What I've Been Up To...

Let's see here, right after I posted last, Daved and I escaped to Big Bear Lake for a 3-day relaxing weekend. It reminded me exactly of the Pinetop/Showlow area, plus a huge lake, and it's really nice to have a little mountain getaway available within 2-2 1/2 hours. We stayed in a little one-bedroom cabin with a private jacuzzi in the back, and of course George got to come too. We just hung out and read, watched movies, George got to swim in the lake and absolutely loved it, grilled, and really just relaxed. It was great! One of the best parts was that when we went home, we had the same weather as the mountain!! Typically, coming home from the mountains (or California) in the summer is terribly depressing when you step out into the freaking hotness of Phoenix or Tucson. Not here!!

Last week I took one of my monthly trips back to AZ for work. I got to schedule it perfectly so that I didn't have to miss the engagement party of my wonderful friend Bri and her fiancee Wyck. LOVE THEM!! I'm not sure I've ever been this happy for someone else to get married, so it's a very exciting time. I haven't gone to too many weddings in the last year or two after attending about 13 the year that Daved and I got married. I was also in 3 other weddings within 3 months of my own, so it was a crazy time! I've been bombarded with baby showers over the last 2 years, so I'm so excited to start some new wedding extravaganza! Congrats Bri!!!

After the engagement party, I spent the rest of the weekend hanging out in Phoenix with the fam. I think this was also the first time I've ever just relaxed in my parents pool. It's amazing how much you appreciate a pool once you don't have one anymore. And really, what else can you do during the day in Phoenix. Then, I took a quick trip to Tucson Monday morning, worked Monday and Tuesday, then flew back Tuesday night. My first 2 visits have been very successful so far. It's been a great time to catch up with people and it's really been a pretty rejuvenating experience job-wise. After working from home by myself every day for a month, it's really nice to be back in the office for a bit. It's amazing how within 30 minutes, I feel like I never left! I would expect for it to feel more weird, but it really doesn't. I really have been blessed with this job, over and over again, so I am very thankful

I think within the last few weeks I've finally realized that I really live here. The first few weeks I always felt like I was on a crazy, weird vacation and was wondering when I was supposed to go home. Not that I missed Tucson, it was just odd to live somewhere else. I thought seeing our furniture in a new place would make me realize I had moved more quickly, but it didn't. I think I've finally accepted our new normal!

Next up for me is a work trip to Chicago next week. I'm not looking forward to the actual meetings, but I'll get to see some really great people from the other locations. Plus, I always enjoy getting paid to read my books and magazines (while flying of course). Work trips are just a nice break from the norm so I'm looking forward to it.

Other than that, I'm still just working on figuring out a routine. This has been especially difficult as I go out of town at least once a month, we've had lots of visitors so far, so there's never like 2 weeks in a row that it's just Daved and I at home. Today I jogged during my lunch break and it was great! I hope I can make that a routine because it's great for George to get out another time, and it's really great for me to get out and break up the day inside. Plus of course, I need the exercise. I even did a workout video after work so I hope I keep that up!! Then I cooked dinner which I always enjoy, but if I'm out of my routine I never cook. Someday I'll get myself all figured out I'm sure. So far so good though!

Hopefully I'll start posting more frequently so I can get into the interesting only in LA stories like Saran Wrap man, the guy who told Daved he was bleeding from the anus, crazy things found in George's poop, and our bipolar neighbor who obsessively sweeps and waters plants. This is what you all have to look forward to... maybe with a little encouragement. ;)