Another busy week! I don't remember May being such a hectic month for me in the past, but it certainly will be this year. I am so looking forward to June, when (so far at least!) I only have set plans one weekend. My calendar is mostly filled with fun, but having a busy work life and personal life is getting exhausting. I need time for hiking! That said, I have at least been getting outdoors for running, which is finally starting to become a regular part of my weekly schedule. With the warm, sunny weather we've been having, I've been very thankful that I have options for running in the shade. Going for a run on the nearby Powerline Trail a few weeks ago on an 80° day was a little too much for me to handle. It's amazing the difference a little shade makes.
Read moreLife: Week 17
This week was all over the place. Monday, we had an early breakfast in Newport, snuck in one last rocky Oregon beach fix in at Yaquina Head lighthouse, then headed for home under blue skies. Just after crossing back into Washington, we stopped for a leisurely lunch on the Columbia River. Eating lunch and drinking beer in the sunshine while boat traffic drifted by was made even more enjoyable knowing that normally I'd be at work. Tuesday, back to real life, work hit me like a sack of bricks to the face. I spent most of the week trying to catch up from the two days I'd been away, leaving little time or energy for anything else. I've also been suffering from insomnia again, getting only a few hours of sleep a night. The combination left me feeling more zombie than human by the weekend. Thankfully, it was a leisurely weekend. While I was disappointed to cancel plans for a hike on Sunday due to my exhaustion, spending a couple days relaxing with family was exactly what I needed. Hopefully I'll get past this insomnia soon so I survive this busy month!
Read moreLife: Week 16
After some excessively hot, sunny weather during the week, the damp, cool weekend was perfect. Especially since Andy and I had plans to sneak away for a long weekend on the Oregon Coast to celebrate my birthday. It was a long drive on Friday to Newport, but spending the whole weekend wandering the beach, snuggling the hotel cat, and re-reading The Hobbit in a cozy armchair by a fire made it totally worth it. The Hobbit has been a favorite of mine since I was very young, but it's rare that I allow myself to re-read books these days. I'd forgotten how enjoyable it can be to curl up with an old favorite. With the long list of book I want to read, it can be hard to remember to make time for the books I already know and love. Perhaps after this weekend I'll make the time to re-read a few more beloved books!
Read moreLife: Week 15
This week was a long one. Work is getting hectic and stressful, and I haven't been sleeping well, which makes me not want to do much of anything but sit on the couch. I know that I'll be happier if I can manage to get outside for a run, hike, or even a short walk, but the comfort of the couch can be so hard to leave! That said, I did manage to make it outside a few times this week, including my first run in a downpour since I was a kid. I'd forgotten how fun it can be to get absolutely soaking wet, to splash right through puddles and have my hair plastered to my dripping face. Another blast from the past this week - I rode my old bike for the first time in at least 8 years. It always amazes me that it's true - you really never do forget how to ride a bicycle!
Read moreLife: Week 14
I absolutely love this time of year. While the weather has been gradually shifting towards spring for months, suddenly it seems like everything is blooming and growing. Everywhere, instead of bare branches, there's new green growth. The walks I took through our neighborhood on the long, warm, sunny days were significantly slowed by my constant pauses to snap photos of many of my favorite blooms. The dogwood are blooming! Along with lilacs, dogwood are my favorite flowers. Lilacs, I love for their smell, but dogwood I love for their sturdy, large flowers in bright pink, white, and sometimes even pale green. They're everywhere this week.
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