to this day I still can't drive, or walk, or run, or bike through a tunnel without holding my breath and putting on my tunnel helmet. I had kinda sorta forgotten about it until my run the other day. Next to our itty bitty living quarters is a nice little forest path that takes you right to canal that runs next to the Potomac. This creepy tunnel, with all its glorious graffiti toting obama's supposed advocacy of your mother, takes you right under canal road and spits you out right where the bike path intersects with the canal path. It stinks, terribly, of mildew and stagnant water. It's damp, and cool, and you feel like your life is in danger up the whole time you're in there. It's the perfect tunnel to wear your tunnel helmet and hold your breath. So back to my run...I realized about the point that I was climbing the steps to take the upper canal path right after this tunnel that I was quite light headed. I stopped to catch my breath and was suddenly aware that I hadn't taken a single breath since entering the tunnel several seconds earlier. I guess maybe running isn't the most appropriate time for not breathing, eh?
  It got me thinking (all my best thinking happens when I run) of the things from my childhood that I've continued into my adult life. Not much people, not much. My whole life has changed since I left home and struck out on my own. My ideas are different, several of my core values and beliefs have altered slightly, I don't think the same, I don't do work the same, I don't analyze every little detail like I used to, my anxiety is mostly gone, my perfectionism is slowly (yet surely) dissipating, I dress differently...I feel differently...about everything. It's funny how growing up works, how everything changes.
  Not that I don't appreciate the life I had when I was young, I most definitely do! But I'm also grateful that I've learned and been taught to think for myself, to decide who and what I want to be, to change the things I can and learn to handle the things I can't change. I like myself better now than I ever had, so I'm glad everything is different now.
  But I sure am glad that I still hold my breath and wear my helmet when passing through tunnels, because I sure like remembering how much fun we had on road trips, and I sure don't want to end up like that one girl who was too old for silly games, refused to wear her head protection, and demanded that she breath normally. I'm pretty sure she met a terrible end...though to be honest, I'm not sure my dad ever told us what would happen if we didn't play along.

  

great falls

   On the 27th my friend Lauren Ning and I decided to picnic at Great Falls, on the Maryland side. We went to Whole Foods for their delicious salad bar, drove up to Great Falls (which, FYI, is only a 20 minute drive from our place in D.C.!), walked out to the look out point, and enjoyed our salads and the scenery. 

   That cute little Berner is my new friend Benson! I couldn't resist talking with his owner for at least 15 minutes about everything Bernese related! He was suh cute, and Taylor was totes jealous when I sent him just about a million photos of Benson. I guess I should tell you, Bernese Mountain dogs are only the greatest breed of dog alive! (sorry Indy and Coco) Taylor's parent's have two, Marco and Polo (Marco! Polo!) and they are the sweetest pups EVER! Taylor and I will own 10 when we have yard*.

   I'm kind of all over the place here, but you should also know that Lauren and I are kind of related, without actually being related at all. Lauren is Married to Cary Ning, whose brother Kelvin Ning is married to Taylor's sister Susie (did you get that?) basically, we share nephews. I consider that family.

*that may or may not be a slight exaggeration.

lake powell

   I started to realize that something was terribly wrong when I said "Lake Powell", and instead of joyous applause, congratulations, and expressions of envy and jealousy, I was greeted with twenty ice cold blank stares.

   I mean, really? East Coast? You don't know what Lake Powell is? Every European in existence knows Lake Powell! Shoot, up until Wednesday, the evening of this tragic occurrence, I was under the impression that every living thing on this planet (even having never been there) had an appreciation for the majestic monstrosity that is Lake Powell.

   Get with it East Coast! You're not making your case very well. I'm not convinced I could be here long term, and if you're trying to persuade me, you're going to have to do better.

    Only three months until we head to the greatest place on Earth! Bring it Powell 2013!!!!

april fourteenth

  The weather here in DC is finally nice and warm and perfect for a mid day run! I haven't exactly been running really since, like, maaaaaaaybe October???? My bad, the gym just does it for me when it's cold out. But I am SO glad that I decided to start again!

  There's this great little forest trail right next to our place that cuts right to the creepiest underground tunnel EVER that leads right to the wonderful canal trail! I took a left turn instead of my usual right (and by usual, I mean I've only run down there twice...sooooo, that's more than once, I can say usual, right?), found where all the cool high school kids get high on Saturdays (don't do drugs, kids), following a sketchy looking stairway right down to the Potomac, which I discovered is the Tempe Town Lake of the Georgetown area. I ended up maybe running 4 miles total, so it wasn't long or anything, but I'm so happy to know I live so close to such awesome views of the Potomac and the Arlington skyline across the river! 

  Every time I get sick of DC and just want to be back in Arizona, some little adventure, like my run this afternoon, reminds me to explore as much of this place as I can while we here. To take it all in, while I can. I mean, how many people achieve their life long dream of being invited into the cool group in high school* when they're 24, I mean really.**

*yes, it's true, I totally was the opposite of cool in high school, hard to believe,no? 

**I totally turned them down, fyi